---

At the Hyperion, Cordelia is giving her much practiced awards acceptance speech to Fred, as they both sit on the floor, scouring scorch marks out of it left by the last attack on the place. Fred is impressed.

Cordelia appreciates the support but doesn't figure she'll ever get a chance to give that speech.

Gunn comes into the lobby wearing a face mask, rubber gloves and a plastic cap. He suggests Fred and Cordy talk less and work more.

Cordelia remarks on his "sterile" appearance.

He's sure he will be if he has to work with the industrial strength cleaner much longer. He wonders if they'd like to swap jobs with him.

Cordelia doesn't figure scraping the remnants of Wolfram & Hart employees off the floor is a step up.

Gunn asks Fred if Wes has returned.

Cordelia answers for her, saying he's still out picking up more cleaner.

Gunn and Fred exchange a look, Gunn goes back to his cleaning in the other room.

Angel brings Connor downstairs.

Cordelia and Fred both get off the floor and approach. Cordelia has her arms out to take him.

Angel isn't having any of it, not until she cleans herself up.

She wonders why "pig drinking bloodsuckers" are okay then. Off his look, she assures him she only meant that "in a nice way." She sees she's not going to get her hands on the kid until she cleans up so heads for the bathroom.

Angel calls after her to remember the grime under her fingernails.

He asks Fred if Cordelia knows.

The door bursts open, Wes enters carrying a paper bag in one hand and a box in the other. He asks where Cordelia is.

---

In the bathroom, Cordelia removes a prescription bottle from her pocket and swallows a pill.

As she exits the bathroom into the lobby, she's greeted by the others surrounding a cake decorated with a 'Wonder Woman' type image, singing "Happy Birthday" to her.

Gunn urges her to blow out the candles, which she does.

Fred wonders if she made a wish.

Cordelia assures her she did, but she doesn't see Jude Law anywhere.

Wes figures she must be disappointed then and probably doesn't want her presents.

Of course Cordelia assures him she does want what they've brought.

As Fred, Gunn and Wes take the cake to be cut, Angel offers to let Cordelia hold Connor. She takes the baby.

Angel reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. He tells her he got her something.

She assures him he didn't have to, she knows he has a lot on his mind.

He tells her they do important stuff but "Who's more important than --"

Before he can finish that thought, he's interrupted by the others who bring over their gifts.

Cordelia wonders which to choose, gifts or continuing to hold the baby. She abruptly tells Angel to take Connor.

He asks if she's choosing presents over his kid.

She tells him more forcefully to take him as she puts the baby into his arms and has a vision.

The vision shows an address and a teenage girl being confronted by a demon. Cordelia falls backwards into a cabinet, shattering the glass front doors. She falls to the floor.

Fred asks if she's okay.

---

Cordelia gasps and sits up, assuring everyone she's fine. She looks around the lobby and sees the others, still surrounding her body as she looks on from the other side of the room. She thinks she's dead.

Angel hands Connor off to Wes as he tries to get Cordelia to wake up.

Cordelia's astral self assures him she hasn't gone anywhere but she can't be seen or heard by the others.

Wes starts to ask if she's dead.

Angel tells him she's breathing, her heart is beating.

Cordelia is relieved to hear that but it leaves her wondering, if she's not dead, what exactly is she.

Angel and Gunn pick her up and move her body to the couch as Cordelia looks on. She's thinking it's some kind of prank they've pulled on her for her birthday. She wants them to put her back in her body now.

Angel asks if it was a vision, remembering Cordelia had said something about a girl.

Cordelia tries to tell them about the girl in the vision, where she is, they need to help her. She realizes nobody can hear her.

Lorne comes downstairs into the lobby wondering what's going on.

Cordelia is relieved to see him. She's sure he'll be able to hear her.

Lorne walks right through her on his way over to the others who are with Cordelia's body.

Cordy doesn't figure being walked through is a good sign. She sees a dark vapor pass over and wonders if anyone else noticed it.

Lorne asks the others what happened.

Angel answers they only know she had a vision.

Fred hands Angel the prescription bottle, reading the drug name, telling him she thinks Cordy dropped it.

Cordelia isn't happy her secret is out in the open.

Angel asks what the medication is for.

Wes, still holding Connor, explains it's a powerful medication prescribed for migraines.

Cordelia is trying to argue the point, but of course nobody can hear her.

Gunn suggests getting her to a hospital.

Angel doesn't figure that's the answer, remembering it wasn't much help the last time they went through something similar.

Wes agrees, noting that the drug is strong but it wouldn't be responsible for inducing a coma.

Lorne offers the vibes in the room indicate something more mystical than medical being the cause.

Fred points out they really don't have much in the way of facts. She figures if Cordelia has been medicating secretly with something that strong, the visions must be causing more damage than they realize.

Gunn speculates the "last" vision was too much for her.

Angel doesn't like the use of the word "last" and tells Gunn Cordelia will be okay, as he tries to convince himself as well as the others. He figures if it's a mystical problem, it has to have a mystical solution.

Cordelia thinks that's a good plan.

Angel instructs Gunn and Fred to go to Cordy's place, see if they can find anything else she may have been hiding.

Cordelia thinks that's a bad plan.

Wes offers to hit the books and do research.

Angel picks Cordelia up and takes her upstairs.

Lorne takes over care of Connor from Wes.

Cordelia wonders if nobody cares a girl is about to be eaten by a monster in Reseda. She's suddenly surrounded by unintelligible whispering she can't understand. She calls out, but gets no answer. She figures she has to find a way to get a message to the others to help the girl in her vision. She reaches out for a pen on the desk, but her hand goes right through it. She tries again, same result.

---

At Cordy's, Fred and Gunn open the door to the apartment and are greeted by a party hat and noisemaker floating in mid air. Phantom Dennis tosses some confetti. There's a "Happy Birthday" banner behind him.

Gunn figures Dennis was expecting the birthday girl.

Fred smiles and moves toward the floating party hat. She notes they haven't been "formally" introduced and admits she's not quite sure how to go about that, but proceeds to tell Dennis her name. She reaches out, tips the end of the party hat in a handshake sort of gesture and tells Dennis it's nice to meet him.

Gunn looks on, smiling. He tells Fred she's cool.

Fred thinks they should tell Dennis what's happened.

Gunn starts to suggest to Dennis that he might want to sit down, then asks Fred if ghosts do that.

---

In his office, Wes is poring over books, looking for answers.

Cordelia's astral self is in his office as well, jumping about, yelling his name, flailing her arms, trying to be heard or seen.

Wes thinks out loud. If Cordelia is on the astral plane she could be there but unable to communicate with them.

Cordy knows he's got it, but it's not helping her much. She walks around to the other side of the desk to see what he's reading. She notes the section of the book on "Astral Projection", figuring this would be a good time to read up on the subject. Unfortunately, before she can begin, Wes turns the page.

---

As Fred looks over the contents of the medicine cabinet in Cordelia's apartment, she's puzzled, telling Gunn it doesn't make sense, things are too normal.

Gunn comes to the bathroom threshold and wonders if normal is wrong.

Fred notices what he's holding and uncomfortably informs him what's wrong is his going through Cordy's "personal support things".

Gunn nonchalantly holds up the bra in his hand and asks if she's never hidden anything in her underwear drawer. He figures it's a good place to check.

Fred nervously says she wouldn't know, for five years she didn't even have -- She catches herself and requests that they not discuss her underwear.

Gunn smiles and agrees.

After Fred gets him to put the bra down, she says she figured if Cordelia was taking something as strong as the drug they found at the Hyperion, she likely would have started with something less potent. She thinks it's odd they haven't found anything, not even aspirin. She wonders if perhaps Dennis is trying to protect Cordelia.

Gunn looks around, calls out to Dennis. He assures him they wouldn't ask him to betray Cordelia but they need to know everything in order to help her. He wonders if Dennis would prefer Cordelia join him in the afterlife.

There is no response from Dennis.

Gunn sits down on the edge of the bed. A box slides out from underneath it at Gunn's feet.

Gunn and Fred go through the contents of the box which contains numerous prescription bottles.

Fred notes the date on one she's holding, it was filled a year earlier.

---

Back at the hotel, Angel sits next to Cordelia's bedside in his room, Connor coos in his crib from the adjacent room. Angel tells Cordelia he's angry she's been hiding everything for so long; tests, drugs, etc. He figures he could have helped if she'd have said something.

Cordelia's astral self doesn't figure he's got a right to be angry. After all she's the one with the current problem.

Lorne enters, asks how things are.

Angel tells him nothing has changed then asks if Lorne is ready.

As Lorne sits on the bed next to Cordelia, her astral self wonders what he's up to.

Lorne doesn't know if his attempt will work. He reminds Angel the last time he tried a similar tactic, he ended up thrown across the room.

Cordelia realizes what he's going to try and thinks it's a good idea. She's hoping for success in making a connection.

Lorne touches his fingertips to Cordelia's temples and slowly massages them. He calls her name, asks if she's there.

Astral Cordelia looks on and answers, trying to reach Lorne. She gives him the address from her vision and asks if he can hear her.

Lorne takes his hands away from Cordelia's face and tells Angel she's not there, "she's just gone." He couldn't make any connection.

Astral Cordelia insists she's right there, still trying to be heard, telling Lorne she's right in front of him. Once again she is surrounded by the sound of unintelligible whispering. She tearfully admits to being afraid.

Angel gets up, strides toward Lorne and demands that he get him in touch with The Powers That Be. He knows Lorne has the contacts and he wants it done. He doesn't care what Lorne has to do to make it happen.

Lorne nervously backs away until he backs into a lamp and can't go any further. He tries to explain it's not that simple, contacting The Powers is dangerous. He thinks this is a bit much to ask.

Angel assures him it wasn't a request.

Lorne sees there's no point in arguing and leaves to do what he can.

Angel goes back to sitting in the chair next to the bed as Astral Cordy looks on.

---

As Astral Cordelia sits on the floor next to the bed, her attention is drawn to Angel in the chair, snoring. She gets an idea, hoping Wesley's books are right. She walks over to the chair and sits down on Angel, in the same position, disappearing into him.

Angel wakes up, possessed by Astral Cordy. He walks over to the table, picks up a pen and begins to write something on the wall.

The whispering is heard again as the dark vapor moves over Angel and Cordelia is forcefully evicted from his body. Cordelia tells whatever is there she isn't scared but she doesn't sound very convincing.

Wes comes into the room and sees Angel on the floor, in the process of getting up.

He tells Wes he had a dream that Cordelia was trying to tell him something important.

Astral Cordelia is hoping she finally got through as she waits for him to know the answer.

He doesn't.

She gets frustrated, wondering just how in the world he can be a "champion."

Wes tells Angel Fred had looked over Cordelia's CAT scans. There's been significant damage.

Angel knows Wes is saying Cordelia is dying.

Astral Cordy isn't liking that news too much.

Wes assures Angel he's still working on the mystical angle but so far he hasn't come up with anything. He suggests Angel take a break, he'll look after Cordelia and Connor for awhile.

Angel leaves.

Wes takes a seat in the chair next to the bed.

Astral Cordy looks at her body on the bed, realizing she's not ready.

A sudden gust of wind blows, the room lights flash and dim, the dark vapor rises in the room. All of this is invisible to Wes, only Astral Cordy can see it. She backs away in fear as the vapor takes form, that form being Skip (the demon guard first introduced in "That Vision Thing").

He greets Cordy with a chipper "Hey! How's it goin'?"

Cordelia thinks Skip is Death, having come to take her.

He laughs a loud, demonic laugh in response to that then assures her he was just kidding. He extends his hand and introduces himself.

When Cordelia doesn't shake his hand, he pulls it back. He verifies she's Cordelia Chase and apologizes for the delay in his arrival. He looks on her body lying on the bed and finds it interesting that her astral self looks like her corporeal form. He notes most people choose an idealized version of themselves for their projection on the astral plane, it's a self-esteem thing. He figures Cordelia must be pretty confident in herself.

Cordelia demands to know what's going on.

Skip tells her she'll get answers but first they have to go somewhere.

Cordelia doesn't want to go anywhere, telling him she's comfortable where she's at.

Skip points out the problem with that is she doesn't belong there anymore.

Cordelia wonders if that's because she's dead.

Skip assures her she isn't, yet, but she will be soon if she doesn't accompany him.

Cordelia agrees to follow him if he'll give the message to her friends about the vision.

Skip refuses, informing her he's a guide, not a messenger. He extends his hand.

Cordelia tells him she doesn't want to die.

Skip responds, "So don't."

Cordelia takes his hand, there's a flash of light and both disappear.

---

In Wesley's office, Fred is explaining the images on the CAT scans on the desk to Gunn and Angel.
Angel picks up and examines various prescription bottles as she's talking. She shows a scan with large areas of green, explaining that indicates "cold" areas and you wouldn't normally see that.

Gunn adds, "unless the person was a cucumber."

Angel wonders why they didn't know any of this was going on.

Lorne comes into the office, moaning. He's seriously disheveled, his clothes torn, one of his horns hanging by a thread, nearly completely broken off.

Fred asks what happened, concerned.

Lorne answers that he can't talk about it.
Gunn wants to know how they're supposed to find them if Lorne won't tell.

He clarifies that he literally means he can't talk about it. He says they've cast a spell, then tries to explain where he went but when he tries to tell them the location, only gibberish comes out.

Angel impatiently asks if he got a location.

Lorne sarcastically thanks him for his concern (of course, he'd shown none) and assures him his horn will probably grow back in a couple of days. He notes the spell didn't prevent him from writing the information as he takes a piece of paper from his pocket.

Angel snatches it from his hand and without thanks, heads for the door.

Lorne tells him to take this seriously. Only a "champion can deal with the Conduit." As he tries to explain in more detail, his speech turns to gibberish again.

Angel curtly tells him he'll remember that and walks out.

---

A flash of light, Astral Cordy looks around to find herself in an empty shopping mall.

Skip offers The Powers thought that would be comfortable surroundings for her.

Cordelia is trying to figure out why they would pop her out of her body to put her into a mall.

Skip explains that it's not a mall exactly, more of a "construct", like in "The Matrix".

Cordelia is incredulous, asking if he's actually seen the movie.

Skip shares his enthusiasm for the movie and special effects. He dejectedly realizes he's not exactly inspiring awe anymore.

Cordelia wants to know why she's there.

Skip replies that she'll be offered a choice, but not yet. He wants to show her something first.

He touches the side of a kiosk, lighting up the video screen on it. He motions Cordelia to join him by it.

Cordelia recognizes Doyle's face on the screen as she watches the moment he transferred the visions to her through the kiss.

Skip points out that's when the mistake happened. Doyle wasn't supposed to transfer the visions to her.

Cordy wants to know why The Powers allowed it to happen if it wasn't meant to be.

Skip explains that they usually do catch that kind of thing but they didn't realize Doyle's feelings for her.

Cordelia wonders if he's saying Doyle gave her the visions because he loved her.

Skip has no answer for that but he does know that it was a mistake that shouldn't have happened.

Cordelia doesn't get that. She thought The Powers knew everything.

Skip says they have the life and death stuff down pretty well but "who someone chooses to love, well that's just good old free will." He tells her the visions are a powerful and ancient force, only demons can withstand them.

Cordelia points out she's had them for over two years, she figures that must prove she's strong.

Skip agrees she's strong but not demon. He suggests she ask "Tammy".

Cordelia turns to be greeted by a young English woman in 1600's attire.

Skip notes Tammy had the visions in 1630.

Tammy verifies that's correct, she had them for nearly a year. The townspeople thought she was a witch, wanted to burn her at the stake. Cordelia asks if they killed her because she had visions.

Tammy tells her they didn't have to. She turns her back to Cordelia, revealing a large hole in the back of her head. She says the last vision she had blew the back of her head off. She turns back to face Cordelia again. She tells her humans weren't intended to keep the visions. She advises Cordy to listen to Skip, assuring her he can be trusted.

Skip tells her to go, he has work to do.

Tammy walks away.

Skip asks Cordy if she's okay.

---

Angel drops into a cavern, landing with a thud on the ground. He offers Lorne a sarcastic thanks. There's a square, stone altar in the center of the cavern with a flame burning on top of it. The whispering fills the cavern becoming voices. The voices ponder the arrival of the "champion" and his reason for being there.

Angel demands to speak to the Conduit.

The voices inform him he already is, they are the "gateway."

Angel wants them to show themselves.

They are impatient with his ignorance, telling him they have no form, telling him to go away, referring to him as "it".

Angel assures them he's not going anywhere until he talks to The Powers. He explains about his friend, the visions and what they're doing to her. He wants the visions taken away, Cordelia has suffered enough.

Angel is suddenly lifted off of his feet and slammed into the wall of the cavern. The voices wonder if "it" knows suffering. Once again he is thrown against the wall. The voices verify for themselves that "it" does. Angel is told The Powers don't owe anything, the voices demand, "Send it away."

Angel isn't ready to leave yet.

---

At the mall, Skip asks Cordelia if she's ever felt she should be doing something but can't remember what, or like she should call someone but has forgotten who. He wonders if she's ever felt that way about her acting career.

Cordelia tells him she has no acting career.

Skip notes that brings him to his next point as he points toward a bank of televisions on display in one of the mall shops. The screens light up replaying images from the LA party where Cordelia first met up with Angel after moving there.

Skip points out her life changed that night because she met up with Angel. He tells her to imagine if things had played a bit differently. The images rewind and pause onscreen as Skip diagrams the question using a football analogy and asks Cordelia to consider what would have been if she had been intercepted by someone else, a very powerful talent agent, and never met up with Angel that night.

Skip goes on to explain that every living thing has a connection to The Powers. Each knows its purpose.

Cordelia wonders if he's suggesting she was supposed to be an actress.

Skip replies that she was meant to be a famous and wealthy actress and The Powers can make that happen.

Cordelia smiles at that thought. She asks if they can turn back time.

Skip's response, "They don't go for that -- much" but they can "write over history". He offers that from this moment, Cordelia could have the life she's always wanted with no more visions and no dying, at least not until she's lived a long life.

Cordelia realizes that also means Angel isn't a part of her life anymore.

Skip bluntly explains that if she chooses to go back to her body, she will remain in a vegetative state until the next vision kills her.

Cordelia doesn't think that's a fair arrangement. Angel can't save the girl she saw in her vision if she isn't able to tell him about her. She knows he needs her to give him the messages.

Skip takes her by the hand and pulls her along. They walk through a wall of the mall. They appear in the cavern, watching unseen as Angel continues to try to make his case to the Conduit, which is as obstinate as ever.

Angel shouts at them, telling them Cordelia isn't a champion, she's "a rich girl from Sunnydale who likes to play superhero, she doesn't have what it takes to do this."

The whispering begins again, much to Angel's annoyance. He wonders if The Powers get it, that Cordelia is "weak."

Cordelia has heard enough. She tells Skip to take her out of there, now. They depart.

Angel continues trying to deal with the Conduit, trying a calmer approach. He's afraid that Cordelia is going to die, he doesn't want that to happen.

---

Back in the mall, Skip asks Cordelia if she's sure.

She assures him she is. He offered the choice, she's made it.

Skip tells her he'll make her a star.

Cordelia closes her eyes.

An announcer introduces Cordelia Chase, "two time Emmy winner" to an appreciative studio audience.

Cordy opens her eyes and sees herself standing on a set, in front of the crowd which applauds. She smiles and savors the moment.

Star Cordelia has her own show, as evidenced by the opening reel which is shown to the audience and greeted enthusiastically. Cordy walks down a hall of the studio, meeting up with her toady assistant, Nev, as she continues walking.

He apprises her of her schedule as she stops briefly to sign a few autographs.

As she finishes signing, she asks Nev if he ever has the feeling he's supposed to be somewhere doing something but doesn't know where or what.

He tells her he doesn't know what that's like, she pays him to be organized.

Cordelia continues walking, her assistant at her side talking on his cell phone. She's trying to remember something. She finally realizes the "Hyperion" sounds right. She tells him she wants to go there.

He wonders if she means now.

She confirms that's what she means as she walks off.

He calls after her that he'll make the arrangements.

Star Cordelia enters the lobby of the hotel, which in this reality, is run as a hotel and is crowded with guests.

She approaches the desk clerk who recognizes her immediately. She tells him her assistant made a reservation.

He checks the register and notes she's booked for the Luxury Suite. He offers to take her to her room and welcomes her to the hotel.

As the clerk and Cordelia walk down the corridor, he comes to a stop outside of the Luxury Suite. He starts to unlock the door, but something else has Cordy's attention. She walks down the hall a bit, pauses outside another door then tells the clerk she wants that room instead.

The clerk tells her the room is a standard room, not up to the the standards of someone befitting her position.

She tells him to open the door to the room.

He quickly complies.

Cordelia walks into the room and flashes on the room it was in the other reality, Angel's room. She looks around, walks over to the wall and asks the clerk about the wallpaper.

He explains it was specially designed and installed as part of the remodeling project.

As he's talking, Cordy rather urgently begins tearing the wallpaper off of a section of the wall.

Once she gets the paper peeled away, she finds the address she had Angel write on the wall when she possessed him, the one she'd seen in her vision of the girl in trouble. She asks the clerk where she can find that address.

---

Cordelia arrives at the address and rings the doorbell. A teen girl answers. She starts to explain why she's there but before she has a chance to, the girl is in full gush mode, having recognized "Cordelia Chase" from her television show.

Cordy knows the girl doesn't know her personally, but asks if she'd mind if she came in for a minute anyway

The girl is more than happy to oblige.

Cordelia walks in and looks around.

The girl introduces herself as Cynthia York then continues her celebrity worship, telling Cordelia she wants to be just like her. She pauses a moment and asks what Cordelia is doing in Reseda.

Cordelia admits that's a good question and her answer is going to seem a bit odd. She asks Cynthia if everything is okay, if anything bad has happened at that address.

Cynthia tells her that her father left a couple of months earlier.

Cordy offers her sympathies and asks if her mother is home.

Cynthia answers that her mother is out of town, visiting some friends.

Cordelia figures everything is okay there, seeing nothing wrong, and starts to leave.

Cynthia stops her and asks if she'd like to "see something cool".

Cordy agrees.

Cynthia takes her by the hand and leads her across the room, showing her a pentagram with candles on the floor behind the couch.

Cynthia explains that she was doing a "retrieval spell" to get her dad to come back and live at home again. She nervously offers that she thinks she did everything properly, though she spilled a soft drink on the spell book while she was casting it and had to "improvise a little."

Cordelia tells the girl they should get out of there before -- Just as a large, snarling demon appears in the living room.

Cordelia pushes Cynthia out of the way, hits the demon with a lamp and turns for the door. It snags her foot and trips her. As it grabs her by the leg and drags her toward it, she grabs a large book from a nearby table and hits it, causing it to lose its grip on her leg.

She turns toward the door as a one-armed Wesley and Gunn enter, weapons at the ready.

Wes instructs Gunn to get Cynthia out of there as he runs the demon through with his sword.

As the demon comes back at him again, he pushes Cordy out of the way and continues to battle it.

Gunn reenters and joins the fray. Together, they finish it off.

Cordelia is impressed to see Wesley actually killing things, noting that the last time she saw him he had more of a "faint in front of it" approach.

Wesley asks what she's doing at that house. He wonders if Cynthia is an acquaintance of hers.

Cordy tells him she realizes it's been awhile since they've seen each other but something "Sunnydale weird" is going on with her.

---

Outside of the house, Gunn finishes loading the demon remains in the back of his pickup and covers it with a tarp.

Cordy is telling Wes about the hotel, the wallpaper, and her finding the address under it that led her there. Then shortly after she arrives, a monster shows up. She wonders what's going on with that.

Wes doesn't have an answer, saying he'll have to do some research.

Cordelia smiles, noting some things don't change.

Gunn clears his throat, trying to get Wesley's attention.

Wes introduces Cordelia to his "partner."

Gunn is impressed to be meeting a star. He mentions that Wes did say he knew her, but Gunn didn't believe him.

Cordelia verifies they've known each other for awhile, back to when Wes had two arms. She wonders what happened there.

Wes tells her a Kungai demon got it a couple of years earlier.

Gunn wonders if it's true Wes and Cordelia had a 'thing.'

Cordy explains it as one humiliating kiss where Wes slobbered all over her chin. She's tried to repress it.

Wes heads for the truck, not exactly enjoying this trip down memory lane.

Gunn wonders what it is about Sunnydale and repression, noting the "three" of them are the most repressed people he knows.

Cordelia asks who else is in LA.

---

They arrive at Wesley's place. Wes advises her to consider things, warning her Angel isn't the man she knew in Sunnydale. He was vulnerable when he arrived in LA and when his only friend, Doyle, died, he withdrew into himself.

Gunn mentions Angel getting the visions didn't help matters any.

Cordelia figures it out; Angel gets the visions, he passes the information to Wes and Gunn who go out and do the demon killing. She wonders if this is how they earn their living. She doesn't think it sounds like a very pleasant job.

Gunn offers that it pays the bills -- sometimes.

Wes warns Cordelia not to be surprised by Angel's appearance, as he walks over to the wall and removes a key hanging on a hook outside of a door. He explains the visions have taken a toll, sometimes Angel sends them out to save people he killed 200 years earlier. Wes wonders if it wouldn't be better if he just told Angel she had stopped by and said hi.

Cordelia refuses, she wants to see him.

Wes unlocks the door revealing Angel sitting on a mattress on the floor of an otherwise empty, dimly lit room. He jumps when the door opens, moving farther away from it as the others enter.

Wes notes the manacles hanging from the ceiling, telling Cordelia sometimes restraints are necessary, the visions can make him violent.

Angel jumps up, repeating Cynthia's house address over and over, rambling, not making sense.

Cordelia is shocked by his condition.

Wes informs her this is actually a good day.

As Angel continues rambling, he sits back on the mattress on the floor.

Cordelia starts to approach him.

Wes warns her not to get too close.

Cordelia calls his name as she walks slowly toward Angel. She asks if he remembers her. She squats down next to him, he bolts to the other side of the room, pushing himself against the wall as he sits on the floor in the corner. He continues repeating Cynthia's house number over and over.

Cordelia realizes he doesn't know who she is. He starts frantically tracing out the house number with his finger on the wall.

Cordelia tells him everything will be okay as she leans in and kisses him. A blue light passes between them. She takes the visions back.

With the return of the visions, her memory returns as well. The others are frozen as Skip appears in the room. Cordy tells him she remembers, the visions are hers.

Skip reminds her she made her choice. She gave up the visions, and the certain death that accompanies them, so she could live out her dream. He thinks it was a fair deal.

Cordelia acknowledges it was fair, but it wasn't her.

Skip appreciates her willingness to sacrifice and all of that but points out it doesn't change the fact the visions cannot be endured by humans. That is a fact that cannot be changed, not even by The Powers.

Cordelia tells him to find a loophole. She knows her purpose, it includes the visions, and she thinks The Powers know that too.

Skip acknowledges there may be a loophole.

Cordelia agrees to it.

He suggests she consider it before accepting it without even knowing what it is. He explains the only way she can keep the visions is to become part demon. The process is difficult, painful and even after it's over, nobody can predict the potentially numerous effects from the transformation. He makes it clear she may not be able to lead a "human life".

Cordelia looks over at Angel and tells Skip to do it.

He says it's been an honor being her guide as he raises his hand and touches her forehead.

There is a flash of light, Cordelia screams.

---

Cordelia wakes up in Angel's room, screaming briefly.

Everyone rushes into the room. Angel hugs her, glad to have her back.

Cordelia grabs her head, relieved to discover she hasn't sprouted horns. She quickly looks behind herself, equally relieved not to find a tail.

Everyone looks at each other, not sure what's going on.

She gets out of bed and stretches, happy to be "solid again."

Wes asks what she remembers last.

She tells him she had a vision, but it's been dealt with. She starts to relay the tale of the actress, the one-armed man, then decides it's too long of a story. Right now they need to solve her vision.

Lorne reminds her she said it was taken care of.

Cordelia calmly explains she means the one she's having now which appears to be painless. She describes what she sees, a young man in the park, near a pond. She describes in detail the demon waiting for the guy.

Angel wonders if she's noticed she's levitating above the floor.