Connor's place was not much to look at, but cozy enough for Dawn's purposes. It would certainly do until she found Buffy.

Connor watched Dawn survey the room and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. She was probably from an actual house, not a hole in the wall.

"I know it isn't much..." he trailed off unsure of what to say after that. Dawn smiled.

"It's fine, really. Does anyone else live here?"

"Just me." He replied, attempting to sound nonchalant. Dawn stared at him, concern etched all over her face. He felt warm all over, just knowing she worried for him.

"What about your family? Where are they?"

"My mother's dead." Connor told her flatly. He looked away, anger coursing through him as his thoughts turned to his only other living relative. Dawn sensed it, but kept talking, despite her better judgment.

"And your father?"

"He might as well be," Connor replied, through clenched teeth. "He kicked me out."

"That's terrible!" Dawn exclaimed sympathetically. "Why?"

"We didn't see eye to eye." Was all Connor would say. Dawn had a feeling there was far more to it, but didn't press. An awkward silence followed, and Dawn searched desperately for a conversation topic.

"My father hasn't exactly been around much either." Dawn told him. She looked towards the ground as she spoke. "He and my mother got divorced and he just...left us. My sister, my mother...me."

"I wish my father would up and leave." Connor said, his voice laced with hatred. Dawn blanched.

"You really don't like your father, do you?"

Connor was about to answer her, when a loud ringing noise startled him, causing him to jump. Dawn reached into her pocket and pulled out the offending object.

"It's just my cell phone," she said to him as she took notice of the deer-in-headlights look on Connor's face. She sighed, and put it to her ear, anticipating Willow's anger. "Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?" Buffy's voice rang through the phone loud, clear and very very angry. "I just got a call from Willow and she said that you..."

"Are here in L.A." Dawn finished for her. "I bought the ticket without her knowing. Don't blame her, OK?"

"Believe me I'm not," Buffy replied furiously. "What were you thinking? I told you that you couldn't come on this hunt with me. This demon is too dangerous Dawn!"

"I didn't listen Buffy, and I'm not about to start now. You can't force me back onto a train or a bus, so like it or not you're stuck with me on this one." Dawn was firm in her speech, and she knew she had won the battle when she heard her sister sigh wearily on the other end.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know exactly, hang on a sec." Covering the phone, she turned to Connor. "Um, where exactly am I?"

"Is that your sister?" Connor wondered, his heart sinking slightly as he realized that if it were her sister the girl would be leaving soon. Dawn nodded and with a heavy heart, Connor told her where they were.

"I'm at the corner of Bank and Smith," she told her sister. "I'm in a loft above an abandoned variety store."

"Is someone there with you? Why on Earth are you in a loft?" Buffy didn't even give her time to answer her questions. "Never mind, I'm on my way. Stay put and DON'T go anywhere, whatever you do, you got that?"

"Don't worry, I'm safe." Dawn assured her. She said her good byes and put the phone back into her pocket. Connor was staring at her, his face a tad downcast.

"Your sister's on her way then?"

"Yea, she was pretty mad." Dawn admitted. "I sort of came here to L.A. without her permission."

"Why?" Connor wondered, "I mean why is she here? Why did you follow?"

"She's here to fight a demon she's been chasing." Dawn replied. "I'm here to help her weather she likes it or not."

"You fight demons." Connor stated. "That's how you knew how to defend yourself against that vamp."

"Buffy fights demons," Dawn clarified, "I just help her whenever possible. The one she's after is pretty nasty and I was worried about her going alone."

"Do you....I mean, that is....do you need any help?" The offer was awkward, giving away Connor's obvious nervousness. Dawn smiled, touched by it, but shook her head.

"I doubt Buffy would accept any more help. Besides, you don't want to get involved with this. It's pretty serious stuff."

"I'm no stranger to danger Dawn." Connor said angrily. "I've dealt with it all my life. I can handle a demon. I saved you didn't I?"

"There's no need to get mad at me," Dawn protested. "I'm sorry to have offended you. Keep in mind I don't know anything about you, beyond the fact that you saved me from that vampire, you know what they are and how to fight them...and you hate your father."

"That actually all ties together," Connor said with a sigh. "To tell you the truth, both my parents were vampires." Dawn's eyes widened and she took a step back in sudden fear.

"But that would make you....I mean, it isn't possible for....are you...?"

"I'm human," Connor clarified. "I guess I was a fluke. You're right, vampires can't have children and yet somehow my parents managed to have me. My mother died giving birth to me and my father...."

"That's why you hate him isn't it?" Dawn guessed. "It's because he's evil."

"He says he's not." Connor scoffed. "He actually claims to have a soul! As if any creature like that could have a soul. He's just trying to gain my trust so that when my back is turned...."

"A soul?" Dawn echoed. "Your father has a soul? Connor is he....his name isn't Angel...is it?"

Connor stared at her, suddenly suspicious. He was about to answer when the door swung open and a young blond woman was visible on the other end. She ran towards Dawn, positioning herself between them.

"Who is he? Is he dangerous?"

"Relax Buffy," Dawn assured her, "he's OK. His name's Connor. He saved me from a vampire earlier."

Buffy's posture loosened a bit, but she still eyes the young man warily. She didn't like how he was staring at Dawn and felt he looked oddly familiar.

"I owe you a thank you then. Is this your...loft?"

The young man nodded, unsure of what to say. He was still reeling from the fact that Dawn knew his father's name.

"Buffy, Connor was just saying..."

"Look Dawn I don't mean to be rude, but we have to go now. The sun will be up soon and I want a few more hours of hunting time to try to find this demon before it decides to strike."

She didn't tell Dawn, but the truth was that the kid in the loft was beginning to seriously creep her out. There was something about him she just couldn't place and it set all her slayer instincts on edge.

"No problem Buffy, just let me say good bye OK?" Dawn's eyes pleaded with Buffy to let her have that much. Buffy nodded stiffly and moved to the corner of the room.

"Thanks for all your help," she told Connor. He looked at her, then at her sister, desperate to think of a way to get her to stay.

"Will I see you again?" He finally asked. Dawn shrugged.

"I don't know. We're only here to get a demon. After that....well then we head back home. I think it's better if we just say good bye here."

She began to back away, and inside Connor panicked. He couldn't figure out why, but for some reason he just didn't want to let this girl go. He liked her. She made him smile. She was pretty, and Connor wanted to know more about her.

In a last minute attempt to squeeze out one more second, he impulsively leaned into her and kissed her softly on the cheek. She looked stunned a moment, then smiled shyly in return.

"Good luck with that demon," he said to her. "Be careful."

All Dawn could do was nod until Buffy dragged her out the door.