Parting Gifts

Written by: David Fury, Jeannine Renshaw
Directed by: James Contner

Cast: David Boreanaz as Angel, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase.

Guest Stars: Maury Sterling as Barney, Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce.

Original Air Date: December 14, 1999

In the Oracle room, Angel is trying to convince them to fold time so they can bring Doyle back. The woman asks, “To what end? To nullify his noble death? To leave his atonement unfulfilled?” Angel says yes, if it means he lives. The man tells him he doesn’t live so that Angel may and that Angel lives so that others will. Angel says Doyle is his friend and the woman says, ”if that is so, then so shall it ever be.” The man then tells Angel it is of no consequence and the war rages on. Angel says there is a consequence – he has no contact to TPTB now. The woman tells him all will soon be made clear and that for every door that closes, another opens. The man says, “and for everyone that opens…” Angel lifts his arm and they disappear in a flash of light.

In an alley somewhere, a two-horned demon is running away from a guy dressed in leather riding a motorcycle.

Back at the office, Cordelia is looking through the coffee cups sitting next to the coffee maker. Angel asks what she’s looking for and she says “Doyle’s special coffee mug.” Angel reminds her that Doyle didn’t have a special coffee mug and Cordelia thinks that’s the point – he should have. She says she’d feel better if she could hold something tangible that he left behind. She says there’s no evidence that he was ever there. Angel tells her to take the day off and live her life a little bit. She refuses at first but then the alarm on her watch goes off and she realizes she has an audition. She opens the door to leave just as the demon from the alley is getting ready to knock. The demon screams, saying she scared him, and Cordy asks if he’s looked in the mirror lately. The demon walks into the room and says he needs Angel’s help. Cordy asks if Angel wants her to stay, but he says no. The demon says he senses a little performance anxiety coming from her and Cordy leaves. Angel and the demon, Barney, head to his office to talk.

At the “Stain-Be-Gone” audition, Cordy nervously stands in front of the people at the table. They call “action” and she begins, but by the end of the take, she’s crying. They tell her it was good, but they’re looking for more of an up feeling because people should be happy when the stain is gone. They give her another try, but as she begins, she’s hit with the pain of a vision. She tries desperately to continue with the commercial by stamping her foot and yelling. The people at the table are stunned into silence at first, but then they say it was a nice adjustment and thank her for her time.

In Angel’s office, Angel asks Barney who’s hunting him. Barney says he doesn’t know, but whoever he is, he’s unstoppable. He’s been trying to shake him, but he just keeps on coming. Angel wonders why he thinks the guy is trying to harm him. Barney says he can’t think of any other reason he’d been trying to follow him – he’s an assassin. Angel asks if he’s a demon and Barney thinks he could be since he knows all the haunts and hangouts. He believes it’s a miracle he’s eluded him for this long. “Why you,” Angel asks. Barney says he’s just a guy trying to get by in this world and he’s no different from anybody else, but then he relents that he isn’t a Boy Scout. He says he’s an empathy demon (he can read emotions) and that gives him an advantage at cards. “So you’re a cheat,” Angel says, but Barney says he likes to think of it as going with his strengths. He says he can’t think of anyone who has a beef with him and then asks Angel if he’ll help him.

*During Angel’s conversation with Barney, we see flashes of the mystery rider on his motorcycle. At one point, he stops, gets off his motorcycle and looks through a black bag full of swords and other weapons. Then he takes out a crossbow and goes to examine some yellow slimy stuff on the corner of a building. *

A little later, Cordy comes back to the office. Angel looks up from his paper and sees her walking toward him with a strange look on her face. She walks over, puts an arm around his neck and kisses him. Angel pushes her away and tells her he thinks she’s confusing their relationship. Cordy says she didn’t feel anything and asks if he did, to which he replies no. She becomes frustrated and says that means she still has it and that he did this to her. Angel asks who and what she’s talking about. “Doyle,” she says and then goes on to tell him that he passed it on to her. Angel wipes his lips and looks at his fingers and listens as she continues rambling. “I didn’t ask for this responsibility, unlike some people, who shall remain lifeless! I don’t have anything to atone for. If they know what’s good for them, the PTB better just stay out of my head,” she says. Angel, stunned, sits down and says she’s his connection to the Powers now. Cordy says she isn’t going to be anybody’s link and that she isn’t certain, but she thinks she drooled a little during her audition. “What was it,” Angel asks. “Ah, stain-be-gone, it was a national no less. They probably never call me again.” Angel hits the table, snaps his fingers and says, “The vision! What was the vision?” Cordy says it was an ugly, grey, blobby thing and asks what difference it makes. Angel says it could be a dangerous ugly, grey, blobby thing. Cordy says she doesn’t care – she just wants it out of her – and if that means kissing every frog in the kingdom, she’ll do it. Then Barney comes in and Angel tries to introduce him to Cordy, but she interrupts by going over to kiss him, which excites Barney. Cordelia asks Angel if he’s a client and if that grey, blobby thing is after him. Angel says for her to tell him if it is and hands her a pen and paper to sketch it. In the meantime, he wants her to take Barney downstairs, where he’ll feel safer, while he goes to check out his apartment.

At Barney’s, Angel is opening the door to the apartment when someone pushes him in from behind. He turns around to find someone holding a crossbow on him. The guy steps forward and says, “Hello Angel.” It’s Wesley.

Wesley says he bet Angel never thought he’d see him again and Angel says he never gave it much thought one way or the other. Wesley, crossbow still in hand, tells Angel to be careful – one sudden movement and he may have to shoot him with it. Angel takes the crossbow from him and comments on his new look. Wesley says that with Buffy unwilling to follow Council orders, there was simply no chance of him functioning as a Watcher so he became a rogue demon hunter. “You’re a demon hunter?” Wesley reminds him that he’s a * rogue* demon hunter and he’s on the trail of a nasty one right now so Angel should stay out of his way. Angel says he thinks he might be making a mistake because the demon seems pretty harmless to him. Wesley tells him that he left a trail of corpses, human and dead, all mutilated and that all of the victims possessed some kind of unique powers. Angel realizes he’s collecting power and they each describe the demon, only to realize it isn’t the same one. Wesley says his demon seems to be secreting some sort of yellow fluid and a blob of yellow drops on his jacket. “Like that,” Angel asks and they look up to see a demon clinging to the ceiling. He drops down onto them and he and Angel fight. Angel knocks him to the floor and Wesley shoots him with the crossbow. The demon screams and jumps out of the window and they watch it run away.

At Angel’s apartment, Cordelia is trying to draw the thing she saw in her vision. Barney says he heard that drawing can be very therapeutic when you’re grieving. Cordy is surprised that Angel told him about it and he says Angel didn’t. He’s emphatic demon and he can feel her feelings. Cordy resents that he can feel what she’s feeling and tells him maybe he shouldn’t be nosing around other people’s feelings without asking. He apologizes and says he was only trying to help. Then Cordy apologizes for being snappy and says she’s just going through a difficult time right now. Barney says it might help if she talks about Doyle, so she tells him a little about him and says he actually reminds her of Doyle a little. Angel walks in, with Wesley in tow, and Barney freaks out and runs when he sees Wesley. Angel follows him, which gives Cordy the perfect opportunity to give Wesley a little kiss. “It didn’t work,” she says backing away and Wesley agrees that it went better the first time. Cordy says it was just an experiment and then asks him what he’s doing there. He fills her in on the * rogue* demon hunter thing and says he’s allowing Angel to assist him. Angel and Barney come back into the room and Wesley goes over to look through Angel’s books. Barney seems amazed that Wesley has actually been tracking a demon that has been tracking him to try and take his emphatic power. Wesley comes back over carrying a book and Angel takes it from him. He decided to go out and look for the other demon, but Wesley wants to tag along, saying the demon is his. Angel says he works alone and leaves. Wesley goes to sit down, but thinks better of it when he grimaces in pain. Cordelia asks if he’s okay and he says not really, his pants have chafed his – legs.

At the Lotus Spa in Korea Town, Angel asks one of the guys if a Kungai demon is there. He says no, they scare away the regulars and Angel asks if it’s okay to look around then. He says no, at first, but Angel hands him some money and tells Angel he’s in the back. Angel walks through the spa and he’s almost at the end of the hallway when one of the curtains open behind him and an ugly green demon appears. He asks Angel if he knows where they do the massages and Angel walks on and into the back room. He sees the demon lying on a table and a lady is standing there wiping his brow. “He’s dying,” she says.

Meanwhile, Cordy gets frustrated because she doesn’t know what the thing in her sketch is. She crumples it up and throws it to the floor. Barney asks if he can help and she says no, unless he can explain the visions to her. Barney doesn’t know what the visions are so Cordy explains that they are messages from TPTB. Cordy says she’ll never forgive Doyle for doing this to her. Barney says he gets the impression that Doyle didn’t have much in the way of possessions and Cordy says he didn’t. He then tells her it seems to him that he gave her the most valuable thing he had. Cordy decides to make them coffee and while she’s gone, Barney pulls out a cell phone and places a call. He tells whoever it is on the line that he got the Kungai horn and it’s in a safe place, but he glances over at Cordy and says he think he found something even better.

A few minutes later, Cordy carry’s their coffee over to the table. Barney asks her how old she is and Cordy says it’s none of his business. He says, “Twenty-something? With your head all up in the clouds and your feet in shoes you can’t afford? All self-absorbed and full of regret – poor, poor you.” He tells her she’s a terrible actress and she says he can’t know that because he’s never act. He says he knows it because she feels it and her entire being is whispering to him right now. He says he, on the other hand, is a fine actor – he fooled her. Cordy tries to make a run for it, but he cuts her off. He says she doesn’t like to hear the truth and that maybe that’s why Doyle never told her about his demon side. He says he knows she let him die and she tells him it isn’t true. “No, but it feels true, doesn’t it,” he asks. He keeps saying mean things to her and Cordy tries to explain. Barney shakes her, tells her to shut up and then throws her against the table saying, “So, you hate your gift, the visions? You probably would love to rip those pretty little eyes right out of your head. I know I would.” Then he ties her hands and Cordy tells him to wait – she’s having a vision. She knees him between the legs and tries to run again, but Barney catches her and says he doesn’t want to hurt her because bruises bring the price down. “But not by much,” he says and knocks her out cold.

At the spa, Angel tries to talk to the demon but he doesn’t understand his language. Wesley arrives and says he does. Angel tells him it’s a good thing he happened by then. Wesley says he didn’t think the wound he gave the demon was fatal. “It wasn’t,” Angel says, and tells Wesley to look at his head. The demon’s horn has been broken off and he tries to tell Wesley who took it before he dies. Wesley says, “Demon, heart, reader.” “Barney,” Angel replies. They head back to Angel’s apartment but Cordy’s already gone. Angel finds her sketch and says he recognizes the sculpture. He believes they can find Cordy if they can find it. After a bit of research, they find out the Hotel Ramsey just did some remodeling and the sculpture used to be in the lobby, so they head over there.

At the hotel, Barney is trying to auction Cordelia off to the highest bidder, which includes a woman from W & H. Angel & Wesley arrive and after some not so gentle persuasion, find out where the auction is. They head in there, only to find the sculpture isn’t there. They then go to the storage room, where they find Barney, some security guys and Cordelia tied to a chair. Angel starts fighting with the security guys while Wesley tries to get the knife he has taped to his leg. He falls down and a guy headed for Angel trips over him and falls. Two guys hold Angel and he yells at Wesley to get Cordelia. Wesley crawls over to her and pulls the gag from her mouth. He asks if she’s okay and she says not yet, indicating that she’s still tied to the chair. Wesley, still unable to get his knife, reaches over and grabs something on the floor and cuts the ropes around her wrists. Angel is still fighting the guards, but the two of them try to leave. Barney stops them by punching Wesley and the two of them begin to fight. As they fight, Cordy grabs the demon horn and stabs Barney in the back, which kills him. Angel comes running up and Cordy gives him a hug. She says she never doubted for a minute that he’d find her and Angel says he was lucky. He had a rogue demon hunter on his side.

Back at Angel’s, he’s cooking breakfast while Cordy irons her sketch. She decides to frame it as a thank you for saving her life and as a reminder of Doyle. Wesley decides he should go and he and Angel shake hands. Cordy asks if he knows where he’s going and he says rogue demon hunters rarely do. He picks up his bag and they say goodbye and he moves to the stairs. After a minute, he appears back in the room and Angel invites him to breakfast. Wesley decides to stay and eat and Cordy tells him for someone on a liquid diet, Angel is a good cook. Angel sets a plate of toasted bread on the table, and Cordy and Wesley grab a slice.

Summary by LovesWitch

Quotes

Key: A = Angel, C = Cordelia, W = Wesley, B = Barney

A: What are you looking for?
C: Nothing. < pause > Doyle’s special coffee mug.
A: Doyle didn’t have a special mug.

A: Cordelia . . . get out.
C: What?
A: I mean of the office. Take the day off.

C: I’m not going anywhere, so get used to it. I’m staying right here.
< beep > < beep>
C: Oh! I gotta go.

B: You scared the heck out of me.
C: You? I scared you? Look in the mirror lately?
B: Every chance I get.

B: That’s what you do, right? You help the helpless? You protect the, whaddya call ‘em, the . . . helpless.
A: Something like that.

B: I’m sensing a little performance anxiety here. Little trick: Picture everybody . . .
C: In their underwear.
B: I was gonna say dead, but hey, if that underwear thing works for ya . . .

B: First off, you should know – right away, before there’s any misunderstanding – I’m a demon.
A: Appreciate your candor.

B: I just realized it’s 3:45 in the afternoon. Middle of the day. If you’re a vampire, why aren’t you in your coffin?
A: A coffin. I hate that stereotype. You’re a demon and you don’t know anything about vampires?
B: Only what I learned from TV.
A: Vampires don’t sleep in coffins. It’s a misconception made popular by hack writers and ignorant media. In fact, you know, we can and do move around during the day, as long as we avoid direct sunlight. ‘K? Got it?

C: Now, Stain-Be-Gone is more effective at melting away *sigh* stubborn . . . blood, wine, even grass stains. See? *sniff* Just spray it on, *gulp* and rub it in *sniff* and in minutes *sniff* the stain is gone. *SOB* It’s completely gone.

Casting Director 1: I think what we’re going for here is more of a . . .
CD2: Happy!
CD1: Happy!
CD3: Yeah!
CD1: Yes, and “up” feeling that the stain is gone.
CD3: Right! ‘Cause , obviously, stains are, you know…
CD2: Not good!
CD3: Exactly.
CD2: Yeah.

C: Now Stain-Be-Gone . . . is more . . . ef-fect-tive . . . GRASS STAINS!

A: What makes you think he means you harm?
B: I don’t think he’s tracking me down to tell me that I won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse.

A: It’s been my experience that when one is being pursued that tenaciously, it’s generally because the pursuer has a strong grievance against the pursued.
B: Hey, I never said I was a boy scout.

A: So you’re a cheat.
B: I choose to think of it as going with my strengths.

B: I’m a demon. Sure, I’m evil. But, hey, I’m not, you know, evil.

C: Damn. I can’t believe he did this to me.
A: Who did what?
C: Doyle! I thought our kiss meant something. And instead, he used that moment to pass it on to me. Why couldn’t it have been mono or herpes?

C: I didn’t ask for this responsibility, unlike some people who shall remain lifeless.

A: You had a vision.
C: Boy! Howdy! And guess what, you know how they *look* painful? Well they *feel* a whole lot worse.

A: You’re my link to The Powers That Be.
C: I am nobody’s link to anything. I lost control of my entire central nervous system. And I’m not sure, but I may have drooled a little. At my first audition in weeks!
A: What was it?
C: Uh, Stain-Be-Gone. It was a national, no less. They’ll probably never call me again.
A: The vision! What was the vision?
C: Oh, pfft, who knows. It was a thing.
A: A thing?
C: An ugly, grey, blobby thing. What difference does it make?
A: The difference is if you saw it in a vision, this could be an ugly, grey, blobby dangerous thing.

C: I don’t care. I want it out of me. And if kissing’s the only way to get rid of it, I will smooch every damn frog in this kingdom!

C: [Kisses Barney] Maybe not every frog.
B: Boy, I gotta say, I like the way you people treat your clients.

A: Behave yourself. I don’t want to find you two necking on the couch when I get back.

W: I’ll wager you never thought you’d see me again.
A: To tell you the truth, I haven’t given it much thought one way or another.

W: I think it only fair to warn you, any sudden movement and I’ll be forced–
A: < slaps crossbow away >
W: Right. You had a question?

A: Interesting look for you. Motorcycle? Watcher’s Council trying out a new image?
W: In point of fact, I no longer work for the Council. I came to the conclusion I was of greater good to the cause working autonomously.
A: They fired you.

W: And that’s why I became a Rogue Demon Hunter.
A: You’re a demon hunter?
W: Rogue Demon Hunter.

C: Doyle? He drank too much, and his taste in clothing was like a Greek tragedy. And he could be really sweet sometimes. You’ll like this, he was half-demon – a secret he kept from for, like, *ever*. I guess that’s the reason he sometimes smelled weird.

W: Well, what a nice . . .
C: *SMOOCH*
W: Surprise.
C: Didn’t work!
W: No? I thought it went considerably better than last time.
C: No, I was trying an experiment with . . . Wesley?

C: What are you doing here? Are you working with Angel?
W: A lone wolf such as myself never works with anyone. I’m merely allowing Angel to assist me.
C: Oh. Wow.
W: I’m a Rogue Demon Hunter now.
C: Wow. < pause > What’s a rogue demon?

A: I had someone by my side. He’s dead now. I’m not gonna let that happen again. I work alone.

C: Are you alright, Wesley?
W: No, these pants tend to chafe my . . . legs.

B: You’re frustrated.
C: That’s one spooky talent you’ve got there. You can just look at me – grinding my teeth, sighing, grunting – and sense that I’m frustrated? Amazing.
B: It’s pretty good at sensing sarcasm, too.

B: Can I help?
C: Not unless you can explain to me why I have to suffer skull-splitting migraines getting visions so vague they require close captioning.

C: I’m never going to forgive him for doing this to me.
B: For what? Choosing you? Trusting you with an enormous responsibility? Believing that you were the only one worthy of such a rare and important gift?
C: Did I mention the drooling?

B: I get the impression Doyle didn’t have much by way of possessions?
C: No. No, he didn’t.
B: Seems like he gave you the most valuable thing he had.

C: I hope you like your coffee black because the only lightener the boss has in his refrigerator is O positive.

C: It’s kind of strong . . . and clumpy. I never could brew the old-fashioned way. I’m more the auto-drip.

W: Yes, yes. Fish will die? Not fish.

C: Oh! A vision! I’m having a vision. A demon. A creepy little . . . You! It’s definitely you. You’re in great, great . . .
B: Danger?
C: Pain! < KICK >

W: Hit the cherry? Slam the cherry?

W: If anything happens to Cordelia because of me . . .
A: Nothing’s gonna happen to Cordelia. I won’t allow it.

A: In case you’re wondering, this is me looking for clues. Feel free to join in any time you want.

W: I’m a fool. A sniveling, great . . .
A: Ugly, grey, blobby thing.
W: Yes! I’m an ugly, grey, blobby . . . what?

B: You are now the proud owner of an authentic Taak horn. Stab your enemies with it. Hey! Stab your wife. It’ll drain the life right out of ‘em. The power to drain a life force is an investment in peace of mind.

C: I’m really not a seer. I only had a vision once, and I’m pretty sure it was just something I ate!

B: Going for 11, 000 once, twice. . .
C: Hey! You know you’d pay twice that for cataracts. These are flawless even without the stupid visions. Is that the best you can do?

B: Going for 12,000 . . .
C: You know what these eyes can do? They can, uh, see. . . stuff! Like, uh, danger and . . . and evil and locations of buried treasure!
B: 13,000! Do I hear. . .
C: C’mon! Have some huevos guy! Whitey here is steppin’ all over you. You gonna take that from his kind?

B: Now, be a good girl and hold still. This will only hurt a lot.

W: You! Butcher an innocent girl, will you? I’m going to thrash you within an inch of your life. And then I’m gonna take that inch!!!

C: I never doubted for a minute you’d find me.
A: Well, I was lucky. I had a Rogue Demon Hunter on my side.

C: Not that he didn’t have it coming. He was a horrible evil monster.
A: He did kill a lot of people.
W: Viciously mutilated their corpses.
C: Plus he started the bidding on me at a paltry $2,000.

C: This I frame for saving my life, and as a reminder that something of Doyle’s is here in our office.

W: Well, I’ll be off. Farewell Angel. Who knows when our paths will cross.
A: Wesley.
C: Do you even know where you’re headed?
W: Rogue Demon Hunters rarely do. Wherever evil lurks, wherever the forces of darkness threaten humanity, that’s where I’ll be.
C: Oh, okay. Well, keep in touch.
W: Yes, yes, I will. But now evil lurking everywhere bids me onwards! So, I go.
C: Take care!
W: Yes.
< starts to leave>
< ducks back in >
W: No rest for the wicked fighters. Through storm and rain, heat and famine, deep painful gnawing hunger, I go.
A: Breakfast?
C: Ooo! I suppose so.

C: One of the perks of the job: After an all-nighter of fighting the lurking evil, we get eggs!

C: He’s a good cook for someone on a liquid diet.

Please credit Hellmouth Central with these quotes when using them for any publication.