"We're going where?" Dawn stared at her sister in open-mouthed astonishment at her announcement. She had woken up that morning in a fairly cheerful mood only to have it dashed when she had come down the stairs to find Buffy sitting in the living room, watching TV. It wasn't the fact that it looked like she had been there most of the night that had Dawn worried however, it was the look in her eyes. They bore the weight and responsibility of the slayer, a look she hadn't worn for months now. It let Dawn know right away that something was wrong. But she hadn't in a million years expected to hear what Buffy was now telling her.

"Italy," she repeated calmly. She didn't want Dawn to see how worried she was, so she attempted to appear calm and unfazed. Her sister wasn't buying it. Methos pretended to stay out of the entire thing by making breakfast in the kitchen, but Buffy knew that he was listening intently to every word. "Rome to be more specific. Apparently there's an active Hellmouth there."

"There's one in Cleveland too," Dawn pointed out. "Why send you there? There are other slayers."

"The one in Cleveland isn't about to give the First Evil another boost of world destroying goodness." Buffy said with a sigh. "I'm sorry Dawn, but we have to go there and I have to stop this."

"I know you weren't happy about the Richie thing, but moving me to Italy is a little extreme isn't it?" Dawn's attempt at a joke fell on deaf ears as Xander walked into the living room and took notice of the charged atmosphere.

"What's going on?" He looked to Methos, then to Buffy and finally Dawn. He appeared to have been out all night but nobody made mention of it. At the look on all of their faces, even Xander seemed to put aside his pre-occupation with self destruction in order to find out what was happening.

"Willow called last night." Dawn told him with a sigh. "Looks like this is a job for Super woman. Hope you know some Italian, cause we're going to Rome."

"Italy?" Xander echoed. "Why?"

"Hellmouth, what else?" Dawn replied bitterly. She was secretly glad that Buffy had automatically included her in the moving plans and yet at the same time felt as if she had just lost her best friend. If they were leaving for Italy, that meant leaving Richie too. And just as if it had seemed they were going to start something, it had ended just as quickly.

"Willow had sort of a vision," Buffy supplied. "It looks like Rome has an active Hellmouth and either we go and stop it, or the First gains power and then it's good by world, hello hell."

"So we're definitely leaving then?" Xander clarified.

"As soon as we can," Buffy told him, wondering why his good eye seemed to light up at the prospect of the impending apocalypse. It was a strange light, and completely unlike Xander in every way. She began to wonder just how far deeply he had fallen and if he would ever recover. "Adam has a villa there."

"What about school?" Dawn asked her, hating the fact that part of her hoped Buffy would tell her to stay in Paris, possibly with Richie and go to school away from the danger. She squashed that thought almost immediately, hating her own selfishness. Her sister was going into another fight, possibly one she wouldn't win. To want to stay in Paris because of a boy she liked rather than be at her side if that happened was beyond contempt.

"There are many schools in Rome with a comprehensive program to help people who don't speak the language adjust." Methos put in from the kitchen. "Given your talent for languages Dawn, it shouldn't take you long."

Dawn smiled at the compliment and Buffy nodded, seeming to believe the conversation to be over.

"I'll go pack," Xander said quietly as he ascended the stairs. The room was silent for a few moments. Finally, Dawn spoke.

"I really liked him Buffy." She didn't need to tell her sister who she was referring to. Buffy smiled sadly.

"I know you did Dawnie," she pulled her close and hugged her gently. "And I swear to you I didn't want this to happen…well OK, maybe I did a little, but y'know, without the apocalypse. The world doesn't work that way. As soon as we defeat the first once and for all…"

"Then another big bad will pop up to take its place," Dawn interjected, anger lighting up her eyes. "That's the way it always is, isn't it? Making all those slayers was supposed to give us a break Buffy, but that will never happen will it? There will always be something out there that the others just can't handle. We're never going to stop are we?"

"Of course we are!" Buffy said fiercely. "Just because those other girls aren't ready yet, doesn't mean they never will be. There are tons of other slayers out there Dawn and one day any one of them will be the ones to step up and do what we've been doing for seven years now."

"But will they?" Dawn retorted. "Or will you send them away? Face it Buffy, we may be out, but you will never stop. There could be a hundred million other slayers and you'll keep doing it. You can't help it. Once a slayer always a slayer right? Well what if I get tired of running?"

"If you really feel that way, I won't ask you to come with me." Buffy told her quietly. "I'm sure Duncan or Joe will be happy to have you with them while I fight…"

"I'm not saying I want you to fight without me." Dawn interrupted. "Not this time. But what about when I grow up and get a job and move away? I'm always going to be waiting for that phone call from Willow or Xander saying that you're dead because you couldn't let it go."

"I don't know what to say Dawn." Buffy shook her head in resignation. "You're right. This is something I will never stop doing. And I'm sorry, but I can't help that. I wish I could give you more than this life, but this is the best I can do. Now you can stay here if you want, but I am asking you to come to Rome with me because I believe in you. Will you help me Dawn?"

Dawn looked at her sister and felt a rush of emotion overwhelm her. Years of fighting with her, of begging Buffy to look seriously at her attributes and trust her as a fighter and her moment was finally here. But it was not without a price and that price was Richie Ryan. Try as she might, she could not banish him from her thoughts. Sighing heavily, she smiled in an attempt to lighten the conversation.

"It never fails," she quipped. "I get a guy interested and the end of the world breaks out."

"Believe me, I know how it feels." Buffy told her with a bittersweet edge to her voice.

From his position in the kitchen, Methos felt his heart go out to both of them as he realized that from here on in, things would only get worse.