"It doesn't look evil," Micah said, tilting her head to look at the rather aesthetically pleasing campus.
"Trust me, it is," Buffy said. "It tried to kill me for three years."
"We'll be okay, Buffy," Dawn said with infinite patience. "I promised to take care of Micah, remember?"
"Right, because I need Auntie Dawn to baby-sit me," Micah muttered. Buffy gave her daughter a look. She was starting to sound disturbingly like Dawn. It was amazing how quickly they adapted.
"Hey, lose the 'auntie' junk," Dawn said. "It makes me sound all doilies and blue hair. I'm less than a year older than you."
"Okay, enough already," Buffy said as they passed under the archway entrance. "Let's just get this over with."
"Tough to let them go, huh?"
Buffy swung around sharply at the voice behind her. "What?" she asked ingeniously, staring at the tall, attractive African-American man standing a few paces away.
"Robin Wood," he introduced, presenting his hand. "I'm the new principle"
Buffy shook his hand warmly. "Buffy Summers. This is Dawn and Micah."
"Hi," Dawn gave a little wave but Micah simply stared with her eerie, luminescent eyes.
"Nice to meet you," Wood said, nodding at the girls.
"So you're the new principle," Buffy mused, looking him up and down. "I expected you to be more…aged."
"Huh. You seem a bit young to have such grown-up daughters," Wood retorted.
"Um, I'm sister," Dawn said, holding up her hand. She pointed at Micah. "She's the daughter."
Buffy was glad for Dawn's interruption because being called young threw her. She had raised Micah since the Fey was a toddler.
Wood looked from Dawn to Micah curiously. "How does that work out?"
"I'm adopted," Micah said challengingly, as if daring Wood to disparage her for that fact.
"Oh, right. Of course." Wood nodded. "I actually have heard of you, Mrs. Summers. You graduated from the old high school, am I right?"
"Feels like forever ago," Buffy said dryly.
"Well, I'd better get back to work. You have fun."
"He's evil," Micah growled as she glared at his retreating back.
"Probably only a little," Buffy said.
"Okay. Bye, now!" Dawn said, giving Buffy a little push.
"All right, all right." Buffy hugged Micah quickly and planted a kiss in the Fey child's hair. "Remember, if you see anything strange—"
"Tell Father," Micah said wearily. "We know, Mother."
Buffy heaved a sigh as she watched the two girls hurry across the courtyard, arm in arm. At least Caddie had a few years yet.
*****
Robin Wood heaved a sigh and rubbed his hand over his shaved head. It wasn't even lunch yet and he had the participants of the first fight sitting outside his office. He opened the door and stepped into the hall, looking down at the pair of students seated on the bench.
The boy was slumped with his arms crossed over his chest, already sporting a black eye and swollen lip. Robin turned to the attacker and cocked an eyebrow. Micah Summers sat stiffly on the opposite side of the bench, looking very much like a cat with her fur ruffled. There wasn't a scratch on her.
"Ryan, why don't you go on into my office, please," Robin said. The boy got to his feet and slouched past him into the office. Micah lifted her strange, pale eyes to Robin's face, showing no trace of either apprehension or remorse. "As for you, you're father will deal with you after his class gets out," Robin said firmly, and was satisfied to see a hint of uncertainty enter the girl's face.
Half an hour later, the new world literature teacher stood with Robin in the principle's office while Micah sat in the chair, staring straight ahead.
"What happened, Micah?" Angel Summers asked wearily. He didn't sound in the least surprised, which made Robin very curious.
"He said I was a freak," Micah replied woodenly. "He called me 'fish-eyes' and tried to take my bag." Her gaze flicked up to meet her father's. "He was very immature."
"Micah, you can't go around beating up everyone who makes you mad," Angel said with a sigh. (Angel, Buffy, Micah, Robin though. Odd names must run in the family.)
A tiny furrow creased the skin between her dark eyebrows. "Why not?" she asked.
"Because it's not how things are done here," Angel burst out. He glanced quickly at Robin. "In school," he finished quickly. He put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "You aren't a freak, Mic," he said gently. "You know that. If you meet someone ignorant enough to call you that, well, you know better. You can't let people like Ryan provoke you, all right?"
Micah nodded once, her gaze dropping to her lap. "Are you angry with me?" she whispered. Angel touched her cheek.
"No, I'm not. Everyone makes mistakes, darling. Just don't repeat them, okay?"
"Okay." She hesitated, and then looked up at her father. "May I go now?"
"Yes. Get to class."
Micah hopped up, grabbed her backpack, and glided out the door. Angel sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"She's a very polite girl," Robin said.
"Yes, she is," Angel murmured. "She just has a few…social issues."
"I understand she's adopted?" Robin probed. Angel shot him a shuttered look.
"I don't see how that matters," he said sharply. "Excuse me, but I have to get back to work." He hurried out, leaving Robin feeling even more curious about the Summers family.
