Darla/Angel (Buffyverse)
Title: Show Me Your World
Author: calliopes_pen
E-Mail: julia_hoffman2003 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Fandom: Buffyverse
Pairing: Angel(us)/Darla
Spoilers: Seasons 2 through 4 of Angel.
Notes: Spoilers for season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and seasons 2-4 of Angel.
Special Thanks To: seandc for beta reading.
Angel: Darla.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Darla?
Cordelia: Darla?
Fred: Who's Darla?
Gunn: Angel's old flame, from way back.
Fred: Not the one who died?
Gunn: Yeah. No, not that one, the other one who died and came back to life. She's a vampire.
Fred: Do y'all have a chart or somethin’?
Gunn: In the files, I'll get it for you later.
--Darla’s past confuses the group in Offspring.
Introduction
Angel and Darla. At first glance, one would not imagine these two vampires could make an interesting couple. Perhaps it was the unpredictability of their lives that made the possible pairing fascinating to a handful of people. What follows is an overview of their trials, their history, and their respective personalities. One thing is certain for these two individuals--their lives were never dull.
Angel: The Vampire With A Soul
Angelus: I could never live in a rat infested stinkhole like this, pardon me for saying so. But I gotta have meself a proper bed or I'm a terror.
-Angelus is used to the good life in a flashback from season 2’s Darla.
Liam. Angelus. Angel. Briefly Liam again in Spin The Bottle. The man has been known by many names over the centuries, but in each incarnation he is still a man struggling with himself. As Liam, he struggled to remain carefree and not have any worries. As Angelus? He just wanted to kill and enjoy his un-life while free of a conscience and/or soul.
As Angel, he struggled with his past, and his need for atonement, and set some major records for brooding.
Prior to being turned into a vampire by Darla, Angel (then known as Liam) tended towards laziness rather than attempt a decent day’s work. Rather than attempt to help out his parents or obtain a job, he enjoyed remaining more of a drunken layabout that slept with practically anything that moved.
If he had continued with that life of debauchery, one may venture a guess that he more than likely would have gotten syphilis within the next couple of years. Well, that, or he would have gotten one of his many, many women pregnant, and managed to disgrace his family even more than they already were. Personally, I think his becoming a vampire was the best thing that could have happened to him at this point in his life.
Well, if you discount the hundreds maimed and killed and all the lives he managed to ruin after his turning, anyway.
After over a century of torture and mayhem, Angelus made the mistake of making a meal of a young gypsy girl--from that moment on, his life was literally never the same again, due to his re-souling. This curse remained in effect (probably to the relief of billions) for one hundred years. At least, until a moment of perfect happiness ruined everything. Just a brief side note here--it wasn’t just sex that made him lose his soul. It was more contentment that he had been accepted than love, judging by everything that’s been said since that event. Darla’s answer to that in Dear Boy was the following: “There was a time, in the early years, when you would have said I was the definition of bliss. Buffy wasn't happiness, she was just new.”
Later on, in season 2 of Angel, Angel even said (in Epiphany) as much to Darla. Perfect despair cannot cause the loss of his soul. And at that moment in time Angel just wasn’t thinking straight and at was at the lowest that he had ever been in his un-life.
Darla: You still have a soul. But we...
Angel: Yeah.
Darla: And you...
Angel: I know.
Darla: Then I...
Angel: Three times.
Darla: You're not evil. I-I don't understand. Was I... was it... not good? Well, I don't accept that. You cannot tell me that wasn't perfect. Not only have I been around for 400 years, but I used to do this professionally, and that was perfect. We'll go again!
Angel: No. No. No.
But let’s get back to Angel’s soulless period, shall we? If Darla had been around at this stage, (sadly, Angel was forced to stake her in season 1’s Angel--on BtVS) there would have been even more wholesale slaughter. And, judging by how much there was with just Angelus in their heyday, there probably wouldn’t have been much left of Sunnydale except a smoldering crater--albeit a few seasons prematurely.
Hey, just look at their flashbacks together in season 2 of Angel! You can’t deny they would have done everything in their power to mess things up for the rest of the world.
And then, after getting his soul back (Becoming, Part Two) at the last second--just as Acathla was due to swallow the world--he was sent to a Hell dimension. One hundred years there briefly warped him, but he got better. He went from insane and feral to a relatively civilized vampire in just a couple of months. And then, he decided to leave town.
Beginning in his own series, Angel became much more confident than he ever was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A change in location revitalized him. Unfortunately for him, it also gave him Wolfram and Hart as an enemy.
Now let’s skip ahead a couple of seasons--to the point when that enemy has resurrected Darla from her burning torment in Hell. For a time, Darla tried to drive him insane. When that didn’t work, she manipulated. But when it was revealed that she was dying--and they realized they did love each other after all, despite everything--he couldn’t handle her dying yet again. It all culminated in The Trial, which is discussed in more depth in the “Together” section below.
When Wolfram and Hart attacked them in the end of this episode, Darla was re-turned by Drusilla. The granddaughter turned the grandmother, technically--further warping the Aurelius family tree. And Angel briefly lost it. He proceeded to fire Wesley, Gunn, and Cordelia; allowed a roomful of Wolfram and Hart lawyers to be slaughtered (both in Reunion); and set Darla and Drusilla aflame (in Redefinition). He went so far in his desire for revenge that even the two female vampires could not recognize whether or not he was Angelus.
Drusilla: I'm burning, make it stop, please.
Darla: Shh, Baby, shh. That wasn't Angel.
Drusilla: He's gone. He's all gone. Oh, it hurts, it hurts.
Darla: It wasn't Angelus either.
Drusilla: Darla, help me, please, please, please.
Darla: Who was that?
When he reached his lowest, he wanted his soul gone. He slept with Darla--thankfully for everyone involved, this did not work well enough to cause a loss of soul.
But it did result in Angel becoming a father. (Revealed in season 3) Something he never knew was even possible, and was thrilled by. At least, once he got over the fact that it was even possible for Darla to be pregnant at all, and that there was apparently a prophecy about the whole thing.
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time for the gang, as Holtz returned to get revenge on Angel and Darla--for they had killed his own children back in the 1700’s. Another prophecy fulfilled, just to sum things up.
Darla had to kill herself to save their child. Sadly, this was the only way to save it. And thus came the end of an epic storyline.
Darla: Dusted, Resurrected, Re-Vamped, Re-Dusted...
The Master: You can't save her life. Perhaps I can still save her soul.
Darla: My soul is well past saving. Let the devil have me, if he'll take me. Either way, I'll die.
--The Master turns Darla on the night she would have died as a human, in Darla.
Darla. Whether this is her true and original name or not is no longer known even to her (well, Joss probably knows)--it is lost in the mists of time. While much of her past prior to meeting Angel (or Liam at that point) is unknown, there are some things that are certain due to the flashbacks provided in certain episodes.
Let’s start at the beginning of her long unlife, then, shall we? She lived in Virginia Colony of North America. By the year of 1609, Darla was a prostitute. She was dying a slow and extremely painful death, courtesy of syphilis.
At least, she was until The Master intervened. At first, the dying woman believed him to be a priest, come to give her comfort. At this point it was quite obvious that she despised the idea of possibly being saved. Here is the scene (from Darla) in question.
The Master: I came to you last night. I sang to you from that window.
Darla: I remember. You're Death?
The Master: No.
Darla: What then?
The Master: I'm your savior. God never did anything for you, but I will.
From this point on, the now immortal woman’s life would never be the same. Beginning here, she served The Master. While she would occasionally leave to commit carnage and bloodshed across Europe, she would always return to The Master’s side. It should be noted that she was very devoted to her sire--even 400 years after her turning, season one of BtVS showed her to still be at his side.
Then, one day in 1753, her taste for the blood of young men led her straight to a young man leaving a bar. Liam, eventually to be known as Angel. And, once sired, would become known to the world as Angelus.
After the time of Angelus’ siring, Darla and Angelus brought a lot of pain to the world. Later siring Drusilla and Spike, they became the Scourge of Europe. They ran together bringing death and insanity to everyone they met until Angelus (because Darla had given him a gypsy for a snack) was re-souled for the first of many times in 1898. After his re-souling the two went on different paths. Darla had expressed her disgust (in flashback in Five by Five) and couldn’t bear to be around him--even threatening to kill him.
Darla: The spell. They gave you a soul. A filthy soul! No. You’re disgusting.
Angel: Darla-
Darla: Get away from me.
Angel: You brought her [the Gypsy responsible for the soul] here. [Darla tries to stake Angel.] I’m like you.
Darla: You’re not like anything. Get away from me. Get out! I’ll kill you!
After her failure to turn Angel to her side in season one of BtVS resulted in her staking, Darla burned in Hell. As previously mentioned, Wolfram and Hart resurrected her. She was not pleased to be mortal again, but went along with their plans. She also developed feelings for Angel.
As will be mentioned in the “Together” section, they went through many trials and terrors to be together at all. In some cases they failed. In some cases, they succeeded.
As in the final act Darla ever did. Realizing that her child would die unless she staked herself, she sacrificed her life. The child would have been unable to survive if she had not done so.
Finally, here are the quotes that showed her coming to that decision.
Darla: No. No, I don't think so. Once he's gone, I won't be okay. I won't be okay at all. I don't know what I'll be. Angel... Our baby is gonna die right here in this alley. You died in an alley, remember?
And right as she commits the act that saves her child, she looks at Angel one last time and says the following.
Darla: This child Angel, it's the one good thing we ever did together. The only good thing. You make sure to tell him that.
And with that, she turned to dust. Leaving her baby crying on the pavement, and Angel standing there stunned as it rained.
Together
Throughout season 2 of Angel, both Angel and Darla tended to have an adversarial type of interaction. Makes sense--Wolfram and Hart did want her to kill Angel, after all--she took it to be a challenge. And a chance to get her “dear boy” back to the dark side.
She tried to seduce him in his dreams; he usually attacked the lawyers of Wolfram and Hart (mostly Lindsey) that were harboring her. This went on and on for quite a while. She hated her humanity, and wanted to be turned by Angel.
Angel: It's a gift. To feel that heartbeat, to know really and for once that you’re alive. You're human again, Darla. You know what that means?
Darla: Of course, I do. It means pain and suffering and disease and death. I released you from this world once. I gave you eternal life. Now it's time for you to return the favor.
Angel: Favor? Is that what you think? You think you did me a favor? You damned me.
Darla: Fine, fine. If it's such a punishment then, take out your revenge, pay me back. Please...
Angel: I can't.
And then, Darla learned that while she had been resurrected as a mortal, she still had the disease that had brought her to the brink of death during her first chance as a mortal. Syphilis. Obviously, her body had decided to pick up where it had had left off in 1609.
After realizing this would mean her death--and that she wanted to keep living--she tried to get herself turned. Didn’t work.
And then came The Trial. Angel discovered the death sentence that Darla was under, and he vowed to save her life. He would stop at nothing to try to find a cure--a reprieve--anything that might work.
Angel: "I'm not gonna leave you. Every moment you have left, I'm gonna be by your side. You're never gonna be alone again."
Angel went through Hell for Darla, basically. Metaphorically, of course. He hasn’t visited the actual Hell in a few years. A “been there, done that” type of situation, more than likely.
Angel went through trial after trial-a roomful of crosses that covered the walls and floor; dipping his hand into holy water to retrieve something; fighting a large demon while practically weaponless. His final trial was his willingness to die for her. He proved his love to her, and almost managed to give her another shot at life. If she hadn’t already had a mystical resurrection once before--thanks to Wolfram and Hart--she would have had a way out of this situation.
In his fury, Angel nearly tore the place apart. Understandable--after all, wouldn’t you go nuts if you’d done everything possible, and it still wasn’t enough?
There were so many moments when they were good together throughout season 3 as well. However, Lullaby would have to be the pivotal episode for them. For example, this brief conversation happened shortly before the birth that killed Darla.
Angel: You love it.
Darla: Completely. I love it completely. I-I-I don't think I've ever loved anything as much as this life that's inside of me.
Angel: Well, you've never loved anything, Darla.
Darla’s death put things at an end for the tumultuous relationship that spanned a few centuries. Well, unless she gets resurrected again. You never know.
Why I Like This Couple
Angel/Darla. I actually loved the idea of this pairing when it first appeared on Angel--they seemed to have great chemistry. They were good for each other.
Prior to Angel, however, I didn’t even consider this pairing a good idea. Season 1 of BtVS, for example, portrayed Darla as a girlish, vaguely annoying woman who liked to dress as an “innocent” Catholic schoolgirl. In our first glimpse of her in Welcome to the Hellmouth, she pretends to be a terrified girl breaking into a school with an older boy--well, at least until she bites him and drains him of blood, thus revealing herself to be what she truly is. A good pretender as well as a vampire.
Thankfully, her style and personality were much more mature after her resurrection by Wolfram and Hart. She was also more fascinating, and seductive. She understood Angel, since she had run with him, and killed with him for over one hundred years. Much more interesting a partner than Buffy could ever be--at least, in my mind.
Then again, I’m also the type that loved The Fanged Four as they rampaged across China. Hey, what can I say? It’s one of the many reasons that I loved Angel.
Angel seemed to be less broody when they were together. As long as he didn't become perfectly happy, that was great. At least, when she was human. He became darker when she was turned, but eventually came around. Eventually. He did start to care for her--albeit right before it was time for her to give birth. If she had survived, they might have made an interesting couple.
Darla would have been able to move on with Angel while she was human, if she hadn't been turned by Drusilla. Even after she was turned, though, she started to get a little nicer--this was due to the fact that the baby’s soul was influencing her actions. At least, they were right before she gave birth. Sacrificing her life to give birth to Connor was further proof of that change she had begun. It was a choice between her life, and that of her child--and she made a choice that any natural mother (or supernatural in this case) more than likely would.
She even came back as a ghost (the episode in question: season 4’s Inside Out) at one point, to try to keep Connor from killing and allowing Jasmine into the world. She had proven that she had changed-if not by how she died (re-died?), then by how she returned after her final death. If only for a few moments.
Of course, how she came back as a ghost when she was supposedly soulless at the time of her death, we’ll never know...
However, what is known is that this pairing will live on in fanfiction. That is one thing that is assured based on all the stories I have seen.
Recommended Reading
Five Seasons of Angel: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Vampire, edited by Glenn Yeffeth. This essay book is a must-read for fans of Angel, as it discusses all the characters, and metaphors found within the series. Pages of relevance to Darla/Angel fans include: 57-60; 104-105; 108-109; 125-126; 128-129; 133-137; 199-216.
Websites
General
Essay on Angel’s past, found at with_character. Other Angel essays in that group can be found here.
Wikipedia Entry For Darla.
Wikipedia Entry For Angel.
Angel, Darla, and Angel/Darla related essays.
Fanfic Related
Everything and anything written by peasant_. This author writes spectacular Fanged Four related fanfic. Website can be found here, as well.
My Dear Boy, written by ohmyhannah. Angel remembers how much he loved hunting with Darla, shortly after he was given his soul back. The first time--not the time he slept with Buffy. Rated PG-13.
Splinter, written by yahtzee63 and rheanna27. Set after season 2, things go slightly differently than in regular continuity. I won’t say anything else, since I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. I highly recommend this story. Rated R.
Making An Angel, written by Seersha. Darla’s POV as she sires Liam. Rated PG-14.
Affectations, written by Chrystler. The summary from the fanfic itself: “1952. While Angel is hanging - literally - in LA, his sire is an entire continent away. And hating every New York minute.” Rated R.
The Last Time I Saw You... An Angel/Darla Fanfic Archive.
Fanlistings
Hurting Soul: The Angel Fanlisting.
Full Of Surprises: The Darla Fanlisting.
Immortal Lust: The Angel (us) and Darla Fanlisting.
Definition Of Bliss: The Angelus/Darla Fanlisting. This is a great fanlisting where you can find wonderful fanfic.
Le Soleil Noir. A Fanlisting for Angelus, Darla, Spike, and Dru.
Angel/Darla Groups
_ties_that_bind
benz_love
darlarevamped
dearone
deepin
the_fangedfour
AngelandDarlaPictures.
BetterBuffyFics.
fangedfour.
LastTime: The Angel/Darla Group.
Author: calliopes_pen
E-Mail: julia_hoffman2003 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Fandom: Buffyverse
Pairing: Angel(us)/Darla
Spoilers: Seasons 2 through 4 of Angel.
Notes: Spoilers for season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and seasons 2-4 of Angel.
Special Thanks To: seandc for beta reading.
Angel: Darla.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Darla?
Cordelia: Darla?
Fred: Who's Darla?
Gunn: Angel's old flame, from way back.
Fred: Not the one who died?
Gunn: Yeah. No, not that one, the other one who died and came back to life. She's a vampire.
Fred: Do y'all have a chart or somethin’?
Gunn: In the files, I'll get it for you later.
--Darla’s past confuses the group in Offspring.
Introduction
Angel and Darla. At first glance, one would not imagine these two vampires could make an interesting couple. Perhaps it was the unpredictability of their lives that made the possible pairing fascinating to a handful of people. What follows is an overview of their trials, their history, and their respective personalities. One thing is certain for these two individuals--their lives were never dull.
Angel: The Vampire With A Soul
Angelus: I could never live in a rat infested stinkhole like this, pardon me for saying so. But I gotta have meself a proper bed or I'm a terror.
-Angelus is used to the good life in a flashback from season 2’s Darla.
Liam. Angelus. Angel. Briefly Liam again in Spin The Bottle. The man has been known by many names over the centuries, but in each incarnation he is still a man struggling with himself. As Liam, he struggled to remain carefree and not have any worries. As Angelus? He just wanted to kill and enjoy his un-life while free of a conscience and/or soul.
As Angel, he struggled with his past, and his need for atonement, and set some major records for brooding.
Prior to being turned into a vampire by Darla, Angel (then known as Liam) tended towards laziness rather than attempt a decent day’s work. Rather than attempt to help out his parents or obtain a job, he enjoyed remaining more of a drunken layabout that slept with practically anything that moved.
If he had continued with that life of debauchery, one may venture a guess that he more than likely would have gotten syphilis within the next couple of years. Well, that, or he would have gotten one of his many, many women pregnant, and managed to disgrace his family even more than they already were. Personally, I think his becoming a vampire was the best thing that could have happened to him at this point in his life.
Well, if you discount the hundreds maimed and killed and all the lives he managed to ruin after his turning, anyway.
After over a century of torture and mayhem, Angelus made the mistake of making a meal of a young gypsy girl--from that moment on, his life was literally never the same again, due to his re-souling. This curse remained in effect (probably to the relief of billions) for one hundred years. At least, until a moment of perfect happiness ruined everything. Just a brief side note here--it wasn’t just sex that made him lose his soul. It was more contentment that he had been accepted than love, judging by everything that’s been said since that event. Darla’s answer to that in Dear Boy was the following: “There was a time, in the early years, when you would have said I was the definition of bliss. Buffy wasn't happiness, she was just new.”
Later on, in season 2 of Angel, Angel even said (in Epiphany) as much to Darla. Perfect despair cannot cause the loss of his soul. And at that moment in time Angel just wasn’t thinking straight and at was at the lowest that he had ever been in his un-life.
Darla: You still have a soul. But we...
Angel: Yeah.
Darla: And you...
Angel: I know.
Darla: Then I...
Angel: Three times.
Darla: You're not evil. I-I don't understand. Was I... was it... not good? Well, I don't accept that. You cannot tell me that wasn't perfect. Not only have I been around for 400 years, but I used to do this professionally, and that was perfect. We'll go again!
Angel: No. No. No.
But let’s get back to Angel’s soulless period, shall we? If Darla had been around at this stage, (sadly, Angel was forced to stake her in season 1’s Angel--on BtVS) there would have been even more wholesale slaughter. And, judging by how much there was with just Angelus in their heyday, there probably wouldn’t have been much left of Sunnydale except a smoldering crater--albeit a few seasons prematurely.
Hey, just look at their flashbacks together in season 2 of Angel! You can’t deny they would have done everything in their power to mess things up for the rest of the world.
And then, after getting his soul back (Becoming, Part Two) at the last second--just as Acathla was due to swallow the world--he was sent to a Hell dimension. One hundred years there briefly warped him, but he got better. He went from insane and feral to a relatively civilized vampire in just a couple of months. And then, he decided to leave town.
Beginning in his own series, Angel became much more confident than he ever was in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. A change in location revitalized him. Unfortunately for him, it also gave him Wolfram and Hart as an enemy.
Now let’s skip ahead a couple of seasons--to the point when that enemy has resurrected Darla from her burning torment in Hell. For a time, Darla tried to drive him insane. When that didn’t work, she manipulated. But when it was revealed that she was dying--and they realized they did love each other after all, despite everything--he couldn’t handle her dying yet again. It all culminated in The Trial, which is discussed in more depth in the “Together” section below.
When Wolfram and Hart attacked them in the end of this episode, Darla was re-turned by Drusilla. The granddaughter turned the grandmother, technically--further warping the Aurelius family tree. And Angel briefly lost it. He proceeded to fire Wesley, Gunn, and Cordelia; allowed a roomful of Wolfram and Hart lawyers to be slaughtered (both in Reunion); and set Darla and Drusilla aflame (in Redefinition). He went so far in his desire for revenge that even the two female vampires could not recognize whether or not he was Angelus.
Drusilla: I'm burning, make it stop, please.
Darla: Shh, Baby, shh. That wasn't Angel.
Drusilla: He's gone. He's all gone. Oh, it hurts, it hurts.
Darla: It wasn't Angelus either.
Drusilla: Darla, help me, please, please, please.
Darla: Who was that?
When he reached his lowest, he wanted his soul gone. He slept with Darla--thankfully for everyone involved, this did not work well enough to cause a loss of soul.
But it did result in Angel becoming a father. (Revealed in season 3) Something he never knew was even possible, and was thrilled by. At least, once he got over the fact that it was even possible for Darla to be pregnant at all, and that there was apparently a prophecy about the whole thing.
The news couldn’t have come at a worse time for the gang, as Holtz returned to get revenge on Angel and Darla--for they had killed his own children back in the 1700’s. Another prophecy fulfilled, just to sum things up.
Darla had to kill herself to save their child. Sadly, this was the only way to save it. And thus came the end of an epic storyline.
Darla: Dusted, Resurrected, Re-Vamped, Re-Dusted...
The Master: You can't save her life. Perhaps I can still save her soul.
Darla: My soul is well past saving. Let the devil have me, if he'll take me. Either way, I'll die.
--The Master turns Darla on the night she would have died as a human, in Darla.
Darla. Whether this is her true and original name or not is no longer known even to her (well, Joss probably knows)--it is lost in the mists of time. While much of her past prior to meeting Angel (or Liam at that point) is unknown, there are some things that are certain due to the flashbacks provided in certain episodes.
Let’s start at the beginning of her long unlife, then, shall we? She lived in Virginia Colony of North America. By the year of 1609, Darla was a prostitute. She was dying a slow and extremely painful death, courtesy of syphilis.
At least, she was until The Master intervened. At first, the dying woman believed him to be a priest, come to give her comfort. At this point it was quite obvious that she despised the idea of possibly being saved. Here is the scene (from Darla) in question.
The Master: I came to you last night. I sang to you from that window.
Darla: I remember. You're Death?
The Master: No.
Darla: What then?
The Master: I'm your savior. God never did anything for you, but I will.
From this point on, the now immortal woman’s life would never be the same. Beginning here, she served The Master. While she would occasionally leave to commit carnage and bloodshed across Europe, she would always return to The Master’s side. It should be noted that she was very devoted to her sire--even 400 years after her turning, season one of BtVS showed her to still be at his side.
Then, one day in 1753, her taste for the blood of young men led her straight to a young man leaving a bar. Liam, eventually to be known as Angel. And, once sired, would become known to the world as Angelus.
After the time of Angelus’ siring, Darla and Angelus brought a lot of pain to the world. Later siring Drusilla and Spike, they became the Scourge of Europe. They ran together bringing death and insanity to everyone they met until Angelus (because Darla had given him a gypsy for a snack) was re-souled for the first of many times in 1898. After his re-souling the two went on different paths. Darla had expressed her disgust (in flashback in Five by Five) and couldn’t bear to be around him--even threatening to kill him.
Darla: The spell. They gave you a soul. A filthy soul! No. You’re disgusting.
Angel: Darla-
Darla: Get away from me.
Angel: You brought her [the Gypsy responsible for the soul] here. [Darla tries to stake Angel.] I’m like you.
Darla: You’re not like anything. Get away from me. Get out! I’ll kill you!
After her failure to turn Angel to her side in season one of BtVS resulted in her staking, Darla burned in Hell. As previously mentioned, Wolfram and Hart resurrected her. She was not pleased to be mortal again, but went along with their plans. She also developed feelings for Angel.
As will be mentioned in the “Together” section, they went through many trials and terrors to be together at all. In some cases they failed. In some cases, they succeeded.
As in the final act Darla ever did. Realizing that her child would die unless she staked herself, she sacrificed her life. The child would have been unable to survive if she had not done so.
Finally, here are the quotes that showed her coming to that decision.
Darla: No. No, I don't think so. Once he's gone, I won't be okay. I won't be okay at all. I don't know what I'll be. Angel... Our baby is gonna die right here in this alley. You died in an alley, remember?
And right as she commits the act that saves her child, she looks at Angel one last time and says the following.
Darla: This child Angel, it's the one good thing we ever did together. The only good thing. You make sure to tell him that.
And with that, she turned to dust. Leaving her baby crying on the pavement, and Angel standing there stunned as it rained.
Together
Throughout season 2 of Angel, both Angel and Darla tended to have an adversarial type of interaction. Makes sense--Wolfram and Hart did want her to kill Angel, after all--she took it to be a challenge. And a chance to get her “dear boy” back to the dark side.
She tried to seduce him in his dreams; he usually attacked the lawyers of Wolfram and Hart (mostly Lindsey) that were harboring her. This went on and on for quite a while. She hated her humanity, and wanted to be turned by Angel.
Angel: It's a gift. To feel that heartbeat, to know really and for once that you’re alive. You're human again, Darla. You know what that means?
Darla: Of course, I do. It means pain and suffering and disease and death. I released you from this world once. I gave you eternal life. Now it's time for you to return the favor.
Angel: Favor? Is that what you think? You think you did me a favor? You damned me.
Darla: Fine, fine. If it's such a punishment then, take out your revenge, pay me back. Please...
Angel: I can't.
And then, Darla learned that while she had been resurrected as a mortal, she still had the disease that had brought her to the brink of death during her first chance as a mortal. Syphilis. Obviously, her body had decided to pick up where it had had left off in 1609.
After realizing this would mean her death--and that she wanted to keep living--she tried to get herself turned. Didn’t work.
And then came The Trial. Angel discovered the death sentence that Darla was under, and he vowed to save her life. He would stop at nothing to try to find a cure--a reprieve--anything that might work.
Angel: "I'm not gonna leave you. Every moment you have left, I'm gonna be by your side. You're never gonna be alone again."
Angel went through Hell for Darla, basically. Metaphorically, of course. He hasn’t visited the actual Hell in a few years. A “been there, done that” type of situation, more than likely.
Angel went through trial after trial-a roomful of crosses that covered the walls and floor; dipping his hand into holy water to retrieve something; fighting a large demon while practically weaponless. His final trial was his willingness to die for her. He proved his love to her, and almost managed to give her another shot at life. If she hadn’t already had a mystical resurrection once before--thanks to Wolfram and Hart--she would have had a way out of this situation.
In his fury, Angel nearly tore the place apart. Understandable--after all, wouldn’t you go nuts if you’d done everything possible, and it still wasn’t enough?
There were so many moments when they were good together throughout season 3 as well. However, Lullaby would have to be the pivotal episode for them. For example, this brief conversation happened shortly before the birth that killed Darla.
Angel: You love it.
Darla: Completely. I love it completely. I-I-I don't think I've ever loved anything as much as this life that's inside of me.
Angel: Well, you've never loved anything, Darla.
Darla’s death put things at an end for the tumultuous relationship that spanned a few centuries. Well, unless she gets resurrected again. You never know.
Why I Like This Couple
Angel/Darla. I actually loved the idea of this pairing when it first appeared on Angel--they seemed to have great chemistry. They were good for each other.
Prior to Angel, however, I didn’t even consider this pairing a good idea. Season 1 of BtVS, for example, portrayed Darla as a girlish, vaguely annoying woman who liked to dress as an “innocent” Catholic schoolgirl. In our first glimpse of her in Welcome to the Hellmouth, she pretends to be a terrified girl breaking into a school with an older boy--well, at least until she bites him and drains him of blood, thus revealing herself to be what she truly is. A good pretender as well as a vampire.
Thankfully, her style and personality were much more mature after her resurrection by Wolfram and Hart. She was also more fascinating, and seductive. She understood Angel, since she had run with him, and killed with him for over one hundred years. Much more interesting a partner than Buffy could ever be--at least, in my mind.
Then again, I’m also the type that loved The Fanged Four as they rampaged across China. Hey, what can I say? It’s one of the many reasons that I loved Angel.
Angel seemed to be less broody when they were together. As long as he didn't become perfectly happy, that was great. At least, when she was human. He became darker when she was turned, but eventually came around. Eventually. He did start to care for her--albeit right before it was time for her to give birth. If she had survived, they might have made an interesting couple.
Darla would have been able to move on with Angel while she was human, if she hadn't been turned by Drusilla. Even after she was turned, though, she started to get a little nicer--this was due to the fact that the baby’s soul was influencing her actions. At least, they were right before she gave birth. Sacrificing her life to give birth to Connor was further proof of that change she had begun. It was a choice between her life, and that of her child--and she made a choice that any natural mother (or supernatural in this case) more than likely would.
She even came back as a ghost (the episode in question: season 4’s Inside Out) at one point, to try to keep Connor from killing and allowing Jasmine into the world. She had proven that she had changed-if not by how she died (re-died?), then by how she returned after her final death. If only for a few moments.
Of course, how she came back as a ghost when she was supposedly soulless at the time of her death, we’ll never know...
However, what is known is that this pairing will live on in fanfiction. That is one thing that is assured based on all the stories I have seen.
Recommended Reading
Five Seasons of Angel: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Vampire, edited by Glenn Yeffeth. This essay book is a must-read for fans of Angel, as it discusses all the characters, and metaphors found within the series. Pages of relevance to Darla/Angel fans include: 57-60; 104-105; 108-109; 125-126; 128-129; 133-137; 199-216.
Websites
General
Essay on Angel’s past, found at with_character. Other Angel essays in that group can be found here.
Wikipedia Entry For Darla.
Wikipedia Entry For Angel.
Angel, Darla, and Angel/Darla related essays.
Fanfic Related
Everything and anything written by peasant_. This author writes spectacular Fanged Four related fanfic. Website can be found here, as well.
My Dear Boy, written by ohmyhannah. Angel remembers how much he loved hunting with Darla, shortly after he was given his soul back. The first time--not the time he slept with Buffy. Rated PG-13.
Splinter, written by yahtzee63 and rheanna27. Set after season 2, things go slightly differently than in regular continuity. I won’t say anything else, since I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. I highly recommend this story. Rated R.
Making An Angel, written by Seersha. Darla’s POV as she sires Liam. Rated PG-14.
Affectations, written by Chrystler. The summary from the fanfic itself: “1952. While Angel is hanging - literally - in LA, his sire is an entire continent away. And hating every New York minute.” Rated R.
The Last Time I Saw You... An Angel/Darla Fanfic Archive.
Fanlistings
Hurting Soul: The Angel Fanlisting.
Full Of Surprises: The Darla Fanlisting.
Immortal Lust: The Angel (us) and Darla Fanlisting.
Definition Of Bliss: The Angelus/Darla Fanlisting. This is a great fanlisting where you can find wonderful fanfic.
Le Soleil Noir. A Fanlisting for Angelus, Darla, Spike, and Dru.
Angel/Darla Groups
_ties_that_bind
benz_love
darlarevamped
dearone
deepin
the_fangedfour
AngelandDarlaPictures.
BetterBuffyFics.
fangedfour.
LastTime: The Angel/Darla Group.