read AN at end!

Jesse. Jesse—the guy who flirted with no shame—is a vampire. Jesse who I consider a friend. My mouth is agape as I'm stuck between Xander and Buffy. Looking over Xander's shoulder, I can't fathom this is no longer our friend. He tricked us.

"Jesse, man, I'm sorry," Xander breathes out. I can't image how he's feeling. His good friend is no longer human.

"Sorry? I feel good Xander. I feel strong. I'm connected, man, to everything."

Turning, I see Buffy trying to close the door. When I go to try and help, she shakes her head before nodding it in Jesse's direction. If I help Buffy then it'll raise Jesse's alarm. Looking back to the man who is now a vampire, my hand tightens the cross my back jacket pocket.

"I—I can hear the worms in the Earth," Jesse continues.

Cringing, I shuffle my feet. "That's a plus," I deadpan.

Jesse's attention is on me now. His contorted face fills is discontent. When he goes to step closer to me, Xander steps me to make sure he doesn't get in front of me. Jesse is still close though. He's inches from Xander's face as he tries to get to me. "I know what the Master wants. I'll serve his purpose. That means you die. And I feed." He threatens, curling his top lip.

"Lindsay, the cross!" Buffy points out as she's still struggling to close the door.

Without hesitation, I get the cross from my jacket pocket and hold it in front of Jesse's face. My other hand grabs onto Xander's jacket from the back, holding him in place. Jesse growls, stepping back. As long as we have distance that's the only positive in this situation.

"Jesse, man, we're buds. Don't you remember?" Xander asks. "Lindsay and I hung out with you."

"You both are like a shadow to me now."

Seeing the approaching vampires from the other side of the door, I go and help Buffy. I may not be as strong as she is, but right now any help is needed. I try to push the door with Buffy, but the damn thing wouldn't budge. Or when it did, it'd more a few inches every few seconds. We may not have many seconds left.

"Then get out of my face," Xander says, holding his own cross in front of Jesse.

Spinning, I see Jesse knock Xander's arm away from him, causing the cross to crash to the ground away from Xander. My friend's body hits the tunnel wall as Jesse moves to face him, his back to us. Just as I'm about to put him in a chokehold, like I saw once on television, Buffy manages to grab Jesse and throw him to the oncoming vampires. Jesse knocks all of them down. Buffy goes back to trying to close the door and I join her.

Knowing, we'll need more help I look at Xander who is still trying to compose himself on the ground. "Help us."

Xander stumbles a little when he gets up, but stands next to me as we all try and shut the door. I hear the vampires coming, and just as the door shuts it's caught on something. Turning, I gasp as I see an arm of one of them. Fingers long with nails that need stripped wiggle about. The vamp finally gives up, letting us slam the door shut. Buffy locks it before all three of us turn so our backs rest on the medal door. We're all breathing heavily, knowing if we don't get out then we'll be in some deep shit.

"We need to get out of here," Buffy states, her breath labored.

"There's no out of here," Xander adds just as there's a loud bang behind us.

As I'm trying to keep as much cool as I can, I voice to Xander, "Use your flashlight. See if you can see a way out."

He does just that, and aims his tunnel of light before settling on the ceiling. "Up there!"

Buffy jumps on a barrel under where Xander pointed. There's a grate over the opening. Xander holds the light up to Buffy and I join them in standing away from the door. Buffy is prying away at the grate just like the vampires are doing to the door. Watching them yank the corner of the door down, I feel my hands start to shake. I clasp them together, biting my bottom lip hard enough to draw crimson. A few seconds later, Buffy manages to open the grate.

"Go!" Buffy motions to us, jumping down from the barrel.

Xander helps me on the barrel. Putting my arms through the opening, I try to lift myself, but it's a lot harder than in television shows. I'm not that strong. Looking through the opening, I see Xander wrap his arms around my legs to hoist me up. Letting out a sigh of relief, I scramble through the opening. Xander hands me his flashlight as he lifts himself up as well. I hear the vampires tearing the door open, and know we have to get Buffy up here now. I help Xander get the rest of the way into this small space so Buffy can get up here.

"Start crawling," Xander commands.

Nodding, I go to my hands and knees. I hear Buffy behinds us just as the door slams open. Not caring my ass is in Xander face, I crawl like I'll be rewarded with cake after this. Finding a latter, I hoist myself onto the step and climb up. Opening the top, I'm met with sunlight and freedom. Xander gets out and we both help her. Growls sound as Buffy gasps, a hand curling around her ankle. We pull hard enough so the vamp's hand is exposed to the sunlight. Stream comes up the hand, and the vampire gives up. Breathless, we all fall hard back onto the surface of what looks like an electric plant.

                                                                                            *****

I need a drink. I want to go home and sleep for days, but no. We go back to where Willow and Giles are waiting. Opening the library door, I see Willow turning pages to a book. When she sees us, I hear her let out a sigh of relief. "Did you find Jesse?"

"Yeah," Xander says his voice crestfallen.

"Was he dead?" Willow asks.

Shaking my head, I go next to hear and plop down on a stair. "Worse." My friend looks at me with confusion, but Buffy answers her unasked question.

The blonde vampire slayer sits at the end of the table. "I'm sorry, Willow. We were too late. And they were waiting for us."

Willow looks at us three. "At least you three are okay."

Xander kicks the garage can. Us girls are startled. I look down at my lap, not knowing what to say to make Xander feel better. I don't know if there's anything I can cheer him up. If Willow got changed into a vampire, I don't know if I would be able to handle it.

"I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good." Xander says.

"So, Giles. Got anything that can make this day any worse?" Buffy asks, trying to get the topic off of Jesse.

Giles stands in front of the whiteboard. "How about the end of the world?"

"Great," I murmur, leaning back in my seat. I rest my head against the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling.

"Knew I could count on you," Buffy adds.

Giles walks around Willow and me, settling his hands on the table between Willow and Buffy. "This is what we know. Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, not just to feed."

"He came because this town's a mystical who's it," Buffy says, head resting on her joined hands.

Giles nods. "Yes. The Spanish who first settled here called it 'Boca del Infierno'. Roughly translated, 'Hellmouth'. It's a sort of, um, portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it."

"Bring the demons back," Buffy finishes.

"End of the world," I sigh, wrapping my arms around my torso.

Willow eyes me before turning to the rest. "But he blew it! Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town, and him, too."

Giles sits in a chair behind Willow and I. "You see, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business. Odds are he got himself stuck, rather like a, uh, cork in a bottle."

"And this Harvest thing is to get him out," Xander says.

"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." Giles gets up from the chair to go to the whiteboard. Erasing 'Hellmouth', he draws what looks like a star, but it only has three points instead of five.

Buffy gets up from her own chair, going to stand by Giles. "So, I dust anyone sporting that symbol, and no Harvest."

"Simply put, yes," Giles nods.

"Any idea where this little get-together is being held?" Buffy asks.

"There are a number of possibilities," our librarian slash vampire expert says.

I sit up straight. "They're going to the Bronze."

"Are you sure?" my redheaded friend asks.

Xander nods. "She's right. All those tasty young morsels all over the place? Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be, trust me."

"Then we should get there. The sun will be down before long." Giles states, grabbing his coat and going to leave. Willow and I get up from our stairs to follow the rest out.

"I gotta make a stop," Buffy says, following close to Giles.

"What for?" he asks.

"Supplies."

                                                                                     *****

We all waited for Buffy before approaching the Bronze. There is no one outside, and the street is dead. Buffy goes to open the door, but it doesn't budge. "It's locked."

"We're too late," Giles says in a panic.

"Well I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!" Buffy exclaims.

"Can you guys break it down?" I ask.

Buffy shakes her head. "No, not that thing. Um, you guys try the back entrance, and I'll find my own way."

"Right. Come on," Giles turns to leave.

"Um, wait! Guys! Here!" Buffy hands me her bag. "You get the exit cleared and the people out. That's all! Don't go Wild Bunch on me."

"See you inside then," Giles says to Buffy.

Us four round the back. Willow tries to open the door, but it's locked too. "No joy!"

I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. "Damnit!"

"We've gotta get in there before Jesse does something stupider than usual."

Giles spins to Xander, pointing and him while breathing heavily. "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."

"Get we try and get out already?" I ask, impatience is a bad habit of mine.

We all try to get the door open. My body is going to be so sore tomorrow. After what seemed like minutes, the door gave away. Xander runs in first in front of us. I stay with Xander as Willow and Giles stick by the back door. I was still guiding people out by the time a vampire got his arms around Xander.

"Xander!" I'm about to help him until Buffy throws a piece from the drum set, decapitating the vamp.

Suddenly, I feet go out from under me just as the guy from the tomb grabs Buffy from behind. My back flares up in pain. When I go to try and roll over to get up, hands grab my wrists to keep them pinned above my head. I stare up into the eyes of a guy who is no longer my friend.

"Jesse, please don't do this." I try to get my wrists free, but Jesse hangs on tighter.

He leans his face closer. "Hold still! You're not making this easy!"

"Jesse, man, don't make me do this," Xander says behind his friend, a stake in his hand.

Jesse turns to Xander, smiling. "Buddy!"

"Jesse! I know there's a part of you in there."

He lets go of my wrists, and stands to be in front of Xander. "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!"

"You were our friend," I say, getting to my face.

Jesse knocks Xander to the ground before turning to me. Laughing humorlessly, he says, "Your friend? Please. We hung out whenever you wanted to which meant almost never. The only reason you ever tolerated me was because of Xander."

"Alright, I admit it, we weren't close. But I still considered you a friend."

"Every time I tried to make a move, you shut me down!" He forced me against the wall, his body covering mine.

I reached into my butt pocket and pull out a stake. "You weren't my type," I say through clenched teeth. Jesse jolts my body against the wall, the back of my head making contact with the hard surface. Wincing, I bring the stake behind us, right over his heart.

Jesse looks down at the stake, a teasing smirk on his lips. "Ooo! Alright. Put me out of my misery. You don't have the guts."

The stake's in his heart. I gasp, seeing a fleeing woman run away, not noticing she bumped Jesse into the stake. A part of me feels guilty. That I was the one who had to do it, but I know it is for the best. It had it be done. Jesse goes up into dust in front of my eyes.

I make eye contact with Xander, who is now where Jesse once stood. "You had to do it."

I nod, knowing it's true. Out of nowhere, two vampires grab Xander and me. Trying to get out of his grasp is useless. As they move us, I see Buffy stake the head guy from the tomb. Watching in amazement, I see the vamp drive off stage before turning into dust. Buffy glares at the two vampires holding Xander and me. The grip on my arms loosened as the two fled from the Bronze. I don't know what compelled me, but I found myself following them. I didn't run after them to kill them, but I wanted to make sure they weren't coming back anytime soon.

The fresh air did wonders. I feel like I can finally breathe. Knowing Willow will notice me missing and start to worry, I turn around. Angel is there, leaning against the dumpster. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugs. "I was curious if she could actually do it."

"Well she did," I say, taking a step closer to him so we're only inches apart. "With a little help of course. Although I wish I can be just as tough as Buffy."

Angel actually smiles a little. "You have the strength to be just as tough. But are you ready for that?"

I nod. "I hated being useless. Or needing someone to save me. We just avoided an apocalypse, but I have a feeling this isn't the end of it. Is it?"

"Sorry."

Sighing, I take in his answer. My life has changed since making the decision to help Buffy, and I need to except that.

"Lindsay!" Willow calls from the back door.

I turn, realizing she can only see me because Angel is hidden by the dumpster. "Well, I'll see you around?"

Angel just nods. I walk to where Willow is waiting with the door open.

"Who were you talking to?" she asks as we go back inside.

I shrug. "Just someone." Turning to Willow, I ask, "Do you think things will go back to normal?"

"I hope so, but I don't think it will. Who knows what else is out there."

"Great. So not only vampires, but anything else that goes bump in the night. Terrific."

Willow laughs, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I wouldn't want to experience it with anyone else."

I bump my hip against hers. "Same."

This is just the beginning of our tease with the supernatural. I know it.

AN: THIS IS NOT THE END OF THIS BOOK! Just the main reason why Lindsay, Willow, and Xander start helping Buffy. The next episodes are not continuous cases so I'll see where that brings Lindsay. I will add some Angel parts that were not in the show since I don't think he's  in a lot of this season. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Hope to have the next chapter up soon!