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And now finally, the Season 4 finale, hope you all enjoy.
Chapter 110- Home
"End of the year", Buffy sighed, finally turning the recording on.
Angel, Wesley, Lorne, Fred and Gunn stared at the smirking Lilah as she asked for ice water. Wesley was in disbelief as Lilah told him. "There's a signed dollar bill in your wallet that says different." Wesley said. "It's a lie." "-lah. It's a Lilah." Lilah responded before asking Angel to confirm and he did, Wesley absorbing the implications.
"Lie-lah, good word play there", Willow said as everyone chuckled a little there.
"She is one of those people you can't win against verbally", Rosenberg said in agreement.
"Guess trying isn't an option either", Dawnster quipped.
"Nope", Summers shook her head.
Lilah said she wasn't a Vampire as she'd been dead before Angelus drank from her, and Wesley had made sure she'd be spared just in case, removing her collar to show a scar from her recent decapitation as Wesley recoiled at the sight and she assured. "It's okay lover. I never felt a thing." Wesley replied. "I'm sure that's true."
"It's not", Tara said. "She did, you did, and it's fine."
"They still do", Maclay told them.
"Guess so", Xander sighed. While he finally understood it now, he didn't like it.
Angel revealed Lilah's contract extended beyond her death and Lilah said she was here to give them an offer of a lifetime, just not hers.
"Is the offer what I'm thinking?" Buffy asked, as they did know what Team Angel had done recently.
"Yep, it's that", Harris nodded in confirmation.
"So she offers and they take it?" Giles asked.
"It's not that simple, now just watch why", Summers told him, and he realized him acting judgmental won't do him any favors here.
Later, all stared at Lilah in shock as Gunn asked to run it by them once more, and Lilah clarified they'd offered them the LA branch of Wolfram & Hart. The Senior Partners had ceded the territory to them, and giving the branch up proved it, they got it all. Fred pointed out the Beast had destroyed it but Lilah said it was now re-staffed, zombie-free, and bigger, better, shinier than ever. Gunn said they weren't lawyers and Fred added they weren't evil either, and Lilah said they were offering, what Team Angel did was up to them.
"So, it's all back now, as if it had never been destroyed?" Xander asked.
"Yup, it's like it was always standing", Harris confirmed.
"So, why the offer exactly?" Buffy asked.
"They couldn't corrupt Angel and the rest, now they think giving up their power would do it", Summers revealed, surprising them a little.
"I'm guessing their reasons for accepting weren't that exactly", Willow said.
"No, that's different", Maclay confirmed.
Lilah said it was a reward. "Ending world peace. We were really on the precipice there. I mean, a bona fide goddess incarnates, is inches from eliminating all violence, hate and litigation from the planet, and you five— with an assist from sonny boy— manage to undo it all. Way to go." Wesley and Angel pointed out the bad she was doing and she said. "World peace comes at a price. Jasmine understood that. She consumed, what? A couple dozen souls a day? Now weigh that against ending the suffering of millions. But you fixed that." Fred was incredulous as Lilah walked to the door, saying a limo would be outside just before dawn. She said they did a good job and flashing a thumbs up, left, as Fred asked. "We ended a nefarious global domination scheme, not world peace, right?"
"What you ended was a nefarious global domination scheme disguised as world peace", Giles clarified to all of them.
"Jasmine made the world worship her and stopped bad stuff when she was around while eating some", Rosenberg said. "But she wanted to rule, she called it world peace, but she wanted to rule. But by doing what she did, she has ensured there will be chaos without her."
"So she did something that will make everyone hate those who saved them from world domination", Buffy summed up for them all.
"I think that sums it up", Dawnster nodded in agreement.
LA was in a collective breakdown, a woman weeping, a couple fighting, a trash can being thrown through a window as looters took what they liked. Connor moved, lost in thought, not paying attention, and saw a man standing on the edge of a rooftop. He was a cop. Connor approached with caution, as he wanted to find what was lost, and he held the gun to his head, but Connor assured what he was feeling wouldn't last. Connor helped the cop holster the gun, asking to go home and not do anything stupid, and he agreed, saying he'd a home.
"That was so much like….." Buffy trailed off.
"Angel?" Summers asked and she nodded.
"He is trying to channel his inner Angel now", Dawn told them.
"Well, he seems to be succeeding", Tara said, hope in her voice.
"Don't be so sure", Summers warned, and now they paled.
The cop took out his wallet, holding a photo of his wife and daughter, and now Connor started losing it because the man was about to leave his family. The man apologized, saying he wasn't thinking, and Connor turned to walk after studying him, then suddenly decked the guy, sending him down, and pummeled him for trying to leave his family.
"What the hell?" Dawnster said in horror, speaking for the past people.
"He has just…lost it, hasn't he?" Willow asked the future people.
"Yes", Maclay nodded. "And he feels that Angel left him too, back when he was a baby, and Darla as well."
"And now when he saw the cop trying to leave his family-" Giles started.
"It undid the little progress", Buffy groaned. "He sounded so much like Angel a second ago."
"When you've gone through the things he has, it is near impossible to come back", Rosenberg said as they looked at Connor sadly.
At Hyperion, Wesley was looking at books and maps, trying to deduce where Cordelia and Connor were. Gunn then said he was thinking of Lilah's offer, and after seeing Wesley's look, said it wouldn't have been easy for him to see Lilah. Wesley agreed it was awkward that one would decapitate a loved one, then wouldn't expect them to come visiting. Gunn noted he'd called her 'loved one' and he called it figure of speech.
"Is it really?" Tara asked.
"It's not, and he is gonna show it soon", Summers said, grabbing their interest again.
Fred cleaned and bandaged Angel's wounds as Wesley, Lorne and Gunn arrived, telling about the situation outside, and Gunn almost mentioned the offer but Angel wasn't interested, saying the decision to get into the limo was theirs, but they'd be corrupted before crossing through the doors. He decided to go find his son, and the others all went their separate ways, deciding to retire for the night.
"Yes, they would be corrupted", Giles agreed there.
"Only if they let power seduce them, they are stronger than that", Rosenberg said to him.
"They're all considering it, aren't they?" Willow asked.
"Yes, they are", Maclay confirmed with a nod.
Fred later tiptoed out in the dark hotel, slipping on her shoes and arriving outside, seeing a black limo in the wait, and Wesley was there too, saying the limo had been there since before he arrived. Fred had thought she'd be the only one, and Wesley had known he wouldn't be alone, but he hadn't thought Fred would consider. Gunn was there too, he and Fred agreeing they should know if W&H were up to something. They walked out, and found Angel leaning against the wall outside the gate too. He walked to the limo, opening the back door as music blasted out from where Lorne sat, drinking and munching on snacks, and after chatting with the driver, he greeted the rest.
"Wow, didn't expect Lorne to go first", Dawnster commented.
"He is of the same mind as the rest, he wants to see what they're really doing", Summers told them all.
"And it is just an offer at face value, right?" Giles asked.
"Yes, at face value, of course they want to corrupt, but that'll happen after the offer's done", Harris pointed out.
"So, right now, it's not the worst", Buffy said. She remembered she did have a talk with Angel when they'd regrouped at Hyperion after defeating the First, and she'd told him she wasn't sure, but she'd still give him the benefit of the doubt.
The elevator of Wolfram & Hart opened as Angel and his team stepped in, the vast atrium bustling with attorneys and admin personnel, all going to work. The ones closest to Angel and his team greeted him too as Angel said this wouldn't go well. Lilah walked to them with 4 employees- Lacey Shephard, a beautiful super-model type, Rutherford SIrk, an older Englishman, Knox, a science geek in a lab coat and Preston, a slick talent agent.
Buffy looked at Knox with narrowed eyes. He looked…..familiar, she just couldn't place it yet due to not seeing him closely.
"It's like the Beast had never attacked", Xander commented.
"Yeah, their resources are that good", Dawn told him.
"So, time for the tour", Willow muttered.
Angel noted there were separate guides and she said all had different fields of expertise. Angel called it 'divide and conquer' and wanted a tour together, but Gunn wanted Lacey, as a guy brought weapons on a cart, Lilah saying they could take the tour armed if they wanted, and assured they may have tried to kill or corrupt the team before, but they could still be trusted, and would have killed them in the limo if they wanted. Lorne agreed as Wesley said they'd honored deals before, so they could be trusted this time. Fred took a full-auto H&K MP-5, slapping in a magazine and chambering a round.
"I think they do have a point there, as evil as the firm is, they have some honor to them", Giles said. "Not that I support this."
"Neither do I", Xander said.
"Well, at least one of them picked up weapons", Dawnster shrugged.
Preston pumped Lorne's hand enthusiastically, deciding to show him the entertainment division, and Lorne first said they represented pure evil before looking at the portfolio to see there were many he always wanted to meet, and left with him as Wesley and Sirk shook hands, Lilah saying they'd have a lot in common. Wesley glanced at Lilah and followed Sirk as Lilah introduced Gunn and Lacey, saying they'd nothing in common, and she led him away as Gunn asked if she'd corrupt him and she suggestively said she wouldn't dream of it. Lilah introduced Fred to Knox and she awkwardly juggled her gun while shaking his hand as Knox led Fred away.
"Oh my God! It's…" Buffy trailed off.
"Holden Webster, yeah", Summers confirmed with a nod.
"Who's Holden Webster?" Tara asked, confused.
"He's a Vampire I once met during patrol, he was newly born, Spike had sired him while being controlled by the First", Buffy told the rest.
"I think I remember the name. He was with us in Sunnydale High!" Willow said.
"So, how do you remember him exactly?" Dawnster asked.
"He wasn't the worst, I guess, he gave me some therapy and advice while we fought, but then I had to stake him", Buffy said with a sigh.
"A Vampire actually giving therapy?" Giles asked in surprise.
"What? You think the Council is an unbiased source when it comes to Vamps?" Rosenberg asked Giles, and he realized she did have a point there. [1]
"So, this isn't the same guy, right?" Dawn asked.
"No, because we staked him", Summers said, sharing a look with Buffy.
"So, a doppelganger then", Buffy said.
"Looks like it", Harris shrugged.
"I mean, stranger things have happened than 2 people looking alike", Maclay pointed out.
"It's like Billy and that cop", Dawnster pointed and Buffy nodded, conceding.
"Guess so, let's roll with it", Xander said.
Lilah called Angel 'Charlie' and said she'd show him around the 'Chocolate Factory'. Connor sat alone on a bench eating an ice cream cone. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, his knee bounced nervously as he watched the customers walk past. He focused on the families, scenes of domestic bliss. But little by little he saw worse: a kid got a slap upside the head; a happy couple started arguing. Connor saw through the illusion to the heart of the lie all around him. Finally he rose and slammed his hand down on the bench, cracking it.
Dawnster and Xander actually jumped at that, while the rest didn't say a word, watching tensely, knowing something really bad was coming now, even if they couldn't tell what.
Gunn followed Lacey and commented they were isolating Angel but she said he was a priority, but felt all of them had skills to use. Gunn said Fred had a big brain, Wesley had training and Lorne had mind reading skills, but he'd nothing. They approached a door marked 'Security' and Gunn thought he'd be a guard, but Lacey said they'd grander plans, leading him to the elevator.
"How much grand are we talking about?" Willow asked out of curiosity.
"So grand even he couldn't have imagined it", Summers told them.
Fred and Knox entered the science wing as he said he was R&D, and there was awkward talk when he mentioned D&D, and he revealed he wasn't the head but managed it for the head, which would be Fred. He opened a door and walked inside, leaving Fred staring in shock.
"Wait, she's going to be the head?" Dawnster asked.
"Yes, she will be", Dawn nodded in confirmation.
"Giving them all the power they can in hopes of corrupting them", Willow realized.
"They want to use it for good though", Buffy said, remembering her talk with Angel again.
"They do, but it's still a lot of power", Maclay pointed out.
Fred was blown away by the lab's quality, a scientist using a laser beam to punch a hole into another Dimension. Fred found a PDA which was Knox's creation, and Knox typed in a command, talking about a friend of Fred called Matt, to her shock, as he said it could hack into any electronic devices within a 100 yards, and he'd done it to her cell phone, impressing her. Fred then also noticed 2 doctors providing surgery to a patient who was talking on phone. Knox explained it was triple-bypass surgery using Vampire enzymes so his body would function while he was operated on, and they broke down after 24 hours, though he did get a little gas problem.
"Wow, that is impressive", Buffy said, speaking for everyone.
"Doing normal stuff while being operated on? Hell yeah!" Xander nodded in agreement.
"Guess their resources are even bigger than imagined", Willow muttered.
"Oh you have no idea", Rosenberg told her.
Fred said this was all for the greater bad but Knox said the morally ambiguous departments were above the 9th floor and the science department was morally neutral. Fred said the guy could be the next Hitler, but Knox said he was a tax attorney, to which she said he could be helping the next Hitler cheat his taxes. There was another guy pouring a jug of blue liquid into a pail, mixing chemicals, and Fred wondered if he was making a cure for cancer or a potion to cause it, but then he started cleaning as Knox said he was doing the windows.
"Got us there", Dawnster said, speaking for everyone.
"Oh none of you are morally neutral, I know that", Buffy said to them.
"You are not wrong there", Summers said, glaring at Knox in rage for obvious reasons, and the other future people were glaring too.
"And they will still take over", Giles noted.
"They think they can change the system, use it for good", Dawn told him.
Sirk led Wesley to the ancient prophecies wing, and Wesley eyed him skeptically, and Wesley named a book, which Sirk got for him, and it was in Sanskrit. Wesley flipped through the pages, where letters appeared out of nowhere.
"Traitor", Giles snarled in anger now, confusing the rest.
"Looks, Giles, we know it's not the best move to take over the firm, but calling Wesley a traitor-" Willow started.
"Not Wesley, Sirk", Giles snarled, confusing them again.
"What do you mean? You know him?" Buffy asked.
"Never met him in person, but only the Watcher's Council has the one known copy of the Codex", Giles revealed, and now it hit all of them.
"So he is a former Watcher", Tara said in realization.
"Not all of us have met each other, but we are aware of everything we possess", Giles said.
"Yeah, once the Council was gone, he went over to their side", Summers revealed with a nod.
"So, one bad organization for the other", Xander said as Giles glared at him. "Hey! Other than you, Wesley, and some we may not know of, it sucks! Especially with that Quentin guy as the head."
"Honestly, I can't disagree", Giles sighed.
"So yeah, moved over to this side", Rosenberg said.
Wesley asked if the Council knew Sirk had stolen this when he left, and he said there was no Council, so now lines were blurry, wondering how Wesley knew, and he knocked Sirk out, saying it was something about Watchers and libraries. Wesley quickly moved beneath a compartment in the ceiling and extended his arm. A telescoping grappling hook snapped out of his sleeve and shoots upward. The hook latched on and a monofilament cable began to retract, pulling him up toward the ceiling.
"So now he is Batman too?" Dawnster asked, the past people watching in awe.
"Yeah, confusing isn't it? Angel or him?" Dawn asked as some chuckles followed.
"And it's still hard to believe how much he has changed", Buffy said, everyone nodding in agreement.
"He just needed to get out of some horrible influence, ya know?" Harris asked and got nods.
Lilah led Angel down a hallway, and then she opened a door to reveal all amenities possible, including a private elevator, and she said it'd drop him to a motor pool rather than holy water which she wanted, and he'd get 12 cars now. She then pushed a remote as drapes opened to reveal bay windows, and Angel was exposed to sunlight, but didn't burst into flames, because of necro-tempered glass, Angel could get naked too as she'd turn around and only peek a skosh, but he wasn't interested as she closed the drapes, and Angel said he wouldn't take the job.
"What is it that convinced him?" Giles asked.
"Not power, if that's what you think", Maclay told him.
"Then what?" Buffy asked.
"Love", Dawn said, confusing them again. "You will see."
Lilah said it was an opportunity. "Again, your choice. But think of what you could do with the resources of Wolfram & Hart at your fingertips. The difference that would make. Nothing in this world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh and it's cruel but that's why there's you, Angel. You live as if the world were as it should be. With all this you can make it that way. People don't need an unyielding champion. They need a man who knows the value of compromise and how to beat the system from inside the belly of the beast." Angel said being in the beast's belly meant being eaten, but Lilah said 6 innocents had died during this, and it could be 6000 more. She gave Angel a file, and it was about Sunnydale, as he examined an ornate amulet, Lilah saying it was to be used for some 'final battle'. She figured they were in short supply in Sunnydale, and it was gauche for her taste but she wasn't a Slayer.
"So that's where he got that from", Buffy said in realization, eyes wide.
"Yes, they gave it to him", Summers nodded in confirmation.
"Guess the moral ambiguity plays a part here", Dawnster said, waving both hands.
"Yeah, it does, but the amulet opens up a bag of cans", Rosenberg said to them.
"How big?" Xander asked.
"Big enough to play a part in the final year", Maclay said, intriguing them again.
Angel said Buffy could handle herself, but Lilah said it was more fun when he did it.
"Shut up!" Buffy and Summers said together.
Angel wasn't interested, but Lilah knew there were other reasons for him taking the tour. She didn't know about Cordelia or Connor, but he could find out in 10 seconds. Angel apologized for what had happened to Lilah, but was going to leave with his friends, then Lilah answered a call and told Angel the Senior Partners wanted him to test all amenities before deciding, turning the TV on, and Angel was excited by the high definition till he saw a report of people being held hostage in a mall, and it was Connor doing it, eyes filled with cold rage, and Lilah quipped he'd his father's eyes.
"What? How?" Xander asked, confused again.
"He is broken from all he went through, isn't he?" Willow asked and got nods from the future people.
"He tried to help, channel his inner Angel, but what he has gone through, it finally did its job", Tara sighed.
"So, he's gonna kill all those people?" Buffy asked.
"Not if Angel has anything to say about it", Dawn pointed out.
Angel slammed Lilah against the wall by her neck, accusing her and the Senior Partners of setting this all up, but she said they'd nothing to do with it, Angel did, since he'd raised Connor, or not. Angel released Lilah, and started heading out the door, but Lilah said deal would be off if he went out, and it would be on if he stayed. Angel turned around hatefully. "People like you— this place— that's what's wrong with the world, Lilah. I will never be a part of this. Not the way you're hoping. Now let me tell you what the deal's going to be…"
"This deal, it has anything to do with Connor?" Dawnster asked.
"It has everything to do with Connor", Maclay told them.
"I think I'm getting the picture now", Willow started realizing.
Lacey and Gunn went up in the elevator, and then the larger button appeared. In spite of Gunn's protests, everything faded, Lacey also going as Gunn appeared in the white room, and then an enormous jet-black jaguar materialized, slinking to him. Gunn froze in fear as it looked directly at him, and he looked intrigued, his reflection mirrored in the jaguar's eyes. He then nodded as it roared.
"It told him something?" Xander asked, everyone watching with intrigue too.
"It did", Harris confirmed with a nod.
"I remember I got a puma as my guide", Buffy commented.
"Yeah, funny coincidence, isn't it?" Summers asked and she nodded.
"I prefer this to the girl, she was really creepy", Dawnster said.
"Well, considering this is Wolfram and Hart, this conduit won't be morally righteous or anything", Willow pointed out.
In the mall, people were huddled in groups, holding some gear. They had explosives wired and taped to their bodies as a nervous father told his moaning daughter to shut up, and Connor hauled his head back, telling him to be nice, and asked him to hold her right even if his arm was broken, which he did, as Connor started working, then smiled without turning around. "You got in. Thought you might." Angel stood on a balcony behind, dropping down gracefully.
"He is…" Buffy trailed off, disturbed.
"Parents not treating their children with perfect kindness is a sore point for him", Rosenberg explained.
"His experiences have made sure of that", Harris shrugged.
"But Angel wasn't responsible for what happened!" Buffy snapped.
"He knows, but his mind is lost now", Summers said grimly, and now all of them could only watch Connor in sympathy, taken by his father's greatest enemy as a baby, poisoned against him while growing up in the worst Hell Dimension, and being abused too, and now that he was back, he was manipulated by Jasmine again, and with her gone, there was nothing left for him.
While they still disliked a lot of stuff he had done, they couldn't hate him anymore, and only felt sad for both him and Angel.
A security guard took a kick from a descending Wesley, then a punch, and dropped. Wesley stood back and surveyed the room for a moment. Wesley made his way through the maze of cabinets and shelves, quickly scanning the labeled drawers, searching. He finally found what he was looking for and stopped before one of the thousands of identical cabinets, opening the drawer and thumbing through the files inside. "I was wondering how long it would take you to get here." He froze and turned to find Lilah melting out of the shadows. "How'd I do?" "A little slower than I would've thought." Lilah sounded wistful. "But then you always did like to take your time." She said about the archive. "So you finally made it— got behind the façade— and here it is. Every dirty little scheme. Every secret. All that evil, great and small. Just imagine what you could accomplish with that kind of information." Wesley realized. "You wanted me to see this. You knew I'd—" Lilah asked. "Die Hard your way up here? Come on, Wes, who knows you better than me?"
"There are quite a few people who do", Dawnster said.
"Yes, but she does know the worst of him perfectly", Summers pointed out. "Now she is going to know the best of him too."
"Now that I really have to see", Willow smirked as they watched with interest.
"Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think." Wesley continued searching through the file cabinet. Lilah asked. "What are you doing, Wesley?" He pulled out a thick sheaf of papers filled with tiny print. The heading read 'Morgan, Lilah.' "Standard perpetuity clause." Lilah asked. "You broke in here for my contract?" Wesley revealed. "I'm here to release you from it." He held up a cigarette lighter and flicked the flame to life. Lilah watched with genuine affection. "Wesley…" He touched the flame to the contract and the paper ignited. "You've suffered enough. I want you to find some peace." Lilah smiled at Wesley sadly. "Gallant to the end. But I knew what I signed up for." Wesley said. "It's done." Lilah advised. "Look in the drawer." Confused, he turned back to the file cabinet and reached in, drawing out another copy of her contract. Pristine, untouched. "Flames wouldn't be eternal… if they actually consumed anything." Wesley looked at Lilah sadly as she sounded genuinely touched. "But it means something that you tried."
"Of course, they would make sure a simple fire can't free their employees from contracts", Giles sighed.
"He was willing to do that for her?" Buffy asked, clearly in shock.
"He loved her, and she loved him, so yes, he was", Maclay nodded in confirmation.
"She does look genuinely affectionate and touched this time", Tara pointed out.
"Bet that's a hard thing to do, ice cold queen and all that", Xander quipped.
"They are two people who love each other, but could never be together due to their different ideologies", Rosenberg shook her head sadly. "Just more happiness lost to a crazy and unfair world."
"She was a bad person, yes, but people do crazy things in love, you know that", Summers pointed out to Buffy, and she had to agree.
Angel had left Sunnydale for her, turned back time by a day for her, then tried to storm into Pylea for Cordelia, free a monster like Billy for Cordelia, and Spike had let himself be tortured by Glory for her, and also gotten his soul for her.
People really did do crazy things for love.
"So, tragic love story then", Dawnster finally said.
"Yeah, accurate description, and this is how it ends", Dawn told them all.
"Poor them both", Willow sighed. "And yes, I know Lilah is evil, but in this moment, I do feel bad for her."
"Compared to many others, she is a saint, and consistent at least", Harris shrugged. "But yes, this is the end of Wesley and Lilah. They weren't perfect, it was self-destructive, we didn't like it, but it happened, and they were in love."
With that, they finally moved on from that.
Angel cautiously approached Connor who stood with his back to him. "Connor… son?" A tremendous explosion suddenly rocked the rear of the store. The hostages screamed and cowered. "You might not want to move. The people are rigged, too." Angel looked around at the frightened faces peering back at him and froze in place. "Can't save 'em all, dad. You don't know who's going to be first. Could be any one of them." He stood and turned toward Angel, his face a mask of pain and sadness. He had explosives strapped to his chest as well. "Could be me." Then he stepped to the side, revealing Cordelia lying on the floor sleeping peacefully, her body laced with dynamite. "Could be her."
"Cordy…" Xander whispered, everyone concerned for her.
"How did it come to this?" Buffy said, her heart going out to all three- Angel, Cordelia and Connor.
"Because a child with the power of a Goddess wanted to rule the world", Summers said with a snarl as they felt their rage at Jasmine increase tenfold, and they already hated her a lot.
Angel looked from Cordelia to Connor, to the frightened hostages. "Son, you have to listen to me. This is about Jasmine." "Jasmine's gone." Angel said. "I know. We all felt it, that perfect love… and then when we had to give it up…" "I didn't feel anything!" Connor angrily threw stuff away, then got quieter. "I can't feel anything. I guess I really am your son because I'm dead, too." Angel assured. "You're not dead, Connor. You're just starting your life." Connor snapped. "No! You just weren't there before!"
No one wanted to comment right now, the whole bit was just intense and emotional, and it was quite draining too.
They could only feel bad for father, son and surrogate mother.
"I know. And I'm so—" Connor cut him off. "Do not say you're sorry! It doesn't fix anything." Angel replied. "Then let me say this. I love you, son." Connor countered. "It's a lie." Angel said. "It's not." Connor snarled. "It's always a lie. My dead mother couldn't even love me."
"She did", Buffy whispered in Darla's defense. They'd all seen it. She had staked herself because she loved Connor.
Angel replied. "You're wrong. She did." Connor denied. "No. She knew she couldn't." Angel told him. "She sacrificed herself because she loved you."
"Yes", Dawnster nodded feebly.
"You tried to love me… at least I think you did." Angel assured. "I still do." Connor sounded broken. "But not enough to hang on, dad. You let him take me away. You let him get me. You let him get me…"
Buffy, Dawnster, Willow and Tara now had tears over what they were witnessing, and Xander was breathing fast, with Giles rubbing his face.
The future people were absorbed into the whole thing too. They'd seen it once, but it didn't make it easier, and they were only barely controlling their emotions.
Connor looked down at Cordelia. "Cordy, you swore you loved me. Where are you now?" Angel tried to reach to him. "Connor, you have to believe that there are people who love you." Connor reminded. "Jasmine believed you when you said you loved her but it was all a lie." Angel pointed out. "Jasmine was the lie." Connor snapped. "No! She knew if you found out who she really was, that you'd turn against her. And she was right. That's just what happened. People like you…" he said of the hostages, "people like this. None of you deserved what she could give you. She wanted to give you everything."
"No, she didn't", Willow shook her head, though she wasn't angry at Connor, just sad that he'd been manipulated so much that he believed Jasmine's lie still.
Angel assured Connor. "I know how that feels because I want to give you everything. I want to take back the mistakes, help you start over." Connor snarled. "You can't start over." Angel replied. "We can. I mean, we can change things." Connor told him. "There's only one thing that ever changes anything and that's death. Everything else is just a lie. You can't be saved by a lie… you can't be saved at all." He reached down for the wires to complete the circuit and in that split second, Angel made his move, decking Connor and pulling out the wire.
All were both tense and slightly relieved at the same time, as the explosive was still unfinished, and watched the intense, epic and emotional battle, not being able to form words.
Angel blocked a blow and decked Connor again before being punched as the people were frightened. Connor hit Angel with a weight, then grabbed a baseball bat as Angel dodged a blow, then another, and hit him with a bowling ball. Connor tried to punch back but Angel blocked and hurled him across the room, then ripped the wires and explosives off the hostages. They freed themselves and ran out. "Run. Hurry up, all of you. Go!"
"They are safe", Tara said as the rest sighed in relief.
Angel tried to free Cordelia as Connor turned him towards himself, and got punched. He then tried to sweep Connor's feet from under him but he leapt to avoid and kicked Angel down but he flipped up as Connor flipped too. Angel blocked a blow, decking Connor, who dodged the next blow and hurled him away. Angel grabbed a Bowie knife from a display and hurled it at Connor, and it hit his thigh's back as he walked to Cordelia, making him fall with a gasp as he tried to crawl to her. Angel yanked out the knife and straddled Connor, pinning him to the floor. He looked down on his son with a world of regret in his eyes. "I really do love you, Connor." Connor asked. "So what are you going to do about it?" Angel raised the knife for a killing blow. "Prove it." The knife descended as all went white.
The past people gasped, except Giles whose eyes were wide.
"What…..what did he do?" Xander asked, horrified, wondering what had just happened.
"He didn't kill 'em, if that's what you're thinking", Harris assured.
"Then what?" Buffy asked.
"He 'killed' him", Rosenberg said, and the tone wasn't missed.
"So, it's a different kind of killing?" Willow asked, everyone confused.
"You can say that", Maclay shrugged.
"So, is he dead or is he not?" Dawnster asked in confusion.
"Kind of both", Summers shrugged.
"How is that even possible?" Tara asked.
"You will see", Dawn assured.
"You are making me hate that sentence", Giles said as dry chuckles followed.
"He lost his son, didn't he?" Willow asked sadly.
"He did", Summers nodded in confirmation, as all felt their hearts go out to him.
"That's why he wanted to use the amulet, didn't he? He felt this was his end of the road", Buffy said in realization.
"Yes, but you convinced him not to, and he decided to do good with the power he'd been given", Maclay confirmed to her.
"Lost his son, and the woman he loves is in a coma, and he is still trying to fight the good fight", Tara said, and now everyone felt their respect for him rise, Giles and Xander included.
"I really did judge Angel wrongly", Giles sighed, admitting it.
"So did I, I won't be able to do a thing if all this happened to me", Xander agreed.
"Well, now you know what kind of guy he really is", Harris told them.
"So, what was the deal exactly?" Dawnster asked.
"You're about to find out", Rosenberg said.
Lorne sang 'Something's Coming from West Side' story in ecstasy, and Fred arrived with a smile as he danced with her, before releasing her into a troubled Wesley. Then the elevators opened and a more confident and colder Gunn walked out, saying he was doing this, and Wesley agreed they could accomplish a lot here. Fred asked if they should take the deal. "I already took it." They saw Angel, looking battered and bloody again, and there was sadness in his eyes as Lilah appeared with the Sunnydale amulet and folder, locking eyes with Wesley, but then she couldn't take it and looked away.
"So he took the deal at last", Giles sighed. "And it had something to do with his son."
"Everything", Maclay corrected.
"And it looks like everyone is okay with taking the deal, for their own reasons", Willow noted.
"I still have my doubts, and I will continue to have them, but they are not us, if they think they can use that firm's resources for good, then I am not going to stop them", Buffy said to the rest, and all noted the change in her attitude.
Her morals and values would remain the same, but now she wouldn't judge anyone else for compromising anymore, since Angel and his team survived due to compromise.
"So, Fred can make cures for cancer and other stuff, Wesley can increase his knowledge of good and bad stuff, Lorne can make the entertainment industry the best thing ever, Gunn can do whatever the jaguar asked, and Angel would be the boss", Xander summed it all up. "Team has moved up then."
"Not sure how to feel about it, but seeing it for myself, I understand their reasons better", Dawnster commented.
"Yeah, they had good reasons for taking it, and they were not corrupted by power", Dawn said, looking a little pointedly at Giles as he sighed, remembering he had thought they had taken over due to being corrupted by the firm's power.
"Well, a new chapter in their lives is now about to begin", Summers said finally.
"Very interesting chapter too", Harris added.
"Let's see", Tara shrugged.
"I'm impressed by the lot of you. Team Angel, all grown up", Lilah commented as Angel asked if it was taken care of, and Lilah assured Cordelia was safe and sound, and getting a manicure and blow-dry at this time. Fred thought Cordelia had woken up but Lilah said she was still in a coma, though she could still look her best and receive the finest care, medical and metaphysical, and they'd find a way to get her back if there was.
"They are bad people, but honorable, so they will try their best just so they can keep Angel and his team", Rosenberg said to the past people.
"Well, as long as Cordy's fine", Willow shrugged.
"Yeah", Summers sighed, deciding not to drop the bombshell on them now, they had to see for themselves.
Angel now wanted one more thing. "I want to see him." Lilah reminded it wasn't part of the deal but Angel spoke of value of compromise, so she smiled and handed him the folder and amulet, saying he was the boss and a limo outside would take him to see Connor. Angel sincerely said. "Thank you." He headed for the door as Fred looked at the others, confused. "Who is Connor?" None of them seemed to know the answer.
"Wait what? How do they not remember Connor now?" Buffy asked, the past people all confused.
"It is revealed in a few seconds, and we will explain more after this recording", Maclay told her.
"Okay, we'll find that out, but have to say, Lilah is much nicer after her death", Dawnster commented.
"Well, she has to smooth talk and corrupt 'em", Xander pointed out.
"You're not wrong, but in her own way, she actually was fond of the whole team, and did love Wesley", Rosenberg pointed out.
"So in an alternate Universe, she and Team Angel would be best friends", Tara realized, and everyone had to chuckle on imagining that, even if there was some truth to it.
The limo drove across a winding mountain road. It then creeped under low-hanging trees at night and stopped at a discrete distance from a cozy log cabin home nestled in a small clearing. Angel walked out, peering into the house from a large picture window that glowed with hearthside warmth. He stood beyond the light it cast, careful to stay out of sight. The sound of laughter was heard from within.
The past people watched, wondering why Angel was spying on a random family like this.
The family sat around the dinner table, animated, talking casually, constantly overlapping, and Connor was among them. "You just opened up a whole bottle for yourself, didn't you?" The dad said. "I'm just saying, you've got your pick. Any college you want to." Connor replied. "It's really not a big deal." The mom pointed out. "Top ten percentile is a big deal." An aunt asked. "Are you and Tracy going to try to go to the same college?" Dad trailed off. "Oh, bad idea…" Connor revealed. "We haven't talked about it." The dad said. "I love Tracy. I'm just saying, it's a bad way to go." The sister sounded disgusted. "Tracy's a vegan." The mom asked. "So? At least she doesn't live on Pop Tarts." Connor shrugged. "You know, maybe I'll go to school overseas. Like Russia. Is there anything farther away than Russia?" Mom told him. "Don't you even joke about it." Dad realized. "I feel a toast coming on." The sister groaned. "Oh, god." Mom sighed too. "Here he goes." "To the top ten percentile…" Dad raised his glass but Connor stood up and cut him off. "Okay, whoa, whoa, enough. That's all I had to hear. Since it's my special day and I'm all brilliant and everything and I'm forced to spend at least a few more weeks with you freaks…" All gave mock gasps. "I get to make the toast, okay?" He raised his glass. "To family." Not a word. They all raised their glasses and drank as Angel watched outside.
Now it finally hit the past people what had really happened, even if the details weren't completely clear.
"Oh my…." Buffy trailed off, covering her mouth, tears in her eyes for Angel's loss, and Dawnster had some tears too.
Willow and Tara shared a sad look as Giles looked down, now feeling ashamed of judging Angel over taking over the firm, and Xander watched with a dropped jaw.
Angel was one of the best fathers ever to do that for his son.
The future people remained silent, letting them absorb this.
The sister quipped. "I think I should get wine for the toast." Connor asked. "Oh, really? I wasn't talking about this family. I made that clear, right?" As they all broke out into another round of laughter, Angel watched the happy family scene, then turned away and walked off into the night, leaving his son behind. Forever. The screen went black.
"He…..gave…him up…" Buffy said in between lumps, wanting to comfort Angel somehow.
"It's kind of happy, and kind of sad at the same time", Tara summed up, and she wasn't wrong. It was really bittersweet.
"After all Connor had gone through, giving him a fresh start was the only way to save him", Summers said in a sad tone.
"So is that why we didn't remember him?" Tara asked.
"Yeah", Dawn confirmed. "This is why."
"He made Connor forget everything, and he made the rest of the world forget him too", Dawnster realized. "So that means-"
"Yes, he had told you all about him, but then you all forgot when this happened", Rosenberg confirmed to them.
"Makes sense, since I know he'd at least have told Buffy and Faith", Xander commented there. "I'm sure there are some explanations during the break too, since we'll need it after this."
"Yeah, we need it", Willow agreed with a nod as they got up and walked off, still feeling for Angel, and also having much more respect for him than before.
If Connor was as well-written as he was in these last 2 episodes for the whole Season, he'd be one of the best, most compelling and complex characters in not just the Buffyverse, but all of fiction.
But that didn't happen sadly.
With that ends the most uneven and inconsistent Season of Angel, and the Buffyverse as a whole too, with a lot of good stuff, and a lot of stupid stuff as well.
That last scene is so bittersweet, poor Angel, it takes a lot to do something like that.
And this is the end for Lilah and Wesley/Lilah *sighs sadly* I'm gonna miss her as well as the pairing. Of course there is Cheap Lilah too in next Season, and I hate her, and you know who I'm referring to.
I think Angel and Wesley should now fight for the title of Batman, LOL!
Speaking of Wesley/Lilah, here are 2 amazing Wesley/Lilah tribute videos you people will enjoy, especially if you love the pairing as much as I do-
'Wesley&Lilah | Wicked Game' and 'Wesley&Lilah | Fortress' by '1SnoWhiteQueen1'.
And here are 2 Faith Lehane tributes to enjoy as well-
'Buffy and Faith (BTVS) - We must be killers' and 'Faith Lehane (BTVS/ATS) – Control' by 'cemeterythings'.
Enjoy all four of these.
[1] Let's be honest, the Watcher's Council isn't a very reliable source regarding Vampires due to their bias, and considering Spike (without a soul), Holden Webster, James and Harmony, its pretty obvious their facts on Vamps are wrong or only applicable to specific Vamps. Even Darla when she became a Vamp for the 2nd time before her consumption of blood challenges their assertions.
Anyway, Season 4 is finally done, and then we get a break, and then Season 5, my most favorite Buffyverse Season, and one of my most favorite Seasons in all of TV, right up there with Daredevil Season 3, all Seasons of Breaking Bad, the first 4 Seasons of GOT, Buffy Season 5, and some others. Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.