"Buffy? Dawn? You here?"

"Yeah, Angel. Dawn's just gone to sleep and I was just heading to bed myself – coming?" Buffy stopped as she saw Tina with a bag and a devastated look. "Or not, whatever. What's going on, guys?"

"Tina needs a safe place to stay while we figure things out. I didn't think you'd mind all that much. Dawn on the sofa?"

"Yeah … you got another sofa that I don't know about?"

"No." He turned to Tina, "You mind sleeping on the floor? I've got loads of blankets … okay, they're mostly towels, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too uncomfortable."

"That's fine."

Buffy stepped forward.

"Do you want anything – do we have anything, Angel?" He loved the way she said 'we'. It was like this was her apartment too, not his old one.

"Well, I did have tea I think, but I'm not sure, and that was two months ago, so …"

"You go on holiday together then? Only just get back."

"No, I moved back home, and just never got back up here to relocate my stuff."

"Oh. I'm good on the tea front, if you don't mind, I'll just go to sleep – it's been a long couple of hours."

"Night, Tina. We'll talk in the morning."

"Russell have a last name?"

It was morning all too soon, and Angel, Buffy and Dawn were trying to get information on this 'Russell' person. Until it was proven otherwise, Angel and Buffy were leaving it as a non-demonic thing and were including dawn, but if any demon activity was reported in the vicinity of Russell, she would stop working on the 'case' faster than you can say "demon".

"Yeah, but you don't need to know it. You've done enough already."

"You're forgetting that I was told you need help."

"You never explained who told you about me."

"That's because I don't know myself – I just knew about you." Tina admitted defeat and began to talk, slowly and haltingly, as if afraid that he would jump out and get her at any possible time.

"He's the kind of guy that can get away with murder."

"Who'd he murder?" Dawn was entirely too not upset by the mention of murder in Buffy's opinion. She shouldn't have been asking questions like that … but they did need to be asked.

"I don't know. Maybe nobody. - He likes - he likes pain. I mean he really does. He talks about it like it was a friend. And you don't leave him, he tells you when he's had enough. I knew this girl, Denise, she tried to get away. She disappeared of the face of the earth. - He finds you."

She seemed genuinely terrified of this bloke, but he sounded just like a sick man to Angel. Then again, Angelus could have just sounded like a serial killer and a criminal mastermind to one who didn't know about vampires. Angel knew that it was his responsibility to help this girl, even if Buffy was helping him – it was like a miniature Scooby Gang, with a few roles reversed.

"Not anymore." Angel was the leader, the 'Buffy' ironically.

"What's Denise's last name? I'll see if I can find anything on the net." Dawn was Internet gal – Willow.

"It'll be fine, Tina. I'll stay here with you while Dawn does her thing, and Angel can check for other bits – I'll keep you safe just as long as you don't leave this apartment, and we can start packing up Angel's stuff like he was meant to be doing this weekend anyway." Buffy was organising and reassuring; a perfect combination of Giles and Xander.

Dawn and Angel left to go use an Internet conection (the main library nearby had a sewer opening in the car park below) while Buffy stayed with Tina and tried to keep her mind off things. By the time the others got back, Buffy and Tina had packed away most of Angel's smaller items, save for the weapons (they kept them out just in case).

"Did your friend Denise have a tattoo on her left shoulder?" Angel got right to the point, not willing to waste any time if he could help it – he wanted to get back to Sunnydale in time for Buffy's first day at college, and dawn had to be home at the end of the day for school tomorrow.

"She had a rose."

"That's the girl we saw then!" Dawn was liking the whole investigating thing. She didn't normally get to do anything, because she was too young and might get hurt.

"I think she was murdered. And there were others. He picks girls with no family, no one to care."

Tina made a funny noise, and Buffy wrapped her arms around her, glaring at her boyfriend – she was upset enough without reminding her that she had no one to care if she died, if she was killed.

Angel tried to make amends, but he didn't sound quite as re-assuring as he would have liked. But Tina didn't know she had two superheroes on her side!

"Look you don't have to be afraid. You're safe here."

"But what about later? I have an apartment – and no money to go back to my real home. What do I do then?"

"I know you weren't asking for money, but maybe that would be the best thing for you to do. I can give you enough money to get yourself home, and one of us can go with you to your apartment to get your things – you'll be safe, and then you can be at home, just like you said you wanted. It's a win, win situation for once!"

"Alright. But I don't want you to give me any money – there must be some way I can pay you back without actually paying…"

"We'll work that out later – right now, you and Buffy should go to your apartment and get your things."

"What about us?" Obviously Dawn had read all of the books and magazines last night.

"Don't you have homework or something?"

"Buffy!"

"Well, Angel knows, like everything – he'll help you, wont you, love?"

"Hmm? Yes?"

"See, I told you he'd help!"

"Help with what? I never said I'd do anything. Buffy!"

Dawn giggled, and went to get her books, as Buffy gave Angel a quick kiss and took off with Tina. Angel just groaned and went to clear some space on the kitchen table for Dawn to work at.