"Waiting in the Wings"
Written & Directed by: Joss Whedon
Wesley researches a demon from one of Cordelia's visions while Cordelia questions Wesley about his romantic feelings towards Fred. Angel brightens the mood by announcing that they are all going out for some fun, but he got tickets to a ballet production of "Giselle." Gunn and Fred return from breakfast and Gunn compliments Fred's appearance, making her smile. Gunn is disappointed when he hears of the ballet because he expected tickets to a different show. Angel's simply excited that he'll be able to see the show by the same company that he witnessed in 1890.
At the theater, the company's owner, a Count Kurskov, promises the theater manager an unforgettable show while a shadowed figure watches from above the stage and laughs. In preparation for their glamorous night at the ballet, Fred and Cordelia shop for new dresses despite the fact that they'll probably return the dresses after wearing them for the night. Subtly, Cordelia breaches the subject of Fred's romantic interests, but Cordelia thinks Fred's mind is on Wesley, when it's really on Gunn. Lorne informs Angel that he knows about the vampire's feelings for Cordelia and offers his encouragement while he helps remove baby spit from Angel's tuxedo.
Compliments are directed to everyone as their ballet appropriate attire is revealed at the hotel and they depart together. At the theater, Cordelia is literally bored to sleep while the others enjoy the show and Angel finds the dancers a little familiar since he saw the same people perform the first time he saw the show. Intermission wakes Cordelia and after Angel tells his friends about his revelation and sneaks backstage with Cordelia to investigate. The two bypass a security guard and backstage, Angel and Cordelia discover that they're trapped and unable to get out of the backstage area.
Looking through the prima ballerina's dressing room, Angel observes that the dressing room hasn't changed in two hundred years as Cordelia examines a cross necklace from a table. Both feel the room warm and Cordelia suddenly asks Angel to undress her. Both are slightly confused by that request but soon they find themselves equally possessed by spirits in love and are unable to keep their hands off each other. Cordelia accidentally burns Angel and both come to their senses and leave the dressing room before things go too far.
Lorne sings Connor to sleep; Lorne's a bit annoyed that he wasn't invited to the ballet. A sound is heard out in the hall and Lorne goes to check it out. When Angel's bedroom door is opened, Lorne is shocked to see who's standing on the other side. While trying to escape the backstage halls, Cordelia recalls elements of fear that she felt while possessed. She convinces Angel to reenter the dressing room so that they can break the spell holding them and be freed from backstage area.
Worried about Angel and Cordelia, Fred encourages the guys to help her look for their missing friends. The Count directs his demon minions to deal with those sneaking around backstage. It takes a few moments, but soon Angel and Cordelia are possessed by the sprits and acting out of wild passion for each other. Possessed Cordelia calls Angel "Stefan" and confesses her fears of another man who is controlling her life. They kiss and "Stefan" offers to take her away, but she wants him to help her deal with the problem not run away from it. The two continue to kiss passionately as Fred, Wesley, and Gunn hear noises from outside the room.
Demons start to appear, forcing Angel and Cordelia to fight them off. The rest of the gang arrive and the demons are finished off. Angel and Cordelia rush off while Fred tends to a cut Gunn received in the battle. Gunn jokes about his injury and Fred gets really emotional because she thought he was seriously hurt. The two kiss as Wesley quietly discovers them and walks away sadly.
The ballet continues on stage as the fang gang gathers back stage. Claiming to have stepped into a hot spot, Wesley figures out the back-story. He explains that the Count was a wizard who reacted badly when he found that the prima ballerina whom he adored had a lover. To repay her for her supposedly betrayal, the count forced her into a temporal shift where she would dance for only him, forever. The minion demons return to life and multiply as the illusion of the ballet begins to fade. The gang kills as many demons as possible to drain some of the Count's power.
Meanwhile, Angel searches for the Count's power center and finds her waiting in the wings, resigned to a life of dancing the same exact dance in the same exact show for the rest of eternity. She wants it to stop and Angel tells her that she has to change the dance in order to break the magic holding her prisoner. She dances on to the stage and changes an element, which the Count reacts badly to. Angel attacks the Count and guesses that the power center is in a medallion the count wears. The jewel in the center of the medallion is destroyed with a powerful punch and finally, the ballet dancers are released from the repeating show. Wesley dresses Gunn's injury and watches on in emotional agony as Fred and Gunn exchange loving looks.
Angel and Cordelia agree to forget whatever happened between them while they were possessed. Angel starts to admit his true feelings for Cordelia but the Groosalugg from Pylea appears on the stars, drawing Cordelia's attention away from Angel. Groo and Cordelia hug and kiss as Lorne comes downstairs to inform Angel that Pylea has formed a republic and with no need for a leader, Groo returned for his true love: Cordelia. Dejected, Angel goes upstairs to check on Connor, despite the fact that his son is sleeping. Fred and Wesley watch on, both realizing the path of love is not something that can be forecasted.
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