Welcome to the Hellmouth, Again

**SPOILERS for season 7

**Reviews and comments are more then welcome!

Enjoy!

The first day of school is never the beginning, Robin Wood though on his way to his new job at Eastside High-School, yet the ending of something. In his case, the finishing of a long, tiring adventure. His last job at Sunnydale High resulted in a death-full expedition to save the world. Robin hoped beyond doubt that this year would be less exiting.

He parked his new car and headed into the school building among the river of kids. All arriving in busses, skateboards or their parent's cars. Some teachers already had a stack of papers in hand. Not one person wore a grin on their face, except for Robin. It seemed to him only yesterday he was on the steps of hell fighting for his life. It had taken him all summer to clean up the mess, but here he was. Staring again.

Principle Sherwood Shakes was already waiting for him in his office. "ah, Mr. Wood" he said, "it's nice to finally see you here. I trust you had a useful tore of the place?"

"Yes, Grace was very nice" Robin greeted him, too. "I came here for a print of my schedule. Do you have it for me?"

Shakes frowned uneasily, "actually, I changed up the plans a little."

"how so?"

"there has been a misunderstanding with another homeroom teacher, and so you got his job…" Sherwood said. Robin raised a brow. He didn't mind a better job, but he would have to see how it would play off. Robin was planning on patrolling every other night. Would he be able to hold a job and a destiny?

"I could do that. Which class?" he asked.

"see, here's when things get complicated. You're with the special class" Shakes said. Robin thought he may have been hiding a smile. "what makes it special?" Wood asked.

"you haven't heard?" the principle said, slightly shocked. Robin shook his head. "oh, then. Nothing I guess. Just conspiracies" Shakes said. Wood was unconvinced, there was something fishy in the whole situation. But what could Robin do? He had to get a job, and this was the only school that was hiring. Whatever it was, Robin could deal. He has seen many things in his life, he wasn't new to danger.

"ill take it. What will I be teaching them?" Wood said, and Shakes explained the whole curriculum.

When he got to his first period it turned out there really wasn't anything odd about the class. The kids fell silent as soon as Wood entered the class and inspected him. When everyone got a good look at him, the conversations burst into life again. The kids were sitting on their tables, throwing things around and shouting at each other. Some were eating, others already vandalizing the tables. Everyone was ignoring Robin. They were clearly not disciplined, clearly typical teenagers. Good, Robin thought, something I know how to deal with. This wasn't the first time he faced a mob of teens. He knew what to do.

Turning back to the door, Robin turned the light switch off. This grabbed the attention of the kids. "look," he said, in a loud intimidating voice, "we could do this in two ways. One- I could stand here for an hour yelling over your noise and dealing detentions, or I could say what I have to say- however long that takes- and dismiss you when I'm done"

At the prospect of a free period, the kids all stopped what they are doing and sat in their seats, looking at Wood for directions. "great. I see you chose the right one." He said. "that's all I have to say. I'll see you next period for History class." Robin smiled, "just, between us- don't make too much noise in the halls, or else we will both get into trouble".

The kids looked at him shockingly. Not believing their luck. "go on now" he ushered them out. One by one they all shuffled out of the class.

During his free lesson, Robin walked along the hallways of the school, looking for clues on supernatural things, such as missing fire-axes and locked basements. He was walking outside near the big football field when there were a few kids he recognized from his class playing take-away with one kid's school bag. The smallest of the boys- a short, blond boy, was running between then trying to retrieve the bag.

"hey, break it up" Robin yelled at the group. if there was one thing Robin was like other teacher on- it was that he hated bullies. He was heading to break them up, but it was too late, and the bag fell into the fountain. Its contents scattered and floated around the water. The blonde boy rushed to to gather his stuff as the rest of the kids ran away laughing. Robin knelt beside him, helping him by fishing out loose papers filled with ruined drawings.

"you okay?" Robin asked the boy.

"yeah, thanks" he said. He had a fair face, and his hair was ruffled, falling onto his face in lumps. His skin was pale, and he was skinny and short. Wood picked up a drawing that wasn't too wet. It was of a dead man, lying on a street with a wolf leering over him.

"so, prince of darkness, "Robin asked, "You've got a name?" the boy nodded, "James"

"and who were the bullies?"

"the biggest one was Jeff Ralf" James said.

"I take it it's not the first time you're picked on"

"only by those kids. Our class is kind of seperate3d from the rest of the school. And I'm not bullied or anything- just… not friends with everyone"

"how come?" Robin asked. He was starting to get a feel there was something supernatural about the class- but then he was getting a little obsessed about the whole manner and was just looking for excuses.

Robin took out a notebook and pen from his bag and handed them to the boy, "why don't you write with these today, and when you get home you dry off your own books?" he asked. In addition, he gave him a few bills from his pocket, "buy yourself a hot lunch."

James smiled and pocketed the cash. "thanks," he said, again, and left. His bag was open and a wet notebook fell out. "hey," Robin picked it up, "you forgot-" but James had already entered the building. Robin slipped his hands across the wet notebook cover. It was a moleskin, old and tattered along the edges, and there was a circular brown coffee stain on the back of it. He opened the cover. "James Petoskey" was printed neatly along the top left side. The pages, still damp from the puddle, were full of pencil etchings that stretched from corner to corner. Robin began to flip through the journal, turning the pages carefully so as not to damage them further. The book was filled with drawings of demons, werewolves, vampires, and other monsters, rendered in such detail that they seemed to pop out of the pages. James was clearly very talented, but Robin was uneasy about the subject matter he drew.

Then, as Robin neared the end of the notebook, one of the pictures caught his eye and drew his breath short. What he saw was staring at him, with cold eyes and a teeth-baring snarl upon its mouth, was the too-well-known to him Uber-Vamp. Robin could feel its breath on his neck, the inbred hatred in its gaze. It sent a shiver down his spine. How could James know exactly what one looked like? Had he seen a vampire before? And survived? Robin himself had barely made it out alive the last time he fought an Uber-Vamp. His muscles still ached from the battle. Where did this kid get his intel, he wondered?

With trembling hands, Robin continued to turn the pages slowly - only drawing out his building panic- as a lightly drawn girl's profile came into view. Robin stared it with disbelief. The drawing of her was unfinished, still incomplete around the edges. It was- For a minute he doubted it even was her - but her eyes were the same eyes, deep with dread and fear, but strengthened by love. The sight of her gaze triggered an emotion in Robin he couldn't quite recognize. It reminded him of the look his mother used to give him- eyes that were too old for the young face. The girl's hair fell over her shoulders gracefully. Robin snapped the book shut the book and stared at the cover. Suddenly he realized that the rest of the demons also struck him as familiar. Uncannily familiar. A wave of uneasiness rushed through him. Who was this boy and what did he know? He had to talk to him. He had to know how he met Buffy Summers, now.

Robin looked up, the door where he just left through was still swinging. He ran after it, catching it before it closed and rushing into the hall after the boy. James was still there. "hey, wait a minute" Robin called after him and trotted over. "what is it?" James asked. Robin waved the notebook in his hands, "this". 'oh, nothing. I must have dropped it. Thank you" James replied. He reached his hand to grab it, but Robin swung it away, out from his reach. "what are all these drawings?" Wood asked again. James backed a step, "did you look at them?" he asked.

Robin sighed, "yes, and I need you to tell me what they are".

"those drawings are private" James declared defensively. "where did you see them?" Robin asked. Offended, James frowned, "I didn't see them anywhere, I drew them on my own!". Robin shook his head, "that's not what I meant." He turned the moleskin to the page of Buffy Summers. "who is she?" he asked.

"nobody! I made her up. I'm not a stalker" James said. "come with me, please" Robin took his hand and lead James to the nearest men's bathroom. "no, James, she's real" Wood said, "and I know her. where did you see her?"

"I must have-" James began, but Robin cut him off, flipping the page and showing the Uber-vamp. "James, you have to tell me!" he snapped. James didn't answer, Robin noticed he was on the verge of tears. Wood sighed again, softening up. He knelt down and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "look, I need you to be honest here, I won't involve the principle. But this is serious".

James looked around nervously. But after a moment, he took a deep breath. "I really don't know who she is. I just draw what I see"

"ok, good. Can you answer some more questions?" Wood smiled. James nodded. "how do you see these things?"

"in my dreams. They don't go away until I finish drawing them."

"when did it start?"

"about two years ago. I don't want to tell my mom because-" James huffed.

"hey, its ok. It's not bad. How about you go to your lesson, and we'll talk later?" Robin said softly. James nodded again, and then took the notebook turned his back. Just before he left, James turned around and asked, "its not my fault, right?".

"no, not at all" Robin replied. Than James left him in the room, pondering. The boy was powerful, Robin lived among these stuffs enough time to know. he was just a kid, but nevertheless Robin wanted him on his side. He found it was younger people who adapted easier to the whole game. James needed help, it was clear he hasn't got any. Robin, too needed help. He could see them working together.

Robin entered the faculty room for the first time and immediately began assessing the situation. This was a harder task than it seemed, as Wood didn't only have to determine friends from enemy, but also calculate the level of knowledge in the room. Who knew what, who could help him. Robin didn't know anything about Cleveland's unnatural life and had to find someone who did. He needed connections fast, needed to get in the game as soon as possible.

The room was exerted with movement, being the lunch break. Teachers crowded around round tables, already deep in conversation. A line was gathering behind the coffee maker. Robin chose to sit between two men and in front of a woman he recognized as the guidance counsellor, Grace.

"Morning. Robin, right?" She asked as Robin took out his own box of potato salad and nodded, "how was your first day?"

Robin laughed, "are there really 355 more of these?" he said, jokingly.

"aww, don't worry. You've got sick days plus spring break. You'll be fine like the rest of us".

Yeah, sure. Holidays Wood will be spending with a stake in one hand and a stack on to-be-graded papers in the other.

"no, it was great really"

"Grace told me, you teach history?" Said the man to his right and thrust his hand for Robin to shake, "me, too. Professor Russell Galas" Robin took the gesture with a smile.

"actually, Robin, I heard you were a homeroom teacher as well now" Grace said, "which class?"

Robin chuckled, "the special class" he said sarcastically.

Grace and Russell froze. "what?" Wood asked.

"nothing. Just, the special class?" Grace asked.

At Robin's confused expression, Russell said, "last year, and the year before that, the homeroom teachers went missing. I thought they closed that class".

Robin wasn't surprised, though he acted an expression. "that explains why I got the job so easily" he said.

"no one told you?" Russel asked. "Mr. Shakes may have implied it" Robin said.

The table fell into an awkward silence, until, unexpectedly, the third man in the table burst into a wild laughter. Other teachers looked over from their tables. "Wilson?" Grace asked. "oh, I'm sorry. Just, the look on your face!" Wilson roared, "I can't keep it in!"

"Wilson?" Grace repeated, slightly concerned.

"I better go- got a class to teach" Wilson abruptly got up.

"what's his deal?" Robin asked, confused.

"literature teacher" Russel replied.

"don't pay attention to him-" Grace said, "he's nice, but just a little strange"

And with that, Robin retreated into his food while Grace and Russel talked.

"so, what else goes on in this town?" Robin asked. Russell cut Grace off and gave a bewildered expression. "what do you mean by that?" He said.

"what happens around here, anything strange?" Robin felt he couldn't be more obvious.

"as in, crime?" Grace asked. Robin sighed in frustration. "sure. Think that" he said. "well, it's a pretty quiet part of town. What else do you want to know?" Grace asked.

"never mind" Robin said.