aired on: October 26, 1999

written by: Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt

directed by: Vern Gilum

While it's all well and good that Angel's helping people fight their demons, he's been reluctant to ask for financial compensation; as a result, Angel Investigations is having cash flow issues. But when Doyle has a vision, it means Angel's going to work, money or not.

Doyle's latest vision takes Angel to an office building where Melissa Burns has just received a bouquet of flowers, with a note that reads, "My undying love. Ronald." She's so thrilled by this that she dashes to the ladies' room and pops a few tranquilizers, then leaves the building. On the way to her car, she's stopped by Angel, who gives her his card, and offers to help. Melissa, obviously unsettled, says she can't afford help, and drives away.

Her next stop is the ATM, where she tries to withdraw cash, but can't - her PIN is invalid. As she tries again, Ronald steps forward. He's changed her PIN (it was her birthdate - too obvious), and explains that he's looking out for her, seeing as they're in love. But Melissa's hardly in love with him - they only went on one date. Fully creeped out by this run-in with Ronald, Melissa decides she could use some help after all, and pays Angel a visit.

There she explains to Doyle, Cordelia and Angel about Dr. Ronald Meltzer, a neurosurgeon who seven months earlier operated on her, saving her sight. Afterwards he asked her out, and though she wasn't interested, she felt obligated, and joined him for a drink, just once. But he started calling her, and showing up at work, and her apartment, saying they had something special, and should get married. She rebuffed him, but that only made it worse. She tells them she can feel him watching her.

Later, while Melissa undresses back at her apartment, Ronald is watching her - with a floating eye he's removed from his head. Apparently, Ronald isn't 100% human. Angel decides to snoop around to find out more about this Dr. Meltzer. He sneaks into Ronald's office, but while he's browsing the doctor's bookshelf, Ronald enters the room and demands to know why he's there. Angel lies, making up a name and saying his wife needs neurosurgical help, and that he came because he heard Dr. Meltzer could give it. Ronald says that kind of surgery is too dangerous, and he can't do it, but Angel, picking up a photo of Melissa from his desk (Ronald claims she's his fiance) to emphasize the depth of his own love, says he's not willing to give up so easily.

While Angel continues his research, Ronald is spying on Melissa, lurking outside her apartment. A cop pulls up, points a gun at him, and asks him to put up his hands. But Ronald's hands aren't on the ends of his wrists - they're in Melissa's bedroom, crawling under the covers. Seeing that Ronald is handless, the cop lets him go. But when Melissa realizes where Ronald's hands are, her screams bring the cop running. He doesn't find anything . . . until Ronald's hands find his neck and strangle him to death.

To keep Melissa safe, Angel brings her back to his place. But he knows Ronald is starting to come undone, and that he'll come looking for her. When the phone rings, it's Ronald - looking for the guy Angel said he was when he snuck in his office. Ronald says he'll perform the surgery, but it has to be out of the country, and that he needs $100,000 up front. Angel says he'll be right over with the cash. But Ronald knows Angel's not who he says he was. He had seen him comforting Melissa outside her apartment after the disembodied hands incident, and he's jealous. When Angel arrives at Ronald's office, he's ready for him - with a deadly paralytic injector dart.

While Angel lies writhing on the floor, Dr. Ronald's body parts make their way over to Angel's place - and then his body makes a full appearance, taking care of Doyle and Cordelia, who'd been left behind to protect Melissa. But before he can put a scalpel to Melissa, Angel returns, and knocks Ronald to pieces - literally. With those pieces buried in cement in steel boxes, Ronald's days of neurosurgery and harrassment are through.

The next day, Melissa, feeling much better about the world, stops by the office to drop off a plant - and to pay her bill.