Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

"It went well," I said to my Watcher who was on the other end of the phone. "They are so different from the vampires in Sunnydale. I can only kill these by ripping off limbs...there's some talk, that I won't be strong enough to do it. But I will prove myself to them Giles. I have to. They say that these newborn vampires will be in a frenzy with me because I'm human and that will give all of us an upper edge against them."

My Watcher, Giles, was absolutely astonished with the things I told him. About the werewolves, about the Cullen's gifts and the way we trained today in the cleaning. It was a little after eight o'clock at night and I hadn't had anything for supper quite yet so I ended the phone call to Giles probably more prematurely than he hoped.

I freshened myself up and made my way downstairs to a living room full of vampires...and only one wolf, Jacob. "Sorry, my Watcher is really curious about all of this." I admitted and took a seat on the couch next to the pixie-like vampire, Alice.

"I must meet him someday." Carlisle admitted which made me cackle.

"I'm sure he'd enjoy that. Documenting your life story for hours for the Watcher's council," I laughed. Of course the term Watcher's council struck Carlisle as odd so I went on to explain it. Everyone seemed enthused at my life and lifestyle that I ended up talking about being a Slayer for quite a while too until my stomach started to grumble.

"I could cook you something," Esme chimed as she stood up from a recliner and I was going to protest until the wolf did it for me.

"I'll take Buffy into town.. she's not properly seen it yet," Jacob admitted as he stood from the couch. I kind of wanted to go with him, I was curious as to what the small community of Forks had to offer.

"Take her to the restaurant my Dad takes me to, Jake," Bella suggested, the other human in the room. Jacob nodded his head a little...I had a feeling it was going to be the only proper restaurant in the whole town which only had a population of 3,000 something...I think.

"Do you want to?" Jacob turned to ask with his brow raised and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why not? I'd like to see the town." I admitted with a small nod and grabbed my coat since it was cold and rainy up here in Forks, Washington.

"Take the Volvo," I heard Edward, the mind reader say to Jacob as he flung him a set of keys. Jacob smirked just a bit.

"Thanks," he said as he walked me through to the garage of the Cullen's. It was then that I realized just how many vehicles they had. A dark grey Volvo, a black sleek BMW, a red colored car that I couldn't quite make out the make of it... and a green jeep. Wow.

I slipped into the grey Volvo and the next thing I knew, we were headed to town. I looked over towards Jacob, my brow raised just slightly.

"Why such an interest in me, Jacob?" I asked of him and he rolled his shoulders just slightly.

"I'm a mutt, Buffy. I stink to the Cullen's, and they stink to me. I associate with them because Bella is my very best friend. But I need some human companionship away from that house." Jacob laughed some and I nodded. I could completely and totally understand where he was coming from.

Part of me, sometimes, wished I had another Slayer to talk to. I wished that I wasn't this 'chosen' one and only Slayer. I wished there was a whole group of us so that we could all relate to one another. Then other days, I just wanted to be a regular ol' human. Like I was a few years ago.

"Well, thanks. For taking me out to dinner and all, you really didn't have to. I really wouldn't have minded Esme fixing me something again," I admitted and he barked a laugh almost.

"I really don't mind. I think I may enjoy myself more than you enjoy yourself," Jacob admitted and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Come on now, it's not that I don't want to go out to eat--," he stopped me with those words.

"No, I'm meaning I may enjoy your company more than you enjoy mine. I'm kind of smitten," Jacob admitted, which took me by surprise. I blinked a few times, raising my hand to my head and scratching kind of in a typical Buffy-has-a-blond-moment fashion.

"Smitten? With me?" I was surprised, baffled, all rolled into one emotion of flabbergasted. "Thanks I guess," I said softly. I didn't want to be rude but, he knew about Angel...Angelus...I'm sure he knew I was heartbroken about that.

"Don't sweat it. I'm not pushy," he admitted as we pulled up outside of a restaurant. I got out and he walked around to my side, closing the passenger door for me. He was rather gentlemanly, but so was Angel.. But admittedly, Angel and I had never gone on a date like this. Even though he could roam around at night, anytime of night...he didn't eat.

Sure, Angel and I had been the Bronze a few times together but...that still wasn't a proper date. Not like this could be...I was too heartbroken. This couldn't be a proper date. I was up here for business, certainly not pleasure...I didn't think I was here for pleasure anyhow.

---

"I'm a junior in high school. I just turned seventeen not long ago." Buffy said softly after I'd asked her about her age.

"I'll be seventeen soon myself." It was then that she almost choked on her food.

"Really? You're still sixteen? I pegged you to be at least twenty-one," Buffy admitted and blinked a few times rather rapidly. I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Yeah. I'm kind of young. I tease Bella all the time, call her a cougar for hanging out with me. She just turned eighteen." I explained.

"Have you and Bella ever been...." Buffy's voice trailed off. I reluctantly sighed.

"I've had a crush on Bella for the last two years I guess. But pretty much after she moved up here, she met Edward and things just fell into place for them. I will always love Bella, she'll always hold a special place in my heart. But, some people just aren't meant to be together." I said in a soft voice and Buffy sighed sympathetically.

"I'm sorry, Jacob. It must be hard for you though...to be her best friend and just that. At least you still are though...and you make an effort to be friends with Edward and the rest of them." It was there that I kind of had to correct her.

"It's not that we're really close friends... The Cullen's and the wolves have had a truce between each other for a while now. They don't step foot on our land...the Indian reservation. They also can't turn another person. They can't drink human blood. And if they do...the contract is null and void. We can kill them if we want," my voice was soft but a hint of seriousness to it. I'm sure she could tell.

"We get along because right now we serve a common purpose. We both want and need to kill Victoria and these newborns. The shit with Victoria started two years ago almost. Apparently right after Bella and Edward got together, there were some rogue vampires in town...that's the best way I can describe them to you. One of them was what they call a tracker...a vampire who is obsessed with the hunt of a certain individual. He made Bella his target. Things escalated and they eventually killed the tracker. His mate was Victoria and now...she wants to kill Bella, to get back at Edward." I went on, the best way I knew how.

"So now this Victoria, is making all these newborns...to kill off the Cullen's completely?" Buffy offered and I nodded my head some. "And she can't do it herself because she's weaker...because she's older. See that's what confuses me... vampires in Sunnydale are stronger when they're older." She sighed and put her head in her hands.

"I'm not going to let the Cullen's down, or you guys down. But I have doubts about being able to kill one of their kind. I have doubts that I'm strong enough. The way Jasper talks about them...." I cut Buffy short.

"Is first hand experience with them. He's told us all about it, you heard some of it yesterday. But you are the Slayer. The way that Carlisle describes you, and you talk about yourself... you have power that sometimes you don't even realize you have. It's just...there in your time of need. I'm certain, Buffy, that you'll do just fine when the time comes. Plus you'll have us bad ass wolves to protect you," I said rather smugly.

Buffy cackled, pushing her shoulder length long blond hair back over her shoulder as she continued eating. This had been a good night for us...we'd talked a lot, we'd learned a lot about each other. It was refreshing. I had imprinted on her, yes...I knew this was the woman for me...but learning about her, I was genuinely starting to crush on her properly.

"Thanks for taking me out, Jake," Buffy said as we slipped back into the grey Volvo outside of the restaurant. "You don't mind me calling you Jake, do you?" she asked and I shook my head no.

"It's not something only Bella calls me. Embry and the others usually call me Jake. The other vampires typically use Jacob though. Or Mutt...Rosalie prefers Mutt. Alice prefers Dog." I shrugged. It didn't really offend me much...it would have three days ago...but today it didn't. I owed that Buffy even if she didn't know that I owed it to her.

"Don't thank me though, for taking you out. Like I said, I needed a breather from all that vampire stench. From vampire business." I admitted.

"But I am vampire business. I'm the Vampire Slayer. Hell you probably find it redundant that I'm staying in a house full of them instead of slaying them all," she cackled and I couldn't agree more. It was redundant. But right now we all served a common purpose...we all shared that same goal. Kill the newborns and kill Victoria. No matter what.