Connor is in a convenience store, moving between the aisle and the cooler. The manager catches sight of him, and Connor quickly zips around the corner. The manager loses sight of Connor, then sees the door to the store room swing back and forth. "Hey!" He runs back there and pops his head out the rear exit, but the boy is nowhere to be seen. Also in the store was Anne. She leaves without buying anything, gets back in her car, and goes after the young man. She finds him a few blocks away, walking down the street eating a cupcake. Anne pulls over and stops the car next to him. Connor eyes her warily. She steps out.

"The candy bars and the Twizzlers, that's typical. I've caught a few of my kids doing that. But the Cocoa Puffs, Pop Tarts and that half-gallon of milk - that's bold."

"What do you want?" Everyone who's ever approached Connor has wanted something.

"Nothing. Just to help. If you need any."

"I don't." Connor starts to walk away.

"I run a shelter. For kids like you." Connor laughs and shakes his head.

"Not like me."

"Youre the one who fights the vampires." Okay, so the blonde lady isn't completely clueless. Connor manages a small smile.

"Someone has to."

"You've saved some of my kids' lives. They've talked about you."

"Good stuff, right?"

Anne laughs. "Of course. But, also that you're a little stand-offish and kind of prickly. Which I now see is a, fair assessment."

"I'm not used to people," Connor confesses. Anne is perplexed.

"Do you have a place? You don't sleep on the streets?"

"I did. Now I don't. I found a home."

"You're squatting."

"No. I'm standing," a confused Connor replies. Anne wonders if he's being a smartass, but Connor doesn't look like he's joking. Plenty of street kids are antisocial, but this kid makes the worst of them seem well-adjusted.

"You live alone, or with friends?"

"There's a girl. I take care of her."

"How long have you been on your own?"

"About a month."

"And before that? Look, I don't mean to pry."

"My dad threw me out. Which was fine. He was probably going to hurt me if I stayed."

"Your father hit you?"

"We'd fight. Sometimes he's okay. But then, other times, he can be a real monster." Anne assumes Connor's dad is an abusive alcoholic.

"I was a runaway, too. I know what it's like. It's tough, even without the vampires and the demons."

"You know about those?" Okay, so maybe she's wasn't completely clueless.

"More than I'd like to. I'll never forget the hideous, monstrous face of the first vampire I ever saw. But somebody saved me. There are people out there you can trust."

"Like you?"

"I hope so. Here's my card. Stop by anytime. Even if you just want someplace to hang out, or talk. I know how lonely the big city can feel."

"There are lonelier places." Connor takes off, prepared to work with the vampire Anne sees as the symbol of all that's evil in order to hurt the woman Anne sees as the symbol of all that's good. When he gets back, Cordy's awake and watching television. Connor looks through her yearbook. He finds the senior picture of Buffy Summers, and prods it with the point of his dagger. He starts poking it harder, then jabs the blade through her face several times.

"Whatchya looking at?," Cordy asks.

"Nothing. Just pictures of you." He flips to the cheerleading pages. "You had really pretty hair. I mean, you still do. But different."

"Thanks for the food."

"No problem."

"And about last night."

"I know. There was a spell. Everyone was different."

"I really, really, really care about you, Connor. I love you. But not in the, not in the way you may want me to."

"I know. You told me before." Cordy sees him sulking, and walks over. She sits next to him, and takes Connor's left hand in her right.

"You're an amazing young man. Kind, and strong, and brave. A true Champion."

"Like my dad?," Connor asks with a scowl as he stands up and walks away.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"I'm not like him. I'm different."

"In many, many ways. But you're a hero. Like him. And that's a good thing. I know it can be tough, and painful, and hard. But don't give up. People need you. I need you."

"You do?," Connor asks with a small smile.

"Of course." Cordy walks over, smiles and puts her right hand to his left cheek. Connor smiles briefly, then turns around and walks away.

"I'll be out tonight. Hunting. You should be safe. I'll set the traps. And I'll give you this." He hands her gun. Cordy gasps.

"Connor, where did you get this?"

"Took it from a guy a couple nights ago. He was trying to hurt a man and a woman. But I stopped him." Connor doesn't mention that he stopped the attempted armed robbery by snapping the bad guy's neck. Connor hasn't learned to distinguish between bad demons and bad people.

"It was nice of you to help them. But you shouldn't keep a loaded - is it loaded?"

Connor takes out the clip, puts it back in, cocks the gun and puts on the safety, alarming Cordy. "Ten bullets. Well, nine. I fired one to see how it worked. It didn't hit anything."

"Umm, Connor, maybe I'll just, uhhh - "

"You're right. You're tough enough without it."

"On second thought, better safe than sorry." Cordy takes the gun. She doesn't know it yet, but this is the first overt manipulation of her by the acolytes of Jasmine. With all the killing she'll be doing, a handgun could come in handy.

"I could stay. But, people need me. If I don't save them, they'll die, and that would be bad. I need to make a difference."

"That sounds like something your father would say." She doesn't notice that maybe he was overdoing it in an attempt to conceal his true intentions.

"We're very different. Don't forget that." As soon as the sun sets, Spike leaves Xander's apartment. Anya immediately reports this to Buffy, but Buffy's on foot, and Spike's not. By the time she's in position to follow him, he's left Sunnydale. Connor meets Spike at the appointed time and place, and Spike turns around heads north, Connor hanging on in back. It's the sort of image that would give Angel an aneurysm, which is saying something, since Angel has no heartbeat. But once they leave the northern suburbs and get on an empty patch of road, Connor puts a stake against Spike's back. He veers the bike rightward into the railing. Connor flies off and falls down a ravine, as does Spike. Connor stands up, grabs the stake and walks over to Spike, who is on his back.

"What the bloody hell!," Spike yells as he looks up at his attacker.

"Did you really think I could ever trust a vampire?"