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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry it's been so long! RL's been a bitch.
Chapter 9

“So, what am I to do first?” Buffy asked, as they arrived back at her home.

“Finish your homework, get a good night’s sleep…”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Very funny. What do I do as a Guardian?”

“Your task is simple: befriend Kendra.”

“That’s it?”

“For now. You can’t do what comes next until other things are in motion,” Lillian replied.

“What is it with old people and the cryptic? Well, I should get inside. Don’t want Mom to ground me,” Buffy said. “Goodnight, Mrs. Blackwell.”

“Please, call me Lillian. You’re one of us, now, Buffy. We take care of each other like family.” Lillian disappeared, leaving the teen shaking her head in awe.

“Wish I could do that.”

~+~

Buffy awoke Thursday feeling…grounded. Not in the ‘I’m in trouble with Mom’ sense, but the ‘My feet are firmly planted’ sense. It was kinda weird, but kinda nice. It was like that part of her that had wanted desperately to fit in with the in-crowd and stuff, was now satisfied…belonging. Like she fit better in her own skin.

Friday, Sept. 11th…

So much for being a cheerleader. When Buffy told the coach that she would have to leave the final day of Hell Week an hour early, she gave an ultimatum: Buffy stayed, or she lost her chance at making the team. Apparently, excuses weren’t good enough unless you had a note from a doctor.

Oh, well…it wasn’t that much fun anymore, anyway.

So, with an extra hour to kill, Buffy went into the library to do some homework until Giles was ready to leave for the airport.

“Buffy? I didn’t expect you until 5:00 PM.”

She shrugged. “Turns out cheerleading isn’t my thing. So, what’s new?”

“Well, I’m sorry your endeavor didn’t work out. Um, nothing remarkable has occurred since we last spoke. I got a new book…” he replied.

“I’m happy for you, Giles,” she chirped.

He frowned. “You don’t have to be facetious, Buffy.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. How are your studies?”

“Better, amazingly, since I’m not up late every night in cemeteries. Funny how that works out…the whole sleeping equals better grades thing… Mom’s happy. I’ve been hinting at driving lessons, since walking across town isn’t so easy anymore? I don’t think she’s gonna take the bait, though, until the quarter grade report comes out. Other than that, life is peachy.”

“Very good. Well, I have some cataloguing to finish before we leave…”

Buffy pulled out her American History book. “Okay.”

Giles blinked at the sight of his former charge doing homework, then shook his head, and started putting books away.

~+~

Giles’ beat up Citroen chugged along to the airport. They fought over the radio station for the first five minutes of the trip, Buffy flipping the dial back to Top 40 Contemporary every time Giles moved it back to his classical station. He won, after threatening to leave her ‘stranded by the roadside if she touched the bloody dial one more time’. She settled for relieving the boredom by peppering him with questions about the new Slayer.

He didn’t know a lot, in Buffy’s mind. They had a description – that she was a sixteen-year-old girl from Jamaica that wore her hair in braids – and her Watcher’s name. Giles knew more about the Watcher, than the girl, really. Figured.

“So, what’s her cover here?” Buffy asked.

“Beg pardon?”

“Her cover. You have to have an excuse for a teenager living with you, Giles. People will talk.”

“Oh! Y-yes, quite. Kendra is the daughter of a college friend of mine who wants her to have an American education. The Council made sure the paperwork was all in order, I assure you. Since the school is on a Hellmouth, she’ll be attending classes with you, such as she’s able. We’ll have to play it by ear with the specifics, I suppose.”

Buffy sighed.

“Are you happy?” Giles asked, after a time.

“Huh?”

“You always complained about being the Slayer…that it interfered with your life. I’d assume you’ve been relieved since…”

My death. “I am…I mean, it’s weird here…but I’m good. All with the goodness that is Buffy.”

“Good…good. Well, once you’ve helped Kendra adjust, then you can put slaying completely out of mind,” he replied, smiling at her.

Buffy smiled back, though it wasn’t completely genuine. She had a new secret, after all.

Giles found a place to park, then they wove through the airport to find the right terminal and gate. They were fifteen minutes early, of course, since Giles was allergic to not being on time. The last person to disembark the Air Jamaica flight seemed to be their girl.

Buffy’s first impression was that she was pretty, but with horrible taste in pants. Hot pink satin?! They would seriously have to work on the girl’s wardrobe.

Kendra scanned the terminal, clutching the strap of her duffle bag to her chest. Her eyes lit on a tall man in a suit and glasses standing next to a petite blonde girl. She walked towards them with confidence, hiding her nervousness about being away from home and surroundings she knew.

“Mr. Giles?” she inquired in her thick accent.

“Yes! It’s good to meet you, Kendra,” Giles replied, putting his hand out. She looked at it a moment, before tentatively taking it for the handshake. “I hope your flight was pleasant,” he added. “This is Buffy Summers, your predecessor.”

“Hey. First time to the States?”

“How is it she is here when she died?” Kendra asked Giles, glancing at Buffy with suspicion.

“Oh, it w-was a short death, really…she drowned and was revived.”

“It was only a couple minutes,” Buffy added, pouting.

“I see,” Kendra said, nodding. “I am anxious to begin my duties, Mr. Giles.”

“Good, yes. Well, the car is this way. We have much to discuss, of course. Buffy is going to help with your transition, point out the common places for vampires, a-and such. The Hellmouth draws all assortments of f-fascinating creatures.”

Kendra listened intently as Giles rambled on, Buffy trailing slightly behind. She pouted, feeling now that she had been officially replaced in her Watcher’s eyes. Former Watcher. When they reached the car, she had to take the backseat, curling her legs up because there wasn’t much room.

Look at that! They’re bonding! I really am yesterday’s news.

They drove back to the high school, Giles wanting to acquaint Kendra with the library first, since she would spend most of her time there when she wasn’t needed elsewhere.

She stopped in front of the doors to the library. “There is a vampire in there!” Kendra charged, stake drawn.

They rushed in after her in time to see her kick Angel in the face.

“Giles!” Buffy exclaimed.

“Oh, right. Kendra, stop!”

She immediately paused in battle stance, her eyes still on Angel.

“The new Slayer?” the vampire asked needlessly.

Giles put his hand on Kendra’s arm. “It’s alright. He’s an, an ally of sorts. Angel has a soul.”

“That thing had one of your books.”

Angel’s eyes flickered between the three. “He told me to wait here. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Buffy stepped between Kendra and Angel. “Back off, okay? He’s a good vampire, I promise. Angel helps.”

Kendra relaxed, marginally, and put down the stake. Angel sighed in relief and rubbed his jaw when she’d kicked him. Buffy stayed standing in front of him.

“I did ask Angel to come to the library to meet us. He’s been a help to us for a year, since Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, and he’s been taking care of slaying while we waited for you to arrive,” Giles added.

Kendra scrutinized the vampire. “Angel…you mean Angelus. I’ve read of him. He’s a vicious monster.”

“That’s not me anymore,” Angel rebutted.

“Can we just chill?!” Buffy interjected. “Look, just accept it – you can stake any other vampire in town but him, okay?”

Kendra crossed her arms over her chest and backed off. “Fine. I’ll reserve my judgment until I see this ‘help’.”

“Well, now that this matter is settled, let me show you around,” Giles said to the Slayer, guiding her away.

Buffy looked through her lashes, shyly, as Angel slid his hands into his pockets.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Haven’t seen you around much,” she said.

He shrugged. “Been around…cemeteries. How’s normal life?”

“Good…um, good. I tried cheerleading for a while. Didn’t stick. French is kicking my butt.”

He nodded. “There are a lot of tenses. Willow helping you?”

“Yeah…I’m probably going to take Kendra by The Bronze tomorrow night. You gonna be around?” Buffy asked hopefully.

He glanced towards the Slayer and Watcher. “I wouldn’t want to get in her way. She has a mean kick,” Angel replied, rubbing his jaw again.

Buffy nodded understandably, hiding her disappointment. “Right…okay. Well, I guess I’ll see you…sometime.”

“Yeah…”

“Buffy?” Giles interrupted. “You needed to be home by seven, yes?”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Bye, Angel,” she added, turning back to where the vampire had stood, only to find him gone. “I hate it when he does that.”

~+~

Joyce was just about to set the food on the table when Buffy walked in. She smiled at her daughter, who dropped her backpack on the floor by the stairs.

“How was practice, honey?”

“Not exactly a go. Giles asked me to help make an exchange student welcome, and the coach wouldn’t let me go early, so…are you mad?”

Joyce sighed softly and came around the kitchen island. “In all honesty, you didn’t seem to be enjoying cheerleading that much this time around, so if you’d rather try another activity… It was very nice of you to help out today. Maybe you can have Mr. Giles sign off on that as part of your community service requirement.”

“I thought I did my ten hours at Hemery?” she pouted.

“Car washes to raise money for cheerleading don’t count, dear. Did you read the list you received at orientation?” Joyce handed Buffy the salad bowl.

“Probably. Maybe?” She sat down at the table as her mother served lasagna.

“Well, as long as they’re done by graduation, the state will be happy. Have any tests today?”

“Couple small quizzes. They like to ease us into the whole scholastic mode.”

“But you’re studying? Turning in your work?”

“Yes, Mom. I told you I want to do better…I don’t want you disappointed in me.”

“Well, we’ll see what your first progress report has to say. Would you like some parmesan?”

Buffy shook her head and stuffed her mouth full. Guilt trip #112. Whoopee.

~+~

Saturday…

Buffy went over to Giles’ to pick up Kendra for their first tour of Sunnydale. To appease Giles, they were starting while it was still daylight. As they walked, Buffy relayed the story of her tenure as Slayer here, pointing out where she’d killed this, and where she’d killed that. She also made sure to include all the times Angel had helped, just so Kendra wouldn’t stake him. Buffy was iffy on him being boyfriend material, what with the avoidiness, but he was still someone she cared about. Their tour ended at The Bronze, just after sunset.

“Why are we at a nightclub?” Kendra asked suspiciously.

“Rule #1 of Sunnydale Slaying: this isn’t Jamaica. Vamps go where the teens go, and the teens go to The Bronze. I’ve lost count of how many vampires I’ve dusted in this alley. It’s guaranteed good hunting, plus, cute boys.”

“I’m not allowed to associate with boys,” the Slayer replied, looking uncomfortable.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Well, you are now. You’re going to school in California – you want to blend in, you’ll have to act like all the other kids.” She grabbed Kendra’s arm. “Come on.”





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