~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~~~~~~

In the chamber, Buffy struggled with her feelings. All she could think about was how Xander and Willow were going to react to the news, "Jesse. I'm sorry." Jesse looked down at her, "Sorry? I feel good, I feel strong! I'm connected, man, to everything!" Angel struggled with the door, trying to close it. "I, I can hear the worms in the earth!" He went on. "That's a plus." Buffy said sarcastically. "I know what the Master wants. I'll serve his purpose. That means you die." Jesse said happily. Angel looked back at them, "Buffy, the cross!" Without another word, she held the cross, the one she had used on other vampires, up to Jesse's face.

He growled at her. "Jesse, I don't want know what I'm going to tell Xander," Buffy said, more to herself than to him. Jesse growled again, "Tell him, 'You're like a shadow to me now.'" Jesse charged Buffy, making her hit the wall. He jumped to the other side of the room, facing Buffy.

Angel grabbed him from behind and threw him out of the chamber into the advancing vampires, knocking them all down. He goes back to trying to close the door. "Help," Angel grunts as he tried to close the heavy door. Buffy jumped up, moving to the door, she tried to use her strength to close it. Buffy gasped as the door closed on a vampire's arm. The vampire pulled its arm back out of the door and Buffy slammed it shut, locking the latch. The vampires pounded on the door. "We need to get out of here." Buffy breathed.

Angel glanced around the dim lighted room, until he spotted a grate in the ceiling, "Up there." Buffy leaped on top of a barrel and began to pry the grate open. The vampires have started to bend in a corner of the door. They twist it and push it in further. Buffy manages to get the grate open, "Go."

Angel hesitated a moment, then crawled up into a ventilation duct. A vampire started to struggle through the bent corner of the door. He reached in and pulled the latch open as Angel got through the grate. Buffy followed him quickly as the first vampire entered the chamber. He followed them through the grate into the duct. Angel and Buffy crawl quickly, both using their strength in speed to move.

Finding a ladder up to a manhole, he started climbing the rungs. Buffy followed. The vampire was right behind them. Angel pushed open the manhole cover and climbed out into daylight. He turned to help Buffy out. The vampire grabbed her ankle and tried to pull her back down. Buffy let out a tiny shriek and Angel pulled her into his arms, "Angel, pull!" Buffy cried.

He pulled on her harder, her hands coming to rest on his. The vampire's hand slowly is exposed to the sunlight and burns. The vampire lets go, hissing loudly. They tumble backwards to the ground. Still resting in his arms, Buffy and Angel gasp for breath. Angel lets his head fall back onto the ground, sighing. A moment later, he looked at her and said, "That was fun." Buffy glanced at him, then shook her head while standing up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"She escaped? She walks free when I should be drinking her heart's blood right now? Careless..." The Master chided one of his children. "Master," One of them spoke up, "we had her trapped!" The Master looked at him, "Oh, are you going to make excuses?" The vampire remained silent. "You are all weak. It has been too long since you have faced the Slayer. Huh. It is no matter to me. She will not stop the Harvest. Just means there'll be someone worth killing... when I reach the surface. Is Luke ready?" The Master asked.

"He waits." He spoke up. The Master sighed, "It's time. Bring him to me." Colin turned to retrieve Luke when The Master spoke up, "Ah, Colin... You failed me. Tell me you're sorry." Colin whimpered slightly, "I'm sorry."
"There. That wasn't so bad, was it? Hold on..." The Master stabbed his finger into Colin's face, "You've got something in your eye."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles is still doing his research when he hears someone come in, "Buffy?" "It's just me." Willow said, "So there's no word?" Giles sighed, "Ah, not as yet, no." Willow started, "Well, I-I'm sure she's... great." "Did you find anything?" Xander asked from across the table, a big book in his hands.

Willow moved closer, "I think, maybe... I surfed through the old newspapers around the time of that big earthquake back in '37? And for several months before there were a rash of murders." She handed him her printouts. "Great!" Giles said, and Xander and Willow give him a look, "I-I mean, well, not, not 'great' in a good way, uh, um, uh, go on?"

"Well, they sound like the kind you were looking for." She flipped through the printouts, "Throats, blood..." Giles nodded, "It's all coming together. I rather wish it weren't."

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Meanwhile, The Master is performing the ritual that will make him and Luke one. Luke; the vessel. Has a new three corner star mark on his forehead.

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Willow is looking at one of Giles' volumes, when the door burst opened. She looked up to see Buffy come in . . . . with a guy . . .

"Uh, hi Buffy," Willow said. Unsure if she should talk about the vampires. Buffy shook her head, "It's okay. He knows. Angel, this is Willow, and that's Xander, and that over there is-" Angel interrupted, "Hey, Uncle Giles." Stunned, Buffy looked at Giles, then at Angel, "Uncle?" "Ah, yes." Giles said, "Angel is my nephew. His mother was my one and only older sister. Uh, so...." "He knows." Buffy nodded, then glared at Angel, again. "Giles he's the guy-" "Followed you into the alley last night?" Giles said, "Yes, I know. He contacted me while you were out, and explained that he got the information from a weakened vampire. I told him to follow you, to help you." Buffy frowned. "Okay, I'm not handy capped."

"Did you find Jesse?" Xander asked, interrupting. "Yeah." Buffy said sadly. "Was he dead?" Willow asked hesitantly. "Worse." Buffy sat down at the end of the table, "I'm sorry, guys. We were too late." Xander got up, "And they were waiting for us." Willow nodded, sadly, but tried to look on the bright side, "At least you two are okay." Xander kicked a trashcan violently. Buffy touched her forehead, startled. "I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good." Xander said.

Buffy turned to Giles, "So, Giles! Got anything that can make this day any worse?" He moved over to the whiteboard and put down his pen, "How about the end of the world?"

"Knew I could count on you." She said calmly. "This is what we know. Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, not just to feed." Giles explained. "He came 'cause this town's a mystical who's it." Buffy stated.

"Yes. The Spanish who first settled here called it 'Boca del Infierno'. Roughly translated, 'Hellmouth'." Giles explained, "It's a sort of, um, portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it." Buffy nodded, "Bring the demons back." "End of the world." Angel muttered.

"But he blew it!" Willow cried, "Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town, and him, too." "You see, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck, rather like a, uh, cork in a bottle." Giles explained. "And this Harvest thing is to get him out." Xander guessed. " It comes once in a century, on this night. The Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol." He draws a three-pointed star on the whiteboard.

"So, I dust anyone sporting that symbol, and no Harvest." Buffy guessed. "Simply put, yes." Buffy nodded at Giles, "Any idea where this little get-together is being held?" Giles stammered, "There, there are a number of possibilities." Xander started, "They're goin' to the Bronze." Willow glanced at him, "Are you sure?" Xander sighed, "Come on. All those tasty young morsels all over the place? Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be, trust me."

Giles grabbed his coat and started out of the library. The others begun to follow. "Then we should get there. The sun will be down before long." Buffy told him, "I gotta make a stop. Won't take long." Giles put on his coat, "What for?" Buffy shrugged, "Supplies."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy hurried to her closet and pulled out a heavy, black jacket. She was almost ready to head out, when her mother walked into the room, "Buffy?" "Mom!" Buffy shouted. Joyce looked to her daughter's attire, "You're going out?" Buffy looked at her mother, "I have to." She puts on her jacket. "I didn't hear you come in last night." Her mother stated. "I was really quiet." Buffy squirmed.

" It's happening again, isn't it? I got a call from your new principal. Says you missed some classes today?" Joyce said, worried. "I was running an errand." Buffy tried to explain. "We haven't finished unpacking, and I'm getting calls from the principal." Her mother said, sounding even more worried and nervous. "Mom, I promise, it is *not* gonna be like before. But I *have* to go." Buffy pleaded.

"No." Joyce said firmly. "Mom?!" "The tapes all say I should get used to saying it. No." Buffy tried again, "This is really, really important." "I know. If you don't go out it'll be the end of the world. Everything is life or death when you're a sixteen-year-old girl." Buffy tried again, "Look, I don't have time to talk about this..."

"Buffy, you've got all the time in the world, you're not going anywhere. Now, if you wanna stay up here and sulk, I won't hold it against you. But if you wanna come down," Joyce gestured to the door, "I'll make us some dinner." Buffy watches her leave and can't believe what just happened. She leaned against the closet door, taking a deep breath and exhaled. Her mom wasn't standing outside the door. She turned and opened the closet again and pulled out a chest. It has a large box in it full of her stuff. She pulled out the box to reveal what's underneath.

Stakes, crosses, garlic, bottles of holy water. She pulled a bunch out and placed it in her sports bag. She took a particularly sharp stake and concealed it in her jacket sleeve. She closed the chest, zipped the bag closed, and went over to her door to make sure her mother wasn't nearby.

Sighing, she grabbed the bag, sliding it out of the window onto the roof. She was about to jump out when Angel popped his head inside her window. Gasping again, Buffy glared at him, "Do you know how annoying the snake slither approach is?" Angel shrugged, "C'mon. Sun just set. We gotta move." He moved away from the window, letting Buffy climb out when the door opened, "Buffy, mom wanted-" Dawn stopped when she saw her sister looking at her . . . with a guy out on their roof! Dawn looked at her sister, confused, "What's going on?" Buffy sighed, "Nothing, Dawn. Go away," Buffy started out her window again when Dawn said, "Does mom know you're sneaking out with a boy?" Buffy's eyes widened, "What-Dawn I am not-" She glanced at Angel who was smirking slightly. Buffy frowned at him, telling him with her eyes that he was not helping.

"Dawn, just go. Please. And don't tell mom a thing." Buffy begged. Dawn crossed her arms, "Fine. I won't tell mom. But when you come back you have to tell me everything." "Fine!" Buffy said, "Now go." She watched as her sister moved out of her room. Buffy turned to face Angel, "You. Are. An. Ass." She said through gritted teeth. He smiled at her again, "Yeah, well you forgot handsome." He said before taking her bag and jumping off the roof. She scooted down the roof and looked down at him, "How did you do that?" He looked up at her, "I jumped. C'mon."

~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~~~~~~


The Bronze had become silent, that was the first thing that tipped Buffy off. She tried the door, "It's locked." "We're too late." Giles said. "I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!" Buffy cried in protest. "Can you break it down?" Buffy glanced at the heavy door, "No, not that thing. Um... You guys try the back entrance, and I'll find my own way." "Right. Come on." Giles said.

"Uh, wait! Guys! Here!" She handed Willow her bag, "You get the exit cleared and the people out. That's all! Don't go Wild Bunch on me." She let her gaze fall on Angel. Giving him the hint that this was her job, not his. "Uh, see you inside, then." Giles said before he, Xander, Angel, and Willow ran around to the back.

Willow tried the door but had no success, "No joy!" Xander sighed, "We've gotta get in there before Jesse does something stupider that usual." Giles snapped his gaze at Xander, "You listen to me. Jesse is dead. You have to remember that when you see him, you're not looking at your friend. You're looking at the thing that killed him."

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Luke, finished feeding off of another girl. He listened as his link to the Master grew louder, "Almost free!" Luke could hear him cry. "Give me moooooore!" Finished with the girl, he dropped her body to the ground. He waited as Darla went over to Jesse. She grabbed Cordelia, preparing to take her to Luke. "This one's mine." Jesses said while holding her by the chin. Darla scoffed, "They're all for the Master." She pulled on Cordelia. Jesse let go of her, " I don't get one?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy watched as Luke brought Cordelia roughly against him. She had spotted the mark on his forehead and was about to make herself known when a vampire tried to attack her. She easily takes him out, knocking him off and over the railing.

Look watched as the vampire fell to the ground with a loud thud. He glanced up and saw her leaning over the railing, "Oh, I'm sorry, were you in the middle of something?" "You!" Luke cried. Buffy stared down at him, "You didn't think I'd miss this. Did you?" "I hoped you'd come." He snarled.

"Be right down," Buffy stepped away from the railing and executed a round off to get down. She landed on a pool table, perfectly. A vampire attacked from her right. Buffy easily moved off of the table, grabbing a pool cue on the way. When she landed on the floor, she thrust the long stick into her attacker.

"Okay, Vessel boy." Buffy removed her jacket, "You want blood?" Luke growled, "I want yours." He let go of Cordelia, who promptly pushed herself away from him, "Only yours." Shrugging, Buffy replied, "Works for me." Them she ran and cart wheeled up onto the stage, and immediately launched into a full spinning kick. Luke staggered into a pile of chairs. Buffy assumed a fighting position, ready for whatever look was going to try and pull on her. Luke got up and growled.

He came at her, swinging, but she ducked the punch and came up behind him. He tried a backhand punch, but she blocked him, holding onto his arm and gave him three hard kicks to his stomach before he shook loose. She pulled out her stake and lunged at him. He blocked it, knocking the stake from her grip. Luke, then, lifted her up and threw her into a pile of boxes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Giles, Willow, Angel, and Xander finally managed to break in. "Hurry," Giles called as Xander and Angel ran in to see exactly what was happening. They saw Buffy down, and for a moment, they both contemplated over going to her. She got up, letting them know she was alright. Angel turned his attention to the crowd and gestured for Xander to follow. In a low voice, Xander muttered, "C'mon, Let's go, C'mon, C'mon, C'mon! C'mon!" He and Angel help escort the people to safety while Giles guided the people to the back door. He whispered hoarsely, "Hurry up! Come on! Through this door! Come on, This way!" He took the chance and glanced up at the stage.

Buffy spun around, landing another hit to Luke's face, knocking him into another pile of boxes. Buffy turned to see a vampire grab Xander. Thinking fast, she grabbed a cymbal from a drum set and threw it at the vampire like a Frisbee. Xander saw it coming, his eyes widened for a second, before ducking. The cymbal decapitates the vampire. Xander got back up in time to say, "Head's up!"

Buffy can't resist a chuckle, but is grabbed from behind by Luke. Choking, Buffy let's her mouth fall open at the as the air is slowly taken out of her....

Cordelia was knocked to the floor, Jesse hovered above her. She struggled as he grabbed her arms. Letting out a tiny shriek. "Hold still! You're not making this easy!" Jesses snarled. "Jesse, man!" Xander shouted as he held a raised stake in hand, "Don't make me do it." Jesse turned to look up at Xander, "Buddy!"

Buffy could barely see, Luke was holding her too tight from behind. "I always wanted to kill a Slayer," He whispered. Buffy thought as she closed her eyes.

Giles and Willow were still guiding people out. Giles decided to speed up the process, "Quickly, Quickly! We're going to have to open the front as well!" He crossed to the other side of the room infront of some stairs. Before he could react, Darla jumped him, taking him to the ground.

"Jesse!" Xander shouted, "I know there's still a part of you in there." Jesse jumped up, "Okay... Let's deal with this. Jesse was an excruciating loser who couldn't get a date with anyone in the sighted community! Look at me. I'm a new man!" He said sincerely.

"Master! Taste of this... and be free!" Luke roared and moved in to bite Buffy. But before he got to, she snapped her head back to land a head butt in his face, knocking him off of her and back to the wall. "How'd it taste?" Buffy asked, breathing in deeply.

Giles struggled with Darla on the floor. He tried to throw her off of him but she was too strong. Willow looked around. Xander was busy with Jesses and Angel was getting more people out threw the front door. Taking things into her own hands, she approached them while taking out a jar of holy water, "Get off of him!" Darla, distracted, looked up at her just as Willow threw the holy water at her. It burned her face, steam raising from her the burns. She quickly ran from the club, screaming.

Jesse grabbed Xander by the jacket and lifted him around against a wall. Xander moved, so the stake pointed at Jesse's chest. He looked down at it, "Ooo! Alright. Put me out of my misery. You don't have the guts." A fleeing patron bumped into Jesse, impaling him on the stake. Xander let go of the stake just as Jesse began to fall. He turned to ashes before he even hit the floor. Xander sighed. He did it.... well, he didn't exactly, he did have a little push. Well, if not for him, but for Jesses but still.... His thoughts were interrupted as two vampires grabbed him.

Buffy grabbed a microphone stand and held it like a javelin. Luke sneered at her, "You forget, metal can't hurt me." "There's something you forgot about, too." Buffy shot back, "Sunrise!" She threw the stand at the window behind Luke. He ducked, and it broke the window behind him. A bright light poured in through it. Buffy glanced around wildly, then found the stake she dropped on the stage. Luke shielded his face with his hands, expecting to be burned, but stopped when he realized the light was only a bright lamp. Before he could turn, Buffy lunged at him from behind and jammed the stake home.

"It's in about nine hours, moron," She said pleasantly as she kept her hand firmly on the stake. She gave it a little jiggle, making sure the stake was firmly in his heart. Luke began to stagger off of the stage. He could almost see the Master trying the confinements of his realm as he continued to stagger. Luke fell from the stage and turned to ash as he hit the ground, almost hearing the Master as he feels his death and falls to his knees, crying, "Noooooooo! Noooooooo!"

Buffy stared at Luke's ashes, hands on her hips, she let out a content sigh. The two vampires that had grabbed Xander see the remains of Luke. Lifting her gaze to meet theirs, Buffy stared at them. The vampires regarded her expression, panicked, then ran. Leaving Xander behind.

Just as Angel was about to head inside, two vampires came rushing out, looking terribly scared. He was too tired to go chase after them, but he was surprised that they did look scared. He smiled, "She did it." He muttered, "Well, I'll be damned." Quietly he walked inside.

Buffy hopped down to the floor. Giles and Willow meet her, "I take it it's over." "Did we win?" Willow asked, "Well, we averted the apocalypse." Buffy took her coat, "I give us points for that." Xander came to meet them with Angel, "One thing's for sure: nothing's ever gonna be the same."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunnydale High the next Monday. Everything appeared normal as Buffy walked along and overhears Cordelia talking with another girl. "Well, I heard it was rival gangs. You know, fighting for turf? But all I can tell you is they were an ugly way of looking. And Buffy, like, knew them! Which is just too weird. I mean, I don't even remember that much, but I'm telling you, it was a freak show!" She gossiped.

The girl went on, "Oh, I wish I'd been there!" Cordelia nodded, "You should have been there. It was so creepy..." She and her friend walk off. Buffy sighed, walking until she met up with Xander. "What exactly were you expecting?" She asked him. Xander shrugged, "I don't know, something. I mean, the dead rose. We should at least have an assembly."

They ran into Giles and Willow, and the four continued to walk, "People have a tendency to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't." Giles informed. Buffy glanced at the two newbies, "Believe me, I've seen it happen." Willow shook her head, "Well, I'll never forget it, none of it." Giles sighed, "Good! Next time you'll be prepared." Xander frowned, not liking that sound, "Next time?" Willow stared at Giles with the same expression, "Next time is why?" Giles stopped, "We've prevented the Master from freeing himself and opening the mouth of Hell. That's not to say he's going to stop trying. I'd say the fun is just beginning."

Willow eyes went wide, "More vampires?" "Not just vampires. The next threat we face may be something quite different." He said excitedly. Buffy shrugged, "I can hardly wait!" Giles continued, "We're at the center of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction." Buffy shrugged again, holding her lollipop closer to her lips, "Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school!" The three students continued walking to class. Giles stayed behind and watched them go.

Xander spoke up as he followed, ":Oh, yeah, that's a plan. 'Cause lots of schools aren't on Hellmouths." Maybe you could blow something up. They're really strict about that." Willow suggested. "I was thinking of a more subtle approach, y'know, like excessive not studying." Buffy explained. Giles turned to go back to his library, lifting his glasses slightly, "The Earth is doomed."

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"No, seriously," Buffy went on, "I think we could definitely get away with it. I mean, it was *your* suggestion, Will," Willow smiled, "Yeah it was. But how could we pull it off?" She wondered just as Buffy stopped, causing Willow and Xander to bump into her. They looked at her, then looked at whatever she was staring at.

Angel stood a few feet away, staring at Buffy. Xander watched as Buffy didn't move or speak. Just stood. Willow also noticed this, and grabbed Xander by the arm, "Uh... Xander, didn't you say you needed help with Math?" She asked as she practically dragged Xander away from Buffy.

Buffy and Angel slowly approached each other. They a footstep away from each other, neither speaking, but both awkwardly standing. Buffy finally spoke up, "Thanks again, for helping." "You're welcome. For saving your life." Angel said. Buffy tilted her head to the side, "I didn't say I was thanking you for that."

"How'd you deal with your sister? "Angel asked, changing the subject. Buffy groaned, "Oh, let's see. She only kept me up last night for-what? Two and a half *hours*." Angel smiled again, "Yeah, I figured she might." "No thanks to you." She huffed, "What are you doing here anyway?" He gestured to the book he held in his hands, "Being busy with English, writing, and rythmetic." Buffy looked back up at him with a nervous expression, "You mean you're going to school? Here?"

He explained, "Yeah. I didn't have time to finish high school last year. Uncle Giles wanted me to finish school. Says I got a lot to learn. So, I'm doing what he asked, being senior."

"Okay." Buffy sighed. "I can deal with that. What are the odds that I'd see you again anyway?" Angel smile grew, "Oh, the odds are pretty good." He then turned, moving around her. She turned to watch him walk a few ways. He then turned back to look at her, smiling again. Then started again.

Buffy stared after him. Her mouth slightly parted, she let out a little gap. Then brought her lollipop back up to her lips. Oh was he annoying! "I hate you." She grumbled before following, even though she felt her cheeks flush as he turned and said in a sly voice, "I know you do." Then left.

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