While Angel and Willow have parallel allegorical dreams, Gunn, Wes and Fred try to spell in order to figure out what went wrong. Also, Gwen chats with Spike before leaving Sunnydale.

Angel opens his eyes. He's lying on a wooden floor covered with a thin layer of straw. His wrists are bound together with rope. The room is dark and unfamiliar. Angelus stands up walks to the back of the room and looks out a slit in the curved stone walls. It's night time. He looks down and sees that he is at least 50 feet off the ground, probably in a tower. In the plaza below, a large crowd watches a man get burned at the stake. He can hear priests chanting and onlookers occasionally yelling something out. He knows he's dreaming, but not of any place he's ever been. This is new territory for Angel. He sits in a wooden chair in front of a 3 foot-wide square wooden table, puts his hands in his lap under the table, and waits for what's next. The door opens, then slams shut. A man in a black robe walks towards him. He pulls back his hood, so that Angelus can see his face. It's Holtz.

ANGEL: I should have been expecting you. I wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition.

Holtz slaps him with the back of his right hand. Angelus falls off his chair. He gets up, puts his chair back in place and sits down in it again.

ANGEL: Then again, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Holtz hits Angel in the mouth with a right hook. Angel takes the blow and remains in his seat. Holtz sits down opposite him. He folds his hands together and rests them on top of the table.

ANGEL: I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist.

HOLTZ: Do you know why you are here?

ANGEL: I'm guilty. I'm being punished for killing people.

HOLTZ: Wrong. You're being punished for trying to help them.

Angel's not quite sure where this is going.

GWEN: I really should be going.

ANDREW: Where?

GWEN: Malta. On business.

XANDER: So you're planning on stealing something Maltese. It's not a certain jewel-incrusted bird, is it?

GWEN: Something a lot smaller and easier to get by customs. Anyway, great meeting all you wacky folks. The whole teeming, huddled mass of you. I'm not used to seeing so much humanity crammed into so little architecture.

GILES: Pleasure meeting you too, Miss Raiden.

GWEN: Sorry about the sword.

GILES: We have others.

XANDER: And I can probably fix you – fix what you did – with some hot, hard pounding. Of the steel. I've done a little metal-working in my time.

ANYA: He's highly skilled with tools.

GWEN: I'll have to take your word on that. Thanks for the hospitality, B. Great to meet the freak around whom all the other freaks I know seem strangely to revolve.

BUFFY: That's a, curious way of describing me. Thanks for not short-circuiting anything, or anyone.

GWEN: Sorry bout the break-in.

BUFFY: Forget about it. It's always nice when an unexpected visitor pops by and no walls or windows or furniture gets destroyed.

GWEN: And I thought I lived in a tough neighborhood.

Gwen leaves. The Potentials stand around.

AMANDA: That was . . . interesting.

MADARI: Yeah. She was very, interesting.

FADILA: You really do see something new every day in this town.

ROSE: So what do we see tomorrow?

Gwen and Spike stand outside in the shadow of the porch.

GWEN: This must really suck for you. Living with all those people.

SPIKE: They're not so bad. Hell, if I went evil, there's a few I wouldn't even bite.

GWEN: I meant quantity, not quality. You like to keep to yourself. You need your space. Something me and you have in common. We're both lonely souls.

SPIKE: Doesn't mean we like being lonely.

GWEN: So you want to shack up with one girl, but end up sharing a roof with a dozen?

SPIKE: [laughs ruefully] I don't think shacking up was ever in the offing.

GWEN: Looked to me like Buffy wants to keep you at arm's length – no closer, but no further.

SPIKE: Big bloody improvement on how she used to feel about me. Sad as it sounds, with Buffy I'll take whatever I can get.

GWEN: You do have that whole obsessive streak.

SPIKE: That's me. Always plugging away till to bitter end.

GWEN: Doesn't have to be bitter.

SPIKE: Yes it does. Just doesn't have to be tragic.

GWEN: [semi-sarcastically] Nice to know you haven't lost hope.

SPIKE: Same to you. [smiles] Thanks for stopping by. Great seeing you again, Gwendy. Good luck in Malta.

GWEN: Good luck here in Riverdale.

SPIKE: Um, it's Sunnydale, love.

GWEN: I know that's the name on the map. But deep down, this is Riverdale.

SPIKE: Not quite following you, love.

GWEN: You mean you haven't noticed? You're telling me that Buffy and Cordy and Willow and Xander don't remind you of a certain group of comic book characters?

SPIKE: Yeah. I suppose. But what's Riverdale got to do with that?

GWEN: [groans] Imagine the four of them going to high school together. Betty and Veronica fighting over the same guy. Betty always winning. Sabrina the Teen Witch practicing magic, trying to use spells to help people. Jughead, the loveable loser it's fun to hang out with, even if his jokes are lame. This is Riverdale.

SPIKE: I didn't know them very well during their high school years. [thinks for a few seconds] But you may be onto something.

GWEN: Take care.

SPIKE: You too.

Gwen walks down to the driveway, gets on her bike and puts her right index finger to the ignition. The engine roars. Spike watches her ride away. Then he goes back inside and sees Xander sitting in a chair in the living room. Spike bursts out laughing.

SPIKE: Archies.

Spike laughs some more as he walks down into the basement. Xander looks at Dawn, who's sitting in the chair to his right. They're both puzzled.

XANDER: The more I know about Spike, the more I wish I knew less about him.

Willow finds herself on stage. The crew is running around, finishing their preparations for the performance.

WILLOW: Oh no. Not this again.

She walks towards the front of the stage, and quickly realizes the audience is two-dimensional. She touches it. It's a giant poster of an audience.

WILLOW: That's new.

Willow turns around and walks to the right side of the stage. An old man with a long beard who wears a brown, threadbare three-piece suit comes towards her. His clothes smell of nicotine and his breath smells of alcohol.

AUTHOR: The play is about to begin. Get in your place.

WILLOW: I, I, I didn't their was going to be a play. I don't know any of my lines.

The old man looks at the frightened, neurotic Willow as if she is nuts.

AUTHOR: Foolish girl. You're not in play. You watch. Sit down.

Willow breathes a sigh of relief. She sits down in a chair behind her. The old man sits in the chair to her left.

WILLOW: Excuse me, pardon me, sir. Why is that picture in front of the stage?

AUTHOR: For the players. They need to believe they're being watched. If they don't believe, they cease to exist.

WILLOW: What about us? Don't they know we're watching?

AUTHOR: To them, those people are real. To them, you don't exist. They can't see you. They could see me, but that would kill them. Man cannot look upon his Creator with his eyes. Only with his soul.

WILLOW: Yes. His soul. Speaking which, I need to be getting back.

Willow stands up. The old man grabs her left arm and pulls her back down.

AUTHOR: Stay. For the show. I wrote it for you.

WILLOW: You really didn't have to go to all this trouble.

AUTHOR: Neither did you. But you came. And you gave. Now you will take.

The man throws two die on the floor. He rolls a nine. He picks up the die and hands them to Willow.

AUTHOR: Your turn.

WILLOW: Huh?

AUTHOR: Your turn!

Willow shrugs and rolls an 11. The man huffs and picks the die up. He looks at Willow with anger.

AUTHOR: You have ruined me. We play again. Double or nothing.

WILLOW: Again I say "huh?" What are we playing for? Whatever it is, we're not. I'm not. Okay?

The old man walks away, angrily muttering in Russian. The lights go out. A spotlight shines on a rectangular table. Xander sits at the back end. On the side and to his right is Wesley. Across from Wesley is Connor. They are eating dinner. Willow leans forward in her chair. Her eyes open wide.

WILLOW: Okay. This is getting weirder.

WES: History teaches us that it is reason, and not faith, which improves the condition of mankind. What has your God done for the starving peasant? What has he done for the wretched orphan dying of consumption in some filthy alley? Where, Alyosha, is this God you are so certain exists?

CONNOR: He is in the soul of your peasant. He is in the soul of your orphan. He is in the soul of everyone. Including yourself, Ivan. [smirk]

WES: So God is everywhere, yet he does nothing. Better no God at all than an impotent God.

CONNOR: Your problem is you only believe in what you can see.

XANDER: Will you stop it? The two of you have this same argument every goddam day.

CONNOR: You shouldn't curse, Dmitri.

XANDER: But it's okay if Ivan curses?

CONNOR: There's still hope for you, Dmitri.

WES: You're right, Alyosha. Here's hoping dad dies and Dmitri gets the farm. [raises his glass in a mock toast. His brothers give him dirty looks] I'm joking. But of course I'm also serious. We all know that's what you want.

XANDER: That doesn't mean it's what I wish.

WES: Perhaps. But not even "Saint" Alyosha will mourn our father's passing. There's your God for you, brother. Kills mom, but lets dad live. Tell me where in the Bible it says God will punish the righteous and reward the wicked.

Connor looks behind towards the fireplace. Above the mantle is a portrait of Darla. Willow's eyes bug out.

WILLOW: Whoa! They're all her sons? That's creepy. Does this mean their father is - ?

Angel walks in through the front door. His left arm is around Buffy. They are smiling and gazing into each other's eyes and obviously taken with one another.

WILLOW: Oh God. Even Xander? Is Buffy their stepmom?

XANDER: Did the tavern close early tonight?

ANGEL: Wasn't at the tavern. I was strolling through the park with Agrafena. She'll make a decent man of me, yet. Go wait in the garden. I'll be out in a second.

Buffy smiles and kisses Angel before leaving. Angel walks towards Xander and puts his hands on the front end of the table. He stares at his oldest son from across the table.

ANGEL: You know I'd never miss our family dinners. [bangs the tables. the plates and silverware jump up and crash back down.] How dare you start without me! Where are your manners?

XANDER: Where are yours?

ANGEL: Dmitri. Son. This is my house. Inside these walls, my word is law. [leans across the table, stares angrily at Xander] You don't like it, you can leave. Funny how you're man enough to talk back to your father but not man enough get married and take some responsibility for your life. I had a house of my own by the time of was your age.

Xander stands up. Angel walks over to him.

XANDER: Wasn't your house. It was mom's house. She just made the mistake of marrying you.

Angel punches Xander in the face with his right fist. Xander goes down, but quickly gets up.

ANGEL: Don't you EVER say a bad word about your mother.

XANDER: I don't believe this. Acting like mom's protector, after how you treated her! You don't have the right.

ANGEL: I have every right.

Xander pushes him away. Angel steps forward and cocks his right fist. Xander grabs his steak knife in his left hand and puts it to Angel's heart. Angel drops his fist and laughs.

ANGEL: You don't have the guts.

Standing on the wall, next to the mantle, on the other side of the room is Spike. He's been watching the whole time. No one noticed. Even Willow didn't notice him until now. He's staring intently at Xander and Angel, his eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, his cheeks sucked in.

XANDER: Got more than you ever had, old man.

Xander throws the knife back on the table.

ANGEL: Must be why you've made such a success of yourself. What have you done since you left the army?

XANDER: You never really worked a day in your life.

ANGEL: Who paid for that food you just ate? For that bed you sleep on? I should throw you out on the street right now for your ingratitude. But I won't. Cause I know you're too dim to know any better.

Angel smirks wickedly. Xander storms off to his room. Spike comes and clears the dishes from the table. Connor and Wes don't even notice him. He carries the dishes into the kitchen and puts them in the sink. Angel walks into the kitchen and pats Spike on the back.

ANGEL: Hey Smerdyakov. Make anything for me and Alexandrovna?

SPIKE: It's on the stove.

Angel sticks his finger into the pot and then sticks it in his mouth.

ANGEL: This is good. This is very good. You've really made something of yourself. [Spike doesn't seem to acknowledge the praise] Can you go get a bottle from the cellar and take it out to us in the garden?

Spike walks partway down the stairs, but them tumbles down to the cellar floor. He's grabbing his head and shaking. Angel goes down to check on him. After few seconds, the shaking stops.

ANGEL: You okay? Is your epilepsy acting up again?

SPIKE: Just another fit. I'm fine.

ANGEL: You've been having a lot of those lately. If you need to take a day off, go right ahead.

SPIKE: I'm fine.

WES: Think he'll marry her?

CONNOR: Agrafena Alexandrovna? Don't see why he'd need to. Never needed to marry any of his other women.

WES: But she needs to. She's a proper young woman. Emphasis on young. She's younger me, barely older than you. Doesn't that bother you?

CONNOR: Which? That she's young, or that she wants to marry father?

WES: Either. Both. They both bother Mitya.

CONNOR: Mitya's easily bothered.

WES: While you, of course, are above passion. How do you do it? How do you shut out everything around you?

CONNOR: I focus on loftier things.

Connor walks off into his bedroom. In the back corner is a shrine with some candles below a small photograph of his mother. Higher up on the wall is a large wooden cross. Connor kneels before the shrine, lights the candle and starts praying. The stage goes black and a few seconds later a new scene begins. To Willow's left, Connor talks to Giles, who has a long beard and is dressed like a monk. To her right, Xander and Wesley are dressed up and at some sort of ball.

GILES: Tell me, Alyosha, how have you stayed so pure? In your family sensuality is like a disease. Your brother Mitya inherited it from your father. Ivan has lately been afflicted. I fear you will become the fourth.

CONNOR: My heart belongs to two women.

GILES: Of course: your mother, and the Holy Virgin. Why is there not yet a third?

CONNOR: Why should there be? Look at my brothers.

A string quartet plays as an elegantly-attired Cordelia walks over to Xander and Wesley. Wes smiles and looks a little flush. Xander appears less taken with her. However, she appears far more interested in him than in Wesley.

CORDY: Good evening, Mitya. Would you like to ask me to dance?

XANDER: Not much for dancing.

WES: If I may, Katarina –

Cordy barely acknowledges his presence.

CORDY: You're a fine dancer.

She takes his hand. Xander still appears uninterested. He's looking past her, as if trying to spot someone else.

XANDER: Maybe later on. The night is still young, Katarina.

CORDY: Yes. Later. [nervous smile] Thank you. So long Mitya. Ivan.

Cordy walks away. Wesley is glad she finally noticed him. Cordy feels wounded by the rejection.

WES: You should be shot.

XANDER: For what?

WES: For your mistreatment of Katarina. She loves you, Mitya. She wants to marry you. She's beautiful. Elegant. Charming. And rich. You're deeply in debt. Her father is willing to give you a dowry of 60,000.

XANDER: I won't marry for money. I won't be like my father.

WES: Even without the money, Katarina is irresistible. The money only proves that she is perfect in every possible way.

XANDER: Maybe she's too perfect.

WES: You think you don't deserve her. You're right. That's all the more reason to seize the opportunity.

XANDER: I don't love her.

GILES: He's humiliated this woman. The daughter of a colonel. His former commanding officer, no less. And yet he gets away with it. Mitya truly is his father's son.

CONNOR: He hates himself for that.

GILES: They are both ruled by their passions. Who is his passion?

Xander looks across the room and spots Anya.

XANDER: You should talk to Katarina.

WES: I fear she would laugh at me.

XANDER: Nonsense. You're a genius! Once she sees that brilliant mind of yours in action, she won't be able to resist you.

WES: Somehow I doubt that's what she's looking for.

Xander leaves Wes and walks towards Anya.

CONNOR: Grushenka. That's Mitya's passion.

Wesley summons up the courage to walk up to Cordy. She's watching Anya flirt with Xander.

CORDY: Can you believe that skank? Who does she think she is?

WES: A unabashed, unashamed scandalous divorcee.

CORDY: Her husband was such a boorish oaf.

WES: No reputation, no money, yet look how Mitya fawns over her. It can only be love.

CORDY: He really should no better.

WES: Any man who spurns you clearly has taken leave of his sanity.

CORDY: You're damn right he has. So when do you think this insanity thing's gonna wear off?

WES: [sighs] What I meant to say was, any man who rejects you doesn't deserve you. You deserve a man who can love and adore you with all his heart. A man who appreciates your radiant beauty, your abundant charm.

XANDER: Good evening, Grushenka. You look lovely.

ANYA: Where's Alyosha? I thought he was coming.

XANDER: He was. Until he found out there would be fun involved.

ANYA: He's so innocent and pure and naive. I could devour him. But, seeing how he's a no-show, I'll have to content myself with nibbling on you. Honestly, I much prefer the nibbling. Don't you?

CORDY: And you know she's just using him. Stringing him along. It's all a game to her.

WES: When a man's in love, the smallest gesture of affection is all he needs to make his heart burst.

CORDY: I'll show him. Ivan, shall we?

WES: [shocked smile] Of course. Absolutely. It would be my honor, Katarina.

He takes her arm. They go dance.

Kelly carries Connor upstairs. Lindsey carries Faith. Lorne carries Fred. Gunn and Wesley move the desk couch and easy chair out of Angel's office and into the lobby. The others put Faith down on the desk, Fred in the chair and Connor on the couch. They focus on Connor, who is in the most trouble.

KELLY: Pressure's sixty over thirty. He lost a lot of blood. What's his type?

Fred, Gunn and Lorne appear stumped.

WES: AB positive.

The others look at him, wondering how he knew this.

WES: I took Connor to his first checkup. Last year. With Angel.

KELLY: Universal receiver.

LORNE: Makes sense, considering how mommy fed him.

LINDSEY: You and Angel took baby Connor to the hospital? Just the two of you?

WES: Yes.

LINDSEY: Two men and a baby. Wonder what the mothers in the waiting room thought. Probably made the wrong assumption about you two.

Faith manages a painful laugh at the imagery of Wes and Angel taking "their" baby to the doctor. Kelly ties Connor's right arm and has some trouble finding a vein. She eventually finds one and hooks Connor up. Then she walks over to Faith.

KELLY: How ya doin'?

FAITH: Five by five, except for the wooden stake stuck in me.

KELLY: I'm sure it hurts a lot. I'm also sure it's gonna hurt even more coming out. Here goes.

Lindsey's holding Faith's right hand. Kelly's on the other side of her. She pulls the stake out. Faith grunts a little. Lindsey yelps. Faith lets go of his left hand. She looks worried.

FAITH: I'm sorry. I didn't break anything, right?

Lindsey grabs his hand and manages a smile amidst the pain.

LINDSEY: It's fine. I just feel a little ashamed, that's all. I mean, you're the one who's badly wounded, and you're feeling sorry for me.

Kelly finishes disinfecting and bandaging the wound. Faith smarts a little from the sting of the disinfectants, but otherwise seems okay. Squeezing Lindsey's hand, and worrying if she hurt him, distracted her. Lorne and Lindsey go downstairs. Lorne carries up Willow and Lindsey carries up Cordy. Then both of them carry up Angel. They lie each of them down on a bed in adjacent rooms on the first floor, then come back into the lobby. Fred's hooked up and getting blood. Gunn and Wes are patched up. Their bloody shirts are off. Wesley has a bandage around his abdomen. Gunn has one around his upper chest and right shoulder.

GUNN: How they doin'?

LORNE: Willow and Cordy are alive. Angel, or Angelus, is, well, still undead.

WES: Willow knocked Cordelia unconscious. We saw how. [Gunn, Wes, Fred and Lorne shudder] But who knocked out her and Angelus?

GUNN: Maybe Willow did that, too.

WES: A spell can take a lot out of the person performing it. She was having trouble, even after the amulet was removed. Faith, how was Angelus behaving before he passed out?

Faith sits up, though doing so is painful.

FAITH: Say, could I get a couch? Or at least a comfy chair? Right. Angelus. He was talking to himself. Said he wasn't going back. Like some nut job arguing with the voices in his head. Then a couple seconds later he's down for the count.

After getting two pints in him, Connor wakes up. He sits up on the couch and notices the needle in his arm connected to a bag of blood. Connor is horrified. He rips the needle out of his arm. Kelly and Lindsey run over.

KELLY: Connor, relax. It's okay.

CONNOR: What are you doing to me?

KELLY: You lost a lot of blood.

CONNOR: You're putting someone else's blood in me!!

KELLY: Well, yeah. Otherwise you would've died.

CONNOR: Who are you? [He was in Sunnydale when she was in LA. He was in LA when she was in Sunnydale. They had not crossed paths during the fight. Faith comes over to comfort the confused and terrified Connor. She rubs the top of his head with her right hand. He looks up.]

FAITH: It's okay. That's what they do when you lose blood. It doesn't change you. Kelly's trying to help you out. So just chill for a bit, then you'll be fine. Trust me. Can you do that, kiddo?

Faith has a calming effect on Connor. He's always thought well of her, and she did just save his life. If Faith says a blood transfusion isn't some form of vampirism, he'll take her word on that.

CONNOR: Thanks for saving my life. Sorry bout almost getting you killed.

HOLTZ: Your friends love you. They give you their lives. You give them ceaseless toil, an endless battle against an unvanquishable enemy. They suffer for you. And why? Because you believe it is your destiny to make the world a better place. The world needs you to save it. [laughs] Funny how it got along fine without you all this time. But none of that matters because you are a man of destiny. That is something you and I are in agreement about. The question is, what is that destiny? It seems to me the only way we can answer that question is by looking at your record since you began your attempt to make the world a better place. I must admit, it is a record of boundless heroism and self-sacrifice on an epic scale. But more to the point, it's a record of helping people.

And that's part of the problem. You show people there's a better way. You give them a chance to do what they thought was impossible. In the end, you are just setting them up for disappointment. You can endure the disappointment. But humans are weaker. You inspire your friends to rise to your level. But in trying to do so, most will only destroy themselves. There may be the rare individual who can succeed, but how many will have to fail before you find that one? And is the success of that one individual worth the pain, the agony, the soul-crushing disappointment, of those who weren't up to the task you inspired them to take on?

Human beings were not created to be Champions. They don't desire danger, or pain. They want comfort. They want their designer clothes and their expensive shoes and their comfy slippers and someone to curl up with at the end of the day. But to be content, they need to feel safe. Maybe that's where you come in. You fight to make the world a safer place. But have you succeeded? Are the people of Los Angeles any safer because you've been looking out for them?

XANDER: She really said that?

CONNOR: I was right there in Madame Hohlakhov's parlor. I saw the whole thing. Katarina was furious. I don't think anyone's ever disrespected her like that.

XANDER: Grushenka is just amazing. She's so unlike any other woman I have ever known.

CONNOR: She has a rough, natural charm. Granted, her bluntness makes her quite unpopular with the other ladies.

XANDER: Because she sees right through them. She's a real person, not some phony aristocrat who only knows how to put on airs.

CONNOR: Are you talking about anyone in particular?

XANDER: I don't mean Katarina. She's genuine.

CONNOR: Genuinely vicious.

XANDER: [grins] That's what I liked about her.

CONNOR: She loves you. You know that.

XANDER: She thinks she loves me. But Katya only loves herself.

Gunn, Fred and Wes are bandaged up and in the office, looking through books, trying to figure out what's wrong with Angel and Willow. Wesley looks at Angelus's medallion under a magnifying glass.

GUNN: First two times Angelus got souled, it was a surprise. He never saw it coming. This time, he knew. Maybe that makes a difference.

WES: This charm, it, well, it doesn't make sense. It appears to be of classical origin. Possibly Roman. But certainly not Roma.

FRED: You think it's some sort of evil bulla?

WES: That's what it appears to be. But why would an ancient Roman talisman be able to ward off a Gypsy spell?

FRED: Maybe it's not a Gypsy spell.

WES: Of course!

FRED: Wait a minute. What do you mean of course? It was a group of Gypsies who cursed Angel. And they're the ones Willow indirectly got the text from.

WES: But the text is in Latin. Why would the Roma write a spell in a language that had been dead for nearly 1000 years by the time they arrived in Europe? Because they didn't write it. An ancient Roman talisman would protect against an ancient Roman spell.

FRED: Then how did the Gypsies get it?

WES: That's the question. [eyes light up] Simple. More than 100,000 Italian colonists moved to Transylvania in the second century after the Romans conquered Dacia. They take the spell with them. It becomes part of indigenous folk magics in the area, and that's how the Gypsies picked it up when they arrived 14 centuries later. We've been going about this all wrong.

Kate enters the house. She wears a police uniform. Willow's rather confused.

WILLOW: Hold on. Who are you?

Willow gets up and walks into the scene, since the players can't see her.

KATE: There's been a murder.

Wes and Connor stand up.

CONNOR: Who?

KATE: Fyodor Karamazov.

They both look surprised, but neither looks especially grief-stricken.

KATE: Fyodor was found on the street, bludgeoned. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital. Before losing consciousness, Fyodor said he was attacked by his son.

Connor and Wes look at each other. The scene goes dark. When the lights come back on, Xander is sitting in an interrogation room. Standing over him is Principal Snyder.

XANDER: I didn't kill him. I swear to God!

SNYDER: But you threatened to kill on several occasions.

XANDER: Yes, but –

SNYDER: And you had struck him before.

XANDER: Yes, but –

SNYDER: And when the police found you on the night you father died, you had blood on your hands!

XANDER: It wasn't his blood. It was Grigory's. We had an argument. I am guilty of attacking him, not my father.

SNYDER: Grigory believes you are guilty of both. He told me you attacked him because he defended your father. And that during the argument which followed, you threatened to kill your father. Is that not true?

XANDER: It's true. I won't deny it.

SNYDER: And when you went to Madame Hohlakov's house that evening, begging for money, you threatened to kill you kill your father, did you not?

XANDER: I won't lie. All this is true. But I swear I didn't kill him.

SNYDER: You planned to kill him. You had motive. You have a history of violent behavior. No one wanted Fyodor Karamazov dead more than you did. Tell me Dmitri, given these unassailable facts, what am I supposed to think?

Snyder leaves the room and walks up to Kate. Willow moves so that she is in front of Kate and can get a good look at her.

WILLOW: You're not bad. But who are you?

SNYDER: He's guilty as sin.

KATE: He doesn't act like a guilty man.

SNYDER: That's because he's a lousy criminal.

KATE: I have serious doubts about this.

SNYDER: You're the one who brought him in.

KATE: For questioning.

SNYDER: As a suspect. His brothers have alibis. He had blood on his hands and no alibi.

KATE: He said he went to visit that Grushenka woman.

SNYDER: His girlfriend? She's obviously covering for him. And what about the 3,000 you found in that envelope under his mattress? He had threatened to kill Fyodor if his father did not give him that money.

KATE: You believe this was premeditated?

SNYDER: We know he had given considerable thought to murdering his father.

KATE: Then why was he so sloppy? Why didn't he wash the blood off his hands?

SNYDER: Because he's an idiot. An idiot with a temper.

KATE: What about Smerdyakov?

SNYDER: The bastard half-brother? He had no motive. Besides, he had been in bed recovering from a seizure. You saw him that night. Did he look like a person who could have just murdered a man with his bare hands? And Fyodor was Smerdyakov's employer. Now that he's dead, Smerdyakov is out of job. He had every reason to want that man to stay alive. Dmitri had every reason to want his father dead.

KATE: I still think you have the wrong man.

SNYDER: I'm the prosecutor. I don't have to care what you think.

WES: I believe I've found the specific Curse this particular talisman is meant to ward off. And Charles, it appears you were onto something. Turns out that the target can fight off the soul, but only for a few seconds. That must be what Faith witnessed. "However, ensoulment can only take place with the target's consent." What? That doesn't make sense. [Wesley reads on for 10 more seconds] Okay, there's a choice, but it's a Hobson's choice. Angelus could either accept the soul, or kill himself.

GUNN: Angelus gets a soul because he hates being good less than he hates being dust.

FRED: The two earlier times, yes. But Faith said he was pretty clear about not wantin' to go back. I think he's a different Angelus this time around. He sought out his enemies. He was bolder than we expected. The old Angelus was evil, but he was also, you know, cowardly. This Angelus wasn't a coward. What if he WAS willing to die rather than get his soul back?

WES: But he didn't.

GUNN: Maybe he hadn't made up his mind.

FRED: So he could stay Angelus as long as he kept pullin' a Hamlet?

WES: No. The answer is immediate and instinctual. It's a reflex. Dithering's not an option.

GUNN: How was he gonna kill himself? Grab someone's stake? Run outside? Those things take a few seconds. Enough with the hypotheticals. That book say anything 'bout gettin' knocked into a coma?

WES: Not a word.

FRED: Back to what Charles just said. From what I've seen, Willow, when she's doin' her magic thing, REALLY doesn't like to lose. Angelus kills himself, she loses.

WES: At the end, just before she went under, Willow's chanting wasn't from the spell. She sounded she was improvising.

GUNN: Angelus didn't want a soul. Willow's forces it into him before he can kill himself.

WES: The theory makes sense. But how does it help us revive them?

The three of them look at each other. They're stumped.

HOLTZ: Let's first glance at Sunnydale. You saved quite a few lives in that town. But you took even more lives during the months when you were Angelus. And, as you know, you would never have become Angelus if you had not decided to fight evil and help make the world a better place. Clearly, in Sunnydale, you did more harm than good. Your presence made that community less safe. I'm sure that's not the opinion of the people in Sunnydale who cared about you. But it is your opinion. You know how many you killed, how many you saved. But we're not here because of what happened there. I'm only using it as an example of how evil things can come from the best of intentions.

Furthermore, I am not saying you deserve to die because there is a chance you could turn into Angelus again. I'll leave that argument to made by your more feeble-minded adversaries. You deserve to die because of what you do as Angel. Because of the events Angel can't help but cause to happen. This is why I am here. You do good. You are good. But you're cursed. No, not that one. You know better. Your curse is not that you can't be happy. It is that you must suffer. In fact, you know that if you could be happy, that would only make your suffering more agonizing. Whether you mean to or not, you bring pain upon yourself, and upon those who are close to you. After all, it is inevitable that those who love you will share in your suffering.

Let's talk about the them. Doyle died only months after joining up with you. Granted, the death was heroic, and of his own free will. But did you become a Champion so that your friends could die heroically? Who's next? Oh yes. [grin] Cordelia Chase. Is there is any one person who has changed more because of you? Look at what she once was. Who would have known that the Cordelia Chase who left Sunnydale was capable of such immense self-sacrifice. You inspired her to greatness. You made her feel it was worth suffering for the Greater Good. She looked at you, she looked at what you were achieving, and she wanted to be a Champion. She loved you, and she wanted to be with you, no matter the cost.

Did you do anything wrong? No. Except, perhaps, allowing her to believe there was a chance you could love her the way she loved you. Then again, Buffy's doing the same thing with that Spike fellow. Nothing wrong with using love to make someone become a better person. But Spike won't turn out the way Cordy did. Buffy's record is not like yours. Things tend to turn out all right for the people she inspires. Buffy suffers for her friends. Your friends suffer with you. That's not your fault. You would gladly endure eternal torments on their behalf. You would do anything to protect them. But, somehow, you're never quite in the right place at the right time. Buffy can save Dawn from a god. You can't save Connor from ME. [smiles] Some people just aren't meant to win.

I don't need to tell you what became of Cordy. And I don't need to tell you that she wouldn't have turned out that way if it wasn't for you. If she lives, her life can never be the same. Not after what she's done. How long did it take you to get over the guilt of slaughtering thousands and become a functioning member of society? Cordy doesn't have 99 years to get her act together. Oh well. Another victim of your curse. As for the others, they haven't known you as long. Gunn and Fred are doing well, but so was Cordy after two or three years with you. Give them time. Wesley, well, he was nothing before he joined you, so he had very, very little to lose. Still, he should be dead because of you by now. The only reason he's alive is that part of Justine liked him. That's why the cut was so shallow. That's why she didn't bother to finish him off. As for his subsequent renaissance, we both know you had absolutely nothing to do with that.

Who's left? Did I forget someone? No. I could never forget Steven. I'm sorry. That was his name when he knew the difference between right and wrong. Steven never would have imprisoned you in the bottom of the ocean and then lived with your friends, watching with delight as they desperately tried to find you. My son Steven would have gone for the kill and then struck out on his own. But Connor – Connor is your son. And look what became of Connor. It would be unfair to blame you. Or credit you, for that matter. Still, all his suffering was due to the fact that you were his father. Maybe that's why he left. But leaving wasn't enough. He was still the same confused, violent, gullible boy willing to do someone else's bidding. Here or there, he was going to self-destruct. Only reason he didn't was, well, let's just say it's a good thing miracles come in pairs.

Wes walks into a hospital room. Spike sits on the bed. He doesn't look well. He's wearing his "crazy hair."

SPIKE: I've been following the trial in the papers. Looks like Dmitri's done for.

WES: That's because he's guilty.

Spike laughs.

SPIKE: From what I read, that's what everybody thinks.

WES: Everybody but Alyosha. He thinks you did it.

SPIKE: [smiles] Really. And why do you think he's wrong?

WES: Because it's nonsense.

SPIKE: Do you want Dmitri to be guilty?

WES: No. Of course not. But I know he is.

SPIKE: All the evidence does point to him. And don't tell me you don't realize how the death of your father benefits you.

WES: I didn't want him dead.

SPIKE: Yes you did. You just didn't want to be the one who killed him. Fyodor was going to marry Agrafena. And once that happened, when Fyodor died, she would get everything and you would get nothing. However, if he died before the wedding, you and your two brothers would each get 40,000. But, [smiles] if Mitya killed him, he would get nothing, and you would get 60,000. Also, you would get Katarina. The money. The girl. Isn't this perfect for you?

WES: That is entirely irrelevant.

SPIKE: You never liked Dmitri. I can't blame you. First, because the two of you are complete opposites. And second, because he had the heart of the woman you loved. You couldn't stand stand that Katarina loved Mitya instead of you.

WES: Now I know why you seldom opened you mouth. You had nothing sensible to say.

SPIKE: Why does Alyosha think I killed father?

WES: [pause] Because he thinks you have no soul.

SPIKE: You don't think souls exist. Why should it matter if Alyosha thinks I lack something which doesn't exist? Why else does he believe I'm the murderer?

WES: Because you believe in nothing.

SPIKE: Whenever you argued with Alyosha, I always took your side. Until now.

WES: [long pause] That's impossible. [Wes looks exasperated] Why would you kill him? He liked you. You and Alyosha were the only ones he liked.

SPIKE: I killed him because of you. I turned your thought into action. I killed father. But never would have done it without you.

WES: You're lying.

SPIKE: You don't think I'm smart enough to frame Mitya for murder? Wasn't that hard. Stole the 3000 quid, stuck it under his mattress. As for an alibi, remember when you wondered if I could fake seizures? Everyone thought I was in bed all night. And if I snuck out for a spell, who would notice? No one ever noticed me.

WES: I admit, it's possible. But you didn't want him dead.

SPIKE: I know. You did. It was your will I was following. Like I said, whenever you argued with Alyosha, I always agreed with you. You convinced me, brother. [Wes cringes. They may share a father, but he doesn't see Spike as a brother] Why aren't you happy, Ivan? I am. Look at what I've accomplished. The perfect murder. That's something to be proud of. Plus, in addition to Fyodor, how many lives have I destroyed? Agrafena. Dmitri. Possibly Grushenka's and Katarina's. And, oddly enough, yours. I can see it in your face. You're ashamed. You've gained far more than me, but enjoy it far less. Why is that?

WES: Because you're mad.

SPIKE: No. It's because you feel guilty. I don't. Maybe you do have a soul after all. Pity.

Xander reaches his hands out from behind the bars. Anya holds them.

ANYA: What's going to happen to you?

XANDER: Siberia.

ANYA: But you're innocent. I know that for a fact.

XANDER: I'm guilty of a lot of other things that I've never been punished for. Somehow, this feels right.

ANYA: But you're innocent!

XANDER: I was wasting my life. Never took anything seriously. Now I do. Grushenka, I love you. You're the one thing that matters to me in this world.

ANYA: And I love you, Mitya.

XANDER: You're not just saying that because I'm about to be led away and you'll never have to see me again?

Angel had passed out with his mouth open.

FRED: What's that on his tongue?

Wesley pulls it out a little.

WES: A cross. How did that get there?

KELLY: Um, I would be how that got there. [holds up her bandaged left hand] Had to do something to get him away from Willow.

Wesley smiles. He's not glad that Kelly hurt Angelus. But he does admire her resourcefulness. Tough, brave, smart, beautiful, extraordinarily clever – Kelly has a lot for him to admire. Faith enters.

FAITH: He's still out?

GUNN: Yep.

FAITH: Any idea how to bring him back?

LORNE: How do you revive a dead man?

HOLTZ: Look at the last three years. You've spent most of your time cleaning up your own messes. Darla, Connor, Cordy. Between keeping yourself alive, and keeping your friends alive, there hasn't been much time left for helping the general population. Isn't that why you do this? You have helped a lot of people. Hundreds. Thousands, perhaps. But how many did the Beast kill? How many died because the sun wasn't rising? Those things happened because of you. Once again, your presence seems to be doing more harm than good. However, these things happen in spurts. For a long time, you were doing great good and causing very little harm. Your accomplishments are undeniable. Emancipating Winifred. Bringing Connor into this world. They owe you their lives. And right now, Fred, Connor, Gunn and Wesley seem to be doing quite well. Perhaps they would continue doing well if you weren't around. As you know, trouble has a way of finding you. It can't help but find the people who are close to you. This is why I want you to burn. Not out of vengeance. Vengeance would be allowing you to live. I just want to make sure you can't do any more damage. That is, after all, why I went after you in the first place [Holtz stands up] Do you have anything to say in your defense?

Angel goes bumpy. He rips his hands free, overturns the table and stands up. Holtz looks frightened, as if he fully expects Angel to take advantage of this opportunity to kill him. Angel grabs his head as if he is about to snap Holtz's neck. Instead, after pausing for a couple seconds, he shoves Holtz into the door. Angel looks at Holtz and shakes his head. Then he opens his eyes and wakes up. He looks around and sees his friends.

ANGEL: It's me. It's me, Angel.

LORNE: We know.

FAITH: Good to have you back.

In the next room, Willow shoots up out of bed.

WILLOW: Okay. That was new. [she takes a deep breath and looks around] Hey Lindsey. Kelly. Where's everyone else?

Willow walks out into the hallway, as does Angel.

WILLOW: Oh. Angel. You are Angel, right?

ANGEL: Thanks to you.

WILLOW: Well, that sure was a lot harder than last time. By the way, if I ever have to do this again, you will come back a eunuch. I think you know I'm not bluffing.

Angel winces and nods.

ANGEL: They said you were also unconscious.

WILLOW: Apparently we went down together.

ANGEL: Do you have a dream?

For obvious reasons, Willow doesn't want to tell Angel about her dream.

WILLOW: Uh, yeah. It was, well, um, um –

ANGEL: Dostoyevskyan?

WILLOW: Dostoyevsky? I'm not sure. I've read "Crime and Punishment" and "Demons" – which, by the way, has a very deceptive title. It wasn't like either of them. Actually, I hardly remember the dream at all, now that I'm awake. So, I really couldn't tell you what it was about.

ANGEL: Okay. [looks around at everybody] Where's Cordy?

NEXT: Angel calls Buffy.