I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Its Christmas day so here's my present. Oh and my bad with Season's greetings.

Twice Lucky

Rise of the Watcher

Chapter 3: Cosmic!

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

"Well, shit." Giles smirked at Xander's tone of voice. Xander was standing with Wesley on the level of the house the latter was currently occupying. The young Watcher smirked as he brandished a large axe.

Giles nodded.

"It's definitely you," Giles agreed, his smile getting bigger. Xander reached inside a pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, opened them up and placed them on Wesley's face.

"Seriously, though, we must get down to business." They sat down on the chairs offered, each with his own beverage.

"Choice," Xander said, after a sip from his Coors.

"Indeed," Giles added with a smile. "As it stands, the Harvest will be in two days. For the moment, after Wesley's rather brief and interesting confrontation with Darla, things are mostly quiet on the western front."

Wesley smiled, although he had no idea why Xander was included on this talk. But, if Mister Giles thought it was a good idea, then he was fine with it. "Wesley, please tell me what you know about the Harvest?"

One of the other recent developments, was that Giles had started referring to him on a first-name basis, which helped boost his confidence immensely.

"The Harvest is a period of time when the Earth, the moon and the sun come into conjunction, and is often referred to as Syzygy."

"Bless you."

Wesley scowled at Xander, scratched his head and carried on: "It's supposed to happen once every five thousand years. During this brief period, if the right incantations are spoken. then a person - and I use that term loosely - can utilise the power."

"So, it's sort of a cosmic G-spot?"

Giles snorted into his drink and cast Xander an amused look, while Wesley continued, "Something like that. The Master can use a vessel to take energy to feed himself - a channel, if you will. He could take more, but it wouldn't be as effective and it would be a great strain on the Master, himself."

"So, simple task, we locate the vessel, kill it and the Master stays in the caves for a long time. Or, at least until he finds some other way of getting out."

"It's agreed, then?"

Xander shrugged his shoulders; again, Wesley couldn't understand why Xander was brought here. Sure, he made some mighty fine stakes, but that didn't call to have him at an important meeting like this.

Xander sighed as he watched the two Watchers go to bed. 'Well, that was a whole load of useless.'

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Wesley couldn't believe what was happening. Here he was, standing with what felt like giants. Giles and Diana, two legendary Watchers, in their own rights; Angelus, ensouled; and Buffy, the most recent vampire Slayer.

"Why are we here?"

Buffy, naturally, had a point, in her sort of whiny, schoolgirl-fashion. There they were, in the middle of the night, at what looked like a winery. A large, wooden, slightly-ominous looking winery.

"Because my sources tell me that there's something very valuable in there." Buffy gave Angel a pointed look. It was fortunate that she had, because she missed the look Giles and Diana shared. Wesley, while standing at the back, got the feeling he was being left out of something rather large.

"Why couldn't Faith come instead of me?"

"Because they were very specific: a Slayer has to come and not a potential," Angel said with a slight growl. "Besides, Faith and Xander are out patrolling."

"Sure you don't mean-"

"Buffy," Giles said, a little too harshly. Sighing, he made his way forward. Xander had made Wesley a very nice, long Bo staff, with a sharp point at the end. It was strong and easy to maintain, for which Wesley was grateful. While the boy didn't seem to care too much about the happenings of the others, if asked, he would provide.

As it happened, Faith had to work very hard to get Xander out into the night, especially on game night. In the end, it had been cleavage that had won the day. Wesley chuckled, as Faith certainly was well-endowed in that area.

The night air seemed to get cooler, and the darkness certainly seemed more ominous. Wesley could certainly understand why Xander hadn't wanted to come here in the first place. In fact, now that he thought about it, the boy looked sick at the mere thought, as though some ghosts from the past were haunting him. Making their way to the cellar, Angel and Giles looked for about ten minutes, finally finding the entrance.

"That is not for you, Vampire."

"No," Angel said in agreement. "It's actually for her." He jerked a thumbed toward Buffy and the old, white-haired woman, with a weathered face, looked at the group wearily.

"Her?"

"Yeah, me," Buffy said, stepping forward. "Got a problem with that?"

The woman sighed and watched as Buffy walked over to the large, and very sharp-looking axe, yanking it out of its holding place with one firm grip.

"Oh," the woman smiled pleasantly. "I had forgotten just how strong a Slayer could be. You must be her shadow?"

Giles blinked in surprise. "Shadow?"

"Ah," the woman nodded wisely. "The Shadow men are those who watch the Slayers."

"Oh, so they're like Watchers!"

"Thank you, Miss Summers," Giles said, sarcastically. "I think we all got that."

Buffy frowned. "So, you're, like, a watcher of the Watchers?"

"Yes, child, in a manner of speaking. I am the last of my order."

"Oh, well, as much as I like," she looked around the dark dank cave. "Your lovely surroundings, couldn't we take this talk some place cosier?"

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

"So, why didn't you want to go to the winery?" Xander had been hunting for about half an hour with Faith, using all of the senses from the hyena spirit to watch out for trouble. Fortunately, everything had been quiet for the moment.

"I've got my reasons," Xander said quietly.

Faith figured that. "Come on, I thought you trusted me?"

He sighed.

"Toward the end of the battle with the First, she brought a minion named Caleb - a man who was dressed in a preacher's outfit. He seduced girls and brutally murdered them; practically wiped out a whole bunch of Slayers in one blow."

Faith nodded, winced and waited. They were at the dock, the cold sea air blowing their way and leaving a salty aftertaste, which reminded her of something else. Faith had one of those dirty smiles. She waited a little longer, but he remained quiet.

"That's not what's got your nerves. You looked sick earlier." Xander nodded and watched the waves as they crashed against the docks. He'd often wondered what it would be like to be trapped in the bottom of the sea in a large metal case; he'd wondered that a lot, after Angel had told him about what had happened to him and Connor.

"I tried to rescue some of the girls." Faith figured as much. "He called the one who sees."

She saw the sad smile on his face.

"He tore out one of my eyes with his thumb."

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

"A lovely place, so much warmer than my former abode."

"Damn straight," Buffy said with a smirk after they'd gone back to Xander's house - the unofficial HQ - to get coffee and stuff. 'The stuff' being:

"Yes!" Buffy opened up the cupboard in the kitchen and pulled out a Twinkie, "He's stocked up."

"I once saw Mister Harris eat five of those," Wesley commented. "Made me feel quite sick."

Buffy chuckled, tore it open with ease and bit off half of it in one go. She next grabbed a Coke from the fridge and sat down, her feet up on a stool. Angel, meanwhile was looking over the axe with interest.

"Nice design."

The woman smiled. "Thank you. We designed it to battle your kind, when the Chosen One would need it most."

"I'd say that's coming up pretty soon; the Master's about to break free from his prison." The woman shook her head. "What?"

"The Master is but a minion himself."

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

Faith blinked in surprise and then winced. "He ripped out your eye?"

"Yeah."

No wonder he'd omitted details, talk about 'ouch.' "Xan, you okay?"

He looked at her, the moon casting a slight glow - an aura, almost - across his face. With a slightly wolfish expression, he replied: "Five by five."