[Spike materializes in Angel's office at Wolfram & Hart, and bends over in pain, then realizes he's facing some familiar faces and some strangers.]
What the hell are you doing here, Spike?
This is Spike? *The* Spike?
[calmly, to Spike] Easy, slim. Easy. No one's gonna hurt you.
Speak for yourself, Green Jeans.
OK, would somebody please tell me who...
William the Bloody. He's a vampire. One of the worst recorded. Second only to...
AngelMe. But you're dead.
Well, yeah. Who here isn't? [looks around] Besides him and him and her and... [to Lorne] What are you, again?
[lunges at Angel in game-face, but goes right through him and winds up standing in Angel's desk] Bugger.
[Incorporeal Spike walks through a gray wall to follow Angel.]
Angel turns around and keeps walking, Spike not too far behind.
Nice new M.O. I can see why heros like you get rewarded with the shiny new glass and chrome. Why didn't I think of that?
Angel
[Still walking] I'm not responsible for what happened to you.
Angel it's almost 3:00 you have a meeting...
Angel
[interrupting with a hand out and still walking] Not now, Harmony.
And here you've even managed to get my ex-tumble, the littlest vampire, fetching coffee for you. Nice perks for the sell-out.
Angel
[Stops walking but still not facing Spike] A little tip, Spike. Try not to talk about things you don't understand.
[walks in front of Angel] I'm not the prat here. I know you Angel. What do you think you're doing? Made some devil's bargain to take over this company. Thought you'd use it to fight the evil of the world from inside the belly of the beast. Trouble is you're too busy fighting to see you and yours are getting digested.
Angel
Not gonna happen. [Moves to walk away again]
What? You think you're in control here? Guess again, mate. You're no more in control than I am. Except I'm not going to bloody stand for it while you're just a blind...Groxlar Beast.
Angel
What?
[Spikes stares behind Angel. Angel sees the Groxlar walking out of the elevator. He fights it. During the fight Spike punches the Groxlar's head but his arm goes through it.]
[The fight continues and Angel kills the beast.]
Angel
[sighs] Okay. Somebody want to tell me how a Groxlar Beast got past security? I don't have time for this.
'Course not. Man's gotta stay focused on profit margins and power lunches.
Angel
Yeah, Spike. I got a business to run. That means responsibilities, appointments to keep.
[Pointing at the fallen Groxlar] That was your 3:00
Angel
That...
[Spike laughs.]
Angel
I'm meeting with Groxlars? They eat babies!
Just their heads. You were supposed to open negotations with this clan.
Angel
Negotations for what?
[Walking in wearing a suit and briefcase in hand] Get them to stop eating baby heads.
Angel
Oh, so that's good. [looking down at the Groxlar] So this...this is bad.
No, actually the Groxlar Clan respects someone who takes a strong opening position. Wolfram and Hart didn't just jack me up with the human laws, also demons laws from every demension. Probably should have briefed you about the Groxlar, but [looks at Spike] we got a little... sidetracked.
And this, bloody hell, wasn't mine. I'm not you. I don't give a piss about atonement or destiny. Just because I've got me a soul doesn't mean I'm gonna let myself be led around by...
Did - Did you just say - Spike has a soul? You never said.
Angel
Didn't seem worth mentioning, you know.
Seems to be a lot of that.
Or maybe Captain Forehead was feeling a little less special. Didn't like me crashing his exclusive club. Another vampire with a soul in the world.
Angel
You're not *in* the world, Casper.
A bit reckless. Well, if Spike's going to be sticking around, it'd be prudent of him to share his plans with the rest of us in future.
Angel
Yeah, well, sharing's not something Spike does very well.
Preaching to the horse's mouth.
Whoa! Watch it there! Just passing by and got splashed with a heap of grouchy. Got to tell you, Angelkins, that extra weight is not looking so good on you. [Angel looks down at his belly] I'm talking about psychic pounds, pumpkin. Why don't you consider me the Jenny Craig for the soul, huh? So let's hear it.
Angel
I'm not gonna sing.
Couldn't bear it if you did. No, it's talking you need... or maybe a shoulder to--
Angel
I'm not gonna cry either.
I was going to a leaning place. OK, Atlas, how about a shrug? Look, so you got the weight of the world. Burden, sure, but breaking news it ain't.
Angel
Listen, Lorne, this isn't a good time.
No. No, it never is. Spike showing up your first day in the Wolfram & Hart saddle, took the jolly right out of the rancher. But we've been feeling it ever since then, Angelcakes.
Angel
OK, so it's no secret. I don't like the guy.
Angel
I just want you to be careful, Fred, because I know how charming Spike can be.
He is quite the dish, with those eyes...
And the hair and the cheeks and--what do you think I am, stupid? I know he's been playing me with the looks and the smiles. I'm not some idiot schoolgirl with a crush.
Angel
Then what is it?
It's about doing what's right. Remember?
Angel
You're starting to feel it, aren't you? How close you are now... to hell?
What if I am? Not like it's such a big, bleeding deal, is it? If a ponce like you could break out--
Angel
I never escaped from hell. All I got was a short reprieve. Not even sure how I managed that.
Oh, put your martyr away, Mahatma. Fred told me all about your great, shining prophecy. Pile up all your good deeds and get the big brass ring handed to you like everything else.
Angel
Except for one small catch. The prophecy's a bunch of bull. They all are. Nothing's written in stone or fated to happen, Spike. You save the world, you end up running an evil law firm.
Or playin' Casper with one foot in the fryer.
Angel
You think any of it matters? The things we did? The lives we destroyed. That's all that's ever gonna count. So, yeah, surprise. You're going to hell. We both are.
Then why even bother? Try to do the right thing, make a difference...
Angel
What else are we gonna do?
So that's it, then. I really am going to burn.
Angel
Welcome to the club.
Least I got company, eh? You and me, together again. Hope and Crosby. Stills and Nash. Chico and the --
Angel
Yeah, are we done?
Never much for small talk, were you? Always too busy trying to perfect that brooding block-of-wood mystique. God, I love that.
Angel
Not as much as I loved your nonstop yammering.
The way you always had to be the big swingy, swaggerin' around, barkin' orders...
Angel
Never listening...
Angel
And your hair. What color do they call that, radioactive?
Never much cared for you, Liam, even when we were evil.
Angel
Cared for you less.
Angel
Good. [they sit in silence] There was one thing about you...
Angel
Yeah, I never told anyone about this, but I--I liked your poems.
[dismissively] You like Barry Manilow.
[researching from a book] Got it. The dark soul.
Angel
What's it say?
A lot. There are over 3,200 different references. Four of them are about you.
Angel
What? Give me that.
This is getting us nowhere.
Angel
Let me see this. [reading] Well, that's not fair. I didn't even have a soul when I did that.
Angel
Look, Lorne...I have things. I'm busy. [Lorne stares] I'm brooding.
[Turns around to see television is on.] Oh, you're watching hockey!
Angel
Yeah, but my team is losing.
Everything he's told us to do, we're doing. Spike's thinking positive. Gunn is peeing all over the office.
[slurring] And we're a little bit drunk.
Yes! But not because we drank. Because Lorne told us to be drunk!
Angel
[to Gunn] Lorne told you to pee all over the office?
Angel · 793 quotes
