What If?
by Kayla








Rupert followed the three teenagers down a damp, dingy stairway. "Everyone, stay close together. I'd rather none of you got lost down here."

"No problem." Willow shuddered as she stared around. A drop of...something landed on her arm, and she hurriedly wiped it off with a disgusted "Ew!"

"Which way should we go?" Xander asked as he examined the tunnels leading away from the staircase. "I mean, east yeah, but me and directions? Not on very good speaking terms."

"That way." Rupert indicated an exceptionally dark tunnel off to the left.

"Right," Xander muttered. "Of course it is. Good thing we have flashlights."

"We're not going to use them."

"What!?" squeaked Willow in alarm. "I mean...dark! And scary! And did I mention dark?"

Rupert glanced back at her in the gloomy light. "You'd prefer them to know we are coming?" he asked wryly.

"Oh. Right. Ok, no lights." She stepped closer to Rupert, tentatively reaching out to grasp the hem of his jacket. "Don't mind me," she laughed weakly.

Rupert chuckled softly. "Onward, then." He led the way into the chosen tunnel.

Inhaling deeply, something he instantly regretted doing considering they were in the sewers, William moved to follow the others down the tunnel. A soft squeaking made him look down, and he let out his own, somewhat louder squeak as a large rat ran across his feet. Without thinking, he rushed forward and bumped into Xander. "Rat!" he explained in frantic voice as he clutched at Xander's hand.

Xander gave him a weak smile and nodded in understanding. Not really noticing that they were now holding hands, the two boys quickly followed Rupert and Willow.

The group walked for a while without speaking, the only sound the echoing of their footsteps.

Eventually, Willow found the courage to ask, "Are we sure we brought everything we needed?"

Rupert hefted their bag of supplies. "Crosses, garlic, stakes, holy water...I think we're about as prepared as we can be. Considering we are about to walk into a den of vampires," Rupert responded softly.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask about that," Xander piped up. "Is 'den of vampires' what you call a bunch of them? Maybe it's really a brood of vampires, or a horde. Maybe a pack?"

"At this juncture, I hardly think it matters." Rupert snorted. "However, I'm sure I can unearth a few volumes from the library for you so you can devote some time to researching the answer to that burning question."

"Er...thanks. I guess." Xander blinked. "What just happened?" he whispered to William.

"You volunteered to do extra researching," William whispered back, trying not to giggle.

"I never!" Xander gasped. "I so did not--"

"Shh!" Rupert halted, holding up a hand. "We're close."

"How can you tell?" Willow asked. Everything still looked the same to her.

"There aren't any more rats," Rupert responded nonchalantly.

"Thank god!" William whispered fervently. At that point, he finally realized he still had a firm grip on Xander's hand. When he looked down to confirm this, he drew Xander's attention to it as well. Their heads snapped back up and their eyes locked together. Then, both boys flushed and hastily let go.

"Why wouldn't there be any more rats? Why does that matter? Oh! Ew! Do you think the vampire eat the rats? Gross!" Willow wrinkled her nose and tried not to think about that any more.

"Well, if they'd stick to the rats, we wouldn't be having any problems with them," Xander grumbled. "Stupid vampires."

Cautiously, Rupert peered around a corner. "Oh no," he groaned.

"What?" Willow peeked too. "Jesse!" She hurried over to where Jesse was lying sprawled on the ground, unmoving.

At her cry, Xander and William were quick to follow, and they quickly crouched over their friend.

Jesse groaned and rolled over. His eyes fluttered open, and then he scrambled to his feet, fist drawing back in defense.

"Jesse, Jesse!"

Jesse squinted in the dim light. "X-Xander?" His hand dropped, and he stepped forward, hugging Xander close to him. Barely holding back her tears of relief, Willow wiggled her way into the embrace as well, dragging William into it with her. Rupert watched the reunion with a small smile, relieved that they had managed to find the boy relatively unscathed.

"Jesse, man, are you ok?" Xander asked in a choked up voice.

Jesse pulled back from the group embrace. "I am not 'ok' on an epic scale," he said seriously. "I'm chained to a wall!" He moved his foot around, showing them the manacle that circled his ankle.

"Hey, don't worry, we'll get you out of that. Will's dad is a closet lock-picker. Pretty good at it too, makes you wonder about his misspent youth." Xander grinned.

"Thank you for that sterling recommendation," Giles muttered as he handed Willow the bag of supplies and knelt to examine the lock on the manacle. Taking a chance, he used a flashlight to provide a bit more light. A few seconds of work and he had managed to spring the lock, freeing Jesse.

"Um, I hate to point this out, but I think someone heard us." Willow watched fearfully as a shadowy figure darted across the entrance to another tunnel.

"Hurry," Rupert urged, ushering the teens in the other direction. They didn't notice the two vampires that stepped out of the shadows and watched their escape.

"I really hate to bring this up right now," Jesse panted as they moved quickly through the maze of tunnels, "but they knew you were gonna come." He glanced behind them. "They said that I was the bait."

"Well, now you tell us," Xander said sarcastically. "If we'd know that before, we would have just left you there." He smacked Jesse on the arm. "Idiot."

"Children, do hurry along now," Rupert called back. He pulled up short as he rounded another corner, lurching forward a bit as the others ran into him.

Darla snarled, a wide, evil grin on her face as she stepped closer.

Jesse paled. "Oh no. No, no, no, no! Not her again!"

"Blast it. Does anyone know of another way out?" Rupert asked Jesse as he herded his charges back.

"Um, I dunno. Maybe? I was dragged all through this place." Jesse turned and ran back down another tunnel. The others were quick to follow.

After several twists and turns, Jesse paused, pointing down a side tunnel. "Wait, wait. They brought me through here. There should be a way up." He stared down the tunnel again. "I hope," he added. He shrugged and took off again.

They were brought up short when the tunnel dead-ended in a small chamber. "I-I don't think this is the way out," William gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"We can't fight our way back through those things!" Willow exclaimed. "There's probably dozens on our tail by now!"

"What do we do?" Xander stared at Rupert imploringly.

"Other than die?" Jesse specified as he watched several vampires begin to creep towards them.

Rupert moved towards the door to the chamber, pushing at it. It groaned and creaked, but barely budged. "A little help would be appropriate," he gritted out as he strained to move the heavy metal door.

Jesse and Xander quickly moved to aid him, while William pushed Willow up against the wall and stood defensively in front of her. Willow hastily removed a stake from the supply bag and shoved it into William's hand, then grabbed another for herself.

Rupert and the others shoved at the door with all their strength, finally managing to get it almost closed. One of the vampires had reached into the chamber, though, and the door now pinned his hand in place.

Thinking quickly, William turned and rummaged for the vial of holy water that had been included in their supplies. Opening the vial, he darted forward and poured it over the hand, which immediately erupted into bubbles of melting flesh. An anguished howl sounded, and the hand was hastily snatched back, allowing the door to slam shut.

Panting, Rupert and Jesse leaned back against the door. Xander fumbled for a flashlight and shone it around the small room they were now imprisoned in. "Up there!" he called, pointing to a small hatch in the ceiling.

"Go!" While Rupert continued to hold the door, Jesse and Xander scrambled up on top of a metal container, pulling at the grate. It took a bit of work, but the rusty metal finally gave. Turning, Jesse held out a hand to Willow, boosting her up and out of the chamber. Xander did the same for William, then looked at Jesse.

"No thanks, man. I can get it." With a grin, Jesse pulled himself up through the open grate. Xander followed, almost bumping his head on the low ceiling. "Looks like some sort of air duct," he commented, then wrinkled his nose. "Make that sewer duct."

"No need to stop for the view," Rupert informed him as he hoisted himself up. "Do hurry along now." Squeals of metal punctuated his statement, as the vampires began to pound their way into the chamber below.

Whimpering, Willow led the way down the crawlspace until she came to an open area with a ladder. "Got a manhole here!" she called out in relief. She moved up the ladder and tried unsuccessfully to move the manhole cover.

"Allow me." Rupert squeezed past the others and took Willow's place on the ladder, removing the manhole cover with some effort. He jumped back down. "Ladies first," he said courteously to Willow.

After making sure Willow and the others were all safely outside, Rupert followed them up the ladder. "Ah...what is that?" he asked his son curiously.

William grinned as he stuffed a rag into the end of the scotch bottle. "Petrol and motor oil."

"But that's--what happened to my scotch?" Rupert growled dangerously.

"It was for a good cause, Da," William informed him seriously. He grinned again, lit the end of the rag, then dropped the molotov cocktail into through the opening.

With a sigh, Rupert shoved the cover back into place, cutting off the cries of agony from the unlucky vampires below. "Where did I go wrong?" he asked, looking up at the sky and shaking his head.

Jesse and Xander were looking at William with expressions of awe.

"Way cool," Jesse breathed, and Xander nodded speechlessly in agreement.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Boys," she muttered.



"She escaped." The Master glared at his cringing minions. "She walks free when I should be drinking her heart's blood right now." He stood over Colin, glaring. "Careless," he snarled.

"Master, we had her trapped!" Colin protested fearfully.

The Master gasped in feigned shock. "Oh, are you going to make excuses?" he asked dangerously.

Colin hung his head in shame.

With a snort, the Master turned towards the rest of the vampires gathered. "You are all weak," he announced. "It has been too long since you have faced a Slayer." He shrugged. "It is no matter to me. She will not stop the Harvest. It just means there will be someone worth killing once I reach the surface." He glanced at Colin. "Is Luke ready?"

Colin trembled as the Master once more focused on him. "He waits," he gasped out in an unsteady voice.

"It's time. Bring him!" He held out a hand to stop Colin when the vampire moved to follow the others. "Ah, Colin?"

With a whimper, Colin turned back.

"You failed me," the Master said in a disappointed tone. "Tell me you're sorry."

Colin hung his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered pleadingly.

"There," the Master consoled, "that wasn't so bad, was it?" His expression hardened. "Hold on." His hand lunged forward, and a sickening squelch was heard. "You've got something in your eye." With a bloodthirsty grin, he yanked Colin's squirming body closer.

"You will not fail me again!" he hissed. "Is that understood?" He let Colin go, nonchalantly licking the gore off his thumb. "Thank me for not killing you, Colin," he ordered.

"T-thank you, Master," the maimed vampire croaked as he covered his oozing eye socket.



"Need more sleep," Jesse moaned pitifully as he slumped over a pile of books in the library.

Xander snorted and threw a wadded up paper ball at Jesse's head.

"Hey, I've been through a harrowing experience, here!" Jesse stood and protested. "Vampire attacks, biting, kidnapping, usage as bait...I need come comfort!" He glared at Xander. A positively wicked idea struck him, and he turned to William. "Comfort me!" he demanded, throwing his arm's around William's neck and mock swooning into the startled boy's lap.

"Er..." William awkwardly patted Jesse's head, glancing at Xander out of the corner of his eye.

Xander shoved back the sudden urge to rip Jesse's arms off, and grinned weakly.

Jesse snorted and pulled himself up, moving back to his seat. "Seriously, though, this whole thing is full of major suckage. I got yelled at for sneaking in at almost dawn, fell asleep in History and got detention, and they served meatloaf for lunch! Do you have any idea what goes into that meatloaf?"

"No, and neither do you," Xander replied, glaring at Jesse.

"The point," Jesse continued forcefully, "is that right now my life bites. I mean, is there anything that could possibly make this day worse?"

Rupert walked into the room. "How about the end of the world?"

Jesse sighed. "I knew we could count on him."

"You brought that on yourself," Xander muttered. "You should know by now not to say stuff like that. Talk about jinxing things."

"If I may," Rupert inquired, trying to sound stern.

With a gracious wave of his hand, Jesse motioned for him to continue.

"Thank you. Now, this is what we have managed to find out," Rupert began with a heavy sigh. "Apparently, about 60 years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, and not just to feed."

"Well, why else would he come here?"

"The Spanish who first settled here called this place 'Boca del Infierno'," Rupert explained. "Roughly translated, that means 'Hellmouth'. It seems to be some sort of portal between realities. This vampire hoped to open that portal."

"To bring the demons back?" William asked.

"So it appears."

"End of the world, huh?" Xander nodded. "Of course. Why not."

"But he blew it, right?" Willow asked. "I mean, the world's still here and everything."

"Yes," William agreed. "Well, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town...and him as well."

Rupert took a seat next to the teenagers. "Yes, oddly enough, it seems that opening dimensional portals is a tricky business."

"Imagine that," Jesse interjected.

"Odds are," Rupert continued, ignoring Jesse's comment, "he got himself stuck, rather like a, uh, cork in a bottle."

Xander sat up straight as enlightenment struck. "So this Harvest thing is to get him out, right?"

"Yes. It comes once in a century, on this night. The Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal." He stood and walked over to a whiteboard that was set up at the end of the table. "The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol." He drew something that rather looked like a three-pointed star.

"So, why don't we just kill any vamps with that symbol? That will stop the Harvest, right?" Jesse asked.

"Simply put, yes."

"Well, I'm a simple kind of guy."

Willow snickered, earning a glare from Jesse.

"Now, the only question is where they are going to hold this...ceremony, for lack of a better word. There are a number of possibilities."

Xander shook his head. "No, they're going to the Bronze."

"Are you sure?" Willow asked, already gathering her books together.

"No question. Come on, all those tasty young morsels all over the place? Has suck-fest written all over it."

Rupert nodded and reached for his coat. "Then we should get there. The sun will be down before long." He led the way out of the library.



Lucas stepped into the circle of lit candles, kneeling before his Master and kissing the hand that was held out for him.

With an indulgent grin, the Master offered his wrist to Lucas, who reverently pushed aside the sleeve and bit carefully, drinking of his Master's essence.

"My blood is your blood," the Master said with a great deal of ceremony. "My soul is your soul."

"My body is your instrument," Lucas responded, earning a wicked smile from his Master.

Stepping closer, the Master continued, "On this most hallowed night, we are as one." He annointed Lucas with the special mixture made from his blood, taking care to inscribe the proper symbol. "Luke is the vessal. Every soul he takes will feed me. And their souls will grant me the strength to free myself." He smiled in triumph. "Tonight I shall walk the earth, and the stars themselves will hide!"