Previously on Angel: Holtz pulling the icepick out of Justine's hand, Angel throwing Justine down; Justine slicing Wesley's throat; Holst with Connor; Holtz running through the portal to Quor-toth; the big nasty beasty dropping through the rift in the ceiling of the lobby, then Connor dropping down behind it "Hi Dad"; Angel and COnnor fighting in Sunny's "apartment"; the gang in the lobby talking about the fissure, and Miss Myrna saying "It's closed; Connor meeting Holst in an alley.

In the lobby, the gang is discussing trying to track down Angel. He's not answering his cell phone (not surprising, considering how much he LOVES to use it). Gunn and Groo decide to start tracking Angel down, and Cordy is giving Groo this really weird look. Suddenly she starts walking toward the front doors and in comes Angel, still limping from his encounter with the cops and Connor. They all rush over to him, and he uses Gunn as a crutch for a bit until he sits down. He found Connor, they "talked" (loose definition of talking, Angel!)- and tells the crew that Connor's name is Steven. When Fred asks where he is, Angel says he doesn't know- but Steven knows where to find him, and he'll be fine.

Fred isn't so sure, and Cordy spills about the fissure and the possibility that something else might have gotten through it. Angel insists Connor can handle it. Fred snips "Okay, so he survived an unspeakable Hell dimension, who hasn't?" and tells Angel he can't just leave him on the streets. Angel quietly insists that Connor/Steven has to come back on his own, and that he will, as soon as he realizes what he needs. when Gunn asks what that might be, Cordy quietly replies, "A father."

Cut to Connor/Steven throwing a crumpled up wad of money at a hotel clerk and asking for a room for him and his father. Hostz- looking considerably worse for wear- comes into the light and lays a hand on Connor/Steven's shoulder.

Intro

Exterior of sleazy hotel. Connor comes out of the office with a newspaper in his hand and sees a man grabbing food out of the vending machine. He goes over and when pushing buttons doesn't work, he breaks the machine. He brings the food into the room, Holtz takes the paper from him, and realizes they've only been gone days. This seems to take the wind out of his sails a bit. Connor/Steven complains that he doesn't like this place, there's too many people, it's not like home; Holtz tells him Quor-toth was never their home, it was their prison. Holtz gently congratulates Connor/Steven for finding a way out of Quor-toth. They talk a bit more, about how Connor/Steven would have come back for Holst after he killed Angel, and that he's sorry he hasn't been able to; Holst tells him that's okay, that isn't the boy he's raised.

There's a lot of "God gave you to me" crap going on, Connor/Steven obviously in the know about Angel/Angelus's past history with Holtz. Holtz insists Connor/Steven go to Angel, walk in his world, learn all he can, and warns about "the devil will show you bright things, many colors". Ugh. I hate that crap.

Anyway, nice cut to Fred holding a large quartz-like crystal, all rainbow-y, and Lorne saying he would have been there sooner but he had to get the crystal enchanted. Fred is apparently using it as a power source for a trans-dimensional geiger counter, to try and track whatever it was that might have come through the portal. As she puts it in the contraption, Cordy and Groo come in, holding hands. COrdy ooooo's over the device, and Lorne mentions how he got the crystal for free- "a six horned latchney hag owed me a favor; don't ask."

Cordy comes over and quietly asks Gunn how Angel is, then goes upstairs to talk to him. From the counter, Groo watches her leave.

Cordy walks into Angel's room, where he is punching a punching bag. She tries to make small talk, getting only one and two word answers out of Angel. He pauses in his abuse of the bag as she begins to walk away, and then asks, "What if he doesn't come back?"

Cordy turns around and comes back as he turns around, worry evident on his face.

In the courtyard, Groo is leaning against a pillar. Lorne comes in and they start talking about what at first is about Angel and Connor- but suddenly turns into Groo and Cordelia ("Just because someone hops a couple of dimensions is no guarantee that things will work out..."). Lorne realizes he's been had. "Well- aren't you just sneaky with the subtext." Groo smiles sadly and strolls into the sun, telling Lorne that if his princess asks, he's gone for a walk. He starts to leave, and pauses at the gate again. "If she asks."

Angel and Cordy are still up in Angel's room. Angel is musing about how Connor/Steven feels farther away than ever. Angel is convinced Connor/Steven hates him; Cordy insists he doesn't even KNOW Angel, and that Connor/Steven WILL come back, because he's family.

Wesley is in his apartment, opening a microwave dinner. His computer beeps as he pours a glass of wine (come on Wes, it's MICROWAVE FOOD- I don't care WHO makes it, it doesn't warrant wine with it!). He goes over and a message pops up on the screen with an address and a time and "Come alone." Wes mulls this over.

Back in the hotel, Fred is using the modified geiger counter to test the lobby for trans-dimensional plasma trails or some such techno-babble. Lorne wonders if they should be wearing lead. Eyes on the counter, Fred continues her wandering, finally coming up against a big reading- which turns out to be Connor/Steven standing on the steps. She's a bit taken aback, babbles for a moment, turns and gives Angel a "help me!" look, then steps down as Angel comes forward. There's a long awkward silence, which is broken when Angel says "Hey."

Connor/Steven stammers about coming by, and there's a round of introductions (note Connor/Steven's expression when Lorne greets him). Angel dismisses the group, and they leave with various excuses (some more believable than others: Lorne: "I have a... thing.", and again- note Connor/Steven's look as he passes by). Cordy tells the guys to take their time and leaves them alone.

Angel turns back to Connor/Steven, and they both cross their arms in the same stance (funny!). Angel offers Connor/Steven something to eat, but when asked what he has, looks lost and finally says they'll go out.

Any further conversation is interrupted by Cordelia yelling. She's in the midst of a vision, and can't hear Angel or herself due to the background noise in her vision. Finally it clears, she gives Angel the details (bar, woman, gang of vampires), and Angel turns back to Connor/Steven. He seems to be trying to make an excuse why the kid has to stay put, but ends up asking if Connor/Steven wants to come with.

Cut to dance club, loud techno music, lots of people- and Wesley on the catwalk. As he observes, Lilah comes up behind him, snarking about her ironic touch of the "come alone"- "after all, how else would you come?" Apparently she's arranged to have the woman- now recognizable as Holtz's lackey Justine- murdered by a gang of vampires. It's a test, Wesley discovers- as to whether he'll leave or stop to warn Justine first. Lilah wanted to know whether or not she was wasting her time with Wesley. To prove her goodwill, Lilah says she'll have Justine pulled out before anything lethal happens- and Wesley spots Angel and Connor/Steven in the crowd. "I don't think that will be necessary."

The vamp and his demon-spawn slide through the crowd, and Angel hands Connor/Steven a stake with the instructions to not hit anyone unless they show their game face. Justine spots them and starts away from the bar, but the bartender grabs her, showing his game face. One of the patrons is a vamp as well. They attack; Justine kicks one toward Angel, who dusts him. A standard bar-busting fight ensues, with Angel and Connor/Steven kicking major forms of ass. Angel tries giving directions but Connor/Steven seems to have thing well in hand, and above them, Lilah wonders "Who's the boy wonder? He moves just like..."

"His father," Wesley smugly answers her.

On the floor, in a momentary lull, Connor/Steven and Justine come face to face. Connor obviously recognizes her. Angel hauls him out of the way and tells her to go. Justine turns and runs as Angel and Connor/Steven finish off the remainder of the vamps.

Lilah turns back to say something to Wesley, but he's gone. She finishes her martini as the fight ends.

Connor steps into the back alley, stake raised, looking for the vamps that left. He spins- and it's Angel behind him. Angel has him by the wrist, then attacks, driving Connor/Steven's hand back- right into a vamp, who dusts. Angel compliments Connor/Steven on his fighting, and pulls a playful feint, at which Connor/Steven grins. The two end up shadow-boxing in the alley- as Holtz looks on.

Back in the hotel room, Connor/Steven is scarfing down Oreos. Connor/Steven tells Holtz that Angel isn't fooling him, that he's seen his true face. Holtz replies, "And I've seen yours." Connor/Steven looks stunned.

At the Hyperion, Angel is telling Cordelia about the fight and Connor/Steven. He's bordering on gushing. He wished Cordy could have seen them together, and she reveals she was able to go back into her vision after they left and see how the fight went.

Holtz is telling Connor/Steven that he needs to be with Angel, that that is where he belongs. Connor/Steven is horrified, desperate. But Holtz is insistent. Across the street, Gunn and Fred are still tracking the trans-dimensional trails. Gunn spots Connor/Steven leaving the hotel, and realize that that's who they've been tracking... and then spot Holtz watching Connor/Steven running off.

Connor/Steven skulks into the hotel, happening on Lorne, who offers to show him where Angel is. Connor/Steven growls at him "I'm not going anywhere with you- DEMON." Lorne is upset, but willing to forgive him, but Connor/Steven makes a "filthy demon" grumble out, and Lorne starts to get mad. "That's UNCLE filthy demon to you," and brings up the fact that he was changing Connor/Steven's diapers about a week ago. He has turned around, is coming down the stairs, advancing on Connor/Steven, when Cordelia interrupts. She notes the faces, and gently takes Connor/Steven over to the sofa for a talking to. As Lorne watches grumpily, she reveals to the boy that she too is part demon. She starts to explain how and why- and Connor/Steven pulls a knife on her.

She does the glowy thing, the blade of the knife vanishes leaving only the handle, and Connor/Steven starts to glow too. She sort of talks him down until the glow leaves them both. Lorne stares as Connor/Steven breaks down and cries on her shoulder. They break apart, and Cordy looks up at the mezzanine to find Angel watching.

Lorne gets Connor/Steven something to drink as Angel asks Cordy how she feels. She's okay, drained, but okay, and Lorne comes in saying that whatever deal she struck with TPTB, she got the whole package. Lorne theorizes that Cordelia gave Connor/Steven a soul colonic, "flushed him out but good", and Cordy says that Quor-toth had gotten into every part of him, that he was sick with it. Angel thanks Cordy, and then goes out and carefully approaches Connor/Steven.

He regrets trying to kill Cordelia, and thinks he should go. Angel tries to get him to stay, saying he can stay; Connor/Steven says he doesn't have a home. Angel says he does, and Connor/Steven mentions that his father said the same thing... Angel realizes that he's talking about Holtz, and that Holtz is here. He is very still when Gunn and Fred burst in. Gunn clears his throat.

At the hotel, Holtz opens the door to find Justine there.

Angel sends Connor "out" with Fred and Gunn to distract him while he goes to visit Holtz. Cordelia tries to convince Angel not to lie to Connor about where he's going, but Angel's mind is made up, and he leaves.

Holtz and Justine are talking in the room. Holtz reveals that he's not doing what he's doing out of hate; now, it's out of love, which, he's found, is much more powerful. He asks Justine to do one more thing for him, and then he'll be done with vengeance.

Gunn and Fred have taken Connor/Steven to the ocean. He wanders down to the water and watches the waves, as Gunn and Fred talk about the ethics of distracting him while Angel deals with the kidnapper. COnnor/Steven turns and looks at them, and they realize he heard them- and he takes off.

Cordy is locking up the hotel for the night and sees a familiar figure ina blue shirt. She rushes forward, saying how happy she is that Angel actually listened to her for once and didn't go, and that she's glad to see him... as Groo comes out of the shadows. Cordelia is taken aback; Groo simply looks sad.

Holtz places a letter in an envelope as Angel appears in the doorway. The vampire comes in, not needing an invitation for public accomodation. Angel grabs Holtz, then backs off as Holtz simply talks and shows no agressiveness. Angel apologizes for what he did to Holtz and his family when Holtz says it would mean a little to him. Holtz gives up "custody" of Connor/Steven to Angel, giving Angel the letter he's written, and saying that what he does now is vengeance, that every time he looks at Connor/Steven he will be reminded of what he took from Holtz and can't ever give back. Angel takes the letter and leaves, as Holtz says that Connor/Steven will try to find him- but never will.

Connor is running full tilt down an alley.

Angel has pulled over somewhere near the ocean and is reading the letter Holtz has written as Connor/Steven continues running thru the streets of L.A. Holtz and Justine meet outside the hotel room. Connor/Steven jumps over cars, weaves through traffic; Angel reads the letter; Justine slams Holtz against the wall of the hotel, sobbing that she can't do it. Holtz eggs her on, and she stabs him in the neck with an icepick. As Angel continues to read, Holtz crumples to the ground, and gasps for Justine to do it again- and she does. Connor/Steven is still running. Angel refolds the letter.

Holtz is on the ground, his dying word passing his lips in a whisper: "Steven."

Angel is musing in his car. "Connor."

Connor/Steven breaks into the room, finds it empty. Goes out, finds Justine sobbing over Holtz, sees the marks from the icepick that look like a vampire bite. "Angelus."