Angel

Things pick up where they left off at the end of "Peace Out", with Angel stunned to see Lilah emerge from the back office of the hotel.

Lilah asks Angel if he thinks he’s the only one who got to come back from hell. Angel asks what she’s doing there. Wes doesn’t believe it’s her. Lilah reminds him about the signed dollar in his wallet. Lilah tells Angel to use his preternatural senses, tell Wes it is her. He confirms it is, she’s still dead. Lilah shows the scar on her neck, telling them she never felt a thing. Wes is sure that’s true.

Gunn wonders what she is if she isn’t alive and she isn’t a vampire. Lilah tells him she’s a messenger, she’ll be going back after she delivers the message. Angel knows her contract with W&H extends beyond death, like Holland’s.

Lilah makes the gang an offer, she thinks they’ll take it because it’s the "offer of a lifetime ... just not .. ya know .. mine."

After a long period of silence, no one knowing what to say, Gunn finally asks about the offer. Lilah wonders what wasn’t clear. Fred asks about the part where she offered them the LA branch of W&H. Lilah says they win, the senior partners are giving them the territory and they want to give them the office to use as they see fit.

Fred reminds her the office was destroyed by the Beast. Lilah tells her they’ve restored it and they want to give it to them. Gunn points out they aren’t evil or lawyers. Lilah tells them they can do with it whatever they want.

Angel asks why. Lilah says they’ve earned the reward for "ending world peace." Wes says Jasmine was creating a slave state. Angel says she was eating people. Lilah doesn’t figure a few people dying every day to end suffering for millions is a bad tradeoff.

She tells them she’s running late, think over the offer, a limo will be waiting outside before dawn to pick up anyone who’s interested.

On the streets of LA, mayhem reigns as everyone is still going through the depression of being de-enthralled.. Connor looks up and sees a man on the edge of the roof of a tall building. He approaches the man who is nervously pacing. The man is wearing a police uniform. Connor asks if he’s okay. The cop says he’s lost something he can’t find. Connor understands that. The cop says Connor can help. Connor says he can’t, it’s gone.

The cop points his gun toward his face. Connor stops him from pulling the trigger. He holsters the gun and tells him what he feels won’t last forever. He suggests the guy go home, then asks if he has one. The cop opens his wallet and shows Connor a photo of his wife and daughter.

Connor asks if he was just going to leave his family, how would they feel if he’d left and not come back. Connor gets angry, starts to walk away, then turns back, punches the guy and beats him.

Wes and Gunn work over a plan to try to find Connor and Cordelia. Gunn figures it’s going to take a long time, if they had some help, like W&H’s resources, they could accomplish things faster. Wes doesn’t think that’s an acceptable answer. Gunn presses, then apologizes. He realizes it was difficult for Wes seeing Lilah again. Wes agrees it was awkward, seeing a loved one he’d decapitated. Gunn asks about the "loved one" comment. Wes says it was just a "figure of speech."

Lorne returns with no news on Connor or Cordelia. Angel says they have to keep looking until they find them. Gunn starts to suggest the W&H deal, Angel isn’t interested. He says he can’t make the decision for them, but they should know before they enter the building, they’ll be corrupted. He heads out, telling the others he’s going to find Connor.

The others leave the lobby, one by one bidding each other good night, each contemplating something.

Fred comes downstairs into the lobby and exits the building. She approaches the W&H limo parked outside. Wes approaches her from behind and tells her the car has been there since before he arrived. Fred thought she’d be the only one. Wes figured he wouldn’t be, but he didn’t think Fred would consider it. Gunn arrives, also willing to consider the offer.

They approach the car, considering Angel’s words of warning. Gunn says they’re just taking the tour. Angel joins them and opens the car door. Lorne is inside, enjoying the bar and loud music blaring from the stereo.

The gang arrives at W&H and step off the elevator. The lobby is bustling with employees, all greeting "Mr. Angel." Angel figures this isn’t going to go well.

Lilah leads a group of employees to the gang. She welcomes them, telling them they have a lot of ground to cover. She introduces them to their guides. Each suited to the strengths of each member of the AI crew. Angel doesn’t intend to split up. Gunn wonders if the lovely woman is his guide. Lilah offers a selection of weapons and tells them they can arm themselves if they choose.

Wes reminds them W&H are honorable in their way. He thinks they can trust them. Fred picks up an assault rifle, she’s ready for the tour. Lorne is introduced to an employee in the entertainment division. He leaves. Wes is introduced to his guide, Rutherford. They leave. Gunn is introduced to a beautiful woman, Lacey. They leave together. Fred is introduced to Knox, the "star of our science division." Fred is happy to meet him. They walk off, leaving Angel with Lilah.

Lilah offers to show him around.

Gunn figures the W&H plan is to isolate Angel. Lacey assures him that’s not the deal, Angel isn’t their priority. They each have abilities W&H find useful. Gunn doesn’t know what they think he can offer. He notes the security area and thinks that’s his area. Lacey tells him they have bigger plans for him as she leads him upstairs.

Knox leads Fred to the labs at W&H. He tells her he manages the science division for the department head, which would be her. He opens the door to the state of the art lab. Fred enters, impressed. She notices a personal organizer. Knox says he invented it. She reminds him they’ve been around for awhile. He offers a demonstration, it’s not your average Palm Pilot.

Rutherford leads Wes into the "ancient prophecies wing." Wes isn’t impressed by the small selection of books. Rutherford suggests he not judge by appearances and tells Wes to name a book he wants to read. Wes gives him a title. Rutherford picks up a book, speaks the name of the book Wesley wanted then hands it to Wes. Wes opens the book, the pages are at first empty, then fill with text. Wes asks if the Watcher’s Council knows he stole the only copy of the codex. Rutherford says there isn’t a C.O.W. anymore. Wes is aware of that. He punches Rutherford out, ejects a grappling device from his forearm and goes up through the ceiling.

Lilah leads Angel into his new office. She shows him his private elevator. Angel isn’t impressed. She opens the drapes. Angel throws his hands up to protect himself from the sun. He notes he’s not burning. She explains the windows are specially tinted to protect "the boss". Angel tells her to close the drapes. She complies. He says he’s not taking the job. She reminds him it’s an opportunity. Angel doesn’t see it that way. She wonders if he’s considered the difference he could make with the W&H resources at his disposal. She figures he can accomplish a lot more if he accepts the deal.

Angel still isn’t interested. Lilah hands him a file folder. He opens it and looks at it, noting the label "Sunnydale." Lilah tells him the amulet comes with the deal, it’s apparently needed for the battle that’s coming there. Angel assures her Buffy can handle herself. Lilah asks if it isn’t more fun when he’s handling her.

Lilah tells him he could find Connor and Cordy in a matter of minutes if he used the resources of W&H. She offers him the phone. Angel hangs it up. He apologizes for what happened to her but refuses the offer.

Lilah gets a call, hangs up. She brings a television down from the ceiling. Angel sees it’s a report of hostages taken at a local mall, the hostage taker is Connor.

Angel grabs Lilah by the throat, accusing her of being behind what’s going on. Lilah tells him they didn’t, it all comes back to Angel reminding him he raised him, "or didn’t.". Angel lets her go. He doesn’t want to talk about Connor with Lilah. She tells him if he leaves, the offer ends. Angel doesn’t want to be a part of it, "not the way you’re hoping." He says he’ll tell her what the deal will be.

Lacey and Gunn take an elevator ride. Gunn notes it’s a long ride. The button to the "white room" appears on the panel. Gunn isn’t interested in going there. He tries to stop the elevator. He appears in the white room, alone. He hears a growling. A panther appears out of thin air and walks toward him (a real one, no cgi here). Gunn is thinking the little girl was preferable to this.

Gunn and the cat lock eyes, Gunn’s reflection mirrored in the cat’s eyes. The panther roars.

At the mall, Connor has the hostages wired with explosives. A man whispers to his little girl who’s crying to shut up. Connor grabs him and tells him to be nice.

Connor goes to work wiring car batteries together. He notes Angel has arrived, he’s been expected.

Wes arrives in the file room of W&H and knocks out an employee. He looks through the file cabinets and opens one. Lilah arrives, she expected she’d find him there. She tells him all the info is there, all the secrets, imagine what he could achieve with that information. Wes pulls a file out of the drawer, Lilah’s contract with W&H. He says he’s there to release her, she’s suffered enough. He lights the contract on fire.

Lilah appreciates the gallantry but assures Wes she knew the deal going in. Wes tells her it’s done as the contract burns to ashes. Lilah tells him to look in the drawer. Another copy of the contract has taken its place. Lilah smiles, appreciating that Wes tried.

Angel approaches Connor as he wires explosives to himself. A small explosion goes off. Connor suggests Angel not move, the hostages are rigged as well. Angel won’t be able to save them all. He reveals that Cordelia is lying on the floor, still unconscious, wired like everyone else.

Angel tries to get Connor to listen. He says everyone felt the "perfect love". Connor shouts that he didn’t, he can’t feel anything. He really is Angel’s son because he’s dead too. Angel says his life is just beginning. He tries to apologize. Connor doesn’t want to hear it, it doesn’t change anything. Angel tells him he loves him. Connor says it’s a lie, it’s always a lie, even his mother didn’t love him. Angel tells him he’s wrong, Darla sacrificed herself for him. Connor believes Angel loved him, but not enough because he let Holtz get him. He wonders where Cordy is now, she said she loved him. He says Jasmine wasn’t a lie, she knew people would turn against her if they saw the truth. She wanted to give them everything.

Angel wants to take back the mistakes, help Connor start over. Connor says he can’t. Angel tells him they can change things. Connor says death is the only thing that changes things, everything else is a lie, he can’t be saved by a lie. He starts to detonate the explosives. Angel punches him. Fight ensues.

Angel directs the hostages to run, they escape. Angel and Connor continue fighting. Angel grabs a knife from a display case in the store, pins Connor down and tells him he really loves him. Connor asks what he’s going to do about it. Angel answers, "prove it." He slashes the knife downward, toward Connor.

Lorne is singing in the W&H lobby. Fred arrives. Lorne enjoyed his tour. Wes arrives, noting it’s a lot to take in. Gunn exits the elevator. Fred notes a change in Gunn’s demeanor. He says he’s taking the deal. Wes agrees. Fred asks if they really should. Angel arrives and says he already took the deal. The others are a little surprised.

Lilah arrives, tells them she’s impressed with them. Angel asks if things are taken care of. Lilah says Cordy is still in a coma but she’s taken care of, if there’s a way to get her back, they’ll find it. Angel says he wants to see him. Lilah says not a part of the deal. Angel tells her he needs to see him. She hands Angel the amulet and the Sunnydale file. She says a limo will take him to see Connor. Angel walks past the others. Fred asks, "Who’s Connor?"

The limo travels a winding mountain road in the countryside and finally pulls to a stop in the dark of night. Angel exits and walks up to a house, nestled in the trees. He looks through the window and sees Connor sitting at the table with his family, laughing and enjoying dinner. They discuss his college options. His "father" offers a toast to his SAT scores. Connor would prefer to make the toast and he does, "to family." Angel watches then turns and walks away as laugher from the house fills the air.