|
In Los Angeles, Lauren and Lorne have set up a temporary shelter for the refugees from
Pylea and are teaching them the basics to help them integrate into Earth culture. Back at the house
Ethan wakes from a lovely dream involving Dana, Lauren and "nurses" only to find Jalen, still
with his demonic appearance, watching over him. After he gets over the shock of Jalen's new appearance he
asks for help getting from the infirmary to the occult lab. Jalen is not sure. Ethan eventually makes his
way to the lab anyway and tracks down the healing spell he had previously used. After gathering the necessary
components Ethan casts the spell and waits for it to start healing his wounds.
Since returning from Pylea, Dana has split her time between teaching at UCLA and researching
several mysterious disappearances. After class she returns to the house to check on Ethan. When she goes
downstairs she gets the sudden urge to shift to werewolf form, so Dana turns and leaves without telling Ethan
why she's going all of a sudden. After the urge subsides, Dana goes back downstairs she feels dizzy and the
urge to shapeshift rises again so she goes back upstairs leaving a confused Ethan.
At the makeshift classroom Lorne mysteriously collapses. Before she can see what is wrong
Lauren feels a Vision coming on but instead of seeing something she is pulled into the spirit plane. There
she sees Caiel, the "guardian angel" who helped her learn to use her powers. Caiel tells Lauren
he needs her help and asks her to form a psychic link to Lorne from the spirit plane. When the link is formed
Caiel touches Lauren's shoulder and there is a bright light. Lauren is back in the classroom and sees that
Lorne has woken up, and that Caiel has also appeared in the room. Even more surprising is who is standing beside
Caiel: a very confused looking Patrick! Lauren immediately embraces her friend in a huge hug.
Lauren immediately brings Patrick and Caiel back to the house where Dana and Jalen are just as
surprised to see him as Lauren was. Questions fly from all sides, though Patrick is unable to provide answers
as he cannot remember anything since he attacked the Hart. For Patrick himself the questions are centered around
how long he has been gone, and why Jalen is blue now. Hearing the voices Ethan comes upstairs only to have Lauren
pass out as he arrives. Caiel looks at Ethan and tells him to go back downstairs immediately. Ethan has no idea
who this stranger is, but obeys anyway. After Ethan has left Caiel explains that Lauren collapsed because Ethan
was draining her lifeforce, as well as Dana's, though Dana's werewolf nature was protecting her. He goes on to
explain that he was not affected because he is not human, Jalen was not affected because he seems to be more
demon than human now, and Patrick was unaffected because he is not truly alive anymore. Though each of these
statements begs more details the group is more focused on why this is happening.
Dana is the first to piece the puzzle together. She remembers seeing the remains of Ethan's
casting of the healing spell downstairs and realizes it is the same one he cast on himself several weeks
earlier. This was the time Lauren passed out when Ethan was mortally wounded and Dana found herself transforming
into here werewolf form uncontrollably, and this was also the time when the two lawyers from Wolfram &
Hart, Alexandra and Travis, mysteriously passed out and died. At the time the grouped believed it to have been
a magical attack by Wolfram & Hart but now Dana realizes it was the healing spell Ethan had cast on himself.
The magic was healing Ethan's near fatal wounds by stealing the life forces of people near him and her urge to
transform was a defense reflex. She tells the others and Jalen volunteers to go downstairs and explain to Ethan
what is happening. When he learns the truth of the spell Ethan also comes to a realization, that it was because
of him that Wolfram & Hart had the perfect vessel (Travis' body) for the Hart to use to manifest. Since it
was the death of the Hart at the hands of Patrick that led to the destruction of Pylea Ethan blames himself. He
tells Jalen to leave him alone.
Back upstairs Caiel begins telling the others why he has come to Earth, and why he brought back Patrick.
He explains that when Patrick killed the Hart it greatly weakened the Senior Partners, causing upheaval in the
demon ranks. Several of the more militant members of the Powers That Be decided to take advantage of this unprecedented
occurrence to try and wipe out the Senior Partners and the other demon lords for good. These Powers raised an army,
one that included several former champions like Patrick, and set out on their Crusade. Initially they targeted
worlds they considered tainted by evil, wiping them clean. Pylea was one of the recent targets as it had been ruled
by the priests of the Senior Partners. Now the Powers have set their sights on Earth. If the Powers win they
will wipe the Earth clean and turn it into a Paradise, unfortunately this means they will kill anyone and anything
they consider tainted. Earth is also valuable to the Senior Partners and the demons will not give the planet up
without a fight. There are some Powers That Be that do not believe that actively assaulting the enemy is the
best course of action, but they will not act against the militant Powers. Caiel took it on himself to rescue Patrick
from the army and escape to Earth to warn the group about what is coming. As this information sinks in the group
wonders what they can possibly do to stop this true Apocalypse from happening.
While the others ponder, Dana goes back downstairs to talk to Ethan. She finds him in the occult lab
but he insists she leave. When Dana refuses a heated argument ensues. When Dana still will not leave Ethan moves
next to her and the life draining effect takes hold. Dana passes out and Ethan uses the secret passage to sneak out
of the house. When Dana awakens and finds that Ethan has left
she takes off out of the house after him, ignoring the arguments of the others. After Dana has gone the others
continue to debate what they can do, wondering if there is some way they can restore the precarious balance that
used to exists between the two sides and return things to the old status quo.
Ethan, meanwhile, has made his way to one of the demon bars, knowing the spell won't drain the life
force of any of the patrons there. The place is almost empty anyway, so Ethan takes a seat by the bar and starts
ordering drinks. When Dana is unable to locate Ethan, she heads back to the house and researches a way to cancel
the healing spell. After she has learned how she gets Lauren to use her powers to track down Ethan. When Dana gets
to the bar Ethan is very drunk and barely able to stand. She takes him out of the bar against his protests and
in a nearby alley casts the counter-spell. Distracted by the life drain effect Dana miscasts the spell and, while
it does cancel the healing spell, there is a backlash and she is knocked out. Barely conscious due to his drinking,
Ethan is able to crawl to Dana long enough to call the house with her cel phone. When Patrick and Jalen arrive
to get the two though the alley is empty.
Elsewhere in the city Ethan awakens only to find himself strapped to an operating table. He looks
around and his blurry eyes focus on a figure he'd hoped (fervently) was dead: Dr. Maalik!
|
