Chapter 1:
"Dawn Summers if your ass isn't in my convertible within the next FIVE minutes you are so walking to school." Elizabeth Summers, better known as Buffy by all of her friends yelled from inside the large mansion.
"Alright, alright. No need to go all evil stepsister on me…and anyways if you left this house without me Mom would so ground you and you know it." Dawn told her older sister as she made her way out of her bedroom and past her down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Why of all the people in the world did I get you as my sister?" Buffy asked to no one in particular as she made her way to the kitchen after her sister.
"Mother tell me again why Harry can't take Dawn to school? Today is a very important day and I can so not be late because of her complete slowness."
Joyce looked up from her paper work to her eldest daughter. "Buffy we've already been through this."
"But…"
"Listen, you have to take your sister to school because the Driver has to take your Father and I to the airport this morning."
Buffy picked up her car keys. "I know, and I hope you both have a good time in New York, but if all the class I need are full by the time I get to enrollment on campus I don't want to hear either of my parents complaining because they are paying for me to take classes that I don't need for my major."
Buffy walked over and kissed her Mother and Father goodbye before heading towards the back door. Dawn grabbed her backpack and did the same.
Hank finally looked up from his newspaper "Elizabeth…remember your Mother and I will be gone for two weeks." Hank then look directly at Buffy "I know that you will be living on campus but I need you to check on your sister everyday. Make sure she is doing her homework and that she actually goes to school, and doesn't torture the staff to much in our absents." Then he turned to Dawn "And Dawn there are to be none of your famous sleepovers. I don't care what you try to get the staff to do, they know that no one is to be in this house without our permission."
"I would so not even think of doing something like that…again."
Joyce and Hank both laughed at their youngest.
Buffy stepped forward, "Don't worry so much, we know the rules. And I'm sure that Maria or Anna can handle anything that Dawnie tries to throw their way. I mean, they were there for my middle school years and look how well I turned out." She finished with a big smile.
"Buffy, please just make sure your sister is safe and not doing anything illegal. Your Father and I will be in touch with each of you twice a week, so make sure you have your cell phones on when your not in the house or in your apartment."
"Everything will be fine, now have fun…Dawn and I really have to be going."
Both parents stood up and walked over to their daughters to give them hugs, and say their goodbyes. "Of course Honey…have a good day. And don't forget to call if you run into any problems."
*****
"God, I am so going to be late." Buffy said from her seat behind the steering wheel.
"Hey isn't that the guy you were seeing over the summer?" Dawn asked
"Huh?"
"Over there…Bleach Blonde, Blue Eyes…Pregnant Friend…"
Buffy looked over in the direction her sister was pointing in.
"That's not his pregnant friend Dawnie…that's his pregnant wife."
Dawn looked at the hurt expression on her sister's face. "Oh…"
"Yeah, Oh…"
"But I thought you and he were…when did Spike get married?"
"Dawnie not now…please?"
"But…"
"Dawn"
After a few moments of awkward silence Dawn turned to her sister. "You had an AFFAIR with a married man!"
Buffy pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned off the engine. "What?"
"You did, didn't you?"
"Dawn I don't know what you're talking about."
Buffy restarted the car and drove off to her sister's school.
"Buffy"
"Not now Dawn…Look we're here at your school, please get out before I truly am late for registration at UC Sunnydale."
"No way…I'm not getting out of this car until you answer me."
"Dawn, I'm going to be late."
"Nope, not moving."
"DAWN!"
"NO"
"Fine. Okay you win. I had an affair with a married man…are you happy now?"
"Buffy…"
"Dawn, get out. I have to get to campus."
"Fine, I'm gone."
"Dawn…" Buffy called after her.
"I won't tell anyone." Dawn promised with a sad smile.
"Thank You"
With that said Dawn grabbed her bag and headed off to talk to her friends.
Chapter 2
Buffy was planning on majoring in Art History with a minor in Business. When she was younger she had wanted to take over her Mother's gallery, but when her parents moved to Sunnydale from her hometown of Los Angeles with her younger sister, Buffy had rearranged her dream a little. Buffy's new plan was to chain off of her Mother's art gallery here and move back to L.A. and open her own version of it.
After hours of standing in one line after another Buffy was finally enrolled in her first semester at UC Sunnydale. Everything was working out great for her. Her Daddy was paying for her to stay in a rather large loft apartment with four other girls. She was a member of the Varsity Cheerleader Squad. And she only had a total of six classes a week, with none on Friday.
On Mondays and Wednesdays she had English Composition with Cordy and Willow from 9:30-10:45am. Wednesday evenings she had Economic Fundamentals from 3- 6pm. Tuesdays she had A Survey of Art History 1 from 8-10:50am, with Fundamentals of Public Speaking on both Tuesday and Thursday from 12- 1:15pm.
Buffy's schedule allowed her three days off in a row, which would be filled with cheerleading practice, homework, rushing a sorority with Cordy and Anya, and more homework.
*****
Right now Buffy was on her way to meet with her roommates for a post registration celebratory lunch. The plan was to work out the apartment schedules around their classes so that it was as easy as possible to have five girls in an apartment with two bathrooms.
As Buffy pulled onto a street she noticed that she was already like twenty minutes late, and was another ten minutes away from the restaurant.
As she reached for her cell phone to call Cordelia to let her know that she was on her way it started to ring.
"Hello?"
"Buffy!"
"Alyson!?"
"Yeah. How are you?"
"Good. And you? How's UCLA working out for you?"
"Oh My God! You would not believe all the hotties that are here. I mean major 'Yum' factors just walking around my dorm. I so wish you were here. We could have every male on campus wrapped around our pinkies in no time I just know it. So, how are things in Sunnyhell?"
"Actually it's not as bad as I made it out to be at the end of senior year. Daddy's paying for me to live in a large loft apartment with four other girls, two of which are on the varsity cheerleader squad with me. I only have six classes this semester, and I have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off from the hell that is College Professors. So all and all it's not that bad."
"I'm glad. So…How are things with you and Spike? Deacon and I haven't really talked since the band moved."
Buffy pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and turned off the engine to her convertible. `Thank God.'
"Alyson I'm sorry but I have to meet with my roommates and I'm already really late. Can I call you back?"
"Sure."
"Great. Bye."
"Bye…"
Buffy turned off her cell phone and climbed out of the car and headed into the restaurant ready to face two angry cheerleaders and Willow and Tara.
*****
"There she is."
Buffy took a seat next to Willow and Tara. "I am so sorry. You would not believe how many lines I had to go to in order to get my schedule."
Buffy looked around the table as the other girls gave her a dirty look. "I guess you do…"
"You have no idea how long the lines where for anyone majoring in Fashion, at one point I was think of changing my major just to get out of the lines." Cordelia stated before taking a sip from her glass of water.
"Did you get all your classes?" Willow asked.
"Yep. What about you?"
"All of them. I have seven classes a week Monday thru Friday."
"Bummer. What about you Tara?"
"Oh! I…I got all of my classes as well. Anya and I have English Comp. together on Tuesdays and Thursdays."
"I have that class on Mondays and Wednesdays with Professor William…Winthrop." Buffy said as she looked down at her schedule.
"Yay! You have it with Cordy and me then." Willow said with a small grin on her face.
"Great!"
*****
"So what's the final count?" Buffy asked as they all walked into their apartment.
"Um. Cordelia and Buffy have two classes together. Cordelia and Anya have one, Cordelia and Tara have none, and I have one with the both of you. None with Anya or Tara though." Willow read off the notebook she had written their schedules down in.
"Good. We at least have one person to help us in at least one of our classes. Now when classes start next week we'll be ready.
Chapter 3
Buffy made it to school with only three minutes to get to her class that just so happened to be on the other side of the building.
*****
Monday 9:30am English Composition- Mr. Winthrop
Buffy made inside the classroom door just as the final bell rang.
"You must be Ms. Summers so nice of you to join us today."
Buffy put a small smile on her face as she made it past the T.A. and over to where Cordelia and some of her other friends that she had made over the summer were now sitting.
"Hey Buff"
"Hi Riley"
"Buffy why are you so late today? I thought you left right after I did."
"I was on my way out when my father called from New York to wish me good luck on my first day. And then my Mother got on the phone and she was all `My little girl is so grown up' it was a nightmare. So did I miss anything important?"
"Nothing much really, except for Faith trying to throw herself all over Riley here…again."
Buffy turned to Riley. "Faith? She's your ex right."
"Ex with a major X, I am not interested in her in any way anymore. I was kind of wondering what she was trying to pull off she hasn't even spoken to me in months, and then today she was all over me. It was weird to say the least."
"I told Riley the reason Faith was all over him was because she really hates you and she knows that you and him are kinda in the beginning stages of dating."
"Oh…" Buffy replied with a small nod.
"Um. Buffy I was wondering if we were still on for The Bronze tomorrow night?" Riley asked in a lower voice trying to cover his fear of her saying no to him.
"Of course, I'll meet you, Angel, Cordy, Anya, Harm, and everyone else there…anything else I should be up to date on?"
"Great, everyone…" Riley said before he was interrupted.
"I heard that the Professor of this class hates giving mid-terms and finals so the only thing we have to worry about is the homework part of the class." Harmony told anyone who was listening.
"And where is this great Professor of ours anyway?" Buffy asked as she reached into her bag to pull out a notebook and a pen to take notes with.
"The T.A. said he had to help his wife with something and should be here any minute."
Just than the room was filled with the female proton of the classes gasps and "oh my gods".
Cordelia leaned over her seat and whispered into Buffy's ear "Check out the hotness that is our new English Professor!"
Buffy looked up from the notebook that she was writing the date on and into the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen. "Spike…"
That was the only thing Buffy got out of her mouth before she passed out.
*****
"Oh my God! Buffy, Buffy are you okay? Someone do something…NOW!" Cordelia was yelling at anyone who was around.
Cordelia than turned to Liam "Angel" Montgomery. "Angel pick her up off the ground and put her over on the Professors desk."
Angel picked up Buffy and carried her with ease over to the desk and placed her down after Riley cleared it off.
Cordelia than turned to the new English Professor "I know you're a total hottie and all but so is Angel, and she didn't pass out when she first saw him. So the only thing I can think of is that the two of you know each other, and with that I am so blaming you for what just happened."
After a few moments Mr. Winthrop finally came out of his shock and walked over to where Buffy was now lying with a very worried Riley standing over her.
"Alright can everyone please back away from Ms. Summers, she needs some air."
*****
`OH MY GOD! What in the world is Spike doing here? This has to be my punishment, sleep with a married man over the summer and he becomes your English Professor. How in the world am I going to make it through the semester with him standing up there in front of the class all Professor like. Wait a minute, Professor William Winthrop, oh god! I have Professor Drusilla Winthrop for my Art History class. His wife is my Art History Professor. I am never waking up again, coma land for me. Yep. Sounds good.'
Chapter 4
Fifteen minutes later, Buffy was awake and back at her seat next to Cordelia and Riley.
"Would everyone please STOP looking at me like I'm about to break. For the millionth time, I'm FINE." `Or I will be after I kill myself.'
Riley put his hand on Buffy's left shoulder. "You gave us all a scare, we're just makin' sure your okay."
Buffy turned to Riley "I know, and I'm sorry…but I'm fine now. Really." She than turned her attention to the front of the class where Professor Winthrop was talking with his young female T.A. `I bet he has an affair with her too.'
Spike looked at Buffy, `Why is she acting so calm? Does she not understand what will happen if Dru sees her in one of my classes. Dru my be okay with everything that happened over the summer, but there is no way she will be okay with the fact that the girl she found me in bed with also happens to be one of my new students.' than to the rest of the class. "Alright, now that Ms. Summers appears to be feeling better I think I should tell you what to expect from this class."
Spike seat on top of his desk and pulled out a stack of papers. "My T.A. Jessica will be passing around a lot of different papers that you will need to hold onto throughout the semester. I'm sure that some of you have heard the rumors that I don't give mid-terms or finals. That is correct, with the exception of the final project that will be wroth half of your grades."
The entire room moaned at the thought of what the project could be.
"It's not that bad. You don't have to study for any test with this class so a final project is going easy on you in my opinion."
Spike stood up and placed the papers back down on his desk. "I'll get more into the class requirements on Wednesday. For today I'll take any questions you have about me, and do my best to answer them. So, who's first?"
Cordelia raised her hand, but didn't wait to be called on. "I'd like to know how you know Buffy, and what you could have possibly done to make her pass out from seeing you."
`None of your bloody business you stupid bint.' "We'll now really isn't the time for that…Ms. Chase is it?"
"Are you mar…" Harmony started to ask a question before Buffy cut her off.
Buffy stood up from her seat "Professor Winthrop if the class wants to know how you and I know each other we should tell them. If we don't, they'll find out some other way." `This is for making me pass out, asshole.'
"Ms. Summers I don't think…" `Is she crazy, she can't tell them what happened.'
Buffy interrupted Spike before he could finish. "I know Professor Winthrop or Spike from his band "Loves Bitch" they played at a club I went to a lot when I still lived in L.A. You see our new English Professor is the lead singer of the band and over the summer they played at The Bronze every Tuesday night."
Buffy made her way to the front of the class and stood next to Spike who had a worried look in his eyes. `Bloody Hell, she's going to cost me my job.'
"I dated one of the members of the band over the summer…" `The same band member standing in front of everyone, but that's not the point right now.' "We haven't talked in almost a month. So when I saw Spike walk into the classroom I was so shocked that I passed out." `That's not really a lie. I just left out his name.'
Buffy turned her head to Spike and smiled before going back over to her seat again.
`That girl will be the death of me.'
*****
12:15pm Lunch Time
Cordelia came up and sat her bottle of water next to Buffy's lunch and sat in the chair next to her. "Buffy what was all that about in class earlier?"
Buffy placed her fork down and turned to Cordy "Nothing. I told you already, I was in shock of seeing Spike is all."
"Buffy please, I know you well enough to know when you're not telling the whole truth. So spill already."
"Cordy, now really isn't the time nor place for this."
"So something did happen that you aren't telling the truth about?"
"I didn't say that."
"Come-on. Who do you think you are talking to, Riley?"
"What? What's wrong with Riley?"
"Buffy…"
"Fine, I'll tell you the truth, but not here and not now. And once you know you can't tell anyone. Okay?"
"Sure"
"Cordelia!"
"Buffy, I promise not a soul will know what you tell me."
"Good, now don't you have another class to be getting to?"
"It doesn't start until 1 thank you very much."
Chapter 5
Tuesday 8:05am
A Survey of Art History 1- Professor Drusilla Winthrop
"Good morning class. My name is Drusilla Rayne Winthrop, and this is A Survey of Art History 1."
Dru walked back over to her desk and picked up the class attends list. "When I call your name if your would please stand up so I can see your face…"
*****
In the back of the classroom Buffy was trying to do any and ever thing in order to keep from looking at the teacher.
"…Liam Montgomery…Elizabeth Summers…Elizabeth Summers?"
Buffy quickly stood up "Here…I'm right here."
"Thank you Ms. Summers, you can sit back dow…Do I know you from some where?"
Buffy looked back at Mrs. Winthrop in shock. "I really don't think so, I just moved here from L.A. over the summer."
"Oh, you just look familiar."
"Must be the hair, you've seen one blonde you've seen them all." `Or it could be the fact that you walked in on me and your husband together over the summer. At least then you only saw my back side.'
"You're probably right…Anyways, back to class stuff."
*****
"Does anyone have any questions they would like to ask me about the course, or me in general before I give out the homework assignment?" Mrs. Winthrop asked her class as she cleared off the chalkboard.
"How long have you been in Sunnydale?"
"Actually I just moved here with my husband, who as most of you already know is the Senior English Teacher, at the end of April last school year."
Buffy raised her hand.
"Yes Ms. Summers."
"Is it true that you are expecting a child in January?"
"Yes it is. I'll only be teaching here for the first semester this year. And I'll be back when the next set of Fall classes come around next year.
"Oh…" Buffy said as she looked back down at her notebook. `She's four months pregnant. I was with Spike for almost three of those months. God…I think I'm going to be sick.'
"If that is all the questions for right now, let me hand out the reading assignments and worksheets for your homework then."
*****
4:30pm-Cheerleader Practice
"Sunnydale, Sunnydale, you're number one. Sunnydale, Sunnydale, get it done!"
Buffy walked over to the squad as they finished up with practice. "Okay girls, remember this Friday is a very important Football game. So, everyone please practice the new moves we learned today, and go over the moves from all the other cheers as well. With that said, you're all free to go."
The varsity squad cleared out of the gym leaving behind the most popular girls on the squad.
"Cordy, Anya, Harm…we really need to get the rest of the girls involved with the game on Friday."
"What'd you have in mind Buff?" Harmony asked in her `whatever you say I will follow' type of voice.
"I was thinking…"
*****
Campus Pathway
Spike was more determined than he had ever been in his life to find, and speak to Buffy before things got too out of hand. `Out of hand. Bloody Hell man, you already slept with the girl even though you are married. But not only did you sleep with the girl, you didn't tell her the truth.'
Just then Spike saw a group of cheerleaders walking towards him.
"Ladies, do any of you know where I might find Ms. Summers?"
A girl with short brown hair was the one to answer. "Yeah, Buffy's in the gym with a few of the other team members talking about the big game on Friday."
"Thanks, Luv."
*****
Back in the Gym
"…So I'll see you all at The Bronze tonight?" Buffy asked as she grabbed her sports bag and headed towards the gym doors.
"Yes"
"Yeah"
"Of course"
"Buffy wait."
Buffy turned around to face Cordelia as Anya and Harmony left the building.
"What's up Cordy?"
"You are not getting away that easy. You've been avoiding me all day. We have to talk."
"`bout what?"
"Buffy"
"Fine, but not here. I have to go back to my house tonight to check on Dawn, you can come by to get ready for tonight and we can talk then. Okay?"
"Okay, I'll come over after six."
"Six. Got it. Bye"
"Bye"
As Buffy made her way back to the door she came face to face with Spike.
*****