Graile Ch. 4 - Old Man

[Jack Xavier Warriner <connor_macbeth@xxxxxxxxx>]

Aiyo,
Sorry for the Delay, I was distracted by Spring
cleaning, I swear there were Dust Bunnies the size of
VW bugs.

Graile 
Chapter Four - Old Man.
By: MacBeth

Disclaimers: What?s mine is mine. What?s Joss? is
Joss?. What?s everybody else?s is everybody else?s.
Any Spelling/Grammatical errors are entirely the fault
of my Computer?s resident gremlin, Binky. 

Feedback: Feedback is to me what gysahl greens are to
Gary.

Language, Sex, and Drugs: some mild cursing, and light
smoking, but hey! This is America. Love it or leave
it.
Feedback: Feed back for me, Gysahl greens for Gary.

Archiving: Take. Feel free. But alter one little
comma, and the Riley Drones will sweep up your remains
for salsa.
* * *

Below the Sanderson Family Crypt

Buffy Summers stood in a large sewer junction and
waited as her best friend and new love interest caught
up to her. Willow Rosenberg jogged up to the Slayer
and bent at the waist trying to catch her breath. Jack
Covington, Xander Harris and Rupert Giles waited in
another junction chamber a short tunnel length away.
Buffy rested a hand on the small of the redhead?s back
and rubbed gently. ?You ok??
?Uh? huh. I hate running.? Willow stood up and
exhaled softly. Grinning at the blonde, she slipped
her own hands around her shoulders and pulled her
close. Kissing the Slayer deeply, Willow savored the
taste of her love?s lips until air became needed and
she giggled.
Buffy?s eyebrow rose at the laughter. ?Something
amuse you Will?? 
Twin emeralds sparkled with mischief. ?Who needs
oxygen??
The blonde snorted and kissed her softly. ?C?mon.
They?re waiting for us. We?ve got a big bad to kill,
then smoochies.? 
Willow sighed and nodded, before slipping into a
narrow concrete tunnel joining the chambers. Buffy did
not consider herself above watching the soft curves of
the girl in front of her as they moved through the
cramped passage. The channel let out into a cramped
ten by ten room, the three men waiting there stifled
grins as the two girls adjusted their clothing and
weaponry. Jack simply grinned that infuriating half
grin of his, moved to a steel banded door and kneeled.

Xander shifted from foot to foot in impatience, as
Jack pulled his small leather roll containing his set
of lock picks from his bomber jacket and began probing
the lock with delicate movements, all the while
whistling the theme to Mission Impossible. Giles
hefted his two handed wood inlaid pick and leaned
against the cement wall as Jack nodded at a quiet
click. The iron door opened outward to reveal a brick
wall. ?Um? Is anybody else completely not surprised by
this?? Xander asked a suddenly silent chamber. 
Jack stood, brushed the knees of his Levi?s off and
slipped his fingertips into the spaces between two
bricks and slid the brick wall to the right. ?I don?t
even want to know how many people that fooled.? Jack
said as he moved into the remarkably well-lit chamber
beyond. 
Willow looked at Jack in suspicion, ?How did you
know that wall was fake??
Jack simply stared at the redhead for a second
before Xander spoke up. ?Will? How many brick walls
have you seen in this sewer? It?s all concrete.?
Willow ducked her head in embarrassment, before Buffy
squeezed her hand and leaned in close.
?Don?t worry Will, it fooled me too?? The Slayer
grinned and pecked a kiss on the hacker?s cheek before
giving her a gentle push forward.
Jack led the group into vast chamber set with thick
cement pillars. ?Why does a city of Sunnydale?s size
need such a huge aquifer?? Jack muttered out loud and
crouched behind a support column with a look of
astonishment on his face. Giles moved next to Jack and
froze in similar disbelief. 
Deeper into the cavernous aquifer, a cloaked man
stood in waiting in the center of a ring of torches.
Loosely held in his hand was a long gilded staff
topped with a wide crystal shard. Buffy and Xander
looked at the two men in confusion. ?What?s the hold
up?? The Slayer asked in confusion. Giles simply
pointed beyond the waiting Vampire. 
Lumbering out of the obscuring shadows behind the
robed dark one came a huge greenish gray demon.
Towering twenty feet above their heads, the colossal
demon had arms and legs as thick as tree trunks as
well as a gaping mouth filled with green stained teeth
and a permanent drool. Around its neck, a thick iron
collar stamped with a symbol matched by a medallion
around the cloaked man?s throat. Xander looked at the
demon for all of ten seconds before laughing
hysterically. A second later, Willow joined him in
nearly uncontrollable giggles. After the redhead
whispered into Buffy?s ear for a second the Slayer
snorted in amusement. 
Giles looked to Xander asking a silent question.
Xander looked at the Brit like he?d been in a cave for
the last fifty years. ?A Rancor?? he gushed. ?Man, I?m
really losing respect for bad guys.? 
Giles turned to Xander in amazement. ?How on Earth
did you know it was a Rancor?? 
Xander matched his amazed look. ?Return of the
Jedi! Man, you have no excuse, I know they showed that
movie in England.? He shook his head and turned to
Buffy. ?How do we kill it??
Jack and Giles both turned to face the young teen
with nearly identical looks of horrific outrage.
?Killing Rancors? You?re Sick!? Jack snapped at a now
sheepish Xander.
Giles shook his head. ?Killing a Rancor? That?s
just not right?? he said shaking his head as he
advanced on the now impatient vampire. Seeing his
quarry advance, the undead sorcerer gestured with his
staff. A flash of green lightning coursed along the
shaft, flared within the crystal, and shot out to
blast past Jack and slam into Giles, sending him back
into the wall with a sickening smack! Without
hesitating, the vampire then drew a slim stiletto
dagger from the back of his belt and, flipping it in
his hand to grip the needle point with his fingertips,
he cast out the dagger and grinned malevolently as it
slammed hilt deep into the chest of a very surprised
Xander.
Buffy looked on in horror as the body of her friend
Xander Harris slump to the ground as her Watcher
Rupert Giles slid down the wall, leaving behind a dark
red smear on the cement wall. Turning to the vampire
responsible, she charged and was summarily backhanded
by the gigantic demon. She tumbled to the ground dazed
and staring helplessly.
Willow stood in shock at her best friends death. As
her eyes darkened in rage, her hands began to move
automatically. She gestured frantically and began
screaming arcane words, moving instinctually to summon
eldritch forces. Casting her left hand out, she shot a
massive beam of white light that blasted through the
vampire?s staff and vaporized his right leg, right
arm, and a great portion of his torso, remarkably
leaving his heart unscathed. Having spent herself with
the Arcane blast, Willow had no defense against the
Rancor?s rapidly incoming foot as it connected with
her back, a barely conscious Buffy sank to the ground
in defeat after hearing the sickening snap of her
love?s spine. 
Jack snarled deeply and drew his firearms to bare
on the Necromancer, emptying both clips into the
remaining torso of the mortally wounded vampire. Three
separate shots slammed the talisman before the vampire
known as Graile immolated into so much ash. 
The shattered medallion and the Rancor?s collar
both disappeared in a brilliant blue flash as the
flickering arcs of energy from Graile?s fractured
stave distorted the released energy. The energy seemed
to merge with the esper-like flow of power seeping
from Willow?s body like blood. The resultant force
enveloped everyone in the chamber in a penetrating
white light that was swiftly followed by oblivion.
* * *

Sunnydale High School Library
One Hour Later

Buffy opened her eyes and winced in pain. ?Ow...?
she moaned as eventually, the pain faded and she found
herself able to open her eyes and sit up atop the
library counter. Looking around the darkened library
in amazement, she saw her friend Xander sit up against
the book cage and take in his own surroundings with
deep confusion. Giles stumbled out of his office
holding his glasses loosely while rubbing the bridge
of his nose. Willow rose up on one arm from lying atop
the main table and rubbed the small of her back. Jack
opened his eyes and saw everyone upside down, a side
effect of him being sprawled out on the stairs with
his sunglasses askew. Looking at the clock, Buffy saw
it had only been an hour since Jack had slid open the
brick wall into the city?s aquifer. Willow. Buffy
looked desperately around the library for her lover
before seeing her sitting up on the tabletop
?Ok? What the Hell just happened?? Xander asked out
loud. Buffy stumbled to the main table and helped
Willow to her feet. 
?You ok?? she asked, her hand seemed glued to her
shoulder. The redhead nodded and looked to Xander. 
?You?? Willow asked before seeing the red stain and
small hole in his straw-hat adorned chocobo decked
blue Hawaiian shirt. ?Oh my god, Xander! What
happened, you?re bleeding!?
?No? I WAS bleeding.? He said, touching his skin
through the hole in his shirt. ?Is anyone else overly
weirded out?? the young man asked as he looked down at
the unmarked skin beneath the hole. ?Damn? I REALLY
liked this shirt.? He moaned more to himself than the
others. 
Buffy moved slowly to her Watcher after noticing
dried blood on the back of his tweed jacket and white
collar. ?Giles, are you ok? You look like you pulled a
Carrie.? 
?Yes, I, I believe I?m alright, just a slight
headache. I also seem to be having trouble remembering
the last two days.? The Older Brit stated with a
growing concern. ?Jack, are you quite alright?? he
asked the now upright Irishman.
?Well I guess everyone?s in one piece. Does anyone
remember what just happened?? Hearing a chorus of
no?s, Jack asked another question. ?Anybody remember
the last two days?? Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose
?Because I remember leaving your apartment to go after
Graile, ? he said pointing to Giles, ?My workout in
your backyard,? he shifted to Buffy ?I also remember
you? he pointed to Xander, ?Being stuck by a stiletto
the size of a pig spit.? Xander nodded and absently
began rubbing the indicated area.
Willow looked to the spot where she woke up. ?I
don?t know about the rest of you, but from what I
remember of that fight, I don?t want to remember. ?
she shuddered at the recurring memory of Buffy being
slammed by the enslaved Rancor. Seeing ?Uh? Do those
look familiar?? she said, pointing to a pair of items
near where Buffy?s head had lain.
Giles moved to the counter and shook his head.
?This is the crystal shard from that vampire?s staff.?
He said, hefting the sizable splinter in one hand and
a statuette in the other. ?I believe this is, in some
form, the Rancor we fought. Maybe the Summoning
receptacle.? The amethyst eyes of the dark green
marble statuette glinted with foreign intelligence.
Willow stage whispered to Xander, ?That?s Giles
speak for a Rancor Call?
Xander looked confused, ?I guess this is a
disturbing thought, but why do we not kill Rancors??
Jack shivered in disgust and turned to Xander.
?Rancors are the gentlest creatures imaginable,
they?re herbivores, and also incredibly intelligent.
There are tribes in Peru, Brazil, and Egypt. They?re
incredible strength and size are simply natural
defenses. No offense Xander, but could we switch to a
less disturbing subject?? 
Giles coughed and kept looking into the crystal
shard. ?I agree, back to less disturbing thoughts, I
have absolutely no idea what this is.?
Jack popped his neck to the right and moved closer
to the Watcher. ?It looks like a Chronostone. Though
it?s the biggest I?ve ever seen.? He eyed the stone
with a look of curiosity and deep thought. Shaking his
head, he walked to the entrance mumbling, ?I?ll be
right back, I need a smoke.? 
After the Irishman left the library, Buffy muttered
out an ?I?ll be right back? and followed him. 
?What is it with her and Irish men?? Xander
complained to his best friend.
?Yeah, I hear ya.? Willow thought to herself,
feeling a stab of jealousy.
* * *

Jack stood in the parking lot leaning against the
hood of his Cutlass and holding a rolled cigarette.
?The stars are beautiful tonight love.? He looked up
at the moon and sighed. ?I almost got them all killed.
Ruddy hell luv, I miss you. You?d have done things
right.? Jack kissed the emerald set in the gold band
on his left ring finger. ?I never thought it?d be this
difficult luv. She looks so much like you... ?
Buffy walked slowly to him and leaned beside him
against the convertible; the blonde stuffed her hands
into the pockets of her jacket and looked up into the
night sky, mimicking her friends posture. They stood
in companionable silence watching the night sky for
several moments before Buffy started sniffing the air.
?What the hell is that smell?? she asked him
accusingly before noticing his cigarette. ?That?s not
what I think it is, is it??
Jack nodded and inhaled deeply before exhaling the
thick cloud of smoke. ?I figured after today, I
deserved it. I?d offer, but it?s probably not for
you.? 
?Thank you but no. My life is odd enough I don?t
need that. But, feel free. ? She said calmly. ?I uh,
have something to tell you.?
?You remember everything that?s happened for the
last two days.? Jack stated simply.
?I?ve got to remember to stop trying to tell you
things. Let me guess, so do you?? Buffy accused him
with a smile.
Seeing a shrug, she continued. ?I don?t know why we
remember. I don?t know how the others survived; I mean
they were dead! Now they?re not and to tell you the
truth, I don?t give a good goddamn how. I don?t care
why or how, but Willow?s alive. I remember her dying,
that snapping sound is something I will desperately
try to forget for the rest of my days.?
Jack nodded somberly and took a final drag off his
joint before flicking the roach into the gutter. ?When
are you going to tell her again??
?I?m not.? She said firmly.
?Dare I ask why?? he asked as he shoved his hands
into the pockets of his bomber jacket. Jack pulled a
pair of black gloves out and pulled them on, weaving
his fingers to get a tight fit. 
?An hour ago I watched my friends die. I watched
Willow die and from that I nearly died. It?s bad
enough that she?d be a target during patrols, but if
word got out that Willow and I were together, the
Master would hunt her down specifically and... And I
can?t live with that. Eventually, Xander will open his
eyes and they?ll get together. That will hurt most of
all, but as long as she?s happy, I can live with it.?
She said, more for her sake then for his.
?Liar.? He said with a grin as he nodded his head
toward the library and they both walked back in. He
stopped short of the door. ?Buffy?? he asked while
pulling his left glove off.
?Yeah Jack?? she asked from behind him seconds
before he placed his palm on her forehead.
?I hate to do this B, but you?re just not ready
for her yet.? He said, mentally cleansing her
memories, leaving her in a momentarily stunned state.
Pulling the glove back on, he straightened the collar
of her grey blouse. ?You?ve got a long way to go kid.
I?ve got a lot riding on you.? he said to the inert
Slayer.
Shaking her head, Buffy patted Jack on the shoulder
and moved past him, ?You are a weird man my friend.?
She said completely oblivious to the past five
minutes.
* * *

Giles had driven Willow and Xander home before
retiring to his own apartment hours ago. Now he sat in
his favorite chair with a glass of scotch in his left
hand, and the Chronostone clutched tightly in his
right. The Englishman sighed heavily as he gazed
deeply into the crystal. The longer he held the shard,
the clearer his memories of the previous days became. 
Several memories kept staying in his mind. The almost
painful love between his Slayer charge and her hacker
friend, the nearly fatal injuries he himself had
sustained, as well as fleeting glimpses after his
wounding of Willow?s nearly God-like mystical power
and of her subsequent demise. 
Yet something else was clawing in the back of his
memory, like there?s something important that he?d
forgotten completely about. Jack had driven Buffy
home; The Rancor statuette had been placed safely in
the floor safe in his bedroom closet with the Crystal
shard soon to follow, and all his weapons had been
cleaned and replaced in what Xander lovingly called
his ?toy chest?. This mnemonic mystery was starting to
anger the Watcher. The grip on his nearly full scotch
glass had almost reached the shattering point before a
knock at the door surprised him out of most of his
anger. ?Oh bugger,? he moaned at the prospect of
having company at this ungodly hour.
Walking to his door, he straightened his waistcoat
and the collar of his white dress shirt. ?Don?t these
Americans ever sleep?? He whispered before he opened
his front door. Standing on his doorstep stood a tall
muscular bear of a man with silvered hair and pirate?s
goatee. Clad in faded blue jeans, white button down
shirt and black suede vest, it was the deep blue eyes
that jogged Giles? memory. ?Grandfather?? Giles said
in awe at the youthful seventy four year old before
him.
Vincent Macleod grinned and pulled his stoic
grandson into a tight hug. ?Hello Ripper my boy.?
Setting the surprised Brit down, Vincent stepped back
and looked Rupert up and down. ?You?ve grown much
taller than I expected Rip,? he said as he shouldered
his saddlebags. ?May I come in?? 
?Yes, please. I forgot you were coming.? As he
ushered the Scotsman into his home, he grinned to
himself. ?Scotch? It?s a good year.? He offered,
feeling for all the world as he had in his youth,
spending summers with his Grandfather in Glen Finnan.

* * *
Angel adjusted his grip on the paper bag containing
his ?dinner? and walked slowly down the street with a
slight limp, a fading reminder of his newly healed
broken leg, received during his earlier encounter with
the Elder vampire, Graile. Taking a shortcut to his
apartment, he slipped down an alleyway between a salon
and a trendy fashion boutique. As he slipped through
the alley, Angel felt an aura of darkness that chilled
even his Demon within. Stopping in actual sheer
terror, he slowly turned around to see the one person
he really didn?t want to tonight. ?Graile.? He managed
without sounding to keep the leg numbing fear from his
voice as the aura lessened significantly.
?Angelus.? The deeply cloaked vampire stated, his
vampiric, jet-black skin glinted in the streetlight as
he gestured casually at the sky. ?Out a bit late
aren?t we?? he said as calmly as though commenting on
the weather. 
?Maybe. It?s still early for humans.? Angel
remarked a moment of silence between the two when
Angel thought of what had been bugging him. ?I want to
know what you meant.?
?Regarding??
?Your warning. Why did you warn me about hurting
her?? he asked, taking a menacing step forward.
Graile simply grinned and nodded. ?Ah yes. Now I
recall. I have plans for her.? Raising a hand to stop
his protests, he continued, ?Nothing to get your
knickers in a twist about. There are simply some
things I want her to do for me.?
?And if I don?t?? came a confident voice from
behind them both. Turning, both vampires beheld a blue
jean and leather jacket clad Slayer. Buffy crossed her
arms and waited. ?Jack went to meet you, but you were
a no-show. There was only a newbie vampire with a
couple of trinkets.?
?I also told you I wanted him there alone.? He said
simply. ?I had to find some way to amuse you.? He
said, turning to the Slayer. Throwing back his hood,
Buffy saw for the first time, the true face of an
Elder vampire. Unnaturally black skin shone like
obsidian in the low light, his eyes were twin indigo
fires set in a devilishly handsome face with nearly
nonexistent facial ridges. His stark white hair flowed
down his shoulder in shocking contrast with his onyx
skin. Buffy stared in shock. ?Not what you expected I
take it?? Graile laughed.
Buffy nodded dumbly. ?Honestly? I expected yellow
eyes, horns and long claws.? Shaking her head she
remembered whom she was talking to. ?What do you want
Graile??
The handsome vampire smiled wide, showing needle
sharp fangs and shrugged. ?It?s too early for all the
secrets to be revealed. Tell Jack to meet me in the
hold of the ?Laurie Marie? dock thirteen, tomorrow
night. Alone this time, or I will systematically kill
everyone you care about. Starting with him.? He said
calmly pointing to Angel. That said, he walked out of
the Alleyway and soon disappeared. ?Goodnight Slayer.
Angel stepped closer to Buffy. ?Hey. Nice night to
walk you home??
?Sure. Ever since Drow boy swept into town the
Master?s lackeys have stayed at home.? She smiled at
the tall dark man before her and suppressed an urge to
run to Willow. They strolled down the silent five am
street casually talking like any other young couple.
?He?s right though, it is getting late. Maybe I should
walk you home?? she grinned as they headed in the
direction of Angel?s apartment.
?What?s a Drow?? the Irish vampire asked.
* * *

Sunday morning found Joyce Summers sitting in the
Living room of her home sipping her coffee while
trying to peruse the front page of the Sunnydale post.
Eventually she tossed the paper onto the coffee table
in exasperation. One image kept flashing through her
mind. ?He?s too young for me and I REALLY need to
start remembering that?? she moaned to herself. The
focus of her distraction had gotten up and left before
she had come down this morning, but since his bags
were still by the couch, his return seemed certain.
The bags kept crawling into Joyce?s thoughts, and a
sudden urge to go through them shocked her. ?Honestly.
You?d think I was Buffy?s age.? She thought as she
headed into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. 
Had Joyce looked behind her, she would have noticed
her daughter leaping ten feet straight up to land on
the eave under her bedroom window. As Buffy slid
through the window she had left open and changed her
clothes, she started thinking of what she should do
about Angel and Willow. ?Angel can handle himself when
I?m not around. He?s not a target. He loves me.? She
convinced herself. Crawling into bed, Buffy, in her
bed and alone in the darkness, allowed herself to do
what she never allowed when around others in the day,
she cried. 
* * *

Willow sat on the floor of her room with her back
to her bed, oblivious to the long passed dawn. She
hadn?t moved in hours, forcing herself to remember
what had happened. After several futile minutes, she
sighed heavily and dropped her head down against her
chest. She knew something important had happened, but
couldn?t bring the memories from the ether of her
mind. Having forgone sleep after lying in bed for an
hour trying to not think of a certain blonde, she
reached over to her bedside table and snagged her
laptop. After booting up the laptop Jack had given
her, Willow grinned at the unreal response time and
logged onto the net.
Her mailbox was empty, having gone through them
when she got home. Willow clicked the compose option
and typed in Vasha_NY?s E-mail address. Thinking for a
moment, She began to type.

To: Vasha_NY
Subject: News form the Dale

Hey Vash.
Weird things have been happening here. We met up
with a vampire we thought was this Ancient by the name
of Graile. We also ran into what J and G called a
?rancor? demon. I think I saw one in Star Wars. It was
big, greenish, ugly, and big. The rest of the night is
a mystery because the others and I woke up in the
library roughly an hour later. I barely remember
anything from the past two days. G took some goodies
form the vampire, but other than that, I have no idea
what may have happened. THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!!
GRRR!!! 
Write me when you get this.

Red_One

Willow sent off the E-mail and sat back, spending
an hour checking various Fan based Fiction web rings
and a few of the more shady Hacker sites for programs
and files. The messenger program (that continually
malfunctioned) she had downloaded from a popular
search engine site pinged with an annoying chime as a
message from Vasha popped on screen. 

Vash: Hey red. Saw U on, thought I?d ping you.

Willow grinned as she typed in a response.

Red: Hey yourself. You ping, I reply.

In New York, Aki stretched out on the windowsill
with Jack?s laptop on her lap. Looking to her right,
she matched smiles with a beautiful black haired woman
sitting on the long black leather couch flipping
through a catalogue from Museum Replicas. The raven
tressed woman set the catalog on her lap and grinned
at the young mocha skinned girl before dropping her
eyes down to a large Bengal tiger sleeping curled up
at her feet, A wide, thick gauze pad bandaged against
it?s side, the tiger?s breathing seemed labored yet
steady. 
?How?s Pike?? she asked in a low whisper.
The vampire seated on the couch gently nudged the
feline with the toe of her leather boot and frowned at
his irritated growl. ?He?s still in some pain. That
damned Hunter used a Jade axe and cut my Pike deeply.?
She said with a pout, she started to fidget with the
silver conch medallion belt slung low over her tight
black leather clad hips. ?But he?s healing nicely.?
She finished with a hopeful grin. 
Aki chuckled softly before turning back to read the
reply on her laptop, pursing her lips, she typed
another message.

Vash: If anything happened, you?ll remember. Mystical
amnesia rarely lasts long. This Master you mentioned,
he?s got an agenda. I?d be careful.

Red: Yeah, this Graile dude is a real pain. One moment
he wants J in the tomb, then we meet this Vampire
sorcerer. Who had a pet Rancor of all things. 

Vash: A Rancor? Aww... They?re so cute.

Red: Right... J and G said they were harmless, It?s
kind of weird to consider a twelve foot slobbering
beast cute and harmless.

Vash: They grow on you.

Red: I bet. :D

Vash: Anyhoo. Your memories of the fight are rather
sketchy?

Red: Yup. I remembered waking up in the Library.

Vash: Bummer. I gotta go, Deanna wants java.

Red: Okies. Write me later k?

Vash: Sure. G?nite.

Red: Night.

Willow logged off her connection and closed her
laptop. The slim piece of advanced hardware continued
to thrill the young hacker, the first moment she had
alone with the device she had delved deeply into it?s
programming and was shocked by how advanced it truly
was. Every program on the device was more advanced
than any she had used or read about, yet every file
had its dates removed. Even the games had their files
tampered with. ?What are you hiding Jack?? she asked
her silent room. 
* * *

Xander?s breath came in deep painful huffs, a
lasting reminder from his Father to not drink the last
coke in the fridge. Even one he had purchased for
himself the night before. He slumped against the door
of his bedroom, eyeing the fist sized, deep purple
bruise over his left floating ribs. Looking in the
half mirror on the side of the wall near the door, the
bruise seemed hardly out of place amongst the nearly
faded ?reminders? his Father had given him. 
Walking to the closet he opened the door and looked
for a shirt that didn?t scream ?geek?. He pulled down
a white button shirt he?d worn only once to his Uncle
Rory?s last arraignment hearing and pulled it on, glad
for once that his mother couldn?t guess his size with
a tape measure and a tailor over her shoulder. The
loose shirt needed something... The glint of morning
sunlight on black leather caught his eye and he pulled
the vest Jack had given him out of his open backpack.
Pulling it on, Xander was stunned to note it fit
perfectly. ?Nice... very not pathetic.? Running a hand
through his short brown hair, he opened the door and
walked as quickly out of his house as he could without
waking his father from his apparently comfortable
position, slouched over the kitchen table.
* * *

The sky had darkened quickly over Sunnydale. The
charcoal gray clouds dropping fat droplets onto the
unassuming town below. The darkening clouds meant a
longer night of sorts. If it was one thing this town
didn?t need, it was a longer night. The Schools had
just let out fro the day, yet the Mall, the theatres,
the trendy coffee stops were nearly empty. As though
everyone in town were afraid of the dark, or what
lived in it. A flash of lightning struck across the
sky, illuminating shadowy figures that creeped along
the alleyways, Most seemed to be creeping in the
direction of Willy?s bar.
Behind the bar, Willy rubbed his grimy rag along
the inside of a beer mug with negligent care. Missing
blatantly obvious blots of Goat?s blood that had
settled along the bottom of the mug. He had just set
the mug on a rack beneath the bartop when the front
door opened, revealing the storm darkened city
outside. The informant bartender looked up into the
sapphire eyes of a tall muscular man with skin the
color of obsidian; a mane of snow-white hair trailed
over his shoulders. ?Well you?re a new one. What are
you? Avalonian? Calerian? Atlantean??
?Nodian.? came the deep voiced reply. ?Pint of
Guinness.? The Jet skinned vampire requested as he
leaned against the bar top.
Willy hastened to draw the vampire?s lager and set
the Pint before him. ?Nodian? Huh, I?ve never seen a
Vampire with Coal black skin and white hair before.?
Graile lunged over the bar and pulled Willy a mere
inch away from his face. ?You still haven?t Willy.?
The Vampire?s eyes began to glow with a deep blue
light.
?Yeah, Yeah, I gotcha. I know the score, I?ve been
running this place long enough.? Came the bartender?s
choked reply.
?Keep it that way.? The vampire growled. Willy
backed away with obvious fear as the vampire took his
lager to one of the bar?s many shadowed booths. A
mildly intoxicated Gremlin sat crouched in his booth
clutching a corona in its tiny claws. Graile cocked an
ivory eyebrow at the pathetic imp and tossed it over
the median into the neighboring booth. The Gremlin
belched and wondered what the hell just happened
before seeing his corona safely clutched in his claws
and drank happily.
The Elder Vampire raised his pint in a salute,
?Here?s to you Jack.? he whispered to himself before
emptying the glass in a single swallow. 
* * *

Buffy sat slumped against her bed in a state of
listlessness, basking in the late afternoon sunlight.
Her lack of memories form the past few days should
have concerned her, but they didn?t. Her moment of
entropy was shattered by the beeper Giles had assigned
her. Turning her hardest Slayer gaze at the irritating
alarm, she willed it to stop. Eventually the device
did cease, and Buffy knew she had to call her Watcher
and see what was so bloody important. ?Bloody
important? I?ve got to stop hanging out with him.? she
thought to herself as she plucked the beeper form her
bed table and pushed the tiny rubber button to delete
the number. 
Picking up her phone, she dialed Giles? number and
was shocked when the Englishman picked up half way
through the first ring. ?Buffy??
?Who else calls you after being paged Giles?? Buffy
replied with a somewhat irritated tone. 
?Yes, well. It?s important that you come over when
convenient.? Giles exclaimed in urgency. 
?Alright, I?ll be right over.? Buffy disconnected
the phone before the Englishman could form a reply.
Rupert Giles placed the telephone back on the
cradle and turned back to his Grandfather in concern.
?Well, She?s obviously upset about something.? 
* * *

Willow looked across the coffee shop table towards
her oldest friend in the world, Xander Harris, who was
currently attempting to hit up the waitress for her
phone number. Willow stifled a chuckle when the rather
buxom brunette simply rolled her eyes and turned away
with their order for two Grande mocha latte?s. Xander
turned back to his redheaded friend in defeat, ?Aw
well. She?s probably gay anyway.?
Willow glared at Xander and for the first time, he
was afraid of his best friend. ?Why would that be a
problem Xander?? 
?It?s not Willow. I was just kidding! just a
typical male rejection self defense mode thingy.? he
held up his hands in placation. ?Besides, you know I?m
open minded, if that extremely hot waitress wants to
make hot sticky passionate monkey love to another hot
beautiful woman, I?m all for it. I?d be even more for
it if they let me watch...? he ended with a wide
lecherous grin that Willow couldn?t help but smile at.
?Xander you are one sad strange little...? She
trailed off as she noticed Buffy run by at full speed.
?What?s up with Buffy??
?Quick Willow! Follow the Buffy shaped blur!?
Xander announced while striking a ridiculous pose.
Willow simply shook her head and moved to follow
her two best friends.
* * *

Buffy made it to Giles? apartment without breaking
a sweat or becoming short-winded. Tapping the door
once to announce her arrival, she waited patiently the
entire second it took the Watcher to open the door and
usher his charge in. ?I said when it was convenient
Buffy.?
?Cabin fever Giles. I was going stir crazy sitting
at home alone. ? Buffy answered as she hung her coat
up on the rack by the door and leaned against the
counter. ?So what was so important? Not that I mind,
it got me out of the house.? as she spoke, Vincent
walked from the back bedroom and stopped suddenly at
hearing the Slayer?s voice, a voice that brought with
it a slew of old memories. ?Belle??
Buffy heard the voice behind her and whirled to
face the tall muscular Scotsman in a defensive
posture. ?Who are you?? she asked, before seeing the
stricken look on his face. Buffy dropped her defense
and moved closer to the older man as he started to
fall backward in shock. Giles and Buffy both helped
the older man to the Watcher?s couch and eased him
down softly. ?Giles, is he ok?? 
The Brit looked in concern towards his guest and
nodded slowly. ?I think he?s in shock more than any
thing else. What did you do??
?I didn?t do anything!? Buffy protested as they
watched the old man for any sign of recognition.
?I?m alright Rupert, she just gave me quite a
shock. So, this is your young Elizabeth?? Vincent
asked, turning his eyes toward Buffy.
Giles nodded, ?Buffy, I?d like to introduce my
Grandfather, Vincent Macleod. Grandfather, this is
Buffy Summers, The Slayer.? 
Buffy looked the old Scot over and extended a hand,
Vincent took the hand with a smile. ?I?m sure Rip
would have told me all about you if he called once in
a while.? he glanced at Giles with mock disapproval,
Buffy grinned and sat opposite of the elderly Scot.
Buffy never thought she?d see her new Watcher blush
like that. Though only knowing the stuffy Brit for a
short time, she had a feeling she wouldn?t see him
like this very often. Giles seemed to relax around his
grandfather, slouching a bit and keeping his hand
stuffed in the front of his trousers. 
* * *
Jack strolled down Sunnydale?s main street, as the
Afternoon sun burned low in the sky. He walked slowly,
savoring the warm heat and brisk autumn wind. Running
a hand through his short brown hair, he watched as his
stroll showed him the sights of everyday people living
their lives in complete oblivion to their town?s
nocturnal denizens. As he made his way towards Giles?
apartment, Jack sloughed off his brown bomber jacket
and flipped it over his left shoulder, holding the
collar loosely. The Sun had finally set by the time
his leisurely stroll had ended, bringing him to the
doorstep of Rupert Giles. ?This is one talk I don?t
want to have.? he sighed as he raised his hand to
knock.
* * *
?And in walks little Rip, torn teddy bear in one
hand, a broken wooden sword in the other. He hands the
tattered bear to wee Kat and said, ?Don?t worry
Kitten, Marcus won?t take your bear again.?
Buffy released the laughter she?d been holding
back. ?Then, then what happened??
Vincent chuckled and wiped his eye, ?The poor girl
was more broken up because her teddy had been ripped
apart during their scuffle then she was over little
Marcus? mischief.? he was about to continue when a
knocking at the front door alerted them to their
guest?s arrival. The Slayer stood from the couch and
moved to open the door. 
?Hey Jack. C?mon in.? Buffy grinned and pulled in
the smirking Irishman.
?Hello Buffy. You said you wanted me to come over
about now. So, here I be.? he shrugged. ?What?s so
important that I have to miss X-Files??
?What, your life isn?t weird enough you have to
watch a TV show about it?? an eyebrow arched in
skeptical amusement. 
?Aki got me hooked on it, she thinks Scully?s hot.?
he shrugged as he hung his jacket on the coat rack
near the door.
?What is it with her and Irish women??
?Well, Red hair, green eyes, pale skin, shapely
body, fiery spirit. Who would consider a girl like
that beautiful? Hmm...? he replied with a hefty dose
of sarcasm.
?Funny. Very funny, come on, they?re waiting.? Jack
looked past and locked eyes with the old Scotsman. 
Jack moved forward as Vincent stood, both men stood
a ways apart before embracing tightly, patting each
other solidly on the back. ?Hello Vince.?
?Hello old man.? Vincent replied with great
familiarity. ?It?s been too long, my friend.? The two
old friends held each other for a moment longer before
breaking apart with genuine humor. ?Far too long
Jack.?
?I heard about Janice Vincent. I was at the
funeral, I?m very sorry I didn?t come forward.? Jack
dropped his head in embarrassment.
?I saw you there, it?s alright.? Vincent smiled and
turned to the surprised Watcher and Slayer. ?Jack, I
take it you already know my grandson Rupert and Miss
Summers.?
?Very familiar thank you.? Jack smiled a half grin
at them and moved to sit in Giles? chair. Seeing the
Scotsman walk over to the couch, he couldn?t help but
ask, ?Need some help old timer??
?Smart ass.? The old man sat his frame down and
they both looked towards Rupert and Buffy.
Jack coughed, ?Well, Giles. Care to explain why you
asked us here tonight??
Buffy sat down slowly on the open space on the couch.
?How do you two know each other so well??
Jack?s eyes seemed to lose their sparkle, as he
matched glances with Vincent. ?This is a tad early to
tell, but I can no longer know when the time would
have been right. Hell, for the last hundred years I?ve
been guessing as events unfold. So I guess now is as
good a time as any.?
Vincent moved to his grandson?s liquor cabinet and
pulled down a bottle of twelve-year-old single malt
scotch. ?Oh we?re gonna need this tonight.? he mumbled
to himself as the others got comfortable.
Buffy?s nose scrunched up in confusion, ?What do
you mean a hundred years??
Jack sighed, ?Let?s start at the beginning, shall
we??
?Oh bugger. They want the whole story.? Vincent
mumbled to himself and, hesitating for only a moment,
pulled down a second bottle. Taking the bottle and
four glasses, he sat back onto the couch and stretched
out his legs. 
Jack took the glass of scotch his old friend handed
him and drank slowly, clearing his throat. ?Once upon
a time...?

TBC


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