Origin

Plot

Illyria is standing very still in the lab. Wesley is above observing. Angel enters. Wesley says she's either counting oxygen molecules, analyzing the petri dish she put in her mouth, or sleeping. He can't quite tell. Angel asks if this is a good idea. Wesley says they are running out of people. Angel says he still intends to get Gunn back. He says Wesley has to let them help him study her. Wesley says testing her could get someone hurt. Angel says they'll make Spike do it. Wesley says Illyria doesn't understand their world and needs a guide. Angel asks when he last slept. He says he needs Wesley working at the firm, not chasing ghosts. He reminds him Fred is dead.

Wesley is in his office and a couple are talking to him. They say that their son was going to get the mail. A van, going 60 mph, hopped the curb and hit him, then backed up and sped off. But their son was fine, barely scratched. A policeman called them and suggested they contact the firm. Wesley calls Harmony and asks her to send Angel up. They say their son is downstairs. He thinks they've come to set up a trust. Wesley says they'll help. Angel is walking through the lobby. He hears a boy say dad. He turns and sees Connor. Connor is talking to the father who is with Wesley, they are the Reillys, his parents. Of course, none of them knows Angel. Wesley starts to tell Angel about the problem, but he quickly says they cannot help. Wesley doesn't understand why and Angel won't explain.

Gunn is having his heart cut out by the demon torturer. When it finishes, he mystically heals, is resurrected, and goes upstairs with his lightbulb. Illyria is beating up Spike. He tries to set ground rules. No more punching him in the face. When he punches her in the face, she tells him how it feels so he can write in in his clipboard. No touching his clipboard. She says she enjoys hurting him. She punches him and sends him flying across the room. Wesley enters. Spike says he'll break her. Wesley says she's not a horse and the room has automated training devices. Illyria says Wesley reeks of frustration. Spike says that's scotch. Wesley says he had a disagreement with Angel. Spike calls Angel broody pants and reminds Wesley Angel can't have sex without going crazy which makes it fun. Illyria says in her day such insolence would have been punished by death. Wesley says they've not being insolent. Spike says he is. Illyria says Wesley is loyal to Angel and Wesley says he's earned the loyalty.

Angel is in his office and Marcus enters. Angel asks what's going on. Marcus says the senior partners aren't behind what happened, but he doesn't think it's a coincidence. He believes someone is sending Angel a message. Connor and his parents are driving home. He reveals he knows they weren't looking into setting up a trust but were concerned about him. Their car is attacked by demons. Connor fights them, he's enormously strong, but he doesn't know how to fight. Angel appears and kills the two attacking demons. Connor is really impressed. Connor's father is hurt and Angel takes them all back to the firm where they have doctors to look after him. He talks to Connor alone and explains they were attacked by demons. He also tells him he's a vampire and Connor is a normal person with enhanced abilities, a kind of superhero. Connor asks a bunch of questions about vampires - like do they spend their time making out with other vampires like in Anne Rice novels. He asks if everyone in the office is a superhero and Angel says it's mostly paralegals and secretaries and pretty boring. Spike comes crashing into the hallway, knocked there by Illyria. Spike dashes back in. Angel and Connor enter to find Illyria standing on Spike's head. Angel introduces them. Connor asks if Illyria has powers and Spike says she can hit like a mack truck, selectively alter the flow of time, and possibly talk to plants. Illyria says she'd like to keep Spike as her pet. She says Connor is lusting after her. He's embarrassed and says it's her outfit. Lorne enters and Connor is impressed saying this is better than college. Lorne says Wesley wants Angel. Angel asks what college and Connor says Stanford.

Wesley has identified the demons which attacked Connor. He says they are the henchmen of a warlock called Cyvus Vail. Angel says he'll go see Vail and refuses to let anyone come with him. Alone in his office, Wesley asks for all the files on Cyvus Vail. Angel confronts Vail, after killing all his guards. Vail says he didn't want to kill Connor, just make him aware of what he is capable of. He says he built Connor. Harmony brings Wesley and Lorne the Vail files. She also brings in Illyria who says Spike is resting. Lorne discovers Vail worked for Wolfram & Hart specializing in memories and time shifts and mind control. Wesley sees a large payment for a major project on the day they took over Wolfram & Hart.

Vail reveals he built Connor's memories. He wants Sahjahn dead. Angel says he's trapped. Vail has the urn, but he fears it will break and Sahjahn will return. He wants finality. Vail holds up something he calls an Orlon window. He says if it breaks around someone whose mind has been altered, all his memories would come rushing back. Angel agrees to kill Sahjahn, but Vail says the prophecy is clear and only Connor can do it. He says Angel has to turn Connor back into a killer.

Angel tells Connor he has to kill Sahjahn. Wesley doesn't understand why they would give in to Vail's threats. Connor believes his family is being threatened. Wesley says Vail performed a major spell the day they took over the firm. Angel says they have no time and Connor agrees to kill Sahjahn. Gunn is being tortured by the demon. Marcus walks in and removes the medallion. He offers Gunn a deal saying the senior partners can get him out and his friends aren't doing anything to help him. Gunn just asks for the medallion back and allows the torture to continue. Angel tells Connor he'll help him fight Sahjahn. Connor says that doesn't seem fair. Connor has never fought, he doesn't know what to do. Angel tells him he's faster and to keep moving. That Sahjahn talks a lot and will try to slow him down. Connor asks if Angel believes he can do this and Angel says he knows he can.

Wesley is looking through files. Illyria reveals that Fred's memories were changed, although she doesn't know what they used to be. Wesley finds the contract Angel signed and realizes they were all changed. Connor and Angel arrive at Vail's. Vail sends Connor into an alcove where the urn is on a table. When Connor turns around, the entrance is a wall. Vail explains he can't afford risking Sahjahn's escape, but he says Connor is very brave. Connor opens the urn. Sahjahn materializes. He thanks him for releasing him and says he'll grant him three wishes, then says he's just messing with him. Connor says they're supposed to fight. Sahjahn realizes who he is. Angel is watching and upset because they are talking and he told Connor not to talk to him. Sahjahn throws the urn at Connor, knocking him down. Angel tries to enter, but a mystical barrier keeps him out. They start fighting and he insists Vail open the doorway, but Vail reveals the Orlon window again and refuses. Sahjahn is winning the fight. Angel turns to Vail, but he's no longer holding the Orlon. Wesley is. He's there with Illyria. Wesley says Angel sold them out. Angel asks for the Orlon and Illyria knocks him down saying Wesley doesn't follow him any longer. Wesley says Angel changed the world. Angel reveals Connor is his son. Wesley thinks he traded Fred for Connor. Angel denies this. Wesley goes to destroy the Orlon. Angel says it won't bring Fred back. But Wesley says he can't trust him any more and destroys it. There's a mystical explosion.

A series of flashbacks indicate the memories flooding back. Wesley remembers the baby Connor and his kidnapping. Wesley getting his throat cut, Angel attacking him in the hospital, Wesley and Lilah. Connor remembers his return from the hell dimension. In the other room, Connor tosses Sahjahn off him. He grabs an ax and attacks Sahjahn. They fight briefly and Connor cuts his head off, killing him. Angel enters, the mystical barrier is gone. Connor seems normal. He says Sahjahn made him cranky. He doesn't like being grabbed by the neck. He asks if he can go back and see his parents. He says he doesn't think this whole fighting thing is for him.

Illyria asks Wesley if knowing of his betrayal makes things better, makes him more Wesley. He says at least he knows the truth. She asks how he can tell which of the memories is real. He tells her to focus on the fabricated ones and try to push the others out of her mind. He says they were created for a reason. Not to hide the truth, as she suggests, but to endure it.

Connor talks to Angel in his office. He says his father is better and about to be released. He says he told his parents his being different was a good thing and they shouldn't worry about him. Angel says parents worry. Connor agrees. Angel says they will look for Vail. Connor says he's not worried, Vail can't show him anything he hasn't seen. He says goodbye to Angel and that he must get back to his life now. Angel tries to get him to stay for a bit, but Connor says he wants to take his parents away. This isn't their world, they aren't safe here. He says you have to do what you can to protect your family. That he learnt that from his father. He leaves. Angel watches him walk away.