"Johnathan, are you alright?" Jesse asked, having reached the smaller boy himself now.
"Uh, yeah, I think so. Damn vampires, it's like they're starting to come out of the woodwork." Johnathan felt his neck and found blood. "Ooh, maybe not." He looked like he was going to faint.
"You know about vampires?" Jessa asked.
"Yeah, I do. I take you know Xander's a Grimm?"
"How'd you know? I just found out a couple of hours ago and he just found out yesterday!"
"Sunnydale isn't that big and Rory Harris has always been good to my people. And I'm friends with an Eisbeiber, he spotted Xander at the same time Xander spotted him and word's been spreading that Xander's activated. And I saw him talking to Cordelia at the Bronze last night and I know she's a Fuchsbau."
"Oh, that makes sense." Jesse agreed. "You're still bleeding a little. What do we do about that?"
"Here." Rory handed Johnathan a handkerchief.
"Thanks." Johnathan pressed it to his neck. "The club's entrance is just over there, if you could help me get there, they've got a first aid kit in there. If I need more than that, they'll make sure I get to a doctor. Thanks for saving me, Xander."
"Uh, yeah, no problem." A dazed Xander managed to say as Jesse helped Johnathan down the block to the entrance and inside and helped explain what happened to the clerk, who grabbed the kit and began checking Johnathan over. Rory and Xander meanwhile were talking.
"What did I just do?! How?" Xander wondered.
"One of those gifts I mentioned is an inherent knowledge of fighting. In time, I can help you refine it, as well as expand on the basic abilities you have. You've already got some brawling experience and you drew on that to inform your fight with the vampire. Basically, you fought it the way you would a human, but with your new strength to back it up. A lot of Wesen have to be fought in different ways. I'll teach you everything I know."
"Uncle Rory, did Dad not tell me about all of this because he didn't activate? Was he hoping I wouldn't either?"
"Probably, he's bitter about it. Our mother was a Grimm and we grew up with it."
"I didn't know about girls being Grimms, but I've been concentrating on what being one myself means. If Jesse's going to be involved in this he needs to learn too, Uncle Rory."
"If he wants to, then I'll teach him too. He can learn to use weapons and defend himself. Xander, not all Wesen are going to be as accepting as Johnathan or Cordelia, you need to understand that too. Some of them are most definitely going to see you as the enemy. We're the boogie man of the Wesen world."
"Because of those ones that treated them like demons."
"Yes. Any group that abuses power is going to incite fear. The biggest problem in Sunnydale isn't the Wesen, it's the vampires. They prey on all the groups in this town and we can use our gifts to keep people safe from them. And when it's necessary, from dangerous Wesen."
"And dangerous humans? There's going to be some, isn't there?"
"Yes, because Sunnydale is a mecca for all kinds of badness. And things are getting worse. I don't know why they're getting worse, but I know Sunnydale is a dangerous place. There's something in this town that attracts the attention of the vampires and demons. The Spanish called this place La Boca del Inferno. The Mouth of Hell. Whatever it is, demons are drawn to it and it seems to be getting stronger. Where that will ultimately lead, I don't know. But it doesn't change our job, just makes it harder."
"Why could I see something in the vampire? Why did I feel something when I saw it? If we're suppose to keep Wesen in check, how do we see or feel anything in regards to vampires?"
"The best I can tell you on that is that our eyes work differently anyway, so we can see through a Wesen's camouflage. The existence of vampires may have made us adapt so we could also see and react to them. Everything born to Earth adapts. It's one of the advantages we have over vampires and real demons, they don't naturally adapt. They can learn, but they don't adapt. Adapting means changing with your environment and predators and prey within that environment."
"Okay and now it's my turn to adapt. You expected us to run into a vampire at some point, didn't you? It's why you brought us out here after dark. Vampires can't handle sunlight according to the myths."
"Yes, like I said, vampire activity has been increasing. I knew the odds were good that we'd run into one and this was the best way for you to understand what seeing them does to you."
"By experiencing it for myself verses you just telling me. And it gave me a chance to see what I could do against one. I just reacted, Uncle Rory."
"In time you'll learn to think before you act, but the need to help can be instinctive as well. You did good, Xan. Let's collect Jesse and check on Johnathan. Tomorrow meet me at my place and we'll get started."
"I'll be there." Xander promised, still feeling dazed, but determined to learn. "I don't think I like vampires, Uncle Rory. I'm going to go with they're bad."
"I've never heard of a good one, that's for sure."