She stops and looks at Lorne.

Lorne: Oh my. I guess I don’t have to listen to our boy here. I can read you both loud and clear. Or should I say the one of you. You now have a mutual destiny. But you know you need to be honest here. These secrets are going to hurt more the longer you wait. No pun intended lovers, but confession is good for the soul.

Buffy and Angel look at each other then back at Lorne.

Lorne: Yeah, you both know what I mean. Now I think you need to finish getting ready and I need to check on the little champion.

In the Lobby

Gunn: You got to promise not to laugh.

Fred: I promise.

Gunn: It's gotta come from the heart.

Fred: Will you stop being such a little girl? I said, I promise.

Gunn steps out into Fred's view and spreads his arms so she can get a look at his tux, not looking at her. Fred's eyes go wide. After a moment she bursts out laughing.

Gunn: This is what your promises are worth? I'm having a lot of trust issues at this time in my life.

Fred: It's just …. my god, you're so pretty.

Gunn (smiling): You know there's not a lot of people could say that to me and live. But the way you look, there is no way I can fight you.

Fred: Tonight feels... I don't know ….. kind of magical. Is that stupid?

Wes comes up and drapes Fred's stole over her shoulders.

Wes: Not at all.

Wes looks at Gunn.

Wes: Finally came out of hiding?

Gunn points at Fred.

Gunn: And look at my reward.

Wes: Yes. Isn't she a vision?

Gunn: A lot of that going around. Where is Angel and Cordy?

Buffy is walking down the steps on Angel's arm.

Fred: Here they come.

Buffy and Angel reach the bottom of the stairs and turn to face the others.

Fred: That’s not..

Wes: Buffy?!

Fred: Buffy?

Gunn: Buffy.

Angel: Uh Buffy, this is Gunn and Fred. And you know Wes.

Buffy: Hi.

Wes: This is quite a surprise. Does this little visit have to do with why you disappeared last night?

Angel: Actually it does but I will explain it all later. Right now we need to get moving. We don’t want to be late.

Fred: But where’s Cordy?

Cordy: I’m right here.

All of them turn to look at Cordy standing in the doorway, showing off her dress.

Fred: You look wonderful.

Cordyy: Thank you. I did my best.

Buffy: Cordy you look amazing.

Cordy: You too Buffy. That dress does look familiar.

Angel: It’s my favorite. Took some arm twisting but she finally agreed.

Wes: Okay then, shall we.

Cordy: We shall.

They all walk out of the lobby.

At the theater

Fred looks around the lobby with a big smile on her face.

The gang settles into their seats. Wes, Fred and Gunn are sitting together in one row. Buffy, Angel and Cordy have seats in the row just behind them.

Angel: Sorry they're not closer. Getting five seats together...

Wes: Don't be silly. Best place. We get the whole panorama from here.

Cordy: Besides, back here we stand less chance of setting off the under seventy alarm.

Angel: Back in the day I'd always get box seats. Or I'd just eat the people who had them.

Buffy: Don't lets reminisce. We're here. Enjoy.

Everyone looks at the stage as the curtain opens.

As the ballet continues, Cordy is snoring in her seat. She jerks and moves, without waking so her head is now lying against Angel's shoulder, still quietly snoring away. Buffy looks over at her and rolls her eyes before looking back the stage. In the row in front of them Wes glances at Fred, while Gunn is leaning forward, intent on the stage, a smile on his face. Fred looks over at Gunn and smiles. Angel watches the performance intently. He begins to frown.

Intermission

.

Gunn (clapping): Bravo! Bravo!

Cordy jerking upright: I loved it.

Angel: It's just intermission.

Cordy, wiping at her face: Oh.

Gunn: Bravo! Bravo!

Cordy looks at Angel's jacket where her head was resting.

Cordy: That isn't drool, is it?

Buffy: Yes it is.

The group walks out in the lobby.

Gunn: I say it once, and gloat all you want; these guys are tight, and I am trippin' out.

Wes: They certainly live up to their reputation. Has the choreography changed much since...

Angel: No. Nothing's changed.

Wes: Well, it's wonderful they're able to...

Angel: No. I mean, nothings changed. These are the same dancers I saw before.

Fred: That's impossible. We're watching the exact same troupe you saw in nineteen-ninety?

Gunn: I think he said eighteen-ninety.

Fred: Oh. Okay, that's much more impossible.

Angel: So, somebody wanna tell me how we're watching a show starring people who should have died sixty years ago?

The gang exchanges looks but no one volunteers any ideas.

Cordy: Well, it's a puzzler. Are there snacks? I am going to go find something to eat.

Cordy walks off.

Wes: So what are we thinking? Vampires?

Fred: Well, they're not a deeply tanned bunch.

Gunn: That would explain the precision and the athleticism. I mean, some of those jumps were………….. You know, I was cool before I met you all.

Wes: Dancing vampires. Who's not scared?

Angel: Not it. I'd know. I'd sense it.

Wes: Even all the way back there with the - panoramic view?

Buffy: I would.

Angel: We should check it out.

Fred: Maybe after the show we should head backstage?

Angel: I was thinking now. You guys should go back. I'll snoop.

Buffy : I'm going with you of course..

The lights flicker and a soft chiming sounds to indicate the end of the intermission.

Angel: Go.

Gunn: Hurry.

Angel and Buffy walk down the stairs and spot a big security guard standing in front of the door at the bottom.

Buffy: Check out the Hulk.

Angel: Awful lot of muscle for a ballet company.

Buffy: Do we go for coy or just simple face smashing?

Angel: I think I'll just have to go with my patented sudden burst of violence.

Buffy: Hey, hold on. I think I might have an approach that is a little more subtle.

Buffy saunters down to the guard.

Buffy: Hey! Do you like bribes?

Guard: Do I ever.

Buffy holds up some money.

Buffy: Well, we really wanna go backstage.

The guard takes the money.

Guard: Yeah, okay, but this isn't so much a bribe as it is a tip. And since I'm not parking your car, there's really no way that...

The guard is handing the bill back to Buffy when he is knocked out by a sudden cross from Angel.

Angel: Okay. That's how we do it.

Buffy: Works for me.

Buffy and Angel walk through the door.

Buffy : Okay. You saw the building as we drove by. Do you remember it going on forever?

Angel glances past her down a corridor that stretches on without an end in sight.

Angel: It's clearly a spell, or a time flux, or something. I don't think we wanna be rushing in here.

Buffy: Well, lets get the others and talk options.

They turn back to the door they just came through, but instead there is just another corridor, stretching on forever.

Angel: Works in theory.

Wes, Fred and Gunn are watching the dance. So is the director up in his box.

Angel and Buffy are walking down the corridor. Angel opens one of the doors and they enter.

Angel: This is her dressing room.

Buffy: The prima ballerina?

Angel: It's unchanged.

Buffy sits down at the dressing table and picks up a little chain with a cross on it.

Buffy: She would wait for him here.

Angel: It's warm. It's very warm.

Buffy: I feel it.

Angel: Something happened here.

Buffy stands up.

Buffy: Angel?

Angel: Yeah?

Buffy: I want you to undress me.

Angel: You what? Now?

Buffy: It's just another costume. I want you to see who I really am. You're the only one who can.

Angel : I... This isn't us. Buffy (licks his lips) we're acting this out. Someone is...

Buffy: Whoa! Did …did I actually just ask you to undress me?

Angel steps closer

Angel: Is that what you want?

Buffy: Please... I...

Angel: You want me to make love to you right here?

Buffy: You know I do.

Angel caresses her cheek and leans in closer.

Angel (w): But you're afraid.

Buffy: What if he finds us?

Angel: I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything.

Buffy (w): I'm only alive when you're inside me.

He leans in and kisses her.

On stage

We see the prima ballerina dancing with the lead dancer.

Dressing Room

Buffy and Angel are still kissing passionately. Suddenly there is a hissing sounds the cross touches him and Angel jerks away, putting one hand up against the side of his mouth and cheek.

Angel: Ah! Buffy.

Buffy: Yes.

Angel: I'm sorry.

Buffy: No. We so need to be out of here.

Angel: Yes.

They move back together.

Buffy: This isn't out of here.

Angel: I know. Right.

Remaining on the verge of another kiss they move across the room. Buffy turns so that her back is to Angel, snaking one of her arms up behind his neck.

Buffy: Open the damn door.

Angel: Kinda hard.

Buffy: Kinda noticed.

Never losing touch with Buffy's body, Angel reaches around and twists the door handle. Breaking apart, they hurry through the open door, and Angel slams it shut behind them.

Buffy: Whoa!

Angel leans with his back against the door.

Angel: That's a fair assessment.

Buffy: What the hell is that place?

Angel: There's spirits in there. Energy trapped in time. It took us over.

Buffy: Yee. Scary. Well, it's a good thing it wears off right away.

Buffy laughs as both of them look down.

Buffy: Well maybe not completely.

.

They begin moving down the hallway. Angel and Buffy look around for an exit.

Buffy: Are you sure this is the way?

Angel: I'm sure it's a way. Place is a maze. I'm just hoping there's another room. We can just go...

Buffy: Damn it!

Angel: What?

Buffy: I said something. Back in that room. Something important. Do you remember?

Angel: Um, you…you're only alive when I..I'm...

Buffy: Not that.

Angel: No. Of course. I..I was just... Oh. Hey! I said you were afraid.

Buffy: And I said what if he finds us?

Angel: She had a secret lover.

Buffy: They were afraid of someone. And I'll bet you anything that someone is the reason why we're stuck here! We left too soon.

Angel: We... who? The room?

Buffy: It's a clue! Those spirits or …..or energy or …..or whatever are still in there. So we can figure out what happened. We have to go back in!

Angel: I'm marveling at the wrongness of that idea.

Buffy: You wanna wander around backstage like Spinal Tap for the next…ever?

Angel: I'm sure there are other rooms that...

Buffy: All we have to do is play the scene. Get in, get out.

Angel: What if there is…no more talking in that scene? Look, we've been possessed by the spirits of old lovers before. Never goes well.

Buffy pulls out the necklace with the cross and holds it up.

Buffy: Well, I've got my little cross if things get out of hand. Hey, it's awkward, but do you have a better idea?

Angel: Buffy, things could get out of control.

Buffy: Oh, come on. Not like we have to worry about you losing your soul.

Angel: Not what I am worrying about.

Buffy: We just will make sure it doesn‘t get that far.

Theater

Fred is watching the ballerina and the lead dance. Wes's hand slowly moves towards Fred's hand, resting on her knee, just as Gunn's hand does the same.

Cordy: Where’s Angel!

Wes and Gunn jerk their hands back.

Gunn: Huh?

Fred: He and Buffy went to check something out. They've been gone way too long.

Wes: You're right. Come on.

Gunn: We're gonna miss the end!

Wes: I'm sorry.

Dressing Room

Buffy and Angel are standing a few feet apart.

Angel: Anything coming?

Buffy: Um...

Buffy paces a little circle, then turns to face Angel.

Buffy: Okay. Let's take it from the middle. I want you to undress me.

Angel: You want me to have sex now with you here.

Buffy: Yes, but I'm scared.

Angel: But you're afraid.

Buffy: And afraid. What if we..he…..finds us?

Angel awkwardly takes a hold of Buffy's shoulders and pulls her closer.

Angel: Well, I'm not afraid of anything.

Buffy: Only good inside, blah, blah, blah...

Buffy squints her eyes closed and leans in to give Angel a quick kiss. Then they both look around the room.

Angel: Maybe it only works the one time. You know, when the energy...

Buffy reaches up and pulls Angel into a passionate kiss. The cross necklace drops from her fingers behind Angel's back.

Backstage

Fred, Cordy, Wes and Gunn come across the unconscious security guard.

Gunn: At least Angel left us a trail.

Cordy: Do you hear that laughter?

All four step over the downed guard and through the door.

Dressing Room

Angel lays Buffy back on the lounge in the ballerina's dressing room, covering her neck with kisses.

Buffy: This is wrong.

Angel: Hush.

Buffy: You don't know him. He has power.

Angel: The power to do this?

Buffy gasps, takes a deep breath, followed by another.

Buffy: Stephan, his power is unnatural. He could...

Angel: What? Kill us?

Buffy: Worse.

Angel: Kurskov owns the company. He doesn't own you.

Buffy: He doesn't know that. He thinks I'm his. That I dance for him. He is nothing but a deluded fan. He thinks I love him.

Angel: Come away with me. Now. Tonight. We'll disappear. Even he won't find us.

Buffy: I... Stephan, everything I worked for is here.

Angel: You can still dance.

Buffy: Can I? I don't... Not yet. Maybe when we're.….

Angel: Don't. Don't make promises.

Buffy: Help me. Help me be not afraid.

She sinks back onto the lounge and Angel goes back to kissing her neck.

Hallway

Fred, Cordy, Gunn and Wes are walking the corridors.

Gunn: This is very not right.

Fred: Do you hear it?

Wes: There is something.

The hear low moans

Wes: Someone's in pain.

Fred: Either that, or someone's in fun.

Cordy: Oh lord, can’t they wait till they get home?

Wes: What?

Cordy: Buffy and Angel

Fred: What about them?

Cordy: I heard them at it most the night. I know who is having fun.

Wes: But they can’t.

Dressing room

Angel raises her skirt. His lips blaze a path across her thigh.

Buffy: Oh, no.

She sits up

Buffy: Oh, no!

Angel straightens up just in time to get knocked to the floor by one of the director's minions. Buffy peeks over the back of the lounge and watches as the minion, wearing a gray 'comedy mask' hits Angel across the chin with a hard right.

Buffy: Good Heavens!

Angel hits back, knocking the minion toward Buffy She knocks him to the floor.

Buffy: Okay. So. Good. They were probably interrupted by this Count Kurskov, or his lackeys, right? So we're done with the...

She whips around and grabs the guy behind her. She grabs it around the neck.

Hallway

They follow the sounds of the fight.

Gunn: Now that sounds less like fun.

One of minions, wearing a gray tragedy mask come up behind Gunn. Gunn lets out a scream as the minion stabs him from behind with a sword. Fred spins around

Fred: Charles!

Another sword wielding minion is confronting Wesley.

Wes: Fred, Cordelia, stay between us.

Gunn: I need to...

Fred and Cordy pick up a props and wallop the tragedy minion as Gunn drops to his knees with a groan.

Fred: Wesley!

Wes catches the tragedy minion's sword as Fred tosses it to him and engages the comedy minion.

Wes: Can you two handle the other?

Wes glances back to see Fred continuing to wallop on the sobbing tragedy minion, before turning back to face his own foe.

Wes: Well, then. Just us.

Dressing Room

Angel has the tragedy minion on the floor, choking it. The comedy minion slashes at Buffy with its sword. Buffy picks up a short stick, decorated with swaths of ribbons. The minion chops it in two with the sword. She ducks and rolls. She whips the rug from under the minion. He falls on his back and his sword slides under the dresser. He kicks her back and climbs to his feet.

Buffy: Any idea how to kill these guys?

The tragedy minion pulls out a stiletto and stabs Angel through the heart with it.

Angel: Thank you.

Angel pulls out the stiletto, knocks the tragedy minion across the chin, then stabs it through the heart with its own sword, at the same time throwing the stiletto to skewer the comedy minion through the throat.

Buffy watches the minion drop to the floor then hurries over to Angel.

Angel: You alright?

Buffy: Yeah. We gotta move.

Angel looks from one minion to the other.

Angel: You think they're not dead?

Buffy: You just looked really hot doing that.

Angel: Oh.

Buffy: Yeah.

Angel: Run.

They jump up and run out the room, Angel taking the minion's sword with him.

Hallway

Wes is fencing with the comedy minion out in the corridor. The minion, with its grotesque comedy mask, is laughing the whole time. After some fancy sword and curtain work, Wes manages to run it through with his blade.

Wes: Who is laughing now?

The minion lets out a weak laugh.

Wes: Well, you. But I still win.

Fred is performing some impromptu first aid on Gunn's wound. Cordy walks away slowly looking around.

Gunn: That's good. That should hold. You okay? You hurt?

Fred: I'm fine. I just thought.…...I'm sorry. I shouldn't fall apart like this.

Gunn (smiles): You scared I'm gonna die on you?

Fred: Charles, don't even...

Gunn: And all I ask….. is one last kiss……..as the light is dimming.

Breaks up in laughter.

Fred: You think that's funny?

Gunn: It's just a scratch!

Fred: I thought it was... I...

Gunn: Hey.

Gunn carefully reaches out and pulls Fred against him

Gunn: Hey. You really that worried about me?

Fred looks away.

Fred: You probably think I'm an idiot.

Gunn (w): I think if you care that much…..the wound is definitely deep.

Fred raises her eyes to look at him.

Fred: The light is dimming?

Gunn: And all I ask is one last...

He leans toward her. They kiss softly. Nearby. Wesley watches them with his face contorted in agony. Wesley slowly turns and walks away. He drags his sword tip along the floor. Wesley drops to his knees. He bows his head and sobs.

Gunn and Fred are getting to their feet as Angel and Buffy come up a branch of the corridor. Cordy walks up from the opposite direction.

Angel: You guys alright?

Fred: Charles got stabbed.

Gunn pulls up his shirt as Buffy hurries over to take a closer look.

Gunn: Yeah. A couple stitches worth.

Angel looks at the dead minions.

Angel: The same guys that attacked us.

Gunn: Any idea where they are or what the hell?

Angel: Yeah. Buffy and I hit kind of a mystical hotspot back in one of the dressing rooms.

Buffy: Well, it seems the prima ballerina had a lover back in the day. And there was this Count Kurskov, who owned the company, and I guess he had a thing for the girl and….. they were mightily afraid of him.

Angel: He had powers of some kind.

Wes: He was a wizard.

They all turn to see Wes standing on the threshold of one of the corridors archways, sword carried loosely by his side.

Wes: He was obsessed with the girl. When he found her with the other man, he went insane with jealous rage and pulled her out of time.

Wes wealks toward them.

Wes: Pulled her out of any reality beyond his theater, his company. He swore she would dance for him forever.

Fred: How did you...

Wes: I …. I hit a hotspot, too.

Gunn: And now we're stuck here?

Wes: Well, ah, this kind of temporal shift can't just exist. It has to be maintained. That requires power and concentration. If we can overload him somehow, we might be able to slip back to the real world.

Gunn: The man with the plan!

Angel: Great. So, how do we overload him?

Wes: Well, I'd imagine THAT requires some energy.

The others turn to look at what Wes is indicating. One of the dead minions is slowly rising, begins to shake, then splits in two, one wearing a tragedy mask and sobbing, the other wearing a comedy mask and laughing. Angel grabs them both in a head lock under each arm and breaks both their necks. As soon as they hit the floor they start shivering and splitting each into a new pair of theater minions.

Fred: The more we kill, the more he makes.

Buffy: Look!

For a moment the wall of the corridor wavers, revealing another reality behind it.

Wes: And that is draining his energy. Angel, try and find a way to the stage. The count will be watching.

Angel: I bet he has a box.

Wes puts a hand on Angel's arm as he and Buffy walk past and they stop to look at him.

Wes: Find his power center and destroy it. We'll try and loosen his hold.

Gunn: By making more monsters? Man with the frightening plan!

A minion comes up the corridor and Angel spin kicks it, breaking its neck before heading past it. Cordy backs into a corner.

Cordy: Back here. They can't surround us.

They all move into the corner Cordy indicated. Cordy picks up one of the minion's swords, handing its stiletto to Gunn as he and Fred walk past her. Wes puts a hand on Gunn's arm.

Wes: You two (nods at Fred) stay close together. I'll take point.

Cordy: I hope you're in a killing mood.

Wes: I should do alright.

Angel and Buffy look for a way out of the corridor maze. The wall next to them flickers and after a split second's hesitation, Angel grabs her arm leaps at it. They land in the wings off the stage. They see the ballerina standing there watching from just off stage, waiting, at the same time the ballerina also comes dancing off the stage, her image shivering and dissolving as she passes from the view of the theater audience

Angel: Hello?

The ballerina's head whips around and she stares at them.

Ballerina,: Who are you? ……… There's no one.….. You're new.

Angel: I'm pretty old, actually. ………I've seen you dance.

Ballerina: Everyone sees me.

Angel: It was Giselle then, as well.

Ballerina: Always.

Angel looks past the ballerina and sees Kurskov up in his box.

Angel: We know what's happening. Count Korsakov ………..he's punishing you.

Ballerina: He made me. He owns me. And when I dance it is only for him.

Beside Angel the air shivers as a row of dancers materializes and passes out onto the stage.

Angel: Do you believe that?

Ballerina: It really doesn't matter. I'll dance. I'll wait here. And then I'll dance again. That's all.

Buffy: A hundred years…doing the same piece……….every night. Is that enough? What about Stephan?

Ballerina: I waited too long. I should have gone when he asked me, should have disappeared, but... (swallows hard) I wanted this.

This dance, this... I hesitated and.….. I lost everything that mattered. Now all I do is wait.

Angel: You dance.

Ballerina: There is a section in the first act, during the courtship dance, where - my foot slips. My ankle's turned and ….and I don't quite hold…..every time. (Glances at the box) He doesn't notice. He doesn't even know ballet that well. But always, at that same moment, I slip……It isn't just the same ballet. (Looks at Buffy and Angel) It's the same performance. I don't dance. (Returns to watching the stage) I echo. (After a moment she turns back to them) Please - can you make it stop?

Hallway

The gang all have swords now, fighting the minions.

Wes: It's working!

Gunn: Yeah, there are dozens of them. Yay us!

Wes: It has to be weakening his hold.

Wings

They look toward the stage and it vanishes from view in mid-air then returns.

Angel: We can help you. But you have to do something.

Ballerina: What?

Angel: Change the ending. Dance something new.

Ballerina: I can't.

Angel: He doesn't control all this. He's losing it.

The 1890 backstage dissolve for a moment into the present day stage

Buffy: But you have to take the stage….. It's not too late. You can change things.

The ballerina looks from Buffy and Angel to the stage. She slowly steps towards the stage, looking back at them once, then goes out and begins to dance around the lead dancer, lying stretched out in the middle of the stage as the rest of the company leaves the stage. She raises her head from bowing down over the fallen body to look towards Buffy and Angel, waiting in the wings, then steps back and strikes a different pose. Up in his box, Kurskov jumps up out of his chair.

Kurskov: No!

As the ballerina begins to dance again, the body of the lead dancer shivers and dissolves. The ballerina stops, holding a pose, and looks up defiantly at Kurskov's box. Buffy and Angel run out onto the stage and leap into Kurskov's box. Angel grabs him by the lapels and pulls him close.

Angel: Hey, where is your power center?

Kurskov: How dare you?

Buffy: I'll guess.

She smashes the jewel in the center of the Russian cross-shaped medal hanging around Kurskov's neck. A wave of blue light races out, washing over the ballerina on the stage, washing over the minions attacking the gang. Gunn stops in mid-swing to look around as his sword, the minions and the corridor dissolve into a modern day back stage room. On the stage the ballerina looks up at Angel. Angel gives her a slight nod and she sinks down, folding her body on top of her outstretched leg, in something like a deep bow, before dissolving away.

Kurskov: You have no right.

Angel: Save it.

Out in the audience people begin to applaud.

Kurskov: She - was my love. She danced only for me!

Angel: Yeah. You love her that much?

He looks over at Buffy.

Angel: Then let her go and if she comes back, then it was meant to be.

Buffy smiles and they turn and leave the box.

Hyperion Lobby

Cordy is working on the wound in Gunn's back.

Cordy: We'll have to clean the wound. Do you want something for the pain?

Gunn looks at Fred sitting across from him

Gunn: What pain?

Fred smiles at Gunn.

Angel watches Buffy brushing at her dress. Wesley walks up.

Wes: You ready to tell us what is going on?

Angel: Just waiting for the triage to finish.

Buffy: I don’t think this dress will ever be clean.

Angel: Do you really want to wear it again?

Buffy: No. The memories are not quite the same any more.

Cordy: All done.

Angel: Good. I need to talk to everyone.

Everyone looks up at him.

Angel: Something happened last night that affects everything.

Fred: What?

Gunn: Hush and let him talk.

Angel: Well last night someone cast a spell that affected both Buffy and myself.

Wesley: Wolfram and Hart?

Angel: Top on my list of suspects but Buffy has hers too. Well the spell forced us to re-enact Buffy’s seventeenth birthday.

Gunn: Huh?

Cordy: The day he got all happy.

Fred: Oh.

Wes: So it didn’t work.

Buffy: The spell achieved its goal. He got happy and lost his soul but we caught him and Willow did the curse again.

Fred: The red-head?

Angel: That’s her. She did the curse the last time too. But this time she altered the curse trying to make it permanent.

Buffy: So now his soul can not ever be lost again.

Fred: That’s wonderful. So that means………

Fred glances at Cordy

Gunn: You two can get back together.

Buffy sits down on the steps. Angel looks down at her.

Buffy: My feet hurt.

He reaches his hand down and leads her to the settee . They sit down and he lifts her foot and slowly removes her shoe. He begins rubbing her foot.

Wes: I think they already are back together.

Cordy: I am going home. I already heard this tale of woe.

She walks toward the door. Wes and Fred watch her leave then turn back to Angel.

Fred: So what are you going to do now?

Angel: That is the rest of the story. Willow was able to make my soul permanent by binding it to Buffy’s. Use her soul as an anchor. But there has been a slight side affect.

Buffy (giggles): Slight? I love your understatement of facts.

Angel: Like I said there was a slight side affect. The bond worked better that expected. From what we have learned that because we were already soul-mates, the bonding caused a merging of the two souls.

Wes: But that is impossible. Two people can not live with one soul.

Buffy: Well I think we are alive.

Wes: Well yes but you will have to stay close together. Oh, now I see the problem.

Gunn: Well fill me in.

Wes: Angel and Buffy can not be separated even for a few minutes. How far can you move?

Angel: Right now about ten feet.

Buffy: But we should be able to eventually get up to 15 miles.

Wes: So who owns the soul?

Buffy: Me.

Gunn: I am still confused.

Wes: They have one soul now and if Angel tries to move physically away from her he suffers.

Gunn: Oh.

Fred: But it destroys the happiness clause?

Angel: It does do that.

Wes: So I assume that you are moving back to Sunnydale.

Angel: I am. But we will come here anytime we are needed.

Fred: So are we closing Angel Investigations?

Wes: Of course not. We have operated without Angel before.

Angel looks at his shoes as Buffy looks at him.

Buffy: When?

Angel: I told you Darla messed with my head.

Buffy: Oh.

Angel: I am sorry guys. But this……….

Wes: We know.

Fred: When?

Angel: Tonight. We are going to pack what I can fit in my car. And we will get the rest when we can.

Fred: This is so fast.

Angel gets up and moves toward her. Buffy sighs and gets up and follows. Angel looks over his shoulder as he wraps his arma around Fred.

Angel: Sorry.

Buffy: I am kinda getting use to this game of follow the leader. But I want to lead once and awhile.

Angel smiles at her.

Fred: I…I am going to miss you.

Angel: I will miss all of you too. But I am an only two hours away.

Gunn: Hey man. Why don’t I bring the big stuff down in my truck?

Angel: That would be great. I was wondering how to move the crib.

Gunn: I can drive tomorrow with the crib and whatever else you need.

Buffy: Thanks. But I think we need to get packing. Angel?

Angel: Sure.

Fred: We will help. Right guys?

Gunn: Sure. I will go get some boxes from the basement

Buffy and Angel head up the stairs and into his room.

Fred: Well, that's a surprise. I thought for sure he was meant to be with Cordy. I guess you never can predict those things. You know?

Wes: No. I guess you never can. But I was just waiting for the day he would quit denying where he belonged.

Fred: Oh.