Arriving at her next lesson, Buffy saw people around the school she’d thought she’d never see again. Jonathan, Amy, Scott and even human Harmony. Everyone was here, again.
But no one else knew. And that was a thought that plagued here throughout most of history.
Even though the thought was strange, other worldly and kind of terrifying, she would have much preferred them than what pulled her out of them.
Buffy looked up startled as Cordelia leaned across her desk offering to share her book. Buffy hadn’t even noticed she was supposed to be taking notes. Somehow she got the feeling she might actually be worse at school this time around than before.
“Thanks,” Buffy mumbled, finally starting to participate in the lesson for the first time.
Man she wanted to avoid any interaction with Cordelia as much as possible early on. She was really quite unbearable for the first few months, and then only slightly improved.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of book work, the school bell rang out like a choir of angels. And Buffy knew what was coming.
Quickly, Buffy scoped her bag of the floor, praying beyond all belief she could escape quickly and avoid all confrontation with Queen C entirely. But no such luck, she was too quick for even Buffy’s slayer skills to evade successfully.
“Hi, I’m Cordelia,” she said out stretching her hand for Buffy to shake it.
But Buffy, wanting nothing to do with the huge bitch, for at least another six months. So she ignored the gesture completely and stood up.
“Buffy,” the slayer said quickly in reply, quickly making a dash for the door.
“You know, if you want a text book of your very own, they’ll probably have some in the Library,” she called as Buffy left the room.
“Thanks,” she replied coldly back. Waving one hand above her head and not even bothering to turn around as she left.
Cordelia simply stood there in silence, shocked by what had just taken place. And all she could think was, what a bitch.
**
Buffy couldn’t care less about what Queen C thought about her, she was just a popular girl with the ten foot pole you wouldn’t touch her with rammed right up her ass. So instead of making small talk with the stuck up mass she walked swiftly on. Because she was on a mission now, get to the Library and find Giles. She had a goal, and she needed to complete it.
Of course, what she was gonna do once she saw Giles was completely lost on her. What do you say to the man who was like a father to you for six years, before he left you, teamed up with a revenge bent principal to kill your closest friend, then left you out completely out of looking out for the slayers of whom it was your idea to call to the job in the first place? And yet he knew none of those things had even taken place.
So instead of thinking about it she decided to dive right in. Like with a cold plunge pool. If you put too much thought into it, you’d never sanely do it. So you just had to suck it up and jump in.
And that’s what she was doing, as she burst through the wooden doors to the local hell mouth high Library.
“Hello, any one in here,” she shouted, scanning the room for any signs of her former/new watcher.
Last time she’d been here, she’d been looking the other way, and he’d startled her from behind. Making her appear to be a weak slayer to him in their first meeting. Weak and so young.
But she wasn’t that girl anymore, and she wasn’t going to pretend to be. So Giles would not be meeting a timid fresh slayer, wanting out of the whole destiny deal. This time around, he’d be meeting Buffy Summers, girl in charge.
Giles was standing behind one of the shelves, stacking books, when he heard someone burst into his Library. He could hear them shouting from where he was and he was having none of it. He was a respected watcher after all; he was not going to take that kind of behavior from any student here.
Stepping out of his place in the shadows, he approached the cocky girl. Who, in turn simply stood there defiantly, hands on hips.
“I’ll have you know this is a Library, young lady,” Giles said sternly watching the girl. “And I will not tolerate…”
“I’m new,” Buffy interrupted him, finding it kind of funny he didn’t know who she was. And also a little annoyed that he had the nerve to talk to her like that.
“You’re… good lord,” Giles said removing his glasses. “You’re Buffy Summers aren’t you?”
“Yep, that’s me, and I come in search of vampires,” she smiled at him. This would defiantly be a better start then the reluctance she’d shown before. This time she was here happy, powerful and ready to slay.
Maybe the two of them would get to have more of a working relationship this time around. Being his friend would probably be a lot easier than being his surrogate daughter. She might actually get to control her own life.
“Oh my. I’m Rupert Giles, I was told you were coming,” he said rushing behind his desk.
“I kind of guessed that. With the way your eyes went all wide and stuff.”
Well she certainly was bold he thought. Which could only be a good quality in a slayer. It might just keep her alive, as long as she wasn’t to overly sure of herself. The girl was only sixteen after all.
“I know just what you’re looking for,” he said reaching under his desk.
Suddenly he stood up, and abruptly dropped a large book with a thump onto the center of the table.
It was made of old weathered brown leather, and had gold clasps and decoration around it. It looked extremely old, but Buffy was pretty sure she already knew everything that book had to say. Yet she’d never before gotten around to reading it.
Not thinking to check her words, she burst out, “hey they spelt Vampires like the way Andrew says it.”
“The way who says it?” Giles asked confusedly.
Suddenly realizing her mistake, Buffy fumbled for words to cover herself up. “Urrrr… arrr… ummm… oh, a friend. From Hemery. Urrrr… He, watched a lot of movies.”
“Right,” he replied eyeing her suspiciously.
“Well, I’d love to sit around and talk about vampires, but I need to be somewhere right now. I’ll be back later though. Try not to wear a hole in your glasses while I’m gone, ok?”
“Uh, oh yes, quite,” Giles stuttered, putting his glasses back on. She’d forgotten how British he’d used to be.
Turning and walking towards the door she laughed to herself. This could turn out to be quite fun if she played her cards right.
Just before she left, she turned around smiling. “Bye Giles.”
“Goodbye Miss Summers,” he replied.
“Just call me Buffy,” she said.
And then she left.
**
The next stop was gonna be a fun one, and there was no doubt about it.
Ah yes, the joys of seeing her confident goddess best friend as a timed normal school girl. It was just so bizarre.
Not that Buffy wished her friend to stay like this forever. But it was going to be funny and really kind of ironic whilst it lasted. Yesterday, Willow had enough power in her to end the world, and today… well let’s say she’d have trouble ending a spider.
As Buffy marched through the halls on her way to the courtyard, she began thinking to herself. Thinking how incredibly small the school actually was. She clearly remembered a tall giant scary building that was literally on top of hell. But it wasn’t quite that bad. Well no one was exploding… at the minute.
As she entered the courtyard she saw her friend come into view, and crossed her fingers. Hopeful she’d get this right and the base for future friendship would be set. But she couldn’t get rid of that niggling feeling in the back of her mind saying that things might to go as they were meant to.
But with determination, she walked straight up to her future best friend.
“Hi,” she said simply, smiling.
“Urr, hi. Do you want me to move?” Willow asked timidly, looking up at the new blond girl.
“No. I was thinking more alone the lines of, hi I’m Buffy and you are?”
“Oh, right. I’m Willow,” she said smiling and holding her hand out for Buffy to shake it.
It was seriously giving Buffy a major case of the wiggins to see the most powerful human alive acting so shy. She remembered Willow being like this, she just never thought she would see it again.
So plastering a smile on her face, Buffy took Willow’s hand as she continued.
“Well, I’d also like to ask you a favor.”
“Really, ‘cause I’m not so good with anything involving exercise. Or you know, upper body strength.”
“Not that type of favor. It’s just I have this burning desire to not fail all my classes this year, and I heard you were the person to talk to,” Buffy said trying to repeat as much of the conversation as she could remember.
“Oh,” Willow said, her face lighting up. “Well I could totally help you out. If you have sixth period free we could meet in the Library…”
“No,” Buffy cut her of remembering that this should be the only time they meet today before the Bronze, and she needed at least some of that stuff to go down so they’d believe in vampires. “I mean, urr, I’m busy later. I’ve got some serious unpacking to do at my house, what with the move and all. But we could meet up some other time.”
“Oh, ok. But have you seen the new Librarian. He’s really cool,” Willow beamed.
“Yeah I saw him. He seemed nice,” Buffy said nonchalantly.
“He was a curator at some British museum, or, or The British Museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?” Willow gushed in one breath.
“Not even a little bit,” Buffy replied watching Xander and Jesse walking towards them.
In one swift move, Xander flung himself up onto the wall behind the girls. While at the other side Jessie came to a standing halt, and dropped his bag casually to the floor.
“Hey,” Jesse said, smiling at Buffy. Huh, she’d completely forgotten how he looked over the years, dark hair, pretty plain.
“You guys busy? Are we interrupting? We're interrupting,” Xander chatted from the wall. Then suddenly he raised his bag and tossed it casually over to Jesse.
“No you’re not interrupting. More… joining without invitation, and disrupting the flow of conversation,” Buffy suggested.
“Yeah, I heard about that. Not interrupting at all then,” said Jessie, dropping Xander’s bag next to his own.
“Buffy, this is Jessie and that’s Xander,” Willow laughed pointing to her friends.
Look at us, Buffy thought, we’re all together again. Her friends and her had finally been reunited, and it was fantastic. Everything was fixed. And tonight she’d save Jesse, and then it would all work out.
“Oh, me and Buffy go waaay back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved,” Xander joked quickly, but Jesse didn’t let it lie to long.
“Is it me, or are you turning into a bibbling idiot?” he quipped.
“No, it's, uh, it's not you,” Xander confirmed, looking embarrassed and blushing again.
“Well it’s great to finally meet you guys, I think,” Buffy laughed, glad to see her friends happy again.
Jesse even looked like he might be a fun addition to the group, like another Xander. “Well, you know, we wanted to welcome ya, make ya feel at home, unless you have a scary home...”
“And to return this,” Xander said holding up her stake. Buffy was fining it really had not to laugh at his puzzled expression as he continued. “The only thing I can think is that you're building a really little fence.”
Leaning over to take back her weapon Buffy explained in the most unconvincing way possible. “No little fences, it’s a self-defense thing. You know everyone’s got one in LA,” Buffy said, trying desperately not to laugh. Laughing would get her nowhere.
“So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it,” Xander quipped eagerly, hoping to win over the blond with his charm… and failing.
“If you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?” Jessie joined, keeping pace with his friend.
“Oh I’ve got my share of secrets, but really I don’t know you guys that well, you could be like crazy people or something. I probably shouldn’t tell you,” Buffy said coyly looking at the ground. She knew she shouldn’t tease them, but what harm could it really do.
“There’s no need to worry Buff, we’re only crazy behind closed and locked doors,” Xander said, mock seriousness.
“And even then the worst we’d do is listen to music loudly,” Willow smiled joining in.
“Willow, you crazy party girl. What haven’t you been telling us,” Jesse said in mock horror.
Willow didn’t really get a chance to reply though, because before she’d so much as opened her mouth Queen C came barging over.
“Hey Cordelia,” Jesse smiled widely at the cheerleader.
But his efforts of kindness went in vain, as she simply cast him a look of disgust and spat out, “oh, please,” before turning to talk to Buffy. “I don't mean to interrupt this little gathering of pathetic, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair, because gym was canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker.”
The brunets tone was cold and icy as she talked to the slayer. After the way the blond had totally blown her off earlier, and was now hanging with these geeks, she wasn’t gonna bother even trying to be nice.
Buffy really couldn’t care less. Sooner or later, the cheerleader would inevitably hook up with Xander Buffy guessed, and then and only then would she be nice to the girl. At least then Cordelia would start acting civil towards them.
“What are you talking about?” Willow said fearfully looking up at Cordelia. She didn’t want anyone to be hurt, let alone dead.
“Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker!”
“And he was dead?” Buffy asked once more just to make sure everything was happening the same as last time.
“Totally dead. Way dead,” Cordelia exclaimed whilst gesturing with her hands.
“It's not just a little dead, then?” Xander sneered sarcastically back to her, but she was quick with her retort.
“Don't you have an elsewhere to be?”
“Y'know, if you need a shoulder to cry on, or just to nibble on...”
The lusty look in Jesse’s eye caused Buffy to have to hide a giggle that arose in her throat. God, it was just too funny.
“Seriously,” the cheerleader growled at the boy, before looking to the others and sneering, “later losers.”
“Well that was just chocked full of friendly,” Xander said turning his attention back to Buffy.
“Cordelia can be a little… unfriendly sometimes,” Willow explained.
“And a total bitch the rest of the time,” Buffy guessed mock cheerily.
“Wow, ten point to Buff for stating the obvious,” Xander commented. “Hey Jesse, come back to us man.”
Jesse was still stood facing away from the others; watching the cheerleader from afar.
“Sorry Xand, but how can you not see how excessively hot she is.”
“Ok, eww. I prefer my women warm blooded.”
Buffy smiled slightly as the banter between her friends continued. It had been too long, and now she had forever ahead of her.
It couldn’t get any better… almost.
**
“Giles,” Buffy called as she walked into the Library once more. “You in here?”
Dead guys in lockers lead to the supernatural around here, and that lead to Giles. So it was time to talk Vampires.
“Ah, Buffy. Is everything, uh, is everything alright?” Giles questioned, as he appeared from behind one of the far bookcases and began to approach.
“No. I’m sorry to report that we’ve got vampires on campus.”
Giles stopped to lean against the banister to the steps as he removed and began cleaning his glasses. “Oh, I see. Well I was afraid of this.”
“Vampires? There nothing. I’ll just find whoever did this and stake them, simple. It like falling off a log.”
“Good to hear you’re so, ah, keen. W-will he, the boy, will he rise again?” the watcher asked, replacing the glasses on his face.
“No. He’s just dead. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t more of them out there. I’ll do a patrol of the nearest cemetery’s tonight before heading to the Bronze.”
Really Buffy knew she was lying. She wasn’t lying about killing the vamps, because they would be dust by morning. She was lying about doing it before going to the Bronze.
“The Bronze?”
“It’s a club. I thought I’d swing by.”
“Buffy do you really think it’s wise to go out partying when there are an untold number of vampires roaming the streets,” Gilles said sternly.
“Calm down Giles,” Buffy stated in an annoyed tone. “I’ll kill the vamps then I’ll party. And hey, there’s always vamps roaming the streets. There everywhere.”
“Which is exactly why you should be out fighting them, not out enjoying yourself whilst innocent people are in danger.” Quickly Giles ran into his office, only to return a few moments later carrying four large books. “Now, I believe this whole area is a centre of mystical energy, that things gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere.” With each monster he names he put one of the books down on to the table with a thump. “Such as zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!”
“I know that Giles. And if I spend every moment of my life fighting and do nothing else, the monsters will still be there. They just keep coming and coming. I could kill a hundred, a thousand, a thousand-thousand and the enemies of Hell besides, and there will still be monsters. So do you know what I’m going to do. I am going to go to the Bronze, I’ll see my friends and I’ll kill vampires every night. But I am not going to give up my life, because it is not worth it.”
Giles was taken aback by that. He’d know from the moment he’d met her that this slayer was head strong, but this. It was amazing. It was, right.
“You-you’re right. Sorry if I came on a little strongly. O-of course you have the right to keep your life,” Rupert stuttered to the girl.
“Thank you Giles. Now did you have something you were going to tell me.”
“Oh yes, quite. It's getting worse, the influx of the undead, the... supernatural occurrences, it's been building for years. Something's coming, something, something... something is, is gonna happen here. Soon.”
“Do you know what it is?” Buffy asked.
“There are signs, that as far as I can tell, are pointing to a crucial mystical upheaval, very soon. Days. Possibly less. But I have had no luck in finding out any information aside from that.”
“Thanks for the tip. Maybe I’ll get a chance to question the vamps before I dust them, they might know something.”
Of course Buffy already knew the harvest was the event the Giles was predicting, but until she met Angel she wasn’t support to know anything on the subject. So she kept quiet, she could tell Giles about the harvest tomorrow. For now she’d just keep her head down.
Suddenly, both watch and slayers attentions were caught by the sound of the Library doors being pushed open behind them.
“Oh, hey Buffy. What are you doing here?”
“Hey Xander, I was just asking Giles if he had any history text books I could use. It would appear I didn’t get one, and I really don’t want to have to share with Cordelia,” Buffy smiled as her friend came in.
“You had to share with Queen C, ouch. I feel your pain. I myself was looking for a copy of 'Theories in Trig', I hear it’s a great read.”
“Willow tell you to get it?”
“Yes.”
**
After Buffy finally got home from her first day back in school, she set about unpacking the tones of boxes scattered around her room.
It had taken up almost two and a half hours, but eventually Buffy managed to unpack the final box. If anything, this time around it had taken far less time than the first, mostly for the reason that she’d out grown almost everything she currently owned. Which meant that almost all of her belongings had remained within their boxes, and she’d simply piled them all up in her cupboard to later go to the attic.
It wasn’t really as if all the posters and toys held any really importance anymore; not after everything she’d been through. After you survive one or two apocalypses, dolls and pictures don’t really register on your list of essentials anymore. So everything got packed away.
Well, except Mr. Gordo. She could never outgrow her favorite stuffed piggy.
So once she finished sorting her room out so it was just how she’d like it, she got ready to Bronze it.
Of course last time around she’d been all set to dress to impress, which hadn’t gone down so well. World saving and fashion sense were defiantly non-mixy things. But she wasn’t really worried about having looks to kill, she needed looks for killing.
If she remembered correctly, tonight she’d have to talk to Willow and Giles at the Bronze, then go with Xander to the cemetery where she’d face Luke and Darla. Oh, and not to forget meet Angel for the first time down a dark and mysterious alleyway, yay.
But there would need to be some changes this time. For one she’d need to get Jesse, Willow and Xander out of there as soon as possible; stake Luke before the harvest had a chance to begin and not to mention mess with Angel’s head as much as possible.
Angel wouldn’t know it, but the slayer already knew a lot about him. In fact she knew more about his soul than he did.
So tonight she needed to dress for a fight, and that what she did. Quickly she slipped into some pale blue jeans, that weren’t so tight that she’d have too much difficulty if she went for a high kick; a simple black shirt and some boots.
She thought about putting her hair up. She’d done it last time, and it wouldn’t get in the way. It wasn’t that long though, not to mention it worked so much better with her outfit to keep it down. But most of all she thought quickly about how much Spike had liked to see her with her hair down.
Goldilocks he’d called her. His Goldilocks. So as she brushed her hair, she decided to keep it down, just to smile at the memory.
“Hi, hon,” Joyce said smiling as she came into Buffy’s room.
“Hey mom, I was just getting ready to go out.”
“Oh, where are you going?”
“To a club, the Bronze. ‘Cause I hear that’s where all the cool kids are going,” Buffy laughed putting down her brush and turning to her mom.
“Will there be boys there?” Joyce asked, looking strangely concerned at the thought of male company.
“Yes there will be boys. But I am on a strict no male interactions diet, so you can calm down.”
“All right then, but do be careful sweetie,” Joyce smiled stroking Buffy’s hair as she talked. “You know, I think we can make it work here. I've got my positive energy flowing... I'm gonna get the Gallery on its feet... Oh, uh, we may have found a space today.”
“That’s great mom.”
“Oh, and that school is a, a very nurturing environment, which is just what you need.”
“Well, I think I might be a little old…”
“Oh, not too nurturing. I know, you're sixteen, I've read all about the dangers of over-nurturing.”
She didn’t know the half of it. To be over twenty years old and hear that you need a nurturing environment, was just plain wacky, even if you’re in the body of a sixteen year old.
“It's hard. New town and everything... It is for me, too. I'm trying to make it work,” Joyce said tenderly as she took Buffy’s hand, “I'm going to make it work.”
“And I’m gonna help,” Buffy smiled back. “I know things got a little crazy in LA, but I’m with you mom. I wanna make it work to.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Now don’t stay out too late, and have fun.”
“I will,” Buffy said leaning in to kiss her mom on the check. “See you later mom.” She really loved being able to say that.
**
Locking the door behind her, Buffy left the house.
She was actually leaving a lot earlier this time for one reason, if she had time then she had time for small mistakes. Hopefully everything would happen as normal up until they ran into the vamps, at which point drastic changes would need to be made.
So with her plan of action in place, she pulled the key out of the door and was about to set of.
But then she heard a voice.
A voice she hadn’t heard in months.
A voice she’d dreamed about every night since she’d stopped hearing it.
A voice that said;
“Buffy?”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
AN: Hello all, just thought I'd tell you that I've found myself a beta. So chapters should come up faster from now on.