A/N: Argh! This one is hard to write. It's kinda rough, setting it in the middle of things that happened on the show. I know what I want to do, but sometimes it feels like a lot of re-hash. Anyway, here's Chapter Three. let me know what you think.

Chapter Three

Darla sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time since she came to this miserable little burgh. If she was going to help the Slayer, she wanted to, gee, I don't know, HELP THE SLAYER, not skulk around delivering cryptic warnings. But, she also understood what Bill had said. The Slayer needed to SEE that she was needed. So, for now, she'd play along.

Right now, she was following the Slayer, Buffy, Bill had said her name was, from a distance. She'd decided to make a game of it, and test Buffy's abilities at the same time. So, she was following, being as quiet as possible, seeing if Buffy would notice she was being followed.

Darla had to grudgingly admit, the Slayer was good. Several times, Buffy had stopped and looked around, but, so far, did not seem to have spotted Darla. The Slayer turned a corner, and Darla picked up her speed a little so as not to lose her.

Darla turned the corner, and the Slayer was nowhere in sight. She had turned down an alley, with nowhere to go but straigh ahead. She couldn't possibly have moved that fast!

Darla walked further down the alley, only to feel two feet impact with her back, sending her sprawling onto the ground. She rolled over onto her back to see a pipe jutting out from one of the buildings. From the height of the pipe, Buffy must have been doing a handstand on top of the thing, then swung down and kicked Darla. Cute. The Slayer was standing over her, a fist raised.

"Is there a problem?" asked Darla, holding out a hand placatingly as she climbed to her feet. She got a good look at the Slayer. She was as petite and pretty as Bill had described, with blonde hair that was a little darker than Darla's, and sad green eyes. Darla almost gaped as she looekd into the Slayers eyes and felt something. Something she couldn't quite describe. From the look in the Slayers eyes, she felt it too.

"Yeah, considering you've been following me for the last three block," said Buffy. "A big problem." she was reaching into her purse for soemthing. A stake probably.

"Relax," said Darla, smirking at her. "I know what you're thinking and I don't bite." Both girls relaxed a bit, and Darla looked amused. "Fact is, I thought you'd be taller. Or bigger muscles or something." She rubbed her back. "You're pretty spry though."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" she said. "You're no bigger than me. Why do YOU get to say I'M tiny?"

Darla laughed. "Relax, Killer," she said. This girl was TOO adorable.

"Ok, stop standing there looking all mysterious and adorable and just tell me what you want."

Darla smirked in amusement as Buffy clearly had to restrain from kicking herself over the adorable comment. "I wan't thew same thing you want," she said.

"And what do I want?" asked Buffy,. clearly becoming more exasperated.

"From me?" asked Darla. "Dinner, a movie, maybe a midnight dip in a hot tub. In general." She looked at Buffy totally seriously. "To kill them. To kill them all."

Buffy made a buzzing sound. "Sorry!" she said sounding like a game show announcer. Darla was briefly apalled that she knew what a game show announcer sounded like."That's wrong, but what you do get thsi lovely watch and a years supply of Turtle Wax as a parting gift. What I want...is to be left alone!"

Darla stepped closer. She could smell the Slayers coconut-vanilla shampoo. "Do you really think that's an option anymore?" she asked. "You're standing at the mouth of Hell. And it's gettign ready to open."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the box Bill had said to give her."Don't turn your back on this," she said, tossing the box to Buffy. "You've got to be ready."

Buffy gave her a defiant look. "For what?" she asked.

Darla gave her a cryptic look. "For the Harvest," she said as she turned to leave.

"Wait," called Buffy. "Who are you?"

Darla turned back. "Let's just say I'm a friend," she said.

Buffy gave her an exasperated look. "Well, mybe I don't WANT a friend!" she said.

Darla just shook her head. "I never said I was YOURS," she said, then continued walking.

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Buffy had entered the Bronze and found Willow, and the two were having a good conversation, though, in the back of Buffy's mind was the conversation she'd had with the strange, beautiful, blonde. Buffy's thoughts were actually of the girl herself, rather than her words. There was jsut something about her that made Buffy's tummy feel...all fluttery. She totally didn't understand.

Suddeenly, she noticed someone on the clubs upper level. What the Hell was he doing here? She turned to Willow. "Uh, I'll be back in a minute," she said.

"Oh, that's ok," Willow assured her. "You don't have to come back."

Buffy smiled at her new friend. "I'll be back in a minute," she repeated.

She found the stairs and ascended to the second level, finding him standing at the railing, overlooking the lower level. She stepped up next to him and said casually," So, you like to party with the students? Isn't thjat kinda skanky?"

Giles tone was withering. "Right, this is me having fun. Watching clown hair prance around is certainly MY idea of a party. I'd much rather be home with a cup of bovril and a good book."

Buffy grinned and shook her head. "You need a personality, stat."

"This is the perfect breeding ground for vampiric activity," he admonished her. Dark, crowded...Beside, I figured you'd show up, and I have to make you nderstand..."

"The Harvest is coming," interrupted Buffy. "I know, your friend told me."

Giles started and gave her an anxious look. "What did you say?" he asked.

"The...Harvest," said Buffy carefully. "That's what your friend said. Does that mean anything to you? Because, I'm drawing a blank."

"I'm not sure," said Giles thoughtfully. "Who told you this?"

"This girl," said Buffy, fingering the cross she was wearing. It had been what was in the box Mystery Girl had given her. "My height, blonde, REALLY pretty," she stared off for a moment, then added," in an annoying sort of way. I thought she was a friend of yours."

"No," said Giles, confused bo0th by Buffy's words and the way she was acting. "Did she say anything else?"

"Just soemthing about the mouth of Hell,"said Buffy irritably. "I really didn't like her!"

Giles nodded thoughtfully, and the two observed the crowd for a moment in silence, as the kids bopped and swayed to the rythm of the band.

"Look at them," Giles said, sounding almost annoyed. "Throwing themselves about, completely unaware of the danger that surrounds them."

Buffy didn't look at him. "Lucky them," she said wistfully.

"Or, you could be right," Giles conceded. "Maybe there is no trouble brewing. The signs have been wrong before. It's not like you're having the dreams."

Buffy started, thinking of the nightmare she'd had before school this morning. She sighed and looekd back at the crowd.

"Look," she said to Giles. "It's not like I'm saying I'll NEVER slay another vampire. If I run into one sure. I'm just not going to get way extra curricular with it." It sounded lame, even to her own ears.

"But will you be ready?" asked Giles. "There's so much you don't know about them, about your own powers. A vampire appears to be a normal human, until the feed is upon them. Only then do they reveal their demonic visage."

"Demonic visage?" quoted Buffy. "You're like a walking thesaurus. Besides, I KNOW all this!"

Ignoring Buffy's outburst, Giles continued. "The point is, a Slayer should be able to see them anyway. Without looking. Without thinking. Can you tell me if there's a vampire in this building?"

Buffy scanned the crowd. "Maybe?" she said.

"You should KNOW!" Giles said. "Even through this mass and this...din. You shoudl be able to sense them. Try. Reach out with your mind."

Buffy took a deep breath and looked out over the crowd.

"You have to hone your senses,"instructed Giles. "Focus unti lthe energy washes over you..."

"There's one," Buffy interrupted.

"What?" asked Giles, looking down at the crowd. "Where?"

Buffy pointed. "Right there,"she said. "Talking to that girl."

In the far corner, a good looking young man was talking to a girl who had her back to them.

Giles looked doubtful. "Buit you don't KNOW..."

"Oh, please," interrupted Buffy. "That jacket? With the sleeves all rolled up? Deal with that outfit for a moment!"

Giles looked. "It's dated?" he asked.

"It's CARBON dated!" answered Buffy. "Vampires always think fashioend ended the year they died. Trust me, only someone who's been skulking underground for at least ten years would think that was the look!"

"But...but you didn't hone..." began Giles.

"Oh NO," exclaimed Buffy suddenly, pointing.

The vampire was stil lchatting with the girl, motioning for her to come with him. He stepped aside and the girl turned, and Buffy's stomach dropped.

"Isn't that..." Giles began.

"Willow," said Buffy.

"What is she doing?"

"Seizing the moment," Buffy threw back at him as she headed off towards the stairs.

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Bill was running late. He had this feeling he needed to be at the Bronze tonight, but, his grandmother had needed his help. The kindly woman had taken him in when his mother...a few years ago, and Bill owed her a lot. She was nearly 80 and frail, but with a bombastic personality.

Bill threw his jacket on and left the house. He looekd around, saw nobody was watching, and started running, much faster than he should have been able to. Maybe not Roadrunner fast, but fast.

He was about halfway to the Bronze, when he was suddenly thrown off his feet and clutched his head The pain only lasted for a second, but the images flashing through his head lasted a moment longer.

A cemetary. Restfield.

Vampires. With three prisoners.

Willow. Xander. Jesse.

His friends were in danger.

Bill had thought he was supposed to try to stick close to the Slayer tonight, but, the Powers only sent him visions when it was important. He got to his feet, shook his head, and started running towards Restfield Cemetary.

He got there in time to see Jesse being dragged out of sight by a girl. Xander was unconcious and being dragged, and Willow was over the shoulder of another vampire. There were four vamps in all. He shook his head and reached into his pocket for a stake. He took a deep breath and...changed. His eyes turned red, his skin turned blue and little spines popped out of his face, kind of like a puffer fish. Feeling the surge of strength that came with letting out hsi other half, he ran down to save his friends.

He reached Willow first. He came up from behind, plunging his stake into the back of the vampire carrying her, making it burst into dust. He cought Willow and slowly lowered her to the ground. The other vampires heard the commotion. The one dragging Xander let go of him as he and the other male vampire turned to face Bill. The female, reluctant to give up her prize, took off.

Bill took a defensive stance as the two vampire rushed him. He was an accomplished brawler, and had taken soem karate classes. The first vampire took a swing at him which Bill ducked, the tucked his shoulder into the vamps stomach, then straightned up, sending the vamp to the ground. He kicked it in the side as the other vamp came in more carefully. Bill swung first, but the vamp blocked his punch and aimed one at Bill's stomach. Bill dodged aside, but took a punch to the face. The vampire roared as his knuckles tore on Bill's face spines/ "You'll pay fir that, Brachen," the vamp growled and threw another punch. Bill caughts the vamps fist, headbutted him, his spines barely missing it's eyes, then brought a knee up into it's groin. The vamp fell to the ground and Bill drove his stake home. Suddenly, the other vampire, who he'd almsot forgotten was on his back. This one was clearly NOT the fighter Bill was, so Bill threw it off and staked it.

He turned to make sure Willow and Xander were ok, then saw the dimunitive form of Buffy coming this way. He took off in the direction the vampire had taken Jesse. Alas, try as he might, he couldn't find them.

"Jesse," he muttered sadly.

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