Hey everyone, it's been ages : ) as usual, but since I've got some spare time I thought I'd get back to my favourite stories. Feedback is as always, wonderful.

Disclaimer- Dialogue from season one episode Welcome to the Hellmouth is obviously not mine.

5. Angel, the Harvest and Other Issues

Shortly after Buffy had left the library and Giles had gone back to his office Xander finally moved from his position behind the book shelves to gawk at the now deserted library.

"What?" He said to no one in particular, he thought he was losing his mind, no, it wasn't him, more likely the new British librarian and that cute new girl had already lost their minds. Yep they were definitely crazy. Though he did have a strange niggling feeling in his mind, well there was one way to know for certain.

The rest of the school day was uneventful. I had no problem finding my way around, which was good, even though I'd never been there. School wasn't really the worst problem at present. It was apparent that Cordelia had told people about me in reaction to my dismissal of Queen C and I was already classed as a 'loser'. It didn't really bother me, there's nothing terrible about that, it should work out fine, I may not be popular but I'd have great friends.

So when Willow and I headed to the library I was in a fairly good mood despite our plans for catch up studying. Giles was stood at the counter, clearly engrossed in one of his Time Life series books on creatures of the night, vampire, werewolf, who knows, though considering our current prophesy concerning the Harvest, it was more likely to be the vampire one.

He looked up as we approached the table and set our bags down.

"Hello Willow, Buffy, are you wanting some books?" Giles asked in a completely normal tone. Willow looked at him,

"You know Buffy Mr Giles?" She asked, obviously because I was 'the new girl'.

"Err, yes, we met earlier, didn't we Buffy?"

"Oh, yeah, I was looking for a history textbook but I didn't have a chance to get it." Buffy explained, Willow nodding as she accepted the reason.

"What would do you want to go over first?" Willow asked taking out some books from her bag.

The study session went well and Willow and I got to know each other some more, which was comforting amidst the rest of the things that were going on, or would be.

I told Willow I'd see her at The Bronze and Giles turned to me when she left.

"I'm pleased that you're taking your normal studies seriously." I smiled,

"Well, they are important, and when I'm paying them attention, studying really isn't that bad, or difficult."

"Quite, very good, now we have to discuss the Harvest. You are aware of the specifics I assume?"

"Yep, Sunnydale is on a Hellmouth and there's a big bad old vampire trapped between the earth and a demon dimension from when he tried to open it in 1938 or whenever it was, but caused an earthquake and was trapped inside. The Harvest is a ritual for him to become powerful enough to break free, blah blah."

Giles smiled slightly surprised.

"You have a remarkable memory for a girl who saw an entire six years in two weeks." I shrugged,

"I guess so, I don't think I remember everything but I think I know enough, I hope I do." Giles watched me curiously for several seconds before he spoke again.

"Once this Harvest is out of the way, we will have that talk, I promise." I nodded, though whether I was looking forward to it was highly debateable, I knew it was necessary but it wasn't going to be fun. "You are going to The Bronze correct? Well then I suggest you remain on the lookout for vampires and any odd activities, though I know the Harvest is tomorrow they may be making preparations."

"You're right, they will be. I need to watch for several in particular, I need to make sure I pay attention." Saying the last part mostly to myself, I could feel Giles gaze.

"Buffy is something bothering you? What do you know?" He could tell there was something; I guess I wasn't hard to read. I looked up at him,

"It's Jesse, I need to save Jesse."

"Jesse? Is that Willow and Xander's friend?"

"Yes." My voice sounding small, "Yes," I said again, this time more determined and when I looked at Giles he seemed to understand the seriousness of my statement that I needed to save Jesse.

"I better go." I said gathering my bag and new books.

"Be careful Buffy." Giles called after me and I smiled my thanks before I left the Library and tried to plan for tonight. There was that vamp that Willow talks to and Jesse, he talked to Darla but I staked her, I still have to watch for them, hone as Giles would tell me. And then there was Angel who I would need to talk to, but my potential friends came first.

It wasn't long after I'd left the house that I became aware of Angel's presence as he followed me, can anyone say stalker? He wants to be treated as a non-biting variety vampire? Well, perhaps he should be employing different greeting tactics other than acting as my stalker. I made my way down a side alley, hoping to catch him.

He slipped into the alley completely unaware, but was he really unaware? I pondered while holding myself upside down on the pipe. He's a vampire, hello, they have that icky smelling people thing going on don't they? Regardless, I swung down and kicked the back of his head, him landing in the dirt and me flipping down and placing my foot on his neck. He sure looks yummy in that shirt; oh boy do I have to stop myself doing that or what? Anyway he's smiling up at me like he knows something I don't know, sure smug arse, let's see shall we? He might be gorgeous but that smirk is kinda annoying right now.

"Is there a problem ma'am?" He says, laughing slightly. A problem, you could say that.

"Yeah, there's a problem, why are you following me? Stalking is an offence you know, but then you guys don't much care for the law do you?" Oh this is fun!

"I know what you're thinking," I very much doubt it Angel, "But don't worry, I don't bite." He lies. Is that really the way to open the slayer – vampire with a soul, business relations? No other relations for obvious reasons.

I smile but don't move my foot.

"Right," I say dragging out the word for effectiveness "Is that what you say to all the girls?" The smile is not back and he looks suddenly unsure.

I smile again,

"Oh, don't worry yourself; I don't think I'll be using this," I swing my stake about carelessly, "At least, not right now anyway." I remove my foot and he gets up brushing himself off, obviously still trying to work me out.

"What's the matter, vamp got your tongue? Huh, that isn't right is it, ugh; need to work on my puns."

After composing himself again, Angel tried to regain his previously cool exterior.

"The truth is I thought you'd be taller, bigger muscles or something, you're pretty spry though." He says rubbing his neck like its still hurts another lie. Maybe he should have therapy. I try not to giggle, vampire therapy.

"Yeah, look, what do you want?" I ask playing along a little longer.

"The same thing you do." He reply's mysteriously.

"Okay, what do I want?" I smile, unable to stop myself; boy was he in for a surprise. He stepped towards me.

"To kill them, to kill them all." I look as if I'm thinking for a second.

"Them?" I ask, "Wouldn't that include you?" He looks unsure of me again, like he's not sure whether to admit to this or not.

"You need to be prepared, the Harvest is coming." He says this like the last few minutes never happened, oh dear, you think I scared him?

"Gee, can you vague that up for me?" I ask sarcastically, putting the stake in my jacket.

"You gotta be ready." He tells me as he throws me a box.

"I wouldn't worry yourself Angel, I will be ready." I tell him and turn to walk away. I can almost hear his mind trying to get around it.

I'm almost out of the alleyway when he speaks again.

"You know me?" I turn, with a half a smile, but it's not a happy one.

"I thought that was obvious." He said nothing, "You know me, I know you; we're even at this point so let's just leave it for now, after all, I've got the Harvest to stop." He nodded almost imperceptibly and I turn again, "Try to keep out of trouble, I think you're the only vampire who wouldn't be better off as a pile of dust. See ya around Angel." And with that I walk determinedly and head towards the Bronze, putting on my new accessory.

Willow was sat at the bar when I found her.

"Hey Willow!" She turned and smiled.

"Oh hi Buffy! You okay?" She asked looking concerned while I looked confused.

"Yeah, I'm fine" She looks around at the crowd, and I smile, "You looking for Xander by any chance?"

"Yeah, he usually meets me here." She said smiling, "But we're just good friends, we're not dating or anything." She added quickly after seeing my smile.

"But we used to, go out, but we broke up."

"Really, what happened?" I asked her, smiling a little.

"He stole my Barbie."

"Huh?" I think I'm about to discover a new illness, déjà-vu-itis.

"Oh, we were five." Willow explains as I manage to look confused and enlightened while she sipped her drink. "I don't actually date a whole lot lately."

"Why not?"

"Well, when I'm with a boy I like, it's hard for me to say anything cool or witty or at all, I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away."

"It can't be that bad."

"No, it is, I think guys are more interested in a girl who can talk."

"You really haven't been dating lately."

"It's probably easy for you."

"Yeah; real easy."

"I mean, you don't seem too shy."

"Well, my philosophy, do you want to hear my philosophy?"

"Yeah I do."

"Life is short."

"Life is short." Willow repeated nodding her head.

"Not original I'll grant you but it's true, you have to seize the moment because tomorrow you might be dead."

"That's nice," She paused, not sure what to say now,

"Yeah, just don't go seizing the moment with complete strangers okay? You never know what they're really like, or after for that matter." She nodded again,

"I understand, especially round here, did you know that Sunnydale has the highest percentage of violent or unexplained deaths in California?" I tried to look surprised.

"It does? Not in America then?" Willow smiled a grim smile.

"Well, almost, there are a few other places that are as high as or higher than Sunnydale, like New York for example."

"Wow,"

"Yeah,"

"So everyone hangs here huh?" I asked after a quiet moment of contemplation of the number of vamps in the world. She nodded,

"Yeah, I think I saw Jesse somewhere, he's probably near Cordelia, wherever she might be."

"He got a crush?"

"Big time, poor Jesse, he still keeps on liking her even when she's so nasty to him."

"Well, maybe we can bring him to his senses? Get his mind off Cordelia somehow." I look around for any sign of Jesse,

"That's a good idea," Willow said as she began looking around as well. "Or it would be if he was here." She continued.

"Are you sure?" I ask, growing more concerned for Jesse's health by the second.

"Pretty sure, Cordelia's over there," She pointed out Cordelia sitting at a table surrounded by her minions, um, Cordettes. "Jesse would be within ogling distance of her, and, well, I just don't see him, do you?"

"No." Damn it, she was right, Jesse wasn't here anymore, if he had ever been here that is. I needed to find him and fast.

"Hey Willow, I'm just going to the bathroom, you wait here okay, I'll be back in a sec."

"You don't have to come back," She told me in her sweet unconfident voice, and this was the Willow who might have a bad addiction to magic someday? It seemed so unbelievable.

"I'll be back." I assured her as I turned to look for Jesse.

As much as I looked for Jesse I couldn't find him and my heart grew heavier by the second, I had the worst feeling. Deciding to get Willow and leave so she at least was safe I bumped into Xander who had just arrived.

"Xander, hey, you seen Jesse at all?" I asked still looking around, still more than worried.

"I think I saw him go off somewhere,"

"You did, was he with anyone?" Xander gave me an odd look before answering,

"Yeah, some pretty brown haired chick, I'm giving him major kudos for this; usually he's stood within drooling distance of Cordelia."

"Yeah, there won't be any kudos if he's dead." I muttered to myself, weighing up the options, go back to the library or go find Jesse with Xander and Willow tagging along.

"Right, because what, the girl he went off with might be a vampire and then you would have to slay her?"

I looked back at Xander who had a strange smile on his face. How had he known?

"You heard us in the library didn't you?"

"Yeah, I heard you and that weird British guy talking crazy."

"That I'm the slayer right?"

"I heard that you think you're the slayer and that both of you should probably have some serious therapy and possibly medication."

"I am the slayer Xander. But I can't debate the issue right now, we have to get Willow and find Jesse somehow, before it's too late." I muttered the ominous cliché at the end as I dragged him towards Willow.

10 minutes later we had walked in the general direction Xander had mentioned and had found nothing, a cemetery was, of course, in this area so I resolved to do a quick sweep of it, including the mausoleum which seemed way too familiar and I had to do this while making sure Xander and Willow didn't end up as the master's midnight snacks, fun.

No sooner had we come within hearing distance of the mausoleum than we were surrounded by three vamps, three fashionably challenged vamps at that, but three vamps none the less. When one tried to grab Willow I punched him and let a quick roundhouse kick do the rest, dusting him before the others could look appropriately disturbed, but they didn't seem to bright and were eager to attack once again. I thought I'd try and distract this time while I considered the chances of others arriving.

"Where's Jesse?" The first one sneered at us.

"Oh, was that his name, I'm afraid it's a little late for that he's already been and gone, gone forever that is!"

"Yeah he's dead." The second one added needlessly, this one, a girl, was about as air headed as she could get.

"I just covered the whole dead bit you dumb bitch!"

"Fine, if that's the way you want it." With that she turned and strode off into the dark leaving butt face behind.

"Oh, dear, looks like you had a tiff, oh just as well, you'll be dead in twenty seconds." And before he could manage some lame ass reply, I slammed him with several kicks and blows about his head before my stake had its second dusting of the night.

"Oh god! What was that Buffy? Jesse can't be dead, he just can't be, right?" Xander asked looking ill,

"Dead? That couldn't have been a vampire, could it, I mean they don't exist." Willow said quietly, looking worse than Xander.

"I'll explain when we get back; right now we need to get out here, fast." I said starting towards the school. My heart heavy; Jesse was gone and I'd known he was going to die and hadn't been able to save him.

Was there anything I would be able to change, beyond my own choices?

Tbc,

Love feedback guys......

Becca.