"Giles, what do you know about Wesen and Grimms?" Buffy asked her Watcher the next morning.
"Wesen? Grimms? The word Wesen is familiar, why? And since the Hellmouth hasn't been opened, I take it you stopped the Harvest?"
"No, the Wesen did. Apparently there's a couple hundred of them living in Sunnydale and a family of Grimms. The Grimms police the Wesen and keep Wesen and normal humans safe from supernatural threats. They found out about the Harvest and set a trap for the vampires. I saw them destroy them all. And Willow was turned and she's been dusted too."
Rupert Giles stared at his charge and tried to process the flood of information.
"These Wesen are real? What are they, some kind of demon?"
"They don't register as demons to my senses and they apparently are something called para human, dual natured, human and animal."
"Like a werewolf?"
"Maybe, but some of them were like cats and others like birds too. And none of them felt like demons."
"And Willow was turned? Since she tutors other students she spent a considerable amount of time in the library, which means I got to know her somewhat. Very intelligent young woman."
"Yes and her friends are the ones who dealt with the vampire version of her. Giles, one of the Grimms said he could see something dark in me, but that I don't feel like a vampire or demon to him. They can sense them too and Giles, Grimms are as strong as Slayers and there's a lot more of them."
"How many more?"
"Maybe a couple hundred worldwide they said."
"I'll check the Chronicles, see what I can find. As for something dark, that may refer to the Slayer Essence."
"They've heard of the Slayer too, but thought it was a legend. They're checking they're own archives to see if any of their ancestors have worked with a Slayer."
"Ancestors?"
"The Wesen and the Grimms are born, not made, Giles."
"Oh, interesting. I'll see what I can find." He repeated. "You have class."
"I'll be back during my free period."
Buffy's free period was the same as Willow's had been, sixth and she felt gloomy as she thought about the almost friendship that had been halted by a vampire. She also wondered how many of her classmates were Wesen. Once her sixth period rolled around she headed back to the library to see what Giles had found out about Wesen and Grimm.
"So, Giles, you find anything?" She asked, as she pushed her way into the library.
"Some thing's. Wesen are known to the Watchers Council. At various times they have been labeled demons, created by Magic, other dimensional and unknown creatures. Slayers that have worked with them insist they are not demons. Grimms were considered a subset of them, but then it was discovered they can't alter their appearance as the Wesen can. They believe the reports of their strength are exaggerated."
"They're not." Buffy told him. "Xander Harris is one of them. I saw him beat the shit out of the vampire who admitted turning Willow. I'd say he's at least a match for me. Like Slayers, they have strength, speed and innate fighting skills and they train, like we do."
"Truly? I'd like to meet them, could you arrange for Xander Harris to come speak with me?"
"I'll ask him. Giles, they don't feel any different to me than you do, whether they look human or animal and they have their own police, the Grimms. I hope the Council doesn't decide I should do something about them, because I don't think I can. They don't feel wrong, the way demons and vampires do."
"The Council has no standing policy on them. I would say unless they prove a threat to you and these Grimm refuse to do anything about them, that we should just leave them be."
"Really? Because I was thinking we might end up working together." A male voice said and the two of them turned to look and saw four teenagers standing at the door of the library. "You people suck at operational security. Anyone could have heard you talking. But Grimm have exceptionally hearing anyway. I could hear a fly buzzing rooms away. One of my training exercises includes fighting blindfolded."
"Oh, then I take it you heard me ask Buffy to introduce us?"
"Yes, I'm Xander Harris, this is my best friend Jesse McNally, his girlfriend, Amy and most definitely not least, my girlfriend, Cordelia."
"Are the rest of you Wesen or Grimm?"
"That's a deeply personal question." Xander told him. "Whether a Wesen reveals themselves to a Kehrseite is their choice."
"Kehrseite?" Giles asked.
"It's short for Kehrseite-Schlich-Kennen, a non Wesen in the know." Xander answered.
"That sounds German."
"It is."
"I didn't mean to offend." Giles assured them.
"You didn't know." Cordelia answered. "But don't go around asking people because most people are totally unaware of either Wesen or Grimm."
"What about vampires? Are they aware of you?" Giles asked.
"They may be aware that Wesen exist." Xander answered. "But can't tell the difference between them and a normal human until the Wesen woged or reveals their other form and maybe 95% are either a match for a vampire or outclass them."
"Interesting. Would you be willing to answer more of my questions? In general, I mean? Nothing about anyone specific, to fill in our understanding."
"I'll have to ask them how they feel about your group having any information about them before I do."
"I'd appreciate that. And as for working together, the Slayer works alone."
"According to our sources, Slayers that work alone die fast, usually within a year. Those that work with others can live for years. Grimms don't work alone and live to be grandparents. Your way doesn't work."
"Our ways have been used for centuries to guide the Slayers." Giles protested.
"If you expect them to die young, then I'm sure they work perfectly fine." Xander retorted.
"There's a war going on out there, young man and sacrifices must be made!"
"I know, I'm one of those fighting it. But I'm not fighting alone. And I hope to live long enough to help teach mine and Cordy's grandkids to walk, if not drive. I have a shot at that, your Slayers don't."
A/N The hearing ability of a Grimm isn't an exaggeration, on the show when Nick is temporarily blinded by a fly Wesen, he actually can hear a fly buzzing in the attic when he's on the first floor.