A/N: This takes place after Buffy season 7 in the indiscriminate future, and starts between TVD season 2 and 3. Anything taken from Buffy after season 7 is AU from the comics. I'm aware they happened, I don't care.

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own BtVS. Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec, and the CW own TVD. Title inspiration comes from the Karen Elson song of the same name "The Truth is in the Dirt."

The place had come to the attention of the Watcher's Council before that May. It was in September of 1864 that the Devon Coven had alerted them of the strong magicks that had come from that small town. They tried to send the slayer that was stationed in New York, but she was killed during the journey there and another one was called in Russia. By the time the news came from Okasana's watcher that she had been called, it was mid-1865 and much too late to investigate.

Nearly 150 years later when the name was brought up again (this time by Willow and more than a dozen covens around the world), the new Council of Watchers knew it had to get down there.

"A mini Hellmouth?" Buffy repeated back to Giles.

"Like a fun sized Hellmouth, ones that the cheap houses give out on Halloween?" Xander quipped.

Giles took his glasses off and began to clean them. "As rudimentary as that analogy was, it's more or less accurate."

Willow stood up and turned on the projector that was connected to her computer. "This is Mystic Falls." She clicked to the first photo of a quaint looking main strip. "Population 6,000 give or take, filled with secrets and magicky goodness." She clicked to the next slide. "Shelia Bennett was our contact there, filling us in on their vampire, werewolf, and otherwise problems. Unfortunately, she died overexerting herself during a spell late last year. The good news is, her granddaughter is a practicing witch there who we've been keeping our eye on."

"That's our Will, always scoping out the latest talent on Wicca Idol." Xander grinned and leaned back, proud of himself for that one. Or he was, until a wadded up paper ball hit him on his eyepatch and almost knocked him off balance.

"Boo!" Faith came give a thumbs down. "Your jokes are lame."

"Yeah, well, so's your face."

Buffy gave them both A Look. "Are you done? I'm sure Willow has many more slides that she wants us to sit through."

"Yes, I do. Hey, wait!" Willow exclaimed. "You aren't enjoying my slides?"

"Your slides are lovely, Willow. Please continue." Giles put his glasses on and gave the rest of the people in the room a warning look of his own. "We're all ears."

She nodded and clicked to the next slide. It was of a clearing in a field. "Something happened about a week ago. Ariel viewing got this shot. We think that whatever happened, it was here. Big time magic coming out of this place, enough to rip a small hole to hell essentially. Hence, mini-Hellmouth." Her next slide was a drawing of a hellmouth next to a much smaller one. She smiled at this one.

"So, we send a few of the babies down there, wham bam fight the baddies, save the town, get the hero's send off," Faith suggested. "Why the big meeting?"

It was Dawn's turn to stand up. "It's not that simple. These aren't the vampires we're used to dealing with. They're more along the lines of the ones you fought in Paris a couple years ago."

"Oh." Faith frowned and leaned in to the conference table. "Those really sucked."

"Hence no minis for our new mini." Dawn continued. "Thanks to Shelia's intel, we've got a few ideas of the main players in the game. But keep in mind this is old information. First up we've got Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Vampires, daylight rings, Stefan is the virtuous caricature, Damon is the typical morally gray one. Does anyone need a refresher on this particular vampire line?" She looked around the room, but no one raised their hands. "Good. There's also their Founder's Council, which sounds about as fun as Watcher's Council, First Edition."

As Dawn continued to give them the rundown of Project Mini Hell (title subject to change at whim), Xander passed Buffy a note that read "Mission Buddies?" with three boxes labeled "Yes," "No," and "Maybe." Buffy laughed and checked a box, then slipped it back to him. He opened it and did a small fist pump.

"But the sun and the moon curse doesn't exist," Giles exclaimed. Buffy and Xander exchanged looks. They'd clearly missed something good.

"But all the research is indicating that that is what caused the event," Dawn argued back.

"I have yet to see a reliable source on it. The text makes no sense. There are too many fallacies in it, it sounds like something a bored teenager made up and then was somehow spread in twenty different languages across the globe."

"Or, the Originals," Faith supplied.

Giles and Dawn stopped their argument and looked at the slayer. "How do you know about the Originals?" Giles asked.

Faith shrugged. "Did a little homework after my run in with those vamps in France. Everyone talked about these dudes in these hushed tones. Some big shot vampire family, basically created the entire line of vampires we're about to go have a smackdown with in nowhere Viriginia." On everyone's incredulous looks, postured her shoulders a little defensively. "What, a girl can't do her own research?"

After a beat of silence, Giles cleared his throat. "So, Faith, are you volunteering to go on this mission?"

"Big hell no, boss, I promised Angel I'd help him with this whole thing in Australia. I'll be on call if Buff and Friends find themselves in a pickle though."

Buffy rolled her eyes. She definitely wasn't upset that Angel had called Faith away on a Super Secret Mission and not her (and after their last mission had gone so well together). "I think we can handle a few vampires and closing a pocket sized hellmouth."

"Does that mean-?"

Before Dawn could finish, Buffy cut her off. "That you're staying her to finish your thesis paper for your masters? That's exactly what it means."

Dawn huffed and shut her own computer. "You get all the fun, with the slayage and traveling, while I stay here, research girl."

"Does this mean OG Scoobie mission?" Xander asked excitedly.

"Well, there will be other slayers positioned in and around the town, not enough to be noticeable, but enough to help if, as Faith put it, 'we get in a pickle,'" Giles replied.

"We haven't had one of those in years!" Willow exclaimed.

"Team Scoobie, assemble!"

Giles took off his glasses yet again. "Mystic Falls is doomed."