Season four begins with Angel stuck at the bottom of the sea. Fred and Gunn search for him, unaware that Connor is the one behind his disappearance. Cordy is now a Higher Power and no one is sure where she went either. It's Wes who begins to piece together what happened to his estranged friends and comes up with a plan to save Angel.
[PREVIOUSLY_ON] Angel: "Darla." Darla: "We did so many terrible things together." Flashback to Angelus and Darla. Cordy: "Did you and Darla..." Angel and Darla doing the nasty. Angel: "Once. It was a very dark time." Darla, looking like she swallowed a basketball. Angel: "This is impossible. Vampires can't have children." Darla: "We did." Wes looking at the sonogram. Wesley: "It's human. You're carrying a boy." Angel: "I'm gonna have a son." Darla: "Our baby's gonna die." Darla staking herself, the baby left behind as the dust settles. Darla: "This child is the one good thing we ever did together." Angel taking Connor for a checkup. Angel: "I'm Mr. Dad!" Holtz walking into burning Caritas. Lilah: "Daniel Holtz. Angel massacred his family and he spent the rest of his life seeking revenge." Holtz and Justine fighting in the cemetary. Holtz: "I want you to go out and find others like you. People who have suffered like we have." Gunn and Fred find Wes' notes. Gunn: "Wes thought that Angel..." Fred: "...was gonna kill Connor." Justine slits Wes' throat. Lorne: "He's taking the baby away - for good." Holtz, holding Connor, jumps through the portal into Quortoth. Holtz: "I'll take good care of him as my own son." Angel tries to smother Wes at the hospital. Angel: "Son of a bitch! I'll never forgive you! Never!" Fred visits Wes. Fred: "You should have trusted us. Don't come back to the hotel - ever!" Lilah at Wes' apartment. Wes: "You're going to offer me a job. Not interested." Lilah and Wes in bed. Lilah: "Don't pretend you're too good to work for us." Fred and Gunn kissing. Fred: "What is it about you that makes me melt?" Gunn: "Maybe it's the I love you." Connor drops out of the rift. Angel: "Connor." Justine: "Don't make me do it!" Justine stabs Holtz in the throat with an ice pick. Connor cries, holding Holtz' corpse. Cordy phoning Angel: "I sort of need to talk to you." Cordy driving: "I'm late! I'm late." Connor walks up to Angel at the bluff. Angel: "Connor. What are you doing here?" Connor attacks Angel. Skip: "What you are being called to do transcends love. You've become a higher being." Cordy: "Me?" Connor locking Angel into his coffin: "You murdered my father." Angel: "I didn't. She knows it. Connor! Never forget that I'm your father and that I love you." Justine and Connor push Angel's coffin into the ocean." Cordy, ascending in a glowing white light: "I know that, somehow, it's all gonna be alright." Angel sinks into the deep. Connor: "You don't get to die. You get to live - forever." Lorne hands Fred a bowl full of mashed potatoes across a laden Thanksgiving table. Lorne: "Here you go, darling." Fred: "Thanks." Gunn: "You're gonna eat all that?" Fred: "Until I'm fat and happy." Lorne: "Hmm, these look good, too." Cordy: "How about that stuffing?" Connor: "What are those?" Cordy: "Sweet Potatoes." Lorne: "Oh, pass those over here, doll." Cordy hands Connor a bowl full of sweet potatoes. Connor: "Are they good?" Cordy: "Try them." Lorne: "Back in Pylea they used to call me 'sweet potato.'" Connor: "Really." Lonre: "Yeah, well, the exact translation was 'fragrant tuber' but..." The group chuckles at his joke. Cordy: "You're not hungry?" Angel: "No! I'm starving. It's just... I wanna freeze this moment. You - Connor - all of us - safe - and happy - and together. Considering what we went through over the summer..." Wes leans forward to raise his glass in a toast: "To family." Angel, smiling, raises his own glass as the others follow suit: "To family." Lorne: "As long as it is not mine!" Everyone laughs and clinks glasses. Cordy picks up a water pitcher and holds it over Angel's glass. Cordy: "You can't toast with an empty glass." Angel: "It's not bad luck, is it?" Cordy: "Angel, relax. It's over. Things are back the way they should be and nothing is ever going to break us apart again. (Leans closer towards Angel) And if anything tries I'm gonna have to go all glowy and personally kick it's ass." Angel, leaning closer: "I like it when you glow." Cordy, leaning closer still: "Well, play your cards right..." They're close enough to kiss, smiling into each other's eyes. Connor: "Do I have to watch this part?" Angel reaches over to ruffle Connor's hair. Angel: "I could poke your eyes out." Connor, chuckling, finger combs his hair back: "Come on, dad! It'll stick up like yours." Angel: "You should be so lucky. Let's eat!" Fred: "Rolls?" Gunn: "Hmm. Those look good." Cordy: "Careful, those are hot." Everyone starts eating, passing more food around, but somehow nothing ever comes within Angel's reach. Gunn: "Yeah! Now we're talking." Connor: "I like this stuff." Cordy: "I thought you would." Angel: "Can I get the, ah..." Wes: "Delicious." Fred: "Pass the carrots please." Cordy: "Smells so good." Gunn, as Fred snags a bean from him: "Hey, get your hands out of my plate." Lorne: "Can I have the rolls?" Wes: "Pass the salt please." Fred: "Kill me now before my stomach explodes." Cordy: "Hey, try the gravy." Lorne: "Yeah, look, it comes in a little boat." Angel: "Could I get that..." Angel grabs a platter as it is passed in front of him and sets it down on his plate, but when he looks down at it all that remains on it are some juices. Angel: "Cordy, what..." Angel moves his hand and knocks his water-filled wineglass to the floor, where it shatters into a thousand pieces. Cordy: "Now look what you've done silly." The warm, festive light is suddenly replaced with a bluish watery glow as Angel stares down to find his feet ankle deep in water. Angel's skin has turned pasty white and cracks have appeared on his cheeks, chin and forehead. Connor: "Freeze the moment, dad. It'll last forever." The camera pulls back to show the table stripped of food and deserted. Angel's eyes snap open. He is lying in his coffin at the bottom of the ocean. Intro: Fred and Gunn are running down a dark alley, they round a fence corner and pile into Gunn's truck. Gunn: "Are you okay?" Fred: "No. You?" Gunn: "No." Fred: "It's nice we still do these things together." Gunn driving off: "How're we doing?" A vampire lands on the hood of the truck. Fred: "About the same." The vampire smashes the windshield in with his fist. Fred: "Charles!" Gunn: "Hang on!" Gunn swerves crazily, finally managing to dislodge the vamp. Gunn stops the truck. A red convertible pulls up and three more vamps get out of it as Gunn and Fred get out as well. Gunn: "Now you're ass better be insured!" Bald vamp helps the downed vamp to his feet: "Now you ought to be worried about your own ass, mister! Couple of warm bloods rolling down *my* street, hustling my hermanos? Ain't gonna fly, homey!" Fred: "We're just looking for the girl." Gunn: "Tell us where she is and we're gone." Bad vamp: "Who? Marissa? I thought you guys were supposed to be a couple of detectives. Or was that before your buddy Angel went bye-bye?" Gunn: "We found you, didn't we?" Bad vamp: "Yeah, and look what it got you!" Fred steps forward, aiming a crossbow at Bald vamp: "We just want to talk to her, that's all." Bald vamp, after a quick look around: "Condemned building on Figueroa, top floor, and tell her I want my CDs back, yeah?" Gunn: "We'll pass it along." Bald vamp: "Nah, you know what? Better yet - I think I'll tell her myself!" Fred shoots, but the vamp deflects the bolt. Fred drops one crossbow to pick up another, loaded one, while Gunn attacks, but Bald Vamp grabs her by the throat before she can finish. Bald Vamp: "I see Angel left you a little toy toy, huh?" Fred: "More than one." Fred stakes him using Angel wrist-stake-launcher, then picks up the loaded crossbow. Fred: "Charles!" Gunn twists aside and Fred shoots the vamp his was pummeling. Gunn grabs the arrow as the vamp dusts, and stakes the third vamp with it, leaving only one. This last one snatches Gunn's hubcap-ax from the ground and throws it at Fred. Before either Fred or Gunn can move, Conner suddenly appears out of nowhere, snatches the ax out of the air before it can reach Fred and launches it back at the vamp, decapitating him. Gunn stares up at Connor, whose face splits into a grin. Connor: "Did you see that? Wasn't that cool? (Laughs) That was cool!" Flashy transition cut to the Hyperion. Fred, Connor, and Gunn enter the lobby. Fred: "You're not supposed to run off like that when we're supposed to be working, honey. We've talked about that." Connor: "The rest of the gang was getting away." Gunn: "Then let them. What you don't do is divide your strength." Connor drops on the settee: "Sorry." Fred: "We know things were different in Quortoth, but you're in Los Angeles now. Your taking on a big responsibility." Gunn: "Connor, you've got to start thinking about more than just yourself!" Connor: "I know. - I know." Connor glances up at Gunn and smiles. Connor: "That thing with the ax was cool, huh?" Gunn and Fred exchange a glance. Fred turns away with a smile. Gunn with a slight smile: "Yeah, that was tight. (Hands the ax to Connor) Now you get to clean it." Connor: "Vamps dust, nothing to clean." Gunn: "Two coats of polish." Gunn enters the office and watches Connor through a crack in the door, then turns to Fred, sitting at the desk. Gunn: "We gonna tell him?" Fred: "I don't wanna get his hopes up again." Gunn: "What about yours?" Fred: "We have to keep trying." Gunn: "I'm not saying that we shouldn't but we've spent the last three months chasing one dead end after another trying to find Angel and Cordy, and the only thing we're closing in on, is an eviction. Be a whole lot easier to handle this crap if Lorne was pitching in. Where is our future-reading, empath demon when we need him?" Fred: "Mr. Big-hit-in-Vegas is too busy danke-schon-ing the tourists to care about us." Gunn: "Did you try him again?" Fred: "Like sixty times. He's lost the mission, bro." Gunn: "Well, we're about to loose this whole place and you know you can't say bro. - Alright. You need to start hustling up some paying clients." Fred: "We will. As soon as I find Marissa. Can I say dawg?" Gunn just looks at her and Fred hurried turns back to her laptop. Fred: "Oh, this looks good. Condemned tenement on Figueroa. Could be her." Gunn: "Evil Dead was probably just messing with us, and even if she's there, not much chance she knows anything." Fred: "Angel's car was found down by the bluffs. That used to be her feeding ground. She might be able to tell us what happened - if we can find her." Connor: "Find who?" Night, Ocean waves break against the shore at the bottom of the bluff, sending up plumes of white spray. Angel turns away from the view - only to find Cordy, all in flowing white, waiting for him beside his car. Angel: "Cordelia. - I didn't think you were coming." Cordy: "You know me better than that. Better than anybody." Angel gives slight laugh and sticks his hands his pockets. Angel: "I don't know if that's true." Cordy: "Yes. You do." Cordy slowly walks over to the edge. Cordy: "It's so beautiful here." Angel, watching her: "Yes. Yes, it is. - Just the way it should be." He frowns as we get a quick flash of him and Connor tumbling down the bluff. Angel: "But it's not. This isn't how it happened." Another flash of him and Connor, fighting. Cordy: "I know. - I like this version better." Angel: "It was Connor. He was here. He..." Flash of Connor tazering Angel. Cordy puts a hand against the side of Angel's face. Cordy: "I can't remember what it was like - not knowing you, not being close to you. I'm in love with you Angel. Deep down I think I have been for a long time. I needed you to know that." Angel pulls Cordy into a kiss, then pulls back to look at her. Angel: "I need you, Cordy. I need you." He leans in to kiss the side of her neck, then vamps out and sinks his teeth in. Cordy gasps as Angel gulps down her blood. Angel pulls back: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" Cordy lets out a scream as Angel returns to feeding - only to wake up wide-eyed and screaming in his watery grave. Connor: "So why didn't you tell me?" Fred: "We wanted to be sure." Gunn: "We don't even know if this Marissa girl saw anything." Connor: "But she could have." Fred: "Maybe. We're gonna go talk to her and find out." Connor, hefting Gunn's ax: "I'm coming with you." Gunn: "No. It's only one vamp. We can handle it." Connor: "He's my father! If she knows what happened to him I..." Fred after a beat: "Okay. Go get your weapon." Connor flashes her a quick smile before running from the room while Gunn turns to look at Fred. Gunn: "You think that's a good idea?" Fred: "I'll keep an eye on him." Gunn: "Getting information is a finesse job. He's a blunt instrument!" Fred: "You wanna tell him no? You saw how much he's hurting." Gunn: "Well, how's he gonna feel if all vampirella saw is sand and seaweed? This is it, Fred. No Angel, no Cordy. We can't find Holtz. His psycho girlfriend's gone. We got nothing." Fred: "There's still Wolfram and Hart." Gunn: "Right. We just stroll into their heavily guarded law offices and ask Lilah, the evil bitch queen, for help finding out what happened to their archenemy, but, we're kinda broke, so it'll have to be pro bono." Fred: "I didn't say it would be easy." Gunn: "How's impossible? They're too big. Without Angel we can't afford pissing them off." Fred: "Maybe we should think about asking..." Gunn: "No." Fred after a beat: "Well, I'm glad we talked it over." Gunn: "We already asked him for help twice." Fred: "Then we'll ask him again." Gunn: "Fred, Wesley doesn't give a damn about us." Fred: "Have we given him a reason to?" Gunn: "He's made his choice. Now he has to life with it." Gunn turns and leaves the office. A sweaty Lilah sinks down onto an equally sweaty Wes, both naked in his bed. Lilah with a smile: "Hmm. That didn't suck. - Well - maybe just a little bit." Wes: "Perhaps that is something we can expand on next time." Lilah: "What makes you think there will be a next time?" Wes: "Because you can't resist me." Lilah pulls Wes head back by his hair and licks the side of his face. Lilah: "I think you have that backwards." Lilah rolls off him and gets out of bed. Wes: "Where are you going?" Lilah: "Snack break's over. Time I get back to work." Wes: "And Wolfram and Hart does its best work after dark." Lilah, getting dressed: "Sun's bad for your complexion. Ask Angel. Oh, right. You can't, because of the whole 'wanting to smother you with a pillow' thing." Wes: "Wouldn't think kidnapping his son would have such a negative effect on our friendship." Lilah: "You thought you were doing the right thing. I hear that can be confusing. - Have you tried talking to him? Maybe when he gets back you can..." Wes laughs. Lilah: "What?" Wes: "I have no idea where Angel is, Lilah, or what happened to him. - And I really couldn't care." Lilah: "Wow. That was cold. (Goes to sit on the edge of the bed) I think we're finally making progress. Come on. Doesn't it bother you just a little bit? The not knowing?" Wes: "That part of my life is dead. - Doesn't concern me now." Lilah, looking at him: "No, it doesn't." Lilah leans down for a quick kiss goodbye, but Wes grabs a hold of her hair and pulls her back for a deeper kiss. After a moment Lilah pulls back and Wes watches her walk out of the room. As soon as she is gone he pulls on his pants then goes to unlock the safety bolt on his closet door. The door swings open to reveal a second one made of metal bars. Wes: "It's time." Wes looks through the bars at a shackled and gagged Justine. Wes: "Let's go for a boat ride." Break Wes steers a small ship across the dark ocean. Justine: "So, what's it gonna be tonight, captain? Bicycle, old tire, or maybe we'll get *real* lucky and catch us nice shopping cart. Here's a wacky thought: why don't you swim down there yourself?" Wes flips a switch and looks down at a readout. Wes: "No contact. We'll try the next grid." Wes walks over to the map laid out on the table and makes some markings. Justine: "You really think finding Angel is going to change anything?" Wes: "Everything changes." Justine: "Well, I guess anything is better than sitting around in my cage all day with nothing to do but to fill my bucket." Wes: "Perhaps you should have considered that before slitting my throat." Wes walks back to the steering wheel. Justine: "The great Wesley Wyndham-Price, the shining beacon of all that's good and pure. But wait, no! That's before he started banging the enemy and keeping slave-girl in his closet." Wes: "You were always a slave, Justine. You just couldn't see the chains." Justine: "Thanks, Swami, I'll meditate on that." Wes: "You think she would be disappointed?" Justine: "Who?" Wes: "Your sister. (Justine turns away) That's where it all began, isn't it? Sister murdered by a vampire, consumed by a need of revenge..." Justine, spinning to face him: "For justice!" Wes: "Is that what you call it? Turning a son against his father." Justine: "Angel got what he deserved." Wes: "We all get what we deserve. - You and Holtz deserved each other. You two have so much in common. Pain, loss, deep seated lack of anything approaching humor." Justine: "I don't know. We had a few laughs. Getting you to steal Angel's baby, now that was a good one." Wes: "Better than tricking Connor into sinking his father to the bottom of the ocean?" Justine: "Well, that was worth a couple of yuks, too." Wes: "Not much of a plan though, was it, really? Easy to figure out which door to kick in when Angel went missing. And not much harder to persuade you to betray everything Holtz had given his life for. Not that it was worth very much. Well, you should know. You're the one that ended it." Justine picks up the wrench that was holding down the maps and hauls back to hit the back of Wes' head. Wes, without turning to look: "I'll take away your bucket." Justine tosses the wrench back on the table. Connor bursts in, sword in hand, through the door of Marissa's lair. Gunn and Fred follow him in. Gunn: "Or we can do it the loud way." They look around the cluttered but empty room. Fred: "Doesn't matter. Looks like she's out." Gunn: "Man, this is just nasty. I don't know how people live like this." Fred: "Helps to be dead." Gunn: "Yeah, one more reason to stay pink and rosy." Fred: "Word. - So, what do you think? From the smell I'm guessing she still lives here. Should we wait for her to come back, or..." Connor: "No." Connor flips back a blanket and picks up some headphones from which we can hear music playing. Connor: "We won't have to." At that moment Marissa drops down from the ceiling, knocking Fred and Gunn to the floor, and runs to attack Connor. They exchange some blows then Connor pushes Marissa up against a pillar and lays his sword across her throat. Fred: "Marissa, stop! We just wanna talk." Marissa: "I don't know anything." Gunn: "You psychic?" Marissa: "No." Gunn: "Then shut up and let us ask the question first." Fred: "You know the bluffs down by the beach?" Marissa: "No." Gunn: "You used to feed there." Marissa: "Oh. Those bluffs." Gunn: "Three months ago a friend of ours went missing down there." Marissa: "Tall, good looking, weird hair?" Fred: "You saw him?" Marissa: "I see a lot of things. What do you care." Connor: "He's my father. If you know what..." Connor pulls the sword back from Marissa's throat and she punches him in the gut, then runs past him and launches herself through the closed window across the room. Connor jumps up. Gunn: "You never let your guard down! How many times do..." Connor launches himself after Marissa out the window. Fred: "Connor!" They run to the window, but there is no sign of either of them in the alley below. Gunn: "If he ain't dead I'm gonna kill him." Marissa runs down a dark alley, takes a quick look around, then scales the side of one of the buildings - only to find Connor on the roof, waiting for her. Connor: "What did you see?" Marissa: "Look, whatever I saw, whatever didn't see, it doesn't matter, okay? (Morphs into her human face and smiles at him) Come on, handsome. It'll be our little secret." Connor pulls out a stake and dusts her. Gunn: "Connor!" Connor quickly rips his shirtsleeve then scores his arm using the stake. Fred and Gunn burst out of the stairwell onto the roof, stakes in hand. Gunn: "Connor!" Fred: "Are you alright?" Gunn: "Where is she?" Connor: "She attacked me. I had no choice." Gunn: "Maybe you would have if you weren't always running off, playing hero! Do you know what you just did?!" Connor tosses the stake down and runs to the edge of the building. Fred: "Connor!" Connor drops of the edge. Gunn: "Three months of this and he dusts our only lead!" Fred: "You know how much he wants to find Angel. How do you think he feels?" Gunn: "How am I supposed to know? It's not like he talks to me." Fred: "After everything he's gone through, you need to be a little more patient, Charles. He's just a boy." Gunn: "Are you sure about that? Offspring of two vampires. Last time I checked that's not supposed to happen. And - jumping off a six-story without busting your coconut kind of sways me to the side of not just a boy. I mean, come on, Fred. His nickname back in Quortoth was the destroyer. And unless you put Conan in front of that, I'm guessing it's not a good sign." Fred quietly: "He's Angel's son. That's all that matters." Fred walks towards the stairs and after a beat Gunn lets out a sigh and follows her. Connor is crouched on the edge of a roof, overlooking the city. Angel: "Beautiful, isn't it?" Connor: "The way it should be." Connor turns to face Angel. Angel: "What, no hug?" Connor: "Just get it over with." Angel: "What's the rush? I'm not going anywhere." Connor: "No, you're not." Angel turns to see some vamps come towards him and starts to laugh. Connor laughs with him. Vamp: "What are you laughing at?" Angel: "I'll tell you later." The vamps attack and Angel swings into action, as does Connor. Their eyes meet during a short lull before they turn back to the business of fighting the vamps. On of them comes up on Angel's blind side with a stake and Connor calls out a warning. Angel bats the stake aside and they quickly finish off the vamps, Connor tossing the last one over the side of the building. Angel, smiling walks up to Connor and puts his hands on his son's shoulders. Angel: "Thanks." Angel grabs a hold of Connor's head and snaps his neck with a quick twist - only to wake up screaming and straining against his bonds back in his coffin. Lorne, wearing a furry blue coat is getting his face powder in a Vegas dressing room. Lorne: "Now, go easy on me. Remember they're paying to see the green." A beefy looking guy comes walking in and hands Lorne a cell phone. Guy: "Two minutes." Lorne: "Oh, thanks, sweetie. (To phone) A bon soir." Fred: "Lorne? Lorne! (She signals to Gunn to join her) Hey, it's Fred. I've been trying to get a hold of you." Lorne: "Oh, I'm sorry, hon, I've been booked out the wha and past the zoo. If I get any hotter they'll have to stamp me out." Fred: "Lorne, I know you're busy, but we really need your help. We had a lead but it, ah - kind of died. Did you talk to your connections? Have they heard anything about Angel or Cordy?" Lorne: "No, not a peep. But if I miracle ear anything I'll send up a smoke signal. (beefy guy points at his watch) Ah, that's my cue. Take care of yourself and ah, and make sure fluffy is getting enough love." Fred: "Lorne!" Fred hangs up the phone with a sigh. Gunn: "Did he have anything?" Fred: "No. And who's fluffy? Are you fluffy?" Gunn: "He called me fluffy?" Fred: "He said make sure... Wait. You don't - think he was referring to anything of mine that's fluffy, do you? Because that would just be inappropriate." Gunn: "Like deserting us? No leads, no clients, pretty soon no roof over my smooth delicate head." Fred: "I could make you a paper hat. (Laughs, then lets out a sigh) It's gonna be okay. Angel and Cordy are out there somewhere and no matter what the Powers-That-Screw-You throw at us, we're gonna find them." Wolfram and Hart office building, night. Lilah: "You found Angel?" Linwood: "Young Gavin's had a breakthrough with the psychics." Lilah: "Brain boys finally earning their keep. So, where is he?" Gavin: "Well, I haven't pinpointed his exact location yet, but I have ascertained that he's safe and immobilized." Lilah: "Really. Maybe you can lead them in a rousing chant and get them to muster up a little more vague." Linwood: "He's contained and out of play. Which suit our purposes just fine." Lilah: "If our purpose is to get caught with our prophecies down. Angel is supposed to be a major player in the apocalypse. The little pet project the Senior partners have been working on since, oh, the beginning of time? Three months and all you've been able to ferret out is - nothing!" Linwood: "Lilah, Gavin's work with the psychics has uncovered some invaluable intel in a variety of unexpected areas. - Care to enlighten us?" Lilah: "What I do on my personal time is none of Gavin's business." Linwood: "But everything is my business." Lilah: "I'm not sleeping with him for information." Linwood: "Please don't tell me it's the chiseled jaw. If you have his confidence we can play it to our advantage." Lilah: "He doesn't know anything. There's nothing to take advantage of." Linwood: "Except you. Staff meeting in an hour. Don't be late. Gavin." Lilah watches and Linwood and Gavin enter the elevator. The radar on Wes' boat beeps. Wes: "Solid contact. Definitely metallic." Justine: "Probably more junk. Could be anything down there." Wes: "Better have a look then." Wes tosses a diving mask at Justine, who catches it. The beam of Justine's flashlight plays across the lid of Angel's coffin, illuminating his pale and cracked face, and making him blink. Wes and Justine watch as the ship's hoist slowly hauls the coffin aboard. Wes lights a blowtorch and burns through the welds securing the sidebars. Wes: "Justine. Come on." Wes slides the bars out and he and Justine lift the lid off the coffin. Wes cuts the steel cords holding Angel immobile. Justine: "Congratulations. You're the *big* hero. Maybe your friends will throw you a party. I wonder what the cake's gonna look..." Suddenly Angel's hand shoots up and grabs Wesley by the throat. Angel's eyes snap open. His brow draws together in a slight frown as his eyes focus on Wes. Break [SCENE_BREAK] Wes takes a hold of Angel's hand, and Angel lets him pull it away and lay it back down on his chest. Wes lays Angel down on the table in the main cabin and pulls out some glass jars filled with dark liquid. Justine: "Blood?" Wes: "Animal." Wes lifts Angel's head and tries to get him to drink some of the blood. Justine: "What's the hurry? It's not like he's going anywhere." Wes: "A vampire can exist indefinitely without feeding, but the damage to the higher brain functions from prolonged starvation can be catastrophic." Angel starts to cough. Wes: "Slowly." Justine: "All the energy you've wasted to save that thing. For what? A happy ending? Everything like it was? He *hates* you. They all do. And they're never going to take you back." Connor walks into the lobby of the Hyperion to find Gunn and Fred sitting on the settee waiting for him. Connor: "Is this going to be the yelling thing again?" Gun and Fred stand up. Fred: "No. No yelling." Connor: "He looks like he's gonna yell." Gunn: "I do not." Connor: "He always looks like he's gonna yell." Gunn: "I'm not gonna yell!" Fred: "Where have you been?" Connor, walking past them: "Out." Gunn: "We were worried." Connor stops and turns back to them. Connor: "I'm sorry. I shouldn't run off alone. You'd think I'd know that by now." Gunn: "It's that big, thick mellon!" Gunn taps the side of Connor's head, smiling. Gunn: "Your dad's got one just like it." Connor's smile melts away. Gunn: "Angel's always flying off, getting himself into trouble." Connor: "I'm not like him." Gunn: "You're not as strong yet, but..." Connor: "Like I care what you think?" Gunn: "What did you say?" Fred steps between them: "It's been a long night. Why don't you go wash up." Connor looks from Gunn to Fred. Connor, quietly: "I'm fine." Fred and Gunn watch Connor take the stairs two at a time. Gunn: "I try to be nice and you see what he does? He just keeps pushing. It's like - it's like he wants me to lose it." Fred: "He's testing you. With Angel gone, you're the alpha male." Gunn: "Damn straight." Fred leaning against Gunn's chest: "Don't let it go to your head." Gunn, pulling her closer: "That's not the direction it's flowing." They kiss. The phone rings and Fred pulls back. Gunn: "Let it ring." Fred, leaning in for another kiss: "What if it's a client?" Gunn pulls away with a sigh: "Then the big dog better close the deal." Gunn picks up the phone: "Angel Investigations." Angel is lying on the table in the ship's cabin a rolled up blanket under his head another covering his body. Angel: "Why is it like this?" Lorne: "Well, that's the age-old, bubby. I'll fire you off a postcard if I'll noodle the answer." Angel: "Life should be beautiful and bright. But, no matter how hard I try, everything I touch - turns to ashes." Lorne: "Well, there goes that encouraging hug I was planning. Snap to, buckaroo. The only one turning to ashes is that patricidal pup of yours. Hell, I'd take him out myself if I wasn't just a crappy hallucination." Wes comes down the stairs: "How is he?" Lorne: "How do you think?" Justine: "He won't shut up." Angel: "I have to stop him." Lorne: "You wanna bitch-slap sour-puss over there for practice? I'm your cheering section." Wes walks up to the table. Wes: "Angel?" Angel: "I have to do it." Angel tires to get up and Wes puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Wes: "Shh. You need to rest now." Lorne, singing: "Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mamma's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don't sing..." Angel looks up and sees Connor standing over him. Angel: "I should have killed you." Wes looks down at Angel as Justine breaks out laughing. Justine: "And me without my camera." Wes: "He's been down there too long. Pig's blood isn't enough. He needs more substantial nourishment." Justine: "Like what?" Justine, handcuffed to the wall, stares wide-eyed at the knife Wes pulls out. Justine: "Oh, screw you. I'm not feeding that thing." Wes: "Your blood's too thin." Wes slices across the inner side of his left forearm then moves to the table and holds the cut down over Angel's lips. Angel's hands come up and he holds Wes' arm in place as he drinks, but he doesn't morph into his vamp face. Lilah is alone in the meeting room. She stands behind Linwood's chair and caresses the headrest. The doors open and Lilah moves down to a place about halfway down the table as people move to take their seats. Linwood: "Alright, we've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get right to it. Let's talk about Lilah. Everybody had a chance to review her file? (Nods around the table) Good. Recommendations?" Lilah raises a hand: "If I could just have a few minutes to explain..." Gavin: "I think your record speaks for itself." Linwood: "Volumes. Your failures at Wolfram and Hart outstrip your successes by and uncomfortable margin. Perhaps you would fair better at a less central office." Gavin: "One of the third world dimensions maybe." Lilah whispers: "I'm sorry." Linwood: "What was that?" Lilah: "I said, I'm sorry. I've made mistakes, but *fear* was never one of them." Linwood: "Is there something you would like to share?" Lilah: "Why haven't we contained the vampire offspring for study?" Linwood: "We're assessing that situation." Lilah: "The same way you're assessing Angel? Then why aren't we trying to pinpoint Angel's location?" Linwood: "Lilah, this is *my* corner of the sky. *I* decide when the sun rises and when it sets. Lack of long-term vision has always been one of your shortcomings." Lilah stands up, holding a Palm-pilot and stylus. Lilah: "And lack of courage has always been one of yours. You're afraid - of Angel and his son. And that's the reason for your daring strategy of 'wait and see', isn't it? You're afraid. And fear breeds weakness." Linwood: "Oh. I'm hurt. Is that *really* what you think of me?" Lilah: "Yes. And Mr. Suvarta agrees with me." Linwood: "You spoke to a Senior Partner?" Lilah: "He was really very helpful. He had some great hints on office furniture." Linwood: "This is outrageous! Are you actually telling me that you went over my head?" Lilah touches her stylus to the palm-pilot in her hand. We hear an electronic beep - then a blade whips out of the backrest on Linwood's chair slicing quickly and neatly through his neck. Lilah: "Just under it, actually." Linwood's head, staring eyes fixed, slowly tumbles forward and rolls down the table. Lilah: "Mr. Suvarta didn't think Linwood's sky was sunny enough. You're all reporting to me now. (Sits down) Get out." Everyone quickly and quietly gets up and files out the room. Lilah: "Gavin." Gavin freezes. Lilah gives him a slight smile, then indicates the decapitated head with her stylus. Lilah: "Please - remove that." Connor is stretched out on the bed in his room playing a handheld video game. There is a knock on the door. Connor: "What?" Fred is standing in the open doorway, holding a tray with a sandwich and glass of milk. Fred: "Brought you a snack." Connor: "I'm not hungry." Fred laughs: "You're always hungry." Fred walks into the room and Connor lowers his game. Connor: "What is it?" Fred: "Bologna." Connor: "No tomatoes?" Fred: "No tomatoes." Connor sits up and reaches for the tray, but Fred pulls it back. Fred: "What do you say?" Connor looking at her: "Thank you." Fred: "Your welcome." Connor tears into the sandwich. Fred sets the tray down on the nightstand then strokes Connor's hair. Connor: "Is he still mad?" Fred: "What so you think?" Connor, softly: "Sorry." Fred: "I can't imagine what you've been through, Connor, being taken away by Holtz, raised in that place. It must have been horrible. I know you're still hurting but - I promise, it's not nearly as much as you're gonna hurt for what you did to your father." Connor stops chewing and looks up at Fred, who pushes a tazer against his chest and fires. Connor arcs back in pain. Break Connor sits in the office, tied to a chair with Fred standing over him, tazer in hand. Fred: "You think that's what Angel felt? When you did it to him? Did he scream like you?" Connor: "Why are you doing this?" Gunn: "Nah-ah. Don't even try it." Fred: "We got a call form an old friend tonight." Gunn: "Been playing a little Ahab. He's out there right now puttering around on his boat." Fred: "With Angel." Connor stays quiet. Gunn: "That's right, Sparky, Daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's going to be a spanking." Fred: "He's been down there, all alone, for three months - and you knew!" Gunn: "Is that what you did to Cordy? Stuff her in a box some place?" Fred: "How could you do that to us? (Fred steps closer to Connor the tazer in her outstretched hand shaking a little) We took you into our home. We cared for you, and all this time... How could you do that?!" When Connor only looks at her, Fred suddenly buries the tazer against Connor's chest. Connor arcs back, screaming. Fred: "How could you do that?!" Gunn pulls her back: "Fred!" Fred buries her head against Gunn's shoulder and starts to cry. Wes deposits Angel in the passenger seat of his car then looks down at Angel's pale and cracked face. Angel's eyes drift open and their eyes meet. Justine: "He'll turn on you!" Wes closes the passenger door and walks around to get into the driver's seat. Justine: "He won't be able to help it. That's what he is. Sooner or later he will turn on you - and all your friends!" Ignoring Justine, who is handcuffed to a net-draped railing, Wes gets into the car, buckles up and starts the engine. Justine: "You're just gonna leave me here?" Wes holds up the keys to the cuffs, looking at her, then tosses them at her feet. Wes: "You can continue to be a slave, Justine - or you can live your life. Your choice." Wes drives off, leaving Justine behind. Fred is sitting in a chair in the outer office with Gunn rubbing her back. Fred: "I would have done anything for him. Now all I wanna do is hurt him." Connor, through the open door of the inner office: "Go ahead. Hurt me some more, Fred." Fred: "Shut up!" Connor: "You think I care? You get used to it." Fred gets up: "You don't feel anything, do you? There's nothing inside." Connor: "Why don't you open me up and find out." Fred: "How could you do that to your father?" Connor: "That thing is not my father." Gunn quietly: "Yes, he is." Connor: "He got what he deserved." Fred quietly: "And how soon before we deserved it?" Connor just looks at her. We hear the lobby doors open and Fred and Gunn run out to see Wes, one of Angel's arms draped over his shoulder helping Angel down the steps into the lobby. Wes: "I believe you're looking for this." Angel raises his head and looks at them. Fred: "Angel." Gunn and Fred hurry towards them and Gunn helps Wes lead Angel to the settee. Fred: "Oh, my god." Gunn: "Is he gonna be all right?" Wes: "In time - maybe." Angel drops onto the settee with a groan, his head rolling to the side against the headrest. Gunn: "He's out of it." Fred: "Oh god." Gunn: "It's okay." Fred: "Look at him." Gunn: "It's gonna be okay." Angel slowly looks up at them. Wes begins to back away from them towards the doors. Fred: "What do we do? Wesley..." As Angel's eyes slide shut again, Fred turns, only to see that Wes is already on the landing. Fred: "Where are you going?" Wes stops and turns back. Wes: "I'm done here." Gunn: "What took you so long to tell us about Connor?" Fred: "You knew what he could do to us." Wes: "You're human. He wouldn't have hurt you. I thought you were safer not knowing." Fred: "We were safer? You really don't care anymore, do you?" Wes only turns to walk towards the door. Wes: "He'll need more blood. I'm fresh out." The door closes behind Wes. Angel lets out a sight groan. Fred: "It's okay. God, he's freezing." Gunn: "I'll get some more blankets." Gunn turns to go, but stops as we hear the sound of a chair toppling coming from the office. Fred: "Connor!" Gunn and Fred run for the office. Connor is waiting for them and easily tosses Gunn to the side. Fred tries to tazer him, but he grabs it away from her and uses it against her instead. Fred drops to the floor in a heap. Connor turns - only to find Angel standing in the doorway. Angel: "Sit - down." Connor backs up a little never taking his eyes off Angel. Connor: "You're too weak to take me." Angel: "You really think that?" Connor looks at Angel for another moment, then turns, picks up the chair, slams it down on the floor, and sits facing Angel. Gunn begins to stir and sit up. Angel lowers himself into a chair across from Connor with a slight sigh. Angel: "So - how was your summer? Mine was fun. Saw some fish. Went mad with hunger. Hallucinated a whole bunch." Gunn quietly helps Fred back to her feet. Connor's eyes never leave Angel. Connor: "You deserved worse." Angel: "Because I killed Holtz - except I didn't. I tried telling you that while you were busy offshore dumping me, but I didn't know the whole score. - Holtz killed himself. Actually - he had your buddy Justine do it with an ice pick. Just to make you hate me." Connor after a beat: "Even if - you still deserved it." Angel: "What I deserve is open to debate. - But understand there is a difference between wishing vengeance on someone - and taking it. - So now - the questions becomes: - what do you deserve?" Connor suddenly umps up from his chair and runs for the door, but Angel intercepts him, tossing him against the wall. Angel, calm: "Daddy's not finished talking." Angel crouches down next to where Connor sits, scrunched up against the wall. Angel: "Wesley told me everything that's been going on. So, as far as I'm concerned what you *deserve* rests on one answer: (Angel leans in closer) Did you do something to Cordelia?" Connor: "No." Fred: "He's lying." Connor, looking at Angel: "No, I'm not." Gunn: "No way she just *happened* to disappear the same night." Connor, never taking his eyes off Angel: "I'm telling the truth, okay?" Angel, quietly: "I know. - I can tell." Angel slowly straightens up and backs away a little. Angel: "You've done enough lying for me to know the difference. The truth has a better sound to it, less nasal, you know? - Get up." Connor stands up. Angel: "What you did to me - was unbelievable, Connor. - But then I got stuck in a hell dimension by my girlfriend one time for a hundred years, so three months under the ocean actually gave me perspective. Kind of a M. C. Esher perspective - but I did get time to think. About us, about the world. - Nothing in the world is the way it ought to be. - It's harsh, and cruel. - But that's why there's us. Champions. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world was what it should be, to show it what it can be. - You're not a part of that yet. - I hope you will be. (Angel moves to stand in front of Connor) I love you, Connor. (Quietly, after a beat) Now get out of my house." After a beat Connor leaves and Angel lets out a slight sigh. We hear the lobby doors close. Angel sways on his feet then leans against the wall. Fed and Gunn run over to him. Fred: "Angel!" Angel: "All that talking really takes it out of you." Fred: "You need rest." Angel: "I need Cordy - now. Wherever she is, whatever she's going through, we have to find her." The picture blends into a panorama of glowing, heavenly clouds. We close in on a bright, white light. Cordy's face becomes visible in the center of it as heavenly music swells. Cordy: "God, I am so bored."
Deep Down