Fic: Graile Chapter 1A

[Jack Xavier Warriner <connor_macbeth@xxxxxxxxx>]

Gods, I hope this works...

Graile Chapter One
By Macbeth

Author's Note - For theatrical purposes, I chose Mark
Mcgrath as Pike, (Subar Ray.) Casper Van Dien (Modern
Vampires) as Jack Covington, and Donald Sutherland
(Who else?) as Merrick, whom Lothos prevented from
commiting suicide, and was later killed by....
Well, Now that would be telling, wouldn?t it? 
?Probably Me? Courtesy of Sting and Eric Clapton. 

Los Angeles, California
Hemry High School
1995

The sound of a Harley Davidson pulling into the
parking lot of the high school was not
unusual to most of the students. Many had seen the
Soft Tail pull up throughout the year. A few
of the more popular students did a double take at the
passenger. Elizabeth "Buffy" Anne Summers
slid off the bike with ease. Ignoring the looks of her
former friends, she leaned against the bike
and pulled the tall young man into a light embrace.
Pike St.Cross held the slim blonde and gently
kissed her. "Lunch?" he asked her in a whisper.
Buffy simply nodded and kissed him on the lips that
left little doubt in the onlookers minds
how serious they might be. "Lunch, front steps. and
remember, no skipping." she said the last in a
mock chiding tone. Ever since he saw her defeat
Lothos, He had seriously decided that he needed
to stick near the blonde Slayer, and that meant
returning to school. Pike simply grinned and pulled
their knapsacks from the saddle bags. Handing hers to
her, he casually turned and headed for his
first period class. Buffy smirked and headed to hers,
spinning a pencil in her fingers.
Standing near a column of lockers, Lucille Mulholland
whispered into Britney Turgol's ear,
"God, could that slut have fallen off the social
ladder faster?" causing Britney to burst into high
pitched, shrieking giggles "Yeah, what a ho!" Buffy,
having heard the snide remarks in passing,
snapped her pencil in half, which would not have been
nearly as intimidating if it had not been
mechanical. The rest of the social sheep averted their
eyes and were ushered into their math class
by Vice-Principal. Graham, who narrowed his eyes at
the slim leather clad blonde and made a
mental note to bust her for something... anything...
Buffy breezed through her classes and exited her
classroom with a barely suppressed sigh
of release before heading for the central courtyard.
waited at "their" tree for Pike. She grinned
when she saw his muscular form leaning against the
tree talking with a taller, muscular, young
man whom Buffy had noticed leaving Pike's garage a few
times. "Hey Pike, who's this?" 
Pike grinned at his girlfriend and slipped his arm
around her waist. "This is Jack
Covington, he's a friend of mine from Brooklyn. He
heard I had a "new squeeze", his words not
mine, and he's got a gift for you." he finished, and
began nuzzling her neck.
"Really? For me? gimme...!" she thrust her hand out
with a childlike tone in her voice.
Jack grinned a half grin. "I don't know... Have you
been a good little slayer?" he asked in
a parent's condescending tone.
Buffy's eyes widened. then turned to glare at Pike.
"Somebody's been blabbing..." she
remarked, slapping Pike on the arm.
Pike raised his arms in defense. "Hey, hey, not me,
He already knew. He's been pestering
me to meet you." Buffy narrowed her eyes and eyed Jack
with a defensive glare.
"So what do you want?? She asked in a clipped tone,
instantly on guard and appraising
Jack for a threat.
"Whoa, calm down B, I simply want to give you this."
he said taking a step back and
pulling out a small jewelry box. "It's something
your... "Predecessor" wanted you to have. She told
me to give it to the next slayer called. That means
you luv." his Irish accent carried to the nearby
table where Lucy and Britney sat gossiping. 
"God, that slut gets all the hotties..." Lucy mumbled
under her breath taking in the shorter
man's tight denim clad ass and swallowed nervously
when Jack's eyes glared at her as though he
had heard her. Buffy sensed his discomfort and turned
her head to see who he was glaring at.
"Oh, don't mind them, they haven't got a brain stem
between them." she said with a smirk
and held Pike a little closer. Taking the box, she
eyed Jack's toned form, and guessed he'd be
capable of defending himself in a fight. With a flip
of her fingers, she opened the box and looked
down at the wide, thick gold bracelet inside. Etched
with tiny runes, and capped with a large
sapphire flanked by two smaller gems so blue they
almost screamed enchantment. "Whoa... a tad 
gaudier than I like, but I could get used to gifts
like this..." she said nudging Pike in the ribs, who
rolled his eyes in reply.
Slipping the bracelet onto her left wrist, she felt
an immediate tingle of energy. "Wow,
what's this thing do anyway?" Buffy asked, beginning
to get worried over the apparent energy
now numbing her arm. "Uh, Jack?"
Jack simply scratched his jaw, sunlight glinting off
the emerald and gold ring on his right
ring finger. "I... well that is to say, I uh, I seem
to have forgotten." he said with an innocent grin.
"You let me put on this... thing and you don't
REMEMBER what the hell it does?!? She
started as a whisper and grew into a full shout. Which
just happened to occur when the Vice
Principal walked by.
"Summers! That type of profanity is not tolerated on
this campus! you just earned yourself
detention. I'll see you in the Library after school."
Mr. Graham announced feeling very superior at
the now crestfallen young girl.
Pike, seeing his girl in trouble, immediately looked
at Buffy with a mock glare. "Damnit
Buffy, I told you not to fucking talk like that around
this prick!" he winked as he caught the
Bugged eyes of the Vice-Principal out of the corner of
his eye.
"That's two days of detention for you Mr.St. Cross."
and with that said, Mr.Graham
turned and walked away, oblivious to the now cheered
up Slayer.
"My hero. Seriously, thank you Pike, You didn't have
to do that for me. Graham's had it in
for me since I killed that Succubus that was giving
all the men wet dreams and killing the
cheerleaders."
Jack hid a smile and apologized. "I'm sorry Buffy, I
didn't mean to get you in trouble, The
bracelet misdirects missile weapons and once per day
can make your skin harder than stone."
"Cool... Thanks Jack. This may come in handy, but
I've yet to meet a vampire with a gun.
which if you think about it, is a bit on the odd
side."
Hearing the bell ring, Buffy's head dropped. ?Ugh.
Math class...Nice meeting you Jack.
Thanks for the gift." giving Pike a quick kiss, she
headed off to the staircase. Jack and Pike
watched her go.
"What really brought you out here today Jack?" Pike
asked, not taking his eyes off Buffy's
retreating form.
"It's getting time. I told you what will happen. You
can avoid it, but then those people I
told you about, her future family? they'll be turned,
killed, and tortured beyond all belief. I'm not
trying to kill what happiness you now have with her,
just expanding your view of the future. Again,
I'm sorry." Jack said, turning and heading for his jet
black 1973 Olds Cutlass Convertible. 
"Yeah... Thanks..." Pike said, contemplating his
future.
Stopping, Jack turned back and looked at Pike.
Shaking his head, he slipped into the
convertible and started the engine. Pulling a fag from
his jacket, he slipped it between his lips and
snapped his fingers. A small flicker of blue flame
licked the tip of his first digit as he touched the
end of his cigarette. Jack took a deep inhale and blew
the smoke out in a slim stream. ?Damn
Fate. You ARE a bitch.?
*	*	*
High above the High School grounds, within the very
top of the Bell Tower, a cowled
form stood. watching the humans below. "They have no
idea how long they have left. Do they
Lucius?" he whispered to a tall black man behind him. 
"No sir, they definitely do not." The man answered.
"As it should be... As it should be." Turning, The
tall, hooded man locked eyes with his
servant and grinned. Lucius stood emotionless.
"Prepare the Cauldron, Lucius. I shall be in my
chambers." he stated as the tall ebony
skinned man headed for the stairs behind his master.
"Yes Master."
*	*	*
Buffy slammed against the mausoleum wall with a
groan. Turning to the one who?d
kicked her, she drew a stake from her leather jacket
and charged the smirking vampire. throwing
a stake fisted left punch into the vampire's
midsection, and followed by a right cross to the jaw,
she swiftly spun at the waist and drove the sharpened
length of wood into his back. Turning to the
girl who was curled up in the fetal position behind
the headstone of Thomas Wade, she leaned
down and helped up the semi catatonic teen. ?There you
go... Lucy? What the... hell are...you...?
was all she got out as Britney Turgol?s eyes rolled in
their sockets in stark terror and she bolted
between two mausoleums.:she watched the ditz run away.
?Well, she?s scared shitless.?
Pike walked over to Buffy and looked down at the pile
of dust. "You make it look soooo
easy." Seeing Buffy grin, he slung his arm over her
shoulder and kissed her temple.
"I've just got you here to inspire me, that's all."
Buffy looked up at Pike and leaned in for a
soft kiss. feeling a soft shuffling beneath them,
Buffy winked at Pike. "Hold that thought." She
kneeled down and drove her stake deep into the earth.
Slipping the stake directly between the
newly rising vampire's shoulderblade and his
collarbone directly into his no longer beating heart.
"Ok... Now you're starting to scare me." Pike edged
away from her in jest. "I'm not gonna
ask how you aimed that..."
"Ancient Slayer training." was all the blonde said.
Before she noticed a slight glimmer in
the grass. "Whoa..." Kneeling, she picked up a
metallic piece of paper and grinned at the writing.
Seeing Buffy smirk, Pike looked at the slip in her
hand as she showed it to him. "Caritas?
Good for one free Pint, A, B, O+. Is this a joke?" he
asked Buffy.
"No... that's no joke. that's a Demon Karaoke bar.
It's also a No Violence Zone. Merrick
took me there once. The Host is both cool and rather
flamboyant. Basically, If you sing, the host
can give you hints and advice of the future and before
you even think of asking no I didn't sing."
"Oh ho, we've SO gotta go there. C?mon, The address
isn't far." Pike said, bordering on
whining.
"No, it's late, maybe another night, ok?? She said in
that No-Chance-In-Hell-Tone. I've
gotta get home. Smoochies?" She said, turning her
puckered lips up to Pike, which he kissed
gladly.
*	*	*
?2 am and the city?s deserted. maybe most people
aren?t so stupid after all.? Pike thought
as he parked his Soft Tail across the street from
where the card indicated. Pike slipped off the
bike and pulled on a black leather trenchcoat he got
from a vampire he dusted the previous week.
crossing the street, he noticed an Asian girl walk in
before him and give him an appraising eye.
"Buy you a drink? They've got virgin's blood here..."
she trailed off in a tempting tone.
"Uh, sure. no blood for me though, I just ate." he
replied with false confidence.
"Suit yourself. Nice Jacket by the way." She said
when suddenly she sniffed the air. "Oh."
she sniffed again, "Damn. You nearly fooled me
mortal." she winked and walked down the
staircase into Caritas.
"Right." Stepping down, he entered the doorway and
grinned at the Lounge club
atmosphere. A tall green skinned man walked up to him
in a flashy blue suit. "Well.... You're a
new one now, aren't you? We don't get many humans down
here, but Honey? you're money's as
good as anyone?s, as long as it?s as green as me. Now
what can I get you sweetcakes? a Vulcan
Mindmeld? Daiquiri? Or maybe a Martini?" 
"I take it you're the Host right? Buffy was right.
This place is..." he started.
"Wait, wait. You're a friend of Buffy's? Short,
blonde, powerful right hook?" Seeing his
nod, The Host slung a hand over his shoulder and
guided him to the bar. "Well, Why didn't you
SAY so? You drink on the house. As long as you promise
to bring her back here one night. she
has a voice like Babs AND Tina. We'd love to have her
come back. Rico! fix this hot young man
a drink." With that, the Host excused himself after
seeing a Vulsin Demon slither in.
Pike simply grinned and turned to Rico. "What did
Buffy sing when she was here?" 
"Henley's Walking in Memphis. What'll you drink?"
"Jack and Coke" he said, flashing his fake ID. The
bartender examined the slip, peeled the
corner up, grinned, and proceeded to fix the drink.
After three glasses, he was feeling in a good mood.
Pike signaled the Host over. "What's
up Tall Dark and Chiseled?"
"Where's your Song List?" he asked softly. 
The Host smiled brightly and snapped his fingers.
Rico brought over a slim binder for him
to flip through, finally choosing one. "Ooh... Good
choice. We don't get many calls for those two
here."
Standing, he made his way onto the stage and sat on a
stool as the Host made the
selection in the prompter.

"If the night turn cold,
And the stars look down,
You hug yourself on the cold, cold ground,
You wake the mornin, in a stranger's coat,
Noone would you see, 
Ask yourself, who'd watch for me?
My only friend, who could it be, It's hard to say it,

I had to say it, But it's probably me.

When your belly's empty, and the hunger's so real,
And you're too proud to beg, and too dumb to steal,
You search the city, for you only friend, 
Noone would you see,
Ask yourself, who'd watch for me? 
A solitary voice to speak out and set me free.
I'd hate to say it, I had to say it, But it's
probably me.

Your not the easiest person, I ever got to know, 
But it's hard for us both, to let our feelings show,
Some would say, I should let you go your way, 
You only make me cry, 
But if there's one guy, Just one guy, Who'd lay down
his life for you and I, 
I'd hate to say it, I had to say it, But it's
probably me. 

When the world's gone crazy, and it makes no sense, 
And there's only one voice that comes to your
defense,
When the Jury's out, and your eyes search the room, 
When one friendly face is all you need to see,
And if there's one guy, Just one guy, who'd lay down
his life for you and I,
I'd hate to say it, I had to say it, But it's
probably me.

I'd hate to say it, I had to say it, But it's
probably me.

I'd hate to say it, I had to say it, But it's
probably me.

The Vampire who had approached Pike at the entrance
met him as he stepped off the
stage. ?very good. you?ve got a superb voice.? she
grinned, shifting out of her game face. Leaning
in close, she pressed her body against his. ?Let me
know if you ever get tired of having a pulse.?
she winked and sauntered back to her booth in the
back. Pike could only shake his head at the
sheer incredulity of her offer and looked for the
Host.
The Host looked very depressed when he approached
Pike. Walking to him, he pulled a
bright yellow handkerchief from his breast pocket and
wiped his eyes. "Oh... What emotion! I love
that song. Now, down to business..." he stated as he
led Pike to the bar.

*	*	*

Buffy lay in bed unable to sleep. She had tried
counting sheep, drank warm milk, did
push-ups and sit-ups till she was exhausted and still
she couldn't sleep. "Three A.m. and I can't
sleep. It's gonna be a bad day at school tomorrow..."
Buffy moaned to herself as she tossed on
her bed.
Resigned to her sleepless fate, she stood, pulled on
a sports bra, white tanktop, and black
jeans. "Three Am. and I'm patrolling... God this
destiny thing bites..." she groaned after slipping a
pair of slim, small stakes into the breast pocket of
her black bike jacket. "Wonder if Merrick is still
up." she said, slipping out her window and dropping to
the ground in a run.
Striding down the street at a brisk pace, she noticed
someone tailing her. Deciding to lead
him on for a while, she took him on the long route to
Merrick's. Thinking quickly, she slipped
behind an oak growing on the street corner and began
to quietly ascend the branches. Looking
down, she saw her pursuer stop beneath the branches
and look around in bewilderment. ?idiot...?
Buffy thought before dropping down on top of the
shadowy figure below. 
She didn?t count on the figure below hearing her
almost silent fall, turn up, catch and
swiftly pin her to the ground. Buffy looked up
astonished at Jack?s smirking face. ?Hello B. Nice
night out, Aye?? he said, as he let up off her and
helped her up. Buffy backed up a step.
?Who are you? And why are you following me?? she
said, turning very subtly into a
defensive stance.
?Just keeping an eye on you. I made a promise.? he
replied, tracing his fingers around his
chin as he would had he a goatee. 
?What promise?? Buffy asked, crossing her arms in
curiosity.
?I?ll tell you about it someday, but not tonight.
Besides, I believe it would be beneficial to
keep an eye on you. You seem the type to attract
trouble.? 
?Moi?? she said, feigning innocence. ?I know not of
which you speak.? 
?Right. And Ringo was a good drummer.? he said.
Seeing her blank stare, he narrowed
his eyes at the slim blonde. ?Ringo...? From the
Beatles?? he asked. Finally seeing a nod of
recognition, he dropped his head. ?Now I feel old.?
Grinning, she patted Jack on the shoulder. ?I?m
kidding, My dad has alot of those old
round black things...?
?Records.?
?Right. Those.?
*	*	*
Lucius was a loyal servant. He had always done as his
master bid. Never questioned his
orders. So when Master Ordiniconii commanded the
Cauldron prepared, he set out at once to
summon the Master?s vampire minions. He had bid them
to find a Virgin who was as pure as
driven Snow, a flawless ruby to be ground into fine
powder, and Aqua Terra. The first
basement level was a room roughly the size of a
baketball court. One corner formed by an old
fountain filled with a rich black soil. near the
southern wall stood an anvil the size of a coffee
table, while the western wall was made primarily of a
thick solid steel grate that could be raised
into the ceiling. So here he stood, in the Tower?s
basement, at the base of the spiral staircase
looking at the ingredients with a gourmand?s eye. a
suitifiably terrified young brunette, a flawless
ruby the size of his fist, set attractively on a silk
draped tripod, and a case of Perrier. Lucius
nodded and gestured with his hand. From the round
earth filled fountain-like space, an earth
Elemental the size of a horse rose slowly. Shuffling
slowly to Lucius, the mindless mountain of
soil awaited a command.
Lucius deftly slipped the ruby into a doe skin bag,
and placed it atop an Anvil of a
darkish metal. nodding to the massive Maul in the
corner, the Earth Elemental shuffled over and
extended a large hand onto the hammer?s grip. Lifting
it with ease, the shuffling mass moved
back to the tall dark man by the anvil. Lucius merely
pointed to the leather shrouded Ruby and
said ?Powder that.?
Stepping a bit back, Lucius watched as the shuffling
earth lifted the maul and slammed it
unerringly down onto the ruby. The hammer rose again,
and again until The Master?s chosen
servant was certain the gemstone was reduced to a very
fine powder. Opening the suspiciously
untouched bag, he was peased to note that the jewel
had in fact been shattered into the grade
the Master needed. He looked at the mammoth soil-man
and gestured back to the earth filled
fountain. ?Return.? he intoned as the Elemental
stepped into the tiled basin and sank with what
sounded like a sigh of comfort.
Lucius tucked the bag into his vest pocket and rang a
small gong on a table near the
anvil. The ebony skinned man waited as the shadows in
the one unlit portion of the room
coallesed into a somewhat humanoid form and stepped up
to him. ?Yesss, Chosssen of the
Massster...? the shadow?s voiced seemed to sound from
every shadow in the room, creating a
rather disturbing echo effect. The bald man merely
looked into the twin pits of green hellish light
that served as the shadow?s eyes. ?Drain the girl,
bring the blood to the cauldron, and bring up
that case.? he finished, ponting his manicured finger
to the crate of spring water.
Halfway to the stair he stopped and turned back to
the shadow, which had been
advancing on the nearly catatonicly frightened young
girl. ?Bring every drop to the cauldron and
you may have the rest.? If the shadow could have
smiled, it would have. 
Britney Turgol?s last conscious thought, how she
would never see the fall Versace line,
passed through ehr mind as the thick cloying smell of
decay engulfed her senses and she was
swallowed up unnaturally thick darkness.
*	*	*
Merrick rubbed his eyes and opened the door.
Clutching his smoking robe closer
around him, his eyes widened at the sight of his
Slayer charge at his door with a muscular young
man who constantly looked back towards the mansion?s
courtyard. Merrick looked the young
man up from head to toe before laying a quizzical look
to Buffy. ?Merrick, this is Jack, he?s a
friend of Pike?s, and now mine from New York. he
already knows about our nightly exercises.
Can we come in??
Merrick mumbled for them to enter and they both
walked in, Jack making sure the door
was secured and shrugged off his leather coat. Merrick
wordlessly held up the British tradition
of hospitality and placed the coat on the coatrack
before offering Buffy and Jack tea.
?None for me, thanks.? Buffy declined.
?Earl Grey if you?ve got it.? Jack said with an easy
grin.
?I?m British, of course I?ve got Earl Grey.? Merrick
mumbled as he headed into the
rather spacious kitchen, followed by his two visitors.
Jack leaned against the refridgerator as
Buffy hopped atop the butcher?s black and Merrick
settled onto a barstool. ?So what brings
you and a visitor to the Manor at...? Checking the oak
panel clock on the wall, ?Three Am??
?Insomnia.? Buffy said.
?I?ve already seen all of the Infomercials.? Came
Jack?s answer.
?Ah... yes,the bane of midnight television. well,
Elizabeth, you can join me in the
Gymnasium. Jack, you can watch, or well, watch
actually. there?s not much else to do here at 3
Am.? he said, glaring at Buffy. ?save sleep...?
Jack watched Buffy run through various katas,
aerobics sets, then work on a set of
varying dummies. All through her training session,
Jack kept up a running commentary with
Merrick. Continually surprised by the accuracy and
technical knowledge of Buffy?s new friend,
Merrick contemplated then proceeded to ask Jack to
teach Buffy some new techniques.
?Sure. Hey, Buffy, come here.? he said, walking over
to the Slayer.
*	*	*
Lucius carried the powdered ruby to the lowest level
of the Belltower. Feeling a cold
draft on the back of his neck, he knew that the wraith
had fully drained the young girl and was
now bringing the vital fluid down behind him. Stepping
out of the stairwell, Lucius saw his
master standing behind a podium intently studying a
large book. ?Place the ingredients on the
altar Lucius, then you may have the night off.?
Lucius bowed at the waist to the darkly cloaked
vampire and sets the opened pouch on 
the altar, arranging the powder neatly in the middle
of the round leather. turning slightly, the
Wraith placed a silver basin next to the powdered
gemstone and swiftly dissipated. Lucius
watched the phantom flow back into the shadows,
presumably back into the upper basement.
Master Ordiniconii turned and saw his servant
watching the Wraith dissipate. ?That IS a
tad disturbing, isn?t it??
*	*	*


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