City Of...

Voice over: "Los Angeles. You see it at night and it shines. Like a beacon. People are drawn to it. People and other things. They come for all sorts of reasons. My reason? No surprise there. It started with a girl."

Angel sits at a bar, playing with a glass sitting in front of him. He appears to be slightly drunk.

Angel: "She was a really, really pretty girl. No she, she was a hottie girl. She, she had - I mean - her hair was... You know? - -You kind of remind me of her. Because, because – you know – the hair. I mean – the hair."

He looks over at the guy sitting beside him. It is a burly black guy with a clean-shaven head. Angel turns his head and glances over his shoulder at a group of three guys and two girls playing pool behind him.

One of the guys comes and leans on the bar next to Angel and says to bartender: "We want to cash out."

Angel looks up at him with a drunken grin: "Girls are nice." Laughs.

The guy gives him a disgusted look.

Bartender: "Here you go."

Guy to the others: "Okay, guys, let’s go. Let’s go find some real fun."

The five pool players leave and Angel straightens up in his chair. After a beat he gets up no longer laughing and follows them out.

Cut to Alleyway beside the bar:

Blond girl: "You guys really know the doorman? I mean you can get us into the Lido?"

1.Guy: "I don’t want to go clubbing anymore. I want to party, right here." Grabs the girl.

1.Girl: "Hey back off!" (pushes him away)

2.vamp grabs 2.girl.

1.vamp grabs 1.girl by the throat: "Shut up and die!" (vamps out)

Angel walks up apparently drunk: "Excuse me. ‘scuse me. I’m sorry. But has anybody seen my car? It’s big, and it’s shiny."

1.vamp: "Piss off, pal!"

Angel walks up to him and leans in to get a closer look at his face. 1.vamp growls at him. Angel leans back: "Uhh, breath mint?"

1.vamp throws the girl into some trashcans and swings at Angel. Angel blocks, knocks him down, spins around to knock the 2.vamp running up in the face, then kicks out at the first vamp just getting back up. 3.vamp tackles Angel to the ground, but Angel catapults him over his head and gets back up. Sees two vamps charging him from opposite sides. Triggers the stakes concealed in spring-loaded wrist sheathes under his sleeves and stakes both at the same time. They dust.

1.vamp comes up and hits him over the head with a trashcan. Angel drops to the ground.

Angel (in vamp face): "You shouldn’t have done that."

Gets up, hits 1.vamp in the stomach then throws him. 1.vamp spins in the air and lands on top of a car’s windshield cracking it.

Cut to the two girls watching, looking scared. 1.girl is bleeding from a cut on her forehead.

1.girl: "Oh, my god! They were…"

Angel with his back turned to them: "Go home."

1.girl steps closer: "Thank you."

Angel spins around and she looks shocked at his vamp face. He stares at her bleeding cut. "Stay away from me."

The girls back off. Angel stalks down the alley looking disgusted. Breaking a slat from a wooden crate he stakes the vamp still lying on the car’s hood without even looking. The girls watch him leave.

Intro.

Angel walks down a street. Enters an office Building. Walks down a couple steps and through one of the offices on the ground floor and gets into an elevator. Pulls the metal grating closed, the elevator goes down.

Cut to angel getting out of the elevator, takes off his coat as he walks into the apartment. Undoes the empty wrist sheathes, steps over to a weapons cabinet, takes off his shirt (has a black muscle shirt on under it, sorry ladies) and drops it over the back of a sofa. Then freezes and looks over his shoulder at:

Doyle: "I like the place. I mean it’s not much with the view, but it has a nice bat-cave sort of an air to it."

Angel: "Who are you?"

Doyle playing with a deck of cards in his hands: "Doyle."

Angel turns around: "You don’t smell human."

Doyle: "Now that’s a bit rude. So happens that I am very much human." Sneezes and blue spikes pop out all over his face. "On my mother’s side." Shakes his head and the spikes disappear.

Doyle walks past Angel: "Well, I come in uninvited, so you know I’m not a vampire like yourself."

Angel: "What do you want?"

Doyle: "I’ve been sent. – By the Powers That Be."

Angel: "The powers that be what?"

Doyle: "Let me tell you a little bedtime story."

Angel: "But I’m not sleepy."

Doyle: "Once upon a time there was a vampire. And he was the meanest vampire in all the land. (Flashback to Angel in vamp face biting Daniel, biting a girl) All the other vampires were afraid of him, he was such a - bastard. Then one day he’s cursed – by gypsies. (Flashback to old gypsy lady speaking the curse) They restore his human soul. And all of a sudden he is mad with guilt. You know: ‘What have I done?’ You know, he’s freaked."

Angel sits down on the sofa: "Okay. Now I’m sleepy."

Doyle: "Yeah, well, it’s a fairly dull tale. It needs a little sex, is my feeling. So sure enough: enter the girl. (Flash to scenes of Buffy) Pretty little blonde thing, (whistles) Vampire Slayer by trade. And our vampire falls madly in love with her. (Flash to Angel and Buffy kissing) Eventually the two of them, - well, they get fleshy with one another. Well, I guess the technical term is perfect happiness. But when our boy gets there, (Flash to dream sequence form Amends) he goes bad again. He kills again. It’s ugly. So when he gets his soul back for the second time, he figures hey, he can’t be any where near Miss young puppy eyes without endangering them both. So what does he do? He takes off. (Flash to Angel walking away in G2) Goes to LA. (Doyle picks up a knife) To fight evil - and atone for his crimes. He’s a shadow, - a faceless champion of the hapless human race. – Say you wouldn’t have a beer of any kind in here, would you?"

Angel: "No."

Doyle: "Come on, you must have something besides pig’s blood!"

Angel get up off the sofa: "Okay. You’ve told me the story of my life, but since I was there, I already knew. So why aren’t I kicking you out?"

Doyle looks into the refrigerator that holds two bags of blood: "Because now I’m going to tell you what happens next. You see this vampire, he thinks he’s helping. Fighting the demons. Staying away from the human’s so as not to be tempted. Doing penance in his little - cell. But he’s cut off. From every thing. From the people he’s trying to help."

Angel: "I still save ‘em. Who cares if I don’t stop to chat."

Doyle: "When was the last time you drank blood?"

Angel whispers: "Buffy."

Doyle: "Left you with a bit of a craving, didn’t it? Let me tell you something, pal, that craving is going to grow and one day soon one of those helpless victims that you don’t really care about is going to look way too appetizing to turn down. And you’ll figure hey! what’s one against all I’ve saved? Might as well eat them. I’m still ahead by the numbers!"

Doyle: "You know I’m parched from all this yakking, man. Let’s go treat me to a Billy Dee."

Cut to Angel and Doyle walking on the street.

Doyle carrying a bottle in a brown paper bag: "It’s not all about fighting and gadgets and stuff. It’s about reaching out to people, showing them that there’s love and hope still left in the world."

Homeless lady comes up and asks him for some change.

Doyle (to lady): "Get a job, you lazy sow. (to Angel) It’s about letting them into your heart. It’s not about saving lives; it’s about saving souls. Hey, possibly your own in the process."

Angel: "I want to know who sent you."

Doyle: "I’m honestly not sure. They don’t speak to me direct. I get - visions. Which is to say great splitting migraines that come with pictures. A name – a face. I don’t know who sends them. I just know whoever sends them is more powerful than me or you, and their just trying to make things right."

Angel: "Why me?"

Doyle: "Because you’ve got potential. And the balance sheet isn’t exactly in your favor."

Angel: "Well why you?"

Doyle: "We all got something to atone for. (reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper) Had a vision this morning. When the blinding pain stopped I wrote this down."

Angel reads the paper-Tina Coffee Spot "Tina."

Doyle: "Nice looking girl, needs help."

Angel: "Help with what?"

Doyle: "That’s your business. I just take the names."

Angel: "I don’t get it. How am I supposed to know…"

Doyle: "You’re supposed to get into her life, remember? Get involved. Look, High School’s over, boy. It’s time to make with the grown up talk."

Angel: "Why would a woman I’ve never met even talk to me?"

Doyle laughs: "Have you looked into a mirror lately? (hesitates) No, I guess you really haven’t, no."

Angel: "I’m not good with people."

Doyle: "Well that’s the whole point of this little exercise, isn’t it?"

Doyle: "Are you game?"

Cut to the Coffee Spot, Angel pulls up in his convertible. Cut to Angel is sitting at a table drinking coffee. A waitress is talking to the guy behind the counter.

Guy: "Tina, I’ve got to do it by seniority. Everybody wants to work extra hours."

Tina: "I know. It’s just - I just need... Well, I’m good for Saturday night. If people want to go out, I’ll double shift or what ever."

Guy: "Well, you’re on the list, okay?"

Tina: "Thanks."

As Tina walks towards Angel’s table he leans forward looking at a white dog next to a table: "Sure is a cute little – (Tina walks by without even noticing him) – doggie?" Angel straightens back up.

He tries again as Tina walks by him on her way back: "So, do you… How late are you open?"

Tina: "Are you talking to …?" Turns around, knocking a full coffee cup off the table she is standing next to. Angel reaches out and catches it without spilling a drop.

Tina: "Wow. Good reflexes."

Angel set the cup back down.

Tina: "Well, thanks, these come out of my paycheck."

Angel stands next to her with his hands in his pockets: "So, you’re, are you – happy?"

Tina looks up from clearing the table: "What?"

Angel: "Well, you look sort off down."

Tina: "You’ve been watching me?"

Angel: "No! I was looking towards there – and you kind of walked through – there…"

Tina: "You don’t hit on girls very often, do you?"

Angel: "No, it’s been a while. I’m sort off new in town."

Tina: "Do yourself a favor: don’t stay."

Angel: "You never answered my question."

Tina: "Am I happy? Do you have three hours?"

Angel: "Do I look busy?"

Tina after a beat: "I get off at ten."

Cut to Angel leaning against the side of his convertible wearing a sweater and dark slacks. Tina comes out of the Coffee Spot wearing a black sleeveless evening dress.

Angel: "Wow. I suddenly feel underdressed. Did you want to have a drink or something?"

Tina pulls a bottle of mace out of her purse and aims it at Angel’s face: "I know who you are and what you’re doing here. Stay the hell away from me. And you tell Russell to leave me alone."

Angel: "I don’t know anyone named Russell."

Tina: "You’re lying."

Angel: "No I’m not."

Tina: "Then why were you watching me?"

Angel: "Because you looked lonely. - And I figured that we have something in common."

Tina looks at him a while longer then lowers her mace: "Oh. I’m sorry."

Angel: "That’s okay."

Tina: "No it’s not."

Angel: "Who’s Russell?"

Tina shakes her head and starts to walk past him.

Angel: "I’d like to help."

Tina: "The only help I need is a ticket home. - And that wasn’t me asking for money."

Angel: "Where’s home."

Tina: "Missoula, Montana. (Sees Angel’s face) You’ve been to Missoula?"

Angel: "During the depression. - Ah, my depression. I-I was depressed there. - It’s pretty country though."

Tina: "Lots of open land, lots of nothing else. - I came here to become a movie star. But they weren’t hiring. - Well, I have a fabulous Hollywood party to go to. Hence the glamour. The girl giving it owes my security deposit. - Well, it was nice threatening you."

Angel: "You need a lift?"

Cut to the fabulous Hollywood party. Margo is walking around video taping the people there. Angel and Tina enter.

Margo: "Tina! Smile for the camera. And who is this hunk of tall, dark and handsome?"

Tina: "Just a friend. Margo, I really need to talk to you."

Margo: "Uh, grab yourself a drink. I’ll be right there."

Tina picks up a star shaped sandwich from the refreshment table: "Cute. Everyone’s a star."

Angel: "Who’s Russell?"

Tina: "He is someone I made the mistake of trusting."

Margo: "Here I am."

Tina: "This wont take long."

Margo: "I would not leave that one unattended."

The two girls leave and Angel wanders around the party looking lost.

Oliver walks up to Angel: "You are a beautiful, beautiful man."

Angel slightly rattled: "Thanks."

Oliver: "You’re an actor."

Angel: "No."

Oliver hands him his business card: "I’m Oliver. Ask anyone about Oliver. I’m a fierce animal. I’m your agent as soon as you call me."

Angel tries to give the card back to him: "I’m not an actor."

Oliver: "Funny. I like that. I like the whole thing. Call me. This isn’t a come-on. I’m in a very serious relationship with a landscape architect." Walks off while Angel stares at his card with a frown.

Cordelia off screen: "You know, they asked me to come back and read for a third time! I’m and actress. I don’t put up with things like that!"

Angel spots her talking to two guys in business suits: "Cordelia?"

Cordelia turns and sees him: "Oh, my god. Angel?"

Angel: "Nice to see a familiar face."

Cordelia: "I didn’t know you were in LA. Are you *living* here?"

Angel: "Yeah. You?"

Cordelia: "Malibu. A small condo on the beach. It’s not a private beach, but I’m young so I forbear."

Angel: "You’re acting?"

Cordelia: "Can you believe it? I mean I just started it to make some quick cash, and then boom, it was like my life! - So are you still (holds up her hands like claws and makes a face) – grrr?"

Angel: "Yeah, there’s not actually - a cure for that."

Cordelia: "Right. But you’re not evil, I mean your not here to bite people?"

Angel: "No, I’m here with a friend."

Cordelia: "Oh, good. Well, it was nice seeing you, but I've got to get mingly. I really should be talking to people that *are* somebody." Walks away.

Angel to himself: "It’s nice that she’s grown as a person." Walks around, sees a black haired guy talking to Tina.

Stacy: "Russell just wants to see you."

Tina: "Leave me alone!" Walks over to Angel.

Tina: "Of course she doesn’t have the money yet."

Angel: "Who’s that?"

Tina: "Stacy? He’s just a creep. Can we please go?"

Angel: "Yeah."

Cut to the elevator opening on the parking garage of the hotel. Angel and Tina step out. Three guys run up. One grabs Tina, the other two tackle Angel. They fall back into the elevator and the door closes just as Stacy steps out of the elevator next to it.

Stacy: "Hey, hey. Okay, he just wants to see you, that’s all."

Tina quits struggling: "Okay, no problem."

They walk through the doors into the parking garage and Tina runs. The two guys soon catch her and they all get into a Mercedes Sedan.

Angel comes out of the elevator, leaving the two guys behind unconscious. He runs into the parking garage, sees the Sedan. He enters his convertible in a heroic jump. The keys won’t fit. He looks around. An identical convertible is parked four spots further down.

Angel: "Damn it!" Gets out of the car.

Cut to Angel driving for a head-on collision with the Sedan. The driver of the sedan chickens out and rams into one of the parked cars instead. Angel gets out of the car and kicks the car door of the sedan to slam into the driver standing behind it, grabs his pistol away from him. He aims the pistol at Stacy who has gotten out of the back.

Stacy holding his hands up: "Whoever you are, you don’t want to get involved here, trust me."

Angel: "Tina, get in the car." She does.

Stacy: "You know what? I don’t think you’re going to pull that trigger."

Angel drops him with a hard left: "Good call." Drops the gun and gets in his car.

Tina: "Nice party, huh?"

Angel: "A little too fabulous for me." Drives off.

Cut to Cordelia’s apartment. It’s really poor. There are plaster patches on dirty yellow walls. She is hanging up her dress in a bare closet.

Answering machine: "You have one new message."

Agent on the machine. "Cordy, Joe at the Agency. No Luck, again. We’re having trouble booking auditions. The networks say they’ve seen enough of you. So, you know, no need to call. We’ll let you know if the situation changes. Bye."

Cordelia takes out some of the star shaped sandwiches that she stashed away at the party with a sigh

Answering machine: "You have no more messages."

Cut to Angel’s apartment. Teakettle whistles. Tina is rummaging through her bag.

Tina: "My Girl Scout training. I can live out of this bag for days if I have to."

Angel in the kitchen: "I’ve made some tea."

Tina: "Thanks."

Angel: "Do you take milk and sugar?"

Tina: "Yeah."

Angel: "Because I don’t have those things. - I don’t get a lot of visitors."

Tina looks at the weapons hanging on the walls: "At least not ones you like."

Angel hands her the tea mug: "I have relationship issues, too."

Tina: "I guess this is the part were you comfort me? Not like you didn’t earn it."

Angel: "No, this is the part where you have a safe place to stay while we figure things out."

Tina: "You mean you don’t want…"

Angel: "You have enough people taking advantage right now."

Tina tries to keep from crying: "Boy, are you in the wrong town."

Sits on the bed. Angel hands her a dishtowel to dry her tears and sit down next to her.

Angel: "Russell have a last name?"

Tina: "Yeah, but you don’t need to know it. You’ve done enough already."

Tina: "He’s the kind of guy that can get away with murder."

Angel: "Who did he murder?"

Tina: "I don’t know. Maybe nobody. - He likes - he likes pain. I mean he really does. He talks about it like it was a friend. And you don’t leave him, he tells you when he’s had enough. I knew this girl, Denise, she tried to get away. She disappeared of the face of the earth. - He finds you."

Angel: "Not anymore."

Cut to Angel pulling up the blanket over a sleeping Tina. He takes her address book out of her purse and looks up Denise Perkins name.

Cut to the library. Angel is running a search on three different computers. One brings up an article on a Denise with a picture of a rose tattoo on her left shoulder. Another is a crime report on other missing young women. Then there is a coroner's report with a close-up of a rose tattoo like the one the actress had.

Cut to Angel walking through the sewers, subway noises in the background. He hears someone moaning. He quickly climbs up through a trap door just in front of the bed Tina is lying on. He grabs her and tries to wake her form her nightmare.

She grabs a hold of him while he tries to calm her down.

Tina: "He was here."

Angel: "I’m here."

Angel: "Did your friend Denise have a tattoo on her left shoulder?"

Tina: "She had a rose."

Angel: "I think she *was* murdered. And there were others. He picks girls with no family, no one to care."

Tina pulls away from him.

Angel: "Look you don’t have to be afraid. Your safe here."

Tina points over his shoulder at Doyle’s note laying on the sofa table: "Why do you have that? - You knew who I was when you walked in there last night?"

Tina starts to pack her things.

Angel stands up: "No, I didn’t. I just -I had your name that’s all, all right? Look. It’s complicated."

Tina: "Yeah, I’m sure. Big complicated game that Russell’s playing with my head. How much is he paying you?"

Angel: "He’s not."

Tina: "You’re just like him. You stay away from me." She runs out of the apartment.

She runs through the office to the doors leading out. Sun is shining through the windows in the doors.

As she leaves the office Angel grabs her arm.

Angel: "Please, listen…"

She tries to get away and pulls him towards the doors. Direct sunlight hits his arm and it goes up in flame. As Tina stares in horror Angel vamps out. She runs out the doors. Angel moves to follow but stops when he starts smoking again in the sunlight.

Cut to Tina’s apartment building. Tina is packing. She picks up a revolver from a drawer and spins around aiming it right at Russell.

Tina: "Russell."

Russell: "I’ve been looking everywhere for you. And here you are right under my nose. Oh, I own the building, most of the block. (smiles at her) Are you going to point that gun at me all day?"

Tina: "What did you do to Denise?"

Russell: "Nothing."

Tina: "I want the truth, Russell."

Russell: "She wanted to go home, I bought her a ticket to Pensacola."

Tina: "She’s dead."

Russell: "What do you mean? She called me yesterday. She said she’s going back to school, she wanted me to pull some strings."

Russell: "Look, we both know that I live outside of the box, but I don’t go around killing my friends! - If this about LA. If you need rent. You know I only want to help you." Takes the gun from her.

Russell: "Just tell me what you want."

Tina looks down, crying: "I want to go home."

Russell smiling: "Done." Strokes her cheek as she cries.

Russell: "Poor thing. Who’s been spinning your head like this?"

Tina: "I don’t know. I thought you hired him. He turned into something. It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen."

Russell vamps out: "Well, you’re young."

Tina gasps in shock and he leans in to bite her.

Cut to Angel running up to her apartment. He opens the door and walks in to find her laying dead on the floor. He touches the bite marks on her neck then looks at the blood on his fingers.

Cut to the Coroners zipping Tina up in a body bag. Camera pulls back to reveal Angel watching the scene from a neighboring roof.

Cut to Angel steeping out of the elevator into his apartment.

Angel: "The guy’ trying to take her at the party was called Stacy."

Doyle: "First name or last?"

Angel: "I don’t know. Professional muscle, probably done some time."

Doyle: "I can ask around."

Angel grabs a phone book: "Great. Start with the car. Grey ’87 Black Mercedes 300E, going to need some serious work on the bumper. Call the chop shops."

Doyle: "I know a couple that ain’t in the book, too."

Angel: "The guy in the car leads me to Stacy. Stacy leads me to Russell."

Doyle: "You couldn’t have known she was going to run out on you like that."

Angel: "Forget it. Let’s get to work."

Doyle: "You can’t cut yourself off from…"

Angel: "Doyle, I don’t want to share my feelings, I don’t want to open up. I want to find Russell and I want to look him in the eye."

Doyle: "Then what?"

Angel: "Then I’m going to share my feelings."

Cut to Russell’s huge white Mansion. There are dark suited security guys patrolling the premises and uniformed maids in the halls. Russell is watching a video tape of Margo’s party while listening to his lawyer’s report.

Lawyer: "Mr. Winter, the Eltron merger is a go. They caved on everything after you negotiated with their CFO. We’ll bring the papers by your office tomorrow."

Russell is looking at pictures of Tina at the party: "She had something, didn’t she?"

Tina smiles into the camera and waves.

Russell: "I was sorry to kill her so soon."

Lawyer: "Actually, you haven’t seen her in several week. (opens briefcase and takes out a paper) You were in a conference yesterday with your contract lawyers when the unfortunate incident occurred. And we’ve located a witness that is telling police that saw a dark complected man with blood on his hands fleeing the scene."

Russell: "Impressive."

Lawyer: "Wolfram&Hart is a full service law firm, Mr. Winters. It is our job - to see to it that our clients lives run more smoothly."

Russell sees a picture of Cordelia: "Who is this? (gets up) A fresh face. - I think we should meet."

Lawyer: "Should I alert the firm that this young lady may constitute another long-term investment?"

Russell: "I don’t think so. I just want something to eat."

Cut to Stacy’s Gym Supplies. Stacy is talking to a guy when the store window is shattered by a trashcan swung by angel.

Cut to Angel pushing Stacy down on a weight bench.

Angel: "Where does he live, how much security does he have?"

Stacy: "Listen Hot shot. What ever she was to you, you better forget it. You have no idea who you’re dealing with here."

Angel: "Russell? Let me guess. Not big on the daylight and the mirrors? Drinks a lot of V-8?"

Stacy: "You get in his way, he’ll kill you. He’ll kill everyone you care about."

Angel: "There is nobody left that I care about.’

Cut to Cordelia’s apartment she is sitting in the Lotus position with her eyes closed.

Cordelia: "I am somebody. I matter. People will be drawn to my positive energy and help me to achieve my goals. I am right where I am supposed to be (she falls forward to the bed face down) and not dying for something to eat!"

The telephone rings. Cordy jumps up and grabs it.

Cordelia: "Hello, Cordelia Chase."

Margo pouring herself a drink: "Cor, it’s Margo. You were such a hit at my party last night."

Cordelia: "Oh, thanks!"

Margo: "Guess who saw my videotape of the party and guess who wants to meet with you." (pours out some pills)

Cordelia: "A director? A manager? An assistant to an assistant who wants to spring for lunch?"

Margo washing down the pills with her drink: "Russell winters."

Cordelia: "The investment guy?"

Margo: "Oh, oh, Cordelia. He is a lot more than that. He helps people get started in their careers. And he wants to meet you – tonight."

Cordelia: "Tonight?"

Margo: "He’ll send a Limo for you at 8."

Cut to Angel’s apartment. Angel is filling up a black bag with weapons.

Doyle: "Wow, you’re really going to war here. - I guess you – ah - you’ve seen a few in your time, yeah?"

Angel: "14, not including Vietnam. They never declared it."

Cut to Cordelia riding in the Limo.

Cordelia: "People will be attracted to my positive energy and help me achieve my goals. Oh, yeah!"

Limo drives through a big metal gate onto the grounds of Russell’s mansion.

Cut to Angel’s apartment.

Doyle: "Well, listen, best of luck to you man. (slaps Angel’s shoulder) I’ve got some fairly large coin riding on the Vikings tonight, but I’ll be there with you in spirit, yeah?"

Angel: "You’re driving."

Doyle: "Now wait a minute. Nah-a, I’m not combat ready. I’m just the messenger!"

Angel throws him the weapons bag: "And I’m the message."

Cut to Cordelia following a butler through Russell’s huge foyer. They enter one of the rooms.

Russell get up to greet her: "I’m Russell. Thank you so much for coming. (to butler) that’ll be all Franklin. We’d like to be alone."

Cordelia: "Wow, what a nice place. I love your curtains. Not afraid to emphasize the curtains."

Russell: "Well, I have old fashioned tastes."

Cordelia: "I grew up in a nice home. It wasn’t like this, but we did have a room or two that we didn’t even know what they were for. – Until the IRS got all huffy about my folks not paying taxes for, well, ever. They took it all."

Russell: "Margo tells me you’re an actress. It’s going well?"

Cordelia sits down: "Oh… Yeah, it’s great! I’ve had a lot of opportunities. The hands in the liquid-gel commercial were almost mine, by one or two girls. And well… - It’s not everything – I…"

Cut to Angel’s convertible driving up to the gate. Angel gets out to talk to the guard throwing the keys to Doyle.

Angel: "How’re you doing. I think we’re lost. We are looking for a Roscomere. What are you watching? Is that the game? (leans into the guard booth) The Vikings on?"

Drops the guard with a hard right, then pulls the cable form the security camera pointing at the gate. Takes off his light jacket and shirt and throws them in the car. He’s dressed all in black now. Gets out his bag of weapons.

Angel: "Tie him up. I’m out in ten minutes or I’m not coming out."

Cut to Cordelia.

Cordelia: "I’ve tried really hard, you know. Usually when I set out to achieve something I succeed at it, right away. - but I… I don’t know anybody, and I don’t really have any friends here."

Russell: "Now you know me. You don’t have to worry anymore."

Cordelia looks down then back up at him: "What do you want me to do?"

Russell steps closer: "Just tell me what you want."

Cordelia: "Oh, god. I’m sorry! I’m getting all weepy in front of you. I probably look really scary. (gets up and looks around the room) I finally get invited to a nice place – with no mirrors, - and lots of curtains… hey, you’re a vampire!"

Russell: "What? No, I’m not."

Cordelia: "Are too!"

Russell: "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Cordelia: "Hey, I’m from Sunnydale. We had our own Hellmouth! I think I know a vampire when I’m - alone with him… - in his fortress-like home. And you know, I think I’m just feeling a little light headed from hunger. I’m just wacky. And kidding! Ha, ha."

Cut to Angel setting an explosive charge with a 30 second timer on the fuse box.

Russell: "Truth is, I’m glad you know. It means we can skip the formalities."

Russell vamps out and Cordelia turns to run.

Cut to Angel throwing a grappling hook up to the balcony. Cut to him jumping over the balcony railing.

Cut to Doyle sitting in the car, checking his watch.

Cut to Cordelia running up the white marble stairs.

Russell grabs her with a growl. Cut to the fuse box blowing. Cut to Russell looking up as the lights suddenly go out. He lets go of Cordy.

Angel: "Russell Winters."

Cordelia: "Angel?"

Angel slowly steps out of the dark at the end of the open landing: "I have a message for you – from Tina."

Russell: "You made a very big mistake coming here."

Cordelia: "You don’t know who he is, do you? Oh, boy! You are about to get your ass kicked!"

Angel pulls out a stake and attacks Russell. They are pretty evenly matched. After some back and forth Russell manages to throw Angel down.

Cordelia: "Angel?"

Angel looks up and sees to bodyguards with drawn guns charging up the stairs. He waits until they are all on the runner he is laying on the pulls it out form under all three of his opponents as he gets up.

Russell: "Kill them!"

Angel takes a shot in the chest then turns to pick up Cordelia. While more bullets hit him in the back he jumps over the banister to the floor below.

Cordelia: "Angel! Ah!"

They run out the front door.

Cut to Doyle jumping in his seat as he hears the gunshots.

Doyle: "That’s it. I’m gone!"

Backs out of the driveway and speeds down the road.

Doyle hits the steering wheel: "Come on. Damn it!"

Turns the car around and charges the gate, screaming and hitting the steering wheel. The car hits – and stops, the gate still closed.

Doyle: "It’s - a good gate."

Cut to Angel and Cordelia coming up to the car. Angel is hunched over; the front of the car is dented and steaming.

Doyle: "You know, I’ve had a bit of an accident, but we’ll talk later…"

Cordelia gets into the passenger seat while Angel falls into the back seat.

Cut to Angel’s apartment. Doyle is digging the bullet out of Angel’s chest.

Doyle: "Got it!"

Cordelia: "Finally! I thought I was going to faint while barfing! Okay. (she dabs at the wound with a piece of gauze and Angel flinches) Sorry. So, it’s over, right? We’re going to be okay. You put the fear of god into that Russell guy. (tapes a piece of gauze over the bullets hole) He’s not going to come looking for me, right?"

They all just look at each other.

Cut to Russell Winters big corporate building. Cut to his office. He is sitting at the head of the table with about ten other guys in suits sitting around it.

Lawyer: "The Eltron mutual trust binder is ready for your signature. As to the intruder that broke into your home last night, local authorities have no information on him. However we have several top private investigators…(the doors burst open and Angel walks in) that are looking into his where-abouts."

Russell: "I believe we’ve located him."

Lawyer stand up and bars Angel’s way: "I’m with Wolfram&Hart. (hands him a business card) Mr. Winters has never been accused and shall never be convicted of any crime – ever. Should you continue to harass our client, we will be forced to bring you into the light of day. (Angel walks past him looking at Winters) I place, I’m told, that isn’t all that healthy for you."

Russell: "Angel. - We do things a certain way here in LA."

Angel: "Well, I’m new here."

Russell: "But you’re a civilized man. We don’t have to go around attacking each other. Look at me: I pay my taxes. I keep my name out of the paper, and I don’t make waves. And in return I can so anything I want!"

Angel puts one foot on the chair between Russell’s legs and leans forward: "Really. Hmm. Can you fly?" Pushes the chair backwards into the wall of windows behind Russell. Russell crashes through the window. He falls down screaming, catches fire and turns to dust.

Angel hears the scream cut off: "Hmm. I guess not." Walks out sticking the lawyer’s business card into the front pocket of his jacket.

Cut to the empty chair and glass hitting the side walk.

Lawyer pulls out his cell phone: "Set up an interoffice meeting for 4:00. Seems we have a new player in town. - No, no, there is any need to disturb the senior partners with this. Not yet."

Cut to Angel sitting in his apartment staring at the phone. He picks it up and dials a number.

Buffy’s voice on the phone: "Hello? Hello?"

Angel hangs up the phone.

Doyle walks in: "What happened to Russell?"

Angel: "He went into the light."

Doyle: "And yet you don’t seem to be in a celebrating mood."

Angel: "I killed a vampire. I didn’t help anybody."

Doyle: "Are you sure about that? Because there is a girl upstairs that’s as happy as can be."

There is a scream. Both men jump up and rush upstairs.

They burst into the office upstairs, Angel carefully avoiding the sun streaming in through the windows.

Cordelia with a duster in her hand: "Ah! Look over there! A cockroach! In the corner. I think it’s a bantam weight!"

Cordelia to Angel: "Okay, first thing. We need to call an exterminator – and a sign painter. We should have a name on the door!"

Angel: "Okay. I’m confused."

Cordelia: "Doyle filled me in on your little mission. So I was just saying, if we’re going to help people, maybe a small charge. You know, something to help pay the rent, and my salary. You need somebody to organize things, and you’re not exactly rolling in it Mr. I-was-alive-for-200-years-and-never-developed-an-investment-portfolio."

Angel: "You want to charge people?"

Cordelia: "Well, not everybody. But sooner or later we are going to have to help some rich people, right? Right?"

Doyle: "Possibly, yeah."

Cordelia (to Angel): "Hand me that box. So I think that we should charge based on a case-by-case analysis, but with me working for a flat fee. – I mean, um…that is, - if you think that you can use me?"

After a moment angel hands her the box with a smile.

Cordelia: "Of course this is just temporary - until my inevitable stardom takes affect." She takes the box from him and walks away with a smile.

Doyle: "You’ve made a good choice. She’ll provide a connection to the world. She’s got a very – humanizing influence."

Angel with a half smile: "You think she’s a Hottie."

Doyle: "Yeah, she’s a stiffener alright, I can’t lie about that. But, you know, she could use a hand."

Angel: "True."

Doyle: "You know there’s a lot of people in this city that need helping."

Angel: "Hmm. So I noticed."

Doyle: "You game?"

Cut to nighttime LA superimposed over their faces. Cut to Angel looking out over the city.

Angel: "I’m game."

BLACK OUT.