Chapter Nine:

...if you watch by the gate at midnight on Samhain eve to see who will die within the coming year you are in danger of being the first comer yourself and you will become the guardian of the graveyard until another foolhardy and impious person disturbs the Service of the Dead. (Ibid)

"Ah, Buffy.....I’m glad you’re here" said Giles as Buffy strode into the library closely followed by Willow and Xander.

"Hi Giles.....God, have we had a busy night!" said Buffy lightly as she threw the sack containing the tools of her trade onto the library table, and swung herself into a seat.

"Vampire party city out there" added Willow "You can say that again" said Xander perching himself on the edge of the table.

"No, don’t think I need to say it again.....do I?" replied Willow.

"No Will, once is enough, I think Giles has got the picture" said Buffy "Well, he needs the picture, movie, and reruns if you ask me" said Xander "I gather it was a bad night?" said Giles "Understatement of the year award to Giles" said Xander before being silenced by a glare from the Slayer.

"It’s bad Giles, the Vamps are out to grab as many sacrifices as they can." "I staked about ten tonight and chased one particular vamp away from one girl seven different times......Giles, they are getting very brave!" said the Slayer worriedly.

"Yes, well.....they are obviously trying to collect as many sacrifices as they can to ensure the success of their Feast" said Giles thoughtfully.

"Giles, have you found out what exactly we can expect yet?" "I could really use some help here, I mean, how many Vamps exactly can we expect if they pull this off" said Buffy.

"Well, there are several different stories..." Giles began.

"I don’t think I’m gonna like this conversation much" said Buffy "History is full of tales of Vampire like creatures from all the countries of the world" continued Giles, "For example, the Upierczi from Poland, the Vlokoslak from Serbia, the Rakshasa from India, the Dearg Due from Ireland, the Ch’lang Shih from China, the....."

"OK Giles, we get the picture already" Buffy interrupted.

"Yes...Yes...of course, sorry" said Giles.

"So, we can basically say that Buffy is gonna be in over her head if the Vamps pull this off" said Xander.

"Now you get the understatement of the year award" said Buffy. Then she added, "So do we know yet how this Feast of Samhain thing goes yet?"

"Not completely, the written references are not explicit, but I believe it revolves around the collecting of many sacrifices. Then on the night of the Feast, the sacrifices are bled into a cauldron from which all the Vampires drink their fill while giving worship to Crom Dobh. If their sacrifice is accepted, Crom Dobh will partake of the offering and release those from the underworld that are requested by those who offered the sacrifice to him."

"Yuck much" said Willow wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

Buffy was silent for a minute before asking, "So how do I stop them Giles?"

"There is one way" said Giles.

Quickly he walked over to a nearby table and picked up a wooden box that was laying on it, and returned to the others. Opening the box, he withdrew an intricately carved silver object which was inlaid with precious stones.

"Oh, that is beautiful" said Willow.

"Never mind the beauty, what does it have to do with stopping the Vamps’ Tea Party?" demanded Buffy.

"Apparently, if this item is thrown into the cauldron it will make the brew unpalatable to Crom Dobh, and the sacrifice will not be accepted." said Giles.

"Well that’s all fine and good, but it doesn’t exactly work to save the poor sacrifices who have already been bled" said Xander.

"I’m afraid some casualties will result. I don’t believe it can be avoided this time" said Giles.

Buffy looked at him questioningly and Giles hurried to clarify.

"Buffy, some of the sacrifices will already have been bled into the cauldron, but most of them will not have been killed. The Vamps will be taking some of the sacrifice’s blood supply to start the brew, but they won’t take it all"

"Why not?" said Buffy.

"They will want to save some fresh blood for the night of the Feast.....the fresh blood will enhance the power of the brew further attracting Crom Dobh."

"Sooooo....the sacrifices will actually die on the night?" said Willow.

"Not if I spoil the brew before the final ‘bleeding’ occurs" said Buffy as she picked up the silver objected from the table and took a close look at it.

"I think we are forgetting one small point here" added Xander.

Three pairs of eyes turned questioningly in his direction.

"How exactly is Buffy supposed to get through this Vamp Party intact, and actually get near enough to the cauldron to throw that thing in?"

But Buffy wasn’t paying allot of attention to Xander, instead her attention had turned back to the metal object in her hand. Looking up, she fixed her gaze to Giles.

"Giles, where did you get this from, and how do you know how it works?"

Giles dropped his gaze and looked awkwardly round the room.

"I...I....can’t answer that question Buffy."

Buffy continued to look at him thoughtfully and Giles truly expected further questioning, but instead the slayer simply stood up and replaced the object into the box.

"OK, whatever you say Giles, but I for one have got to go and get some sleep" she said lightly.

Giles merely nodded, grateful that he was to be let off the hook this time.

"You still at Willow’s?" Xander asked Buffy.

"Yep.....she’s staying with me for the next week while my parents are out of town" said Willow, answering for the Slayer.

Buffy had returned her attention to the box....thoughtfully she tapped her finger on the lid of the box a couple of times, before spinning round with a bright smile on her face.

"OK, lets get outta here" she said as she walked over to Xander and linked her arm through his.

"Come on, I’ll walk you home" she added.

"Only if you give me a good night kiss at the door" replied Xander batting his eyelashes madly.

"Xander!" said Willow walking up and taking his arm on the other side.

"You have to give me a kiss to" he added smiling down at his friend.

"Promises, promises" replied Willow.

The good natured teasing continued as the three made their way out of the library and headed for home. They were so involved with each other that they didn’t notice the eyes following their departure from the depths of the book stacks.

***

Chapter Ten:

The girl hosted with thousands
Tlachtga, the chosen one - not that she was without feelings
Accompany her,
Sorrowful her struggle with devilry.
They flowed into her body - it is no lie -

As the library doors closed behind them, Angel emerged from where he had been lurking in the stacks.

"Well, that went quite well, don’t you think?" asked the librarian looking up.

Angel ignored the librarian’s question, as he gazed thoughtfully at the doors that had marked the Slayer’s recent departure.

"Buffy seems remarkably happy and back to her old self" said Angel quietly.

Giles looked up from the books he was shuffling through, "Yes, actually she has been acting like her old self since the other night when she turned up on Willow’s door step."

"It’s not for real" replied Angel "No, I don’t suppose it is" said Giles. "I imagine it is all just an act to get her through this Feast time, and the path of least resistance is simply to return to acting like her old self.....it has certainly worked as far as Willow and Xander are concerned"

"It won’t last" commented Angel.

"Buffy has a hard time ahead of her, and she will have to deal with her feelings about you and Spike sooner or later....but I am afraid I have to agree with her this time, that later is better than sooner" he said looking pointedly at the Vampire.

"Point taken" replied Angel with a small grin.

"Changing the subject," began Giles "One valid point was raised in this evening’s discussion, namely, how is Buffy going to get close enough to toss the object into the cauldron?"

"She isn’t" said Angel turning around and locking eyes with the librarian.

"Then who..?"

"I am" Angel said firmly.

"Angel; that's just as risky as Buffy doing it- you said yourself you're not welcome in Vamp circles; they aren't going to let you near that cauldron!"

"Who do you suggest then?" Angel retorted.

"Spike." Giles put in, quietly. "He could get near the cauldron without any of the other vampires getting suspicious. The question is," Giles raised his gaze to meet Angels, "will he do it?"

"I don’t know" said Angel thoughtfully, "He might if he really cares about Buffy."

"Can he do it; can he get close enough?" asked Giles "Probably, but once he shows his hand against the Vamps, it will be doubtful that he’ll get out of there alive"

At this point, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the library doors swinging open.

Giles looked up questioningly at the beautiful woman standing just inside the doors.

"Can I help you" he asked.

"It’s OK" said Angel, "She’s with me"

The girl walked forward towards Giles.

"Hello, you must be Giles, I have heard allot about you" she smiled as she extended her hand to him.

"I’m Dr Rhiannon Sine."

Giles took the woman’s hand, "Well, it is nice to met you to, though I must admit that I have heard nothing about you," he said looking towards Angel for clarification.

But Angel just smiled and shook his head.

"Giles, you don’t want to know"

Rhiannon smiled also, before adding, "It’s time to go Angel, if we want to make that appointment."

"Yeah, right" said Angel, as he slipped an arm round the girl and began moving towards the door. "I’ll talk with Spike and get back to you Giles," he called back over his shoulder.

"Oh, I almost forgot" he added as he turned back to the table and picked up the box containing the object. "If Spike agrees, he is going to need this."

"Yes, quite" said the librarian, "Oh, and Angel..."

"Yes?"

"Be careful" said the librarian worriedly. Angel just nodded acknowledgment before moving out of the library with Rhiannon in tow.

The librarian stared after them for a few moments before turning back to his pile of books with a resigned sigh. But a polite cough, emanating from the book stacks above him, effectively redirected his attention.

"Buffy!" he exclaimed as he recognised the figure emerging from the stacks.

"Don’t sound so surprised Giles," said the Slayer as she moved to join him.

"Seems to be the in thing tonight, hiding in the stacks and listening to other people’s conversation....thought I might give it a try"

"Buffy.....I....I...can explain" stuttered the librarian.

"No need Giles, I heard it all"

"It’s not what you think" began Giles in way of explanation, but Buffy hushed him with a glare.

"Nice little scheme you and Angel have going here, only one problem though.....have you forgotten that I am the Slayer?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Giles, that it is my job to take care of this thing, not Spike’s" she said coldly. "And I don’t like you plotting behind my back."

"It wasn’t like that"

"Oh?" she replied, "What was it like then?"

"Buffy, we....I mean Angel and I....we just want to help you."

"Well, I don’t need your help."

"Yes you do Buffy, this thing is to big for you to handle alone." said Giles with a degree of impatience tingeing his voice. "And don’t forget, that if it wasn’t for Angel we wouldn’t have the object to throw into the cauldron in the first place"

Buffy looked pointedly at the table where the box had lain. "It doesn’t look like I have it anyway."

"Well, Angel thought Spike..." Giles began, but the Slayer interrupted him.

"Yes, like I said, I heard," said the Slayer quietly before turning her pain filled eyes towards the librarian. "How could you Giles.....how could you effectively agree to send Spike to his death?"

"I....I....wanted to protect you" said the librarian slowly, as he realised the full implications of the plan he had endorsed.

"Look Giles, I know you don’t care for Spike, but I do.....I thought you would have respected that"

"I’m sorry" was all Giles could manage.

"Well, sorry isn’t good enough" said the Slayer. "You had better figure out someway for Spike to get out of there alive."

"You could try talking to him....warn him off" suggested the librarian.

"Won’t work" replied the Slayer. "I can’t get near him, I have been trying to talk to him for a couple of days now and he seems to stay one step ahead of me."

"Oh" said Giles as he tried to come up with an alternative idea. "Perhaps Spike will refuse to help when Angel asks him."

"Lets hope he does" said the Slayer thoughtfully. "But I don’t think he will."

"Why not?" asked the librarian.

"Simple Giles" said the Slayer, "Spike is not in charge of this game, and he hates being led by someone else." "My bet is that he’ll enjoy spoiling the plans of another Vamp who is trying to take over the top dog seat in Sunnydale."

"You don’t think he’d do it just to protect you?" asked the librarian.

Buffy didn’t answer the question, instead she stood up and prepared to leave.

"Find me some way of getting Spike out of there alive" she said in finality.

The librarian took in the look in her eyes, and nodded.

"I’ll start researching it now"

"Good" said Buffy. "I’ll check with you tomorrow."

"By the way" the Slayer added, "Who was that woman with Angel?"

Giles merely shrugged. "I don’t really know."

***

Chapter Eleven:

Angel and Rhiannon stood the dark Sunnydale graveyard and scanned the area.

"You shouldn’t be here, it could be dangerous" said Angel worriedly.

"Don’t worry about it" said Rhiannon, "My blood is not human and Vamps find it rather untasty." "In fact it gives them an upset stomach" she added grinning at him.

"Oh" was all Angel could think to say to this bit of information. Not wanting to get into a lengthy conversation about her species, Angel turned his attention back to scanning the surrounding area.

"Do you think he’ll show?" asked Rhiannon.

"If he got the message, he’ll show"

"Course I’ll show Angel boy" said Spike as he slid out from behind one of the larger grave markers.

"Curiosity is one of my deepest failings.....never know when to keep to my own business" "So what’s this all about then?" he said as he perched himself casually against one of the grave stones.

"We need your help" began Angel, but he didn’t get any further. Spike leapt up from his reclined position and began pacing in front of them.

"Oh, this is classic" he laughed, "Tell me I heard you right, *you* need *my* help?"

Then he paused in his pacing and turned thoughtful eyes onto Angel. "And what makes you think that I’d help you for one second?"

"Because it’s not me you’d really be helping, it’s Buffy" and then Angel added, "and of course you’d also be helping yourself."

Spike lowered his eyes and stared at the ground for a few moments, before spinning on his heels and returning to the grave stone. Taking up his reclined position one more time, he said "OK, I’m listening....explain it to me."

Angel glanced over at Rhiannon, who gave a brief nod. Spike followed them with watchful eyes, but said nothing. Briefly Angel went through the plan to destroy the brew, and how they felt that Spike would have a better chance of achieving success than Buffy."

Spike listened attentively but continued to remain silent, even after Angel had finished with his explanations.

"Very nice plan Angel boy, but you seem to have left out one point" he said eventually.

"What?"

"How do I get out of there intact after I have effectively pissed off the hundred or so Vamps that are expected at the party?"

"I don’t know" replied Angel quietly.

"No, I don’t guess you would" said Spike sarcastically before pushing himself back to his feet. "No matter, I’ll do it anyway" he added as he held out his hand for the object.

Angel handed it to him, and moved to turn away, before stopping and turning back face his enemy.

"Why Spike.....why will you do this?"

Spike looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before replying. "Well, it’s not for your bloody Slayer, that’s for sure." "Actually, it’s because I don’t like the idea of millions of Vamps cruising around."

Angel raised questioning eyebrows.

"I’m a show off" said Spike with an evil grin. "I like being exclusive, one of a kind and all that jazz."

"Swamp us with millions of bloody zombie type Vamps and we’ll end up with a bad rep, not to mention a definite shortage of a food supplies."

Angel merely nodded at the Vamp’s explanation, before reaching out for Rhiannon’s hand and moving to leave. But Spike wasn’t done with him yet.

"Hey Angel boy, nice piece of meat you’ve got there" he called But Angel didn’t answer him. Instead the girl turned round and walked right up into Spike’s face. Her eyes feral, she glared at him. "More meat than you’d ever be able to handle.....Boy!"

That said, she swung on her heels and marched back to Angel without giving Spike a chance to retort. Spike watched her go with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Obviously not human, he thought to himself. Then calling after them, "Watch out there Angel boy, your girl has a passion you might not be able to handle........if it gets to much for you, send her my way." and with a laugh he spun on his heels and disappeared into the darkness of the tombs

***

Chapter Twelve:

"So Giles, what has Angel had to say for himself?" said Buffy as she moved into Giles’s apartment and flopped down onto his couch. "Is Spike going to do it?"

Giles looked sheepishly around his apartment looking for an out, but none was available. The question demanded an answer. "Yes, Angel said Spike has agreed to do it."

"OK, so the Feast is tonight, what have you come up with to guarantee Spike’s safety?"

"Don’t you think Spike can take care of himself?" asked the Watcher.

"Not a risk I’m willing to take, I need more" she said.

"Well, we could all wait outside and as soon as Spike has spoiled the brew we could all rush in and help him battle his way out." offered the Watcher.

"No go, Giles" said the Slayer. "That would only put everyone else at risk....I don’t want to lose Spike, but neither do I want any of you getting killed either." "I guess the only answer is for me to go in alone and see if we can’t get out of there together."

"No Buffy" exclaimed the Watcher. "You can’t, Angel says there is going to be about a hundred Vampires at tonight’s ceremony.....you’d never make it out alive."

"So, give me a better option" said the Slayer. "Cause I won’t sit around and do nothing!"

"Well...." said the Watcher hesitantly.

"What is it Giles, you’ve thought of something....tell me"

"No..No...it’s nothing" said the Watcher turning away.

Buffy looked thoughtfully at his back for a moment. "Look Giles, I *am* going in there tonight after Spike....if you have thought of something that can get us both out of there alive, you had better spill."

"OK Buffy, I have been pondering an idea."

"I’m listening" said the girl.

"Have you ever asked yourself why Vampires only thrive on human blood?"

"What do you mean?" asked the girl Giles began pacing the room as he tried to put his chaotic thoughts together.

Buffy’s eyes followed his movements carefully.

"Vampires thrive on human blood; they can survive on animal blood but they become weak and ill if they don’t have human blood...why?" asked the librarian, almost to himself.

"Because they are evil and they enjoy killing?" offered Buffy.

"No..No, it has to be more than that." said Giles. "Angel didn’t enjoy killing but he still had to have human blood, granted it was from the blood bank and caused no harm, but nevertheless, it was human blood."

"What has this got to do with tonight?" asked Buffy "Give me a chance" snapped the librarian, annoyed at having his thought pattern interrupted.

"Sorry much" said Buffy throwing up her hands in surrender. "Please continue, I’m in definite listen mode now."

Giles nodded absentmindedly as he resumed his pacing of the room.

"What is different between man and animal, this is the question." "The answer has to be consciousness of the self, of the ‘I’.....animals do not have this ability, only humans have evolved to that level." "But how does the conscious self project itself in blood...why is it human blood makes Vampires stronger?"

Buffy didn’t bother to try to answer any of the questions, she was having a hard time keeping up with Giles’s philosophic thoughts. ‘Best to just try to hang in there till he gets to the bottom line’ she thought to herself.

"Some of the research suggests that the astral body of humans translates the environment to the etheric body, and from there to the sympathetic nervous system and then onto the brain." "The brain then projects these images into the blood." "The blood absorbs those pictures of the outside world which the brain has formed within."

Buffy had to speak up, "Giles, you’re losing me here." But the librarian ignored her, intent on following his idea through to it’s conclusion.

"Blood therefore represents our perception of the world and the development of our ego, and the individual Will comes to life." "A being in whom this process could not occur, would be incapable of saying ‘I’....an ‘I’ being must be capable of taking the external world into itself and of inwardly reproducing it."

Buffy sighed and redouble her efforts to concentrate.

"If this theory was true, then it would explain why human blood is central in all aspects of magic."

continue the librarian. "Animal blood contains some imprints of the animal’s environment, so it can sustain a Vampire, but animal blood is weak....it does not give the Vampire enough stimulus to reproduce the external world." "The Vampire who feeds on animal blood weakens."

"OK, so your point Giles?"

"Well, it is just a theory" said the Watcher hesitating.

"Don’t stall on me now Giles"

"OK, we know that your Slayer blood is stronger than human blood." "You heal quicker and you are highly aware of your environment and approaching danger."

"So?" ask Buffy.

"It might be that if you give some of your blood to Spike, that he would temporarily be enhanced"

said Giles quietly.

"I don’t think I heard you right.....are you telling me to *let* a Vampire feed on me?"

"Well, Spike wouldn’t need to take allot of blood....at least I don’t think he would" said the librarian thoughtfully.

"OK...OK...hold up a minute here." said Buffy. "What is the difference between Spike going in with my strength or me just going along and helping him out?"

"The element of surprise Buffy." replied the Watcher.

Buffy stared and the Watcher thoughtfully, and then finally began to nod understanding.

"So the Vamps won’t be expecting an ‘enhanced’ Spike and they’ll under react thereby giving him the chance to escape." she said slowly.

"Exactly" said the Watcher. "If you show up they will fight you individually, and your strengths will be divided."

Buffy sat silently for a few moments.

"You’re forgetting one thing Giles" she finally said.

Giles looked up questioningly.

"Spike is not talking to me, getting him to drink my blood is going to be pretty much an impossibility if I can’t even find him to talk to him."

The Watcher nodded acknowledgment. "There is also another factor to think of."

"What now?" said a dejected Buffy.

"What if you do find Spike and he agrees to take your blood......what if he can’t stop?" "What if he kills you?"

"First problems first" said Buffy looking out the window at the fading afternoon light. "Looks like finding Spike just became a priority."

***