The entire journey back to the school, I dreaded having to tell Willow about our failure. I dreaded even thinking about Jesse. I dreaded thinking about my failure. I couldn't stop thinking about how bloody young that boy was. Or…had been.

I knew how this was going to end, of course. That's why I didn't like thinking about it.

Xander's head hung down and his shoulders slumped as he walked. A completely dejected figure. Buffy marched with her head up, as usual, looking for a fight, though I could detect a disappointment in her eyes as well.

When we went through the library doors, Willow looked up from her position at the study table. She smiled at us. It was such a simple, hopeful gesture it wrenched my gut and I had to look away. I think she noticed because when she spoke the smile had gone from her voice.

"Did you find Jesse?" she asked.

There was a short, but heavy pause.

"Yeah." Xander said shortly. His voice choked on the monosyllable.

"Was he dead?" She asked. I lifted my head then and looked her in the eye, as hard as it was.

"Unfortunately, it's worse." I answered. She frowned in confusion and looked at Buffy. Buffy glanced at me, then went and sat down across from Willow.

"I'm sorry, Willow." Buffy said, "We were too late. And they were waiting for us."

Willow just looked even more confused, the poor dear heart.

"He's gone." I said. "Jesse's gone and a demon is in his place."

"Oh." Willow whispered. She went pale, curled her little hands into fists, took a breath, and composed herself. She's stronger than she looks, that little one.

"Well, at least you guys are okay." She said with a soft smile.

Suddenly a huge commotion occurred off to the side and made us all jump. Xander had kicked a recycling bin…rather hard. His anger partially spent, he turned away and looked at us. Looked at me, and I could see the anger there…that thirst for revenge. I know it too well.

"I don't like vampires." He said. He wasn't saying it to me, I realized. He was just saying it to say it. It was a small comfort, but I took it. He shrugged and looked at Willow. That seemed to calm him down a bit more.

"I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good." He finished.

Buffy sighed and looked up. I followed her gaze to the Watcher. I had almost forgotten he was here.

"So Giles," she began, "got anything that will make this day even worse?"

The Watcher moved around the table to an erase board that had been marked and scribbled on multiple times. He placed a sharpie down in front of it and slowly slid his hands into his pockets. He gave a sigh and then looked at us.

"How about the end of the world?" he said.

I gaped at him.

Have I mentioned that I don't have fond memories of the Hellmouth? This is why. Everything gets out of hand far too swiftly.

Exploding ducks, vampires, Harvest, end of the world.

Being 'in' on the goings on in the supernatural realm is really not at all glamorous.

"Knew I could count on you." Buffy said.

I cast a disapproving look at the back of her head and took a step towards the table, crossing my arms as I did so. I cleared my throat to get Giles' attention and tilted my head.

"Would you be so kind as to explain this impending doom?" I asked. He nodded and started to move again, closer to me and the Slayer.

"This is what we know:" he was saying as he moved, "some a hundred and sixty years ago a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, and not just to feed." He leaned on the table, looking pensive. I moved to keep a view on his face. I prefer to look someone in the eyes when they're speaking. Particularly when they're talking about the end of the world.

"Because this town's a mystical hoozit?" Buffy guessed.

I didn't even bother to ask what on earth a 'hoozit' was. Giles didn't seem thrilled with the word either.

"Yes." He said dismissively, he straightened up and continued: "The Spanish who settled here called it, after translation: Hellmouth. A sort of portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hoped to open it."

"And bring the demons back?" Buffy said.

I shuddered at the thought.

"End of the world." Xander said.

"But he blew it!" Willow broke in, "Or…I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town and him too."

I frowned. "How very opportune." I murmured, looking at Giles. "Miracles do not often occur at such well-timed moments. Usually it's the reverse."

"I can explain that," he said, "see, opening dimensional portals is a very tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck. Like a cork in a bottle."

I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but like to think I can detect little variations in a person's behavior. I liked Giles. In fact I found myself liking him more every time we met, however…every person has secrets…mysteries…dark things done in the past and locked away from memory and history.

When Giles mentioned opening dimensional portals, I could have sworn I saw a glimmer in his eyes, one that showed there was a locked door somewhere in his mind that had been rattled. I keep the Essence behind such a door, or try to, anyway, so I know it when I see it.

"So this Harvest thing is to get him out?" Xander said, breaking through my musings.

"It comes once in a century," Giles explained, "on this night. The Master can draw power from one of his minions when it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal." He moved back to the erase board, and wiped a clean place before taking up his sharpie.

"This minion," he continued, sounding every inch a professor now, "is called 'The Vessel'. And he bears this symbol."

He drew on the board. It looked like a three-pointed star.

"So I dust anyone sporting that symbol," Buffy said, "and no Harvest?"

"Simply put, yes." Giles answered.

"Is there a certain point at which the Vessel would go…harvesting?" I queried. "It hardly seems a good idea to split up and go searching all across town for someone with that mark."

Giles tilted his head and pushed up his glasses.

"Well, there are a number of possibilities-" He began, but Xander interrupted him.

"They're going to the Bronze." He said. It wasn't a question. He sounded like he knew this for certain. We all looked at him.

"Are you sure?" Willow asked.

"Come on," he said, "all those tasty young morsels all over the place? Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be. Trust me."

To my surprise, they then looked at me.

"He…has a valid point." I said, "Vampires are drawn to youth especially when feeding. There's…"I swallowed and looked at the floor. Mercy but this whole situation was just so…embarrassing. "There's a sort of…kick to the blood of a youth," I explained, "if the Master's looking for power after being literally underground for so long….he'll look for youth. Xander's right."

Giles threw down his sharpie and snatched up his tweed coat, already moving for the door. I followed on his heels.

"We should get there at once," he said, "the sun will be down before long."

"I've gotta make a stop." Buffy said, trotting behind us, "It won't take long."

Giles paused and looked back at her with a frown.

"What on earth for?" he asked.

"Supplies." She answered.

Images of stakes, crosses, and garlic flashed through my mind, along with the many, many times I'd been threatened with all of them. It felt strange, being the one to be on the other side of the stake for once.

Sure, I had been at the graveyard, but…when you've been hunted for so long…it's hard to be the hunter.