"Supersymmetry"
Lorne is resting in bed in his room as Angel serves him some food on a tray. Angel asks how he's doing.
Lorne says he's okay, he knows he's been a bit on edge the past few days but wonders if he just heard a scream.
Angel tells him it was Fred, he thinks "it's a Texas thing."
Lorne starts to eat something, then decides he really doesn't have an appetite as he sets the tray aside. Things have been a bit much for him with Cordy shacked up with Connor and the hole drilled into his head trauma.
Angel reckons the "slouching toward Bethlehem" thing is probably what's unnerving him.
Lorne says, "no."
Angel thinks it's good that's not what's upsetting him.
Lorne clarifies, he meant no to the question Angel was going to ask, he won't read Cordelia again. He has no interest in going back there, figuring it would just make him a target for W&H again and next time they might kill him. He points out he's not a "champion", just a "regular, old, karaoke singing, empath demon."
Angel hears something and moves toward the door.
Lorne asks what he heard.
Angel assures him it's probably just Fred as he walks out into the hall.
Lorne pulls an ax from under the covers, prepared to defend himself.
Angel walks down the hallway, following sounds coming from one of the rooms. He stops outside of the door, listens, then cautiously goes in.
He sees someone rifling through a box inside, grabs him and shoves him against the wall. He backs off when he realizes it's Connor. He apologizes.
Connor tells him he's "used to it" as he goes back to packing things up.
Angel tells him the front door is always open, he doesn't have to sneak in.
Connor continues going through boxes, telling Angel Cordelia wanted some of her things.
Angel wonders if Cordy has remembered anything.
Connor answers curtly, "Nothing about you."
Angel asks if she's alone.
Connor assures him she's safe, he can take care of her. He asks if he can leave.
Angel gets out of his way.
As Connor heads out, Angel calls after him. He suggests Connor take her slippers as he hands them to him saying, "her feet get cold."
Connor responds, "I know, she's always stealing the covers" and leaves.
Angel looks after him and swallows hard.
Angel comes downstairs into the lobby, headed for the office. Gunn suggests he not go in, saying that Fred is wound up tightly, she kept him up all night.
Angel doesn't really want the details as he looks into the office and sees a very animated Fred, reciting her paper to Lorne.
Gunn says she was "unstoppable" as Fred bounds out of the office, into the lobby.
Angel tells Gunn he really doesn't want to hear about it.
Fred excitedly asks Angel if Gunn told him.
Angel, thinking she's talking about their having had sex all night, uncomfortably says that he "didn't describe it."
Fred tells him she's been asked to present her article at the physics institute. She's always found P-Dimensional subspace to be a fascinating subject.
Angel realizes she's not talking about what he thinks she was talking about but the subject matter is totally confusing.
She asks if she can practice her presentation for them, she thinks Lorne is tired.
She runs back into the office.
Lorne isn't all that happy she's returned.
Gunn tells Angel she was at it all night then adds with a smile, "Well, mostly that."
Angel wonders when Fred got back into physics.
Gunn says she didn't want anyone to know about it yet. He thinks she was afraid she might have lost her talent for it.
Angel notes she's apparently over that fear now as he and Gunn head for the office.
Angel and Gunn join Fred and Lorne in the office. Fred says her article is just "a little breakthrough on quantum particles", nothing major. She starts to doubt herself, figuring her theory will be quickly disproved, it' s just that it was a dream of hers to make some kind of discovery. She thinks she sounds silly.
Angel realizes this is important to her and assures her it doesn't sound silly at all.
Fred explains she wanted the people she respected to notice her but she got pulled into the portal to Pylea and when she was a "cow-slave" she didn't want anyone to notice her.
Gunn reckons she'll be noticed now.
Fred, nervous, looks out at Lorne, Angel and Gunn. She says she needs to practice. She asks if they'll be at her presentation.
Lorne shoots Angel a glance.
Gunn offers an exuberant assurance they'll be there to "cheer you on."
Angel doesn't say anything.
Lorne points out Connor dropped by the night before.
Gunn hopes he wasn't there to apologize, he isn't interested.
Angel tells them Connor came to pick up some of Cordy's stuff.
Fred says Cordelia is just trying to piece things together. She's sure things will work out for the best.
Angel isn't so sure.
Fred says that in spite of five years "of unendurable torture and mental anguish" in Pylea, she wouldn't have been able to figure out her "string compactification theory" if she hadn't been pulled through a portal.
Gunn tries to be helpful, pointing out that makes sense because, "you know -- strings need to -- compactify."
Angel and Lorne are as lost as he is.
Wes is at his apartment, reading Fred's magazine article. He rises to answer a knock at the door. He opens the door and greets Lilah, who offers a large box tied up with a bow.
Wes takes it, assuming it's a bribe. He caustically notes that was a thoughtful gesture.
Lilah comes inside the apartment, removes her coat and lays it aside.
Wes figures this is a setup of some sort.
Lilah tells him it's just a gift, then suggests he open it.
Wes sets the box down, removes the lid and removes the contents, a helmet from a suit of armor. He examines it.
Lilah figures it was an appropriate choice since they've been "butting heads" a bit lately.
Wes notes it must have been very costly.
Lilah concedes it was as she takes it from him and sets it down. She figures Wes can find a way to thank her, it should take several hours. She kisses him, stopping to mention she took the afternoon off from work. She starts to unbutton his shirt.
He takes her by the wrists and moves her hands away, telling her he has to go. He picks up his coat, thanks her for the gift and leaves.
A frustrated Lilah picks up her coat and notices the magazine article Wesley had been reading, Fred's theory.
Cordelia looks over some pictures from AI on the wall at Connor's place; pictures of her with Gunn and Fred, her and Wesley. She tacks up a photo of her and Lorne then asks Connor why no pictures of Angel.
Connor answers he couldn't find any.
She says that's okay, he got the other important stuff. She thinks the place is looking more like home with her personal things adorning the room.
She looks around, feeling like something is still missing.
Connor picks up a small ax and hands it to her. He asks how it feels.
She doesn't understand what he's getting at.
He thinks perhaps she misses the "thrill of the kill", pointing out she used to hunt demons.
Cordy isn't sure she believes that.
He assures her it's true, she just needs to get in some practice. He offers to train her.
Cordelia looks concerned and asks, "What should I wear?"
Angel, Fred and Gunn arrive at the physics institute where she'll be delivering her speech. Gunn looks at the crowd and wonders if they're all there to see Fred.
She reminds him she's not the main attraction, just a minor speaker. She sees a schedule posted on a column and panics, noting the names of the two men between whom she'll be speaking.
Neither Gunn or Angel understands her reaction.
She puts it into sports terms, trying to clarify.
Angel and Gunn get it now. She's in the big leagues. They're impressed.
Fred is certain some mistake has been made.
Gunn is sure her theory about "particles and -- stuff" is going to be a hit.
Fred worries what happens if her theory is incorrect. She notices someone in the crowd and calls out to Professor Seidel. She rushes over to greet him.
Seidel tells the woman he's standing with that he'll meet her back at the lab.
Gunn and Angel join Fred.
The professor notes it's been a couple of years "or so" since he's seen Fred.
She answers the emphasis is on the "or so". She's happy to see him. She nervously asks if he's going to be attending her speech.
He tells her he'll be the one introducing her which makes her even more uncomfortable. He assures her she's done good work, she has no reason to be concerned.
Gunn emphatically clears his throat.
Fred remembers he and Angel are there and introduces the professor to them. She says she was going to major in history until she took the professor's physics class, that changed her life.
Seidel tells them Fred was a natural, "by the end of the first semester she was taking on wimps." [W.I.M.P.S.]
Gunn smiles and says she has a killer left hook now.
Fred interjects "W.I.M.P.S. are Weakly Interactive Massive Particles."
Gunn realizes he just made a slight fool of himself and tries to cover by laughing weakly and claiming he was making a joke.
The professor and Fred indulge in physics talk.
Angel looks on, confused. He decides to go into the auditorium and find a seat.
Seidel asks Fred to stop by his office, he'd like to discuss her theory.
She wonders if tomorrow would be okay.
He agrees that would be fine, saying he has questions about how "Kaluza-Klein models" fit with her theory.
Fred walks away with the professor, continuing that conversation.
Gunn looks on, clearly out of place and not comfortable with it.
Angel takes a seat in the auditorium and notices Wesley sitting in the back.
Fred and the professor enter, Gunn following. Seidel stops to introduce Fred to other academics.
Gunn waits briefly, then takes a seat next to Angel in the auditorium. Gunn figures he's going to need a translator for this speech.
Angel suggests he not look to him for that, he's just as lost as Gunn is.
Gunn wonders if Angel would mind telling that to Fred. He thinks if she knows they're "both stupid" he'll be less conspicuous.
Professor Seidel steps up to the podium to introduce Fred.
Gunn and Wesley both look on proudly while the professor goes on with his introduction.
Lilah enters the auditorium, an arrival that doesn't go unnoticed by Angel.
Seidel finishes his introduction. Fred steps up to the podium. The crowd applauds.
Angel continues keeping an eye on Lilah who remains in the aisle beside the entrance.
Fred begins her presentation.
Lilah watches Wes as he seems totally absorbed in what Fred is saying. Lilah takes a call on her cell phone and steps out of the auditorium.
Angel watches, wondering what she's up to.
As Fred continues her speech, the space above her begins to shimmer. The crowd screams as a portal opens.
Several tentacles extend from the portal, each ending with a serpent's head and a mouthful of sharp teeth. The tentacles attack Fred.
As they begin to wrap around her and lift her toward the portal, Angel and Gunn rush to the stage. The crowd scrambles for the exits.
As Gunn tries to pull Fred back down to the floor, Angel attacks the tentacle beast with a microphone stand, stabbing at it.
In the auditorium, a young guy remains behind, snapping pictures of what's happening on-stage.
One of the tentacles wraps around Angel's neck and lifts him off of the floor. Angel points out trying to strangle a vampire isn't a very smart battle tactic as he pulls a knife and cuts himself loose.
That causes the other tentacles to let go of Fred as well. She lands on the floor, on top of Gunn.
The tentacles retreat back into the portal which closes.
Wes stands off to the side, armed with a large knife, prepared to help. He sees it's not necessary.
Gunn comforts Fred, assuring her she's okay, it's over.
Lilah pulls her convertible into an underground parking garage. A large section of the roof above her head is suddenly peeled back. She stops the car and pokes her head out the hole in the roof.
Angel notes that's pretty neat how the top just comes off like that.
Lilah rolls her eyes, drops down through the hole and gets out of her car. She reminds Angel that if he's there about what happened to Lorne, she could have easily had him killed. She didn't. She's wondering why she doesn't get a thanks for that.
Angel tells her they'll get to that but first he wonders what Lilah knows about the portal that opened during Fred's speech, coincidentally just after Lilah left the auditorium.
Lilah is surprised to hear it. She asks if "tragedy struck Gidget?" She wonders if she got killed.
Angel tells her he and Gunn handled it but he's sure if they hadn't, Lilah's "good friend Wesley would have stepped right in."
Lilah points out it's highly unlikely that if she was going to "kill the twig" she'd have done it in front of a crowd of people, making an obvious exit so she'd look even more suspicious.
Angel thinks it sounds just like W&H.
Lilah shrugs.
Angel realizes she's telling the truth, someone else deserves the blame this time.
Lilah sarcastically notes he's a quick study and gets back into her car.
Angel leans over, looks through the open window and tells her they will have a conversation about what happened to Lorne.
Lilah points out his "idle threats" aren't very impressive, considering they're so "idle."
He hangs his hand through the opening in her car roof and wiggles his fingers. He wonders if she remembers his ripping her car in half.
She smiles and answers, "Yeah, yeah. Hulk smash.." She hits the gas, causing the tires to screech as she takes off.
In Fred's room at the hotel, Gunn rolls over and wakes to notice Fred isn't in bed. She's mumbling, writing physics equations on the wall.
Gunn calls to her, gets out of bed and approaches her. He tries to lighten things up, saying he never liked the paint anyway. He thinks redoing the place is a good idea, make it more theirs.
Fred stops writing and turns to him. She says she couldn't sleep.
Gunn points out portals, demons, that stuff happens. It doesn't mean she'll be pulled back to Pylea.
Fred says she sees it all over again, whenever she closes her eyes. She remembers being pulled through the portal, her five years of hell in Pylea. She gets more upset, telling Gunn he can never understand what that was like.
He assures her she will never go back there. She's safe.
Fred says she was safe in the library until she opened that book and started reading from it.
Gunn asks her to return to bed as he gently draws her toward it. He's sure things will look better in the morning.
Fred isn't sure of that, remembering she has an appointment with her former professor tomorrow. She's upset, afraid things are different now because he saw the portal. She's worried what he might think.
Gunn reckons the professor thinks Fred is brilliant, just like he does.
As they get back into bed, Fred says she doesn't want Seidel to see her "like this."
Gunn promises there's nothing wrong with her, "like this or any other way." He tells her to go to her appointment, forget what's happened and talk about "strings or wimps or whatever." He assures her he and Angel will handle the portal/demon stuff, kisses her on the shoulder then wraps his arm around her, pulling her close.
Gunn comes downstairs and finds the lobby full of chairs. Angel tells him "you were there" as he looks at one of the chairs.
Gunn takes a seat and asks what's going on.
As the room changes to the auditorium from the night before, Angel recalls who was sitting where, what was going on. He remembers the young guy sitting behind them, an older guy, a young woman in black.
Gunn wonders why he's never done this trick before.
Angel says it's not automatic, it just "kicked in" when he saw Lilah.
Gunn is surprised to hear she was there and figures she was responsible for opening the portal.
Angel remembers Lilah staring at Wes and tells Gunn she was just stalking Wesley.
Gunn is also surprised to hear Wes was there.
Angel says "he was waiting."
Gunn thinks he's talking about Wesley.
Angel clarifies, he's referring to the young guy who was sitting behind them. He recalls the guy was wearing a T-shirt that said "Thwack" on it and he was taking pictures.
Gunn thinks he knows where to find the guy and starts out.
Angel points out it's daylight, he needs to get a coat.
Gunn suggests he hurry and do it, he wants to find out what's happening so he can help Fred.
Angel and Gunn confront the guy at his place of business, a comic book store called "Thwack." Gunn pushes him around a bit.
The guy asks Angel if Gunn is going to hurt him.
Gunn puts the situation into comic book terms, citing a specific issue, defining himself as "Bullseye" and the guy as "Electra". He points out one lives and one doesn't. He wonders if the guy understands.
The guy gets it.
Angel looks on, clueless about the references.
Gunn wants to know why the guy was taking pictures of Fred.
The guy points out that the ceiling above her seemed to be coming apart.
Angel wants to know why the guy was there in the first place, he doesn't seem like a physics groupie.
The guy answers he wanted to see if it was true that Fred was one of the students who had disappeared.
Gunn notices the "one of" mention.
Fred is discussing portals with Professor Seidel as they walk toward his office. She tells him Pylea is a hell dimension, "not as bad as Quor-toth" but she probably would have died if Angel and the others hadn't rescued her.
Seidel says he deals in theories, he's open to the possibility that other dimensions exist, but notes she actually has names for them.
Fred understands, saying it took some time for her to accept it as well and she's been in one.
As they approach the professor's office, he introduces her to a mousy blonde woman wearing glasses, Laurie Drummond.
Fred remembers she used to be a T.A. in Higher Energy Physics.
Laurie nervously notes she still is, they can't all be geniuses.
Seidel says he'd be lost without her.
Laurie welcomes Fred back.
The professor heads into his office, Fred follows.
In his office, Seidel goes to a file cabinet and opens a drawer. He tells Fred he's been holding something for her. He retrieves a paper from the cabinet and hands it to her, her final test before she disappeared.
She notes with disappointment that the paper was graded A-.
Seidel tells her if it had been any other student, it would have been A+ but he had to use a different standard for her.
She wishes she'd known that sooner.
Seidel would like another chance to teach her. He believes she has a gift, he doesn't want her to waste it.
Fred notes it's been a long time. She enjoyed writing the article, but she has another life now.
Seidel offers it sounds like it's a life she "stumbled into", not one of her own choosing.
Fred thinks it's more like the life chose her.
The professor notes he isn't sure what he saw while Fred was giving her speech, maybe "subconscious suggestion, mass hysteria", but he knows what he sees in front of him. He sees a gifted woman "who deserves to live in the world she was meant for."
Angel and Gunn are still at the comic book store. Angel is leafing through a comic.
The guy says they know how it is, you hear things from a friend of a friend of a friend, you don't know if they're true or not.
Gunn knows how that is, like the story about "the girl, the cat and the peanut butter."
Angel tells him that one is true.
Gunn looks at him, expecting further explanation.
Angel just says it's a "long story."
Comic book guy recognizes Angel. He says there are message forums and chat rooms dedicated to him, he's stunned to discover he actually exists.
Angel's ego likes the stroke.
Gunn reminds him why they're there. They want to know about the student disappearances.
The guy says that apparently three students disappeared before Fred did, then one after her.
Angel asks what he knows about the students.
He says they were all "science types". He doesn't think it sounds like average kidnappings. He anxiously offers to help, suggesting he could be an "intern."
Gunn tells him they have enough interns but "the decoder ring's in the mail."
As Gunn heads out, Angel follows, bubbling about being the topic of discussion in "chatty rooms."
In Professor Seidel's office, he suggests Fred read "Quantum Cryptography" as he pulls a book from the shelf.
Laurie interrupts Fred and the professor's meeting, telling him he has something to take care of.
He places the book back on the shelf. Before leaving, he asks Fred to write down her number for him, he doesn't want to lose contact with her again. He departs, leaving Fred alone in the office.
Fred writes down her number then scans the bookshelf. She notes one book that seems to be out of place in the collection. She removes it and leafs through it, something about the illustrations upsets her.
She stops when she comes to an illustration of a portal opening with tentacles extending from it. She hears Seidel returning and quickly returns the book to the shelf.
At the hotel, Angel is working on the computer as Gunn looks on. They discover the students that disappeared all had one thing in common, Professor Oliver Seidel.
Gunn panics realizing Fred is with the guy. He starts to head out of the office. He stops when he sees Fred enter.
Gunn is grateful she's okay. He starts to tell her about the professor being responsible for what happened during her speech.
She already knows. She also knows there were others.
Angel confirms that other students have disappeared.
Fred clarifies, she meant that he did it to her before. He was the one responsible for her trip to Pylea.
Gunn is surprised to hear that.
Angel assures Fred they'll get Seidel for what he's done.
Gunn adds to that, saying "he's gonna pay."
Fred responds, "No, he's gonna die."
Gunn wants to know what she means by that.
Fred isn't sure yet, but it will be about pain. She goes to the lobby weapons cabinet, opens it and looks over the selection. She pulls a halberd from the cabinet, thinking that could work. She gets more worked up as she considers how to inflict the most agony which she figures he more than deserves for what he did to her.
She retrieves a flail from the cabinet, wondering if a "flail whipping" will kill him slowly as she twirls it, causing Angel and Gunn to back away a bit.
Angel confirms it could take several hours, "if it's done right." He hurriedly adds that she shouldn't be doing it at all as he cautiously takes the flail from her.
Fred continues holding the halberd as she rants about Seidel the killer smiling at her, telling her how gifted she is and how much he wants to teach her. She looks at the halberd and notes there is going to be a lesson as she makes chopping motions in the air with it, her eyes wild.
Gunn approaches her, telling her to calm down.
An irate Fred tells him that she idolized the man and he sent her to a hell dimension. She wonders how many others he sentenced to that same fate, how many that didn't make it back. She tells Gunn she'll calm down when Seidel is dead.
Gunn says there was a time he would have done it himself, but not now. This isn't what they do. He reaches out to take the halberd from her, she pulls back, keeping it.
Fred tells him they "kill monsters all the time."
Gunn reminds her they help people. He knows she'll have to live with a whole different breed of demons if she goes through with this, not the kind that can be killed, the kind a person can't escape.
Fred tells him he's wrong.
Angel tells her Gunn is right, no matter what she feels now, it won't compare to what she'll feel and have to deal with afterward.
Gunn says everything she's saying goes against what she believes in, what they believe in. He knows she idolized the man but he doesn't want her to let him define who she has become.
Gunn extends his hand and asks for the halberd.
Fred hands it over, apologizing for losing control.
Gunn offers to make her some cocoa.
She declines the offer, saying she wants to lay down "for a few days." She heads upstairs.
Gunn asks Angel what they're going to do to the professor.
Angel doesn't know, but he suggests they do it quickly.
Gunn knows they need to do something before Fred changes her mind because "vengeance can get ugly."
At Wesley's place, he tells Fred vengeance sounds good as he returns to the living room with a couple of bottles. He pops the top and hands one to Fred.
Fred says Angel and Gunn want her to "turn the other cheek like a good girl." She doesn't understand their attitude considering they were there, they saw the portal opening, they know what Seidel is capable of.
Wes notes that Angel and Gunn handled the portal situation effectively.
Fred asks if he was there.
Wes admits he read her article and noted it said she'd be speaking. He thought it was a very good article though he's not sure he understands how "Pauli repulsion is so readily reversed." He adds that's just a "layman's opinion."
Fred realizes Wes has been keeping tabs on her.
He concedes he has. They hold a look for a moment.
Wes breaks the gaze and gets back to the topic at hand, what to do about Professor Seidel. He wonders what Fred had planned for him.
She answers honestly, she hasn't considered it beyond causing him pain, that's why she came to Wes.
Wes quietly tells her everything Gunn and Angel said is true, vengeance doesn't come without a price. He says once something is done, there's no going back, "You have to live with your actions forever."
Fred has no qualms about it, pointing out the professor is a serial killer.
Wes agrees to help her. He gets up and walks to the bookshelf. He retrieves a book, telling Fred he's sure they can find an appropriate solution.
Fred walks up to him and stands close, looking over his shoulder.
Wesley looks back at her briefly, then returns to the book. He stops on a page, noting the contents to Fred, saying it was something practiced in ancient Egypt.
Fred looks at the page and asks, "Is that his tongue?"
Fred's cell phone rings. She looks at the display and sees a strange diagram of some sort.
A portal suddenly opens in Wesley's apartment, pulling Fred toward it.
Wes grabs her and pulls her away, sending them both flying over the back of the couch, onto the floor.
Cordelia gets thrown into Connor, sending them both to the floor, her on top. She looks at him a moment, thanks him, then gets back up.
They continue fighting vamps they've engaged and finish them off.
Cordelia is impressed with herself and very pleased by her success. She hugs Connor and initiates a kiss with him. That leads to more kissing.
Cordy seemingly realizes something isn't quite right about what she's doing and pulls back, putting her hand to her mouth, touching her fingertips to her lips.
At the hotel, Angel and Gunn discover Fred's room is empty. Gunn figures he should have known better than to believe she'd just let it go.
Angel knows Fred is going to kill Seidel.
Gunn fears the professor might kill Fred first. They know where she's headed.
Angel says he can get there faster on his own.
Gunn agrees, saying he'll meet him there.
Angel assures Gunn that Fred will be okay, then jumps out the window.
Fred and Wes are in his car, headed for Seidel's office. Fred is loading a crossbow.
Wes wants to be sure she remembers all the things they discussed.
She says she does, she's going to give the professor what he deserves. She owes Wes for that.
Wes is surprised Gunn isn't there no matter what the consequences, even though he does understand his position on this vengeance thing.
Fred doesn't think Gunn has it in him to do this which is part of why she loves him.
Wes tells her there's time to change her mind, she can back out if she thinks Gunn is right.
Fred responds it isn't about what's right. She tells him to pull the car over.
As Fred prepares to get out of the car, Wes notes that he would ask to accompany her.
Fred says he knows what the answer would be as she gets out and closes the door.
In his office, Seidel is packing things into a box.
Angel enters and wonders if he had plans to leave.
Seidel denies that as he retreats to the bookshelf.
Angel stalks toward him, throwing the desk out of his way as he approaches. He says he's sure prison inmates will enjoy Seidel's lectures.
The professor tells him to leave as he pulls a book from the shelf.
Angel says he can't, Fred is his friend and he didn't appreciate Seidel's plans for her.
Seidel doesn't think Angel has any evidence on him.
Angel believes he does and offers by the time he's through, he's thinking he'll have a full confession.
Seidel starts to recite an incantation from the book.
A demon exits a portal that appears near the bookshelf.
As Angel is busy with that, the professor makes a run for it.
Before he can get out of the lab, Seidel runs into Fred who smacks him in the face with the crossbow, knocking him to the floor. She greets him with, "You know what they say about payback? Well, I'm the bitch."
At Connor's place, Cordelia is folding some things, putting them away. Connor comes up behind her, puts his arms around her and asks if she'd like to train some more.
She stiffens up, removes his hands from her waist and tells him they need to talk. She takes him by the hand and leads him across the room. She tells him to sit down. She sits next to him. She tells him what happened before, when she kissed him, it shouldn't have happened.
Connor doesn't understand.
Cordy says she doesn't know who she is, where she belongs or who with. She notes a picture of him on the wall that's only eight months old and he's a baby in it. She says she has a lot to figure out. She apologizes.
Connor is upset, trying to hide it but not succeeding.
Cordy starts to say what she plans to do next.
Connor figures she's going back to Angel.
She says she just needs some time to think then leaves.
Connor punches the wall.
In the professor's office, Angel finishes off the demon, or so he thinks.
As he turns his back to its body lying on the floor and focuses on picking demon guts off of his coat, it grabs him by the leg, pulling him to the floor.
The demon gets up and tosses Angel against the wall.
Out in the lab, Fred points the crossbow at Seidel, advising him to stay where he's at.
He gets up, pleading with her to talk about what's going on.
Fred isn't interested in talking.
The professor says he knows her, he doesn't think she's capable of murder.
She assures him he doesn't know her at all, five years in a hell dimension has made her capable of anything.
In Seidel's office, Angel holds the demon's head in his hand as he looks at its headless corpse on the floor.
The demon gets back up.
Angel can't believe it, pointing out he's holding its head in his hand.
The demon grows a new head and attacks Angel again.
In the lab, Fred mentions finding it funny how threatened her professor was of her when she was a grad student. She reckons that's why he sent her and the others away, he didn't want the competition. She knows that's why Laurie is still around, she wasn't smart enough to be any threat.
Seidel asks her to let him go.
Fred says sure, she even has a farewell speech memorized. She starts to recite an incantation which opens a portal on the floor of the lab.
Seidel lies on top of a lab desk and hangs on, trying to keep from being sucked into the opening.
Gunn enters.
Fred tells him to go, pointing out he asked her not to kill the professor and she isn't. At least, not directly.
Gunn says she is, he won't survive being pulled through the maelstrom of the portal. He tries to take the crossbow from Fred who yells at him he doesn't know what it was like for her.
Gunn tells her they'll find another way to stop Seidel as the desk the professor is clinging to is pulled toward the portal.
Fred is certain if she doesn't stop him, he'll do to others what he did to her.
Gunn fears he'll lose Fred if she goes through with this.
Gunn breaks away from Fred and grabs onto Seidel's wrist as the desk is sucked out from under him into the portal. Gunn's action prevents the professor from going in with it.
Seidel gets to his feet and stands in front of Gunn, looking grateful.
Before he has a chance to say anything, Gunn snaps his neck and shoves his body into the portal. The portal closes.
A stunned Fred looks on.
A bruised Angel enters the lab and asks what happened to Seidel.
Gunn answers simply, "It's taken care of."
Angel, Fred and Gunn arrive back at the hotel. Angel says he wishes he could have seen Seidel's expression when he got "sucked into his own portal."
Neither Gunn or Fred want to discuss it further. They head upstairs.
Angel turns toward a noise and smiles as he sees Cordelia has entered the lobby. She asks him if they can talk.
They walk out into the courtyard and sit down.
Cordelia notices a cut on his face and suggests he have someone look at it. She reaches out to touch it.
He pulls back and tells her it'll be fine. He says he had a little fight with a Voynok demon and discovered they have nine lives.
Cordy says she knows they were friends and it's not just from pictures that she knows this. She understands he lied before to protect her. She mentions she staked a vamp earlier.
Angel starts to object to Connor taking her out hunting but she cuts him off saying she realizes she's still whoever she used to be. She didn't need protecting then and she doesn't now. She doesn't want anymore lies.
Angel agrees to that.
She says there's something she needs to know. She asks, "Were we in love?"
Site design ©2000 TAO Designz
All Rights Reserved
Written by: Elizabeth
Craft & Sarah Fain
|
Original Air Date: November 3, 2002 |
In Fred's room at the hotel, Fred shrieks and rushes
into Gunn's arms. Gunn congratulates her then asks her to give him
the magazine she's holding so he can read it for himself.
She hands it to him, telling him a page number, pointing out it's not a featured article but she's happy about it anyway.
Gunn starts to read the title of the article, "Supersymmetry --"
Fred finishes, "and P-Dimensional subspace". She says Gunn doesn't have to read it.
He assures her he wants to as he sits on the bed and starts to read it out loud, "In multidimensional superstring theory, distance scales inverted by T-Duality apply to heterotic theories --." He's clearly not understanding a word he's reading.
Fred starts kissing him and climbs on top of him.
Gunn puts the magazine aside as they make out on the bed.
She hands it to him, telling him a page number, pointing out it's not a featured article but she's happy about it anyway.
Gunn starts to read the title of the article, "Supersymmetry --"
Fred finishes, "and P-Dimensional subspace". She says Gunn doesn't have to read it.
He assures her he wants to as he sits on the bed and starts to read it out loud, "In multidimensional superstring theory, distance scales inverted by T-Duality apply to heterotic theories --." He's clearly not understanding a word he's reading.
Fred starts kissing him and climbs on top of him.
Gunn puts the magazine aside as they make out on the bed.
Lorne is resting in bed in his room as Angel serves him some food on a tray. Angel asks how he's doing.
Lorne says he's okay, he knows he's been a bit on edge the past few days but wonders if he just heard a scream.
Angel tells him it was Fred, he thinks "it's a Texas thing."
Lorne starts to eat something, then decides he really doesn't have an appetite as he sets the tray aside. Things have been a bit much for him with Cordy shacked up with Connor and the hole drilled into his head trauma.
Angel reckons the "slouching toward Bethlehem" thing is probably what's unnerving him.
Lorne says, "no."
Angel thinks it's good that's not what's upsetting him.
Lorne clarifies, he meant no to the question Angel was going to ask, he won't read Cordelia again. He has no interest in going back there, figuring it would just make him a target for W&H again and next time they might kill him. He points out he's not a "champion", just a "regular, old, karaoke singing, empath demon."
Angel hears something and moves toward the door.
Lorne asks what he heard.
Angel assures him it's probably just Fred as he walks out into the hall.
Lorne pulls an ax from under the covers, prepared to defend himself.
Angel walks down the hallway, following sounds coming from one of the rooms. He stops outside of the door, listens, then cautiously goes in.
He sees someone rifling through a box inside, grabs him and shoves him against the wall. He backs off when he realizes it's Connor. He apologizes.
Connor tells him he's "used to it" as he goes back to packing things up.
Angel tells him the front door is always open, he doesn't have to sneak in.
Connor continues going through boxes, telling Angel Cordelia wanted some of her things.
Angel wonders if Cordy has remembered anything.
Connor answers curtly, "Nothing about you."
Angel asks if she's alone.
Connor assures him she's safe, he can take care of her. He asks if he can leave.
Angel gets out of his way.
As Connor heads out, Angel calls after him. He suggests Connor take her slippers as he hands them to him saying, "her feet get cold."
Connor responds, "I know, she's always stealing the covers" and leaves.
Angel looks after him and swallows hard.
Angel comes downstairs into the lobby, headed for the office. Gunn suggests he not go in, saying that Fred is wound up tightly, she kept him up all night.
Angel doesn't really want the details as he looks into the office and sees a very animated Fred, reciting her paper to Lorne.
Gunn says she was "unstoppable" as Fred bounds out of the office, into the lobby.
Angel tells Gunn he really doesn't want to hear about it.
Fred excitedly asks Angel if Gunn told him.
Angel, thinking she's talking about their having had sex all night, uncomfortably says that he "didn't describe it."
Fred tells him she's been asked to present her article at the physics institute. She's always found P-Dimensional subspace to be a fascinating subject.
Angel realizes she's not talking about what he thinks she was talking about but the subject matter is totally confusing.
She asks if she can practice her presentation for them, she thinks Lorne is tired.
She runs back into the office.
Lorne isn't all that happy she's returned.
Gunn tells Angel she was at it all night then adds with a smile, "Well, mostly that."
Angel wonders when Fred got back into physics.
Gunn says she didn't want anyone to know about it yet. He thinks she was afraid she might have lost her talent for it.
Angel notes she's apparently over that fear now as he and Gunn head for the office.
Angel and Gunn join Fred and Lorne in the office. Fred says her article is just "a little breakthrough on quantum particles", nothing major. She starts to doubt herself, figuring her theory will be quickly disproved, it' s just that it was a dream of hers to make some kind of discovery. She thinks she sounds silly.
Angel realizes this is important to her and assures her it doesn't sound silly at all.
Fred explains she wanted the people she respected to notice her but she got pulled into the portal to Pylea and when she was a "cow-slave" she didn't want anyone to notice her.
Gunn reckons she'll be noticed now.
Fred, nervous, looks out at Lorne, Angel and Gunn. She says she needs to practice. She asks if they'll be at her presentation.
Lorne shoots Angel a glance.
Gunn offers an exuberant assurance they'll be there to "cheer you on."
Angel doesn't say anything.
Lorne points out Connor dropped by the night before.
Gunn hopes he wasn't there to apologize, he isn't interested.
Angel tells them Connor came to pick up some of Cordy's stuff.
Fred says Cordelia is just trying to piece things together. She's sure things will work out for the best.
Angel isn't so sure.
Fred says that in spite of five years "of unendurable torture and mental anguish" in Pylea, she wouldn't have been able to figure out her "string compactification theory" if she hadn't been pulled through a portal.
Gunn tries to be helpful, pointing out that makes sense because, "you know -- strings need to -- compactify."
Angel and Lorne are as lost as he is.
Wes is at his apartment, reading Fred's magazine article. He rises to answer a knock at the door. He opens the door and greets Lilah, who offers a large box tied up with a bow.
Wes takes it, assuming it's a bribe. He caustically notes that was a thoughtful gesture.
Lilah comes inside the apartment, removes her coat and lays it aside.
Wes figures this is a setup of some sort.
Lilah tells him it's just a gift, then suggests he open it.
Wes sets the box down, removes the lid and removes the contents, a helmet from a suit of armor. He examines it.
Lilah figures it was an appropriate choice since they've been "butting heads" a bit lately.
Wes notes it must have been very costly.
Lilah concedes it was as she takes it from him and sets it down. She figures Wes can find a way to thank her, it should take several hours. She kisses him, stopping to mention she took the afternoon off from work. She starts to unbutton his shirt.
He takes her by the wrists and moves her hands away, telling her he has to go. He picks up his coat, thanks her for the gift and leaves.
A frustrated Lilah picks up her coat and notices the magazine article Wesley had been reading, Fred's theory.
Cordelia looks over some pictures from AI on the wall at Connor's place; pictures of her with Gunn and Fred, her and Wesley. She tacks up a photo of her and Lorne then asks Connor why no pictures of Angel.
Connor answers he couldn't find any.
She says that's okay, he got the other important stuff. She thinks the place is looking more like home with her personal things adorning the room.
She looks around, feeling like something is still missing.
Connor picks up a small ax and hands it to her. He asks how it feels.
She doesn't understand what he's getting at.
He thinks perhaps she misses the "thrill of the kill", pointing out she used to hunt demons.
Cordy isn't sure she believes that.
He assures her it's true, she just needs to get in some practice. He offers to train her.
Cordelia looks concerned and asks, "What should I wear?"
Angel, Fred and Gunn arrive at the physics institute where she'll be delivering her speech. Gunn looks at the crowd and wonders if they're all there to see Fred.
She reminds him she's not the main attraction, just a minor speaker. She sees a schedule posted on a column and panics, noting the names of the two men between whom she'll be speaking.
Neither Gunn or Angel understands her reaction.
She puts it into sports terms, trying to clarify.
Angel and Gunn get it now. She's in the big leagues. They're impressed.
Fred is certain some mistake has been made.
Gunn is sure her theory about "particles and -- stuff" is going to be a hit.
Fred worries what happens if her theory is incorrect. She notices someone in the crowd and calls out to Professor Seidel. She rushes over to greet him.
Seidel tells the woman he's standing with that he'll meet her back at the lab.
Gunn and Angel join Fred.
The professor notes it's been a couple of years "or so" since he's seen Fred.
She answers the emphasis is on the "or so". She's happy to see him. She nervously asks if he's going to be attending her speech.
He tells her he'll be the one introducing her which makes her even more uncomfortable. He assures her she's done good work, she has no reason to be concerned.
Gunn emphatically clears his throat.
Fred remembers he and Angel are there and introduces the professor to them. She says she was going to major in history until she took the professor's physics class, that changed her life.
Seidel tells them Fred was a natural, "by the end of the first semester she was taking on wimps." [W.I.M.P.S.]
Gunn smiles and says she has a killer left hook now.
Fred interjects "W.I.M.P.S. are Weakly Interactive Massive Particles."
Gunn realizes he just made a slight fool of himself and tries to cover by laughing weakly and claiming he was making a joke.
The professor and Fred indulge in physics talk.
Angel looks on, confused. He decides to go into the auditorium and find a seat.
Seidel asks Fred to stop by his office, he'd like to discuss her theory.
She wonders if tomorrow would be okay.
He agrees that would be fine, saying he has questions about how "Kaluza-Klein models" fit with her theory.
Fred walks away with the professor, continuing that conversation.
Gunn looks on, clearly out of place and not comfortable with it.
Angel takes a seat in the auditorium and notices Wesley sitting in the back.
Fred and the professor enter, Gunn following. Seidel stops to introduce Fred to other academics.
Gunn waits briefly, then takes a seat next to Angel in the auditorium. Gunn figures he's going to need a translator for this speech.
Angel suggests he not look to him for that, he's just as lost as Gunn is.
Gunn wonders if Angel would mind telling that to Fred. He thinks if she knows they're "both stupid" he'll be less conspicuous.
Professor Seidel steps up to the podium to introduce Fred.
Gunn and Wesley both look on proudly while the professor goes on with his introduction.
Lilah enters the auditorium, an arrival that doesn't go unnoticed by Angel.
Seidel finishes his introduction. Fred steps up to the podium. The crowd applauds.
Angel continues keeping an eye on Lilah who remains in the aisle beside the entrance.
Fred begins her presentation.
Lilah watches Wes as he seems totally absorbed in what Fred is saying. Lilah takes a call on her cell phone and steps out of the auditorium.
Angel watches, wondering what she's up to.
As Fred continues her speech, the space above her begins to shimmer. The crowd screams as a portal opens.
Several tentacles extend from the portal, each ending with a serpent's head and a mouthful of sharp teeth. The tentacles attack Fred.
As they begin to wrap around her and lift her toward the portal, Angel and Gunn rush to the stage. The crowd scrambles for the exits.
As Gunn tries to pull Fred back down to the floor, Angel attacks the tentacle beast with a microphone stand, stabbing at it.
In the auditorium, a young guy remains behind, snapping pictures of what's happening on-stage.
One of the tentacles wraps around Angel's neck and lifts him off of the floor. Angel points out trying to strangle a vampire isn't a very smart battle tactic as he pulls a knife and cuts himself loose.
That causes the other tentacles to let go of Fred as well. She lands on the floor, on top of Gunn.
The tentacles retreat back into the portal which closes.
Wes stands off to the side, armed with a large knife, prepared to help. He sees it's not necessary.
Gunn comforts Fred, assuring her she's okay, it's over.
Lilah pulls her convertible into an underground parking garage. A large section of the roof above her head is suddenly peeled back. She stops the car and pokes her head out the hole in the roof.
Angel notes that's pretty neat how the top just comes off like that.
Lilah rolls her eyes, drops down through the hole and gets out of her car. She reminds Angel that if he's there about what happened to Lorne, she could have easily had him killed. She didn't. She's wondering why she doesn't get a thanks for that.
Angel tells her they'll get to that but first he wonders what Lilah knows about the portal that opened during Fred's speech, coincidentally just after Lilah left the auditorium.
Lilah is surprised to hear it. She asks if "tragedy struck Gidget?" She wonders if she got killed.
Angel tells her he and Gunn handled it but he's sure if they hadn't, Lilah's "good friend Wesley would have stepped right in."
Lilah points out it's highly unlikely that if she was going to "kill the twig" she'd have done it in front of a crowd of people, making an obvious exit so she'd look even more suspicious.
Angel thinks it sounds just like W&H.
Lilah shrugs.
Angel realizes she's telling the truth, someone else deserves the blame this time.
Lilah sarcastically notes he's a quick study and gets back into her car.
Angel leans over, looks through the open window and tells her they will have a conversation about what happened to Lorne.
Lilah points out his "idle threats" aren't very impressive, considering they're so "idle."
He hangs his hand through the opening in her car roof and wiggles his fingers. He wonders if she remembers his ripping her car in half.
She smiles and answers, "Yeah, yeah. Hulk smash.." She hits the gas, causing the tires to screech as she takes off.
In Fred's room at the hotel, Gunn rolls over and wakes to notice Fred isn't in bed. She's mumbling, writing physics equations on the wall.
Gunn calls to her, gets out of bed and approaches her. He tries to lighten things up, saying he never liked the paint anyway. He thinks redoing the place is a good idea, make it more theirs.
Fred stops writing and turns to him. She says she couldn't sleep.
Gunn points out portals, demons, that stuff happens. It doesn't mean she'll be pulled back to Pylea.
Fred says she sees it all over again, whenever she closes her eyes. She remembers being pulled through the portal, her five years of hell in Pylea. She gets more upset, telling Gunn he can never understand what that was like.
He assures her she will never go back there. She's safe.
Fred says she was safe in the library until she opened that book and started reading from it.
Gunn asks her to return to bed as he gently draws her toward it. He's sure things will look better in the morning.
Fred isn't sure of that, remembering she has an appointment with her former professor tomorrow. She's upset, afraid things are different now because he saw the portal. She's worried what he might think.
Gunn reckons the professor thinks Fred is brilliant, just like he does.
As they get back into bed, Fred says she doesn't want Seidel to see her "like this."
Gunn promises there's nothing wrong with her, "like this or any other way." He tells her to go to her appointment, forget what's happened and talk about "strings or wimps or whatever." He assures her he and Angel will handle the portal/demon stuff, kisses her on the shoulder then wraps his arm around her, pulling her close.
Gunn comes downstairs and finds the lobby full of chairs. Angel tells him "you were there" as he looks at one of the chairs.
Gunn takes a seat and asks what's going on.
As the room changes to the auditorium from the night before, Angel recalls who was sitting where, what was going on. He remembers the young guy sitting behind them, an older guy, a young woman in black.
Gunn wonders why he's never done this trick before.
Angel says it's not automatic, it just "kicked in" when he saw Lilah.
Gunn is surprised to hear she was there and figures she was responsible for opening the portal.
Angel remembers Lilah staring at Wes and tells Gunn she was just stalking Wesley.
Gunn is also surprised to hear Wes was there.
Angel says "he was waiting."
Gunn thinks he's talking about Wesley.
Angel clarifies, he's referring to the young guy who was sitting behind them. He recalls the guy was wearing a T-shirt that said "Thwack" on it and he was taking pictures.
Gunn thinks he knows where to find the guy and starts out.
Angel points out it's daylight, he needs to get a coat.
Gunn suggests he hurry and do it, he wants to find out what's happening so he can help Fred.
Angel and Gunn confront the guy at his place of business, a comic book store called "Thwack." Gunn pushes him around a bit.
The guy asks Angel if Gunn is going to hurt him.
Gunn puts the situation into comic book terms, citing a specific issue, defining himself as "Bullseye" and the guy as "Electra". He points out one lives and one doesn't. He wonders if the guy understands.
The guy gets it.
Angel looks on, clueless about the references.
Gunn wants to know why the guy was taking pictures of Fred.
The guy points out that the ceiling above her seemed to be coming apart.
Angel wants to know why the guy was there in the first place, he doesn't seem like a physics groupie.
The guy answers he wanted to see if it was true that Fred was one of the students who had disappeared.
Gunn notices the "one of" mention.
Fred is discussing portals with Professor Seidel as they walk toward his office. She tells him Pylea is a hell dimension, "not as bad as Quor-toth" but she probably would have died if Angel and the others hadn't rescued her.
Seidel says he deals in theories, he's open to the possibility that other dimensions exist, but notes she actually has names for them.
Fred understands, saying it took some time for her to accept it as well and she's been in one.
As they approach the professor's office, he introduces her to a mousy blonde woman wearing glasses, Laurie Drummond.
Fred remembers she used to be a T.A. in Higher Energy Physics.
Laurie nervously notes she still is, they can't all be geniuses.
Seidel says he'd be lost without her.
Laurie welcomes Fred back.
The professor heads into his office, Fred follows.
In his office, Seidel goes to a file cabinet and opens a drawer. He tells Fred he's been holding something for her. He retrieves a paper from the cabinet and hands it to her, her final test before she disappeared.
She notes with disappointment that the paper was graded A-.
Seidel tells her if it had been any other student, it would have been A+ but he had to use a different standard for her.
She wishes she'd known that sooner.
Seidel would like another chance to teach her. He believes she has a gift, he doesn't want her to waste it.
Fred notes it's been a long time. She enjoyed writing the article, but she has another life now.
Seidel offers it sounds like it's a life she "stumbled into", not one of her own choosing.
Fred thinks it's more like the life chose her.
The professor notes he isn't sure what he saw while Fred was giving her speech, maybe "subconscious suggestion, mass hysteria", but he knows what he sees in front of him. He sees a gifted woman "who deserves to live in the world she was meant for."
Angel and Gunn are still at the comic book store. Angel is leafing through a comic.
The guy says they know how it is, you hear things from a friend of a friend of a friend, you don't know if they're true or not.
Gunn knows how that is, like the story about "the girl, the cat and the peanut butter."
Angel tells him that one is true.
Gunn looks at him, expecting further explanation.
Angel just says it's a "long story."
Comic book guy recognizes Angel. He says there are message forums and chat rooms dedicated to him, he's stunned to discover he actually exists.
Angel's ego likes the stroke.
Gunn reminds him why they're there. They want to know about the student disappearances.
The guy says that apparently three students disappeared before Fred did, then one after her.
Angel asks what he knows about the students.
He says they were all "science types". He doesn't think it sounds like average kidnappings. He anxiously offers to help, suggesting he could be an "intern."
Gunn tells him they have enough interns but "the decoder ring's in the mail."
As Gunn heads out, Angel follows, bubbling about being the topic of discussion in "chatty rooms."
In Professor Seidel's office, he suggests Fred read "Quantum Cryptography" as he pulls a book from the shelf.
Laurie interrupts Fred and the professor's meeting, telling him he has something to take care of.
He places the book back on the shelf. Before leaving, he asks Fred to write down her number for him, he doesn't want to lose contact with her again. He departs, leaving Fred alone in the office.
Fred writes down her number then scans the bookshelf. She notes one book that seems to be out of place in the collection. She removes it and leafs through it, something about the illustrations upsets her.
She stops when she comes to an illustration of a portal opening with tentacles extending from it. She hears Seidel returning and quickly returns the book to the shelf.
At the hotel, Angel is working on the computer as Gunn looks on. They discover the students that disappeared all had one thing in common, Professor Oliver Seidel.
Gunn panics realizing Fred is with the guy. He starts to head out of the office. He stops when he sees Fred enter.
Gunn is grateful she's okay. He starts to tell her about the professor being responsible for what happened during her speech.
She already knows. She also knows there were others.
Angel confirms that other students have disappeared.
Fred clarifies, she meant that he did it to her before. He was the one responsible for her trip to Pylea.
Gunn is surprised to hear that.
Angel assures Fred they'll get Seidel for what he's done.
Gunn adds to that, saying "he's gonna pay."
Fred responds, "No, he's gonna die."
Gunn wants to know what she means by that.
Fred isn't sure yet, but it will be about pain. She goes to the lobby weapons cabinet, opens it and looks over the selection. She pulls a halberd from the cabinet, thinking that could work. She gets more worked up as she considers how to inflict the most agony which she figures he more than deserves for what he did to her.
She retrieves a flail from the cabinet, wondering if a "flail whipping" will kill him slowly as she twirls it, causing Angel and Gunn to back away a bit.
Angel confirms it could take several hours, "if it's done right." He hurriedly adds that she shouldn't be doing it at all as he cautiously takes the flail from her.
Fred continues holding the halberd as she rants about Seidel the killer smiling at her, telling her how gifted she is and how much he wants to teach her. She looks at the halberd and notes there is going to be a lesson as she makes chopping motions in the air with it, her eyes wild.
Gunn approaches her, telling her to calm down.
An irate Fred tells him that she idolized the man and he sent her to a hell dimension. She wonders how many others he sentenced to that same fate, how many that didn't make it back. She tells Gunn she'll calm down when Seidel is dead.
Gunn says there was a time he would have done it himself, but not now. This isn't what they do. He reaches out to take the halberd from her, she pulls back, keeping it.
Fred tells him they "kill monsters all the time."
Gunn reminds her they help people. He knows she'll have to live with a whole different breed of demons if she goes through with this, not the kind that can be killed, the kind a person can't escape.
Fred tells him he's wrong.
Angel tells her Gunn is right, no matter what she feels now, it won't compare to what she'll feel and have to deal with afterward.
Gunn says everything she's saying goes against what she believes in, what they believe in. He knows she idolized the man but he doesn't want her to let him define who she has become.
Gunn extends his hand and asks for the halberd.
Fred hands it over, apologizing for losing control.
Gunn offers to make her some cocoa.
She declines the offer, saying she wants to lay down "for a few days." She heads upstairs.
Gunn asks Angel what they're going to do to the professor.
Angel doesn't know, but he suggests they do it quickly.
Gunn knows they need to do something before Fred changes her mind because "vengeance can get ugly."
At Wesley's place, he tells Fred vengeance sounds good as he returns to the living room with a couple of bottles. He pops the top and hands one to Fred.
Fred says Angel and Gunn want her to "turn the other cheek like a good girl." She doesn't understand their attitude considering they were there, they saw the portal opening, they know what Seidel is capable of.
Wes notes that Angel and Gunn handled the portal situation effectively.
Fred asks if he was there.
Wes admits he read her article and noted it said she'd be speaking. He thought it was a very good article though he's not sure he understands how "Pauli repulsion is so readily reversed." He adds that's just a "layman's opinion."
Fred realizes Wes has been keeping tabs on her.
He concedes he has. They hold a look for a moment.
Wes breaks the gaze and gets back to the topic at hand, what to do about Professor Seidel. He wonders what Fred had planned for him.
She answers honestly, she hasn't considered it beyond causing him pain, that's why she came to Wes.
Wes quietly tells her everything Gunn and Angel said is true, vengeance doesn't come without a price. He says once something is done, there's no going back, "You have to live with your actions forever."
Fred has no qualms about it, pointing out the professor is a serial killer.
Wes agrees to help her. He gets up and walks to the bookshelf. He retrieves a book, telling Fred he's sure they can find an appropriate solution.
Fred walks up to him and stands close, looking over his shoulder.
Wesley looks back at her briefly, then returns to the book. He stops on a page, noting the contents to Fred, saying it was something practiced in ancient Egypt.
Fred looks at the page and asks, "Is that his tongue?"
Fred's cell phone rings. She looks at the display and sees a strange diagram of some sort.
A portal suddenly opens in Wesley's apartment, pulling Fred toward it.
Wes grabs her and pulls her away, sending them both flying over the back of the couch, onto the floor.
Cordelia gets thrown into Connor, sending them both to the floor, her on top. She looks at him a moment, thanks him, then gets back up.
They continue fighting vamps they've engaged and finish them off.
Cordelia is impressed with herself and very pleased by her success. She hugs Connor and initiates a kiss with him. That leads to more kissing.
Cordy seemingly realizes something isn't quite right about what she's doing and pulls back, putting her hand to her mouth, touching her fingertips to her lips.
At the hotel, Angel and Gunn discover Fred's room is empty. Gunn figures he should have known better than to believe she'd just let it go.
Angel knows Fred is going to kill Seidel.
Gunn fears the professor might kill Fred first. They know where she's headed.
Angel says he can get there faster on his own.
Gunn agrees, saying he'll meet him there.
Angel assures Gunn that Fred will be okay, then jumps out the window.
Fred and Wes are in his car, headed for Seidel's office. Fred is loading a crossbow.
Wes wants to be sure she remembers all the things they discussed.
She says she does, she's going to give the professor what he deserves. She owes Wes for that.
Wes is surprised Gunn isn't there no matter what the consequences, even though he does understand his position on this vengeance thing.
Fred doesn't think Gunn has it in him to do this which is part of why she loves him.
Wes tells her there's time to change her mind, she can back out if she thinks Gunn is right.
Fred responds it isn't about what's right. She tells him to pull the car over.
As Fred prepares to get out of the car, Wes notes that he would ask to accompany her.
Fred says he knows what the answer would be as she gets out and closes the door.
In his office, Seidel is packing things into a box.
Angel enters and wonders if he had plans to leave.
Seidel denies that as he retreats to the bookshelf.
Angel stalks toward him, throwing the desk out of his way as he approaches. He says he's sure prison inmates will enjoy Seidel's lectures.
The professor tells him to leave as he pulls a book from the shelf.
Angel says he can't, Fred is his friend and he didn't appreciate Seidel's plans for her.
Seidel doesn't think Angel has any evidence on him.
Angel believes he does and offers by the time he's through, he's thinking he'll have a full confession.
Seidel starts to recite an incantation from the book.
A demon exits a portal that appears near the bookshelf.
As Angel is busy with that, the professor makes a run for it.
Before he can get out of the lab, Seidel runs into Fred who smacks him in the face with the crossbow, knocking him to the floor. She greets him with, "You know what they say about payback? Well, I'm the bitch."
At Connor's place, Cordelia is folding some things, putting them away. Connor comes up behind her, puts his arms around her and asks if she'd like to train some more.
She stiffens up, removes his hands from her waist and tells him they need to talk. She takes him by the hand and leads him across the room. She tells him to sit down. She sits next to him. She tells him what happened before, when she kissed him, it shouldn't have happened.
Connor doesn't understand.
Cordy says she doesn't know who she is, where she belongs or who with. She notes a picture of him on the wall that's only eight months old and he's a baby in it. She says she has a lot to figure out. She apologizes.
Connor is upset, trying to hide it but not succeeding.
Cordy starts to say what she plans to do next.
Connor figures she's going back to Angel.
She says she just needs some time to think then leaves.
Connor punches the wall.
In the professor's office, Angel finishes off the demon, or so he thinks.
As he turns his back to its body lying on the floor and focuses on picking demon guts off of his coat, it grabs him by the leg, pulling him to the floor.
The demon gets up and tosses Angel against the wall.
Out in the lab, Fred points the crossbow at Seidel, advising him to stay where he's at.
He gets up, pleading with her to talk about what's going on.
Fred isn't interested in talking.
The professor says he knows her, he doesn't think she's capable of murder.
She assures him he doesn't know her at all, five years in a hell dimension has made her capable of anything.
In Seidel's office, Angel holds the demon's head in his hand as he looks at its headless corpse on the floor.
The demon gets back up.
Angel can't believe it, pointing out he's holding its head in his hand.
The demon grows a new head and attacks Angel again.
In the lab, Fred mentions finding it funny how threatened her professor was of her when she was a grad student. She reckons that's why he sent her and the others away, he didn't want the competition. She knows that's why Laurie is still around, she wasn't smart enough to be any threat.
Seidel asks her to let him go.
Fred says sure, she even has a farewell speech memorized. She starts to recite an incantation which opens a portal on the floor of the lab.
Seidel lies on top of a lab desk and hangs on, trying to keep from being sucked into the opening.
Gunn enters.
Fred tells him to go, pointing out he asked her not to kill the professor and she isn't. At least, not directly.
Gunn says she is, he won't survive being pulled through the maelstrom of the portal. He tries to take the crossbow from Fred who yells at him he doesn't know what it was like for her.
Gunn tells her they'll find another way to stop Seidel as the desk the professor is clinging to is pulled toward the portal.
Fred is certain if she doesn't stop him, he'll do to others what he did to her.
Gunn fears he'll lose Fred if she goes through with this.
Gunn breaks away from Fred and grabs onto Seidel's wrist as the desk is sucked out from under him into the portal. Gunn's action prevents the professor from going in with it.
Seidel gets to his feet and stands in front of Gunn, looking grateful.
Before he has a chance to say anything, Gunn snaps his neck and shoves his body into the portal. The portal closes.
A stunned Fred looks on.
A bruised Angel enters the lab and asks what happened to Seidel.
Gunn answers simply, "It's taken care of."
Angel, Fred and Gunn arrive back at the hotel. Angel says he wishes he could have seen Seidel's expression when he got "sucked into his own portal."
Neither Gunn or Fred want to discuss it further. They head upstairs.
Angel turns toward a noise and smiles as he sees Cordelia has entered the lobby. She asks him if they can talk.
They walk out into the courtyard and sit down.
Cordelia notices a cut on his face and suggests he have someone look at it. She reaches out to touch it.
He pulls back and tells her it'll be fine. He says he had a little fight with a Voynok demon and discovered they have nine lives.
Cordy says she knows they were friends and it's not just from pictures that she knows this. She understands he lied before to protect her. She mentions she staked a vamp earlier.
Angel starts to object to Connor taking her out hunting but she cuts him off saying she realizes she's still whoever she used to be. She didn't need protecting then and she doesn't now. She doesn't want anymore lies.
Angel agrees to that.
She says there's something she needs to know. She asks, "Were we in love?"
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