HOSTAGE: (whispering to crying little girl) Shut up. Shut up. You've got to—

CONNOR: (leaps down to yell at the man) Hey! I told you to be nice.

HOSTAGE: (leans back, frightened) I'm sorry.

CONNOR: You're not holding her right. Why don't you hold her right?

HOSTAGE: I think you broke my arm.

CONNOR: Do it right.

HOSTAGE: (painfully puts his arm around the girl) Shh, shh. It's gonna be OK. It's gonna be OK.

(Connor stands and walks over to a stash of car batteries and checks that the people's wires are attached. Then he pauses.)

CONNOR: You got in. I thought you might.

(Pan out to show Angel is standing on the balcony of the upstairs section of the store. He leaps down to the main level where Connor and his hostages are.)

(...)

ANGEL: Connor? Son?

(There's an explosion behind Angel. He jumps, startled.)

CONNOR: You might not want to move. Everyone's rigged. Can't save 'em all, dad. Don't know who's gonna be first. Could be any one of 'em. (stands, revealing he's wired too) Could be me. (steps away, points to an unconscious Cordelia on the floor, also wired) Could be her.

(...)

ANGEL: Son...you have to listen to me. This is about Jasmine.

CONNOR: Jasmine's gone.

ANGEL: I know. We all felt it, that perfect love, then when you had to give it up—

CONNOR: (explosively) I didn't feel anything! I can't feel anything. I guess I really am your son... 'cause I'm dead, too.

ANGEL: You're not dead. You're just starting your life and—

CONNOR: No, you just weren't there before!

ANGEL: (teary) I know. I'm so—

CONNOR: (yelling) Do not say you're sorry! Doesn't fix anything.

ANGEL: Ok, look, let me say this. I love you, son.

CONNOR: It's a lie.

ANGEL: It's not.

CONNOR: It's always a lie. (softly) My dead mother couldn't even love me.

ANGEL: You're wrong. She did.

CONNOR: No. No. She knew she couldn't.

ANGEL: She sacrificed herself because she loved you.

CONNOR: You tried to love me. At least I think you did.

ANGEL: I still do.

CONNOR: But not enough to hang on, dad. You let him take me. You let him get me. You let him get me. Cordy... you swore you loved me. Where are you now?

ANGEL: Connor... you have to believe that there are people who love you.

CONNOR: Jasmine believed you when you said you loved her, but it was all a lie.

ANGEL: Jasmine was the lie.

CONNOR: (yelling) No! She knew if you found out who she really was that you'd turn against her, and she was right. That's just what happened. People like you. People like this. None of you deserve what she could give you. (sighs) She wanted to give you everything.

ANGEL: I know how that feels. 'Cause I want to give you everything. I want to take back the mistakes, help you start over.

CONNOR: We can't start over.

ANGEL: We can. I mean, we can change things.

CONNOR: There's only one thing that ever changes anything... and that's death. Everything else is just a lie. (cries) You can't be saved by a lie. You can't be saved at all.

(he looks down at his explosive and starts to activate it. But Angel springs into action, disconnecting the wire. they start to fight)

ANGEL: (to hostages) Run. Hurry. All of you. Go.

(more fighting. Angel stops Connor from detonating Cordelia by throwing a knife which lands deep in his leg. Angel grabs Connor, yanks the knife out of his leg and holds it poised to strike)

ANGEL: I really do love you, Connor.

CONNOR: So what are you gonna do about it?

ANGEL: Prove it.

(In a flash of light, Angel's arm moves downward; it looks like he cuts Connor's throat, but we don't see the impact as the screen fills with white)

• Angel & Connor
• Angsty Traumatic Confrontations

written by: Tim Minear; Original transcript by CariCranberry. Edited and formatted for this site by me. . Full transcript at:
http://www.buffyworld.com/angel/season4/transcripts/88_tran.php