CONNOR: I don't feel any different.
CORDY: You're not supposed to. I didn't know I had them untill I got one.
CONNOR: How often did you get them?
CORDY: It varied. Once or twice a week, on average.
Angel goes off into another room. Lorne follows him.
LORNE: I sensing mucho bad vibes about this. Most of them coming from me.
ANGEL: [worried] You think we did the spell wrong?
LORNE: It was by the book. Looked like it went off without a hitch. That's what gives me the goose flesh. Or, it would if my skin could do that sorta thing.
ANGEL: You're with Cordelia?
LORNE: I do have some idea what it's like living with a mystically charged-up noggin. And, as a rule, I'm against hurting Connor. Because he tends to hurt back.
ANGEL: Connor wants this.
LORNE: Careful what you wish for.
Giles comes home and finds the house rather empty.
FAITH: What up, Astral King?
GILES: Please don't ever use that term ever again.
ANDREW: Besides, Ripper's so much cooler. How did you get that name? Who did you, or what did you, rip?
GILES: Where is everyone?
ANYA: Willow and Xander took the greenstakes to the Bronze. I tried to stop them but, oh, who am I kidding.
BUFFY: They were gone when we got back. Where's Claude?
GILES: Heading back home. He only came to discuss Council business. And to leave a substantial portion of the Council library with Angel. Well, technically, with Wesley.
ANYA: Why don't we have them? Aren't we the ones who should have these books?
BUFFY: How does he know Angel?
GILES: He doesn't. But he is out of the battle zone, yet still close enough for us to use the books if need be.
FAITH: So what's his deal with not killing vamps?
GILES: It's an approach his grandfather invented, which has become something of a family trademark. They kill all the ordinary, run-of-the-mill vampires in town, but not the leaders. This is one reason their tactics are officially condemned by the Council. The more powerful vampires are maimed in a painful and easily visible way: the loss of an eye or hand, severe mutilation of the face, and so on. Then, the injured vampire is told to leave town and never come back. At that point, the vampire is too injured to fight, so he leaves and becomes a sort of walking advertisement. Other vampires notice what happened to him, and get the message to stay out of Paris. If the injured vampire ever returns, he is killed.
BUFFY: How could a Watcher without a Slayer be so confident that the vampire jonesing for payback won't kill him?
GILES: Vampires need to sleep. And weaker vampires are more than happy to tell Claude where the lair is for a small fee and a guarantee of protection. This is the second reason the Council objects.
BUFFY: He lets them live and feed right under his nose?
GILES: Not unless they cease feeding off human blood. It's more complex than a simple vow not to kill the enemy. With the leaders gone, all you have left are frightened minions without a master.
FAITH: So this guy becomes their Master.
ANYA: That's brilliant! Finally, a Watcher with the guts to think big. Is he also ruggedly handsome?
GILES: Yes. But Claude's also happily married.
ANDREW: A rogue agent with a family? Is it a real family, or just his cover?
GILES: Oh, bloody hell. Will you give it up already? Watchers do not lead double lives.
ANYA: Most of them don't even have one life, let alone two.
GILES: [groans] The vampires have two choices: leave town or become completely dependent upon Claude. If they choose to stay, he decides where they can live, whether they can live, how they can live. Most are allowed to scatter among the towns of northern France. If they are suspected of siring anyone, they are killed. If they engage in enough killing to draw the attention of the locals, they are killed. If they choose to live off animal blood, they are rewarded by being allowed to move to the locale of their choice.
FAITH: So the guy's running a giant vampire methadone clinic?
ANYA: Why wouldn't the vampires leave? What he does to them sounds a lot like slavery. Which is, once again, brilliant on his part. For a human to keep demons in bondage, that's like a dog keeping a man as a pet.
GILES: Many of the vampires are attached to the region. It's where they are from. They know the language. But most choose the leave. Which is the Council's third problem with the system.
BUFFY: It dumps the vamps in someone else's backyard.
GILES: Particularly London's backyard. At least since the Chunnel went into operation. But this is by design. It gives London and any other nearby metropolises an incentive to adopt Claude's methods. That's already started to happen in Barcelona, Marseilles and Milan. And I hear Amsterdam and Brussels are considering coming on board.
ANYA: Manipulating demons and humans to work his will. If I didn't think Frenchmen as a rule were gross, I'd be totally turned on by this guy.
GILES: I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Claude's methods do work on a local level. There hasn't been a tourist killed by a vampire in Paris for nearly four decades. It boasts the lowest rate of vampire attacks among any major city in the world. Claude receives a small stipend from the Council, but most of his salary comes from his "job" with the French Tourism Bureau.
ANYA: He gets paid for killing vampires. As far as Watchers go, the guy's a financial wizard.
GILES: The French don't like the idea that their streets are kept safe by a man working for and trained by a British organization.
ANYA: Profiting from his own nation's cultural chauvinism. Does this man's devious genius know no bounds?
BUFFY: What genius? The guy's just lucky. He'd be hunting vampires whether or not someone paid him to do it.
GILES: You're right. Claude's not in it for the money. His wife Marie is a surgeon. She earns most of the family's income.
ANYA: Well of course she does. Women are smarter, so they're supposed to make the money. And men, being stronger and better with tools, are supposed to fix things and look sexy and rippling while performing sweaty manual labor. That's the way nature intended it.
At the Bronze, Willow and Kennedy are dancing, while Molly, Rona, Rose, Madari and Amanda hang out or dance with their boyfriends. Xander's the only one who doesn't seem to be enjoying himself. He frantically walks around the club, them goes over to Willow.
XANDER: They're not all here!
WILLOW: What!
XANDER: Some of the girls are missing.
Willow and Kennedy look around.
KENNEDY: They're just outside. You know, to pick off vamps trying to feed.
XANDER: And you think that's safe?
KENNEDY: Sure. There's four of them. And if something goes wrong, they can always run back inside.
WILLOW: Relax, Xander. We have enough to worry about the other 22 hours of the day.
ARIELLA: Buffy must spend a lot of time waiting.
Ella, Fadila, Izora and Chao-Ahn lean against a wall in the alley outside the front door of the club. They look bored and listless.
FADILA: Three or four hours. One or two vampires. Like fishing. Except the fish try to eat you.
ARIELLA: Like fishing for sharks.
IZORA: How come vampires are all guys, but they always bite girls?
FADILA: That should produce a lot of female vampires.
ARIELLA: And if the guys like to bite girls, who's siring all the guys?
FADILA: Maybe male vampires don't like to sire. They mostly feed. And a couple female vampires do all the siring. That would be where the all the male vampires come from.
ARIELLA: So they have some sort of maternal instinct?
IZORA: Spike and Connor's father were both made by women. They taught them how to survive.
FADILA: The female vampires probably care more for their offspring.
ARIELLA: While male vampires abandon their young. So male vampires with female sires have a better chance of surviving than female male vampires with male sires.
FADILA: Natural selection at work. Among the undead. [pauses] Anyone else worry we're, like, completely losing touch with the real world?
IZORA: This is real.
ARIELLA: Sure. But only in the literal, actual sense. Our friends back home would be pretty freaked by what we've become. What we think about. What we worry about.
CHAO-AHN: Chiang-Shih. Chiang-Shih Spike. White-haired vampire. From Chinese legend.
FADILA: Spike, a Chinese legend?
ARIELLA: I don't think he's either. [Fadila, Ariella and Izora laugh. Chao-Ahn and Izora have picked up some English during their time in Sunnydale]
CHAO-AHN: In my village, elders talked about Chiang-Shih who killed Slayer during Boxer Rebellion. He ravaged province. Caused great death and suffering.
IZORA: There must be other white-haired vampires.
FADILA: I don't think Spike's strong enough to kill a Slayer.
CHAO-AHN: I know. But the Chiang-Shih was English.
FADILA: That's probably just a coincidence.
ARIELLA: Think about it: if Spike were strong enough to kill a Slayer, why would he work for one? Wouldn't she work for him?
FADILA: Or he would be fighting on his own.
IZORA: Maybe not all alone. But the leader.
ARIELLA: Right. With people doing research and magic to help him.
CHAO: That is good point. Chiang-Shih was terrifying warrior. Destroyer of villages. People begged gods to save them. His face struck fear into hearts of men. [laughs] Spike no Chiang-Shih.
The other girls join Chao-Ahn in laughing at this ridiculous notion. A few seconds later, an eighteen year-old girl walks out of the club alone.
FADILA: Check out the red shirt. The hair pulled back. Showing all that neck.
ARIELLA: In this town, she might as well be wearing a "Bite Me" sign.
Sure enough, a male vampire comes out of nowhere, pins her up against the wall, and starts biting as she starts screaming. The four girls rush over. Ariella jumps on his back and puts her hands on his forehead, pulling his face and teeth away from the girl's neck. The Star of David she wears around her neck singes his back. The vampire growls, turns around and throws Ella off of him. Fadila and Izora prop the terrified girl up and help her out of the alley. Chao-Ahn kicks the vampire in the face with her right foot. He tries a right hook, which she backs away from before nailing him in the stomach with a left kick. Ella pops him in the nose with her right elbow, then a left jab. She takes out her stake to finish him off. Suddenly, a second vampire leaps down from the roof, landing between Ella and Chao-Ahn. He sweeps out Ella's legs and hurls Chao-Ahn into the wall. At this point, Zora and Fadila return. Fadila runs at the vampire who stands over top of Ella. The vampire grabs Fadila and throws her into the wall opposite Chao-Ahn. But Ella gets up and stakes this vampire in the back after he shifts his focus to Fadila. Zora blindsides the other vampire with a right hook kick to the face. Chao-Ahn lands a left cross and right uppercut. The frustrated vampire turns to his left, grabs Zora by the neck, puts her in front of his body as a shield, then turns back to face Chao-Ahn. But he doesn't see her. Before the vampire realizes what has happened, Chao-Ahn stakes him in the back. Zora recovers her breath, turns around and gives Chao-Ahn a high five.
It's three in the morning. Wesley and Winifred are still in Angel's office, pouring over the treasure trove of texts that Claude gave them.
FRED: So you, uh, spent the weekend with Kelly?
WES: Yes.
FRED: She seems . . . nice. And not evil. Which is a very, good, thing to be. Is she still around?
WES: She left on assignment Monday morning.
FRED: So it was, like, a one-time thing?
WES: She promised to look me up when she is in the area again. I suppose we have a relationship, albeit a long-distance one where she can't contact me. Work does have a way of pulling people apart.
FRED: Work can also bring people together. [worries Wes might take that the wrong way] Ah mean, it's what brought you two together.
WES: Fred, you know how I feel about you. It's simply that, after everything that's happened -
FRED: Don't apologize. It's kinda crazy for you to even try.
WES: I didn't mean to presume that you would, or I could have, with you, ever. Forget what I said.
FRED: Sure. Like it never happened.
WES: Because it didn't. It couldn't.
FRED: Right. [long silence]
WES: I'm going to go home now. It's been a very long night.
FRED: Yeah. Me too.
They close the books and quickly head their separate ways before anything could happen these two lonely, attractive people who've spent nine hours alone in a room together. On Thursday night, Buffy and Giles plan for the evening hunt.
SPIKE: They're gone. Just like two nights ago.
BUFFY: They're taking every other night off?
GILES: Not off. Just away. They could be performing spells or ritual ceremonies in another locale. Maybe even another dimension. Or "charging" up, since they aren't natural demons. We don't know what they're up to.
FAITH: So if we can't get 'em, what do we get?
BUFFY: The girls have had a few easy nights. I'd like to get them out in the field again.
GILES: Vampires?
BUFFY: They take a lot fewer nights off. I say we hit the cemeteries.
GILES: Nothing's set to rise tonight.
BUFFY: We can still hit their crypts.
FAITH: What about the college. You ever patrol there?
BUFFY: When I went there. Though between me and the Initiative, the on-campus vampires went pretty much extinct after a few months.
FAITH: You don't think they came back? They sure were there before you became a co-ed. Used to patrol on campus all the time back in the day.
BUFFY: And by patrol do you mean going to frat parties to pick up boys?
FAITH: There's a difference?
GILES: You want to take the Potential Slayers to college?
FAITH: Thursday night. Lots of parties. I think we'll clean up.
GILES: Which sounds reasonable enough, except that every time Buffy goes to parties at that college, I have to hack a way out for her with my chainsaw.
Faith looks very confused.
BUFFY: There were a couple parties at haunted houses. But those were special circumstances, which aren't repeatable, so I don't need to bore you with the details.
GILES: I suppose your point is valid. It's not as if every party you've been to has devolved into bloody chaos.
SPIKE: Aren't they looking for bloody chaos? To prevent, of course.
GILES: It would be rather pointless to go out on patrol and find nothing to slay. Spike, if you were still a depraved, soulless, blood-sucking monster, where would you go?
SPIKE: One of those over-21 clubs Buffy never checks out. Bloke could drink them dry and get away scot-free. [Buffy looks alarmed, both at the suggestion and at the fact that Spike almost seems proud] But only because I was always the lone vampire in those joints. No competition. So, if I were not me, but a lesser, common vampire, I'd go snacking at university. 'Specially now that the Bronze is off-limits.
GILES: You're okay with this, Buffy?
BUFFY: As long as the Reapers aren't around and the girls stay together, I think they can go pretty much anywhere they want.
GILES: I'll go notify Kennedy.
He walks up the stairs. Kennedy is in Willow's bedroom. Giles knocks just to be sure they're not in the middle of anything.
WILLOW: Come in.
Giles opens the door. Willow's sitting in front of the computer. Kennedy's lying on the bed, reading a book. The computer isn't on. And the book Kennedy grabbed happens to be a book of spells. Good thing Giles knocked and gave them a chance to look like nothing was going on.
GILES: The Reapers are nowhere to be found. We've decided to head over to the university, for patrolling.
KENNEDY: You and Buffy and Faith?
GILES: And all of you.
WILLOW: You're taking ten teenage girls to a college party?
KENNEDY: What's the matter, Will? [smirks] Afraid I'll meet someone?
WILLOW: At a frat party? I Doubt it.
GILES: There's no reason you couldn't also go along. After all, you are the only one among us who actually attends the university.
WILLOW: A slay date!
KENNEDY: Potential Slay date.
WILLOW: I think I got a lot better chance than that.
GILES: We'll be leaving in, I don't know, fifteen minutes. See you downstairs.
GIles leaves them to their flirting. Downstairs, Xander, who's always had a problem with college boys, doesn't like the plan.
XANDER: They'll be so busy fending off come-ons from drunk football players that they won't even be able to get at the vampires.
FAITH: You're not getting it. The vamps will come to them.
XANDER: You want to use them as bait?
FAITH: No. They'll stake 'em. Ya know they can fight.
XANDER: As a horde, yes. They've gotten great at swarming. One-on-one, I mean, let's face it: they're not Slayers.
BUFFY: It's not like they're going to get attacked by ten vampires at once.
FAITH: And they'll have us backing them up.
BUFFY: Actually, I'm going to sit this one out.
GILES: Why?
FAITH: Yeah, B. What's up?
BUFFY: Going there will just remind me that I'm, not going there. And it's been a hectic last couple of, months. Faith can take care of them.
GILES: Are you certain about this?
BUFFY: I just think I should maybe stay home, catch up with Dawn. That sort of thing.
GILES: Oh. I suppose there's nothing wrong with that.
BUFFY: Have a good time. Kill something for me.
The Potentials, Faith, Giles and Willow head out together. Spike goes his own way, getting something to drink at a bar downtown. Xander and Anya head to their respective apartments for the evening. Andrew is off at the movies. So the Summers women have the house to themselves.
DAWN: You want to what?
BUFFY: Spend time together. You don't like me paying attention to you?
DAWN: Is that a trick question?
BUFFY: You don't have plans, do you?
DAWN: No.
BUFFY: So why can't we, you know, talk?
DAWN: Is something wrong?
BUFFY: For once, no. That's why I'm here.
DAWN: Fine. Let's go have some "quality time."
Dawn leaves her room and heads down to the living room. Buffy follows. Dawn sits down on the couch. Buffy sits next to her.
BUFFY: When did I become the uncool mom you don't want to be around?
DAWN: You're not. Buffy, we both live here. I see you all the time. There's no need to go out of the way and clear the house just so we can – what's wrong?
BUFFY: Nothing.
DAWN: I'm serious. Do you think I'm in trouble? My grades are fine. I haven't been stealing. Okay, maybe I've made Andrew do my chores. But he does everyone's chores!
BUFFY: Things have been hectic. Even more than usual. Ever since the First set up shop, I haven't been able to spend that much time with you. I regret that. And I want to make it up to you. Just because I have ten new girls to look after doesn't mean you're still not the most important thing in my life.
DAWN: It's Connor.
BUFFY: What are you talking about?
DAWN: He's the reason you're being so nice to me.
BUFFY: And in what bizarro universe does that make sense?
DAWN: I'm not stupid. I know why you think I love him. [Buffy cringes]
BUFFY: Trust me, Dawn. That's the last thing I want to know.
DAWN: The first night he was gone, you took me patrolling. Was that just a coincidence?
BUFFY: I do something nice for you, something you wanted, and you question my motives?
DAWN: I'm not questioning anything. I know your motives. They're all named Connor.
BUFFY: My only motive is that I love you.
DAWN: I know how much the two of us being together freaks you out. But he is a part of my life. And if you can't accept that, and just keep pretending he's not a part of my life, then we have a problem.
BUFFY: A part of your life? You knew him for a week! You dated for, what, three days? Or, nights. Or, whatever you two had.
DAWN: Finally, you admit it.
BUFFY: Admit what? That it bothered me when my sixteen year-old sister slept with a boy she barely knew?
DAWN: I knew that he loved me. I knew I was the only person in the world he trusted. It's not like I wasn't scared and freaked and blown away too. Everything happened so fast and got so crazy. But I don't regret anything I did.
BUFFY: I'm not saying you should. Or shouldn't. I don't have an, no, I do have an opinion. But I know it doesn't matter to you. And it shouldn't. It's your life. I just want to be a part of it.
DAWN: [outraged] You really do think I slept with Connor because no one was paying attention to me!?
BUFFY: I never said that. You're putting words in my mouth that don't even belong there.
DAWN: You didn't have to say it.
BUFFY: Why does everything have to revolve around him?
DAWN: Sorry. I forgot everything's supposed to revolve around you.
At this point, Buffy's ready to slap Dawn. But she tries to keep cool.
BUFFY: What the hell is wrong with you? [Buffy thinks it's Connor's bad influence] I try to be nice to you, and you just shoot me down.
DAWN: Look. I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean it to come out like that. The thing is, I love Connor, and all you do is pretend he doesn't exist or treat him like the enemy.
BUFFY: He did try to kill me.
DAWN: Who hasn't?
BUFFY: And he so obviously hates me.
DAWN: No he doesn't. I'm not saying he likes you. But he knows that I love you, and that you'll always be a huge part of my life, and he accepts that. Or, he's learning to. And I just wish you could do the same.
BUFFY: That's going to take time. I'm still sort of in denial that he's Angel's son. Im taking things one bombshell at a time.
DAWN: So you could accept that I love Connor and still be in denial about Angel being his father. [smirks] Wouldn't that be easier?
No, it wouldn't. Angel being Connor's father is something that can't change. Dawn being Connor's girlfriend is something that can. Buffy won't say this, since she's noticed that Dawn has a tendency to react violently when anyone questions the permanence of her overnight romance.
BUFFY: Can we just focus on the two of us for one night? No talking about boys allowed.
DAWN: Okay. Guess you're as grossed-out by my love life as I am by yours.
Buffy also let's that one slide.
BUFFY: So – how are your friends? How's, Kit?
DAWN: Good. She told me to tell you that she didn't mean to make you feel left out when she was talking to Faith. Faith's just new and, you know, a novelty. She still thinks you're the best. And if there was a monster after her, you'd still be the first person she'd want to hide behind.
BUFFY: That's me. Good old human shield Buffy.
Buffy puts her right arm around Dawn, who leans her head against Buffy's left shoulder as Buffy flips through the tv channels.
DAWN: She may be calling. About a project we're doing for Spanish.
BUFFY: You have something due tomorrow?
DAWN: No. It's due Monday. Don't worry. I've had my schoolwork under control for, quite a few months now.
BUFFY: You should. You've always been the smart one in the family. My brainy little sister.
She rubs Dawny's head. They both smile and relax. For one minute, they can put all their problems out of their minds. Then the phone rings.
DAWN: It's probably Kit.
Dawn runs upstairs and picks up the phone in her bedroom.
DAWN: Hello?
CONNOR: Hello lover.
DAWN: Connor, is something up? Something wrong?
CONNOR: No. Things are pretty boring here. They've been that way since Angel came back. How bout you?
DAWN: More of those Reapers. That's all. So are you and your father getting along?
CONNOR: Yeah. He's been real big on spending time together. Patrolling. Training. Telling me stories about demons he fought. Talking about books. Had to make up some excuse about looking up some poem by Boudillaire to sneak away and call you.
DAWN: He does those things because he loves you.
CONNOR: And he wants me to be like him.
DAWN: No he doesn't. He knows you're one-of-a-kind. He just wants to make up for lost time. Are you getting along with everyone else?
CONNOR: Not sure. They still act funny around me. I don't think they trust me.
DAWN: Can you blame them?
CONNOR: It's not like I meant to hurt them. And I've done a lot of stuff to help them. Just seems like it's never enough.
DAWN: Don't worry. You're a great guy. With a great heart. They'll see that. They'll see the man I love.
CONNOR: Maybe you could explain that to them. I'd really like that.
DAWN: You mean you'd like seeing me?
CONNOR: Two birds, one stone.
DAWN: I miss you, too. You know that.
CONNOR: Sometimes. when I'm alone, or even when I'm not, I feel lost without you around. You help me make sense of things.
DAWN: I'm not the only one who can do that for you. Give your dad a chance. And give his friends a chance. They know a lot more about the world than I do.
CONNOR: That's not what I meant. I'm feel like something's missing without you.
DAWN: So do I. All the time. When I go sleep. When I'm at school, at my locker at the end of the day, and I wish you could be there to sweep me off my feet. When I'm, I'm, in MacArthur Park? What was that from?
CONNOR: What was what?
DAWN: I went there once or twice, back when I lived in LA. But not at night. And who were those two people? Sorry Connor. I think I need to get some sleep.
CONNOR: You saw something in Los Angeles? What did you see?
DAWN: I didn't "see" anything.
CONNOR: Who were the two people?
DAWN: I don't know. Just a boy and a girl. Our age. Brown hair. Never seen them before in my life. I didn't mean to flake like this. Between school and researching the First and deciphering hieroglyphic heads -
CONNOR: I need to go. My dad wants to patrol.
DAWN: Sure. Good.
CONNOR: I just wanted to call to tell you how much I love you. I really, really love you.
DAWN: I know. And you know I feel the same way.
CONNOR: And I would never, never do anything to hurt you. Ever.
DAWN: Of course you wouldn't. You don't need to get so mushy all the time. Not that I'm complaining. You're the best.
CONNOR: So are you.
DAWN: [giggles] Goodbye lover.
Dawn hangs up the phone and sighs. Connor was always such a prince. She knew at some point she'd get sick of his doting. But not yet. It was nice to be needed. Dawn goes back downstairs and slouches on the couch next to Buffy.
BUFFY: Done with Kit?
DAWN: Oh. Kit. Yeah. All done. Thanks.
BUFFY: For what?
DAWN: For this. Wanna go make some popcorn?
Talking to Connor about Angel reminded Dawn of the importance of family. If Connor shouldn't question Angel's motives, why should she question Buffy's? Meanwhile, at the Hyperion, Connor rushes into the half-repaired lobby.
CONNOR: We need to go. Now.
ANGEL: Did you have a vision? What did you see?
CONNOR: I'll explain on the way.
FRED: Do you need any backup?
CONNOR: No.
Connor walks out the door. Angel follows.
Lorne comes up from the basement.
LORNE: What's all the hubbub?
FRED: Connor had a vision.
LORNE: Of what?
FRED: Wouldn't say. No talking. No drawing. Did Cordy explain to him how this is supposed to work?