Forgiving

 TEASER

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM - NIGHT

SLOW PAN across the darkened, post-earthquake, post-fire bedroom: toppled furniture, a charred, fallen beam and ANGEL, his back to camera. CAMERA ADJUSTS around to Angel's face. SLOW PUSH. His eyes dark, a deep void in the man. He's staring down at something. We HOLD on him for a long time. Then:

REVERSE - Connor's empty crib.

EXT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Establishing.

INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

FRED, a lone figure in the big space, punches a button on Wes's answering machine.

WESLEY (voice on machine) You've reached Wesley Wyndam-Price. I'm sorry I'm not in. And the beep.

FRED (V.O.) (on machine) Wesley. Wesley, it's Fred. Please if you're there, pick up. Please... CLOSE - HER FINGER ON ANSWERING MACHINE pushes button again.

Again we HEAR his voice.

GUNN enters from the bedroom. Stands there for a beat watching her hit the button yet again.

GUNN Uh, Fred...? She turns, looking a little lost.

FRED It doesn't make sense... he wouldn't take Angel's child. GUNN He did.

FRED It's Wesley. Why would he do it?

GUNN We find him, we can ask him.

FRED If Angel finds him before we do...

GUNN He'll kill him. And we won't be able to ask him.

FRED I should stay here, in case he comes back. And you better get to Angel before he...

GUNN Wesley's not coming back. (off her look) No toothbrush, no razor, no Mossberg twelve gauge he kept in the closet.

Fred absorbs that; upset, she starts opening drawers, checking trash cans.

FRED He wouldn't betray us... he wouldn't... Gunn watches her search.

FRED (cont'd) And he wouldn't leave without saying something to me... not unless he had a hell of a big urgent reason. She turns a big empty trash can upside down.

GUNN I don't think you're gonna find it in there. FRED Where are his diaries? He kept a lot of diaries.

GUNN Well they're not here and they weren't at the office -- where we should be gettin' back to -- get a heads up on Angel.

Fred puts trash can down.

EXT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT/PARK - NIGHT

Camera leads Gunn and Fred as they walk away from Wesley's building to GUNN'S TRUCK parked near neighboring park.

FRED We gotta find his diaries. GUNN We gotta find him.

Fred pops open her cell phone, punches in number.

GUNN (cont'd) I think if he was answerin' his cell phone, he woulda' the first forty times you called. FRED (with 'tude) You tellin' me to quit tryin'? (off his look) Sorry.

GUNN Don't be. And keep tryin'.

They get in the truck.

FRED (to cell phone) C'mon Wesley, give us something. Truck pulls away. HOLD. And hear a cell PHONE RING. Quiet but nearby. CAMERA moves off sidewalk, into park.

REVEAL - A CELL PHONE

The LCD displays the caller. It reads, "Fred." An o.s. noise motivates CAMERA to continue past the phone where we see a hand stretched through the weeds toward the ringing phone. Camera moves up the arm,

REVEAL - WESLEY

Right where Justine betrayed him. His throat slit, blood, eyes wide. A little hard to tell if he's alive or dead. He can't speak, can't make a noise as his phone finally stops ringing. Off Wes,

EXT. HOLTZ'S LOFT - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING

INT. HOLTZ'S LOFT - NIGHT - SHACKLES

Clamped around a wrist as a VAMPIRE is forcibly chained to the wall by a couple of HOLTZIANS. The Vamp struggles and strains until a Holtzian clocks it across the head, knocking it out.

WIDEN AND REVEAL that there are TWO Vamps in shackles and three HUMANS in the attic. The Holtzians are battered, their numbers depleted.

Justine enters, bruised and limping. Still reeling from Holtz's betrayal. She sees the Vamps.

JUSTINE What are they doing here? HOLTZIAN So we can continue training.

Justine nods, then pulls a stake from under her jacket and DUSTS both vamps. Fast and brutal. She turns, faces the group.

JUSTINE No more training. No more practice. From here out, everything's real. She starts to walk away.

HOLTZIAN Where's Captain Holtz? CLOSE - JUSTINE

Her back to the others. Weighing what to say. The pain of the night visible on her face. She turns to them. Praises Holtz rather than admit his treachery.

JUSTINE He escaped with the vampire's child. (beat) As he and I had planned. The Captain asked me to pass on his praise; he wanted me to say that you fought valiantly and with honor. The battered Holtzians look somewhat buoyed by that.

HOLTZIAN Where are they? (off her look) The Captain and the -- JUSTINE Gone. For good.

Beat. As she makes a decision:

HOLTZIAN What are we supposed to -- JUSTINE And he's charged us to finish the work he started. (a beat) We're going to kill Angelus.

Off Justine,

END OF TEASER

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - LOBBY - NIGHT

A still tableau. Gunn, Fred and Lorne. Lorne has relayed the bad news about Connor's abduction by Holtz. Which is why we're coming in on a moment of stunned staring. Quiet grief and shock. Finally Fred breaks the silence...

FRED I don't believe it... LORNE It's true.

Fred shakes her head. Won't accept this.

FRED No. It can't be. The baby's not gone. LORNE I'm sorry, sweetie. But he is.

FRED Not like that. (then) Not a portal.

They see the fear in her eyes, Gunn takes a step toward her... she takes a step back.

GUNN Fred... FRED There's pulling and there's noise and there's nothing to hold on to... nothing at all...

GUNN (gently) Baby...

She looks at him, lost, dew-eyed.

FRED He must've been so scared. Gunn has no words of comfort for that. He reaches out, puts his arms around her. She lets him.

GUNN I know. That desolate silence again. Now Gunn turns to Lorne, getting pissed but containing it. Frustration.

GUNN (cont'd) This is making less and less sense -- you expect us to believe that Wesley -- (points back toward office) -- that Wesley -- just walked right up to Holtz and handed over Connor? LORNE They'd been meeting secretly. I read that much before Wesley attacked me.

GUNN Then you read him wrong.

Lorne wishes that were so, but he's just weary.

LORNE (just a joyless fact) He was not taking Connor for a stroll, Charles. When he left here with that child -- he wasn't planning on coming back. Ever. A beat. The finality of that.

FRED (just a breath) God. (then, simply) Why? ANGEL (entering) I don't care why.

Angel is oddly calm, focused, pulled together from the fugue state in which we last saw him. He's carrying a sketchpad that we may or may not notice at the moment.

ANGEL (cont'd) All I care about now is getting my son back. Then I'll deal with those responsible. They'll all pay. (then) Including Wesley. Fred and Gunn share a glance -- things will only get uglier.

ANGEL (cont'd) (to Lorne) The Quor-toth dimension. Ever hear of it? LORNE No.

ANGEL That's where the portal led. That's where my son is now. Quor-toth. Find out everything you can about it.

Lorne nods.

LORNE Yes. A glance to Gunn and Fred, then Lorne moves off.

GUNN We're goin' there, aren't we? ANGEL I am.

Angel starts moving toward reception/the office. Fred and Gunn share a look, follow.

FRED You're not going alone. GUNN Right. We're with you all the way.

They enter --

INT ANGEL'S HOTEL - WESLEY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

ANGEL (moving toward desk) Good. GUNN (the "but" is coming) It's just...

Gunn trails off. Angel stops, looks at them.

ANGEL What? GUNN Well... Don't we need to open one of those portals first?

ANGEL (simply) Yes.

GUNN (all about not saying the name "Wesley") Right. But the last time we had to do that... I mean... well it wasn't any of us that knew how. The guy who figured it out... (finally) Angel, how are we gonna do this without...

ANGEL (as he sits into Wesley's chair) We don't need him.

FRED We don't?

ANGEL No. We're going to find the sonofabitch who opened this portal in the first place.

Angel sets out the sketchpad, open to a drawing of SahJhan. Fred picks it up and she and Gunn look at it.

ANGEL (cont'd) His name's SahJhan. He's some kind of interdimensional demon. And he's been behind all this since the beginning.... Off that --

EXT. WOLFRAM & HART - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING

INT. WOLFRAM & HART - LILAH'S OFFICE - NIGHT

CLOSE - LINWOOD at Lilah's open door.

LINWOOD So -- SahJhan. LILAH at her desk and computer glances up at him, dressed in a nice tux, maybe a scarf. Seems friendly enough.

LILAH Linwood. LINWOOD Granok demon. Not much of a handshake, what with being incorporeal and all. You didn't mention that you'd met. And with Angel, apparently. All behind my back.

He moves to her little bar, pours himself a Scotch.

LILAH It wasn't behind your back. Everything's right here in my report. Which I was making sure would be on your desk first thing in the morning. LINWOOD Very considerate of you. That Angel, sure keeps us hopping, doesn't he? Having babies, meeting with you in bars.

LILAH Like I said, sir -- all right here in the report.

LINWOOD Like cancer.

LILAH What is?

LINWOOD Life. (beat) My beautiful wife and I raised two and a half million tonight in the fight against cervical cancer. Tomorrow, I'll stall F.D.A. approval of Parsonal, a very promising treatment for it. Unfortunately one of our clients has a competing drug -- not nearly as good but... they're our clients. We're in a war you can never win, Lilah, full of sticky moral quandaries. The side you choose should always be mine.

Finishes his drink. Looks at glass.

LINDWOOD (cont'd) It is better aged in an oak sherry cask. You have good taste. LILAH Thank you. And if it's any consolation, sir, I did have a gun to my head tonight.

LINWOOD I know. I'm very sorry that happened. So Sahjhan opened a door to the Quor-toth and in went Holtz and baby?

LILAH That's the long and short of it.

LINWOOD And I know you made every effort to preserve that baby for us.

LILAH (friendly reminder) Gun at my head.

Linwood nods.

LINWOOD Still, big win for Holtz. LILAH If you call jumping into a cesspool hell dimension a win.

LINWOOD Well certainly not for us. Drink?

LILAH I'm fine.

He pours one anyway.

LILAH (cont'd) Really. LINWOOD I admire initiative, you wouldn't be where you are without it. So you had some meetings with Angel and a pock- marked demon. And me, out of the loop.

He sets drink near her.

LINWOOD (cont'd) It's not like I'm going to get my feelings all bruised and yank your mother out of that very expensive clinic you had her in. Lilah glances at PHOTO of her MOTHER. Back at Linwood.

LINWOOD (cont'd) Don't worry. She's safe as a baby. Well, not the baby you lost, 'cause that one's gone to hell forever... you might want to keep me updated in the future. I look forward to that report. (heads for door) Don't stay up too late. He goes. Lilah sits there reeling, pissed. She takes drink he left, downs it.

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - WESLEY'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Gunn, Fred and Angel in research mode. Books and files strewn about. Shit everywhere. None of these three really run this office. Fred's at the computer. Gunn's leafing through file folders (filing cabinet open, files everywhere.) Angel's flipping through books.

FRED I'm not finding anything on the name "SahJhan." Are you sure that's what you heard? ANGEL I'm sure. Maybe you're not spelling it right.

FRED I've tried every permutation. In English, anyway. Could be it's a nick-name. Which would probably be cross- referenced in "Phisto's Dictionary Of Demons and Dimensional Spirits" --

ANGEL Okay --

FRED But it's in Ga-shundi. And I don't read Ga-shundi.

ANGEL (to Gunn) What about the files?

GUNN They're in English... Cordelia's filing system isn't.

Angel moves to Gunn.

ANGEL I know she was keeping some kind of list of time/space shifting entities. GUNN Okay. So's that under "time" "space" "shifting" or "entities?"

ANGEL Let's check all of it.

Angel starts digging into files along with Gunn.

FRED It's Monday. What time is it in Mexico? She reaches for the phone -- and Angel is suddenly there, grabs the receiver from her.

ANGEL (accusatory) What are you doing? FRED (startled) Calling Cordelia?

ANGEL Why?

FRED (pardon me?) Why?

Gunn tentatively stands among the strewn files.

ANGEL We're not going to ruin Cordelia's holiday. That sounded slightly insane. Angel puts the receiver back into the cradle.

FRED (venturing) Angel... Don't you think she'd want us to call? Shouldn't we tell her what happened? Maybe she could help... ANGEL No.

The madness and panic and grief that's been lurking just under the surface has crept a bit into Angel's voice. He stares at Fred. She stares back.

FRED (oh the pain) Angel... ANGEL She'll be back soon... and when she does she'll... she'll have presents. For Connor. (choking just a little) And he's gonna be here so she can give them to him. Okay?

Tears are running down Fred's cheeks now. She nods. In fact she thinks having Connor back and playing with toys is a very good idea. She'll go with that.

FRED Okay. A beat. Angel might realize how that all sounded. A very uncomfortable strained silence in the room. Just every-so-slightly wide-eyed he looks to the mess around him.

ANGEL I'm sorry... FRED No.

ANGEL This isn't working. Look, just... forget all this. I gotta go.

And he turns and goes just like that. His departure taking both Gunn and Fred off guard.

A beat, the sound of the DOOR SLAMMING off screen. Fred and Gunn move to each other.

FRED Did he just tell us to forget all this? GUNN Yeah. He did.

FRED You don't suppose he's decided to skip right to the "dealing with those responsible part," do you?

GUNN (considers that) I think we need to find Wesley.

FRED Yeah...

CUT TO: EXT. WESLEY'S BUILDING/PARK - NIGHT - WIDE

A BUM pushes an overflowing shopping car along the sidewalk toward the park, looking for cans and bottles. He digs through a trash can, pulls a couple of bottles. Then sees something more interesting.

BUM'S POV - ten feet away, in the grass, Wes's cell phone. Bum moves to cell phone, picks it up. Looks around.

LOW ANGLE CAMERA

On the ground, holding Bum some distance away as he moves towards us, pushing us back and down over WESLEY'S prone figure.

Bum moves into CLOSE UP, looking down at us.

REVERSE - WESLEY

Blood. Hard to tell if he's alive or not. The Bum leans in, shakes him gently.

BUM Bro', you alive? Wesley's eyes open. That's about all he can move. But he's alive.

BUM (cont'd) You need help. Can you talk? Wes can barely breathe.

BUM (cont'd) Muggers, bastards. They leave you any I.D.? Bum digs around in Wes's pockets, finally comes up with a wallet. Opens it. INSIDE - big wad of cash -- lots of hundreds for Wes's escape.

BUM (cont'd) Wasn't no muggin'. Bum looks around, puts wallet in his own pocket, gets behind Wes, lifts him up under the arms.

BUM (cont'd) You need help. Bum drags Wes deeper into the park, dumps him behind some bushes.

WIDE - THE PARK

As Bum looks around. Coast is clear. Bum is lone figure in the large frame.

BUM You need help... Bum hurries off.

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - LOBBY - NIGHT

Lorne pushes open the front door to see Angel at the weapons cabinet, contemplative. Lorne stands there, the bad news written on his face. He takes a deep breath, then crosses the lobby, stops next to Angel. A moment.

LORNE I talked to a couple different sources, like you asked -- Angel turns and enters the reception area, searching Cordy's desk. Lorne follows, stands there a beat. Agonizing --

LORNE (cont'd) Angel, the news isn't good. Angel picks up one of those ALLIGATOR STAPLE REMOVERS, clicks it open and shut a few times, puts it in his pocket.

LORNE (cont'd) This Quor-toth dimension is... (beat) Everyone I spoke to is afraid of it -- and these are not easily- rattled people. But that's... that's not all. Angel picks up a SPINDLE with phone messages stuck on it. He strips off the paper, hefts the spindle.

LORNE (cont'd) The portal you saw opened -- it wasn't a portal. Because there are no portals to Quor-toth. The only way in is to rip right through the fabric of reality. He turns, carrying the spindle, heads up the stairs. Lorne takes a small beat, then follows --

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - HALLWAY - NIGHT

Angel moves down the hall, Lorne at his heels, midspeech --

LORNE This isn't a matter of finding an interdimensional hotspot, or conjuring an opening with a simple incantation. To punch through to Quor-toth would require dark, dark magicks, the kinda power it takes centuries to build. They arrive in front of Angel's door. Angel's about to enter, but Lorne puts a hand on his arm.

LORNE (cont'd) Angel. I know this isn't easy for you, but you have to hear it. (beat) Even if you somehow managed to get in, finding Connor would be like looking for a needle in a haystack the size of China. A beat, as Angel seems to be considering this. Then --

ANGEL Needles. I shoulda thought of that. He pushes open the door, enters, Lorne behind him --

LORNE We just don't have the -- INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

LORNE -- resources to conjure up that much dark power -- Lorne stops, agog. Looking at something o.s. REVERSE TO REVEAL LINWOOD, trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. He's already been smacked around a little.

ANGEL Oh, I think we do.

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT ONE Forgiving Written by: Jeffrey Bell Teaser Act One Act Two INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM - NIGHT

Right where we left off. Angel has Linwood tied up, and is fiddling with a few (unseen) items on an end table. Lorne stands in the doorway, shocked. As Lorne edges in a little further, he asks delicately --

LORNE Angel... who is that? LINWOOD Linwood Murrow. Division president of Special Projects for Wolfram and Hart. And you are?

LORNE (eyeing Angel) Deeply troubled.

LINWOOD (nodding) You and Angel have a lot in common. Abducting an employee of Wolfram and Hart... then again, he might be too troubled to consider the consequences. (to Angel) Once the firm finds out what you've done --

ANGEL They'd kill you before they'd kill me.

Linwood deflates, knows it's true. He's got zero leverage. Angel moves to the kitchenette, rifles through the silverware drawer. Lorne moves to him, speaks low:

LORNE Angel, this isn't some slimy demon you've got trussed up here -- he's a human. (looks at Linwood) Marginally, but still... this isn't gonna bring Connor back. Angel plucks out a gleaming SERRATED STEAK KNIFE. Darkly:

ANGEL He'd better hope it does. He heads back to the end table, Lorne behind him.

LORNE Do you even know what you're doing? LINWOOD At last count the charges were kidnapping, assault and battery, attempted murder --

THUNK! Linwood is interrupted by Angel plonking down the end table in front of him. Arrayed on it are several items, including the box cutter, the staple remover, the spindle, the steak knife, a BARBECUE FORK, a few RAZOR BLADES.

Linwood looks at the accoutrements, pales. Looks up at Angel, fear behind his eyes for the first time.

LINWOOD (cont'd) -- none of which I intend to press. In fact, don't let's "press" anything, shall we? You want to find your son? I can guarantee you the full force and faith of Wolfram and Hart will be at your disposal. Under this, Angel has picked up the spindle, and he moves it veryveryclose to Linwood's right eye. Slowly, deliberately:

ANGEL Who is SahJhan, and how do I get my hands on him? A long beat. Linwood's "charming smile" comes out as a pathetic, frightened grimace.

LINWOOD If you'll just hit "3" on my speed dial -- Angel takes a beat.

LINWOOD (cont'd) (nodding as best he can toward jacket) My cell phone. Angel reaches in, pulls it out of Linwood's jacket, punches "3", holds it up to Linwood's face. A beat, then --

LINWOOD (cont'd) Lilah? Linwood. I'm sending over a client, and I want you to listen very carefully, because I have explicit instructions on how to deal with him. Linwood looks up at Angel, then away.

LINWOOD (cont'd) Give him anything he wants. INT. HOLTZ'S LOFT - NIGHT - A WOODEN STAKE

Being whittled to a point. Reveal Justine in a chair, hunting knife in hand, sharpening the stake. Three other stakes (two already sharpened) are laid out on the table. She's alone, lost in thought. The place is kind of a pig sty. Some overflowing trash cans, etc.

Gunn and Fred enter.

GUNN You should get a yard dog or something 'cause anybody could just walk in here off the street. Justine glances up at them. Keeps whittling.

JUSTINE Getting in isn't the hard part. Gunn and Fred move closer.

GUNN Really? That what happened to Wes? -- You and Holtz lured him in, then made sure he couldn't get out? If Wes's name triggers anything in Justine, she hides it.

JUSTINE He's a big boy. He knew what he was doing. FRED So where is he now?

Justine doesn't look up.

JUSTINE Why should I care? Gunn steps close.

GUNN 'Cause I'm tellin' you to. Justine looks up. Smiles a little. Nothing she'd like more right now than a fight. Fred steps between them.

FRED Great, let's have more violence, it's such a help! We lost a child, you lost Holtz, isn't that enough already? JUSTINE No.

FRED So kill everybody, that'll make you happy?

Justine gives her the dead-eyed look.

FRED (cont'd) (getting it) Oh. There is no happy for you. Fred looks around the place, sussing out Justine's grief.

FRED (cont'd) Y'all livin' here together, sharin' everything -- except takin' out the trash, I guess -- I imagine losin' Holtz was like losin' a father... (studies Justine) ...or worse. Beat.

FRED (cont'd) (suddenly) The trash! (to Gunn) I'll explain that later. JUSTINE I think it's time for you to go.

GUNN We're not going anywhere until you tell us what happened to Wes.

JUSTINE Well... you're half right.

THE ATTIC - WIDE

As Gunn and Fred see that FOUR HOLTZIANS have filed into the attic; armed, ready for a rematch with Angel's team.

JUSTINE About the not goin' part. Justine gives the nod. Two Holtzians attack Gunn. One goes flying.

Justine shoves Fred -- really hard -- Fred tumbles over a table or chair, getting hurt. A second and third Holtzian grab Gunn -- one of them putting a knife to his throat.

FRED (on floor) No! CLOSE - JUSTINE

FLASH CUT - Justine cutting Wes's throat in previous episode.

BACK TO SCENE

JUSTINE (to her guys) Wait! (beat) Just get the hell out of here. The Holtzians back away. Fred is on her feet, not waiting for a second chance.

She pulls Gunn -- who trades a shove with one of the Holtzians who was holding him -- out of the attic. Hold Justine, pissed but shook.

EXT. WOLFRAM & HART - NIGHT

To establish.

INT. WOLFRAM & HART - HALLWAY - NIGHT

CAMERA LEADS Angel and Lilah down a hall. He's grim. She's impressed and a little scared.

LILAH Kidnapping Linwood, you're really steppin' up to it. And the white room... I mean, they don't just talk about it. (takes a breath) God, the white room. Lilah's clearly unsettled by the thought of it.

LILAH (cont'd) I was here three years before I even heard of it. (curious) Did he tell you what was in it? ANGEL Answers.

They arrive at an elevator.

ANGEL (cont'd) Up or down? LILAH Up.

CLOSE - THE UP BUTTON

Angel presses it. DING!

INT. WOLFRAM & HART - ELEVATOR - CONTINUOUS

They enter. A beat and the doors close.

LILAH He tell you how to... get there? Angel pulls out a piece of paper, follows instructions written on it. He punches quite a long series of numbers into the control panel as:

LILAH (cont'd) There was this guy in litigation went to the white room in September. He's in an asylum now... Angel finishes punching in the sequence. Followed by hitting the emergency stop button. A SOFT WHIRRING sound as:

CLOSE - THE PANEL

As a BLANK WHITE button materializes, centered above the others.

LILAH Wow. (re: instructions) I should probably hold onto -- Angel puts the instructions back in his pocket, and punches the white button. It lights up. And nothing happens.

Lilah and Angel wait. Then the elevator suddenly radiates into a blinding WHITENESS (CGI) that swallows them up.

The screen remains white for a beat or two before,

CLOSE - ANGEL AND LILAH

Emerge from the whiteness, though it continues to surround them. They step forward and exit frame. We are:

INT. WOLFRAM & HART - THE WHITE ROOM - NIGHT

High and wide. A huge EMPTY warehouse-sized space (CGI). It's completely white (this is not a shapeless void, but a giant room that is white).

Angel and Lilah are tiny at the bottom of frame, walking away from Camera. CRANE DOWN and push in CLOSE behind them. After a moment.

GIRL (O.S.) Hello... Angel and Lilah are startled, spin toward CAMERA. See,

ANGEL'S POV - A GIRL

Right behind them. She's maybe nine-years-old, wearing a party dress and mary janes. She's sitting knees together, hands in lap, in a child-sized Windsor chair.

Angel and Lilah stare at this little girl who hadn't been there a second before. Her complete normality is creepy.

GIRL Angel. Lilah. She looks from Angel to Lilah. Sees Lilah's bright red fingernail polish.

GIRL (cont'd) Your fingernails are pretty. I love red. (to Angel) You have a taste for red too. And revenge. I know, it's so much more fun than forgiveness. So, what's up? ANGEL A demon named SahJhan has taken my son.

GIRL Ahhhh, does he want his little baby back?

Angel starts to take a step towards her. Lilah puts her hand on his arm.

LILAH Oh god, don't. GIRL Baby's gone. You want SahJhan. He's a Granok, nowadays you can walk right through 'em, but in the past they were something else...

FLASH TO:

EXT. STYLIZED PLACE - NIGHT

A demon who looks like SahJhan (but is not) raises a sword, slashes at CAMERA. He bends down. We see a HUMAN FACE IN AGONY. It lifts off the ground. The demon is holding the severed head he just cut off. Dead soldiers abound.

GIRL (V.O.) They were all about torture and death. BACK TO THE GIRL IN THE WHITE ROOM

GIRL (to Angel) You can relate. Well, they caused a lot of trouble. Don't get me wrong, I like trouble -- but I hate chaos. So we changed 'em. ANGEL You made them immaterial.

GIRL Smart boy.

FLASH CUT:

EXT. STYLIZED PLACE

Same place. Same guy. Raises his sword. Charging enemy soldier runs right through him. Shocking them both.

BACK TO WHITE ROOM

GIRL Now they watch. And they can no longer touch. ANGEL How do you capture them?

GIRL Well, there's your special urn...

FLASH CUT:

EXT. OTHER STYLIZED PLACE - NIGHT

Yes, a rock wall. And a SahJhan-like demon (no longer in battle gear, but in a robe) walks right through it. And sees three PRIEST-LOOKING folk and one Resikhian urn.

A stream of LIQUID floats up and out of the urn, swirls around the Granok (CGI). And sucks him right back into the run.

BACK TO THE WHITE ROOM

GIRL But you don't want his essence in a jar. You want someone you can sink your teeth into. Angel glares at her. She turns to Lilah.

LILAH That's a yes. GIRL You know these things always come with a price. (beat; re: Lilah) Kill her.

Lilah's blood suddenly runs cold. She can't breathe. Angel grabs Lilah. The little girl laughs as only a little girl can.

GIRL (cont'd) That's good for now. I can see why they respect you. Angel lets go of Lilah.

GIRL (cont'd) Now, your demon made flesh. Big ritual, it's all here. She holds out her hand. A folded piece of paper on it. As Angel reaches for paper it's suddenly in his hand.

GIRL (cont'd) Can't wait to see how it turns out. You have a web site? Angel and Lilah are again engulfed in white. And then everything goes white and we are:

EXT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

I don't know the location but we might drift from the park (where we know Wes might still be lying but we don't see him) towards Wes's building and a large trash dumpster where Gunn and Fred are.

FRED Okay, throw me away. GUNN You want me to put you in the trash.

FRED Either he took the diaries with him or he tossed 'em. We're lucky we got here while it's still full.

GUNN (re: smell) Yeah.

He bends, puts his hands together; she steps on them; he hoists her up and over the lip of the bin. She disappears from sight rummaging around.

FRED (O.S.) Ugh... aw god, somebody ate that...? GUNN Any luck?

Beat, more struggle and groaning, then Fred appears over the lip, a bag of Wes's trash in hand, the diaries and his notes prominent. Looking dirty.

FRED Yes. He looks at her for a beat.

FRED (cont'd) Well help me out. GUNN So you don't wanna just look at 'em in there.

Off her look, Gunn takes a big breath, holds it, and lifts her out.

INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

A little later. Fred (still dirty from trash) has Wesley's diaries and notes spread out everywhere. She and Gunn are going through them. She mostly with the diaries and he mostly with the notes.

GUNN You gettin' anywhere? FRED Well, he was meticulous and --

GUNN Fred. (she looks up) Let's not say "was" until we know for sure...

FRED No. Right. "Is". He is meticulous, he kept separate diaries for all the major players, Darla, Connor, Angel... and he's frightened.

GUNN What's he frightened of?

FRED Not sure yet, pending doom sort of thing in the later entries, some big prophecy he's trying to repudiate... he says here, "it can't be coming, it can't be true"...

GUNN That's doomy.

FRED So I guess we're looking for that prophecy, I don't know where it's gonna...

GUNN I do.

Gunn's come across the crumpled note that ended episode 14. He shows her the note. She reads it as we INSERT "The father will kill the son."

FRED "The father will kill the son..." GUNN Wes thought Angel...

FRED Was going to kill Connor --

She pages through the texts, her excitement mounting.

FRED (cont'd) -- YES, that's the prophecy. Wesley couldn't accept it, he kept trying to disprove it... but the texts and commentaries, everywhere he turned, kept bringing him back to the same place. (elated) This is great. I told you he had a reason for taking Connor. GUNN Yeah.

FRED Wesley did the right thing, the only thing he could under the circumstances. We gotta find Angel and tell him right away.

GUNN (oh yeah?) And he'll forgive Wesley for taking his son and giving him to his mortal enemy.

FRED Well... maybe begin to forgive -- what else could Wes do? (re: diary) ...it's right here. "I have to save them both." He had to save Connor from Angel and Angel from doing something unspeakable...

GUNN Maybe.

FRED "Maybe"? What would you have done in his place?

GUNN I'd have come to us first.

FRED (beat) I don't think we should mention that part when we explain it to Angel. And I think once he knows the truth, he'll come around. He's angry, he's hurting, but he's not crazy.

Off them,

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - LOBBY - DAY

Angel rises into a tight-ish frame, his hair a little mussed, a few BLACK PAINT SMUDGES on his cheeks. He seems intense, focused on the floor o.s. Lorne enters frame. He, too, looks down, then back at Angel:

LORNE Angel, please -- do not do this thing. We'll find some other way. LILAH There is no other way.

As she says it, we reveal Lilah leaning against the reception desk, holding the spell instructions in her hand. Lorne looks at her:

LORNE I think not speaking would be a really good look for you. ANGEL (hasn't heard a word Lorne has said, to Lilah) How's that?

LILAH Looks about right.

WIDEN TO REVEAL a large, sloppily-painted PENTAGRAM on the lobby floor. Linwood is beyond, near the steps, still tied to a chair.

ANGEL (to Lilah) What's next? LORNE What's next is we stop and reconsider this. Angel, you're messing with primordial powers of darkness here.

ANGEL (to Lilah) Next?

Before she can answer, Lorne moves right in front of Angel, gets in his face, makes him look at him.

LORNE Is this really how you wanna get Connor back? Angel hits Lorne with a look, but speaks to Lilah:

ANGEL What's. Next. LILAH (looking up from instructions) Human blood.

Angel looks over at her. She gets the message. She turns to the counter where all manner of mojo items have been set out, more candles, roots and herbs, small jars of powder, and a large ceremonial KNIFE. She picks it up... then turns to Linwood.

We play the look between them. He's still her boss.

Lilah half-smiles. Beat. Continues eye-contact with Linwood. Holds up her left hand. Holds up the knife.

Then draws the blade down her palm, never breaking eye contact with Linwood.

Lorne sees that there's no talking sense to anyone here. Backs away to a corner, bracing himself, as...

Lilah moves to the pentagram, squeezes her fist over the center, dripping blood onto the pentagram.

Angel faces the giant pentagram, says,

ANGEL Corpus Granok SahJhan Demonicus. HIGH ANGLE - THE LOBBY

The lights flash. Beams of light shoot out from the candles, converge in the center of the pentagram. A form takes shape, a translucent sphere of light. It grows to a couple of feet in diameter.

Angel steps back, reaches for a big-ass battle-axe. Prepares himself for the thing that will appear before him. Everyone squints from the brightness. Suddenly it bursts like a bubble, releasing a shock wave of wind and light that nearly knocks everyone over. Then silence.

Angel looks into the center of the pentagram. No SahJhan.

ANGEL Where is he? He sets his jaw. Turns toward Linwood.

ANGEL (cont'd) Where is he? Off Linwood, shit out of luck:

EXT. CULVER CITY STREET - NIGHT

A light industrial neighborhood. A couple of cars drive past. A sudden spherical burst of light and SAHJHAN materializes in the middle of the street. His reaction tells us that he sure wasn't expecting to. He looks around.

SAHJHAN What the...? CLOSE - SAHJHAN

He tries to get his bearings. Hears a horn. Turns around.

SAHJHAN'S POV - A GIANT DODGE RAM TRUCK

Bearing down on him.

WIDE - THE TRUCK

WHAM! As it RUNS HIM OVER, SWERVES, and hits the side of A FAMILY STATION WAGON coming the other direction.

CLOSE - THE TRUCK'S DRIVER

Horrified at what happened. Hands deadlocked on the wheel. He sees a family (FATHER, MOTHER, TEENAGE DAUGHTER) in the station wagon. After a beat, his truck starts to shake

WIDE - THE TRUCK

As it starts to tip, then flips on its side. SahJhan stands into frame, between the truck and the station wagon. Only a small cut on his forehead. If anything, he's exhilarated by his predicament.

SAHJHAN Now that's more like it. Off SahJhan, corporeal, and digging it:

END OF ACT TWO

OVER BLACK

Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump.

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - NIGHT - CHAIR LEGS

Bounce up stairs. WIDEN AND REVEAL Angel dragging Linwood, still tied to the chair, back up the steps. Angel's face betrays no emotion. He has nothing left. Lorne stands at the foot of the stairs, agonizing. Linwood glares at Lilah:

LINWOOD Lilah. Do something. Calmly she takes out her cell phone, turns away and dials.

LORNE Angel, killing this creep isn't gonna solve anything. Please, trust me: you don't wanna do this. ANGEL That's where you're wrong.

Ka-thump.

LINWOOD We had a deal, Angel. I gave you everything you asked -- what more do you want from me? ANGEL I want my son back.

Linwood starts to panic, knows he can't do that. Looks to Lilah, who's still turned away on the phone.

LINWOOD Lilah -- LILAH (O.S.) Hey! Whoa! Flag on the play!

They all turn to see Lilah on her cell.

LILAH The firm's tech team just registered a sever bio-plasmic disturbance on Taber and National, same time as the spell. ANGEL SahJhan?

LILAH Whatever it was flipped a two-ton truck like a Tonka toy.

CLOSE - ANGEL'S HAND

As it releases its grip on Linwood's chair.

LINWOOD AND HIS CHAIR

Topple to the foot of the stairs. Lilah goes to help him as Angel strides past the lawyers, heads to the front door as,

REVERSE - GUNN AND FRED

Rush into the hotel. For a moment, they're taken aback by the chaos, the giant pentagram, but as Angel moves to pass them, Fred steps in his way.

FRED We need to talk. ANGEL Not now.

He moves to sidestep her, but she moves with him. A warning:

ANGEL (cont'd) Fred -- FRED There's something you need to know before you--

He sidesteps again, quicker this time, heads for the door. He makes it within a few feet of the stairs, when Fred blurts:

FRED (cont'd) "The father will kill the son"! Angel stops, his back to them. Beat. He turns. Waiting. Fred and Gunn both start to move toward him, under:

FRED (cont'd) There was a prophecy in the Nyazian scrolls. Wesley checked the translations, the commentaries, he even went to mystic oracles but he couldn't disprove it. GUNN They'd already fed you Connor's blood, bro. You said it yourself, he smelled like food.

FRED Wesley was trying to protect Connor.

GUNN He was trying to protect you.

They're close to Angel now. Soothing, calming voices.

GUNN (cont'd) Same as we're doin' right now. A beat, as Angel looks at them. Then he turns again, and Fred runs past him to the stairs, gets in front of him.

FRED Angel, the prophecy -- ANGEL It's a lie. I'd never hurt Connor.

FRED (softly) How can you know that for sure?

ANGEL I'd never hurt someone I care about. (beat) Now move.

His look tells her he's about one step away from breaking that rule. Chagrined, but knowing she can't stop him, she steps aside as Angel exits. As the door swings shut --

FRED We have to go after him. GUNN We can't. (off her look) He lays a finger on you, I'll have to kill him myself.

Suddenly a GROAN OF PAIN makes them look over to Linwood, now freed from his bonds. Lorne approaches Fred and Gunn.

GUNN (cont'd) Whatta they doin' here? LORNE Wolfram & Hart. There was kidnapping and a spell, dark magick -- it's bad, kids.

ANGLE ON LILAH AND LINWOOD -- as she tries to help him.

LILAH Let's get you outta here, okay? LINWOOD Don't touch me. (brushes her hands off, humiliated) He's gonna pay for this.

BACK ON LORNE --

LORNE Really bad. EXT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - NIGHT - ANGEL

Strides down the front walk, lost in thought; confused and pissed off. He rounds the corner to the street and SSSHHHWACK. A STAKE pierces his left shoulder. He looks up:

ANGEL'S POV - JUSTINE

Up high with a crossbow as she fires another stake. Angel rolls out of the way as it whizzes by.

He painfully YANKS the stake out as FOUR HOLTZIANS converge on him at once. Angel's moves are clean and efficient, landing devastating blows, putting them all down and out in a matter of seconds. As he turns to go, he gets SLUGGED in the face by Justine.

JUSTINE Don't run off now. The fun's just startin'. Angel doesn't have time for this bullshit. As Justine lunges with a STAKE, Angel deftly disarms her and SLAMS her HARD against a wall. He puts the bloody point of the STAKE from his shoulder at her throat -- which freaks Justine out for reasons only we know. He speaks menacingly, deliberately:

ANGEL I'm not your boyfriend. Find somebody else to smack you around. CLOSE - JUSTINE

Angel's words piercing her. He grabs her (jacket? shirt?) and HURLS her down. She lands hard on her back, her head bouncing off the ground. Immediately she lifts her hands, sure there's another attack coming, but when she looks up:

JUSTINE'S POV - Angel's departing back

A beat on her face, as she registers what just happened. What he said. That he didn't kill her. The stake at her throat. An array of emotions playing across her features. Then Justine scrambles to her feet, runs, just as --

FRED AND GUNN exit the hotel, Gunn pulling at Fred's arm.

FRED It does matter. It has to matter. GUNN Fred, he's not thinkin' about-- (stops, sees Holtzians) What the hell?

Fred spots Justine running for a CAR, yanking open the door.

FRED Justine. She's leaving her people -- GUNN -- in Wesley's car.

A look between them. Then they dart out of frame --

EXT. CULVER CITY STREET - NIGHT

ANGLE ON the wreckage of the truck and the car, an AMBULANCE'S red lights caroming off the twisted metal as two PEOPLE on STRETCHERS are deposited in the back. Camera ADJUSTS to find the Truck Driver slumped on the curb.

He has a nasty red WELT on his head -- an impending mother of a bruise. CLOSE ON him as he puts his head in his hands --

TRUCK DRIVER It's all my fault. I tried to stop -- Two black SHOES appear next to him, then Angel crouches down into frame. Truck Driver looks up at him, plaintive.

ANGEL (as gently as he can) Hey, hey. What's your name? TRUCK DRIVER Al Stokely. It's not even my truck...

ANGEL Al? Why don't you tell me what happened here?

TRUCK DRIVER I hit... oh God, I hit a guy, a man -- he wasn't there and then he just... was... those poor people...

ANGEL The man you hit -- where is he?

The Truck Driver looks at Angel, miserable:

TRUCK DRIVER I don't know. (wicked serious) There's no way he coulda gotten up. (looking at scene) I don't wanna go to jail. ANGEL You didn't do anything wrong.

TRUCK DRIVER (staring at the ambulance) I hurt those people. It's all my fault.

Angel looks at him, knows exactly whose fault this is. Beat.

ANGEL No. No it isn't. We MOVE with Angel as he approaches the accident scene, leaving Al on the curb.

As Angel reaches the wreckage, he moves to the front of the truck, looks at the grille. Angel runs his fingers through the blood, then looks up and to the east. His face set and determined.

INT. SAHJHAN'S UNDERGROUND CHAMBER - NIGHT

Flames fill frame. CAMERA ADJUSTS OFF a brazier and reveals Justine alone in the chamber. This is the place where it all began for her. She circles the table, looking a little lost. Finally she pops down into a chair, just staring into space. After a long beat,

The metallic GROAN of the iron door sliding open causes her to turn and see,

GUNN AND FRED

Entering behind her.

GUNN Where's Wes? JUSTINE (in her own world) He's not comin' back.

GUNN What?

JUSTINE It was all lies. Every bit of it. All he wanted was that kid. To punish Angel. He never cared about anything else.

GUNN I'm talkin' about Wesley. His car's parked up top here, you obviously took it from him, where is he?

Justine looks away. Gunn steps close. Fred follows.

FRED We just wanna hear his side. JUSTINE His side? (beat) His side's kinda funny: he sacrificed everything he believed in to save that kid.

GUNN By helping Holtz take him to hell? I'd like to hear it from the horse's mouth.

JUSTINE (simply) Your friend's innocent.

FRED Is he alive?

Justine looks up at Fred.

FRED (cont'd) Where is he? Will you please just tell us. How should she say it?

JUSTINE Heaven... Hell... (then:) I slit his throat. Gunn holds her gaze. And suddenly, THWACK! Fred slaps her hard across the face. Justine instinctively swings back at Fred. Gunn catches the punch, throws her tumbling over the chair.

Justine rolls, comes back at Gunn. She swings, connects. Punches again. Gunn slams her to the ground.

GUNN Stay down. JUSTINE Um, no.

She lunges at Gunn. He counters, she connects -- he comes right back and punches her hard in the face. She crumples to the ground.

LOW ANGLE - GUNN

As Fred moves next to him, stares down at Justine.

CLOSE - JUSTINE

Pulls the hair out of her face. Stares up at them, maybe a little blood on her lip or from her nose.

JUSTINE (simply) I trusted the wrong man. Justine steps over, grabs Justine by her jacket, jerks her to her feet.

GUNN You're takin' us to him. And he better be alive. VOICE (O.S.) You call that a fight?

They look toward the gate. SahJhan stands blocking the exit.

SAHJHAN Let me show you how we used to do it... Off SahJhan loving his new lease on life:

END OF ACT THREE Act Three Act Four

INT. SAHJHAN'S UNDERGROUND CHAMBER - NIGHT

Gunn, Fred and Justine, as SahJhan moves toward them.

SAHJHAN So, my home, uninvited guests, this can't end well. This is the first time Gunn and Fred have seen SahJhan other than Angel's drawing. Justine's met him once.

GUNN This is the guy, right? Fred nods. SahJhan recognizes Justine.

SAHJHAN Hi honey, I remember you. One of Holtz's groupies. -- You tried to cut off my head. He BACKHANDS Justine hard, sends her flying. She crashes into a wall by the entrance, crumples. SahJhan turns to Gunn and Fred.

SAHJHAN (cont'd) Can't tell you how much I missed doing that. He stalks toward them. Fred fumbles in her pocket. Pulls out her cell phone. Across the chamber, Justine slowly comes to.

Gunn and Fred back up, step around behind the table. Fred's trying to dial the phone.

SAHJHAN (cont'd) I also missed gravity, friction and smashing things to pieces. He grabs a chair, shatters it on the table, holding onto a big thick club-like leg. Fred fumbles the phone. It falls. Gunn's ready to protect Fred.

SAHJHAN (cont'd) Let's start with your skulls. REVERSE - ANGEL

Steps into the chamber.

ANGEL Or yours. SahJhan turns. Watches Angel stride toward him, past crumpled Justine.

AGAINST THE WALL - JUSTINE

Sees her chance. Bolts out the door to freedom.

Angel squares off across from SahJhan.

SAHJHAN Angel. I'm guessing I have you to thank for the whole mortal coil thing. ANGEL Yeah. Tell you what, take me to the Quor-toth world, help me find my son -- we'll call it even.

SAHJHAN Really? You and me, buddy cop summer release? We iron out our wacky differences and bond? Don't think so.

ANGEL You're takin' me there.

SAHJHAN Couldn't even if I wanted to.

ANGEL You're lying.

ANGEL No, that, I'm telling the truth about. Whole universe could go kaplooie. Bad for me, bad for America

FRED So what are you lyin' about?

SAHJHAN Oh, well. I don't like to brag but... read any good prophecies lately?

GUNN You wrote the prophecies.

SAHJHAN More a re-write.

FRED "The father will kill the son."

SAHJHAN Yeah. I flitted back and forth in time, changed the one that threatened me, polished some others. (beat) Flitted in a manly way. Just so we're clear. (to Angel) You're not really my enemy. You're in my home and I'm gonna kick your ass but you were never really the point.

ANGEL (getting it) It was Connor.

SAHJHAN Boy, can't put one over on you, can you? Oh wait, already did. It's pretty freaky the first time you see your name in a true prophecy, all carved in blood on an official scroll. (to Angel) "The one sired by the vampire with a soul shall grow to manhood and kill SahJhan." Me.

FRED So you planted false prophecies. That Angel would kill his son... and Wesley believed them.

SAHJHAN Thank God he had some spine. Holtz was useless. (to Angel) Wanted to raise your kid as his own. I'm living' with a knife over my heart for eleven hundred years and he's into petty revenge. If he'd just killed the thing while it was still in its mother we coulda avoided all of this --

It's like a switch is flipped in Angel. He erupts. Goes VAMP. Charges SahJhan, gonna rip him to pieces.

SahJhan is ready, counters Angel, swings the chair leg, catches Angel across the neck.

Gunn rushes SahJhan, takes a swing. Connects. Buys Angel a moment to recover. SahJhan grabs Gunn, throws him crashing across the table.

Angel and SahJhan trade blows as --

Fred picks up one of the braziers, hurls the hot coals in SahJhan's face. He howls in pain, glares at her.

SAHJHAN (cont'd) Do I look like I need more skin problems? SahJhan punches or kicks Fred -- it's deflected as Angel hits him hard from the side. Fred goes flying. Angel throws punches, kicks him -- SahJhan catches Angel's leg.

Launches him across the chamber. Gunn gets up, tries to grab SahJhan, but gets kicked in the head. Gunn goes down.

ACROSS THE CHAMBER - ANGEL

Staggers to his feet. He's hurting. And from here on out, it's not so much a fight as a beating. Angel just keeps coming and coming and SahJhan keeps bashing him, finally smashes him onto the table, rag dolls him across the room. Angel doesn't get up.

SahJhan steps over to the busted chair, grabs a STAKE-sized piece, turns back to Angel. Towers over him.

AT THE DOOR - JUSTINE

Rushes in, carrying something we can't quite see. SahJhan hears her enter. Looks. Turns back to Angel.

Fred crawls to Gunn on the floor.

FRED (re: SahJhan and Angel) He's gonna... CLOSE - ANGEL

Barely conscious. Realizes he can't save himself. Watches SahJhan raise the stake above him.

SAHJHAN I hadda put your boy down. Pity, kid had a big future. I mean big. Well we all gotta go sometime. ANGLE - JUSTINE

We now see what she's carrying. It's a Resikhian urn. A duplicate of the one in the Flashbacks. She opens it. A stream of liquid floats up and out, streams over to SahJhan, swirls around him (CGI).

SAHJHAN No, no... don't do that!... He tries to finish staking Angel but the liquid covers him, the stake falls to the ground and SahJhan is sucked back into the urn. We HEAR:

SAHJHAN (V.O.) (echo and small) Oh fuh-- Justine replaces its lid.

Gunn and Fred move to Angel. Both men are beat up. They all struggle to their feet. Angel looks over at Justine, the urn in her hands.

JUSTINE Holtz left it. ANGEL (simply) Thanks.

Justine sets urn down. She's emotionally and physically exhausted.

FRED (to Justine) What about Wesley? JUSTINE The park next to his place... that's where I... left him.

Off Angel, realizing the night isn't quite over:

DISSOLVE TO: EXT. PARK - PRE-SUNRISE - WIDE

Angel, Gunn and Fred in the park. Angel's back in the shrubs where we saw the Bum drag Wes. Gunn's up by the sidewalk. Fred's crossing toward Angel.

FRED Maybe she was lying. ANGEL No. He was here.

FRED How can you--

Angel looks at her. She remembers his ability.

FRED (cont'd) --right, the blood. Gunn steps over to them.

GUNN We should get going. Sun's coming up. Angel stares into the distance, wrestling with the emotions of the last few days. His eyes are troubled and sad...

ANGEL ...he can't be dead. FRED We'll keep looking. Lorne's been calling hospitals all night.

Gunn glances toward the east. Sees the sky turning yellow.

GUNN Need to get your indoors, man. (beat) We'll find him. Off Angel, alone in his thoughts:

EXT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - DAY

To establish.

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - WESLEY'S OFFICE - DAY

Angel stands in the darkened room staring at Wes's desk. Some of Wes's things in evidence. Lorne enters, watches Angel's back for a beat.

LORNE I, uh, cleaned the Pentagram as best I could. The dried blood... well, it's starting to be a look out there. ANGEL Thanks.

LORNE You know me, like to keep busy. I'd crochet a new pillar if I could afford the yarn.

ANGEL It's not right.

LORNE Figure of speech. I'm aware you can't crochet a pillar. (beat) And I'm aware that's not what you're talking about.

ANGEL All I could think of was getting my hands on SahJhan; Fred and Gunn tried to keep me from...

LORNE Going too far?

ANGEL I nearly got them killed.

LORNE Yeah you did. Glad it didn't work out that way.

Beat. Angel picks up something that belonged to Wesley, maybe something from Wes's tea set. Maybe he moves to the map of England.

ANGEL You think Wes is...? LORNE I don't know. I hope for the best. (beat) Angel, there's a bigger picture here. And in that bigger picture there's a glass.

ANGEL If the words "glass is half full" are about to come out of your mouth, don't.

LORNE No, this is more a "glass half full of spiked blood." If SahJhan and that lady lawyer had pulled off their feeding plan you'd have Connor's blood on your hands.

Angel looks at him for a beat.

ANGEL Don't I anyway? LORNE No. You think there was something more you could have done? You did everything you could with the knowledge you had... (the real point) ...just like Wesley.

Angel holds Lorne's gaze.

LORNE (cont'd) Maybe the way to start forgiving yourself is by starting to forgive him. Beat. The phone rings. Rings again. Lorne reaches over. Picks it up.

LORN (cont'd) Angel Investiga-- hey, Fred. They did. And --? (listens) Okay, where? (scribbles something on paper) He's right here. I'll tell him. Thanks. Lorne hangs up. Angel already knows.

ANGEL They found Wesley... LORNE Yeah. At St. Patricia's. He's in pretty bad shape. But he's alive. (beat) Maybe you should pay him a visit.

Lorne holds out the paper. Off Angel, staring at the hospital address, not ready to take it yet.

INT. HOSPITAL - CORRIDOR - DAY

Gunn and Fred stand outside Wesley's room as Angel strides down the hall toward them. He's feeling a lot of different emotions. Steps next to Gunn and Fred.

GUNN It's good you came, man. Angel glances toward Wes's closed door.

ANGEL He ask for me? GUNN Naw, he can't speak yet. Trachea's all messed up. Lost a lot of blood. It's just good you came.

FRED He's not completely out of the woods yet. You being here can only help.

Again, Angel looks to the door.

ANGEL Can I see him? FRED I'm sure he'd like that.

Gunn and Fred hang back as Angel steps into the room.

INT. HOSPITAL - WESLEY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Wesley in bed. Eyes closed. If monitors weren't displaying his active vitals it'd be easy to believe he was dead. His savaged throat and neck have been bandaged. There are tubes and IV's hooked into his arm.

Angel crosses the room, steps over next to him.

ANGEL'S POV - WESLEY

Sense someone's presence, slowly opens his eyes. Sees Angel. Has no fear, just calm acceptance of whatever happens.

ANGEL Hey, Wes... Angel takes a moment, stares down.

ANGEL (cont'd) I just... I want you to know I understand why you did it. I know about the prophecies and I know how hard it must have been for you to... do what you did. Wesley stares silently up at Angel.

ANGEL (cont'd) You thought I was going to turn evil and kill my son. I didn't turn into Angelus. It's important to me that you know that. This isn't Angelus talking to you, it's me, Angel. You know that, right? A beat. Wes seems to.

ANGEL (cont'd) Good. Angel picks up a pillow.

ANGEL (cont'd) That's good. Angel moves in close, almost lovingly. PUSH IN ON WES. It looks like Angel is going to prop the pillow behind Wes to make him more comfortable. That's not what he's doing. He instead covers Wes' face with the pillow. Smothering him.

Hold the horrible tableau as Wes starts to (futilely) struggle.

INT. HOSPITAL - CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS

Gunn and Fred waiting for Angel. Gunn takes Fred's hand, squeezes it. Both feeling a little hopeful for the first time in a long time. Waiting patiently as (they assume) Angel forgives Wesley. And all the time we're just lingering here. Tick tock.

Finally, lots of commotion. TWO OR THREE NURSES (two of them male) rush down the hall. Pass Gunn and Fred. Tear into Wesley's room. A DOCTOR follows close behind. Gunn and Fred exchange a quick look, burst in to find,

INT. HOSPITAL - WESLEY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS - ANGEL

Pressing all of his weight onto the pillow. Wesley's fighting for air.

FRED Angel! Monitors are going haywire. Pulse spiking. Oxygen dropping.

Gunn and the two big male nurses try to pull Angel off Wes.

FRED (cont'd) STOP IT! Fred is screaming, crying and ad libbing.

CLOSE - ANGEL

Determined to finish the job. Gunn and male nurses finally manage to pry him loose. And drag him away kicking and flailing:

ANGEL You took my son. YOU TOOK MY SON! Male nurse goes flying. Angel is back on Wes in a flash. A NEW ORDERLY comes tearing in; again they get Angel dragging towards the door.

ANGEL (cont'd) I'll never forgive you, never... I'LL KILL YOU!! Gunn and the Orderlies drag Angel out of the room. Fred is screaming and crying. We HEAR terrible commotion outside and Angel screaming:

ANGEL (cont'd) You're a dead man. YOU HEAR ME!! DEAD! And we HEAR MORE PEOPLE and someone getting thrown against a wall HARD and we RAMP TO SLO-MO and all the sound drops out except for the music and maybe the desperate gasps of Wesley.

CLOSE - WESLEY

Alone. A broken man. Trying to breathe.

FADE TO BLACK.

THE END 