While Darla and Dru were plotting their evil schemes and Darla thought everybody had the same agenda she did, life was continuing in Sunnydale, where Mason and his team were running across a mystery. More than one actually.
"We're sure there's a fledge in this grave?" Aaron Kramer, a member of the team for several years, complained. "Because we've been watching this damn grave for two hours and nothing's stirring, not even a mouse."
"It's September, it's too early to make Christmas references." Sam Carpenter, another team member, muttered.
"Mr. Giles was certain this was a neck rupture victim with blood in his mouth." Mason answered. "He was concerned that the family seems to have managed to bury him less then a day after he turned up in the morgue and that might mean they chose not to have an autopsy done for some reason. Which yes, means there very well may be a fledge in this grave. And this is why hunter teams rarely settle anywhere long term, because we tend to empty the neighborhood of vampires and are left with keeping an eye out for newcomers and fledges. But good news, boys, you're going back on the road once the baby's born and that means back to a life of excitement and occasional terror."
"While you retire to be a father and a grandfather."
"It's time, I've put in twenty plus years and now I got a kid of my own to look after. Xander needs a Dad and someone willing to teach him how to be a Dad. I figure half of it is just being there for the kid and trying to be a good role model. And hey, I've got plenty of experience. I did raise all of you yahoos!"
"I'm sure my parents would have a thing or two to say about that." Stephan Johnson, the youngest on the team, responded. "But hey, Xander seems like a great kid, just needs someone to help him stay in the right lane on the highway of life."
"Highway of life?" Sam grimaced, "Did you read that in a book or something? Provided you can even read."
"I'll have you know my mother made sure I could read in two languages, English and American." Stephan retorted. "But she's from England and wanted me to know her native language."
"It's the same language!" Stephan growled.
"Not as far as the English people are concerned." Sam shot back.
"Guys." Aaron tried to call the bickering teammates attention to the movement he saw in the soil of the grave.
"What?" The two chorused, glancing at the man. "If you're worried about the vamp crawling out of his grave, Aaron, Mason's on it." Stephan assured him as Mason shot the vampire that was indeed crawling out of the grave. It was dust before it's head had completely emerged.
"And that ends grave sitting duty, boys. Thanks for keeping me company." Mason told his teammates.
"Hey, it may be boring, but it's necessary." Stephan shrugged. "But it does beg the question, why did the family decide against an autopsy? Was it a religious thing?"
"In most cases it is." Mason nodded. "I'm sure they had their reasons. Come on, let's make a sweep and call it a night. I need to check Xander's Math homework, he does just fine in everything except Math. Kid just doesn't have a head for numbers."
"And yet he can recite every make and model of every gun used by the U.S. Army, not to mention, handle them all." Aaron shook his head. "And he knows what he's doing with a crossbow too. I don't know whether it's this psychic thing he's got going on or he's a weapons prodigy. Is there such a thing as a weapons prodigy?"
"The psychic stuff practically makes him one." Sam agreed as the four men moved methodically through the cemetery checking crypts for vampire squatters and finding none. But they did find something disturbing.
"This grave's been dug up." Sam crouched beside the grave in question. "All the way down to the coffin, give me a hand, I'm gonna check it out." Both Stephan and Aaron held one of his hands and lowered him into the grave while Mason kept watch. Sam opened the coffin. "Body's gone." He reported and reached up to be pulled back up. "Someone dug this girl up." He noted the name on the gravestone.
"And dragged her away." Mason pointed at drag marks on the grass and a girl's shoe. "Some demons do eat dead bodies, but normally they kill them first and let them set for a few days before getting to the eating part. I honestly don't think I've ever heard of demons digging up a body, unless they use their claws and this was done with a shovel." He pointed at a shovel that had fallen beside the gravestone. "This happened while we were grave sitting on the other side of the cemetery. They must have heard us doing our sweep and left everything open. A human did this, not a demon. Which means this is a police matter, boys. We have to call it in."
"It'll give us a chance to see how the locals handle a weird case." Sam decided. "Well, let's get our gear stashed and our story straight and give the locals a call." They headed out of the cemetery each wondering what kind of weirdo had dug up the grave. In their experience it was never for a good reason.