Part 10 Once Upon a Time

Giles was very proud of how hard they were all working. Well most of them were working hard. Buffy had been injured the night before on patrol. Slayer healing had taken care of the worst of it but Spike had convinced her to take the night off. She was in a corner with the vampire 'reviewing the research troops'. Buffy had her eyes closed and she was resting against Spike's shoulder so it was debatable how much reviewing was getting done. Giles couldn't complain though. Buffy deserved the rest and she wasn't the only one. Giles touched his sleeping wife on the shoulder "Darling I think you should go on to bed." then continued in a gentle voice, "You're drooling on the text dear."

Anya groaned, sat up scrubbed the sleep from her face, "I'm not going to bed without you. You're not staying up until three in the morning again Rupert. I want figure this out as much as you but working yourself past exhaustion wont help."

Willow pointed out the clock on the wall and laughing a little said, "Um, Anya I don't want to but in here, but it's only eight thirty." She was surprised to see Anya blush and it softened her tone. "You're sleeping for two right so not so early after all."

"Giles over here." Wesley called to the other Watcher.

"Have you found a reference to the vessel?" Giles asked.

"No, I think I've discovered why this place is such a safe haven; the Mayor meant it to be exactly that. He built this house at the turn of the last century for his wife. He describes her as a good woman. She refused to join him in quest for immortality but he was obsessed with keeping her safe." Wes looked up from his text an intense look in his eye. "He made a place for her on hallowed ground that would remain unsoiled and free from evil even the source of evil itself. He knew that the bargains he made left her open to attack."

"Is he talking about the First?" Willow asked Wesley, "The uber-disinvite must have worn off because Dawn saw the First here."

"I don't think so Willow. You would have had a lot more trouble here by now if the blessing had been corrupted. Sunnydale is practically a ghost town even most of the demons have left.

"It could be the First was able to override the wards in Dawn's case somehow. You know, wangle an invite from her." said Willow.

"Dawn, didn't you tell me the First said something about, thanking you and your sister's friends for the invitation?" Giles asked the intense look in his eye proof that he felt he was on to something.

"I didn't do any summoning. Honest.

"I didn't say you had, Dawn. The First isn't a vampire it doesn't need an explicit invitation to enter a home. It doesn't need to be summoned here this dimension is its home. It's kept in check by the forces of good and the natural balance of the universe." Giles paced as he spoke and stopped short as what he had been pondering fell into place. "The Slayer is the force for good. When dark magics were used to bring her back. This balance was upset and the First has taken advantage of it."

Willow said, "So this is all my fault. That still doesn't explain Dawn's visit."

"I know what happened. I did want to see it, not the First but mom. I really wanted to see her again. I kind of, well sort of, believed it was really her that first time." Dawn's eyes were huge and tearful "I don't now, not anymore."

Buffy said, "It's ok Dawn. We know you don't." Then she said to everyone, "This is good right? If we know why things are screwed up we can fix it. Maybe use something like the blessing thingie that's on the house?"

Giles said, "It would have to be greatly modified and I'm not sure it would work but if it could it be an invaluable tool."

"What? Are you thinking if we all join hands sing com by yah sp? the First is just gonna say oops sorry, take it's playmates and go home. What's done can't be undone." Spike looked at Buffy, "No matter how much you may want it."

"But you can change what you will do. Start over, like the coven was teaching me to do." Willow said, embarrassed by her own earnestness.

"Willow's right. This can't be your average blessing either. Don't forget we're talking about something that's kept us safe here. You've been on patrol with Buffy. You know how bad it's gotten, Spike." Anya said, wide awake now. "Personally if it will help I'm all for the camp songs. It's not like we haven't had practice."

"I don't think we'll need to sing anything but there might be some chanting." Wesley said, a little confused at the groans and laughter. Did they have some like Lorne here in Sunnydale? He would have to ask later.

"Ah here's the ritual that was used." Giles said.

"That can't be right. That's just a run of the mill warding ritual. It only involves a little more power than your average." Anya said squinting to look over at the book the Watchers were sharing. "What do the pictographs on the bowl used to hold the wine and herbs mean?"

Giles took a closer look at the drawing and the inscription below it and breathed a dear lord.

Wesley's own gasp confirmed that he recognized the legendary inscribed bowl too. "I always believed it to a fairy tale. There's never been actual proof that it existed."

"Oral histories are more reliable than we might like to think. It would explain the 'kick' the protection spell has. That kind of magic would stay with the object." Giles said.

Spike said, "Don't tell me the giant snake owned the Holy Grail."

"No this predates the Grail. This appears to be the Vessel of the Chosen it was used to create the line of the Slayer. The vessel we need to find is literal after all. It shows the seven sisters who demanded that they be allowed to go into the wilderness in search of the power to destroy the monsters that were killing so many in their village. The gods of the caverns had promised that whoever was brave enough to pass their trials would receive a reward. Their parents allowed them to go but their father and four elders went with them to watch and instruct the girls. Even knowing that the watchers would be with her daughters the mother worried so she and the father worked magic. They made a scrying bowl so she could see their daughters. When the seven proved their bravery they were rewarded with great strength. Even the watchers were given more wisdom."

"The women defeated many of the monsters but they weren't immortal and as time went on they died. Some died in battle others from sickness or childbirth." This made Giles pause and give Anya's hand a squeeze. "There were still monsters because there will always be monsters but no one worthy wanted to be a slayer. So right before the last sister died the father took the girl's power and put it into the vessel her mother had made and gave it to the Watchers. From that time on there was only one girl in all the world." Giles felt guilt press down on him when he thought of how that girl had been chosen. Willow raising Buffy was just the thing that tipped the scales. The Slayer line has been rotten at the root for ages.

"Rupert honey, I know what we need to do! It's the numbers. The numbers are exactly right. That's why you needed to get Faith and Wesley Now all we need is to find that vessel."

Before Giles could say a word Willow said excitedly, "Hey I know where you're going with this. If you're right we won't just be shooing out the big bad we'll be inviting in the opposite. That works because you know voids aren't really good. But we've done this before and I really didn't love the nightmares."

Now Giles understood what they were proposing, "Anya my darling you are a genius. When we invoked the first Slayer we were speaking of the One Alone. If we were to properly prepare and invoke the source of the source so to speak I think we'd find a far less resentful spirit. It will be a new beginning for the Slayer line."

"You're thinking of invoking the seven sisters?" Buffy asked, she could see Giles was about to defend the theory and she shook her head to stop him. "I like this... we wouldn't be stuffing power into one unwilling girl. We'd be spreading it around back the way it was supposed to be. See we messed up but we weren't the only ones. We were just the last straw."

"This isn't something that can be done lightly. All our lives will be changed by this in ways we can't foresee. That is if we can find the vessel. At his wife's request Wilkins donated to the monastery that runs the vineyard. He made a note of it in the margin. Who knows if its still there."

"Oh it's there alright." Spike said grimly. "Or it was."

"Spike's right. That's where we followed those bringers last night. I was hurt right near there."