Three Hours Later

After catching up with Rupert I decided to go to the nearest cemetery and try my hand at dusting vamps. My father had always told me how dusting a vampire had a soothing effect on him and I wanted to see if it was a genetic trait, as I was more than a little tense.

Even though I had no intention of getting involved with the night life when I originally decided to come to the colonies, I wasn't stupid enough to think that the night life wouldn't get involved with me, especially on a Hellmouth, so I brought along a few things with me. You gotta love a diplomatic passport. Anyway, after driving to the nearest cemetery and grabbing a couple of stakes and the rapier my father gave me the birthday before he died, I made my way through searching for fresh graves.

Less than a minute into my search I found more than I was bargaining for. A group of kids no older than Buffy were walking through the cemetery, crossbows and stakes at the ready. A busty brunette in a cheerleader's uniform was a few meters ahead of the others, who were attempting but failing miserably to hide behind tombstones so they wouldn't be seen. They had the right idea, but the bright pink fluffy jumper the redheaded girl was wearing didn't make the best camouflage, nor did the almost neon green hair of the guy crouching next to her.

The only one of them that was doing a descent facsimile of hiding was a brunette male who was holding himself like a soldier, until he tripped on a twig that is, causing him to stumble but not fall over. He was acting like he knew how to act stealthily in theory, but had never put it into practise.

It was obvious that they were using the brunette girl as bait, something that was more than a little insane in my opinion, but they looked like it wasn't their first time using that tactic and they were still alive, so I wasn't going to comment. Something I was going to comment on was the obvious trap they were walking into. From my vantage point I could not only see the vamp going for the admittedly delectable bait, but the four other vamps lying in wait.

While I was more than happy to wait by a new grave and dust a newbie before it even clawed all the way out, taking on a pack of five vamps was beyond my limitations even when I embellish to impress the ladies. I had no idea how well the others fought, but the tactics they were using gave me an indication that they weren't used to dealing with packs. Knowing their ruse wouldn't work and I'd never forgive myself if I did nothing, I sped forward and intercepted the vamp going towards the young woman.

"Sorry to trouble you old bean," I said to him, taking a leaf out of Rupert's book and using a posh accent, "but I seem to have gotten myself a tad lost; I don't suppose you could direct me to the nearest tavern could you?"

"I've never had a Limey before, guess I get to tonight," the vamp growled at me, morphing into his vampiric visage as he did so.

I'd never been called a Limey before, but I knew right away I didn't like it. To prove that I didn't like it, I unsheathe my sword and slice into his stomach deeply, causing his bowels to spill out onto the floor. He must have been used to dealing with people who don't fight back, as I caught him completely by surprise. A second swipe takes his head and ends his suffering, acting as the catalyst for the others to come out of their hiding places.

By now the others in the merry band of vampire hunters joins us, the redhead handing the brunette a stake and a water pistol. I hear a hiss and a thunk and see another vamp dissolve into nothingness, I glance to my left and see neon boy with a crossbow.

That was the end of our luck, as the others charged as one. I had forgotten just how fast vampires were and was unprepared for the blow that sent me flying through the air, narrowly missing cracking my head open on a tombstone. I'm sure that I blacked out for a moment, unsurprising given that I felt like I'd been hit by a dump truck. I get up as quickly as I can and sheathe my sword, not wanting to risk one of the others getting in it's way, and put on the brass knuckles my boxing coach gave me. He had a less than conventional style.

The almost soldier and the cheerleader-cum-bait were tackling one vamp while Neon and Fluffy were taking another, leaving the third one all for me. I manage to duck and/or block several blows, although the one blow that did get through broke at least one rib. Ducking under a right cross, I manage to land a thunderous punch into his gut, the extra weight of the duster causing him to double over. Pressing my advantage, I hit him on the back of the neck with a double-handed blow, causing him to drop to the floor. Taking a stake from my waistband I slam it into his back, piercing his heart and making the count Good Guys three, Bad Guys zip.

Watching the two fights for a moment I could tell that Neon and Fluffy needed my help more, so I blindsided the vamp they were tackling and caused it to stumble to the ground. Fluffy squirted it with the water pistol she had with her, the screams indicating it was holy water inside the child's toy.

Using it's obvious pain to my advantage, I hit it a couple of times hard in the head, before indicating to Neon that he should stake it, given that I'd stupidly left the stake in the previous vamp which dusted along with it. He wasted no time in following my suggestion and that left one vamp to kill before I could find out whom the hell these guys were.

Turning my attention back two the two brunettes, I see the cheerleader getting knocked out of the way by the pseudo soldier, who took a hard blow to the head in her place. Seeing him lie motionless on the ground caused us all to go charging over, which had the vamp using a normally unknown common sense and run off, realising he was vastly outnumbered. I go to check on the one on the floor, only to have cheerleader get in my way.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded, her tone making me believe she was used to having her orders obeyed. Never really being one to obey orders when I had a choice, not that I obeyed orders when I didn't, I side step her and check on her friend.

"Are you alright?" I asked him loudly, shaking his shoulder firmly but not roughly. I knew there was a chance that he'd have a concussion and I wanted to keep him awake and alert.

"I'm fine Giles," he replied somewhat groggily, causing me to smile despite the situation.

"Am I going to find someone in America who doesn't think I know Rupert?" I asked no one in particular. "Given the glassy look in your eyes I'll forgive you for mistaking me for the old bugger," I told him," but don't make it a habit." I extend my hand to help him up, an offer he takes after a moment. "The name's Anthony, and you are?" I asked.

"Xander," he replied.

I remembered Buffy mentioning a Xander and realised that they must be her friends. She was already feeling guilty for leaving them all, one she finds out they've been doing her job in her absence, she's going to feel ten times worse.

"Nice to meet you," I said evenly, hiding any indication that I knew who he was.

"How do you know Giles?" Fluffy asked me.

"Well…" I said, pausing so she could supply her name. I doubted she'd enjoy being called Fluffy.

"Willow," she supplied.

"Well, Willow, he's a friend of the family. How about you?"

"Oh, well, uh we're all students and Sunnydale High and he's the librarian there."

"And was I thinking that you all knew him as Buffy's Watcher," I replied mildly. That got a reaction out of them all, surprise showing in all but Neon's face. "Oh come on, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together."

"Are you a Watcher too?" she asked excitedly.

"God no," I answered immediately, "I'd rather be a crash test dummy."

"You got something against Watchers?" Xander asked.

"I haven't got anything against Rupert," I responded, knowing that was what he really wanted to know, "I would have flown thousands of miles to see him if I had, but I don't like the people he works for."

"Why?" Neon asked. "Oz."

"Excuse me?"

"That's his name," Xander replied to my highly intelligent question, "he doesn't talk a lot."

"That's not something to talk about in the middle of a cemetery," I replied to Oz's question. "How about I give you all a lift to Rupert's," I offered, knowing that like me they all have wounds that that need treating, "he can rip into you all for patrolling without him, and then I'll drive you home."

"I can't speak for them," Cheerleader said, "but I have a car so I'll drive myself home thank you very much. See you losers later." With that, she storms off, obviously having had enough for one night.

"Don't mind Cordelia," Xander commented, "her hearts in the right place, but her tact and decency were surgically removed when she was in Kindergarten."

I nod in understanding, having dealt with women like that before. "So, you coming with me to Rupert's?"

"Don't see why not," Xander replied after looking receiving nods of agreement from his friends, "he knew we were doing this by the way."

"And he doesn't come with you?" I asked incredulously.

"Why would he?" Xander asked in reply.

It doesn't surprise me that they were patrolling, Buffy had made them all out to be loyal and brave, but it did surprise me that Rupert wasn't joining them, or giving them any training.

In fairness I knew that Rupert had no responsibility to prepare them for fighting the supernatural, training and preparing Buffy was no doubt a full time job in itself, but the Rupert I knew wouldn't let people without the mystical enhancements of a Slayer fight creatures far stronger and faster than them without some sort of training, even if it were only basic self defence.

"That's a topic we can discuss at Rupert's," I replied, indicating that they follow me to my car.

Now I'd decided to stay in Sunnydale for a while, I think it's time I finally got into the family business of eradicating demons off the face of the earth. The first thing is to arrange with Rupert to help train Buffy's friends so they have a chance of graduating.

I just hope I do my father proud.