*RITUAL VISIONS*
**TIMELINE** Before all the business with "The Key" and before Spike realises he loves Buffy. Riley is non-exsistant (for obvious reasons). And Joyce is dead already, because she's a pointless character and I can't write her.
The cold, hard pavement rushed up to meet her as Nicole Matherson fell to the floor. Her nose riccoched off the cement, and she could feel it break as she watched blood gush freely from it. The world around her seemed to dim as Nicole heard her attackers walk towards her in the tiny alley. She tried to get up and run, but the pain in her broken left leg was too great. So she froze. She lay face down on the pavement and waited for the oppertunity to scream for help to come. Completely the wrong thing to do, she'd been told, but it was the only thing her broken body *could* do.
Suddenly, Nicole realised something. She couldn't hear anything or anyone but herself. Hope rose inside her and she prayed that they had simply left her alone. Her ragged blond hair fell infront of her face and she hurriedly shifted her weight so she could push it away.
That was when they struck.
Three of the most horrific creatures she'd ever seen. Their faces were a mouldy green and their eyes glowed red. As the ring-leader hauled Nicole up with taloned hands, she decided she'd waited long enough and screamed for all she was worth. But no one answered her cries. No one came running to help her as she'd wished they would a thousand times. She was alone with the monsters that terrorised people in their dreams. The things that made nightmares truly terrifying.
"Don't worry, Miss Matherson," one of them growled in a earth-shaking voice which chilled Nicole to her very soul "You did not die without good cause."
With that said, the three monstrosities collected most of her blood and left her in the small alley behind the Fish Tank, a harbour-side bar in the outer reaches of Sunnydale. Nicole's last sight was a red ocean of her fresh blood as it pooled around her. By the time Buffy reached her, she was already dead, and her killers were already gone.
*
Grace Hannlyn jumped awake as images of Nicole's death filled her dreams. A cold sweat ran down her back and plastered her black fringe to her forehead. She got shakily out of bed and tried to calm herself. This was the third time that week she'd recieved what she called 'visions', a gift which enabled her to see events before they happened. Normally, Grace was happy to have them, glad, even. But lately, they had been of death, of the brutal murder of people she knew and would miss. Each death was at the hands of the same demons. They were large, ferocious looking creatures, with rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth, all crowding for a place in a huge, gaping mouth. Grace hoped and prayed that she would never meet them.
She shuffled into the bathroom, trying to muffle her sobs so her mother didn't wake up. If she even thought that she was having visions again... Grace didn't want to think about it. She peered into the mirror and almost cried out in surprise. Blood was pouring from her nose. She eventually managed to stop the flow, but she still felt awful. That had never happened before. She splashed water onto her face and sighed heavily. She always felt so terrible after these types of visions. Like she should have done something, but didn't. She wished she knew someone who *could* help, who wasn't afraid. Her brain raced through various people who she might be able to tell, but when she *really* thought about it, she realised that she was alone on this.
Grace decided, as she crawled back into bed, that she would have to summon up the courage to help them herself.
* *
Giles slammed shut the last book which could have been of use to the gang and frowned. Their only clue as to what killed Nicole Matherson was Buffy's somewhat vague description of a mark, or symbol, which had been left on the unfortunate victim's skin, and they had come up dry on that.
"Are you sure it looked like a.." Giles paused, trying to remember her words.
"Bird-dog-tree." Buffy supplied and her Watcher shook his head.
"Yes, are you sure the mark on her neck was a 'Bird-dog-tree'?" he asked
Buffy nodded "Positive." she assured him. The group shared a worried glance. Trust Buffy to name the only symbol which they couldn't find.
"Haven't you got any books on," Xander looked at the Slayer before turning back to Giles "'Bird-dog-trees'?" Giles shot him a look which said "No."
The Watcher was irritated. Of all the ways Buffy could have described the mark, she chose one which a three year old might have bettered.
"I've exhausted all my resources." he admitted.
"And the net isn't really a help. There aren't many sites dedicated to 'Bird-
dog-trees.'" Willow put forward.
The Slayer felt stupid. She might have felt better if people didn't keep repeating her exact words. They couldn't have said it any better.
"Where's her body?" Anya queried suddenly. Everyone gave her a worried look.
"Morbid much?" Willow pulled a face.
"No," Anya spat back "I was just thinking, maybe we could sneak in there and, y'know, look at the Bird-thing ourselves."
"Good idea." Tara smiled and decided to contribute to the it "They probably have her body in a funeral home, so people can pay their respects."
The group nodded. That made sense, now it was just a case of finding out which one.
For obvious reasons, Sunnydale had a lot.
* * *
That night, Xander, Buffy and Giles crept through Sunnydale's biggest funeral home in search of room 109, which, if Willow was right, would be home to Nicole Matherson's body. Buffy had at first protested to Giles coming, but he'd insisted. After all, he needed a good look at the symbol.
So, as the trio tip-toed down a long corridor, she was particularly on guard. "Xander, you okay?" she whispered to him at the rear of the group.
"Yeah, just a little creeped, but we *are* in a funeral home in the middle of the night." he answered quietly. They continued on their way.
Suddenly, they all yelped in surprise and fear as someone else's voice broke the eerie silence which had pursued them since their arrival.
"Are you aware you're bein' followed?" The newcomer asked loudly.
"Now we are!" Buffy snapped, punching Spike in the arm.
"Not by me," he rolled his eyes and rubbed his sore arm "By this girl."
Buffy looked past him "I don't see any girl," she told him testily "All I see is a vampire begging to be staked. What the Hell are you doing here, anyway?"
Spike shrugged "Bored." he replied bluntly.
"So you decided to scare us all to death?" Xander said, trying to calm his thundering heart.
"Aww, is the iccle boy frightened?" Spike teased and Buffy hit him again.
"Ow!" he complained, a demon had bitten him in that spot the night before and it still hadn't healed. "What are *you* doin' here, then?" he inquired.
"Other than being jumped by morons?" Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and he replied with an angry growl "We're looking for a body with a symbol, if you must know."
"Oh," Spike was deflated. He'd expected something dangerous, that's why he'd followed them. "Well, the girl's been behind y' for about five minutes, she's human, like, but just watch out." He held out his hand.
"Yes?" Giles asked him, waiting for the vampire to leave.
"I gave you information." He recieved blank looks "Info equals money."
Buffy took out a stake "And annoyance equals being killed." she said.
Spike raised his hands, he was going anyway. The group watched him disappear around a corner and sighed.
Sometimes, Buffy swore she prefered him chipless.
* * * *
Grace gulped as she tried to listen to what the guy with the white-blond hair was telling them. Did he know she was trailing them? And where did he come from anyway? She gasped as he turned away from them and started back in her direction. Grace pressed herself back into the shadows of the corner she was in and hoped he didn't notice her. The guy stopped infront of her and beckoned her to join him in the dim light of a bare bulb which hung above his head, swinging to and fro. Grace shuffled out to him and hung her head.
"Who are y'?" He asked her curiously as he lit a cigarette.
Grace recognised his distinct accent as English. "Grace Hannlyn." she replied in a voice so quiet she wasn't sure whether or not he could hear it.
But he did "Well Grace, I've told them lot you're followin' them, but they don't believe me, so you're free to continue." he flashed her an amused smile. "Why *are* y' followin' them, then?" he raised a scarred eyebrow.
"Because I think they know where the things that killed Nicole are." Grace informed him.
Spike didn't bother telling her that they didn't have a clue and looked around himself. "Right, but I should warn you. There are nasty things around here at night. Very nasty, evil things that love to prey on girls such as yourself." he smiled as a worried look crossed her face.
"I know all about vampires and demons." she said bravely as he began to walk towards the nearest exit.
"Y' know about vampires, eh?" he slowed slightly "Ever talked to one?"
"No." Grace admitted to his turned back.
"Yes y' have." he assured her before fading into the shadows. She jumped back in surprise. He had been a vampire?! She thought all vampires were ugly.
She shook herself and went back to work on tailing the three friends.
* * * * *
Inside room 109, a medium sized casket begged the group's attention. Giles was the first to approach it. He lifted a tag on it and read it aloud.
"Nicole Matherson." He drew himself up and grasped the lid of the coffin. He couldn't expect the others to open it, they were still only twenty, despite all they had seen and done. The sight wasn't as bad as he'd expected, but it was still a shock. The body was the whitest of whites and strands of blond hair fell upon limp shoulders. The Watcher guessed the corpse to be at the same age as Buffy and her friends.
"Where's the mark?" he asked, praying he didn't have to touch the milky dead body which lay before him. The eyes hadn't been closed. A task which would have saved Giles the horror of having to look into the terrified blue eyes which now stared up at him.
"On her neck." Buffy informed him, keeping close to the door with Xander. She'd seen enough of *that* body the first time round. Giles sighed deeply, and the two behind him could guess why. He'd have to touch the corpse.
With a shaky hand, the Watcher pushed his glasses up his nose before reaching out to the poor dead girl. He gingerly pushed some hair away from her neck, trying to minimize the contact as best he could. The symbol jumped out to him. It hand been hurriedly scratched into the skin. Probably after the murder, Giles thought, as it hadn't begun to heal.
"What does it look like?" Xander asked in a whisper.
Giles cocked his head to one side before answering "A Bird-dog-tree."
* * * * * *
The slightly amused silence which followed the British man's statement confused Grace. Either the group was really sadistic, or they had just shared an in-joke which had been previously discussed. Whatever, this just told her one thing : that they *didn't* know where Nicole's murderers were.
But, she realised on a brighter note, this meant that they all shared a common goal. They could help her. She wasn't alone on this. She took a deep breath before stepping forward into view of everyone.
"Hi, my name's Grace Hannlyn, and I want to help you." she announced. Suddenly, the female of the group, Buffy, she thought her name was, grabbed Grace by the throat and slammed her backwards into a wall.
"For some reason, I'm not convinced." she told her evenly. Giles put a hand on his Slayer's arm and motioned for her to release Grace. He shook his head as the girl fell to the floor. She had seemed genuine to him.
"Grace, is it? Why were you following us?" he asked her when she had recovered from Buffy's attack.
"Yeah," Xander joined him at his side "if you wanted to help, what's with the sneaking? You should've asked before."
"I-I wasn't sure we were on the same side." Grace answered, massaging her neck. "Just like I'm not now." she directed that at Buffy.
"How can you help?" Buffy demanded, ignoring the comment. The girl was so thin and pale she looked like she wouldn't last two rounds with a kitten.
Grace tucked some of her long, black hair behind her ears and cleared her throat nervously. She elected to tell them all the truth.
"I have visions of things before they happen," she told her small, shocked audience of three. Xander immediately thought of Cordelia. According to Buffy, she now recieved visions and helped Angel.
"I saw what killed Nicole Matherson the other night." Grace continued, and she could tell they'd let her help.
Suddenly, she was struck by a terrible vision...
* * * * * * *
Across town, the group of demons she'd seen drain Nicole, were chasing a boy called Darren. He was screaming in terror as they gained on him, but, just as had happened to Nicole, no one came. He had been sneaking around in Sunnydale High's charred ruins when the monsters had come upon him.
Now, he was desperately trying to find a way out of the crumbled walls which used to be his school. He cursed loudly. He had walked through those halls for years, and now, when it really mattered, he couldn't even remember where the exit was. His breathing became laboured as he tore down yet another corridor. He prayed his asthma didn't kick in as he heard the demons get closer. As if on cue, Darren started to hyper-ventilate. He was forced to stop and lean against a door which had miraculously survived the fire. He glanced around himself with panicked eyes, wondering if the monsters had simply gone and left him, after all, he couldn't see them. That was a blessing. They were horrific creatures, with rough, leathery green skin, which in some places gave way to tufts of brown hair. They had long tails which whipped from side to side, tearing up anything which got in it's way, including Darren's right arm, which now hung in shreds. He let out a sigh of relief and leant back, calming his breathing back to normal as he'd been taught.
The next thing he knew, he'd been lifted off the ground by the largest demon and was being cut into with a sharpened talon. The thing uttered the line which Grace guessed was some kind of sick catch-phrase.
"Don't worry Mr Stevens," it growled "you did not die without good cause."
* * * * * * * *
It was just past noon when Buffy and her Slayerettes assembled in Giles' Magic Shop. Business was always slow on Sundays, so the gang could meet to discuss current affairs in Sunnydale.
"So, this Grace," Anya was saying "She's coming here today?"
Her boyfriend nodded "Yep, and hopefully she'll bring a description of the big bads that killed Nicole Matherson and..." Xander faultered, what was that guy in her vision from last night called?
"Darren Stevens." Buffy finished for him. Giles sat down next to Willow with a hot cup of tea and sipped it thoughtfully. If Grace was the real deal, they might have found themselves a Cordelia of their own.
"Hi." Grace shuffled self-consciously into the shop and was met by the curious stares of Buffy and her friends.
"Hello, please sit down." Giles stood and offered his chair politely.
"Thanx." she smiled thinly and sat down.
"Okay, Grace, meet Anya, her boyfriend Xander, who you met last night with, Giles," Buffy began to list "Then there's Tara, Willow and my little sister Dawn should be here soon."
Grace played with her hair as she smiled at each person in turn.
"So you all fight evil, huh?" she asked nervously "Cool." She'd gotten the Slayer talk last night, so she knew what was what. She wasn't just dealing with amateurs.
"I was wondering whether or not you could, er, describe-" Giles began, but she cut him off by brandishing a sketch of the demons which were having themselves a killing spree. There was also a handy picture of the symbol in the corner so the group didn't have to rely on memory.
"Wow, we didn't expect you to make an effort," Anya exclaimed "We just thought you'd give us some lame description which didn't help anyone."
Grace didn't know how to react. Was that a compliment?
"She used to be a demon." Xander told her, as if that was an excuse.
"I don't see how that makes a difference," Anya was clearly offended and annoyed "If you have a problem with me, Xander, just say it."
"Problem? There's no problem! Can anyone see a problem? There isn't a problem." Xander rushed, not wanting to say anything he'd regret later.
Grace sighed. At least this took the attention off her for a while.
Dawn then made an appearence and frowned at everyone's worried faces.
"What's the problem?" she asked, sitting down.
"There is no problem!" Xander cried. Dawn raised her hands in surrender. Whatever.
* * * * * * * * *
Anya tended to a solitary customer whilst the rest of the gang researched the demons in Grace's detailed sketch. She checked the clock as the man left the shop. It was 3:00, they'd been researching for coming up to three hours.
Grace, Giles was pleased to note, was proving to be very helpful. Carrying and fetching books like she did it every day. She was also making notes, an idea the rest of the tired gang hadn't bothered to take up.
"This is useless." Buffy complained "I'm tired and so is everyone else."
"Yes, well, triumph depends on sacrifices, Buffy." Giles told her through a yawn as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose for the hundreth time that day. "Even if no one knows what the demons are." he sighed.
"Look like Shrelta's to me." Spike's voice offered, raising a yelp from everyone in the shop. They all turned to the back of the room, where the vampire stood taking a long drag of a cigarette.
"Jesus, Spike!" Buffy groaned "What the Hell are you doing here?"
Spike shrugged, mirroring his actions of the previous night "Bored."
He then spotted Grace, who was looking decidedly scared of him after last night's encounter.
"Hey, it's you," he nodded at her, then turned his attention to Buffy, Xander and Giles "I told you someone was followin' y'."
"Shrelta's, you say?" Giles prodded, steering the conversation back to the pressing business at hand.
"Yeah," Spike walked forward, taking a seat on some stairs quite near to everyone "Nasty buggers, had 'em workin' for me a couple of years back. Did their jobs good enough, like, but they did all these rituals aswell. Preparin' for some big God to come, I reckon."
"Do you know which God?" Giles asked, already flicking through a book
"I didn't really bother to care." Spike told him with a slight smile. He missed being in control of hundreds of vampires and demons. Telling them all what to do and what not to do. When he got the chip out of his head, he decided he was going to start up a new empire. One bigger than his last.
"Is there a reason you're still here?" Buffy spat, standing infront of him, hands on hips, interrupting his thoughts.
Once again, the vampire shrugged "Still bored." he answered.
The Slayer rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this.
"You could help to research." Tara suggested in a small voice.
"Please," Spike frowned "I have *some* pride y'know."
"Yeah." Dawn spoke up.
Buffy shot her little sister an irritated look and turned back to Spike, but he was already gone.
"How does he manage to do that in the middle of the day?" Xander shook his head. Buffy shrugged her shoulders.
"No matter." Giles was sounding happy "Even though Spike's visit was annoying and sudden, he has given us a much needed lead, so lets crack on."
Everyone groaned loudly. This wasn't their idea of a perfect Sunday.
* * * * * * * * * *
Chanting filled the crowded hall. The echos of a hundred voices bounced off the brick walls, enhancing the volume and intensity of each word spoken. The hypnotic language being used had been dead for centuries, known only to the few who spoke it now. At the front of the hall, leading the demonic session, was a hooded figure, shrouded in darkness on the modest stage on which it stood. All in the hall repeated it's every word.
"Bydillok, Oh Dark Lord," it shouted, watching as fire rose around him, a small trick, but effective "We, the remaining Shrelta, call upon you."
The mob repeated his last words, as they had every night for their whole lives. But this night was different. This night would see their Dark Lord rise again to finish what they had begun. A terrible ritual which depended on the blood of twenty innocents, ten of which they had already collected so Bydillok could rise. In a few short minutes, the work of decades would be justified and they would take the Hellmouth as their own.
"Take the innocent blood we offer, and come to us now to rid us of the Hellmouth's protector." The leader was reaching his climax.
"Rid us,Bydillok," he continued as the fire turned black and the earth began to shake beneath him "Of the Slayer."
****************************END OF PART ONE*******************************
**TIMELINE** Before all the business with "The Key" and before Spike realises he loves Buffy. Riley is non-exsistant (for obvious reasons). And Joyce is dead already, because she's a pointless character and I can't write her.
The cold, hard pavement rushed up to meet her as Nicole Matherson fell to the floor. Her nose riccoched off the cement, and she could feel it break as she watched blood gush freely from it. The world around her seemed to dim as Nicole heard her attackers walk towards her in the tiny alley. She tried to get up and run, but the pain in her broken left leg was too great. So she froze. She lay face down on the pavement and waited for the oppertunity to scream for help to come. Completely the wrong thing to do, she'd been told, but it was the only thing her broken body *could* do.
Suddenly, Nicole realised something. She couldn't hear anything or anyone but herself. Hope rose inside her and she prayed that they had simply left her alone. Her ragged blond hair fell infront of her face and she hurriedly shifted her weight so she could push it away.
That was when they struck.
Three of the most horrific creatures she'd ever seen. Their faces were a mouldy green and their eyes glowed red. As the ring-leader hauled Nicole up with taloned hands, she decided she'd waited long enough and screamed for all she was worth. But no one answered her cries. No one came running to help her as she'd wished they would a thousand times. She was alone with the monsters that terrorised people in their dreams. The things that made nightmares truly terrifying.
"Don't worry, Miss Matherson," one of them growled in a earth-shaking voice which chilled Nicole to her very soul "You did not die without good cause."
With that said, the three monstrosities collected most of her blood and left her in the small alley behind the Fish Tank, a harbour-side bar in the outer reaches of Sunnydale. Nicole's last sight was a red ocean of her fresh blood as it pooled around her. By the time Buffy reached her, she was already dead, and her killers were already gone.
*
Grace Hannlyn jumped awake as images of Nicole's death filled her dreams. A cold sweat ran down her back and plastered her black fringe to her forehead. She got shakily out of bed and tried to calm herself. This was the third time that week she'd recieved what she called 'visions', a gift which enabled her to see events before they happened. Normally, Grace was happy to have them, glad, even. But lately, they had been of death, of the brutal murder of people she knew and would miss. Each death was at the hands of the same demons. They were large, ferocious looking creatures, with rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth, all crowding for a place in a huge, gaping mouth. Grace hoped and prayed that she would never meet them.
She shuffled into the bathroom, trying to muffle her sobs so her mother didn't wake up. If she even thought that she was having visions again... Grace didn't want to think about it. She peered into the mirror and almost cried out in surprise. Blood was pouring from her nose. She eventually managed to stop the flow, but she still felt awful. That had never happened before. She splashed water onto her face and sighed heavily. She always felt so terrible after these types of visions. Like she should have done something, but didn't. She wished she knew someone who *could* help, who wasn't afraid. Her brain raced through various people who she might be able to tell, but when she *really* thought about it, she realised that she was alone on this.
Grace decided, as she crawled back into bed, that she would have to summon up the courage to help them herself.
* *
Giles slammed shut the last book which could have been of use to the gang and frowned. Their only clue as to what killed Nicole Matherson was Buffy's somewhat vague description of a mark, or symbol, which had been left on the unfortunate victim's skin, and they had come up dry on that.
"Are you sure it looked like a.." Giles paused, trying to remember her words.
"Bird-dog-tree." Buffy supplied and her Watcher shook his head.
"Yes, are you sure the mark on her neck was a 'Bird-dog-tree'?" he asked
Buffy nodded "Positive." she assured him. The group shared a worried glance. Trust Buffy to name the only symbol which they couldn't find.
"Haven't you got any books on," Xander looked at the Slayer before turning back to Giles "'Bird-dog-trees'?" Giles shot him a look which said "No."
The Watcher was irritated. Of all the ways Buffy could have described the mark, she chose one which a three year old might have bettered.
"I've exhausted all my resources." he admitted.
"And the net isn't really a help. There aren't many sites dedicated to 'Bird-
dog-trees.'" Willow put forward.
The Slayer felt stupid. She might have felt better if people didn't keep repeating her exact words. They couldn't have said it any better.
"Where's her body?" Anya queried suddenly. Everyone gave her a worried look.
"Morbid much?" Willow pulled a face.
"No," Anya spat back "I was just thinking, maybe we could sneak in there and, y'know, look at the Bird-thing ourselves."
"Good idea." Tara smiled and decided to contribute to the it "They probably have her body in a funeral home, so people can pay their respects."
The group nodded. That made sense, now it was just a case of finding out which one.
For obvious reasons, Sunnydale had a lot.
* * *
That night, Xander, Buffy and Giles crept through Sunnydale's biggest funeral home in search of room 109, which, if Willow was right, would be home to Nicole Matherson's body. Buffy had at first protested to Giles coming, but he'd insisted. After all, he needed a good look at the symbol.
So, as the trio tip-toed down a long corridor, she was particularly on guard. "Xander, you okay?" she whispered to him at the rear of the group.
"Yeah, just a little creeped, but we *are* in a funeral home in the middle of the night." he answered quietly. They continued on their way.
Suddenly, they all yelped in surprise and fear as someone else's voice broke the eerie silence which had pursued them since their arrival.
"Are you aware you're bein' followed?" The newcomer asked loudly.
"Now we are!" Buffy snapped, punching Spike in the arm.
"Not by me," he rolled his eyes and rubbed his sore arm "By this girl."
Buffy looked past him "I don't see any girl," she told him testily "All I see is a vampire begging to be staked. What the Hell are you doing here, anyway?"
Spike shrugged "Bored." he replied bluntly.
"So you decided to scare us all to death?" Xander said, trying to calm his thundering heart.
"Aww, is the iccle boy frightened?" Spike teased and Buffy hit him again.
"Ow!" he complained, a demon had bitten him in that spot the night before and it still hadn't healed. "What are *you* doin' here, then?" he inquired.
"Other than being jumped by morons?" Buffy narrowed her eyes at him and he replied with an angry growl "We're looking for a body with a symbol, if you must know."
"Oh," Spike was deflated. He'd expected something dangerous, that's why he'd followed them. "Well, the girl's been behind y' for about five minutes, she's human, like, but just watch out." He held out his hand.
"Yes?" Giles asked him, waiting for the vampire to leave.
"I gave you information." He recieved blank looks "Info equals money."
Buffy took out a stake "And annoyance equals being killed." she said.
Spike raised his hands, he was going anyway. The group watched him disappear around a corner and sighed.
Sometimes, Buffy swore she prefered him chipless.
* * * *
Grace gulped as she tried to listen to what the guy with the white-blond hair was telling them. Did he know she was trailing them? And where did he come from anyway? She gasped as he turned away from them and started back in her direction. Grace pressed herself back into the shadows of the corner she was in and hoped he didn't notice her. The guy stopped infront of her and beckoned her to join him in the dim light of a bare bulb which hung above his head, swinging to and fro. Grace shuffled out to him and hung her head.
"Who are y'?" He asked her curiously as he lit a cigarette.
Grace recognised his distinct accent as English. "Grace Hannlyn." she replied in a voice so quiet she wasn't sure whether or not he could hear it.
But he did "Well Grace, I've told them lot you're followin' them, but they don't believe me, so you're free to continue." he flashed her an amused smile. "Why *are* y' followin' them, then?" he raised a scarred eyebrow.
"Because I think they know where the things that killed Nicole are." Grace informed him.
Spike didn't bother telling her that they didn't have a clue and looked around himself. "Right, but I should warn you. There are nasty things around here at night. Very nasty, evil things that love to prey on girls such as yourself." he smiled as a worried look crossed her face.
"I know all about vampires and demons." she said bravely as he began to walk towards the nearest exit.
"Y' know about vampires, eh?" he slowed slightly "Ever talked to one?"
"No." Grace admitted to his turned back.
"Yes y' have." he assured her before fading into the shadows. She jumped back in surprise. He had been a vampire?! She thought all vampires were ugly.
She shook herself and went back to work on tailing the three friends.
* * * * *
Inside room 109, a medium sized casket begged the group's attention. Giles was the first to approach it. He lifted a tag on it and read it aloud.
"Nicole Matherson." He drew himself up and grasped the lid of the coffin. He couldn't expect the others to open it, they were still only twenty, despite all they had seen and done. The sight wasn't as bad as he'd expected, but it was still a shock. The body was the whitest of whites and strands of blond hair fell upon limp shoulders. The Watcher guessed the corpse to be at the same age as Buffy and her friends.
"Where's the mark?" he asked, praying he didn't have to touch the milky dead body which lay before him. The eyes hadn't been closed. A task which would have saved Giles the horror of having to look into the terrified blue eyes which now stared up at him.
"On her neck." Buffy informed him, keeping close to the door with Xander. She'd seen enough of *that* body the first time round. Giles sighed deeply, and the two behind him could guess why. He'd have to touch the corpse.
With a shaky hand, the Watcher pushed his glasses up his nose before reaching out to the poor dead girl. He gingerly pushed some hair away from her neck, trying to minimize the contact as best he could. The symbol jumped out to him. It hand been hurriedly scratched into the skin. Probably after the murder, Giles thought, as it hadn't begun to heal.
"What does it look like?" Xander asked in a whisper.
Giles cocked his head to one side before answering "A Bird-dog-tree."
* * * * * *
The slightly amused silence which followed the British man's statement confused Grace. Either the group was really sadistic, or they had just shared an in-joke which had been previously discussed. Whatever, this just told her one thing : that they *didn't* know where Nicole's murderers were.
But, she realised on a brighter note, this meant that they all shared a common goal. They could help her. She wasn't alone on this. She took a deep breath before stepping forward into view of everyone.
"Hi, my name's Grace Hannlyn, and I want to help you." she announced. Suddenly, the female of the group, Buffy, she thought her name was, grabbed Grace by the throat and slammed her backwards into a wall.
"For some reason, I'm not convinced." she told her evenly. Giles put a hand on his Slayer's arm and motioned for her to release Grace. He shook his head as the girl fell to the floor. She had seemed genuine to him.
"Grace, is it? Why were you following us?" he asked her when she had recovered from Buffy's attack.
"Yeah," Xander joined him at his side "if you wanted to help, what's with the sneaking? You should've asked before."
"I-I wasn't sure we were on the same side." Grace answered, massaging her neck. "Just like I'm not now." she directed that at Buffy.
"How can you help?" Buffy demanded, ignoring the comment. The girl was so thin and pale she looked like she wouldn't last two rounds with a kitten.
Grace tucked some of her long, black hair behind her ears and cleared her throat nervously. She elected to tell them all the truth.
"I have visions of things before they happen," she told her small, shocked audience of three. Xander immediately thought of Cordelia. According to Buffy, she now recieved visions and helped Angel.
"I saw what killed Nicole Matherson the other night." Grace continued, and she could tell they'd let her help.
Suddenly, she was struck by a terrible vision...
* * * * * * *
Across town, the group of demons she'd seen drain Nicole, were chasing a boy called Darren. He was screaming in terror as they gained on him, but, just as had happened to Nicole, no one came. He had been sneaking around in Sunnydale High's charred ruins when the monsters had come upon him.
Now, he was desperately trying to find a way out of the crumbled walls which used to be his school. He cursed loudly. He had walked through those halls for years, and now, when it really mattered, he couldn't even remember where the exit was. His breathing became laboured as he tore down yet another corridor. He prayed his asthma didn't kick in as he heard the demons get closer. As if on cue, Darren started to hyper-ventilate. He was forced to stop and lean against a door which had miraculously survived the fire. He glanced around himself with panicked eyes, wondering if the monsters had simply gone and left him, after all, he couldn't see them. That was a blessing. They were horrific creatures, with rough, leathery green skin, which in some places gave way to tufts of brown hair. They had long tails which whipped from side to side, tearing up anything which got in it's way, including Darren's right arm, which now hung in shreds. He let out a sigh of relief and leant back, calming his breathing back to normal as he'd been taught.
The next thing he knew, he'd been lifted off the ground by the largest demon and was being cut into with a sharpened talon. The thing uttered the line which Grace guessed was some kind of sick catch-phrase.
"Don't worry Mr Stevens," it growled "you did not die without good cause."
* * * * * * * *
It was just past noon when Buffy and her Slayerettes assembled in Giles' Magic Shop. Business was always slow on Sundays, so the gang could meet to discuss current affairs in Sunnydale.
"So, this Grace," Anya was saying "She's coming here today?"
Her boyfriend nodded "Yep, and hopefully she'll bring a description of the big bads that killed Nicole Matherson and..." Xander faultered, what was that guy in her vision from last night called?
"Darren Stevens." Buffy finished for him. Giles sat down next to Willow with a hot cup of tea and sipped it thoughtfully. If Grace was the real deal, they might have found themselves a Cordelia of their own.
"Hi." Grace shuffled self-consciously into the shop and was met by the curious stares of Buffy and her friends.
"Hello, please sit down." Giles stood and offered his chair politely.
"Thanx." she smiled thinly and sat down.
"Okay, Grace, meet Anya, her boyfriend Xander, who you met last night with, Giles," Buffy began to list "Then there's Tara, Willow and my little sister Dawn should be here soon."
Grace played with her hair as she smiled at each person in turn.
"So you all fight evil, huh?" she asked nervously "Cool." She'd gotten the Slayer talk last night, so she knew what was what. She wasn't just dealing with amateurs.
"I was wondering whether or not you could, er, describe-" Giles began, but she cut him off by brandishing a sketch of the demons which were having themselves a killing spree. There was also a handy picture of the symbol in the corner so the group didn't have to rely on memory.
"Wow, we didn't expect you to make an effort," Anya exclaimed "We just thought you'd give us some lame description which didn't help anyone."
Grace didn't know how to react. Was that a compliment?
"She used to be a demon." Xander told her, as if that was an excuse.
"I don't see how that makes a difference," Anya was clearly offended and annoyed "If you have a problem with me, Xander, just say it."
"Problem? There's no problem! Can anyone see a problem? There isn't a problem." Xander rushed, not wanting to say anything he'd regret later.
Grace sighed. At least this took the attention off her for a while.
Dawn then made an appearence and frowned at everyone's worried faces.
"What's the problem?" she asked, sitting down.
"There is no problem!" Xander cried. Dawn raised her hands in surrender. Whatever.
* * * * * * * * *
Anya tended to a solitary customer whilst the rest of the gang researched the demons in Grace's detailed sketch. She checked the clock as the man left the shop. It was 3:00, they'd been researching for coming up to three hours.
Grace, Giles was pleased to note, was proving to be very helpful. Carrying and fetching books like she did it every day. She was also making notes, an idea the rest of the tired gang hadn't bothered to take up.
"This is useless." Buffy complained "I'm tired and so is everyone else."
"Yes, well, triumph depends on sacrifices, Buffy." Giles told her through a yawn as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose for the hundreth time that day. "Even if no one knows what the demons are." he sighed.
"Look like Shrelta's to me." Spike's voice offered, raising a yelp from everyone in the shop. They all turned to the back of the room, where the vampire stood taking a long drag of a cigarette.
"Jesus, Spike!" Buffy groaned "What the Hell are you doing here?"
Spike shrugged, mirroring his actions of the previous night "Bored."
He then spotted Grace, who was looking decidedly scared of him after last night's encounter.
"Hey, it's you," he nodded at her, then turned his attention to Buffy, Xander and Giles "I told you someone was followin' y'."
"Shrelta's, you say?" Giles prodded, steering the conversation back to the pressing business at hand.
"Yeah," Spike walked forward, taking a seat on some stairs quite near to everyone "Nasty buggers, had 'em workin' for me a couple of years back. Did their jobs good enough, like, but they did all these rituals aswell. Preparin' for some big God to come, I reckon."
"Do you know which God?" Giles asked, already flicking through a book
"I didn't really bother to care." Spike told him with a slight smile. He missed being in control of hundreds of vampires and demons. Telling them all what to do and what not to do. When he got the chip out of his head, he decided he was going to start up a new empire. One bigger than his last.
"Is there a reason you're still here?" Buffy spat, standing infront of him, hands on hips, interrupting his thoughts.
Once again, the vampire shrugged "Still bored." he answered.
The Slayer rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this.
"You could help to research." Tara suggested in a small voice.
"Please," Spike frowned "I have *some* pride y'know."
"Yeah." Dawn spoke up.
Buffy shot her little sister an irritated look and turned back to Spike, but he was already gone.
"How does he manage to do that in the middle of the day?" Xander shook his head. Buffy shrugged her shoulders.
"No matter." Giles was sounding happy "Even though Spike's visit was annoying and sudden, he has given us a much needed lead, so lets crack on."
Everyone groaned loudly. This wasn't their idea of a perfect Sunday.
* * * * * * * * * *
Chanting filled the crowded hall. The echos of a hundred voices bounced off the brick walls, enhancing the volume and intensity of each word spoken. The hypnotic language being used had been dead for centuries, known only to the few who spoke it now. At the front of the hall, leading the demonic session, was a hooded figure, shrouded in darkness on the modest stage on which it stood. All in the hall repeated it's every word.
"Bydillok, Oh Dark Lord," it shouted, watching as fire rose around him, a small trick, but effective "We, the remaining Shrelta, call upon you."
The mob repeated his last words, as they had every night for their whole lives. But this night was different. This night would see their Dark Lord rise again to finish what they had begun. A terrible ritual which depended on the blood of twenty innocents, ten of which they had already collected so Bydillok could rise. In a few short minutes, the work of decades would be justified and they would take the Hellmouth as their own.
"Take the innocent blood we offer, and come to us now to rid us of the Hellmouth's protector." The leader was reaching his climax.
"Rid us,Bydillok," he continued as the fire turned black and the earth began to shake beneath him "Of the Slayer."
****************************END OF PART ONE*******************************