---

At the Hyperion, Fred peers around the corner from her room, looking down the hallway. When she hears the voices of Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia returning from a demon kill, she retreats back into her room.

As the trio enter the lobby, dirty and disheveled from the recent fight, Wesley remarks how sad it is that the only purpose some people manage to find in life is demon obsession. He notes to Gunn that Gunn's identifying it as a Lur-ite demon wasn't technically correct. It was actually a subspecies, a Mur-ite. He points out it's easy to identify by the fin behind the third shoulder.

Gunn is glad to know that they're not the sad people obsessed with demons.

Wes reminds him the job requires basic demon knowledge as he cleans the blade of a sword he's holding.

Cordelia doesn't figure they're such a sad lot as she looks at herself in her compact mirror and fusses with her hair.

Wes concurs, pointing out, quite the contrary, they're a rather cheery bunch. Nobody else seems to agree with his assessment. Wes knows they sacrifice a lot, particularly social lives, but it's necessary for the work.

Gunn asks if anyone has spoken to Fred.

Cordy tells him she doesn't talk much, but she's seen her stick her head out of her room once in awhile. She doesn't think Fred is adjusting very well considering she's pretty much been up in her room for the past three months.

Wes notes that Fred sequestered herself in her room about the time Angel left. He's noticed she's become rather attached to Angel.

Gunn understands that, Angel did rescue her from Pylea after all.

Cordelia wistfully muses that she misses Pylea.

Wes understands Cordelia would, considering she was there a week and was made a queen whereas Fred was there for five years; enslaved, hunted and nearly beheaded. She spent a lot of years alone in a cave.

Gunn notes that it took a strong person to survive that.

Cordelia doesn't think the fact Fred traded isolation in a cave for isolation in her room shows much strength.

Wes figures perhaps things will improve once Angel gets back leading Gunn to ask just when that will be.

Cordelia responds that he'll be back when he's "worked through his grief a little."

Gunn figures it will take more than a little considering Buff --

Cordelia cuts him off, telling him not to say that name.

Gunn points out that the "B word" was the love of Angel's life and considering that life has been nearly 250 years, he figures working through the grieving is going to take more than a little vacation time in Sri Lanka.

Wes points out that it's not a "vacation", Angel is doing a spiritual retreat at a monastery.

Gunn ponders the image of Angel with a bunch of monks, sarcastically notes that sounds like a party. He thinks Angel would have been better served by taking his suggestion of getting drunk and going to Las Vegas.

Wes doesn't figure Angel needed a lap dance, he needed peace and quiet to deal with things.

---

At the monastery, Angel is getting anything but peace and quiet. There's a full out fight going on between Angel and a group of monks. He wipes the floor with them and opens the door of the monastery to the outdoors.

A few locals are outside the door. One asks in the native language what's happening.

Angel responds in the same language, telling him the monks were demons. He reckons he should have gone to Las Vegas. He walks away.

---

At the hotel, Cordelia enters carrying a couple of boxes. She asks Wes and Gunn whose turn it is to set the traps. Neither of them volunteers. Cordelia can't believe they'll fight the most terrifying of demons but are afraid of a few rats.

She takes the traps, opens the basement door and screams.

Angel enters from the basement doorway, Cordelia gives him a hug and welcomes him back. Wes and Gunn also seem genuinely pleased to have him back and both give him a hug in greeting.

Cordelia hopes his retreat was peaceful.

He says it was until the monks turned out to be Shur-Hod demons.

Gunn reminds him that he suggested Angel go to Las Vegas.

Cordy figures the important thing is that he worked things out. It wasn't like a vacation where he'd come back home bearing gifts for his friends.

Angel digs through his bag and asks if she's fishing for gifts. S

he confirms she is.

Angel pulls a small skull with a tuft of hair on top out of the bag and hands it to her.

Cordelia is less than thrilled.

Angel takes it from her and tosses it back to Gunn who's pleased with it.

Angel hands Cordelia a necklace which pleases her. She gushes as she puts it on and chirps, "Look how it brings out my breasts!" Wes, Gunn and Angel all just give her a look. She figures they were all thinking it so she just said it.

Angel hands Wes a curved dagger. Wes is excited to receive his gift, noting it's of the Murshan Dynasty, he's always wanted one. He can't wait to do some demon killing with it. He wonders if Cordy has any visions coming.

Angel looks around the lobby. He asks how Fred is doing.

Cordy quickly answers that she's doing fine.

Angel figures Fred hasn't come out of her room.

Cordy acknowledges she doesn't very often but they've been sending up tacos.

Angel says he'll get settled in then go check on her. He turns to face the three of them, smiles, and tells them it's good to see them. He heads upstairs.

Wes thinks Angel seems better than he was when he left.

Cordy quietly concurs but her expression says otherwise as she watches him retreat up the steps.

---

In her room, Fred is frantically scrawling on the walls. She's been doing this awhile. The walls are covered in writing. There's a knock on the door. Fred assures whoever is on the other side she's fine, everything is okay but she appreciates their checking as she continues to write on the wall.

Angel lets her know it's him.

Fred looks toward the door, takes off her glasses and rushes to open it. She greets Angel with an enthusiastic, "Hi!" She's giddy, a bit at a loss. She starts to hug him but doesn't. She starts a few sentences but doesn't finish any of them. She's a little rattled.

She runs back into the room and clears a place on a chair for Angel to sit.

He tells her he can't come in.

She's a bit disappointed but tries to hide it but she understands. He's had a long trip, he should probably get some rest. She starts to shut the door in his face.

Angel clarifies that he can't come in because he hasn't been invited.

Fred happily invites him in, noting that it's just a little bit of vampire in him as far as she's concerned but "the universe has rules" and one has to abide by them.

Angel walks in and looks around the room, noticing the walls covered in writing. He asks her how she's doing.

Fred assures him she's doing well, but she's not very convincing. She says everything is pretty much like it was when he left.

Angel apologizes for going away.

Fred understands he had things to deal with, she doesn't need a babysitter but she wants to know if he's staying this time.

He assures her he is.

She's relieved to hear that.

Angel looks at the writing on the wall and asks Fred what she's 'listening" for.

She explains that when things all come together in your brain and make sense, there's a click. That's what she's waiting to hear.

Angel wonders what will happen if she runs out of space to write on the walls before that occurs.

She nervously admits that she doesn't know.

Angel takes the chair and places it in front of Fred, then takes a seat in it. He gently assures her that he understands her five years in Pylea were very difficult but she's home now, it's safe for her to come out of her room. He knows it will take awhile.

Fred gets up and goes back to writing on the wall.

Angel takes the pen from her hand and tells her it isn't necessary to write down everything.

Fred thinks she should write that down.

Angel tells her to take one small step at a time. He suggests she start by coming downstairs and hanging out with the four of them as he opens the door. He assures her she has nothing to fear, she's safe in the hotel.

Just as he's giving her this reassurance, Cordelia screams. Angel tells Fred to remember what he said as he runs downstairs.

---

Cordelia is on the floor, writhing in vision mode. Angel, Wes and Gunn go to her. Angel and Gunn help her to sit up, Angel asks what she sees. The vision shows vampires crashing a college party, killing people.

Cordy tells them the location, the vamps are going to take hostages and "watch out for the blonde, she's the worst."

Gunn and Wes head out.

Angel asks if she's okay.

She says she is and tells him to go.

Angel leaves.

Cordelia lies back down on the floor, crying.

---

Wes, Gunn and Angel enter the college dorm room Cordy saw in her vision. The floor is littered with bodies. Gunn picks up a bloodied flyer from the floor, noting it announced a party that everyone was invited to attend.

Angel notes that some of the victims are still alive.

Wes calls 911.

Angel tells Gunn and Wes what street and direction the vamps are headed, he directs them to take the car.

Gunn asks Angel what he's going to do.

Angel morphs into game face.

Gunn's response, "Oh."

Angel jumps out the dorm window, descending a series of rooftops.

---

In a convertible traveling down the road, the vamps have their captives, a young man in the front seat, a young woman in the back. The young man asks the blonde female vamp next to him, Elisabeth, not to hurt the girl in the back.

Elisabeth wonders if he loves the girl, if he'd do anything for her.

He nods, hesitantly.

Elisabeth makes him an offer, they'll kill the girl and let him go. She wonders if that sounds acceptable to him. She asks him which it will be, him or the girl.

The guy hesitates briefly then tells Elisabeth to kill the girl, he doesn't want to die.

Elisabeth doesn't figure that sounds much like love. She assures him when she gets him home she'll show him the meaning of the word.

Angel drops from above and lands on the hood of the convertible, reaches over the windshield and slugs the vamp driver. The car comes to a crashing stop.

Wes and Gunn pull up behind in Angel's car.

Angel pulls the kids out of the car and tells them to run. They comply.

A fight ensues between Angel, Wes, Gunn and the vamps. One of the vamps escapes by running away. Angel grabs Elisabeth from behind himself, yanks her in front of him and stakes her. She addresses him by name, "Angelus," before she turns to dust.

Angel looks at the heart locket she'd been wearing which had come off in his hand.

---

Cordelia enters her bathroom in the dark, still suffering the vision hangover. The door shuts behind her, the lights come on. She tells Dennis they're too bright. The lights go off and a dimmer one comes on. She thanks him for his consideration as she opens the medicine cabinet and takes some pain pills from it.

The stop seemingly places itself into the bathtub drain, the faucets come on. Cordy tells Dennis to make it hot as she takes the pills. She talks to herself about the visions getting worse.

She steps over to the bubble bath Dennis has run for her and starts to undress to step in.

Dennis picks her blouse up from the floor and hangs it up for her.

As Cordelia relaxes in the tub, the loofah floats in the air in front of her. She sits up so Dennis can rub her back with it. The phone rings. Cordy is in no hurry to answer it.

---

Marseilles, 1767

A fire burns as the clanging of bells is heard, a wagon rushes to the fire.

Darla, Angelus, Elisabeth and James enter the street. James and Elisabeth are cooing over each other, clearly in love.

Angelus is simply irritated by the sentiment. He reminds them to hurry, they have a ship to catch and Holtz is probably not far behind.

Elisabeth sighs telling Angelus he doesn't know anything of poetry or love.

Darla smiles and assures her he knows other things, "vile and ripping things."

James looks at the storefronts along the street and laments the fact everything is closed. He wanted to spend some of "the Count's gold" on gifts for Elisabeth.

Angelus tells him they'll need the gold for the trip.

Elisabeth says she's full, she won't need to eat for a week.

Angelus thinks the fire was excessive.

Elisabeth enjoyed the villa burning to the ground. She thinks they made a statement.

Angelus figures all they did was advertise their whereabouts for Holtz and invite him to hunt them down.

James isn't particularly concerned about Holtz.

Darla assures him he would be if he knew him. She tells James that Holtz has killed many vampires, has hunted her and Angelus across Europe. She wonders what happens if he follows them to Morocco, where do they go next.

James thinks they should stay and fight him.

Angelus thinks James is an idiot.

James doesn't believe Holtz is the force Darla and Angelus say he is considering Angelus did manage to escape him once before.

Elisabeth says she heard that Holtz had them trapped in a barn and Darla left Angelus there to die.

James doesn't believe that's true.

Angelus stares admiringly at Darla and assures James it is. He recounts Darla's hitting him with a shovel, wishing him luck and taking off with their only horse.

Darla smiles and notes that "life is full of surprises."

Angelus responds that she is indeed full of surprises.

Darla assures Elisabeth and James that Angelus made her pay "again and again" when he caught up with her, she walks away.

Angelus wonders if they could begin to comprehend the things he and Darla did, then dismisses that thought with, "of course not, you're in love" as he follows after Darla.

Angelus calls back to them to come along.

Elisabeth is admiring a heart locket displayed in a shop window.

James shoves his hand through the glass of the window and takes the locket from its display. He places it around Elisabeth's neck.

She promises she'll never remove it as she hugs and kisses him in gratitude.

A group of soldiers approaches them from the other end of the street. James tells Elisabeth to get to the ship with Darla, he and Angelus will meet them there. He kisses her again and sends her on her way.

James wants to give the soldiers a fight.

Angelus hates to be repetitious, but he still thinks James is an idiot.

Darla and Elisabeth take off down the street as James and Angelus face the soldiers. James indulges in a bit of taunting while Angelus stands nonchalantly in the middle of the street.

The soldiers stop in the street. James points out to Angelus that all it takes is standing up to them. He asks them what they're afraid of as the sound of hoofbeats is heard.

Angelus answers the question, "not us."

A group of men, led by Holtz, ride down onto James and Angelus. The soldiers scatter.

Angelus casually tells James he hopes Elisabeth treasures the locket.

---

Hyperion, present day

Angel is fingering the locket.

Gunn asks what happened next.

Wes and Cordy are also listening.

Angel tells Gunn that's another story.

Gunn figures they have time.

Wesley isn't sure that's true.

Cordy agrees with Wes, pointing out that Elisabeth and James had a "forever love" and if he's still around and discovers who killed her, he'll be looking for revenge.

Angel points out they don't know if he's still around or, if he is, if they were still in love.

Cordelia notes that Elisabeth was still wearing the locket after over 200 years.

Wes offers to check their sources for information.

Angel concurs they should check it out. He knows James lived for Elisabeth.

---

As a tow truck hooks up the car the vamps were making their getaway in, James and the vamp that escaped watch from the shade inside a nearby building. James is on the verge of tears as he looks at the car. He's standing on the shaded side of a wash of bright sunlight.

The vamp that got away tells him they did their best but he was too good for them.

James says the name, "Angelus."

The other vamp says Angel hunts down his own kind now.

James can't reconcile that with the Angelus he knew.

The other vamp tells him the gypsies cursed him with a soul 100 years ago, he's not the same, he has a business in town. He kills them for money.

James looks on as the car is towed away, realizing that Elisabeth is really gone.

The vamp tells him she was bringing him a couple of humans to enjoy and Angel just dropped out of the sky.

James caustically notes that the vamp by his side ran away.

The vamp says he fought until it was obvious it was a no win situation. He thought James would want to know what had happened and who was responsible.

James acknowledges getting the information.

The vamp figures James wants to be alone. He starts to leave.

James says he wants to die as he shoves the vamp into the wash of bright sunlight, looking on as he burns to ashes.

---

In the lobby at the Hyperion, Angel opens the locket and looks at the pictures inside, one of James, the other of Elisabeth.

Cordelia looks at him from the desk, but doesn't say anything.

Angel asks her what she wants to say.

She doesn't know why he thinks she wants to say anything, since she doesn't.

She walks over to him offering that it's really none of her business.

He points out that's never stopped her before.

On second thought, Cordy figures it is her business, since this is their business and what affects him, affects them. She doesn't want him to suffer more than he has to. She doesn't think he should feel guilt or blame himself for her death.

Angel assures her he doesn't.

Cordy thinks that's good news, she's happy to hear it.

Angel says he didn't even know who she was when he killed her.

Cordy realizes they're talking about two different things. She walks back toward him telling him that's not who she was talking about.

Angel closes the locket, realizing Cordy means Buffy. He's not keen on discussing it.

Cordelia tries to get him to open up. She points out that the love of his life has died, he wasn't there to help her, to fight beside her, to die with her. She figures he must have feelings about that.

Angel doesn't say anything.

Cordelia realizes this is going to be a one sided conversation. She decides though it's her style to pry, she's not going to but she tells him he does owe her one thing, he has to tell her how things played out with Holtz.

---

Marseilles, 1767

Holtz approaches Angelus and demands to know where "she" is.

Angelus casually asks after Holtz's health and assures him his is fine. He tells James that Holtz is looking for Darla, she's a bit of a burr under his saddle considering what the two of them did to Holtz's family. He taunts Holtz about his family being a "tasty lot", especially "the little ones." He makes a lewd crack about Holtz's wife which motivates Holtz to punch him a couple of times, pull a stake and hold it to Angelus' throat.

Holtz assures Angelus there are worse things than dying and if he chooses, he can keep him alive for months or even years, until he gets what he wants. He again demands to know where Darla is.

Angelus says he's not fond of suffering himself. He tells Holtz that Darla is with James' woman.

James is furious. He demands Angelus shut up.

Angelus makes Holtz an offer. He'll give him James and the women. He tells Holtz the women are on the docks.

James jumps Angelus.

Holtz orders his men to kill them.

Angelus is pierced by several arrows fired by Holtz's men as he mounts a horse and heads out of harm's way. James leaps onto the back of the horse and takes the ride with him.

Holtz and his men mount up and follow.

Angelus guides the horse into an alleyway. He thinks they've lost their pursuers.

James shoves him off of the horse to the ground. He tells him he'd kill him if he didn't have to get to Elisabeth.

Angelus points out he's the one riddled with arrows received when he saved James.

James isn't buying it. He intends to let Darla know how little concern Angelus showed for her. As he rides off, Angelus suggests James buy Darla some hats, she likes that.

Angelus pulls the arrows out of his body, wondering why people always take off and leave him behind. He doesn't figure he's such a bad sort once people get to know him.

---

Present day

James bursts into the office of Dr. Gregson, who's in the process of peeling off his shedding facial skin. The nurse follows James in, trying to get him to leave. The doctor assures her it's okay. He reckons James must be in a hurry.

James tells him he needs the cure.

The doc wonders if he knows the price, it's steep.

James assures him he's already paid it.

The doc directs his nurse to prepare the patient.

With James lying shirtless on an examining table, the doctor tells him it won't hurt much as he slices James' chest open with a scalpel.

---

At Caritas, Lorne is singing "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

Gunn asks if their source has something.

Wes assures him he was told so.

Gunn wonders when the source is going to show up.

An elderly demon man who's been listening to Lorne asks them to shut up so he can enjoy the show.

As Lorne finishes the song, Merl enters and takes a seat at the bar. Merl tells Wes he's not staying if Angel's there.

Wes assures him he's not.

Merl is glad to hear that considering Angel always beats him up, hangs him upside down and never pays for the information Merl comes up with.

Wes lays some cash on the bar.

Merl regrets having to return to LA but he couldn't make a living in Akron.

Gunn urges him to spill what he knows.

Merl says it was harder work to get the info than he thought it would be, the price will change.

Wes agrees to that as he starts removing bills from the stack on the bar and returning them to his pocket, one by one.

Merl decides to spill what he knows about James. He's alive and in town. He knows Angel killed Elisabeth and he wants revenge.

Gunn starts dialing his cell phone.

---

Angel takes the call from Gunn and hangs up. Cordy asks what's up. He tells her James is alive, Wes and Gunn are going to track him down. Angel figures he already knows where James will be. He opens the weapons cabinet and tells Cordelia to go home while it's still daylight. He wants her to stay at her place.

Angel can't find a particular ax he's looking for in the cabinet.

Cordelia mentions that she did some rearranging while he was away, she stored some things in the basement that were just catching dust.

He tells her again to go home.

Cordelia would rather stay, she figures it's safer there than at her place where he'll come after her and she'll be alone. She goes into one of her breathless rambles until Angel grabs her by the shoulders and asks her to just once, do what he tells her to do without arguing about it.

He heads for the basement to find his ax.

Cordelia follows behind.

Angel opens the door to the basement. James greets him by throwing him into the wall.

Cordelia moves out of the way.

As Angel and James are fighting each other, James wants to know the why. He wonders if Angel killed Elisabeth because James had something he couldn't.

Angel doesn't answer, just continues the fight.

Fred comes out onto the landing above the lobby, thinking she'd heard visitors. She decided to take Angel's advice about one step at a time and has come out of her room.

Angel hears her, steps away from James briefly and tells Fred to go to her room and remain there.

Fred doesn't argue.

James and Angel go back to fighting.

---

At Caritas, Merl is telling Gunn and Wes he doesn't know where James is at this moment but he does know he paid a visit to a Dr. Gregson earlier.

Gunn asks what kind of doctor he is.

Lorne has been listening from behind the bar. He says it's a demon kind of doctor, a Slod demon.

Wes asks what he does.

Lorne tells him he collects things.

---

The phone at the Hyperion is ringing as James and Angel continue their battle.

Cordelia throws a fire extinguisher, hitting James in the back of the head with it. He falls to the floor. She grabs a stake from the weapons cabinet and tosses it over to Angel. James jumps up between Cordy and Angel and snags the stake.

Cordelia responds to that turn of events with, "oops."

James rushes Angel, stake in hand. He ends up on top of him, the business end of the stake pressed against Angel's chest. He tells him, "You never loved anyone or anything, go to hell." But before he can send him on his way, Cordelia comes up behind him and tries to pull him off.

James backhands her and sends her flying across the lobby. The diversion allows Angel to get free and get the stake. He plunges it into James' heart.

Angel goes to Cordy and pulls her to her feet. He tells her it's okay, it's over. They both look over at James who has stood up and is pulling the stake from his chest. The wound from the stake heals closed as Angel and Cordelia look on. James comes back at Angel as Angel shoves Cordelia out of the way.

Angel and James continue to go at it in the lobby. Angel finally manages to kick James out the door, into the bright garden sunlight.

Cordelia notices James isn't burning up.

Angel suggests they get out of there. They head for the sewer tunnels with James in close pursuit.

Angel and Cordy descend into the sewer tunnel. Her coat gets caught on the ladder. He tells her to leave it behind and pulls her downward.

James drops into the tunnel right after them.

Angel directs Cordy to run while he takes a moment to cut his hand on the rough rock wall and leaves some blood there. He then follows in the direction he'd sent Cordelia. They cut off into a small side tunnel, closed off by a door. Angel shuts the door behind them.

James comes running down the tunnel, smells blood and heads in the opposite direction.

Cordelia wonders what's going on. She figures stake to the heart ought to have done it, always worked before with Angel's kind. Cordelia notes that James seems to be invincible now.

Angel tells her not to exaggerate.

Cordy remembers the Gem of Amarra ("I Will Remember You"). She asks if there's another ring. She wonders if not a ring, maybe there could be cuff links or a belt buckle.

Angel assures her there was only one gem, the ring.

At this point, Cordelia's thinking he wasn't too bright for smashing it.

Angel suggests they argue about it later. He tells her to be quiet, he thinks James fell for the blood ruse. A loud rumbling occurs.


Cordelia grabs onto Angel.

He points out it's just the subway.

She's cool with that. The rumbling disappears.

Angel jumps as Cordy's cell phone rings.

Wes is on the other end of the line, but the connection is bad.

Cordelia isn't getting all of what he has to say. She relays to Angel what Wes is telling her. James is invincible. He went to a demon doctor, a Slog demon. They're demons that collect organs. James had his heart cut out. He cannot be killed but there's a catch. She asks Wes, "how long?" but can't hear his answer. All she hears is "six" before the phone cuts out.

She tells Angel that James is invincible but the effect only lasts for a limited time, then he'll die.

Angel wants to know how long.

Cordy isn't sure. Could be six minutes, hours or weeks.

Angel figures they can wait him out there.

Cordy thinks that sounds like a good idea.

The wall crumbles as James comes crashing through it. Angel and Cordelia take off running.

Angel and Cordy descend to the subway platform and get on the train just as James arrives. Cordelia sticks her tongue out at him as the train pulls out.

James catches hold of the back of the train and pulls himself up onto it.

Cordelia is wondering if they should get off when the train stops and double back. She doesn't think James would expect that.

Angel isn't really listening as he walks down the center aisle of the train. He senses James. He knows he's somewhere close.

Cordelia continues rambling.

Angel tells her to be quiet as he looks around.

Cordy doesn't figure James is close.

Angel grabs her and pushes her away from the window just as James comes crashing through it into the train.

James notices Angel has pushed Cordelia out of the way. He wonders if he's changed, if he cares about someone besides himself. He wonders if he's not the same man "who screwed Darla and couldn't care a less what happened to her."

Angel wonders how he knew about that, then realizes James is referring to a couple hundred years ago, not last spring ("Reprise").

Cordy offers that Angel is different now, he has a soul, he cares about people.

James figures he'll feel something then when he snaps Cordelia's neck.

Cordy has second thoughts and says it's not like Angel's really losing sleep over the caring thing.

James feels lucky. Now he has the chance to kill the woman Angel loves.

Angel tells him he can't.

James wonders if Angel is forgetting who the invincible one is.

Angel tells him, "the woman I love -- is dead."

James wants to know who he's talking about.

Cordelia tells him it happened three months earlier, they "try not to say her name too much."

James asks if Angel really loved someone, "with all your heart."

Angel quietly responds, "Yeah."

James doesn't think so. He tells Angel if that were the case, he wouldn't be there playing games with James, he wouldn't be able to because when she died, it would have killed everything in him.

Angel says then he wouldn't be able to go on.

James assures him he won't have to worry about that and neither will Cordelia.

James rips a bench from its moorings and hits Angel with it, knocking him to the floor. As he comes at him again, Angel grabs a pair of crutches being used by one of the subway's occupants. Angel trips James with the crutches and gets the upper hand. He pins James to the wall of the subway train with a crutch and asks if his idea of love is that it's only real if it kills him.

James wonders if Angel's idea of love is that it's only fun if it doesn't cost him anything. James doesn't think Angel has any idea what love is.

Angel backs off of a sickly looking James who sinks to the floor.

James wonders if Angel feels he's won because he's still alive. James assures him that he is the one who lived, Angel just existed. He turns to dust.

---

Angel comes down the stairs into the lobby of the hotel.

Cordy asks how Fred is doing.

Angel figures after what happened, it'll be a few years before she's ready to come out of her room.

Cordelia asks Angel how he's doing.

He starts to say he's fine, but she tells him not to say that, she knows better. She's felt something hasn't been right since he returned from his retreat and obviously it isn't right because Buffy is dead. She doesn't mean to diminish that, she just knows that the situation with James opened up old wounds.

Angel tells her he's okay.

Cordelia wonders what's wrong then.

Angel answers that what's wrong is that he's okay, losing Buffy didn't kill him, he managed to deal with it.

He tells her in all those years no one has ever mattered the way Buffy did and now she's forever gone.

Cordelia responds, "and you're still here."

Angel feels that's somehow a betrayal of Buffy.

Cordelia assures him it's not, he's a good guy who's still fighting the good fight and that's a way to honor Buffy, not a betrayal of her.

Angel asks if she really thinks so.

Cordelia reminds him who she is, she doesn't think, she knows.

He smiles and answers, okay.

She wonders if he's ready to go back to work now.

Wes and Gunn enter. Wes asks Angel what he knows about Nester Demons.

Angel fills him in as the four of them gather weapons and head out to fight the next fight.

---

Puerto Cabazas, Nicaragua

A rough looking guy comes into a cantina, sits at the bar and hands a small piece of paper to the woman next to him. He apologizes for the time it took, the Shaman was difficult to find.

Darla picks up the paper and tucks it into her bodice. She tells him he can leave.

The guy has other ideas as he pours a couple shots of Tequila. He thought they'd celebrate.

Darla isn't in the mood.

He assures her he's a nice guy, a drink won't hurt.

Darla tells him it depends on who's doing the drinking.

He says he thought she might have a surprise or two.

Darla morphs into vamp face and sinks her fangs into his neck. She drains him, shoves the body to the floor and grabs a lime slice for a chaser. As she notes that "life is full of surprises" a very pregnant Darla gets up from the barstool and heads out the door.