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 b*at 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 k*ll 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.
(b*at)
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.
b*at. As she makes a decision:
HOLTZIAN
What are we supposed to --
JUSTINE
And he's charged us to finish the
work he started.
(a b*at)
We're going to k*ll 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 att*cked 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 b*at. 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
sonofab*tch 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.
(b*at)
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 w*r
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 g*n 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)
g*n 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. sh*t 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 b*at. 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 b*at, 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 b*at. 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...
(b*at)
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 b*at, 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.
(b*at)
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 b*at, 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 k*ll you before they'd k*ll me.
Linwood deflates, knows it's true. He's got zero leverage. Angel moves to the kitchenette, r*fles 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 Kn*fe. 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, as*ault and battery,
attempted m*rder --
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 Kn*fe, 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 b*at. 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 b*at.
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 b*at, 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 Kn*fe 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 v*olence, it's
such a help! We lost a child, you
lost Holtz, isn't that enough already?
JUSTINE
No.
FRED
So k*ll 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.
b*at.
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 att*ck 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 Kn*fe 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!
(b*at)
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 b*at 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 b*at 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 t*rture 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.
(b*at; re: Lilah)
k*ll 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?
b*at, 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 b*at.
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 k*ll the son."
FRED
"The father will k*ll the son..."
GUNN
Wes thought Angel...
FRED
Was going to k*ll 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
(b*at)
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 Kn*fe. She picks it up... then turns to Linwood.
We play the look between them. He's still her boss.
Lilah half-smiles. b*at. Continues eye-contact with Linwood. Holds up her left hand. Holds up the Kn*fe.
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 sh**t 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, sh*t 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 b*at, 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, k*lling 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 k*ll the son"!
Angel stops, his back to them. b*at. 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 b*at, 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.
(b*at)
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
k*ll 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 att*ck coming, but when she looks up:
JUSTINE'S POV - Angel's departing back
A b*at on her face, as she registers what just happened. What he said. That he didn't k*ll 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. b*at.
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 b*at,
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?
(b*at)
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 st*lks 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 k*ll the son."
SAHJHAN
Yeah. I flitted back and forth in
time, changed the one that threatened
me, polished some others.
(b*at)
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 k*ll
SahJhan." Me.
FRED
So you planted false prophecies.
That Angel would k*ll 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 Kn*fe over my heart
for eleven hundred years and he's
into petty revenge. If he'd just
k*lled 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 b*ating. 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 b*at 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.
(b*at)
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 b*at.
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.
(b*at)
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 k*lled.
LORNE
Yeah you did. Glad it didn't work
out that way.
b*at. 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.
(b*at)
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 b*at.
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.
b*at. 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.
(b*at)
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 k*ll 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 b*at. 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
k*ll 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.
03x17 - Forgiving
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The vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.
The vampire Angel, cursed with a soul, moves to Los Angeles and aids people with supernatural-related problems while questing for his own redemption.