Starring: David Boreanaz as Angel, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, and J. August Richards as Charles Gunn

Guest starring: David Herman as David Nabit, Andy Hallett as The Host, Chris Barbers as Gunn’s friend, Cedrick Terrell as Henry, Julie Benz as Darla

Original air date: October 10, 2000

Written by: Shawn Ryan
Directed by: James A. Contner

The Host is commenting on Angel’s karaoke choice at Caritas. Apparently Angel has just finished a medley of “Send in the Clowns” and “Tears of a Clown” and is waiting for The Host’s reading. The Host compliments Angel because Angel put his heart into the songs then The Host asks what will happen to Angel’s heart now. The Host tells Angel that, although Angel’s heart doesn’t beat anymore, it can still break. According to The Host Angel is at “bend” in his path of personal growth and The Host tells Angel that the bend may, or may not, slow Angel down. As The Host begins to sing Angel steps off the stage and walks towards the bar. Darla is waiting for him there. Angel is happy to see her - he was afraid that Darla might not come that night. As Angel and Darla begin to dance Caritas, which was filled before, is now empty. Angel tells Darla he’s still surprised that Darla is there - after all, Angel killed Darla several years before (see BtVS 1.7, “Angel”). Darla tells Angel she’s forgiven him for that and asks Angel if he’s told anyone about their ‘dates.’ Angel assures her that he’s kept the secret and that he wants Darla all to himself. As The Host finishes his song Angel and Darla kiss, which prompts The Host to quip, “Somebody get these two love vamps a room.” Angel is in his room at the Hyperion and wakes up from his dream.

Wes and Cordelia are in the lobby at the Hyperion Hotel. Cordy is cleaning and complaining about the huge amount of dust in the lobby. Cordy wants to give up until Wes suggests they move the offices back into Cordy’s living room. Gunn comes in looking for Angel. Apparently Gunn and Angel had an appointment which Angel might just sleep through (it’s 3:30 in the afternoon) and Angel didn’t tell Wes or Cordy about. Gunn has gotten a tip on Deevak, a demon, and Angel was going to back-up Gunn when Gunn went to talk to a snitch. Gunn is clearly agitated about this because Deevak not only moved into Gunn’s neighborhood but also put two of Gunn’s men in the hospital. Gunn tells Wes and Cordy that one of them should go knock on Angel’s coffin. Cordy tells Gunn that (a) Angel doesn’t use a coffin, and (b) Angel will wake up on his own. Gunn’s clearly upset so Cordy suggests that she and Wes might be able to help instead. Gunn tells them that going up against Deevak is going to require “more than C3PO and Stick Figure Barbie” as back up. Gunn wants some serious muscle before he goes after Deevak. At that moment David Nabit (see AtS 1.20, “War Zone”) comes into the lobby wearing a purple cape and brandishing a sword. Apparently they paged David two days ago, but he was in Kuala Lampur. David got there as quick as he could. Angel comes down the stairs and David is less than thrilled when Angel tells David that he needs David’s financial advice. Angel wants to buy the hotel so David gives Angel some options with lots of abbreviations in them. Cordy, not surprisingly, gets turned on by all of David’s talk of money. David offers to have one of his assistants run some numbers for them. Before he leaves David tells everyone that the “demon fighting” is pretty cool.

Gunn is seriously frustrated with Angel’s apparent casual attitude toward the Deevak. Gunn thinks that he’s been more than helpful every time Angel needed a favor but the first time Gunn asks for a favor Angel is “snoozing the afternoon away.” Angel tells Cordy she’s driving and has Wes get some money out of the cash box. Then, despite Gunn’s protests, the four leave the hotel to meet up with Gunn’s snitch.

Angel, Cordy, Wes, and Gunn arrive at a parking garage to meet with Gunn’s snitch. There are a few cars but they don’t see him (Jameel) right away - he’s hiding behind a van. Jameel is clearly nervous. Angel tosses him an envelope of money which Jameel drops on the ground. Apparently Jameel has changed his mind about squealing on the Deevak demon. Gunn tells Jameel he can walk away from the money but, one way or another, Jameel *will* tell Gunn what he wants to know. Jameel only showed up out of respect for Gunn’s reputation and doesn’t want to talk about the Deevak. According to Jameel the Deevak has eyes and ears everywhere and may have had some vampires tail Jameel to the garage. Jameel just wants to pay his respects and leave - quickly. Gunn’s threats don’t work - Jameel is more afraid of Deevak than of Gunn. Gunn calmly reaches behind him to hand Angel the money but it’s a ploy, he whips his arm around and knocks Jameel to the ground. Gunn starts kicking Jameel but Angel stops him. Gunn wants to beat the information out of Jameel but Angel stops him. Gunn tells Angel to back off, that it’s Gunn’s case but Angel tells Gunn that now the case is Angel’s. Gunn and Angel stare at each other for a few seconds, clearly each waiting for the other to back down. They’re interrupted by three vamps coming into the garage. As the vamps attack Jameel runs away. During the fight one vampire knocks Wes to the ground, but Cordy manages to dust him. Angel and Gunn are busy with two other vampires and, eventually, dust them as well.

After the fight the four of them are complaining about their various aches and pains. Sure, the team dusted the vamps but they got hurt in the process. Angel can’t move his left arm, Gunn has some bruised ribs, and Wes threw his back out again. Not to mention the wanton destruction of Wes’s pager and a stain on Cordy’s dry-clean-only shirt. Gunn’s frustrated because they still don’t know any more about the Deevak. Wes and Angel are of the opinion that this is good. The four of them really aren’t in any condition to fight the Deevak and they need time to regroup. This frustrates Gunn even more. Gunn came to the AI team because they are the demon experts and now they are backing away from a fight. Gunn wants their help and he’s not getting it so Gunn’s going to track down Jameel and make him talk. Cordy suggests that, when Gunn meets up with Jameel, he might want to tone down his ‘tude. After Gunn leaves Wes asks Angel why he had so much trouble eliminating just one vampire. Angel chalks it up to having a bad day.

When Cordy drops Angel off at the hotel Angel tells her to bring back the car in the morning. Cordy’s concerned about Angel and asks him if he will be ok and Angel tells Cordy that he just needs some sleep. Cordy’s even more concerned because sleeping is about all Angel has been doing lately. Angel goes into the hotel and Cordy drives home. Cordy is just settling down with a book when she is slammed by massive back-to-back visions. Cordy sees Gunn fighting with a sword against some unknown baddie. Cordy asks Phantom Dennis (see AtS 1.5, “Rm w/A Vu”) to give her the phone and Cordy calls Angel. Unfortunately Angel is sound asleep and doesn’t wake up. Angel is dreaming about Darla again. They’re on a beach, bathed in moonlight. Angel hears the ringing but Darla tells him to ignore it. Darla drags an ice cube down Angel’s chest and stomach, then kisses him. Angel is clearly not waking up for the phone. In the meantime Cordy tries calling Wesley but only gets his answering machine. Cordy explains her vision to Wes’s machine and tells Wes that, when he gets the message, Wes should get Angel and meet her at Gunn’s. Cordy grabs a small axe for a weapon and heads out the door telling herself that she’s going to die.

Cordy drives Angel’s car over to Gunn’s. It looks like she’s walking through a basement and Cordy hears a fight going on in the laundry room. It’s Gunn fighting with a demon. Cordy rushes in and hits the demon with her axe. Uh-oh. It’s not a ‘demon,’ it’s one of Gunn’s crew (Joey) and he and Gunn are sparring with the rest of Gunn’s crew watching.

Meanwhile Angel is still dreaming about Darla but there’s an odd knocking noise in the background. Darla tells Angel that she has to go away because she is in danger. Angel wants to go with Darla to protect her. Darla asks Angel who will protect him while Angel is so busy protecting others. Darla kisses Angel then looks to the side where Wesley is building a large, wooden coffin. Angel, now alone because Darla has left, tells Wes to stop that noise. Angel looks around for Darla and can’t find her and goes ballistic. He grabs dream-Wes by the throat and accuses him of making Darla go away, only it’s not dream-Wes it’s real Wes. Angel’s a little surprised at seeing Wes and wants to know what Wes is doing there. Wes explains that Gunn is in danger. Once Angel lets go of Wes’s throat Wes suggests that Angel put some clothes on.

Back at Gunn’s Cordy has bandaged Joey’s head and Gunn starts to walk Cordy to her car. Gunn is seriously annoyed that a “skinny, white, beauty queen” tried to save his life and may have ruined his reputation with his crew. Cordy tries to explain to Gunn that she has a vision and that she is scared because Gunn’s life is in danger. Gunn tells Cordy to be scared at home but Cordy tells Gunn that she doesn’t plan on leaving his side until she knows that Gunn is safe. When they reach the parking lot Cordy and Gunn discover that Angel’s convertible is, yup, missing.

Gunn and Cordy jump in Gunn’s truck. Gunn knows some of the guys in the area who steal vintage cars so he figures to check out each spot until they find Angel’s car. Cordy wants to know how Gunn plans on getting Angel’s car back because Cordy doesn’t think Gunn’s “charm” will go a long way to get the car back. Gunn thinks that Cordelia is nuts for trying to hijack his life, but Cordelia thinks Gunn is nuts for not taking her visions seriously. Cordy tells Gunn, again, that she isn’t leaving Gunn’s side until Cordy knows that Gunn is safe. Gunn tells Cordy that he doesn’t understand how she will be able to ‘protect’ him with a teeny ‘girly’ axe and a bottle of mace. Cordy tells Gunn that, whether he likes it or not, she is Gunn’s protector.

At the hotel Wes and Angel are going to find Gunn and Cordy but, because Cordelia has Angel’s car, they will have to ride Wes’s motorcycle. This doesn’t make Angel happy. Not only will Angel be riding (not driving) the motorcycle but Angel also has to wear a *pink*, bright pink helmet! Wes tells Angel not to be such a wanker, after all wearing a helmet is the law in California. After Angel puts on the helmet Wes tells Angel, “Looks good. Hop on board, gorgeous.” Angel tells Wes that paybacks are a bitch, but does get on the bike.

In the meantime Gunn and Cordelia have arrived at a local chop shop. The owner, Henry, tells Gunn that he doesn’t have any ‘67 Plymouth convertibles but that another guy, Desmond, probably has it. Apparently Desmond can’t pass up a classic convertible. Gunn and Cordelia start to leave when Henry tells them that Desmond isn’t at his shop but is at a party. Gunn wants to know where the cars on the lot are from and Henry tells him “around.” Gunn threatens Henry, apparently not for the first time, to leave the neighborhood cars alone. Gunn tells Henry that if Henry keeps stealing neighborhood cars Gunn will shut Henry down. After Gunn and Cordy leave a demon, apparently the Deevak, and a couple vampires join Henry. Henry tells Deevak that it was Gunn, but Deevak already knows who Gunn is and how much trouble Gunn has caused. Deevak vows that tonight Gunn’s troublemaking comes to an end.

Gunn and Cordelia go to the party and find one of Gunn’s crew leaving. Apparently the guy was supposed to be patrolling but the area was dead so he went to the party. Gunn gets plenty angry and sends the guy home with the warning that, when Gunn gets there, the two of them will have a chat about obeying orders. As they go up the steps to the front door of the house, Gunn tells Cordy to keep her mouth shut and to stick close to him. Gunn’s attitude just rubs Cordy the wrong way, and she tells Gunn that she knows how to behave, and blend, at a party. Once inside Cordy thinks she doesn’t blend well so she plans on sticking close to Gunn and keeping her mouth shut. A young woman, Veronica, greets Gunn and wants to know where he’s been. Gunn explains that he’s been busy and that he and Cordelia are looking for Desmond. While they are looking for Desmond Cordelia asks Gunn if he’s friends with all the criminals in town. Gunn denies that all the brothers are criminals and suggests that David Nabit probably didn’t make his first billion by being a good guy. But Cordy tells Gunn that David *did* make his first billion by being a good guy and inventing software that helps blind people surf the internet. Gunn finally sees Desmond and tries to get Desmond to cough up Angel’s car. Just then the two vamps from Henry’s place, plus a couple others, crash the party and attack Gunn. The only people at the party who try to help Gunn are Cordy, who’s knocked to the ground, and Veronica, who’s thrown through some glass and gets a chunk of it embedded in her neck. Cordy rushes to help Veronica while a couple of the guys at the party start to help Gunn. The vamps finally bail, jumping out of a window. Gunn finds Cordy tending to Veronica and Cordy tells Gunn that they have to get Veronica to a hospital - now.

At the hospital the staff rushes Veronica to a room to try to stop the bleeding. Cordy explains to the doctor what happened. When Gunn asks if Veronica will be ok the doctor tells Gunn that Cordy probably saved Veronica’s life but the doctor needs to work on stopping the bleeding. Cordy and Gunn leave the room. Later Gunn is in a waiting room getting angrier and angrier. Gunn thinks that Veronica’s injury is his fault but Cordy tries to convince him that it’s not Gunn’s fault. Gunn rants about letting his guard down and having someone like Alonna pay the price. Ooops. Cordelia knows that Alonna was Gunn’s sister who was vamped and Gunn had to dust (see AtS 1.20, “War Zone”). As Gunn realizes his mistake Desmond is trying to get on the elevator behind Cordy without Cordy or Gunn seeing him. As the elevator doors open Cordelia shouts to Desmond to stay put - somehow she heard him. Cordy demands to know where her car is.

Wes and Angel arrive at the scene of the party where there are quite a few police and EMT vehicles. Wes and Angel find a young woman leaving a party and ask her if she’s seen Gunn. Angel asks what happened and the young woman tells them. She tries to leave and when Angel asks if she’s ok she reassures him. SLAM! Angel gives her a head-butt and she vamps out. Apparently one of the vampires turned her during the chaos. Angel tells the vamp to start talking.

In the meantime Gunn and Cordy arrive at Desmond’s garage and find Angel’s car. Gunn is ecstatic because now Cordy can leave him alone. . . but Cordy needs to find the keys. Apparently she left them in the car when she went to save Gunn. Gunn and Cordy start to look for the keys but, uh-oh, Deevak has them. Gunn tells Cordy to leave but she won’t leave Gunn. As Gunn charges Deevak, Deevak grabs him by the throat and lifts him off the ground a couple of feet. Cordy grabs her axe and tries to hit Deevak, but Deevak stops her and forces the axe out of Cordy’s hand to the ground. Deevak taunts Gunn and asks him how it feels to be harassed by someone bigger and badder than himself. As Gunn is slowly being choked to death Deevak morphs into Jameel. Cordy manages to grab her mace and squirt it into Jameel’s eyes. Jameel drops both Cordy and Gunn then morphs back into Deevak. Just then Wes and Angel arrive. Wes drives his motorcycle into a vampire knocking him down. Wes and Angel take on the vampires while Gunn attacks Deevak. Cordy grabs the axe and helps Wes dust a vamp. Gunn is having some problems with Deevak - Deevak has a knife and is trying to stab Gunn. Deevak knocks Gunn to the ground and is ready to give a killing blow when Angel shouts for Cordy to throw the axe. She does, Angel leaps over the hood of his car, snatches the axe out of midair, and drives the axe into Deevak’s skull. Deevak drops to the ground, lifeless.

Later Angel pushes his car out of the garage when Wes announces that he’s found the car keys. Unfortunately, the keys are covered in lime-green goo, maybe demon blood or demon pus or both, and the goo won’t come off. Angel wants to know if anyone can hotwire a car. Gunn tells Cordy he should probably thank Cordy for saving his life. Cordy tells Gunn that in her vision Gunn wasn’t being attacked by Deevak. In her vision the danger to Gunn was Gunn himself. Cordelia tells Gunn that he’s on a self-destruct mission that will eventually kill him, unless he gets some help. Gunn says he doesn’t believe her, but Cordelia tells Gunn that he knows it’s true and that Gunn better get used to having Cordelia around. She plans on sticking close to Gunn until he finds some peace.

Later Angel returns to the hotel alone and Darla is there. Darla asks if Angel saved any lives and Angel tells her he saved a few. Darla wants to know if any of his friends said “thank you,” and Angel tells her no, they didn’t. Darla wants to say something to Angel’s friends but Angel doesn’t think she has to. Darla tells him that he is always the protector and never the protected, but Darla takes care of him. Uh-oh. Angel’s asleep again and dreaming that he and Darla are having sex in the hotel lobby. But this time, Darla is in Angel’s room with him, kissing Angel while he’s dreaming of her.