"I'm not asleep," Dawn said as Buffy tiptoed into the hotel room just as morning broke the next day, "you don't have to be quiet."

"You didn't have to wait up." She told Dawn as she switched on a light. "You need your rest."

"And you don't?" Dawn countered. Buffy opened her mouth to speak, but Dawn cut her off. "And don't give me the 'I'm the slayer, I can handle it' crap. You may be the slayer, but I'm your sister and I know you way better than that."

Buffy sighed and sat down, giving in at least for the moment to her own exhaustion. Dawn smiled, grateful that she was complying for the time being.

"It has been a long night." She agreed.

"So..." Dawn began delicately, "Connor really is Angel's son huh? I thought so, I was just....I didn't want to say anything in case I was wrong."

"Yea, he's Angel's all right." Buffy agreed with a weary sigh. "Don't ask me how it was possible. It's too long a story and it's not really mine to tell."

"He hates him you know." Dawn pressed. "He told me. The guy who raised him...."

"Holtz," Buffy interjected. Dawn nodded.

"He spun his head a bit I guess. I tried to tell him Angel was good and Angelus was the big bad, but..."

"We've got more important things to worry about than Angel's parenting skills. Like finding out who hired that demon and keeping him from striking again. No more children are going to die."

"Are you sure you're OK with all this?" Dawn wondered. "I mean you and Angel have always been..."

"This isn't about Angel and it isn't about his son." Buffy said firmly. "Dawn I need you to do me a favour. We need someone to keep an eye on the day care centers."

"Buffy, LA is huge, it isn't possible to..."

"I know," Buffy interrupted, "we can't watch them all...but some is better than none. Do you think you could get Connor to watch over as much of the East End as possible?"

"I could ask him," Dawn began, feeling slightly more important to Buffy and her plan than she had last night, "but why me?"

"According to Angel you're the only one he trusts." Buffy replied with a slight frown. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of Connor being interested in her sister, but this wasn't the time to worry about things like that.

"I want to go with him then." Dawn decided.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed, "I said you could help but I'm not putting you right in danger's path! You might as well paint a target on your forehead and say 'come and get me, I'm right here'!"

"Connor can protect me Buffy, you know that as well as I do. You said he trusts me and if you're right, I don't want him to think we're using him for our own purposes. He's been used enough, believe me." Buffy shook her head, her resolve remaining firm.

"It's too dangerous."

"What if I just go with him during the day?" She protested. "I will stay here in this very hotel room at night. I won't go anywhere I swear! Come on! I came here to help."

"Only during the day?" Buffy echoed, deciding it might not be a bad idea to have Dawn promise to stay in the hotel room while she was out patrolling the streets at night. Dawn nodded and held up her hand.

"Pinky swear!" She replied. Buffy chuckled and surrendered her own pinky to complete the deal. "After breakfast, I'll go talk to Connor."