Loyalty

Plot

At the beginning of the episode, Wesley has a nightmare in which he sees Angel start to devour Connor while his own hands bleed on the books in front of him. Angel, who is carrying Connor around, awakes him.

Angel and Wesley take Connor to the doctor. Wesley follows Angel into the examination room apparently because he doesn’t want to leave them alone together. The doctor tells them that Connor is perfectly normal and healthy. When they leave, a woman from the lobby comes into the room and steals and replaces Connor’s blood sample.

Back at the hotel, Angel receives the small hockey sticks and jersey that he ordered for Connor. He tells Fred and Gunn that he can’t wait to see Connor grow up. Gunn and Angel play a little hockey in the lobby and Angel breaks a window. A woman comes in saying that she needs help. She explains that her son sneaked out one night to the pier and returned home before dawn with his face changed. She wouldn’t let him in and when the sun came up he burst into flames. The gang comforts her and says that she did the right thing. Wesley tells Gunn (and indirectly, Fred) to do some recon at the pier.

The woman is really a spy for Holtz’s new gang. She comes back and debriefs the gang on the names and roles of each of Angel Investigation’s employees. Justine and Holtz briefly discuss why anyone would work for a vampire. Holtz assures her that Angel is evil. One of the vampires they have chained up gets loose and Justine takes it down so they can re-chain it. Sahjan materializes at their hideout and demands that Holtz kill Angel. Holtz says that Sahjan has done his part and should leave him to do his. Sahjan taunts Holtz by reminding him of what Angel did to his wife and kids. Holtz orders him out.

At the hotel, Wesley is talking on the phone to a wizard and is very stressed. Fred comes in and encourages Wesley to call Aubrey for company. Wesley replies, in a rather harsh tone, that they are there to do a job, not to date.

At Wolfram & Hart, Lilah is on the phone with her mother. Sahjan materializes and Lilah guesses who he is and why he is there. They agree to work together to kill Angel by using Connor’s blood somehow.

Gunn and Fred check out the pier. They discuss Wesley’s comment and whether or not they should date on the job. Gunn tells Fred he wants both, the great job and the great girl. Fred agrees.

Angel notices Wesley’s odd behavior and asks him what is going on. Wesley says he’s trying to make sure everything is all right with Connor. Angel thanks him for being such a good friend.

Three vampires at the pier ambush Gunn and Fred when night falls. Justine and another guy videotape and observe their encounter. Gunn fights and has Fred run away, but she returns just in time to help him stake the vamps.

Wesley follows some device to a burger joint’s drive-through speaker. He throws some dust on the statue of a hamburger with arms and legs and does an incantation. The statue comes to life and calls itself the Loa. The Loa tells Wesley that the vampire will devour his son for certain and that it cannot be stopped. When Wesley says he will stop it, the Loa zaps him. The Loa tells Wesley that the pain in his heart calls out for death. Wesley tells him to kill him; it is the only way to stop him from trying to stop Connor’s death. The Loa tells him that his pain is just beginning and that betrayal and agony are in the future. When Wesley asks when Angel will kill Connor, the Loa tells him it will be after an earthquake, a fire, and blood falling from the sky.

Lilah meets Sahjan at a bar and tells him that their plan is already in motion. They both reveal that they have reasons to kill Angel. Lilah suspects that Sahjan is afraid of something.

Wesley is at the hotel staring into space when Aubrey comes back in. She pays him and asks him to go out with her. Wesley and Angel have figured out she’s a fake and take her by surprise. Angel tells her that Holtz has every right to hate him, but that if he sets up any more of his people or tries to come near his son, he’ll kill him.

A little later there is a small earthquake. Angel picks up Connor and goes upstairs while Wesley watches.

Holtz reviews the video of Fred and Gunn fighting the vampires with his gang. He tells them that Fred was willing to die for the cause and that they must be as well. Aubrey shows up and apologizes for getting caught. Wesley shows up, too, having followed her. He tells Holtz he is fighting the wrong guy and that Angel is good now. Holtz still wants justice so Wesley offers himself. Holtz tells Wesley what Angelus did to his children and says that the beast will reemerge. He says he knows that Wesley is afraid that Angel will kill the child. Wesley doesn’t believe that Holtz is interested in protecting the boy, but Holtz tells him that Wesley may soon find out what a baby’s coffin is like.

Gunn and Fred are having one of their breakfast moments. Gunn changes his tune and says he respects Wesley’s decision about dating on the job. He says that if he has to choose between the job and Fred, he chooses Fred. Both of them hope that Wesley won’t make them choose.

Wesley goes up to Angel’s room all stressed out. He sees Angel being all fatherly and heating milk up on the stove. Angel tells Wesley that he understands how Aubrey felt because he would do the same if anything like that happened to Connor. He says that love is scary but beautiful. Wesley starts to laugh; apparently feeling that he was a fool for thinking Angel would kill his child. Suddenly, there is an earthquake. The stove tips over and sets the room on fire. Angel grabs Connor while Wesley stands in stunned silence. Angel pulls him out of the room as well. When Wesley looks up at Angel he sees blood from Angel’s head dripping onto Connor’s blanket. Wesley repeats the words earthquake, fire, and blood. Angel says that they were almost trapped in the room and adds, “At least I would have had something to snack on,” while Wesley looks on, aghast.