A/N: Wow. Over 1000 views! Not sure if that actually means it's been READ that many times, but it's cool! Glad this story seems to be being enjoyed.
To PTJ: Sorry to hear you don't care for Bill. He's growing on both Buffy and Darla, maybe he'll grow on you too. LOL.
A/N2: A thanks to APhantasm for their story "A Charmed Summers". I keep referencing this story to help myself remember the exact chain of events in the tv episode. Easier to switch back and forth between stories than to have the DVD in because that can just distract me, LOL. Thanks APhantasm.
Chapter Five
Giles sat alone in the library, pouring through his dusty old tomes, looking for mention of this Harvest. He found something likely.
"For they shall gather," he read aloud to himself. "and be gathered. All that is theirs, shall be his. From the Vessel pours life." He paused a moment to ponder that. "Pours life." He thought for a moment then turned the page, to see an engraving. In the engraving, a bestial fellow was holding his hand out, commanding a throng of villagers, all of whom were bleeding. Below, in a hellish landscape, a demon was glowing with power. On the bestial ones forhead there was a crude symbol. A star with three points. Giels continued to read.
"On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice, it will come," He stopped and looked up. "Tonight!" He heard the library door open and looked over. "Buffy?" he called hopefully.
"Sorry, it's just me," said Willow, shaking her head. "So, no word?"
Giles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not as yet," he said tiredly.
"Well, said Willow hopefully. "I'm sure they're just great."
Giles nodded. "Did you find anything of interest?" he asked.
Willow spread some computer printouts onto Giles' desk. "I think maybe," she said. "I looked through some old newspapers, around the time of that big earthquake back in '37. And for several months before that, there was a rash of murders."
"Great!" Giles exclaimed excitedly, then looked a little chagrained. "I...I mean not great in a GOOD way...Go on."
Willow flipepd through the printed articles. "They sound like the kind you were looking for. Throats, blood, minths, and not even a clue."
Giles looked at the articles Willow was showing him and shook his head. "it's all coming together. And I rather wish it weren't!"
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
In the sunken church, the Master stood at his alter, watching as Sheila and another of his minions lit a series of candles along each wall leading up to the alter. He listened halfheartedly to the chanting of his minions. He was fuming. Al lthe work baiting the trap, and the thrice damned Slayer had gotten away, again being helped by that accursed Brachen! Ah well, he thought. "I'm glad the Slayer is so strong. It wil lbe nice having someone WORTH killing when I rise. He turned his attention back to the ritual.
Luke stepped forward, removing his shirt, and walked towards the Master and kneeling at his feet. The Master held his hand forward, and Luke reverently kissed it. The Master turned his hand with his open palm up so Luke could kiss that was well. Then, Luke gently took the Masters wrist in his hand, pressed his lips to it...
And bit into it. The Master winced and closed his eyes. Luke fed for a moment, then reared his head back with unholy pain.
"My blood runs with yours," intoned the Master. "My soul is your province."
"My body is your instrument," said Luke.
The Master dipepd hsi finger tip in the blood flowing from his wrist, and used it to paint the three pointed star on Lukes forhead. When he was done, he turned to face the assembled and spoke:
"On this most hallowed night,we are one. Luke is the vessel. Every soul he takes shall feed me. Their souls will grant me the power to free myself. Tonight I will walk the Earth... and the stars themselves will hide."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Bill had caught up with Buffy and Xander outside the mausoleum. He'd given them some half assed excuse about Darla, then Buffy had insisted she go see her Watcher, Giles with them. The three walked into the library to find Giles and Willow sitting there.
Willow stood. "Did you find Jesse?" she asked. Then realised Bill was there. "Bill?" she asked.
Xander stared at the ground, not even looking at Willow. "yeah," he said, tersely.
Willow closed her eyes. Bill could see she already knew the answer, but she asked anyway. "Was he dead?"
"Worse," answered Bill, softly.
"I'm sorry, Willow," said Buffy sadly. "We were too late. And they were waiting for us."
Willow shook her head. "At least you three are ok," she said, sadly.
Xander took a moment to kick a trash can across the room in frustration. "I don't like vampires," he announced. "I'm gonna to take a stand and say, they're not good!"
Willow started towards Xander, but stopped and took a good long look at Bill. Recognition dawned on her face. "It was YOU from last night!" she said. "The guy who saved us, and tried to save Jesse."
"Yeah, that was me," said Bill, still feeling the shame of not having gotten there sooner.
"Oh, right," said Buffy. "Giles, this is Bill Gordon. Bill, this is my Watcher, Giles."
The two nodded at each other.
"So," said Buffy. "We've finally got a moment where nobody is trying to kill us. What is your deal? What's up with the blue face and spines?"
Bill sighed. He'd known all along he'd have to explain, but the story was still hard for him. "My mother is human," he answered. "My father is a demon." He morphed to his Brachen face."
"A Brachen," said Giles in wonder.
"Give the man a glass of port and a cigar," Bill said nodding. "You've heard of them?"
"Yes," said Giles, removing his glasses and chewing the earpiece. "Brachen are a mostly benign race of demons," he explained to Buffy, Willow and Xander. "They were once a proud and powerful warrior race. Then, most of them were annihilated by a rival demon clan. After that, they spent their time trying to avoid trouble, and attempting to blend in as well as possible. Some learned to mimic the human appearance. Some intermarry with human women. Their offspring can take both forms, getting slightly stronger and faster when they take on their demon form."
"That's right," Bill nodded.
"Wait, though," said Buffy. "I'm a pretty good judge, and I'd say you were almost as strong as me in you human form,l then, when you changed, you got, probably just a little stronger than me."
"Yeah," said Bill. "We used to all be that strong. Then, over years of trying to blend in, we lost most of our power. Though, every once in awhile, a throwback is born, one who is already stronger and faster in human form, then gets even stronger when putting on what I call my "game face". I also have something I call "The Sight". I can tell by looking at someone if they are normal humans, or supernatural, and can even identify what type, if it's one I'm familiar with." He turned to Buffy. "You sort of glow for me. A little bird told me the Slayer was starting school here today. Even if you WEREN'T the only new girl, I would have known you were the Slayer."
"That's how you knew Jesse had been turned," said Xander softly.
"Yeah, said Bill. "So, my Dad was a Brachen who could take human form. He met my mother, and they fell in love. They got married, and a couple of years later, I was born. For the first fourteen years, I thought I was human. Then, I started notcing I was a lot stronger and faster than I should be. Then one day, I sneezed, and accidently put on my game face in front of my mother. It totally freaked her out. See, Dad never told her the truth. You know how most people turn a blind eye to weird stuff, like vampires and demons? Well, Mom was a shining example of that. So, Dad finally told the truth, and she lost it. Had to be comitted and everything. Dad left, and I went to live with my grandmother.' He shook his head. He still felt a lot of guilt over his mothers mental state.
"That explains a lot,"said Willow. She turned to Buffy and Giles. "Bill used to play football the first part of our freshman year. Then, we he turned fifteen, just before thanksgiving, he wound up quitting the team and became a loner. He started hanging out with me and Xander and...Jesse."
"Yeah," said Bill. "So, a couple of weeks ago, I was approached by The Powers That Be."
"Powers That Be?" askedBuffy.
"They're higher beings," explained Giles. "They never intervene directly, but they do employ agenst on Earth, to help maintain the balance."
"That's right," said Bill. "They explained to me the throwback part of my demon side. They offered me a 'job" as their agent. The youngest ever, I might add. They told me Sunnydale stands over a Hellmouth, and that evil just sort of gravitates here. They said the Slayer was coming, and she needed help. On top of my physical abilities, they gave me, sort of psychic visions. They send me visions when they think either you, or even I, need to take care of something going on. Only a demon or a half demon can handle the visions. A normal human's, even a Slayer's, brain would eventually explode from the visions. A full demon can bear them with no problem. A normal half demon would experience excrutiating pain during the vision, then take some time to recover. Me? It hurts like hell for a moment, then goes away, and I recover by the time the vision is over. So, I'm here to help. Both physically and with the visions."
"What about that girl who was in the tunnels with us?" asked Xander. "Darla."
Bill smirked as Buffy took extra notice when Darla's name was mentioned. "Darla is here to help," he said. "that's really all I can tell you. It's HER story to tell. I was told she was coming to town and she could help, and was told to recruit her. So, that's what I did."
"So, where was she last night?" asked Buffy. "Why didn't she help, instead of jsut giving me that cryptic warninbg about the Harvest?"
Bill looked embarassed. "I told her to," he said. "I overheard you and Giles arguing yesterday, and I saw how you were trying to deny your calling. So, I told Darla to play it cool and mysterious. Be honest, Buffy. What would you have done if we had just told you we were here?"
"I probably would have decided you two could handle it," said Buffy, ruefully.
"Wait a minute," said Xander, looking angry. "If Darla had been there last night, she might have made a difference and we might have saved Jesse! This is YOUR fault!" He threw a clumsy, angry punch at Bill, who caught the fist and pulled Xander closer, again, temporarily putting on hsi game face.
"You REALLY don't want to do that!" he snarled at Xander. "I already feel guilty enough about Jesse. I don't want to have to add cleaning your clock to it." The two stared each other down for a moment, then Xander finally backed off. Bill released his fist, then went back to his human face. Xander glared and stepped away from him.
Buffy sighed and turned to Giles. "So, Giles,"she said. "have you got anything that could possibly make this day any worse?"
Giles sighed too. "How about the end of the world?" he asked.
"I knew I could count on you,"said Buffy, ironically.
"This is what we know," said Giles going into full lecture mode. "some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore. And not just to feed."
"He came because this town is a mystical whosit?" Buffy concluded, as she Bill and Xander sat down.
"Yes,"said Giles. "The Spanish who first settled here called it Boca Del Infierno, roughly translated to The Hellmouth. A sort of portal, from this reality to the next. The vampire hoped to open it."
"And bring the demons back ," piped in Bill.
"The end of the world,"said Xander.
"But he blew it," Willow picked up the story. "Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed about half the town. And him too. Or, at least, there were no more vampire type killings afterward."
Giles pulled up a chair, a thoughtful look on his face. "Opening dimensional portals is a tricky buisness," he said. "Odds are, he got himself stuck, like a cork in a bottle."
"And this Harvest thing is to get him out?" Xander asked.
"It comes once every century," said Giles. "On this night. A Master can draw on the power from one of its minions as it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol." He pointed d to a sketch of the three pointed star.
"So," said Buffy, making an attempt at cheerfulness. "I just dust anybody sporting this look, and no Harvest."
Giles blinked and nodded. "Simply put, yes," he confirmed.
"Any clue where this little get togethr is being held?" asked Buffy.
"Well, there are any number of possibilities..." began Giles.
"Suddenly, pain exploded in Bills head. "Gaaaaah!" he exclaimed, falling out of his seat. Just as quickly, he climbed back up, the vision flowing through his brain. A large vampire with a that symbol on his forehead, feeding off of a young girl. Vampires bringing more victims up to him. A very familair background.
"Are you having a vision?" asked Willow, leaning forward.
"Yeah,"saidBill as the vision faded. "I know where they're gonna be. The Bronze."
"Are you sure?" asked Buffy.
"Come on, it makes perfect sense," said Xander. "Tasty young morsels all over the place. Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be. Trust me."
"Then we need to get there,"said Giles, sounding tense. "The sun wil lbe down before long."
All five of them rose and started towards the door.
"I gotta make a stop first, though," said Buffy. "Won't take long."
"Me too, actually," said Bill.
"What for?" asked Giles.
"Supplies," said Buffy, matter of factly.
"Darla,"said Bill. "We need all the help we can get. She doesn't live far from the Bronze."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0