We weren't fast enough. Even with all of us practically carrying Jesse, we simply weren't fast enough. I could feel and smell the horde closing in, and hear their hisses and laughter as they came rolling over the headstones.

I felt Willow tense beside me, and I heard a whimper. It may have been any of them that whimpered, honestly.

We weren't going to make it. Not all of us, anyway. Running wasn't getting us anywhere, and having our back to the enemy was putting us at even more of a disadvantage. I didn't want to do it, but we were going to have to stop and make a stand.

"Stop!" I called. They all immediately squeezed into a wad, arms wrapped around each other. I took a step back and looked back. I could see the horde coming. At least eight of them. Probably more. No more than twelve, but still too many for me to handle alone. Even if one of the children joined in, we wouldn't be a match for them.

We had to try, though.

I walked over to a tree and began snapping off branches. They were flimsy, pitiful things, but they were better than nothing.

"Here. We're going to have to fight." I handed one to Xander and one to Willow. Jesse was in no condition to help. Willow blanched and her chin quivered, while Xander just stared at the oncoming vampires.

"I can't believe this is happening." He muttered. "We're going to die."

"Eventually, yes." I snapped at him. He was scaring Willow even more. We didn't need any more fear in the air, it was already sending the vampires into a frenzy.

"But not tonight." I added. I turned back around and tightened my grip on my stick. You couldn't even call it a stake, it was so pitiful.

The vampires were running at us now. I swallowed and got into a fighting position…at least, I assume it was a fighting position. I haven't been in many battles so how am I supposed to know if it was?

I put myself in front of the children. With any luck, I could do enough damage to keep the brunt of them off of the younger folk.

Make no mistake: I had no delusions of grandeur. I knew this was not going to end well. In fact I was all but certain that I was going to die that night. And, even though I'd promised Xander otherwise. I was certain they would die too.

The thought of one of those…things draining the life from them made me angry.

Good. I needed that anger.

I felt the Essence stirring, and my fangs emerged on their own.

The vampires were on us, then.

I ran at them right before they reached us. One swung at me, I spun away from his fist, ducked under another flailing arm, and came up in time to stab one in the back with my stick. He howled as he disintegrated, but I had no time to enjoy my victory.

There so many more, swarming me, leaving me no room to maneuver. I just relied on my smallness to keep trying to dodge the snapping fangs and hands that reached for me.

It wasn't enough. Blows were weakening me. A hard hit to my head sent me to the ground, and the group started for the young people. I had three vampires surrounding me. One kicked, one hit, and one reached down to grab me by the hair.

MAKE. THEM. BLEED.

I shrieked in rage when he dragged me to my feet by my hair, and I sprang straight at his face. He hadn't expected such a direct assault. He stumbled back just as I felt my fangs sink into his cheek. My jaws clamped down and I shoved him back as hard as I could, at the same time whipping my head to the side.

I heard him scream in agony as the flesh in his cheek ripped off in my mouth. I spat it out in a bloody mouthful and then threw my stick as hard as I could at the vampire who had been kicking me. He disintegrated, but that left me unarmed to face the third vampire.

Behind me I heard Xander pleading, Jesse was crying, and Willow screamed in fear.

We were lost. But I would take one more down with me.

The vampire and I ran at each other.

'I'm sorry, Willow.' I thought. I wanted to make sure my final action, at least in my head, was to apologize to that poor girl.

Right before we collided, a sudden flash of blue caught my eye, and then suddenly the vampire and Buffy were tumbling together in the darkness. I didn't have time to rethink my sudden rescue, I just adapted.

I swerved towards them and pounced on the vampire just as he rolled on top of Buffy. I pinned him down, but he was far stronger than me and started to push me off when Buffy was suddenly on her feet again and above both of us. I saw the stake in her hand and dodged left just as she struck.

The stake struck home and the vampire was gone.

"My thanks." I said, rising, then remembered Willow and spun.

"Follow!" I shouted at her. I didn't need to, she was already right behind me.

Willow was screaming, and there was a vampire at her neck.

"Get off me!" she cried. I snarled. Loudly.

The vampire whirled around as I swung my fist at her.

"Get back!" I shouted. My voice…it didn't sound like me. It sounded deeper…animalistic. I didn't like it.

Let me out. I can help.

'You've done enough.'

Buffy staked the vampire as soon as she hit the ground, and I immediately knelt to help Willow sit up. She let me help her, but she wouldn't look at me.

'One step forward, two steps back.' I thought. I had to play the beast for now, though. To protect her. Even if she didn't realize it. Especially if she didn't realize it. That didn't mean I had to be pleased with the situation.

"Where're the boys?" Buffy demanded.

"A few grabbed Jesse and ran off, I saw two dragging Xander that way." She pointed as I helped her to her feet, and then Buffy and I were running again. We caught up with them soon enough. They didn't seem in any particular hurry, and small wonder: Xander was unconscious.

I would have thought him already dead had I not heard his heartbeat.

Buffy staked one before they even knew we were there, and the other, seeing she was outnumbered, beat a hasty retreat, dropping Xander in the process.

Willow was beside him in a flash.

"Xander! Are you all right?" she asked as he started to rouse.

"Man, something hit me." He answered groggily.

"Where's Jesse?" I asked Xander. He shook his head and gave me a scared, sad look.

I tried testing the air, but all I could smell was decay. Too many vampires in one area will befoul the air in no time at all.

I swallowed and shook my head at Buffy. She frowned at me, and scanned the horizon. Of course she didn't see him either.

For a long time, no one said anything. There was nothing to be said: Jesse was lost. In comparison, our side hadn't done so poorly in battle. The vampires had more casualties than we had but…Jesse was just a boy. Not even a man yet.

And now he was gone.

That death was on me. I had taken responsibility for the children when I'd helped them from the mausoleum. It was on me that Willow had been taken in the first place, and now Jesse was gone and I hadn't been able to save him.

Buffy was giving me a hard look.

She was thinking the same thing.

Neither Willow or Xander would even look at me.

"I think-" I said after a dreadfully long silence, "I think…we should return home now. I think we've been through quite enough for this evening." No one answered.

"Willow?" I said gently. She looked at me then. She looked as though she was about to cry. I don't know what to do when people cry. I never do. Even during movies I get uncomfortable when people start crying.

No one ever tells you a certain way of behaving when people cry. There should be a book on the etiquette one should use when someone is crying. Especially for young girls.

I blinked and looked away.

"Do you wish me to see you home?" I finished.

"Absolutely not." Buffy snapped. I looked at her in surprise. Yes, I knew she was upset with me, but I would have thought she'd want the young ones protected tonight. But then I saw that look of suspicion in her eyes, and the way her jaw muscles were tight under her skin.

She didn't trust me.

"I'm not leaving you alone with them." She said. "For all I know you'd make one of them a snack."

"I would never harm the younglings." I said with a scowl. "If I wanted to I could have during the fray and you never would have known."

"The only reason you didn't is because you were too busy trying to save your own skin."

"I was trying to protect them!" I insisted.

"Well I'm sure Jesse would feel much better about being dinner if only he could hear that." Buffy answered back. I heard Willow gasp, and Xander turned green. Buffy realized what she'd said and looked down.

"Sorry." She murmured. Then looked back at me.

"You're not taking them home." She repeated.

"Fine." I said with a sigh. There was no point in arguing with her anymore. She wasn't going to change her mind anytime soon. I could understand her feelings, but that didn't mean they didn't sting. It's never pleasant to be reminded you're an abomination in the sight of other humans.

If I wasn't all human, then I was a monster.

"Are you going to kill me tonight, or am I to wait until I'm in a darkened alley?" I asked, meeting her eyes in a stare.

The silence dragged on and on and on.

"She did try to save us." Willow suddenly spoke. Her words were like music to my ears. I looked down at her.

"I don't think she would hurt us." She continued. "I'm not sure what's going on, but…I think we should not give her such a hard time. Tonight, at least."

"Thank you, young miss." I murmured. It was more than I had hoped for.

"All right." Buffy sighed. "Tonight you get a free pass. Tomorrow, though. We're having a serious talk."

"With your Watcher?" I didn't really need to ask. Buffy nodded, looking every bit the warrior.

"With Giles." She agreed.

"I look forward to it." I said, unable to keep just a hint of sarcasm out of my voice. Buffy just glared, whilst the two young ones stayed quiet.

I nodded to them, then turned and walked away. I could feel the burning gaze of the Slayer in my back. I thought of Willow, and her frightened, pale face. I thought of Xander, and how he must be feeling right now. He'd just lost his friend.

They would have nightmares, of course. They would go home thinking they would never sleep again, but exhaustion would claim them in the end. The nightmares would follow.

The poor things…

Their whole world had just been turned on its head, and could tell no one for fear of being thought insane.

The poor, poor things.

Could have killed the Slayer. Could have ended it there.

'The Slayer is needed. You saw how skilled she was. I can't fight her off.'

Could have let me kill her.

'I'm never letting you out. You know that.'

Said that before…

I didn't answer.

You just can't argue with yourself.