Chapter 7: The Harvest Thingy? (Part 2)

Buffy had her hand around the boys mouth, In all honesty, she was disappointed. She'd hoped he would… struggle more.

"Move!" Luke demanded.

"Don't you speak to me like that!" She hissed.

"I meant him!" Luke sneered.

"Oh,"

They reached the 'lair'. Every time they reached this place Buffy wanted to snort laughing. The master had no idea what she had in store for him. But for now, she would grovel, and beg at his feet, and make him think that she was his faithful worker.

Anyway, that Slayer wasn't going to win. She was pathetic. A good fight, maybe but there was nothing true inside of her. No fight; no power. The qualities that made a Slayer a Slayer, that made Buffy sick to her stomach, that 'Cordelia' girl was lacking.

Buffy shoved the boy down the stairs as Master approached. "Is this for me?" He teased.

Luke, the lap dog he was, answered. "An offering, Master."

The Master looked expectantly to Buffy. "Oh yeah!" She grinned. "Super tasty, and everything."

'Ooops!'

"You've tasted it." Buffy pulled a 'derp' face, biting her bottom lip shamefully. "I'm your... faithful dog. You bring me scraps!" He roared.

"Well, I…I…. Yeah. My bad. I'm total-" The master cut her off. But her voice was flat anyway, obviously she didn't care.

"I have waited. For three score years I have waited.

"While you come and go I am stuck here, here in this house of... Worship!" He said the word with such contempt; such utter hatred it made Buffy squirm in pleasure. "My ascension is almost at hand. Pray that when it comes…" He grabbed Buffy's hand, pulling her body close to his. She was forgiven. She was always forgiven. But he had to scare her first. He spun her around, thrusting her into the wall. Anyone else and she would have fought back. Even if this was the most disgusting creature she had ever seen, she had to keep him on side. "I'm in a better mood."

"Forgiven?" She asked innocently. "See, we had more offerings, but there was this whole big thing!"

"There was a girl." Luke finished for her.

"Slight hitch…." Buffy continued. "She was like me. Well…. How I used to be. She was…"

"A Slayer!"


"And that would be a what? " Xander asked, fully befuddled. Cordelia rolled her eyes. Had he not been paying attention? Was he like mentally challenged or something?

And Giles began his speech. Cordelia could not get more bored. Her friends (or rather ex-friends by now) were out having a life, at school… But still. Instead she was here with these nerds talking about those who didn't.

"For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the -"

"Hi." Cordelia interrupted, swerving in front of the Librarian. She'd been pacing at this point.

"That would be you?" Willow tested apprehensively.

"Yeah." She nodded slowly. Their minds were so clearly blown.

"As I was saying," Giles continued, sounding frustrated. "For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl -"

"Oh yawn! What a snooze fest! Are you like obsessed with this part?" She interrupted again, explaining the situation bluntly.

"Cordelia!" He boomed. She rolled her eyes but let him continue in his angry tone. "For as long as there have been vampires, there's been the Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One." He sighed as he finally reached the end of his speech.

It was silent for a few seconds before Cordelia felt enough time had passed to speak.

"Get it now?"

"I think so," Xander replied, though his expression said otherwise.

"Cordelia," Started Giles. "You don't know everything from a single leaflet. You still have years of constant training."

"Whatever." She answered in a huff.

"Xander;" Giles began, going off an yet another tangent. Cordelia groaned and scratched at the bandage around her neck. "The Slayer hunts vampires, Cordelia is a Slayer, don't tell anyone. Well, I think that's all the vampire information you need." He nodded proudly, slightly annoyed at the boys ignorance.

"Except for one thing: how do you kill them?"

"You don't: Cordelia does." Cordelia hadn't been paying attention. Her eyes snapped up and then completed a dramatic roll.

"Oh joy!" She shook her head vigorously back and forth. "I've told you. That was a one time thing!" But no one paid the slightest bit of attention .

"So…" Xander asked, needing clarification. "This is what Cordelia does now? Kills vampires."

"No!" Cordelia snapped.

"Yes." Giles said at the same time. Cordelia glared at him. He met her stare, narrowing his eyes.

"Either way," She stated, braking the silence. "I still have some dignity. There's no way I'm hanging out with you lot." She nodded to Xander, Willow and Giles who looked offended but not shocked. "Or saving your best friend." They gaped at her now, but Cordelia couldn't help it. She'd been thinking a lot, and had decided he wasn't her problem. Sure she wanted to help; it was right to help, but she was scared. More so than she'd ever admit.

"You most certainly are!" Giles demanded. "I am your Watcher and you shall do as I say!" Cordelia began to think up a witty and definite 'no-way'-esque response.

"Excuse me!" Xander got there first. "Jesse's-"

"Been kidnapped. By a vampire." Giles interrupted. He held up a hand, signalling for Xander to stop peaking. Tension was high; Xander rolled his eyes.

"Which I guess is kinda my own fault…." Cordelia admitted sheepishly.

"Which means he'd your responsibly." Well she couldn't exactly flaw the librarians logic…

"Oh…" She grumbled. "Fine! But I swear to god if you let him get all puppy dog eyes on me then -"

"Then what? You'll stake him?" Xander mumbled resentfully.

"Don't talk to me like that, Xander Harris!" Cordelia matched his tone and tried to look her definition of slayer-scary.

"Why?"

"Because I saved your ass!" She said obviously, rolling her eyes. The room was tense.

He hesitated. "I'm sorry! I know." He admitted awkwardly. "Thank you,"

"If you hadn't shown up they would have taken us, too." Willow smiled gratefully.

"This doesn't mean we're friends." she warned, waving a finger at them. Xander smiled slightly and shook his head.

"No, course not." Willow broke into a repetitive nod, getting faster and faster. "You just stopped a gang of vicious demons from eating us, and killed two undead people and got really, really strong over night and does anybody mind if I pass out?" She gulped.

"Go ahead." Cordelia sneered absent-mindedly.

"Thanks, Cordy." Willow replied in a hushed voice.

"Cordelia!" Giles snapped, walking over to Willow. "Breathe, Willow," He instructed.

"The blond girl, the vampire, she was on about some Master guy. She mentioned an offering." Cordelia said, realising the gravity of the situation. It took the nerd spelling it out for Cordelia to remember exactly what she had to remember. And she was pissed.

"What do you think?" Giles tested, trying to home her skills of deduction.

"I think that you should go and find him," She replied hopefully.

"Typical," Xander uttered. Giles continued to motion Willow's breathing but she shook him away in a hand gesture; still not totally comfortable.

"Uh, this may be the dumb question," She began shakily. "But shouldn't we call the police?"

"Xander," The Slayer grinned sarcastically. "I think you've just been bumped down to second."

"I said it might be a dumb question." Willow said sadly.

"No," Giles answered. "Willow. They would never believe us."

"Well, we don't have to say vampires. We, we could just say that there's a, a bad man." Cordelia considered for a second. Despite her mocking, that actually sounded like a plan.

"Actually, I'm with the nerd on this one." She interjected. "Why don't wee just let them deal with it! Then I can go back to having a life. And you guys can go back to not!" She exclaimed chirpily. Giles ignored her spiteful remark though Xander scowled.

"They would never be able to handle it. They'd show up with guns and get themselves killed. Now, does anyone have any idea where they took Jesse?" He asked the question generally but his eyes settled on Cordelia. She took her seat, sighed and responded.

"Am I just expected to know everything now? I had a look, but when they were clear of the graveyard, they could have just easily just disappeared. Like literally."

"They can do that?" Xander gasped.

"No but I'm betting they can drive" She said as though it should be obvious, and the faltered. "…. Right?" Giles nodded.

"I don't think I heard a car. Willow?"

"Uh-uh."

"Let's take an enormous intuitive leap, shall we, and say they went underground."

"Ick!" Cordelia burst out, all eyes turned to her. "Like sewers and tunnels… and ick!" She shuddered. ""I'm not going down there! There's gotta be some other non-gross way the get around."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but sewer systems are really their primary mode of transport. There's no sunlight, of course, so they can get anywhere." Cordelia looked at him imploringly, but he didn't meet her eyes. "Did you notice any tunnel access?"

"Well, there's an electrical tunnel that runs under the whole town." Xander replied, but Cordelia was sure Giles was talking to her.

"If we had a diagnostic of the tunnel system it might indicate a, a meeting place, it would, uh... I suppose we could go to the building commission."

"Nuh-uh. But let's put a pin in that." Cordelia mimed pinning something to the table she was perched on sarcastically. "I was slightly more focused on oh… I don't know… Not getting killed. And oh! We have time for that now? Gee, because here I was worried they were snacking on my stalker as we speak. We don't have time for tunnelling, Giles." She was proud. She'd made a proper argument, killed two vamps, and actually said something smart! What a day.

"Uh, guys?" Willow began, but Cordelia wasn't done rambling.

"Not now, Willow. I'm making a point and that point is that this; all of this, is stupid!"

"Uh, guys?" Willow interrupted again, determined to make her point.

"I said -"

"There may be another way in."


"So she's a Slayer!" He gasped, the very idea intrigued him. He may have been tempted to kill her before, but now he had seen what one had become, the potential for the darkness inside of them; then he have to have her! Have her undead! "Have you any proof?"

"Well, for one: she told me!" Buffy rolled her eyes though the Master didn't look impressed. "And besides I took her on and she's not dead." Buffy left out the part of her holding back, but the newest Slayer was the strongest and best competitor outside the demon world.

"Impressive." Said the Master, laughing to himself. "Would this be the first fight you've lost, Slayer?"

"Don't call me that!" She boomed, forgetting her place - or at least the place she pretended to have acquired. "No…."

"Oh?" Inquired the Master. Buffy shifted her feet awkwardly.

"Angelus!" She wailed. "I lost a fight to my Angel." The Master didn't care, he went back to talking about the younger Slayer.

"She mustn't be allowed to interfere with the Harvest!"

"Oh please!" Buffy laughed. "I told you: not gonna happen."

"Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants."

"She's not the only one," Buffy laughed and lifted the boy by the scruff of his neck. She held Jesse up and planted a seductive nip on his neck. She licked his jaw line but dropped him to the ground with a heavy sigh. Jesses body fell the a thump. The Master looked on at her, bemused by what he saw.

He shook his head at the temptation; his Childe or not, once she'd been a Slayer. "If she is a Slayer, and this boy lives, she'll try to save him."

"I dunno about that." Buffy sneered at him. "I wouldn't." She kicked him in the stomach. Jesse groaned. "I was really hungry, as well. And now you're all high and mighty. But sugar, now you get to play bait. Tie him up, Lukey."


"That's it, then?" Cordelia asked curiously, inclining her head toward the monitor. They were all gathered around Willow in anticipation as she called up the city plans.

"Uh-huh. It runs under the graveyard." Willow answered softly.

"I don't see any access." Xander admitted. Cordelia was quiet but silently, she agreed. She was so nervous, she could barely breathe! She had no idea why she didn't just run away last night…

"So, all the city plans are just, uh, open to the public?" asked Giles suspiciously. Willow blushed.

"Um, well, i-in a way." She lied. "I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally decrypted the city council's security system." She looked down, guiltily. Although Cordelia saw a devilish sparkle in her eye. It wasn't a big deal to someone like her, but for Willow, wow.

"Willow! Check you out." She teased.

"Someone's been naughty." Xander laughed.

"Next thing we know, we'll be dealing with a Dominatrix." Cordelia added, the others weren't sure if she was joking or being plain mean.

"Quiet," Giles instructed.

"Do you… see anything." Asked Cordy sheepishly after a while.

"No, but-"

"Terrific! I knew it was pointless." She screeched! Cordelia threw her arms up dramatically but didn't dive from her seat this time. Giles looked at the others awkwardly, not knowing what to do. He patted her shoulder.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Cordelia." He said comfortingly. She shoved his hands off her and gaped wide mouthed. Cordelia couldn't believe what she was hearing!

"Excuse me?" She wailed. "Says you? I'm not the one being hard on myself. Correct me if I'm mistaken but weren't you the one who was all like 'Oooh! Cordelia! You're not prepared for thi-is!'" She mimicked, aware her British accent drastically failed. She didn't care though, because she was in a blind rage.

Xander and the others fought back hysterics.

"You sound like Mary Poppins." He snorted.

"So does he!" She replied in defence. Cordelia sighed.

"You must focus Cordelia," Giles started.

"'You must focus Cordelia!'" She spat in a high pitched, non-British voice this time. He looked at her through his glasses and leaned across the table beside her. She groaned and replayed the scene in her head, at least thrice over. And then a realisation hit her.

"Ohmighsosh," She mumbled.

"What?" They chorused.

" It was like that Luke guy… just appeared. One minute I'm taking on the blonde chick and then…. I mean, I was dealing fine but then he… All of a sudden there were two of them. Somehow, he was behind me, snuck up like…. But no. He didn't sneak in the entrace because I would have seen him. And that girl, the vampire, the blonde one with splie ends, I would have seen her leave… Which means…" Sordy traid off, wiped by her speech. Willow picked up where she left off.

"They were all ready inside.

Giles looked proudly over them. Xander smiled dopily.

"How smart an I?" Cordelia beamed, ignoring Willow. She just shrugged and decided Cordelia deserved this.

"So, what?" Asked Xander. "We get going, right?"

"I'm afraid Cordelia must face this fight alone." He informed them, Xander began to protest but he knew Giles was right.

"No, I-"

"Sorry, Harris.. I got this. I'm the Slayer apparently and er… That makes it my news."

"Oh!" He snapped. "I knew you'd just jump straight back to that! 'I'm the Slayer, I'm so-o-o great! I'm the only one who can do a-a-anything!'" He sounded like a petty child.

"Oh please!" She shouted straight back. "You have no idea how dangerous this is! Just because I don't want you to get killed! You know what, I am better at this than you! Because I'm the Slayer!" Finally, Cordelia had accepted this. She didn't even realise it at first, but after roaring this to Xander Cordelia had found that she had admitted it to herself. She was the Slayer.

"I'm inadequate. That's fine. I'm less than a man." He yelled.

"Yes, you really are. Well, that's what you're being .God! You're so self centred, this isn't about you getting yourself killed, it's about Jesse!"

"Exactly! I just want to help!"

"We all do, Cord. I mean, I'm not exactly thrilled about the idea of rushing into a dark place full of monsters. But if it helps Jesse, he's my best friend. I have to do something,"

Cordelia looked at them with big, sympathetic eyes. She knew how bad and helpless they had to feel, so she turned to Giles. They were all looking at him, like a collection of sad puppies.

"Help Giles with the Harvest thingy," Cordelia stated.

"I suppose you could help me. As Cordelia said, I've been researching this Harvest affair. It seems to be some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on Earth, quite charmless. I'm a bit fuzzy, however, on the details. It may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine." He removed his glasses and stood straight; an 'Oh-dear' look on his face. The others were taken aback, and looked at him bewildered.

"Cool it, Queen Elizabeth." Cordelia sneered sarcastically.

"Was that terribly British?"

"Li'l bit. This is the New World, you know." She laughed. Giles turned to Willow.

"I want you to go on the 'Net." He stated, attempting to sound modern.

"Oh, sure," She grinned and began excitedly typing. Several windows shut down and a new programme full of codes "I can do that."

Cordelia swept herself out of her sitting position and skipped around her Watcher.

"Right then, I guess this means I'm off. If Jesse is alive, any by the way, no loosing faith, I'm gonna bring him back. Alright?" Cordelia turned her back and glided towards the door. She didn't expect an answer.

"Er… Cordelia!" Giles called to her, she spun back to face him with an eyebrow raised.

"Uh-huh?" She asked suspiciously.

"Be careful."


A/N - Okeydoke, so we know that Buffy was the Slayer now. Ooooh! But we still haven't gotten to the dark haired girl, hmmm. Keep sending in your guesses folks. Oh, and I may have had realization: by the end of series 7, how many chapters is that? Like wow, over 1000? And I might even go past that considering how it works out. Anyway, I'm thinking of cutting a few pointless ep's out, if they don't you know include major Cordy plot developments, how do you feel about that, my dear followers? And er, with Buffy out of the Scooby loop, we're going to be a character short. Now, what do you think of an own character? Or perhaps you have a suggestion? Please let me know, I'm still in the planning stage.

Well, hope you enjoyed, feedback is always awesome! I seriously need some. But for what I have got, I'm so grateful, thanks guys. Thanks a bunch to my reviewers, favers/followers and readers! It's always much appreciated!

Sorry all, next chapter will be a while - I've exams soooo…..