"The Trial"
Wes and Cordelia are standing outside the door of the cellar at the hotel. Cordy wonders if they should check on Angel, he's been in the cellar a long time. Wesley says he hears noises down there. He wonders what's going on. Cordelia assures him she doesn't know, Angel doesn't talk much these days. Wes has noticed, Angel is preoccupied with Darla. Cordelia doesn't want to hear her name anymore. He isn't preoccupied, he's obsessed with the subject and Cordelia thought that Wesley was going to talk to him about it. Wes says he did. Cordelia wants to know what Wesley said to him. Wesley says he asked him how he wanted his tea. Cordelia gives him a look. Wesley tells her that's how men talk in England, over tea.
They notice the noises from the cellar have stopped, Angel is headed upstairs. They both rush behind the desk, pretending to be busy.
Angel comes in, carrying an armload of laundry. He says there's a washer/dryer
in the cellar as he shakes out the clothes, stopping to enjoy the warmth
of things right out of the dryer. He shakes out a shirt, noting that
it needs ironing. Wesley and Cordelia look on, not quite sure what to
make of this.
Wesley notes the "domestic approach" seems to be working for Angel. His mood seems calm, upbeat. Cordelia wonders if he's on drugs.
Angel says he knows he's made things difficult for them over this Darla business. He apologizes for that. He realizes now that Darla may never need his help and all he can do is be there for her when, or if, she does. He knows she has to do this for herself, he can't do it for her. He accepts that now. He can't do anything at the moment but let it go.
Wesley smiles, sure it was the tea talk that brought about Angel's new attitude.
Gunn comes in and tells Angel he's found Darla. He hands Angel a folder with photographs, telling him that he kept looking, as Angel had asked him to do, and his extensive knowledge of LA's low rent accommodations finally paid off.
Cordelia realizes she and Wesley have been lied to. Wesley wants to know why. Angel, barely taking his eyes off of the photos, says he lied because he didn't want to be nagged about it.
Gunn tells him Darla is living in a dump, not far from skid row. She's obviously no longer being kept by W&H. He wonders what W&H will do if they find her. Angel says they won't find out because he'll get to her first.
As he grabs his coat and heads out the door, Cordelia tells him not to expect them to go along to chase Darla down, they're not going to enable his "addiction." Angel pays no attention to her ramblings as he leaves with Gunn, determined to find Darla.
Wesley is disappointed the tea sharing wasn't as effective as he'd thought.
In a rundown motel room, Darla removes a cross necklace she's wearing and lays it on the dresser. She puts on lipstick, doesn't like what she sees, wipes it off. There's a knock on the door. She turns toward the door as Lindsey walks in. He hands some money to the motel manager who leaves, then tells Darla she's been hard to find.
In Lindsey's office at W&H, Lindsey thanks Darla for coming back with him. She doesn't figure she had much of a choice.
Holland enters the office and tells her she always had a choice, they would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do. She reminds him it wasn't her choice to be brought back. She didn't want this life.
Holland tells her that nobody gets a choice in that, God doesn't ask. Darla reminds him it wasn't God who brought her back. She wants to know what Holland wants from her now. She thinks he wants her to go back to Angel. She says it won't matter, nothing exists between them anymore.
Holland tells her they didn't bring her there to talk about Angel. Lindsey says they need to tell her something about herself. Holland says she's not a prisoner, but she is their "moral responsibility." He hands her an envelope, the results of medical tests that were done within the first few weeks she was brought back. He realizes she doesn't remember much about that time. Darla looks at the papers, she wants to know if Lindsey knew about it. He doesn't answer.
As Darla absorbs the test results, Holland tells her they'll handle things however she wants, it's her decision, they felt she had a right to know.
At the motel room Gunn enters, Angel stands in the doorway, just outside the room. Gunn tells him Darla isn't there. Angel knows she was there not long ago, he knows the scent, it's heavy with fear. Gunn notes that he smells things too, but not that, as he wrinkles his nose in disgust. He turns, surprised to see Angel has entered the room. Angel explains he can come in because it's a motel, public accommodations.
Gunn notices the cross necklace on the dresser. He tells Angel she was obviously expecting him.
Angel notes there's no blood, not from any recent events anyway. Gunn wonders if he smells that as well. Angel says the room has seen a lot of that. Gunn isn't surprised. He notes the accommodations are quite a come down from Darla's previous abode. Angel tells him people do what they have to do when the situation is desperate.
France, 1765
Darla and Angelus enter a barn, riding double on one horse. They both look disheveled. Angelus is complaining about the outrage of the situation, wondering if these people know who they are. Darla is sure they know, which would account for the mob pursuing them.
As Angelus blocks the door shut, Darla notes that they need to rest. It's almost dawn and the horse is exhausted, it can't last much longer carrying them both.
Angelus says he hates the French, they should have gone to Romania. Darla reminds him that when they were in Italy, he was the one who wanted to come to France. Angelus notes that at least in Romania, they know how to treat their kind.
As he looks outside, he notices it's quiet. Darla thinks they've lost their pursuers. Angelus wonders how this man keeps finding them. Darla reminds him they stay in the most expensive of accommodations, dine on room service and the waiters, people talk.
Angelus doesn't think that explains it. He thinks the man pursuing them, Holtz, is something other than human. Darla assures him he's nothing more than that. He's a vampire hunter, but he's entirely mortal. Angelus isn't happy being forced to hide out in a barn. Darla figures they can make the best of being stuck there, after all, it's not so bad with the right companion. As they're about to roll in the hay, a flaming arrow embeds in a beam, exactly where Angelus' head had been a couple of seconds before.
Present Day
Darla is in a seedy bar, sitting across from a guy in vamp face. He tells her he didn't have much luck with women when he was human but since he got vamped, he doesn't have any trouble anymore. He thinks it must be the teeth, women like that. Darla says he must have girlfriends everywhere. He says he mostly just kills them and dumps the bodies. Darla says that must be lonely. He grins, saying that's the way it's supposed to be with his kind.
Darla wonders how long he's been a vampire. He says since 1992. He can't believe it's already the "last century." Darla is clearly unimpressed with this dim bulb, but she's desperate. She wonders if he's ever considered making himself a companion. He's clueless as to what she's getting at. She has to spell it out, wondering if it's true that some vampires choose a mortal to sire, someone to keep them company in the hunt and for other things.
Dim vamp guy laughs. He thinks that's just weird. Darla tells him it's not weird, it's "mythic." Dim vamp guy figures she's been reading too much Anne Rice. She doesn't understand how things work. Darla tells him he can teach her. He incredulously asks if she wants him to "make" her. She wonders why he thinks she came into that bar. She tells him she's staying close by, they can go back to her place and he can do it there. Dim vamp guy finally realizes she's serious. He wants to make sure he's understanding her. He makes her and she becomes his immoral "babe". Darla tells him that's the way it works. Dim vamp guy doesn't like the sound of that, it sounds too much like a commitment. Darla is noticeably losing patience with the idiot, but she needs him so says whatever she has to in order to get him to do it. She says he can use her for as long, or as little, as he wants once it's done. His choice.
Dim vamp guy thinks that sounds like a good idea and tells her they can do it in the alley behind the bar. She grabs him by the hand and pulls him outside, into the alley. He asks her how she knows he won't just kill her. She kisses him hard and tells him she's willing to risk it. Dim vamp guy grins, he thinks this is probably a good time to tell her that he's not exactly sure how this works. He's never sired anyone before and he wasn't exactly taking notes when it was done to him. Darla's expression is one of frustration but she tells him she'll explain it to him as they go along.
She tells him to drink from her and to stop as he feels her heart slow. She offers her neck. Dim vamp guy goes in for the bite but turns to dust before he gets to her neck, revealing Angel standing behind him, stake in hand.
Darla is angry. She wants to know what Angel is doing. He tells her he's "saving" her. She assures him she wasn't in any danger, she picked a "stupid" one. She says she always picks "stupid ones." She can take care of herself.
Angel says he wasn't trying to save her from the vamp, he was trying to save her from herself. Darla reminds him that she didn't ask him to. He tells her this isn't the answer. Darla wants to be left alone. She starts to leave, Angel stops her. He tells her that if she pursues this, he won't be able to leave her alone and the next time, it will be her at the business end of that stake. He doesn't want to have to do that again. Darla coldly assures him she wouldn't let him do it again as she walks away.
Angel calls after her, wondering where she's going to go. She tells him she'll try another bar. Angel wonders if this is what she really wants, another dump, another loser. This isn't like her. Darla reminds him that they may have spent 150 years together but that doesn't mean he knows her. He wonders if she really wants to be made by some cretin in a dirty alley. She tells him she wanted him to do it. Angel assures her that's not an option. She says then she will do what she has to do and reminds him that if memory serves, he was made in an alley.
Angel tells her that's not the point. He thinks she needs to give being human more time, it's only been a few months compared to her 400 years as a vampire. She's been given a second chance, she shouldn't just throw that away without giving it time and a real effort. Darla tells him she's dying.
Angel is stunned by that revelation. Darla goes on to say she's dying soon, she's only got two or three months at the most. She saw the medical files, she knows this to be true. She tells him she's in a hurry as she starts to walk away.
France, 1765
The barn Darla and Angelus are in is on fire. There's a mob on horseback gathering outside. Darla doesn't want to die this way. Angelus tells her they could try to make it to the hills. Darla knows they won't make it before dawn riding double. Angelus is willing to die if they have to. Between the two of them, they can take a lot of those now tormenting them with them. He figures they can create a legend in dying. As he turns away from her, Darla picks up a board and hits him with it, knocking him down. She jumps on the horse and tells him if he survives, perhaps they can meet in Vienna. She rides out, leaving Angelus in the burning barn, surrounded by the mob.
Present day
Angel and Darla enter the hotel. Wes and Cordelia are in the lobby. Cordelia notices Darla is carrying a bag and asks if she's planning on staying there. Darla says she's dying. Cordelia matter of factly notes that Darla will probably only be staying the night then.
Wesley wonders what's going on. Darla says that Angel doesn't believe that she's dying. Angel tells them that W&H showed Darla medical records that allegedly prove she only has a few months to live. Cordelia figures that means Darla will be there for more than one night. Wesley asks Angel if he thinks it's a ruse. Angel thinks it's just more of W&H's games. He isn't going to play. Darla says he just doesn't want to believe it. Angel tells her he doesn't believe anything that comes from them. Wesley agrees that W&H aren't exactly trustworthy.
Darla says she doesn't trust W&H, but she knows about games, she and Angelus played them for over a century. Angel asks Wes and Cordelia to look after Darla for awhile, he'll be back. They agree. As he heads for the door, Darla tells him he can't make her stay there. He assures her she's not a prisoner, he just wants her to give him a chance. He leaves.
Cordelia tells Darla she is a prisoner there. Wesley concurs. She goes on to tell Darla that if she tries to leave, they'll beat her upside the head with heavy objects.
Lindsey is sitting in his place, drinking. The door is kicked off of its hinges, Angel is standing on the other side. He tells Lindsey he knows he can't come in, but Lindsey will have to come out sooner or later and when he does, Angel will be waiting. Lindsey tells him to wipe his feet before entering. Angel is taken aback by the invitation but makes no move to enter. Lindsey again tells him to wipe his feet before coming in. Angel still doesn't make a move to enter. Lindsey gets up and walks over to the bar, wondering how many more times he's going to have to say it. Angel finally enters.
As Lindsey begins to pour himself another drink, Angel grabs him by the throat and slams him down on the bar. Lindsey wonders if Angel really thinks he has to beat him to get information. Angel lets him up. Lindsey tells him that it's true, Darla is dying. The medical reports are genuine.
He shoves a folder at Angel and asks if he wants a second opinion, or a third or a fourth as he keeps shoving folders at him.
Angel looks through the paperwork. The final opinion was offered by Lindsey's personal physician. He didn't want it to be true, but it is. Darla has a heart condition related to syphilis, which is what she was dying of 400 years ago. Her body is taking up where it left off. He says that condition could be easily treated with modern medicine if caught in time but in Darla's case, they're "a month and 400 years too late."
Angel realizes, judging by the numerous opinions Lindsey got, that he didn't believe it was true either. Now Angel accepts that it is the truth. He wonders why Lindsey went to all the trouble. Lindsey says he needed to be sure. Angel wonders why. Lindsey tells him he doesn't want her to die. Angel pauses a moment, then asks Lindsey if he loves her. He wonders if that's what's at the root of his concern. He finds it amusing that Lindsey has only known her for a few months, yet seems totally taken with her in that short time when he spent 150 years with her. Lindsey reminds him that he never loved her. Angel says he wasn't capable of that and he doesn't believe Lindsey is either. Lindsey acknowledges that may be true, but he would save her if he could. He tells Angel he could save her, but he won't. He can choose to watch her die over the next couple of months, or he can use the power he has and make it all go away.
Angel points out that would mean killing her. Lindsey sees it differently, as Angel giving her eternal life. Angel wonders if Lindsey thinks that he can be with her then. He wonders how long Lindsey thinks it would be before Darla hunted him down and killed him if Angel did what he wanted. Angel acknowledges that thought makes it almost worthwhile to consider but he's sure there's another way and he intends to find it. He throws the files in Lindsey's face and walks out.
At the hotel, Wes and Cordelia are in the lobby. Darla is out in the courtyard. Cordelia isn't happy that Darla isn't only putting Angel's life at risk but hers and Wesley's as well. After 400 years of murder and mayhem, she doesn't have much sympathy for Darla's situation.
Angel enters the lobby. Wesley asks him what he found out. Angel just looks toward Darla a moment, then tells Cordelia and Wesley to give him some time with her. He joins her in the courtyard.
Angel says nothing, Darla knows by his expression that what Holland told her was the truth. She says she has to leave. Angel tells her they'll find an answer. Darla knows there isn't one, unless Angel is willing to do it. He tells her that's what W&H want, that would be playing right into their hands. Darla doesn't care, she wants to live. Angel tells her he can't do it. That's not the answer. He doesn't know what the answer is, but he knows what it isn't. Darla says she doesn't know either.
Angel tells her she does know, she's the only one who could know, she just needs some help to see it.
At the Karaoke bar, Darla is singing. Angel sits at a table with the anagogic demon. The Host listens briefly, he says he doesn't know if there's any saving this one. Angel says he's going to and the Host is going to help him do it. The Host gets that Angel is edgy. He figures he's still holding the whole faux swami thing against him. Angel thinks that's justified. He sent him to the guy who tried to kill him. The Host shares the pain. Ramon was his favorite bartender and since he was the one who betrayed him, he had to let him go. Angel is impatient, he wants to get back to the subject of Darla.
After listening to Darla sing awhile, the Host tells him he knows Angel wants to save her but he's missing the important thing, not everything that's broken can be fixed. Angel is determined that Darla isn't going to die. The Host wonders why Angel cares so much. Darla has already had more than most, she's had 400 years. Angel reminds him that was as a vampire. She never had a real chance as a human being.
Darla finishes singing. The Host tells Angel he'll surely regret telling him, but there is one way he might save her. There is a quest, it will probably kill him, but it's the only way. Angel doesn't hesitate, he's willing to do it. The Host gives him an address and tells him this is where they'll find out if he's willing to "take the plunge."
Angel and Darla walk up to an empty swimming pool. Darla thinks this is crazy as they stand at the edge and look into it. She wonders if the anagogic meant a different pool. Angel says it's just a test, a leap of faith thing. Darla tells him not to do it. She doesn't understand why he would just do what the Host told him to do. Angel tells her he'll either come back with a cure or there's going to be a strange scene as he dives off of the diving board, into the empty pool. He disappears in a flash of light at the bottom of the pool.
Angel drops down into a stone cavern where he's greeted by a very proper British valet. He notes that Angel has proven he has faith. He'll be assisting Angel with the trials.
Angel turns to see Darla standing nearby. He asks why she's there. The valet asks if Angel wants to save her life. He acknowledges he does. The valet tells him that Darla is his collateral. If Angel completes the trials, Darla will be healed. Angel asks what happens to her if he fails. The valet says she will die, immediately. He looks toward Darla and tells her she can wait in the antechamber. Darla disappears.
Angel wants to know where she's gone. The valet tells him it's for the best. Very soon, the room will become a dangerous place. Angel doesn't like the deal. Nobody told him Darla would be collateral. The valet clarifies the terms, life is the bargain. When Angel entered, he put both his life and Darla's on the table.
The valet tells Angel to get ready, he'll have to do this barefoot and shirtless. Angel wonders if that's the deal, unarmed combat. The valet tells him that he will be unarmed, implying that something else won't be. Angel wants to now what the three challenges are. The valet says he'll have to discover that for himself.
Angel figures the valet has seen this played out before. He asks for any information he can give him. The valet doesn't give hints but does say that theoretically the first test is the easiest. He looks toward an iron gate and tells Angel that when it opens, he just has to walk through it. Angel knows there has to be more to it. The valet isn't willing to tell any more.
Angel figures if he won't tell him anything more about the first challenge, maybe he'll tell him something about the other two. The valet says he wouldn't know. No one has survived the first trial yet. He wishes Angel luck and disappears.
A growl is heard as the iron gate raises. A big, ugly demon with plenty of weaponry comes after Angel. The gate closes behind it.
Darla and the valet are in the antechamber. The valet is looking at his watch, impressed that Angel has already survived more than twice as long as most others, a whole 17 seconds.
Darla tells the valet to call off the trial. He tells her the trials cannot be stopped once they have started. Darla needs to know what's going on. The valet touches her forehead and in her mind's eye, she sees and feels what Angel is going through. She winces as Angel is repeatedly beaten by the demon.
Angel finally manages to get the upper hand, grabs the demon's sword away from him and cuts him in half at waist level.
Darla is relieved. She smiles. The valet smiles back.
Angel tries to walk through the doorway but the iron gate won't open. He doesn't understand, thinking that defeating the demon was the key. As he's working at the gate, his back to the two halves of the demon, the demon opens its eyes and pulls its upper half over to its lower half, uniting itself back into one piece.
Angel turns to see it just as it rejoins itself. In her mind, Darla sees what he sees. Angel manages to hack the demon in half once again, but this time he grabs each half with a long hooked chain the demon had been wielding as a weapon, pulls each half to opposite sides of the room and secures them. The gate rises, he walks through the doorway.
The valet checks his watch. Darla wonders if he gets turned on by this. He assures her he has no feelings one way or the other regarding what's going on. He wonders if she feels anything.
As Angel walks through the doorway, the iron gate shuts behind him. He finds himself in a dark, narrow hallway. An opening appears above him, filling the dark hallway with moonlight. The light reveals the hallway is long with a door at the opposite end and a basin in the middle. The floor and walls are covered in crosses, embedded into the stone. Angel realizes he has to walk that cross laden path to get to the door.
In the antechamber, the valet is munching snacks. Darla wonders why he doesn't just kill Angel if he wants him dead. The valet tells her he doesn't "want" anything. The trial is about the journey. Where it leads doesn't concern them.
Angel contemplates the situation briefly, realizes there's only one way to the door and takes off across the stone cross path. His feet sear as he attempts to traverse it as quickly as possible. He falls to the floor and screams as his body is burned by the crosses.
He pulls himself up and makes it to the door, only to find it locked. He realizes he needs a key. He looks back to the basin in the center of the hall and heads back to it, his feet again burned by the crosses. He sees the key in the bottom of the basin which is filled with holy water. He screams as he plunges his arm into it and grabs the key. He makes it back to the door and uses the key to open it.
The valet checks his watch. He's impressed with Angel's determination, as is Darla.
Angel enters the next room and is immediately bound hand and foot by manacles and chains that snake out from the walls. His arms are jerked up over his head. The valet enters the room, applauding Angel's efforts. He tells him he has one final trial to complete as he looks toward the wall Angel is facing. Suddenly the wall is studded with wooden stakes that protrude from every inch of it. Angel realizes that the only way to win the trial is to die. The valet confirms that's true. There is no "catch". Death is the final trial. For one life to be restored, another must be taken. If Darla is to live, Angel must die.
The valet suggests that if Angel has any faith, now would be the time to pray as the stakes are cocked back, ready for firing. In the antechamber, Darla doesn't want Angel to go through with it. Angel wants to know why the valet is hesitating. The valet says he can't do it without Angel's permission. He has earned the choice. He can accept his own death and Darla will live or he can choose to leave. He's earned that right. Angel wants to know what happens to Darla in that case. The valet tells him she will die. That's not a deal Angel is willing to accept.
The valet wonders if the world isn't better with Angel in it, he can save so many, Darla can't. He wonders how long Angel thinks it will be before Darla stumbles. The world is, after all, a harsh place. Angel doesn't have the answer. The valet wonders if he's still willing to die for her to live, even though her life promises him nothing. His answer is yes. In the anteroom, Darla quietly says, "no." Angel tells the valet to get it over with. He cocks the stakes back one final time and fires.
Darla screams "no!", her eyes tightly closed. When she opens them, Angel is standing in front of her in the antechamber. The valet congratulates him on passing the third trial by accepting death. No one has ever made it to the final sacrifice before. Angel tells him to "pay up."
The valet tells Darla she's very lucky, she will soon have her entire life ahead of her. Angel urges him to hurry up and do it. The valet lays a hand to each side of Darla's head, closes his eyes, then pulls back, having realized something. Angel wants to know what's going on. The valet tells them Darla has already been given new life by supernatural means. Darla says she was brought back.
Angel reminds the valet they had a deal, if he passed the trials Darla
would get a second chance. The valet says he cannot help. Darla is already
living her second chance. Angel should have told them she had been brought
back before the trial started. He offers his apologies, but there's
nothing that can be done. He disappears.
Angel loses it, flipping the table over as two demon guards enter the antechamber. He pummels them both, trashes the rest of the room and furiously pounds his fist into a stone column repeatedly until he sinks to the floor in exhaustion and defeat.
Darla looks on, shaken, finally understanding what it means to have a soul.
Back at the motel, Darla is sitting on the bed, Angel is sitting in a chair near the window. He's quietly pondering the option. Maybe it would be different, since he has a soul, maybe things would be different if he sired her. They don't really know.
Darla tells him no. She felt it all, she knows now what he's gone through, what he goes through, how he cares for her in a way no one ever has. That's all she needs from him now. She says that's enough.
Angel doesn't understand how Darla could be brought back and teased with a second chance this way, only to have it taken back so quickly. Darla thinks maybe this is the second chance, to die the way she was meant to die 400 years ago.
They're both emotional as Angel walks over to the bed and sits beside her. He promises to stay at her side every moment she has left. She won't be alone again. He puts his arm around her as she buries her face in his chest, sobbing.
The door bursts open. Several men attack Angel with Tasers and drive him to his knees, subduing him. Two men grab Darla and hold her. Lindsey strides into the room, grabs Angel by the hair and yanks his head up. He wonders how Angel thought this was going to end.
Lindsey looks toward the doorway and in walks Dru, her eyes fixed on Darla. Darla struggles to break loose from the men holding her, but to no avail. Dru moves over to her, morphs into vamp face and drinks her as Angel looks on, horrified, helpless to stop her. Darla falls back onto the bed. Dru sits down on the bed and rakes her fingernail across her chest drawing blood. She pulls Darla up and buries her face into the open wound on her chest as she stares daggers at Angel.
Site design ©2000 TAO Designz
All Rights Reserved
| Story by: David
Greenwalt Teleplay by: Tim Minear & Doug Petrie |
Original Air Date: November 28, 2000 |
Wes and Cordelia are standing outside the door of the cellar at the hotel. Cordy wonders if they should check on Angel, he's been in the cellar a long time. Wesley says he hears noises down there. He wonders what's going on. Cordelia assures him she doesn't know, Angel doesn't talk much these days. Wes has noticed, Angel is preoccupied with Darla. Cordelia doesn't want to hear her name anymore. He isn't preoccupied, he's obsessed with the subject and Cordelia thought that Wesley was going to talk to him about it. Wes says he did. Cordelia wants to know what Wesley said to him. Wesley says he asked him how he wanted his tea. Cordelia gives him a look. Wesley tells her that's how men talk in England, over tea.
They notice the noises from the cellar have stopped, Angel is headed upstairs. They both rush behind the desk, pretending to be busy.
Angel comes in, carrying an armload of laundry. He says there's a washer/dryer
in the cellar as he shakes out the clothes, stopping to enjoy the warmth
of things right out of the dryer. He shakes out a shirt, noting that
it needs ironing. Wesley and Cordelia look on, not quite sure what to
make of this.Wesley notes the "domestic approach" seems to be working for Angel. His mood seems calm, upbeat. Cordelia wonders if he's on drugs.
Angel says he knows he's made things difficult for them over this Darla business. He apologizes for that. He realizes now that Darla may never need his help and all he can do is be there for her when, or if, she does. He knows she has to do this for herself, he can't do it for her. He accepts that now. He can't do anything at the moment but let it go.
Wesley smiles, sure it was the tea talk that brought about Angel's new attitude.
Gunn comes in and tells Angel he's found Darla. He hands Angel a folder with photographs, telling him that he kept looking, as Angel had asked him to do, and his extensive knowledge of LA's low rent accommodations finally paid off.
Cordelia realizes she and Wesley have been lied to. Wesley wants to know why. Angel, barely taking his eyes off of the photos, says he lied because he didn't want to be nagged about it.
Gunn tells him Darla is living in a dump, not far from skid row. She's obviously no longer being kept by W&H. He wonders what W&H will do if they find her. Angel says they won't find out because he'll get to her first.
As he grabs his coat and heads out the door, Cordelia tells him not to expect them to go along to chase Darla down, they're not going to enable his "addiction." Angel pays no attention to her ramblings as he leaves with Gunn, determined to find Darla.
Wesley is disappointed the tea sharing wasn't as effective as he'd thought.
In a rundown motel room, Darla removes a cross necklace she's wearing and lays it on the dresser. She puts on lipstick, doesn't like what she sees, wipes it off. There's a knock on the door. She turns toward the door as Lindsey walks in. He hands some money to the motel manager who leaves, then tells Darla she's been hard to find.
In Lindsey's office at W&H, Lindsey thanks Darla for coming back with him. She doesn't figure she had much of a choice.
Holland enters the office and tells her she always had a choice, they would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do. She reminds him it wasn't her choice to be brought back. She didn't want this life.
Holland tells her that nobody gets a choice in that, God doesn't ask. Darla reminds him it wasn't God who brought her back. She wants to know what Holland wants from her now. She thinks he wants her to go back to Angel. She says it won't matter, nothing exists between them anymore.
Holland tells her they didn't bring her there to talk about Angel. Lindsey says they need to tell her something about herself. Holland says she's not a prisoner, but she is their "moral responsibility." He hands her an envelope, the results of medical tests that were done within the first few weeks she was brought back. He realizes she doesn't remember much about that time. Darla looks at the papers, she wants to know if Lindsey knew about it. He doesn't answer.
As Darla absorbs the test results, Holland tells her they'll handle things however she wants, it's her decision, they felt she had a right to know.
At the motel room Gunn enters, Angel stands in the doorway, just outside the room. Gunn tells him Darla isn't there. Angel knows she was there not long ago, he knows the scent, it's heavy with fear. Gunn notes that he smells things too, but not that, as he wrinkles his nose in disgust. He turns, surprised to see Angel has entered the room. Angel explains he can come in because it's a motel, public accommodations.
Gunn notices the cross necklace on the dresser. He tells Angel she was obviously expecting him.
Angel notes there's no blood, not from any recent events anyway. Gunn wonders if he smells that as well. Angel says the room has seen a lot of that. Gunn isn't surprised. He notes the accommodations are quite a come down from Darla's previous abode. Angel tells him people do what they have to do when the situation is desperate.
France, 1765
Darla and Angelus enter a barn, riding double on one horse. They both look disheveled. Angelus is complaining about the outrage of the situation, wondering if these people know who they are. Darla is sure they know, which would account for the mob pursuing them.
As Angelus blocks the door shut, Darla notes that they need to rest. It's almost dawn and the horse is exhausted, it can't last much longer carrying them both.
Angelus says he hates the French, they should have gone to Romania. Darla reminds him that when they were in Italy, he was the one who wanted to come to France. Angelus notes that at least in Romania, they know how to treat their kind.
As he looks outside, he notices it's quiet. Darla thinks they've lost their pursuers. Angelus wonders how this man keeps finding them. Darla reminds him they stay in the most expensive of accommodations, dine on room service and the waiters, people talk.
Angelus doesn't think that explains it. He thinks the man pursuing them, Holtz, is something other than human. Darla assures him he's nothing more than that. He's a vampire hunter, but he's entirely mortal. Angelus isn't happy being forced to hide out in a barn. Darla figures they can make the best of being stuck there, after all, it's not so bad with the right companion. As they're about to roll in the hay, a flaming arrow embeds in a beam, exactly where Angelus' head had been a couple of seconds before.
Present Day
Darla is in a seedy bar, sitting across from a guy in vamp face. He tells her he didn't have much luck with women when he was human but since he got vamped, he doesn't have any trouble anymore. He thinks it must be the teeth, women like that. Darla says he must have girlfriends everywhere. He says he mostly just kills them and dumps the bodies. Darla says that must be lonely. He grins, saying that's the way it's supposed to be with his kind.
Darla wonders how long he's been a vampire. He says since 1992. He can't believe it's already the "last century." Darla is clearly unimpressed with this dim bulb, but she's desperate. She wonders if he's ever considered making himself a companion. He's clueless as to what she's getting at. She has to spell it out, wondering if it's true that some vampires choose a mortal to sire, someone to keep them company in the hunt and for other things.
Dim vamp guy laughs. He thinks that's just weird. Darla tells him it's not weird, it's "mythic." Dim vamp guy figures she's been reading too much Anne Rice. She doesn't understand how things work. Darla tells him he can teach her. He incredulously asks if she wants him to "make" her. She wonders why he thinks she came into that bar. She tells him she's staying close by, they can go back to her place and he can do it there. Dim vamp guy finally realizes she's serious. He wants to make sure he's understanding her. He makes her and she becomes his immoral "babe". Darla tells him that's the way it works. Dim vamp guy doesn't like the sound of that, it sounds too much like a commitment. Darla is noticeably losing patience with the idiot, but she needs him so says whatever she has to in order to get him to do it. She says he can use her for as long, or as little, as he wants once it's done. His choice.
Dim vamp guy thinks that sounds like a good idea and tells her they can do it in the alley behind the bar. She grabs him by the hand and pulls him outside, into the alley. He asks her how she knows he won't just kill her. She kisses him hard and tells him she's willing to risk it. Dim vamp guy grins, he thinks this is probably a good time to tell her that he's not exactly sure how this works. He's never sired anyone before and he wasn't exactly taking notes when it was done to him. Darla's expression is one of frustration but she tells him she'll explain it to him as they go along.
She tells him to drink from her and to stop as he feels her heart slow. She offers her neck. Dim vamp guy goes in for the bite but turns to dust before he gets to her neck, revealing Angel standing behind him, stake in hand.
Darla is angry. She wants to know what Angel is doing. He tells her he's "saving" her. She assures him she wasn't in any danger, she picked a "stupid" one. She says she always picks "stupid ones." She can take care of herself.
Angel says he wasn't trying to save her from the vamp, he was trying to save her from herself. Darla reminds him that she didn't ask him to. He tells her this isn't the answer. Darla wants to be left alone. She starts to leave, Angel stops her. He tells her that if she pursues this, he won't be able to leave her alone and the next time, it will be her at the business end of that stake. He doesn't want to have to do that again. Darla coldly assures him she wouldn't let him do it again as she walks away.
Angel calls after her, wondering where she's going to go. She tells him she'll try another bar. Angel wonders if this is what she really wants, another dump, another loser. This isn't like her. Darla reminds him that they may have spent 150 years together but that doesn't mean he knows her. He wonders if she really wants to be made by some cretin in a dirty alley. She tells him she wanted him to do it. Angel assures her that's not an option. She says then she will do what she has to do and reminds him that if memory serves, he was made in an alley.
Angel tells her that's not the point. He thinks she needs to give being human more time, it's only been a few months compared to her 400 years as a vampire. She's been given a second chance, she shouldn't just throw that away without giving it time and a real effort. Darla tells him she's dying.
Angel is stunned by that revelation. Darla goes on to say she's dying soon, she's only got two or three months at the most. She saw the medical files, she knows this to be true. She tells him she's in a hurry as she starts to walk away.
France, 1765
The barn Darla and Angelus are in is on fire. There's a mob on horseback gathering outside. Darla doesn't want to die this way. Angelus tells her they could try to make it to the hills. Darla knows they won't make it before dawn riding double. Angelus is willing to die if they have to. Between the two of them, they can take a lot of those now tormenting them with them. He figures they can create a legend in dying. As he turns away from her, Darla picks up a board and hits him with it, knocking him down. She jumps on the horse and tells him if he survives, perhaps they can meet in Vienna. She rides out, leaving Angelus in the burning barn, surrounded by the mob.
Present day
Angel and Darla enter the hotel. Wes and Cordelia are in the lobby. Cordelia notices Darla is carrying a bag and asks if she's planning on staying there. Darla says she's dying. Cordelia matter of factly notes that Darla will probably only be staying the night then.
Wesley wonders what's going on. Darla says that Angel doesn't believe that she's dying. Angel tells them that W&H showed Darla medical records that allegedly prove she only has a few months to live. Cordelia figures that means Darla will be there for more than one night. Wesley asks Angel if he thinks it's a ruse. Angel thinks it's just more of W&H's games. He isn't going to play. Darla says he just doesn't want to believe it. Angel tells her he doesn't believe anything that comes from them. Wesley agrees that W&H aren't exactly trustworthy.
Darla says she doesn't trust W&H, but she knows about games, she and Angelus played them for over a century. Angel asks Wes and Cordelia to look after Darla for awhile, he'll be back. They agree. As he heads for the door, Darla tells him he can't make her stay there. He assures her she's not a prisoner, he just wants her to give him a chance. He leaves.
Cordelia tells Darla she is a prisoner there. Wesley concurs. She goes on to tell Darla that if she tries to leave, they'll beat her upside the head with heavy objects.
Lindsey is sitting in his place, drinking. The door is kicked off of its hinges, Angel is standing on the other side. He tells Lindsey he knows he can't come in, but Lindsey will have to come out sooner or later and when he does, Angel will be waiting. Lindsey tells him to wipe his feet before entering. Angel is taken aback by the invitation but makes no move to enter. Lindsey again tells him to wipe his feet before coming in. Angel still doesn't make a move to enter. Lindsey gets up and walks over to the bar, wondering how many more times he's going to have to say it. Angel finally enters.
As Lindsey begins to pour himself another drink, Angel grabs him by the throat and slams him down on the bar. Lindsey wonders if Angel really thinks he has to beat him to get information. Angel lets him up. Lindsey tells him that it's true, Darla is dying. The medical reports are genuine.
He shoves a folder at Angel and asks if he wants a second opinion, or a third or a fourth as he keeps shoving folders at him.
Angel looks through the paperwork. The final opinion was offered by Lindsey's personal physician. He didn't want it to be true, but it is. Darla has a heart condition related to syphilis, which is what she was dying of 400 years ago. Her body is taking up where it left off. He says that condition could be easily treated with modern medicine if caught in time but in Darla's case, they're "a month and 400 years too late."
Angel realizes, judging by the numerous opinions Lindsey got, that he didn't believe it was true either. Now Angel accepts that it is the truth. He wonders why Lindsey went to all the trouble. Lindsey says he needed to be sure. Angel wonders why. Lindsey tells him he doesn't want her to die. Angel pauses a moment, then asks Lindsey if he loves her. He wonders if that's what's at the root of his concern. He finds it amusing that Lindsey has only known her for a few months, yet seems totally taken with her in that short time when he spent 150 years with her. Lindsey reminds him that he never loved her. Angel says he wasn't capable of that and he doesn't believe Lindsey is either. Lindsey acknowledges that may be true, but he would save her if he could. He tells Angel he could save her, but he won't. He can choose to watch her die over the next couple of months, or he can use the power he has and make it all go away.
Angel points out that would mean killing her. Lindsey sees it differently, as Angel giving her eternal life. Angel wonders if Lindsey thinks that he can be with her then. He wonders how long Lindsey thinks it would be before Darla hunted him down and killed him if Angel did what he wanted. Angel acknowledges that thought makes it almost worthwhile to consider but he's sure there's another way and he intends to find it. He throws the files in Lindsey's face and walks out.
At the hotel, Wes and Cordelia are in the lobby. Darla is out in the courtyard. Cordelia isn't happy that Darla isn't only putting Angel's life at risk but hers and Wesley's as well. After 400 years of murder and mayhem, she doesn't have much sympathy for Darla's situation.
Angel enters the lobby. Wesley asks him what he found out. Angel just looks toward Darla a moment, then tells Cordelia and Wesley to give him some time with her. He joins her in the courtyard.
Angel says nothing, Darla knows by his expression that what Holland told her was the truth. She says she has to leave. Angel tells her they'll find an answer. Darla knows there isn't one, unless Angel is willing to do it. He tells her that's what W&H want, that would be playing right into their hands. Darla doesn't care, she wants to live. Angel tells her he can't do it. That's not the answer. He doesn't know what the answer is, but he knows what it isn't. Darla says she doesn't know either.
Angel tells her she does know, she's the only one who could know, she just needs some help to see it.
At the Karaoke bar, Darla is singing. Angel sits at a table with the anagogic demon. The Host listens briefly, he says he doesn't know if there's any saving this one. Angel says he's going to and the Host is going to help him do it. The Host gets that Angel is edgy. He figures he's still holding the whole faux swami thing against him. Angel thinks that's justified. He sent him to the guy who tried to kill him. The Host shares the pain. Ramon was his favorite bartender and since he was the one who betrayed him, he had to let him go. Angel is impatient, he wants to get back to the subject of Darla.
After listening to Darla sing awhile, the Host tells him he knows Angel wants to save her but he's missing the important thing, not everything that's broken can be fixed. Angel is determined that Darla isn't going to die. The Host wonders why Angel cares so much. Darla has already had more than most, she's had 400 years. Angel reminds him that was as a vampire. She never had a real chance as a human being.
Darla finishes singing. The Host tells Angel he'll surely regret telling him, but there is one way he might save her. There is a quest, it will probably kill him, but it's the only way. Angel doesn't hesitate, he's willing to do it. The Host gives him an address and tells him this is where they'll find out if he's willing to "take the plunge."
Angel and Darla walk up to an empty swimming pool. Darla thinks this is crazy as they stand at the edge and look into it. She wonders if the anagogic meant a different pool. Angel says it's just a test, a leap of faith thing. Darla tells him not to do it. She doesn't understand why he would just do what the Host told him to do. Angel tells her he'll either come back with a cure or there's going to be a strange scene as he dives off of the diving board, into the empty pool. He disappears in a flash of light at the bottom of the pool.
Angel drops down into a stone cavern where he's greeted by a very proper British valet. He notes that Angel has proven he has faith. He'll be assisting Angel with the trials.
Angel turns to see Darla standing nearby. He asks why she's there. The valet asks if Angel wants to save her life. He acknowledges he does. The valet tells him that Darla is his collateral. If Angel completes the trials, Darla will be healed. Angel asks what happens to her if he fails. The valet says she will die, immediately. He looks toward Darla and tells her she can wait in the antechamber. Darla disappears.
Angel wants to know where she's gone. The valet tells him it's for the best. Very soon, the room will become a dangerous place. Angel doesn't like the deal. Nobody told him Darla would be collateral. The valet clarifies the terms, life is the bargain. When Angel entered, he put both his life and Darla's on the table.
The valet tells Angel to get ready, he'll have to do this barefoot and shirtless. Angel wonders if that's the deal, unarmed combat. The valet tells him that he will be unarmed, implying that something else won't be. Angel wants to now what the three challenges are. The valet says he'll have to discover that for himself.
Angel figures the valet has seen this played out before. He asks for any information he can give him. The valet doesn't give hints but does say that theoretically the first test is the easiest. He looks toward an iron gate and tells Angel that when it opens, he just has to walk through it. Angel knows there has to be more to it. The valet isn't willing to tell any more.
Angel figures if he won't tell him anything more about the first challenge, maybe he'll tell him something about the other two. The valet says he wouldn't know. No one has survived the first trial yet. He wishes Angel luck and disappears.
A growl is heard as the iron gate raises. A big, ugly demon with plenty of weaponry comes after Angel. The gate closes behind it.
Darla and the valet are in the antechamber. The valet is looking at his watch, impressed that Angel has already survived more than twice as long as most others, a whole 17 seconds.
Darla tells the valet to call off the trial. He tells her the trials cannot be stopped once they have started. Darla needs to know what's going on. The valet touches her forehead and in her mind's eye, she sees and feels what Angel is going through. She winces as Angel is repeatedly beaten by the demon.
Angel finally manages to get the upper hand, grabs the demon's sword away from him and cuts him in half at waist level.
Darla is relieved. She smiles. The valet smiles back.
Angel tries to walk through the doorway but the iron gate won't open. He doesn't understand, thinking that defeating the demon was the key. As he's working at the gate, his back to the two halves of the demon, the demon opens its eyes and pulls its upper half over to its lower half, uniting itself back into one piece.
Angel turns to see it just as it rejoins itself. In her mind, Darla sees what he sees. Angel manages to hack the demon in half once again, but this time he grabs each half with a long hooked chain the demon had been wielding as a weapon, pulls each half to opposite sides of the room and secures them. The gate rises, he walks through the doorway.
The valet checks his watch. Darla wonders if he gets turned on by this. He assures her he has no feelings one way or the other regarding what's going on. He wonders if she feels anything.
As Angel walks through the doorway, the iron gate shuts behind him. He finds himself in a dark, narrow hallway. An opening appears above him, filling the dark hallway with moonlight. The light reveals the hallway is long with a door at the opposite end and a basin in the middle. The floor and walls are covered in crosses, embedded into the stone. Angel realizes he has to walk that cross laden path to get to the door.
In the antechamber, the valet is munching snacks. Darla wonders why he doesn't just kill Angel if he wants him dead. The valet tells her he doesn't "want" anything. The trial is about the journey. Where it leads doesn't concern them.
Angel contemplates the situation briefly, realizes there's only one way to the door and takes off across the stone cross path. His feet sear as he attempts to traverse it as quickly as possible. He falls to the floor and screams as his body is burned by the crosses.
He pulls himself up and makes it to the door, only to find it locked. He realizes he needs a key. He looks back to the basin in the center of the hall and heads back to it, his feet again burned by the crosses. He sees the key in the bottom of the basin which is filled with holy water. He screams as he plunges his arm into it and grabs the key. He makes it back to the door and uses the key to open it.
The valet checks his watch. He's impressed with Angel's determination, as is Darla.
Angel enters the next room and is immediately bound hand and foot by manacles and chains that snake out from the walls. His arms are jerked up over his head. The valet enters the room, applauding Angel's efforts. He tells him he has one final trial to complete as he looks toward the wall Angel is facing. Suddenly the wall is studded with wooden stakes that protrude from every inch of it. Angel realizes that the only way to win the trial is to die. The valet confirms that's true. There is no "catch". Death is the final trial. For one life to be restored, another must be taken. If Darla is to live, Angel must die.
The valet suggests that if Angel has any faith, now would be the time to pray as the stakes are cocked back, ready for firing. In the antechamber, Darla doesn't want Angel to go through with it. Angel wants to know why the valet is hesitating. The valet says he can't do it without Angel's permission. He has earned the choice. He can accept his own death and Darla will live or he can choose to leave. He's earned that right. Angel wants to know what happens to Darla in that case. The valet tells him she will die. That's not a deal Angel is willing to accept.
The valet wonders if the world isn't better with Angel in it, he can save so many, Darla can't. He wonders how long Angel thinks it will be before Darla stumbles. The world is, after all, a harsh place. Angel doesn't have the answer. The valet wonders if he's still willing to die for her to live, even though her life promises him nothing. His answer is yes. In the anteroom, Darla quietly says, "no." Angel tells the valet to get it over with. He cocks the stakes back one final time and fires.
Darla screams "no!", her eyes tightly closed. When she opens them, Angel is standing in front of her in the antechamber. The valet congratulates him on passing the third trial by accepting death. No one has ever made it to the final sacrifice before. Angel tells him to "pay up."
The valet tells Darla she's very lucky, she will soon have her entire life ahead of her. Angel urges him to hurry up and do it. The valet lays a hand to each side of Darla's head, closes his eyes, then pulls back, having realized something. Angel wants to know what's going on. The valet tells them Darla has already been given new life by supernatural means. Darla says she was brought back.
Angel reminds the valet they had a deal, if he passed the trials Darla
would get a second chance. The valet says he cannot help. Darla is already
living her second chance. Angel should have told them she had been brought
back before the trial started. He offers his apologies, but there's
nothing that can be done. He disappears.Angel loses it, flipping the table over as two demon guards enter the antechamber. He pummels them both, trashes the rest of the room and furiously pounds his fist into a stone column repeatedly until he sinks to the floor in exhaustion and defeat.
Darla looks on, shaken, finally understanding what it means to have a soul.
Back at the motel, Darla is sitting on the bed, Angel is sitting in a chair near the window. He's quietly pondering the option. Maybe it would be different, since he has a soul, maybe things would be different if he sired her. They don't really know.
Darla tells him no. She felt it all, she knows now what he's gone through, what he goes through, how he cares for her in a way no one ever has. That's all she needs from him now. She says that's enough.
Angel doesn't understand how Darla could be brought back and teased with a second chance this way, only to have it taken back so quickly. Darla thinks maybe this is the second chance, to die the way she was meant to die 400 years ago.
They're both emotional as Angel walks over to the bed and sits beside her. He promises to stay at her side every moment she has left. She won't be alone again. He puts his arm around her as she buries her face in his chest, sobbing.
The door bursts open. Several men attack Angel with Tasers and drive him to his knees, subduing him. Two men grab Darla and hold her. Lindsey strides into the room, grabs Angel by the hair and yanks his head up. He wonders how Angel thought this was going to end.
Lindsey looks toward the doorway and in walks Dru, her eyes fixed on Darla. Darla struggles to break loose from the men holding her, but to no avail. Dru moves over to her, morphs into vamp face and drinks her as Angel looks on, horrified, helpless to stop her. Darla falls back onto the bed. Dru sits down on the bed and rakes her fingernail across her chest drawing blood. She pulls Darla up and buries her face into the open wound on her chest as she stares daggers at Angel.
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