Angel and Connor leap out of Angel's convertible and rush into the park.
ANGEL: What was it?
CONNOR: A boy and a girl.
ANGEL: I meant the monster.
CONNOR: There was no monster. Just the kids. Here.
ANGEL: What time?
CONNOR: I don't know. It was nighttime.
ANGEL: The Powers didn't give you a lot to go on. They do that sometimes. Hear anything?
In another part of the park, a short, skinny boy with black hair walks quickly. A tall, thin brunette rushes after him, a latte in her right hand.
RORY: Jess, stop! Why are you running away? Right. That's what you do when it comes to me.
JESS: You're making things harder.
RORY: But not treating you like dirt, even though that's how you've been treating me?
JESS: What happened to Europe?
RORY: We're going. In like a week-and-a-half. But my mom had some frequent flyer miles left over, and I thought, why not see the left coast? It's not like I came all this way to see you. We've already been to San Francisco and Seattle. I just assumed, if I was in LA at the same time you were in LA, it would be rude of me not to drop by. Rude like standing someone up for the prom and leaving town without even a warning, as if no one there gave a damn about you.
Jess stops and turns around to face Rory.
JESS: Is was the easiest way for both of us.
RORY: What! You thought you'd hurt my feelings more by being nice?
JESS: I didn't want you to miss me.
RORY: Don't try to tell me you did this for my own good.
JESS: Our lives are going in two directions. You know that. I'd just hold you back.
RORY: Do you even love me?
JESS: Does that matter now?
RORY: I guess it wouldn't, if you didn't.
JESS: I do.
RORY: Then what if you never saw me again? Wouldn't you regret how you ended things?
JESS: I knew that wouldn't be the last time I saw you.
RORY: How? You can't know that. Things happen. Unexpected things you can't plan for.
Two vampires jump the teenagers. The latte flies onto the grass bordering the concrete path they are standing on. Rory screams. Connor and Angel rush toward the noises. The vampires knock Rory and Jess on their backs and get on top. Jess puts his hands to the vampire's face and tries to push him away. The vampire punches him in the face. The other vampire pins down Rory's arms and bites into the right side of her neck. She screams again. Connor grabs the vampire from behind, lifts him off Rory and hurls him twenty feet backwards through the air. Connor then kicks the other vampire in the ribs, causing him to roll off of Jess. Connor leaps over Jess and knocks the vampire down with a flying right hook kick. That vampire runs away. Angel gives chase. Connor turns to his left and sees the other vampire charging at Rory. Connor leaps fifteen feet through the air and knocks down the vampire with a flying left kick. Jess saw this. It looked to him like Connor had a vertical leap of five or six feet. Jess is very disoriented. Nothing that's happened in the last ten seconds even remotely begins to make sense. Rory is still in shock. She saw the vampire fly off of her, as if he were being sucked out a hole in an airplane. She sees this blur leap back and forth and appear to hit things. Her bite still hurts. All she can think is "this is way too Matrix-y to really be happening." The vampire gets up and throws a right hook. Connor blocks the punch and lands a right cross. The vampire connects with a left jab. Connor stuns him with a left uppercut and right cross. Then Connor grabs him with both hands and hurls the vampire back into a park bench, breaking the bench. The vampire quickly gets up and runs away. Connor leaps in the air, lands on his back, takes the vampire down and stakes him. He then walks back to Rory. She sees this slightly-built boy standing over her, reaching out his right hand.
CONNOR: Are you okay?
RORY: Huh?
CONNOR: I'm sorry. I should have been here sooner. How bad did he hurt you?
RORY: What was that? What are you?
Connor takes her right hand in his right hand and pulls Rory up to her feet.
CONNOR: I'm Connor.
Rory catches her breath.
RORY: I'm Rory. [Still overwhelmed by the experience, Rory's knees buckle. Connor puts his right arm under her left shoulder and props her up. She turns to her left and gazes at Connor.] Thanks.
CONNOR: No problem.
To Rory's right, Jess gets himself up off the ground. He looks to his left and sees this boy with his around his former/not-quite-former girlfriend. He then puts his left hand to his left cheek and gets blood on his palm.
JESS: I think I'm hurt.
Connor goes over and looks at him.
CONNOR: You'll be okay.
Rory puts her left hand to her bite mark, looks at the blood, and becomes a little weak-kneed again. Connor rushes over, puts his hands under her shoulders and props her up. For a second, their lips are six inches apart. Connor moves his head back. After a few seconds he lets go. Angel has killed the other vampire. He watches from a distance and smiles. Looks to him like his son's found a nice damsel.
RORY: Ow. It bit me. Or he bit me. What was that?
CONNOR: Don't worry. You're safe now. I took care of it.
RORY: And by take care of, you mean you – I mean, you mean, I probably don't wanna know what you mean. [Rory's syntax puts Connor's mind in a temporarily linguistic loop. So he doesn't respond.]
JESS: What was wrong with their faces and eyes?
CONNOR: You two new in town?
RORY: Umm, I'm just visiting. I live in Connecticut. Jess used to live with me. I mean, we lived in the same town. He came here last month.
CONNOR: Family stuff? [Connor doesn't know not to pry. But Jess doesn't care.]
JESS: I came here to find my father. [Connor smiles, a little surprised. Angel, who's eavesdropping from a distance, is intrigued. But he thinks Connor should be focusing more on the girl]
CONNOR: That's why I came here last year.
RORY: Well, isn't this getting eerily interesting. So how old are you, Connor?
CONNOR: Eighteen.
RORY: Huh. Same as us. Did you grow up with your mom? Or, uh, uncle?
CONNOR: My mom died when I was born. I don't have any uncles. [Spike might be a symbolic uncle, but Connor's too literal to think anything like that]
RORY: Oh. I'm sorry.
CONNOR: Why? Not your fault. [Rory just shakes her head. This strange boy keeps getting stranger and stranger] I was with my stepdad. Until he died.
JESS: I'm just curious, why were you here at just the right time?
CONNOR: I help people in trouble. Especially at night. My dad does too. Where is he? [looks around. Angel wants to give Connor a little more time to make nice with the pretty girl who isn't related to Angel's ex. But he worries that Connor is losing momentum.]
RORY: Then that would make you, a vigilante?
CONNOR: Is that like a champion?
Rory's confused. Connor and she are operating on completely different wavelengths.
JESS: Thanks, anyway, for saving us from, whatever that was.
CONNOR: No problem. It's what I do.
RORY: A couple months ago I read an article in the Times about William Bratton where they mentioned how undermanned the LAPD was. I had no idea things were so bad that citizens have to do-it-themselves. Budget cuts really do have an effect.
Now Connor's confused. Times? Bratton? Budget? He only understands about half of what she says.
CONNOR: You must be smart. You know, good with books.
RORY: I suppose.
CONNOR: I like girls who are smart.
RORY: Oh. Thanks.
Rory smiles and blushes. Connor grins. They stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds. Angel thinks his son is finally making his move. So does Jess. He begins to wonder if this "attack" wasn't just some sick sort of ruse to pick up chicks. Rory's heart races. Her journalistic instincts tell her that there has to be a great story behind this very odd boy. Plus, Connor was kinda cute, and lifesaving, and sweet, which are all attractive traits. The fact that he didn't look like a hero only added to Connor's appeal and Rory's curiosity. She gazes into his soft blue eyes, trying to figure out what to ask next. But her mother walks up and breaks the silence. She is holding two lattes.
LORELAI: You drank the whole thing already? Good thing I got you a second. [sees Rory's neck. Drops both lattes. Connor steps forward with superhuman quickness and catches them before they hit the ground] What happened? [sees Connor holding the lattes she dropped] Who are you?
RORY: This is Connor. We were, like, mugged or something. I think. And he, well, Connor saved us.
LORELAI: Oh my God. Are you alright? Did they take anything? What happened to your neck? Were you stabbed?
RORY: Something like that. They didn't get anything.
LORELAI: Thank God you're alright. Connor, thanks for saving my first-born. [tries to make light of it all, since she doesn't understand any of this] And our lattes. They were four-fifty a pop. [pauses when Connor doesn't laugh] Are you some sort of vigilante? That a gun under your belt?
CONNOR: Gun? No. I've never. It's a [pulls it out for a second] stake.
LORELAI: And that's what you used against the muggers?
CONNOR: Yeah. It gets the job done.
LORELAI: I had no idea how loopy this town really was.
RORY: I was just saying the same thing.
Angel knew Connor couldn't do much scoring with mommy around. And he worried Connor might scare the civilians by saying something crazy like vampires are real. Besides, mommy looked rather fetching, and perhaps what Connor needed was some backup. He moved towards them quickly and quietly. To Rory, Lorelai and Jess, it was as if Angel popped up out of nowhere. He smiles at Lorelai. She smiles back.
LORELAI: Hel-lo. And you would be?
CONNOR: [scowls, thinking he's dad's stealing his limelight] My dad.
ANGEL: Angel.
LORELAI: Lorelai Gilmore. [shakes his hand] Is Angel your first name or your last name?
ANGEL: It's just Angel.
LORELAI: Oh. How very diva of you.
CONNOR: This is Rory and Jess.
Angel shakes Jess's hand. Black pants, black shirt, black leather jacket, black hair swept back and slightly upward. A book in his back pocket. Angel liked this kid already. Angel smells Rory's blood and gets a good close-up view of her wound. He looks away. She's just the type of doe-eyed virginal waif Angelus would love to do really horrible things to. He pulls out a handkerchief he carries for just this sort of uncomfortable hero-damsel interaction.
ANGEL: Take this. For your neck.
RORY: Thanks.
JESS: I'm also bleeding.
ANGEL: Sorry kid. It's my only one. [looks at Rory and Lorelai] You must be Rory's older sister.
LORELAI: Completely unoriginal, yet strangely I never tire of hearing it.
RORY: I do.
LORELAI: In fairness, you look much too young to be the father of someone his age.
Angel gets a little nervous. He knows that this will become more and more of an issue as Connor gets older.
ANGEL: Yeah, well, they grow up so fast. A lot faster than their parents.
RORY: Tell me about it.
LORELAI: You've probably had the same parenting issues with Connor that I had with Rory.
ANGEL: I sincerely hope not. For your sake, and for hers.
LORELAI: That's cute. But you know what I'm talking about. At sixteen, they wish you were dead.
ANGEL: And when they're seventeen, they try to that a reality.
LORELAI: He-heh-heh. You are very funny for such a serious-looking fella.
ANGEL: You think I was joking? [she laughs again. Angel also laughs. It is funny how this woman, or any parent, could think she could relate to what he's been through with Connor.]
LORELAI: Having a name like "Just Angel" has to limit your career possibilities. It's hard to be "Doctor Angel" or "Congressman Angel." I hear Angel, I'm thinking pop star or hairdresser. Neither of which would explain why you and your son are here.
ANGEL: I'm a private investigator. I help people. Do you live in the area?
LORELAI: We're just visiting. Except for him. He stays.
Angel infers from the mother's dismissive tone that he must be Rory's boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend judging by all the attention Rory paid to Connor.
ANGEL: Whereabouts?
JESS: Venice Beach.
ANGEL: I live downtown.
JESS: People live downtown?
ANGEL: No. But I do. I have done some work in your neighborhood. Strange things lurking under the piers.
JESS: Don't like the beach. Or the sun. Which sounds stupid coming from someone who lives in LA.
ANGEL: No it doesn't. I'm not much for fun-in-the-sun myself. Here's my card. [hands it to Jess, then hands one to Lorelai.] And here you go. In case you have friends in the area. Always helpful to put out the word.
LORELAI: Hey, I know all about the importance of word-of-mouth advertising. I run a hotel.
CONNOR: You run a hotel? We live in a hotel.
ANGEL: It was a hotel. We don't use it as one. Guests would get in the way of our business.
LORELAI: Why do I get the sense that you're just all kinds of levels of odd?
CONNOR: Trust me, you have no idea.
JESS: [looks at the card] "We help the helpless?" Strange motto.
RORY: Wouldn't your customers find that demeaning?
ANGEL: We're not exactly your standard private detective agency.
LORELAI: [sarcastic] Gosh. I never would have guessed that.
ANGEL: By the time people come to me, they tend to be at the end of their rope. We handle very, unique, situations.
LORELAI: A niche business. In a niche I probably didn't know existed. And, probably didn't want to know. Rory, how's your neck? [she lifts the handkerchief for a moment] What were you stabbed with?
RORY: It's more of a question of "Who was I stabbed with?" [Lorelai looks perplexed] I'll try to explain later. Right now, I have a strong urge to go straight back to the hotel and hide under the covers. Thanks, [smiles] Connor, for, you know, being in the right place at the right time when were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
JESS: Yeah. Thanks. [he's just as shaken as Rory but less trusting of Connor] Now I know why my dad never leaves the beach.
LORELAI: How often do you do this thing where you save people from very weird muggings?
ANGEL: Almost every night.
LORELAI: Wow. [looks worried by the implication that this happens all the time] Yet another reason why I'd take New York over LA any day. Nice meeting you, Angel. Here's hoping we never meet again.
ANGEL: I get that a lot.
Lorelai smiles and walks away, with Rory on her left and Jess to Rory's left. When they're thirty feet away, Rory looks over her right shoulder and smiles at Connor.
ANGEL: Rory seems like a very nice girl. And I think she likes you.
CONNOR: I think her mother likes you. She's not too young for you, which would be nice for a change.
RORY: Is it just me, or was that Angel guy totally coming on to you?
LORELAI: It was flattering. Lets me know I still got it. But he's not my type. I don't go for the whole Tall, Dark and Handsome Mystery Man thing. And I don't like dating men whose clothes cost more than mine.
RORY: Connor looked a lot grungier. But they both had that enigmatic intensity thing going on.
JESS: What kind of a name is Angel?
Angel and Connor walk towards their car.
ANGEL: Rory's a very pretty girl.
CONNOR: I thought you liked blondes?
ANGEL: And she was definitely taken with you.
CONNOR: Because I saved her life.
Angel leaps into the driver's seat. Connor leaps into the front passenger seat.
ANGEL: Maybe there's a reason the Powers wanted you to meet her. They don't just put any young damsel in your first vision.
CONNOR: Dad, there's something you should know about the visions.
Now they are back home. If he were human, Angel would be red-faced with veins popping out of his forehead by this point.
ANGEL: You gave Dawn your visions!!
CONNOR: How could I do that?
FRED: Oh no.
ANGEL: How could you be so selfish and irresponsible!?
CONNOR: I didn't do anything. I swear!
ANGEL: Someone gave her those visions. Someone who wants her around. Did you even consider how this will effect her!?
CONNOR: This is crazy! What do I know about magic?
FRED: Can you Kam-Shak retroactively?
CONNOR: See! I don't even know what you're talking about. What's a Kam-Shak?
Fred, Lorne and Cordy look nervous and stay quiet.
ANGEL: You're don't need to know that.
CONNOR: That's my point! I don't KNOW anything! So how could I DO anything? This isn't my fault. It can't be. [points at Angel] You're the one who gave her the visions. So don't blame me for your own mistake.
Connor runs off.
CORDY: Buffy is going to kill you.
ANGEL: The spell worked. I gave Connor the visions. I did nothing wrong.
CORDY: Buffy is going to kill you.
ANGEL: How could I possibly know that Connor would do this?
CORDY: Oh, she'll kill him too. But you're the one she trusted. And you set these visions loose.
FRED: Won't she know Angel would never have done this?
CORDY: Yes. And that will just make it worse. It's a betrayal of trust.
LORNE: I'm with Freddie. Angel-pie can't be held responsible.
CORDY: True. If you look at it rationally. Which Buffy won't. Remember what happened the last time she got mad at you?
Buffy and Dawn are sitting on the couch, eating ice cream and watching an old movie when the phone rings. Buffy, thinking it's Giles and that there's trouble, jumps up and gets it.
BUFFY: Hello?
CONNOR: Oh. Hello Buffy. Is Dawn there? [Buffy scowls and looks at her sister]
BUFFY: Connor. [Dawn runs upstairs. Connor decides to try soothing small talk while he waits for Dawn to pick up. He also worries about Buffy's wrath.]
CONNOR: You're a hero. You do great things. And Dawn's always saying what a great big sister you are. I just wanted to tell you. I mean, we, we've had our problems. But that's past. And I'm sorry for trying to hurt you. That was stupid and wrong and, I've changed. I, um, wanted to tell you that.
BUFFY: Okay. [looks very puzzled and a little annoyed] If that's what's on your mind.
DAWN: Connor? [Buffy hangs up and walks back to the couch, shaking her head.]
BUFFY: I still can't believe that's Angel's son. Does the gene for coolness skip a generation?
CONNOR: You know that thing you saw? The people in the park?
DAWN: Yeah. But it was nothing. You don't have to worry about me.
CONNOR: They were attacked by vampires. And I saved them because you told me where they would be.
DAWN: I'm not following.
CONNOR: You had a vision. Of the future.
DAWN: Like a prophecy? I don't get those. Buffy does. And only when she's sleeping. You're not making any sense.
CONNOR: Cordy used to have visions. She told them to Angel, and he went and saved people. She can't have them anymore. So last night Angel tried to give them to me. But you got 'em. I don't know how. I swear, I had nothing to do with this. I would never hurt you.
DAWN: Are you trying to tell me that I have superpowers?
CONNOR: This wasn't supposed to happen. Regular people can't get them. It really hurts and causes headaches and stuff. We'll fix this. You'll be better real fast. I promise.
DAWN: It didn't hurt.
CONNOR: What did it feel like?
DAWN: Like, for a second, I was out of my body and at the place where they were. Then it was over. No pain. No headaches.
CONNOR: Are you sure?
DAWN: Connor, I think I know what I feel inside my own body.
CONNOR: I'm sorry. This is all a big shock.
DAWN: You're telling me.
CONNOR: I never wanted this to happen.
DAWN: Why do you keep apologizing? You didn't do anything. And you're acting like something is wrong with me. I don't feel wrong. I don't even feel different.
CONNOR: If it hurts, even a little, please tell me.
DAWN: Sure. What if I have another, what did you call them?
CONNOR: A vision.
DAWN: Should I call you if I have another vision, to tell you what it was?
CONNOR: Okay. But also tell me how it felt. How you feel. I hate thinking you could suffer because of me.
DAWN: Connor, relax. It's my thing. If I don't like it, I'll get rid of it.
CONNOR: My dad's friends are gonna figure out how this could happen.
DAWN: Then let them do that. I'll be okay. It's not like this is the biggest shock of my life. Seems like this vision thing is hurting you more than me.
CONNOR: Let's hope. Dawn, I love you.
DAWN: I know. Still like hearing it, though. Love you too. And Connor? One more thing.
CONNOR: What?
DAWN: I can take care of myself.
CONNOR: I know.
Wesley enters the hotel, looking worried and slightly manic. He's the one who gave Angel the spell, after all.
WES: Everyone remain calm, and we'll sort this out before Buffy has all our heads on a platter.
FRED: Why are ya'al making her sound like some psycho?
WES: We're not. But she's very protective of her sister.
LORNE: If that was the case, then Connor's head would have been on a platter last week.
ANGEL: Wesley, do you have any idea how this could have happened?
WES: The spell worked. And even if it didn't, there is no way it could have transferred the visions to someone 90 miles away.
GUNN: So Connor did the, [winces] transferring?
WES: Not unless he snuck out of here last night, stole Angel's car, drove to Sunnydale, snuck into Buffy's house without anyone of the twenty people who live there noticing . . .
ANGEL: My car went nowhere last night. The mileage hadn't change.
FRED: Which knocks down the least far-fetched part of that theory.
ANGEL: Is there a way Connor could have "willed" the visions to her?
WES: If he were a wizard, perhaps.
LORNE: Once again, we're stuck with no way to explain the impossible.
ANGEL: We will figure this out. Lorne, talk to anyone you know who has mystical knowledge we don't. Wes, figure out how to remove the visions from Dawn.
WES: Without Buffy finding out?
ANGEL: If at all possible.
CORDY: And in the meantime, all we have to worry about is Dawn's head exploding.
CONNOR: It didn't hurt. [everyone turns and sees that Connor has returned] She said it didn't hurt at all. Not even a headache.
CORDY: Well of course she's putting up a brave front.
Connor looks at Cordelia as if he wants to tear her limb-from-limb. She's never seen this expression of calm, determined malice on Connor's face.
CONNOR: Dawn would never lie to me.
CORDY: I'm not saying she lied. Nosiree. Okay, Connor? [he relaxes slightly. she breathes a sigh of relief]
WES: Does anyone else in Sunnydale know about this?
CONNOR: No. And they won't.
FRED: Because you told her not to say anything?
CONNOR: Because they never pay attention to her.
After hanging up the phone, Dawn sits on her bed for thirty seconds, taking deep breaths and trying to grapple with what Connor told her. On the one hand, it's certainly scary to know something can get inside of her head and take control of her mind, even if only for a few seconds. But on the other hand, she saved two lives tonight. Two people would be dead if it wasn't for her. And she had a super power. One which could help the world, not cause its destruction. So Dawn smiled for a couple seconds. Then she walks back downstairs and sits on the couch next to Buffy.
DAWN: Hey.
BUFFY: What did he want?
DAWN: Nothing. Just to, um, hear my voice, I guess. And tell me he loved me.
BUFFY: He was strangely polite when I answered. I think Angel's a good influence on him.