Angel and Buffy have their first conversation in 18 months. Anya and Xander meet Fred and Gunn. And Xander sees Cordy and Angel, annoying one and charming the other.
Molly, Amanda, Rona, Madari and Rose mill around in the small sitting room between the kitchen and the living room.
MOLLY: Have you called him yet?
MADARI: I almost did, last night. But I didn't want to come on too strong, scare him away. What's the rule on girls calling boys in this country?
ROSE: If they like you they like it. If they don't, it creeps them out.
MOLLY: You know pretty quick if you're wasting your toim.
AMANDA: Then why haven't you called?
MOLLY: What would we talk about?
RONA: Not ourselves.
ROSE: "How was your week?" "Not bad. I staked a vampire on Tuesday, beheaded a Bringer on Wednesday, and fought sword-wielding super-demons on Thursday. How was your week?"
The girls all laugh.
RONA: We could call to ask 'em out. It is Saturday.
MOLLY: Maybe they'll call us.
MADARI: They don't have Buffy's number.
RONA: Clarence does.
AMANDA: So does Preston. He just thinks I spend a lot of time here. I wouldn't know how to explain to him why I left my parent's house and moved two miles away to live with my guidance counselor.
The phone rings. The five girls rush into the kitchen. Buffy picks it up. They anxiously wait to see which one of their men is calling.
BUFFY: Hello?
ANGEL: I know it's been a while, but I was hoping we could talk.
BUFFY: Angel . . . of course. So – you're back.
The girls realize the "boy" was calling for Buffy. They walk into the living room.
ROSE: Angel. Is that Buffy's boyfriend's name?
RONA: You mean the one who went evil and killed all those people?
MOLLY: I thought Spike did that.
AMANDA: He did. Before we came. Angel did it when Connor was here.
MADARI: Now I remember. He's the vampire with a child.
RONA: Does this mean he got his soul back?
ROSE: Isn't Spike the vampire who got his soul back?
AMANDA: They both are. The difference is Spike doesn't have any children.
MOLLY: Are we sure about that?
ROSE: Which one is Buffy's boyfriend?
RONA: They both are. Or, they both were.
MADARI: This is so confusing.
AMANDA: But Connor is Dawn's boyfriend. So she had sex with her older sister's ex-lover's son.
MADARI: This is when we need Andrew to draw us one of his charts.
ANGEL: I've missed you. Sorry I went so long without calling.
BUFFY: I understand. A lot of things happened to you that you didn't wanna tell me about. Then again, you didn't tell me about those things even when we WERE talking.
Angel pauses for a few seconds. He doesn't know what Buffy's getting at.
ANGEL: I think I'm missing something here.
BUFFY: We could have talked for hours without you saying a word about your life. We've done it plenty of times before.
ANGEL: I know you have every right to be mad at me. If you had known about Connor before you met him, maybe he wouldn't have been able to wreak so much havoc.
BUFFY: You don't get it. I'm not mad about Connor. No, I am. But I'm also mad about you. Wait. That came out all wrong. I'm mad about how you treat me. This isn't about the times you didn't talk to me. It's about the times you did. The only time you told me anything about your life in Los Angeles was when you were soulless. You were only willing to share when you were evil. What does that say about you? What does that say about us?
Buffy's apparent hostility takes Angel by surprise.
ANGEL: It says I don't want to burden you with my problems.
BUFFY: Exactly. You still treat me like a child.
ANGEL: Buffy, what are you talking about?
BUFFY: You love me, don't you?
ANGEL: Of course.
BUFFY: And I love you. Which is why, when we talk, I always tell you how I'm feeling. I never hold anything back from you. You hold everything back. Do you think I don't care about you, that I wouldn't be interested, that all I ever want to talk about is myself?
ANGEL: Let me try to understand this: When I came to see you after your mother just died, or after you had been resurrected and ripped out of Heaven, you wanted be to whine on about MY petty problems?
BUFFY: I want you to share. I want you to stop pretending you're the same person you were when I was in high school. Because, if you don't tell me about your life, then I'm not really a part of it. I'm only a part of some fantasy. Do you know how painful it is to love someone but feel you hardly know them?
ANGEL: I think I do. A lot's happened – to both of us. We've both changed.
He's on the cusp of mentioning Spike. It's not like Angel's the only one who's slept with a soulless vampire in a moment of weakness. But he doesn't want this conversation to degenerate into an exchange of petty and predictable accusations.
BUFFY: If Connor never came here, and you, after becoming your heroic good guy self again, decided to pay me a visit, would you mention that he existed? Would you tell me anything about your life since we last talked? No. That's unfair. Let me try say this another way: when you're talking to me, and I tell you I no longer feel motivated and my heart's no longer with my mission, it might be nice if you told me about the time you had a major crisis of confidence and actually gave up and abandoned your mission for a few months. Sometimes hearing about your problems can help me deal with my problems.
ANGEL: I guess I just, I guess I just didn't want you to worry about me. You already had enough to worry about. You've always had it tough. All I've ever wanted to do is to help make your life better any way I could.
BUFFY: I know. And that's what you did. Until I took away your soul and sent you to Hell. After that, after we'd caused each other that much pain, it seems sorta silly to hold something back cause one of us is worried about hurting the other one's feelings.
ANGEL: That's true. I could always say I've put you through worse. [they share a few nervous chuckles over the dark joke] Besides, after last week, I really have nothing left to hide.
BUFFY: God, you're right. Things were so much simpler back then – when I had to avert an apocalypse, keep one eye on an uber-vamp released by the First and keep the other eye on an obnoxious mystery super-boy who liked to take my sister slaying. Okay, I guess my life was never simple.
ANGEL: Connor took Dawn slaying! That is so reckless and dangerous and, well, so much like him. I'm surprised you didn't kill him right then and there for risking your sister's life.
BUFFY: Giles held me back.
ANGEL: So Connor was driving you crazy even before he . . . I'm sorry someone I love caused you so much pain. Connor just has a way of doing that.
BUFFY: Yeah. I heard about your underwater summer vacation. If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about him.
ANGEL: That's understandable. So how are things? How are you doing?
BUFFY: Same old, same old I suppose. Fighting the big evil. Except, it's not the same.
ANGEL: Because of the Potentials?
BUFFY: Ten more people whose lives depend on me. You know how it is – the more people around you, the lonelier you feel.
ANGEL: Actually, I don't.
BUFFY: Right. Your group is still small and manageable. But it doesn't matter how many there are. When you're the leader, when you're the one everyone turns to, the one who has to make the big decisions, you can't just be one of the group. You feel separate.
ANGEL: Oh. You mean the proverbial loneliness of power. The more powerful you become, the more isolated you are.
BUFFY: So you do know what it feels like.
ANGEL: No. And neither should you.
BUFFY: If this is your idea of trying to be helpful, I'd hate to talk to you when you were being dismissive.
ANGEL: Powerful people feel lonely because everyone is afraid to criticize or question them. Unless Rupert and your friends have turned into doormats, this shouldn't be a problem for you. They do still argue with you when they think you're wrong, don't they? Or, sometimes, even when they think you're right?
BUFFY: Blind obedience is definitely something I don't have to fear.
ANGEL: Good. Then why do you feel lonely?
BUFFY: I'm the Slayer. I love my friends, but none of them can understand what I've gone through, or what it feels like to have everybody counting on me every day of my life.
ANGEL: So the problem is no one else knows what it feels like to be you. That's true for everybody, Buffy. That's the human condition. Your case is, well, extreme. But it's only a difference of degree. Look. None of my friends can possibly know what it feels like to experience the things I've experienced. But I don't fixate on what separates us. I feel lonely when they're NOT around. When did you start feeling so alienated?
BUFFY: Why are you belittling me? I know you just got you soul back. Does it take a few more hours for the empathy to kick in?
ANGEL: You're the Slayer. So what? That's not what makes you special. How many Slayers have there been? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Doesn't sound very unique to me. Faith's a Slayer. Kendra was a Slayer. They're nothing like you. Being a Slayer does not define who you are. You used to know that. THAT'S what made you special. That's why you've won against enemies who would've killed any other Slayer. The day you make being a Slayer your defining characteristic is the day you'll lose.
BUFFY: You mean like how you define yourself as a vampire with a soul?
ANGEL: You mean THE vampire with a . . . [Angel pauses. Buffy laughs. Angel gets her point] Touche. You got me. Guess we've both been a little guilty of wallowing in our supposed speciality. But that only proves my point. You know who you remind me of? Connor.
BUFFY: Gee Angel. You really know how to charm a girl to the point of nausea.
ANGEL: I'm serious. Connor used to pull this "Nobody understands me, you don't know what I've been through" crap all the time. Clearly he had a point. Didn't mean wasn't being a knucklehead You know what I told him? Get over it. And he has. My point is, if Connor's mature enough to stop wallowing, then you sure as hell are.
BUFFY: You're telling me I'm acting like Connor. I don't think I've ever felt more insulted in my entire life. Is this you way of trying to use reverse psychology to slap some sense into me?
ANGEL: It's my way of reminding you what you taught me – that just because you're unlike anybody else on the planet doesn't mean you have to go through life alone.
BUFFY: Oh. That's sweet, the way you brought it all full circle like that. This thing where you tell people what you feel? You're not so bad at it. Don't know why you didn't try it earlier.
ANGEL: Does this mean you're not mad at me?
BUFFY: You know how it goes. Can't help forgiving the people you love.
After Angel and Buffy finish talking, he walks out into the hall. Lorne, Fred and Gunn are there to meet him.
LORNE: How ya doin', chief?
ANGEL: Not bad. Considering –
LORNE: Need something to drink? Place is awful low on animal blood. I could go get some.
ANGEL: No, no. I'm fine.
FRED: He already drank. About a quart.
Lorne looks at Fred's neck. He had forgotten Angelus was the one who gave her the wound. Lorne looks chagrined. So does Angel. Fred and him avoid eye contact for the moment. Lorne decides to change the subject. Somehow, Connor actually seems like a safer topic.
LORNE: So how are things with junior? Are we still at Orange Alert, or should we bump it up to red?
Angel looks a bit confused.
ANGEL: Why are you worried about Connor? We've never been closer. He told me he loved me. He's never done that before. He actually looked me in the eyes and said "I love you, dad."
Fred, Lorne and Gunn are utterly perplexed.
GUNN: Was this before or after he nailed your hands to the table?
ANGEL: After.
FRED: Of course.
LORNE: Otherwise Connor's actions would seem completely irrational. No, they still do.
ANGEL: Connor just had to let off some steam. Then he was ready to open up to me. We really bonded. It's like Connor was finally proud to be my son. Do you know how great that is?
Angel smiles and walks away. Gunn, Fred and Lorne stand there, dumbfounded.
GUNN: They do things different in that family.
FRED: That's putting it mildly.
LORNE: You know the saying "You always hurt the ones you love"? Maybe Connor's taking that a bit too literally.
A little later, Xander parks on the street and Anya and he walk towards the Hyperion. They look at the building from the sidewalk.
XANDER: Angel owns all this?
ANYA: There must be what – 50 to 100,000 square feet in there? You look at a place like this, and you ask yourself two questions: Why does he need this much real estate? And who did Angel have to kill to get this place?
XANDER: Or how many. Then you realize, it's best if you don't know.
ANYA: I wonder if it's haunted. Ghosts have a way of driving off prospective buyers and making a place more affordable.
They walk into the front courtyard. While Anya looks at the flora, Xander checks out the walls.
XANDER: This place hardly looks like it's in danger of collapse.
ANYA: Remember when I told you I wanted a fountain like this in the back yard of the house we planned to buy after we got married? Sorry to dredge that up. I only brought it up to make the point that just because something looks strong and solid on the outside can doesn't mean it's not in danger of collapsing and crushing all who dwell within.
XANDER: I thought I was the one who made construction metaphors.
ANYA: Actually, it's a destruction metaphor.
They both enter the lobby. One look at the wreckage, and their jaws drop to the floor.
ANYA: So much for metaphors.
Xander looks at the shattered glass, twisted metal and pulverized concrete which litter the atrium.
XANDER: It's like someone exploded a bomb before swinging a wrecking ball. I've seen what Willow can do, but this is just –
ANYA: Beyond even her evil abilities? She did say evil Cordy was very, very powerful.
The two of them slowly walk down the steps into the center of the lobby. From there, they get a good look at the holes in the walls. They also notice a large amount of blood on the floor. Willow limps out of the office.
WILLOW: Hey guys.
She has a black right eye and bruised left cheek from when Angelus hit her, as well as two small cuts on her neck where he bit her. But these injuries are greatly outnumbered by the cuts and bruises Cordy gave her, especially the dozens of nicks from the barbed wire Cordy briefly wrapped her in. Xander runs over and hugs her.
XANDER: Willow. Are you alright?
WILLOW: I was until you started crushing me.
Xander lets go.
XANDER: Sorry. You just look so, so – whose blood is on the floor?
WILLOW: Most of it's Cordelia's. Some of it's mine.
ANYA: I caused my share of damage in my demon days. But my God! How powerful was she? How powerful were YOU?
WILLOW: It was close. She came closer to doin' me in than, well, anybody. But it all worked out in the end.
XANDER: From a witch's standpoint, perhaps. From a construction worker's standpoint, this is a disaster area.
WILLOW: That's why you're here. I use my skills to fix Angel and Cordy. You use yours to fix their home.
XANDER: You want me to do Angel a favor?
WILLOW: I know the two of you aren't exactly old friends, but I just did Cordelia a favor, and you know how not-well we got along.
ANYA: It would put Angel in your debt. He'd owe you big time. Think of how emasculated that would make him feel.
WILLOW: It's not just Angel you'd be helping. There's also Cordy. And Connor. And a bunch of much nicer people you haven't met. [the elevator door opens] People who are right behind you. [Xander and Anya turn around] Xander, Anya, meet Fred and Gunn. You already know Lorne.
LORNE: Hello Anya. Nice to see you again. I guess you could say this is our idea of Spring cleaning.
Lorne's trying a bit too hard because he kind of has a thing for Anya. Fred walks up to Xander, shakes his hand and smiles at him.
FRED: Willow's told me so much about you.
XANDER: Good things, I hope.
FRED: Jus' how you saved her, and the world, when Willow went on her vengeance kick. She's real lucky to have a friend like you.
ANYA: Hey there Freddy.
GUNN: I'm Gunn.
ANYA: She's the one with the masculine name?
LORNE: He's Charles Gunn. She's Winifred Burkle.
ANYA: Silly me. Of course you'd be the one with the virile, vaguely phallic nickname. And with name like Charles Gunn, you pretty much have no choice but to become a tough guy. What happened to your shoulder? [he's wearing a tank top]
GUNN: Vampire stabbed me. It's nothin'.
It takes a few seconds before Anya realizes Gunn is done talking.
ANYA: Sorry. I'm not used to the strong, silent type.
XANDER: You and Angel are living together?
FRED: Not together. In the same building. It's a big building.
XANDER: And I'm going to fix it up for you.
FRED: Really? You don't have to go to all that trouble.
XANDER: No trouble at all. I do this for a living.
FRED: Willow did say you were in construction.
XANDER: And reconstruction. Which is important in this line of work. Demons knock something down, I put it back together. I like to think of it as the circle of life.
Fred laughs. Xander examines some of the debris. Willow worries Xander might be falling for Fred. Anya's walking around the place with Charles.
ANYA: So you pay the bills, and Angel's the eye candy?
GUNN: We all do our thing.
ANYA: What's the overhead on a place like this?
GUNN: That's Fred's thing.
ANYA: The holes in the walls – you should go with that. Knock them all down. Turn this first-floor wing into a store. Most of the magic shops in LA are grimy, out-of-the-way affairs. There's nothing that caters to both the serious practitioners AND the dilettantes. You know, the college kids and new agers who buy crystals and scented candles. You make the big bucks by fleecing those suckers.
GUNN: We ain't in that business.
ANYA: You're already in the business of providing para-normal services. You should diversify. Horizontal integration. Monopolize the market. Your lobby looks a lot nicer when it's not in pieces, doesn't it?
GUNN: Of course.
ANYA: Perfect. People come in. They need you to save their cat from a tree demon, or whatever. While they're here, they notice something shiny and expensive in the magic shop, and decide to buy it. Or, you have a magic shop customer with a bunch of demon eggs in their basement. They come to you for help. Each business feeds off the other. Then you can turn the other first-floor wing into a training room. Or, perhaps, a night club. Lorne could run the magic shop during the day and sing at night. You guys and gals can help out when you're not busy getting paid to save lives. It's clear you have the resources to insure your financial security. You're just not exploiting them.
GUNN: You really like money.
ANYA: You noticed that.
GUNN: Were you this way a a Vengeance Demon?
ANYA: Hardly. Love of money is a decidedly human trait. That's why Angel hasn't worked to grow the business. Demons don't care about money. But his business has to support four human employees, not to mention his son. Cordelia has expensive tastes. Connor's food budget alone must be staggering. And you and Fred and Wesley have needs and wants. Just because you're the good guys doesn't mean you have to be poor. Have you considered providing lodging for benign traveling demons? The idea of only five or six people living in this palace strikes me as almost criminal. Right now, I'm living with 17 other people in a 3 bedroom house. 14 women, sharing one bathroom! And here you are with more space that you know what to do with. Sometimes I think the gods have become addicted to irony.
XANDER: This is interesting.
FRED: What is?
XANDER: The balcony is reinforced. But the supporting columns are just poured concrete. If they were reinforced, they might have held.
FRED: You're saying they weren't structurally sound?
XANDER: I'm sure they were strong enough to support the weight of the balcony during the course of a hotel's normal business.
FRED: But they weren't strong enough to handle the sheering force of a super-natural throwdown.
XANDER: Exactly. Considering the stresses a building experiences in your line of work, I'd recommend the new columns be reinforced.
Xander goes off to inspect the damage in the wings adjacent to the lobby.
WILLOW: So is the building safe?
XANDER: To live in? Definitely. The damage is confined to one part of the structure. Honestly, it's a nice change-of-pace to see a home with this much concrete. If Buffy's place took this amount of damage, nothing would be left but splinters. Is there any damage in other parts of the building?
FRED: Well, there's some in the basement. Plus there's a lot wreckage from before today. Earthquakes. Fires. Wesley falling through the floor when he was trying to kill me.
XANDER: Wesley did what? Why?
FRED: He was possessed.
XANDER: Oh. I had that once. Very embarrassing. I'm sure that afterwards he pretended he didn't remember any of the things he did.
FRED: No. [the thought had never occurred to Fred. Or Wesley.]
XANDER: And he's supposed to be smart one.
A few minutes later, Fred, Willow and Xander return to the lobby and meet up with Anya and Gunn.
ANYA: Now the only snag I can foresee is a lack of startup capital. But you can always get a loan. What is your cash flow situation?
FRED: What were you two talking about?
GUNN: Anya here thinks we should branch out.
ANYA: Are you satisfied with the amount of money this company's pulling in?
Fred laughs.
FRED: Money? We're barely keepin' one step ahead of the bill collectors.
Anya thinks she's found someone who will be receptive. She walks up to Fred.
ANYA: Interesting how it's always the women who care about the finances. Men seem to think money grows on trees.
FRED: Tell me about it. I'm always the one who hasta follow up on invoices and make sure our clients' checks don't bounce.
ANYA: I was proposing to Charles that you start up a magic shop in that wing over there. As someone who used to be in the business, I can tell you this is a very underexploited market. And with my contacts on the wholesale level, you could get up and running in no time.
FRED: You're in the business?
ANYA: I ran a magic shop of my own until Willow went evil and destroyed it.
FRED: Oh. She didn't mention that part. That must have been devastating, having your livelihood taken away like that. [Willow looks upset] Of course, there were circumstances. It ain't like Willow can be held responsible for everything she did when she was overcome by grief.
ANYA: And vengeance. Going overboard on vengeance I can understand. Here's what I think: you have all this space, so use it. Angel's clients come to you when they want magical supplies, and your clients go to him when they need muscle. Plus, you could throw in a night club to capitalize on Lorne's talents.
Lorne enters the lobby, wearing a silk bathrobe and carrying a martini.
LORNE: Not all my talents are for sale.
ANYA: I was only talking about the ones you flaunt in public.
WILLOW: I really should be heading home now. Ready to go, Anya?
LORNE: But you just got here.
WILLOW: Thanks for everything, guys. Couldn't have done it without you.
GUNN: Took the words right outta my mouth.
Willow hugs Fred, hugs Lorne, then shakes hands with Gunn.
WILLOW: Angel's lucky to have you guys.
ANYA: It was nice meeting you two. Think about what I said.
LORNE: Certainly all of you don't have to leave.
WILLOW: Don't worry. Not all of us are leaving right now.
Willow and Anya walk out. Lorne looks at Xander. He appears disappointed.
LORNE: Well isn't that peachy.
Xander's the one Lorne is indifferent about. Anya and Willow walk to her car.
WILLOW: I think Xander's got a crush on Fred.
ANYA: As if Fred doesn't already have enough brave, ruggedly handsome, decent yet morally complex men coming on to her. It's like there's two boys for every girl in this town.
WILLOW: Definitely not my kinda place.
An hour later, Xander has finished making his assessment. Angel couldn't help but here Xander rummaging around his home. Lorne told Angel that Xander was there to help, but of course Angel doesn't see how that's possible. Angel, Lorne, Fred and Gunn are with Xander in the back of the lobby, near Angel's office.
XANDER: There's a construction slump in Sunnydale. Not much demand for new buildings. So there's a lotta guys looking for work. I could put four teams on this starting Monday. Have the job finished by the end of the week.
ANGEL: You sure your boss will go along with this?
Xander laughs.
XANDER: I am the boss. Of my particular team. Them I can guarantee. And I'm sure I can find three others who, while they won't welcome the commute, could use the money.
ANGEL: You're in charge of other people?
XANDER: Yeah. I know. It's hard to believe, considering how I was in high school. Then again, back then, you weren't much of a leader either. And yet, here we are, both running our own businesses.
It galls Angel to be compared with Xander. But Xander does have a point, if you look at their respective accomplishments from a purely financial point of view.
GUNN: How much are we talkin' about?
XANDER: Parts and labor combined, $20,000.
Angel gasps at this ridiculously astronomical sum.
ANGEL: That's highway robbery. I'll fix it myself before I fork over that much to anyone.
Xander laughs.
XANDER: And while you're doing that, I'll run around town fighting demons. Then we can both make fools of ourselves. You're not going to find anyone who'll do it faster, or for less money. I'm sorry.
LORNE: Angel, he's telling the truth. But on the other hand, Xander, where the hell do you think we'll get that kinda money?
CORDY: From me.
They turn around and see Cordelia. Angel rushes over to her.
ANGEL: Cordy! I thought you were in bed.
CORDY: Went downstairs for some soup.
XANDER: Hey Cordy. It's been a while. How are you adjusting to no longer being the most powerful person on the planet?
CORDY: Still with the sarcastic insults. How mature.
XANDER: No. I was serious. That's what Willow called you.
CORDY: She did? [Cordy seems slightly proud] That was nice of her. Let's just say that's a part of my life I'm trying to put behind me.
XANDER: Kind of like how you feel about the period when we were dating.
Cordy laughs. She likes Xander's typically goofy and irreverent attempt at making light of calamity.
ANGEL: Where did you get that kind of money?
CORDY: Demon tribute. Whatever's left over I'll give to you guys. Certainly couldn't feel right about spending it on myself.
XANDER: I would need $5,000 up front to entice the other crews to come up here.
CORDY: I'll be right down. Cash okay?
Xander's a little stunned. Though not as stunned as Angel.
XANDER: Oh. Sure. When isn't it okay?
Angel and Cordy walk to the elevators. He has quite a few questions for her. The elevator door opens, and they get in.
XANDER: I guess this means I'll be seeing you on Monday.
Angel winces as the elevator door closes. He'd rather have spikes driven into his body than have Xander in his home for a week.
NEXT: Spike and Angel meet up. In another dimension.
