The pale dark haired man was tied securely to a chair. He struggled in his bonds, making as little noise as possible while he scanned his surroundings thoroughly. It was a large warehouse filled with multiple packing crates that towered in stack around him. The only windows covered completely and the only reason he knew it was still daytime was because his vampiric senses told him it was.

Ambushed! The vampire formerly known as Angelus, the Scourge of Europe had been successfully ambushed by an eclectic group of demons. He had just recently arrived in L.A. on his continued search for his grand childe, Spike, and was searching for the demon bar known as Caritas when he senses went on high alert. He'd effectively fought of three of his attackers when they'd managed to corner him into some kind of magical containment field. The last thing Angel remembers after that was the sound of someone chanting, then nothing. Until now.

Angel was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly missed the sound of approaching footsteps. His demon pride guided him into looking relaxed and he sprawled almost carelessly in his chair. Well as much as one can when both legs and arms are tied so tightly to the chair that if he had been human his blood circulation would have been cut. As it was his limbs were almost numb from the lack of blood.

Moment's later three demons he recognized as Rakajii came into view one of them wearing a medallion which identified it as a Kajii or Mage/Priest of it people. This couldn't be good.

The atmosphere of the bar was surprisingly welcoming. Surprising considering it was a demon bar and there was currently a blue green demon with razor sharp spikes sticking out from his shoulder blades and elbows singing karaoke up on the stage.

Ever since Buffy and Spike had moved to the hellmouth Tara had found herself spending quite a lot of time there helping out a bit by waitressing when they were short handed and acting as a hostess when the "BOSS" was busy reading someone's aura.

And that is how she found herself sitting at the bar listening to a down on his luck half human half demon drown his sorrows.

"You know . . . what kind of father doesn't tell his son that he is a demon . . . I just don't understand."

Tara nodded sympathetically but couldn't help pointing out, 'at least your completely human family hasn't accused you and every woman in your family out to be demons when you are in reality just a Wicca from a long line of Wicca's."

Doyle was stunned, 'your family did that to you?"

Tara nodded. "My mother died when I was four. My father had me convinced that I was a demon. It wasn't until I met the Slayer that I realised what my mother had told me all those years ago was true. I am really just a Wicca from a long line of Wicca's and proud of it."

"Good for you . . . what's a Slayer?"

"The slayer, also known as the vampire slayer, is one girl in the entire world with the strength, instincts and skill to combat the forces of darkness. She, as I understand it, is chosen by the powers that be."

"Ahh,' Doyle groaned when he heard the name.

Tara was confused by his comment but before she could ask, Doyle was holding his head with a pained expression upon his face. A few minutes passed and Tara was just going to call Lorne for help when he sat up straighter although still a bit shaky.

"I get visions,' he explained wearily to her worried face 'it's passed down from my father's side of the family. The Powers That Be or PTB as I call them send me the visions and then I have to find out what they mean and help who ever it is in need of help." He took a few more deep breaths to calm down. "I just had one of a group of large ugly demons in a warehouse . . . they were surrounding an altar that had a man tied to it well I thought it was a man until he was hit in his face. He changed then, he was a vampire. One of the demons called him Angelus."

"Was there anything else,' Tara asked as she patted him soothingly on the back. Doyle leaned into her touch suddenly exhausted, the frustration of the visions getting to him.

"Yes . . . yes there were strange symbols inscribed in a circular pattern,' he grabbed a napkin and pen and hastily scribbled them down. When he showed them to her Tara paled and slumped back into her seat.

"We're in trouble,' she muttered.

Buffy sat in the library watching in amusement as Sam Zabuto and Rupert Giles; otherwise known as Kendra's and hers Watchers' had another nauseating polite little fight. Kendra sat next to her on the railing also watching this in amusement.

"They are just . . . so like a couple of little boys fighting over the same toys." Buffy whispered.

Kendra nodded in agreement. "Males can be so immature at times."

"Although Giles does look rather handsome when he is all riled up." Buffy smirks.

"Buffy!' Kendra gasps slightly shocked but then she studied Giles a little bit more closely. His eyes were flashing a dark green as spoke gesturing almost widely. He looked a lot younger at the moment. She whispers 'I must admit that he does look rather dashing like that."

Buffy couldn't contain her surprise "Kendra!"

This was a side if Kendra that she had never experienced in her previous life and something she was having a little trouble adapting to it. But she loved it all the same.

# Buffy? # the unexpected intrusion made the blonde jump a little startled.

# Tara? What's wrong? #

The taxi pulled up in front of the large two story house. Tara and Doyle jumped out of the cab and Tara dragged Doyle up the path to the large Mahogany door, easily unlocking the door and deactivating the security system.

Doyle barely had a chance to recognize that the furnishings were of a good quality before once more being dragged around by the blonde Wicca to the back of the house and down to the large basement area.

Against one wall there was a large cabinet filled with a wide variety of weapons and various exercise equipment littered the floor. In one corner there was a lounge sweet, entertainment centre and some bean bags. In another corner there was a series of book shelves filled with what looked like some extremely ancient books. In that same corner there was also a large circular table with runes in scripted around it. Another table held only a large map of Las Angeles on it.

It was straight to the book shelves Tara went leaving Doyle to follow behind. He watched as she carefully pulled down one of the older volumes and gently opened it before gesturing him over.

"Are these the runes you saw in your vision?"

Together they sat down to translate the runes in his vision.

The first they found was an upside down and flipped back to front J called UR which was the rune for Power, Energy and Force.

The next Rune looked a lot like a P except with a triangle in place of the curved part. It was called THORN, meaning Strength, Energy and Caution.

After that was a little t shaped Rune, although it didn't have a curved bottom: known as NYD, meaning Need and Necessity.

The next Rune was shaped like a capitol E except that there was no middle appendage and that the other appendages were bent inwards. It is called PEORTH, meaning Mystery and Secrecy.

EOLH was the next rune found meaning Defence and Protection. It was shaped like a Capitol Y with an extra appendage sticking out between the other two.

DAEG meaning Day and Awakening looked very much like two side ways triangles joined together at the points. I I

The seventh Rune they translated was called ODEL meaning Inherited, Property and Ancestors. It looked like a diamond stuck on top of an upside down U.

And lastly was the rune called BEORC meaning, Birth, New beginnings and Renewal. It looked like a capitol B except with triangle shaped appendages.

Tara double checked just to make sure. It was just as she had suspected. And for one of the very few times in her life Tara swore, in several different languages.

Looking over at her new acquaintance, she took a couple of deep breaths to try to calm down before explaining what she knew.

"They are going to use the Vampire as a sacrifice to raise something. What, I don't know. The vampire in question that you saw, you said his name was Angelus?' he nodded affirmatively, 'Angelus is unique in the fact that not only was he was once known as the Scourge of Europe and the grand childe of the Vampire known as the Master but also because about a century ago he was cursed with a soul."

With a quickly whispered spell and hand movements Tara felt a connection grow between herself and Buffy.

# Buffy? #

# A new friend of mine had a vision. It was a group of demons surrounding a man tied to an altar, his name is Angelus. #

# ANGEL! Spike did you hear this? #

# I'll pick you up in 5, Luv . . . oh and tell the watchers to be aware of the Harvest. #

# Harvest? # an uncertain accented feminine voice asked.

The voice was familiar and Buffy whipped her head up to look Kendra straight in the eye # Kendra? #

# Buffy? Am I really hearing this? #

# You are hearing this . . . in your mind . . . we're using telepathy. #

# How is this possible? #

# It is possible that your proximity to Buffy has activated your latent telepathic ability # Tara mused # it has been recorded that Slayers of old have had a variety of abilities including Extra-Sensory Perception, Wicca and even a higher then normal IQ. #

# Well I don't know how it could have been activated . . . I don't even know how my own mind thingy was awakened. I didn't have it in my previous life . . . it must have had something to do with the portal . . . or maybe me dying again . . . # Buffy complained.

# Again? # Kendra asked confused.

#Yeh . . . The first time I died I was drowned by the Master. When Xander revived me back with CPR I got an energy boost. I suddenly felt stronger and capable of taking say the order of Teraka out all by my self."

# Just how many times have you died Missy? # Tara demanded.

# Um . . . Twice in my last life and once in this one. #

Someone clearing their throat caught the girls' attention and they looked down to see Giles and Zabuto watching the pair curiously.

"Giles . . . watcher-mine . . . I have to leave right now and I won't be back for at least for a couple of days,' she leaned up and pecked on the cheek making him blush slightly, Buffy winked so only Kendra could see.

# If I hadn't already found my soul-mate I would go for him in milli- second. # "Later Watcher-Mine." With that she was out the door leaving to stunned men and an amused Slayer.

# Buffy do you want me to tell them about the Harvest? # Kendra called instinctively using her new ability.

#Woops! I thought I forgot something. # The Library doors opened again and Buffy poked her head in. "Oh and Giles I heard something was going to go down soon with the Vamps . . . A Harvest I think it was called . . . Later."

After a quick stop of at her house to grab a change of clothes and leave a note to her mother, Buffy and Spike hit the road making it to Las Angeles in record time.

Tara now dressed in tight fitting black jeans, a black leather knee length jacket, a pair of ankle boots and to top it off a t-shirt proclaiming Wicca's Have More Fun, was carefully placing various items on the table in front of her. In the centre of the table was a bowl inscribed with various symbols around its rim, it was three quarters full of water and a small stone resting on the bottom.

"Hecate, Queen of the Gods, Guardian of life, I call on thee Mother Goddess, Goddess of Wicca, I invoke thee."

Tara added an unrecognizable liquid to the bowl and stirred the new mixture with her athame. Placing her athame on a special bit of cloth, the blonde Wicca placed her hand over the bowl, sprinkling crushed herbs to the mixture.

"To guide me wisely, As I strive to help, A lost one in need, Liam O'Reilly."

Tara added a photocopied sketch of Angel to the mixture.

"Although once led astray, By those who wouldst only harm, As a warrior he has yet to fulfil, His future, his destiny"

A showers of sparks erupted from the bowl momentarily blinding the occupants of the room and when they could see again the bowl was empty except for the small stone. Tara took hold of the stone and set it on the map of LA and watched as it moved on its own.

Doyle had been silent as he had watched the small woman work her Wicca and now watched curiously as the stone moved on the map into the warehouse district and stop at a specific block. Checking the address he couldn't help but groan.

At Tara's curious look he explained, 'I know that place, Harry Wakefield, the owner, had hired some rather seedy people to kidnap his wife's lover and they hade taken me my mistake. Luckily, Harry had pictures of the real man and when he saw me he new instantly that the grunt he had hired had stuffed up royally."

A small smile appeared on her face, 'You, Doyle, are a very interesting character!"

Doyle couldn't help but return the smile. Straightening up and pretending to adjust the lapels of a smoking jacket he took hold of her hand and bowed over it, kissing it in the old fashioned way, 'Why thank you kind Lady,' he spoke in a really bad posh accent.

"Well, well, well, and what have you been up to young Lady." A voice spoke causing the pair to jump in fright and whirl towards the door.

"Buffy,' the blonde whined.

Spike couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Tara blush crimson.

"Well, well Glinda's been a naughty little Wicca,' he teased.

"Spike!"

He studied the bloke beside Tara carefully, and then cleared his throat. "Right then, what are your intentions towards Tara?" He demanded.

The badly dressed half demon just looked at the bleached blonde stunned.

"Not now Spike,' Buffy ordered 'you can interrogate Tara's new friend after we stop the demons from using Angel for their nefarious scheme."

"Hey,' was Tara's ignored protest.

Spike clapped his hands together and gaining their attention, he then rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Right then Kiddies, what are we dealing with here?"

He watched as Tara rushed over to the table and come back carting a large book. She opened it showing a sketch of a Demon. "This is a Rakajii. They originate from the Viking era and at one stage were some of the most powerful demons roaming the earth at that time. That is until a Slayer in the region teamed up with a Wicca trio known as the 'Charmed ones' the strongest Wicca's at that time. The Rakijii had attempted to open a Hellmouth which had resided in that area. Most of them were defeated and their knowledge of magic destroyed, but some small groups had managed to escape and with them bits and pieces of their power." She flipped the page and showed them a picture of a medallion. "Doyle saw one of the Rakajii wearing this. It means that that certain Rakajii is a Mage of its people and will be the most dangerous to deal with. I have managed to use a location spell to find Angel." She gestured for them to follow her to the Map then prompted Doyle to takeover. "Doyle knows more about this area than I do."

"It belongs to a Harry Wakefield but is no longer used. The buildings that surround it are rundown and in serious need of repair. It's in one of the older warehouse districts. It has two entrances. One is a normal door to the office and two is the large sliding doors that the trucks go through. The only windows are high up close to the ceiling."

Tara then took over again. "The only ways to defeat the Rakajii is to behead them or to cut them through the heart which is located in its stomach and protected with a shield like casing."

"Have you got what you need to stop the Raktagino magic guy, Tara?" Spike smirked at the look of exasperation that covered the Wicca's face as Buffy deliberately mangled the name.

"Rakajii, Buffy, Rakajii! And yes I do have all I need."

"Good,' the slayer turned to Doyle 'can you use any weapons?"

He shrugged, 'I have a passing acquaintance with crossbows." Buffy took one out of the cabinet and handed it to him.

"Show me,' she ordered. They watched as he loaded it with little trouble and locket the arrow in place. "Good enough." She said then pulled out a pair of swords. Spike felt his senses heighten for the approaching battle as he strapped the offered sword onto his back.

Soon they were all set and ready to roll.

Angel struggled uselessly from his where he laid tied down on an altar. About a dozen Rakajii surrounded him. The Kajii had yet to show up. His sensitive hearing caught the heartbeats of three humans nearby and his stomach felt the funny way it did when a member of his family was nearby. Just then the Kajii turned up and began chanting in some language he didn't recognise.

A flicker at the corner of his eye caught his attention and he saw two figures creeping atop of the stacks of crates. One of them his grandchilde Spike.

Spike and the female took aim with their crossbows and let loose a shot, killing two Rakajii instantly. They managed to kill two more until the shocked demons finally reacted.

One of them went stayed to guard Angel but teenage girl leapt from the top of the crates over the demon and landed standing with her feet astride Angel. Pulling a knife out she cut the bonds around his wrists and handed him the knife. "I'm a Slayer." She said simply then rushed off wielding her sword.

Angel watched the two blondes, Slayer and Vampire as they worked as a quick and deadly team, dispatching the demons with sharp efficiency. A Rakajii came at him from his left and using the knife the Slayer had given him and the many years of Tai Chi he had practiced he dodged its flailing arms and stabbed it in its stomach, using his vampire strength to break through its protective shell.

"Duck!" shouted someone. Suddenly a bolt came from out of know where heading straight for him, he ducked and turned to see it lodge in the stomach of a Rakajii which was sneaking up behind him.

Turning back Angel saw another person come out from the tower of crates, a man with a crossbow at the ready. A second figure followed, she was another blonde. Her fingers wove an intricate pattern in the air as she chanted in Old Celtic. It was her that was stopping the Kajii from using its magic.

Tara struggled to keep a hold on the Kajii. It was strong and fought against the magical bonds she had created. She chanced a quick glance at the others and saw that they had defeated all of the others. Buffy looked at her questioningly and Tara replied with a nod. The slayer then used all of her strength and lobbed its head off.

Tara sighed with relief. "That . . . that was harder . . . harder then I thought it would be." She managed to gasp out.

"Are you all right Luv?" Spike asked concerned. She nodded affirmatively. He tried to ignore the poof's presence.

"Spike what are doing here? Why are you working with a Slayer? What happened to Dru?"

No such luck.

"Not here,' Buffy interrupted Angel. "Tara, do we have to do anything special to dispose of the bodies?"

"No, we just have to burn them." She spoke a quick incantation and the bodies disappeared in a burst of magical fire.

"Thanks Luv,' Spike said.

Buffy took charge again. "All right then first we should clean up a bit, and then let's head to Caritas. We'll discuss what we need to there." She turned to Angel, 'do you have anywhere your staying?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where Caritas is?"

"Yes."

"Let's go now then, remember, Caritas in about an hour."

Without waiting for anybody she left, Tara and Doyle flanking her instinctively.

An hour later, Angel entered the karaoke bar and looked around for the others. Spike stood behind the bar with another bar tender serving drinks. Doyle sat on one of the stools and the two were talking seriously about something.

The slayer and the witch were talking to a green demon with small horns protruding from his head. Angel decided to talk to the slayer first. He was curious about why she hadn't staked him when she had the chance. The fact that she was working with a Vampire, a half demon and a witch also confused him.

He walked up to the trio. "Buffy?"

"Angel." She began the introductions. "Lorne this is Angel formerly known as Angelus the Scourge of Europe and currently a Vampire with a soul. Angel, this Lorne, the owner of Caritas and a demon from a demon dimension. He is also a reader of souls."

Angel shook his hand. "So you're Angel,' Lorne spoke 'you do know that you have been chosen to be a 'warrior if the light' by the powers that be don't you?"

"What?"