Chapter 9: School Hard
"A lot of educators tell students: 'think of your principal as your "pal".' I say think of me as your judge, jury and executioner." Snyder said. "Tell me, who do you think is the most troublesome student in this school?"
Sheila studies Snyder, pops her gum, and jerks her head to the right, indicating Paige and Buffy whom are sitting next to her.
Snyder smiles at the girls. "Well, it is quite a match between you three." He opens three thick files on his desk. "On the one hand, Buffy and Paige haven't stabbed a horticulture teacher with a trowel, yet."
"I never stabbed anyone with a trowel!" Sheila stabs the file in front of Snyder with her finger, he involuntarily edges back. "It was pruning shears. It should say pruning shears."
"On the other hand, Sheila's never burned down a school building." Snyder said looking at Buffy and Paige.
"That was never proved… the fire marshal said it could have been… mice…" Buffy said as Paige nodded in agreement.
"Mice?" Snyder asked.
"Mice that were smoking?" Paige said.
Snyder looks down at the files, "And the three of you seem to be tied in the class-cutting and fight-starting events. You're really neck and neck here. It's very exciting."
"What does the winner get?" Sheila asked.
"Expelled." Snyder said, matter-of-factly as this registers with Paige and Buffy. Less so with Sheila. "This Thursday is parent teacher night. Your parents –" he looks to Paige and Buffy "– assuming you two have any - will meet your teachers –" he looks to Sheila "– assuming you have any left. I have decided to put you three in charge of this event. You have three days to prepare the refreshments, make the banners, and transform the school lounge into a habitable place for adults. This will incur my goodwill, and may even affect what I tell your parents when I meet them. Are we clear?"
"We're clear." Buffy and Paige said.
"Don't you feel clear?" Buffy asked Sheila. She turned back to Snyder. "We're very clear."
"Good. Because you mess up this time, and your parents will be coming to clean out your lockers." Snyder said.
Later after school Paige and Buffy walks with Sheila as Dawn, Xander and Willow approach.
"It really shouldn't be that hard. We'll work on banners tomorrow at lunch and we can figure out refreshments then." Buffy said.
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Sheila calls out to an older, slovenly, tattooed guy. "Hey, Meatpie! Wait up!" And she's off, Xander and Willow watching her go.
"Heard Snyder's got you guys making party favors." Xander said.
Paige sighed, "Yeah, his three worst students. When our Mom looks at me and Buffy, that's what she sees. A Sheila. These days Dawn is her favorite."
"Sheila's definitely intense. That guy with her? That's the one she CAN bring home to her mother." Xander said.
"She smoked when we were in fifth grade. Once I was lookout for her." Willow said.
Xander smiled at Willow, "You're bad to the bone."
"I'm a rebel." Willow said, excitedly.
Buffy shook her head, "It's just not fair. I'm the Slayer, and Paige is a witch, which requires a certain amount of fighting and cutting. What's Sheila's excuse?"
"Homework. She won't do it. And most of the teachers respect that now. You'll probably want to keep her away from sharp implements while you're working." Xander said.
"Do you think any of the other Slayers ever had to go to high school?" Buffy asked.
"Hey, it's no biggie. You and Paige will put on a nice little affair. The parents'll love it. As long as nothing really bad comes along between now and then, you'll both be fine."
All four girls turn on him, appalled.
"Are you nuts? What'd you say that for? Now something bad is gonna happen!" Paige said.
"What do you mean? Nothing is gonna happen!" Xander said.
"Not until some dummy says 'As long as nothing bad happens…'" Dawn said.
Buffy nodded, "That's like the ultimate jinx!"
"What were you thinking? Or were you even thinking?" Willow said.
"Well, you don't know. Maybe this time is different." Xander said, defensively.
That evening at the Summers' house in Buffy and Paige's room.
"Ow!" Buffy said.
Buffy and Paige's dressed for bed as Paige brushes tangles out of Buffy's hair. Joyce appears in the doorway.
"What's wrong?" Joyce asked.
"I'm trying to be careful." Paige said.
"I spent half my allowance on that new cream rinse and it's neither creamy nor rinsey." Buffy said.
Paige rolled her eyes, "I told her it was a bad idea to buy that stuff."
"Life is hard, dear." Joyce said.
"Don't I know it. Look at these split ends!" Buffy said.
"I got the mail." Joyce said.
"Oh good," Paige said looking at her sister.
"Which included a reminder notice about parent teacher night Thursday." Joyce said.
"Oh less good." Buffy said looking over her shoulder at Paige.
"Which Dawn told me about two weeks ago." Joyce said. "But neither of you mentioned it. Were you two planning on telling me about it…?"
"For the last two weeks. We've been working up our nerve." Paige said.
"Uh huh. So what do you think your teachers will tell me about you two?" Joyce asked.
"Well… I… think they'd all agree we always bring a pen to class, ready to absorb the knowledge." Buffy said.
"And this absorption rate, how is it reflected in your homework and test scores?" Joyce asked.
Paige smiled, innocently, "What can you really tell about a person from a test score?"
"Whether or not they're ever going out with their friends again." Joyce said.
"Oh that." Buffy said with a sigh.
Joyce nodded, "What about your principal?"
"He put us in charge of the banners and refreshments for the whole evening. If that's not a sign of respect I don't know what is." Paige said, though she knew Snyder didn't respect her or Buffy in the least.
"I look forward to meeting him." Joyce said.
"Won't that be something," Buffy said.
"Look, sweetheart, life is more than grades and test scores and not getting kicked out of school." Joyce said.
"You are so right." Paige said.
Joyce nodded, "But we moved once because of you two getting in trouble. And I had to start a new business - not to mention a new life - in a whole new town."
"And you don't want to do that again." Buffy said.
Joyce smiled, "What I don't want is to be disappointed in you two again."
"Mom, believe me, that's the last thing Buffy or I want, too. We're trying; we've just got a lot of… pressure right now." Paige said.
"Wait till you have a job." Joyce gives Buffy and then Paige a little kiss on the head. "Sleep tight." She heads back out the door.
Paige tries one more tangle of Buffy's hair, tugs and then opens a drawer to drop the brush in, sees the vampire stake in the drawer.
"We have a job." Paige and Buffy said.
The next morning in the student lounge Buffy and Paige have a couple big banners laid out over two long tables. Willow is helping Buffy paint "WELCOME PARENTS" on it. Xander is helping Paige paint "PARENT TEACHER NIGHT" on the other banner. Dawn sits in a chair reading.
"Sheila's a no show?" Willow asked as the sisters nod. "She goes to this really rank bar, the Fish Tank, sometimes they have raids and… other things that could make you tardy."
"Can you help me cram some French tonight? I don't want Mr. DeJean telling my mother I'm an imbecile!"
"I thought we were going to the Bronze tonight. 'Cause of how you thought Angel might show." Willow said.
"If he does he'll meet some other nice girl. Studying comes first." Xander said.
"We're going to the Bronze. Buffy and I can study and party and do parent teacher night and make our mother proud as long as we don't have to…" Paige said as she sees Giles and Jenny coming; and she deflates "…fight vampires."
"There's nothing in the Chronicles about an extraneous lunar cycle." Giles said.
"The Order never accurately calculated the Mesopotamian calendar! Rupert, you have to read something that was published AFTER 1066." Jenny said, shaking her head.
"What's the up, guys?" Xander asked.
"I don't suppose this is something about happy squirrels?" Buffy asked, knowing it wasn't.
"Vampires," Giles said.
Buffy looked to Paige and sighed, "That was my next guess."
"Ms. Calendar has been researching - surfing on her computer. According to her calendar, this Saturday is the Night of Saint Vigeous." Giles said.
"Lemme guess. He didn't make balloon animals." Paige said.
Dawn rolled her eyes, "Let me see if I remember this right. He led a crusade. Of vampires. They swept through Edessa, Harran, and points east. They didn't leave much behind."
"That's the essentials, yes." Giles looked to Dawn. He was always proud of her at how much she knew.
"So Saturday's kind of a big doo for bloodsuckers." Xander said.
"It's a Holy Night of Attack. They'll come in numbers." Jenny said.
"If Buffy and I survive parent teacher night tomorrow…" Paige nods at banner. "…We'll see what we can do about Saturday."
"You're being a tad flip, don't you think? This is serious." Giles said.
"And being kicked out of school is laughs aplenty?" Buffy said.
"You know what happens when you two let your life interfere with your slaying." Giles said.
"Yes, we found that out the last time Buffy had a date, back in the Restoration era." Paige said. "But Xander and I have been making it work. Except when I was denying the grief I felt."
"And I still love you," Xander said.
"You both just need to keep the two things separate." Giles said.
"Yes, well, if our slaying doesn't get us expelled, I promise our banner making won't get us killed. Just let us get through the week." Buffy said.
"Saturday will require a great deal of preparation." Giles said.
"Well, we'll help." Willow said.
"Yeah! I can whittle stakes!" Xander said.
"And Willow and I can research." Dawn said.
"While I'm whittling, I plan to whistle a jaunty tune." Xander said.
Giles nodded, "Your help will be appreciated. But when it comes to battle, Buffy and Paige must be prepared to fight alone. You are, after all, a slay-" He sees Snyder approaching, quickly adjusts: "slay…ve. Slave. You're all slaves to the… television. You young people nowadays. Goodbye." He and Jenny take off.
Snyder turns to Dawn, Xander and Willow. "You wouldn't be helping Buffy and Paige in Sheila's place would you?"
Xander hides the brush behind back, "No."
"We're hindering." Willow said.
Dawn nodded, "I'm just sitting here reading."
"She ditched. Mmm-mmmm, I feel an expulsion coming on." Snyder said.
Buffy looked to Paige, "She's been helping for hours. She's just out getting more paint…" She and Paige follows Snyder's gaze to the door as Sheila stumbles through in last night's party dress, dark glasses: Marilyn Monroe after a hard night Kennedying. Buffy rushes to Sheila, guides her to Xander and Paige's banner, "No more teal in the art room? I know you wanted it to be perfect, but let's just keep going with the green." She plops (Xander's) brush in Sheila's hand.
"Just make sure everything is perfect on Thursday." Snyder said as he goes off towards his office.
"Thanks for covering. Guy's a serious rodent." Sheila said.
"No problem." Paige said.
"Did you two really burn down school property one time?" Sheila asked.
"Well, not actually ONE time…" Buffy said.
"Cool." Sheila said, smiling.
"But we didn't feel good about it or anything. I mean, we don't condone… So. We're gonna Bronze it tonight, if you wanted to come." Paige said.
"I can't go there. You threaten one bartender with a broken bottle and they like ban you for life." Sheila snorts.
"Ahhh." Buffy and Paige said.
That evening Paige, Buffy and Willow sat a table at the Bronze.
Buffy thinks hard, composing a sentence. Willow's got a French book. "La vache doit me touche de la jeudi." Willow and Paige shook their heads. "Is that wrong? Should I use the plural?"
"No, but… you just said that 'the cow should touch me from Thursday'." Willow said.
Buffy sighed, "Well, maybe that's what I was feeling."
"And you said it wrong." Paige said. Like their baby sister Paige seemed to have a talent for languages, though not to the level Dawn had. Dawn could read and speak two languages and was starting on her third with Giles who was teaching her Sumerian.
"Oh. Je stink." Buffy said.
Willow nodded, "You're just not focused. It's Angel missage."
"Well he didn't say for sure, it was a maybe see you there kind of deal." Buffy said.
Xander comes off the dance floor. "Guys! I'm all alone out there! Somebody has to dance with me." He looked to Paige.
"Well, we are studying…" Willow replied holding up the book.
"Come on, Paige, one dance! You've been studying with Willow and Buffy for nearly twelve minutes!"
"No wonder my brain is fried." Buffy said.
They get up, hitting the floor as a fairly rocking song begins. The four of them dance together, Buffy occasionally repeating French phrases to herself.
"Where's a phone. I need to call the police. There's some big guy out back trying to bite someone."
Buffy and Paige look at each other and then they are gone in a flash.
Out back in the alley a girl backs away from a vampire. He gets his huge hand around her neck, closes in for a kill as Buffy slams down on his wrists breaking his hold.
"Slayer."
"Slay-ee." Buffy and Paige said smiling.
Buffy spin kicks him in the head. He takes it well, grabs her and hurls her against a wall. He charges, she ducks, pivots under his arm and away. Buffy, Paige and the vamp trade punches as Willow and Xander race out the back door.
"Get her out of here!" Paige said.
Buffy ducks a punch, kicks as Willow grabs the girl. Paige pulls out a stake.
Xander races back inside on the heels of Willow and the freaked girl.
The vamp swings and connects. Buffy and Paige go down. He looms over them. "I don't need to wait for Saint Vigeous. You're mine!" He comes at them, but Paige knocks him back.
Willow and Xander come running back out as Buffy and Paige stand back up.
"Spike, give me a hand."
Xander and Willow look around the dark alley: who's he talking to?
Paige sinks the stake into the vamp and he explodes into dust.
Spike applauds slowly, steps out of the darkness. Right next to Willow and Xander who both jump. "Nice work."
"Who are you?" Buffy asked.
"You'll find out on Saturday." Spike said, smiling.
"What happens on Saturday?" Paige asked.
"I kill the both of you." Spike smiles, slides back into the shadows and is gone.
Xander and Willow are wigged. So is Buffy and Paige.
Later at the library vamp books and diaries are laid out on the table. The gang is assembled: Dawn, Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and Jenny who is dragging a staggering amount of weaponry out of the book cage.
"Spike…" Giles said, "…that's what the other vampire called him?" Buffy and Paige nodded. "Sounds a little unorthodox."
"Maybe he's reform." Buffy said.
Giles thumbs through the diaries, "He may have gone by a different name in times past…"
"Whoever he is, we'll need all the help we can get come this Saturday." Jenny said.
Xander eyes 'The Attack of Saint Vigeous' engravings in one of the books. "This Night of Saint Vigeous deal, if they're gonna attack in force shouldn't we be thinkin': vacation?"
"We can't run, that would be wrong. Could we hide? I mean if that Spike Guy is leading the attack…" Willow shudders loudly. "…sorry, was that audible?"
"I'm sure he's no worse than any other creature you two have faced –" Giles said looking at Buffy and Paige.
"He's worse."
Angel is suddenly standing inside the doorway. Xander jumps.
"Angel." Buffy smiled.
"You know him?" Giles asked looking at Angel.
Instead of answering that directly, Angel said to Buffy. "Once he starts something he doesn't stop, until everything in his path is dead. Stay away."
"So he's thorough, goal oriented… okay, someone else lighten the mood." Xander said a little frightened.
"We were at the Bronze before. I thought you said you might show." Buffy said.
Paige and Dawn looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Talk about one track mind.
Angel shook his head, "You said you weren't sure if you were going."
"I was being cool. You been dating for what, two hundred years, you don't know what a girl means when she says maybe she'll show? Work with me here." Buffy said.
Angel gives Buffy a small smile.
"Wow, two centuries of dating. If you only had two a year that'd still be like four hundred dates with four hundred different–" Willow said before suddenly becoming interested in the weapons. "—why do they call it a mace?"
"Yes, well we've slightly more urgent things to discuss." Giles said.
Buffy turned away from Angel, "Like keeping our mom away from Principal Snyder tomorrow night."
"And not dying Saturday." Jenny said.
"Angel, do you know if this Spike fellow has any other names?" Giles looked up from the diaries. Angel is gone. They all look around.
"That's it, I'm puttin' a collar with a little bell on that guy." Xander said.
The next evening it is hectic in the library. Cordelia and Xander are sharpening stakes, Jenny and Willow sight arrows, tightening screws on the crossbow and other weapons. Paige and Buffy are in frantic preparation: chopping vegetables. They're laying out an impressive platter of crudités. They both have nice I'm-a-model-student dresses on.
"Do you think Sheila will show?" Sheila asked.
"I doubt it. She doesn't seem to care about getting kicked out – about anything. I sort of envy that." Buffy said.
"I don't think she's very happy." Willow said in agreement.
Giles and Dawn comes up to them books in hand. "For three nights the unholy ones scourge themselves into a fury, culminating in a savage attack on the Night of Saint Vigeous." Giles said.
"Anyone still remember when Saturday night meant date night?" Xander asked.
"You sure don't." Cordelia said witheringly.
Paige glances at a clock, "The parents start arriving in an hour. Okay, banners are in place, the lounge is comfy, what are we forgetting…?"
"Punch?" Willow asked.
Buffy nodded, "Punch! We need punch."
"The important thing in punch is the ratio of Vodka to Schnapps." Xander said as everyone stares at him. "That was obviously far too sophisticated a joke for this crowd."
Cordelia drops a stake, exhausted. "My fingers are cramping, how long have I been doing this?"
"Three minutes." Xander said.
"So can I go now? They're not gonna need that many stakes, I mean if this Spike guy's as mean as you all said, it should be over pretty fast." Cordelia said. "We're still rooting for you two Saturday. I'd be there myself but I've got a leg wax."
Paige and Buffy are up and on their way out. "You guys hold the fort. We're punch bound." Paige said as they head out the door.
Xander and Cordelia reach for some of the food Buffy has prepared.
Paige pokes her head back through the door, "No!"
Later in the student lounge, it looks clean. Extra chairs lined up. Pretty, freshly painted banners hung. Refreshments laid out. Willow joins Paige and Buffy, Buffy stirs the punch up.
"What kind of punch did you make?" Willow asked.
"Lemonade." Buffy said.
Willow takes a cup, pleased.
"We made it fresh and everything." Paige said, smiling.
"How much sugar did you two use?" Willow asked.
"Sugar?" Buffy said, worried.
"I knew there was something I forgot." Paige said.
Willow takes a sip. The catastrophic face she makes indicates a total lack of sugar. "It's very good…" She puts the cup down, still face making.
"Now if we can just keep our mother and Snyder from crossing paths for the next three hours…" Buffy said.
Willow sees Joyce walk through the doors behind Paige and Buffy, "Hi Mrs. Summers."
"Hi Willow." Joyce said. "Hi honeys. Did you both do all this?"
"We did. How 'bout some lemonade –" Paige said.
Behind Joyce, Buffy sees Snyder heading down the hall towards them.
"— after Willow shows you the library." Buffy said steering them away from Snyder. "We have to stay here and hostess."
"Yeah, the library - no, because Giles and everyone…" Willow said.
Paige nodded as she steered Joyce and Willow down another hall. "…are locked inside studying. French class it is."
Willow disappears with Joyce as Snyder walks up.
"Was that your mother?" Snyder asked the sisters.
"Oh hi. Yeah, we wanted to introduce you. She wouldn't have said too much, she doesn't speak a word of English." Buffy said.
Snyder gives the sisters a look, moves off to greet some parents, Buffy looks up at the clock on the wall it reads: 6:14
Later that evening at 8:45. Parents and teachers mingle. Dawn, Paige and Buffy stand near the refreshments keeping a wary eye out for their mother and Snyder.
Cordelia walks up, fuming. "Giles has us locked in that library working on your weapons. Even slaves get minimum wage." She stares at Buffy's skin.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"You're starting to look pretty slagged. What are you, just skipping foundation entirely now?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordelia, We have at least three lives to contend with and none of them really mesh. It's like oil and water and… a third unmeshable thing." Paige said in defense of her sister.
Cordelia nodded, "Yeah. And I can see the oil." She sees Willow and Joyce approaching. "Is that your mom? Now that's a woman who knows how to moisturize. Did it like skip a generation?"
"Well I believe I've seen every classroom on campus. And in each one your teachers had miraculously just stepped out." Joyce said.
Buffy shoots Willow a discreet thumbs up, she sees Snyder heading their way. "But you didn't see the boiler room. And that's really interesting because of the boiler being right there in the room and all –"
Joyce ignores Buffy's efforts and offers her hand to Snyder. "Hello. I'm Joyce Summers, Buffy, Paige and Dawn's mother.
"Principal Snyder. I'm afraid we need to talk. My office is down here." Snyder said.
Paige and Buffy deflates as they walk away.
"He didn't look very happy." Paige said and both of her sisters had to nod in agreement.
"When they're done talking…" Cordelia said.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"My guess? Tenth high school reunion? You two will still be grounded." Cordelia said looking to Paige and Buffy.
"Cordelia… have some punch." Willow said.
Later Willow and Dawn tries to console Buffy and Paige as Snyder and Joyce return. Neither Paige nor Buffy has to ask: Joyce looks at the sisters like she wishes Paige and Buffy were never born.
"In the car. Now." Joyce said. "You too, Dawn."
Snyder gives Paige and Buffy a "gotcha" look, starts flicking off hall lights. Paige and Buffy hangs their heads, moves off with her mom. Snyder, by the platform in front of the big picture window, flicks off that light as the huge window shatters and Spike crashes through it.
Pandemonium erupts, Snyder and others scream and run. Only Buffy, Paige and Dawn stand still as Spike locks eyes with them way across the room.
"What can I say? I couldn't wait." Spike said. He makes a beeline for the sisters. Buffy grabs a chair, swings it in a 360 and lets fly. It hits him solid in the head, knocking him back.
"Run!" Buffy, Paige and Dawn all but yell.
Buffy and Paige grab Joyce, drag her toward an exit. Where a vamp is blocking it. They pivot back toward the hall.
"They've got the exits, this way! Everybody, this way!" Paige said as they hustle their mother, Snyder, a parent, the two teachers and a student down the north hall towards the library.
Giles, Xander and Jenny fly out of the library doors, see them coming.
"It's Spike and a small army! Look out!" Paige shouts.
A vampire rounds the corner.
Buffy spots two more vampires closing from the hall that leads back toward the lounge. She, Paige and Dawn hustle their charges into the science classroom.
"In here! Go, go!" Buffy said.
Giles, Jenny and Xander hightail it back into the library, as a vampire pounds on the door.
Buffy locks the door behind her just as Snyder gets through the door of the science classroom.
"Barricade –" Dawn said.
Joyce and the others slide desks and cabinets in front of the door as Buffy, Paige and Dawn vault across the room and lock the door at the opposite end of the room. That's when the lights go out.
"Oh my god!" Snyder said.
Buffy, Paige and Dawn stands next to their mom, thinking hard about their next move. Snyder is losing his nerve. The two teachers, the parent and the student are freaked. They hear the vampires hurl their shoulders into the doors.
"Who are these people, what do they want?"
"I didn't get much of a look but, is there something wrong with their faces?" Joyce asked.
"Yes!" Snyder said as the sisters look at him. "P.C.P. It's a gang on P.C.P.! We've got to get out of here." He climbs up on a chair, claws at the metal slats on the windows.
Buffy moves to Snyder. Speaks softly but firmly. "You can't go outside. They'll kill you."
"YOU DON'T TELL ME, I TELL YOU!" Snyder yells at Buffy.
Buffy pulls him off the chair. Gets in his face. Never loses her cool: "They will kill everyone in this room. Nobody goes out. Nobody comes in. Until I say so. Do you read me?"
It's clear to everyone in the room that she knows what she's talking about. Snyder is not about to admit it. "Who do you think you are?"
"We're the one who knows how to stop them." Paige said as she points to herself and her sisters. She turns to Dawn, "Stay here with Mom. You're the last line of defense if they get in."
Dawn nodded and pats her hidden holster, "Will do."
Paige and Buffy turns to go. Joyce grabs them.
"Paige, Buffy are you two crazy? I know you've both been…" Joyce said. "…accused of fighting and other things but those guys are serious… you can't go out there."
"We know. That's why we're going up there." Buffy points up, puts a foot on a chair and jumps. She moves the ceiling tile aside, climbs into the cramped space above.
Paige jumps up and climbs up after Buffy. She looks back down. "Don't worry, Mom." They move out of sight of everyone in the classroom and then Paige grabs hold of Buffy and they orb into the library.
In the library Giles pockets several stakes, hefts a stabbing axe as he heads to the doors and peers through a piece of the little round window. He starts to pull a cabinet back from in front of the doors.
"What are you doing? There's at least three vampires in that hall and god knows how many others in the building." Jenny said.
"I'm the Watcher, I'm responsible for them, I have to go." Giles said.
Jenny puts her hand on his arm. "Be careful."
Giles looks at her hand for a beat, emotions churning, then grabs the cabinet. "Push them back the minute I'm –" Buffy and Paige orb in. "Buffy! Paige! You both are all right."
"How are the others?" Jenny asked.
Buffy is already loading her book bag with a throwing ax, stakes, etc. "Snyder, Dawn, our mom, and four others are locked in the science room across the hall. Cordelia and Willow ran the other way, I don't know if they're… where's Xander?"
"He got out through the stacks. He's getting Angel." Giles said.
"Good. After we take out the vamps in the hall you two can get Dawn, our mom and the others out that way, too." Paige said.
Buffy grabs the pack.
"I should go with you two and fight." Giles said.
"Giles, Dawn and our mother is in that classroom. While we know Dawn can protect herself since she has her wand. We would still feel better that should something happen and we don't make it, we know you'll make sure they do." Buffy said.
Giles nodded, "Bloody well right I will. What's your plan?"
"They split up to hold us here. So we can take 'em one on one. Set 'em up, knock 'em down." Buffy said.
Giles nodded, "Watch your backs…"
Paige and Buffy orb out.
In the science classroom Snyder paces, growing more feverish by the moment. The others look pretty freaked. Vampires outside are still pounding on the doors. Joyce and Dawn are trying to calm Snyder.
"Why don't you sit down…" Joyce said.
Snyder looks at Joyce with wild eyes. "This is my school. What I say goes. And I say this isn't happening."
"Well then I guess the danger is over." Dawn said sarcastically.
"I'm not waiting for them to break down the doors. I'm getting out." The parent said.
"Don't be an idiot!" Joyce replied.
"I'm beginning to see a certain mother-daughter resemblance." Snyder said.
Joyce nodded, "Oh yeah."
Snyder climbs up on a chair, starts pulling like crazy at the metal bands that covering the high windows.
"No! You heard what Buffy and Paige said –" Dawn said.
"She's a student, what does she know?" Snyder climbs up next to the parent, starts helping him yank on the metal.
A vampire outside hurls his shoulder against the door again. Moment later he starts chopping into the door with an ax.
Everyone except Dawn reacts to the new assault. Dawn distractedly keeps patting her hidden wand holster. The parent and Snyder have one metal band peeled off and now they get a second one. Just enough room to crawl out of the high window.
"I did it!" Snyder tries to get out. The parent pushes him aside - every man for himself - and lunges through first. He's a big guy, trying to squeeze himself through the little opening.
And suddenly the parent gets a big boost - from outside! "He's got me! Help! Help!"
And WHOOSH! he's gone. Right out the window. His horrible screams quickly fade to silence. Snyder jumps down, backing away as Joyce climbs up, pounds the metal back in place.
Buffy and Paige orb in behind the vampire that is taking an ax to the door. Buffy stakes him quicker and quieter than you can say WHOOSH! The sister then move to the door, their mother and Dawn see them through one of the ax holes.
"Buffy! Paige! Are you okay?" Joyce asked.
Buffy nodded as she spoke in a sotto voice, "We're fine, Mom."
"Paige, Buffy, get out of here! We'll be okay." Joyce said.
"Just hang on for one more minute, till we tell you to open the door." Paige said.
Buffy and Paige peers around the corner, looks down the hall. Another vampire is dutifully standing guard at the other door. They step back from the corner. They each select a sharp stake for his demise. They sense someone behind them and spins. It's Sheila, who's just come in from the outside door.
"Sheila! Where've you -?" Buffy asked.
"Sorry I'm late. There's some pretty weird guys outside…" Sheila said.
Paige nodded, "They're trying to kill us."
Sheila picks up fire ax. "This should be fun."
Paige and Buffy smiled as they turns away to look and Sheila stares at them with deadly contempt.
"Stay behind me." Buffy said as she and Paige snuck around the corner. Sheila dutifully close behind, ax at the ready. They see the vampire has his back to them. Buffy raises her stake to hurl, taking careful aim.
Sheila raises her ax high over her own shoulder. Aiming it at the back of Buffy's head.
"Paige! Buffy! Look out –" Giles calls out from the library window.
Sheila chops down. Buffy spins, grabs the ax handle under the blade stopping it inches from her pretty head.
The other vampire sees them now, runs full tilt for them.
Buffy pivots the ax head into Sheila's jaw. She goes down. Buffy spins, swinging the ax. The vampire ducks. The fire ax slices over his head, imbeds in the wall. He comes back up. Looking cocky. Until he looks down. Paige has already staked him and he explodes in dust.
Paige and Buffy turns to Sheila who growls and backs away, pure animal now. Buffy flips the stake in her hand and throws it dusting Sheila before she reaches the doors.
"Mom! Now!" Paige said.
Joyce unlocks and opens the axed door as Giles and Jenny open the library doors. Paige and Buffy ushers Dawn, Joyce, Snyder and the others into Giles' care.
"Get them out." Buffy said to Giles.
"You two are coming, too." Joyce said.
"In a minute. Go!" Paige said.
Snyder doesn't need any coaching. He bumps a woman teacher out of his way, makes a beeline for the library. The others follow, Giles and Jenny helping them to safety.
"Right through the back…" Giles said.
Dawn and Joyce hang back, watching for different reasons as Buffy and Paige head down the hall toward the lounge. They enter the lounge and spot Spike with his back towards them.
"Fe fi fo fum. I smell the blood of two nice ripe girls." Spike said as he turns to face them.
"Do we really need weapons for this?" Buffy asked.
"I just like 'em. Make me feel all manly." Spike said before he drops his and Buffy and Paige drop theirs. "The last Slayer I killed, she begged for her life. I don't see you as the begging kind."
"You shouldn't have come here." Paige said.
"Yeah, I messed up your doilies and stuff. But I just got so bored! Tell you what. As a personal favor from me to the two of you. I'll make it quick. It won't hurt a bit." Spike said.
"Wrong. It's gonna hurt a lot." Buffy said.
A moment's hesitation crosses his face, and he hurls himself at Buffy and Paige. Fast. And the punches fly, fast and furious. The three of them go full tilt. All three of them are getting winded, Spike is starting to give just a little better than he's getting.
Spike closes in with a vicious combination of punches and kicks as he knocks Paige across the room. Paige lays their unconscious. Buffy pretends like the last kick hurt more than it did. He goes for the big k.o on her too. She perks up and moves out of the way causing Spike's hand to go right through the wall. Buffy locks her hands and hammers him on the back of the neck.
"Now that hurt." Spike said.
"I'd hope so." Buffy said. "You better hope my sister is not seriously hurt."
Spike rips his hand out of the wall - bringing a broken two by four stud with it. "Not as much as this will."
Wallops Buffy with the stud. Buffy goes down. Winded, nowhere to turn. She looks up at Spike, standing over her victorious.
He raises the stud over his head. He's going to bash her brains in. As he's about to do just that he is hit in the head by Joyce! Wielding the blunt edge of the fire ax. Spike flies back - hits the ground hard. Totally blindsided.
Joyce is deep in a mother's rage. "You get the hell away from my daughters!"
Spike glances out the broken window:
Buffy gets to her feet as Dawn helps Paige to stand. Paige and Buffy are ready for blood. They stand next to their mother whose hands grip the ax:
Spike knows it's time to run and fight another day. "Women." And he leaps out the window and disappears into the night.
Buffy and Paige turn to Joyce and Dawn. They're all breathing hard. Physically and emotionally drained.
"Mom… you…" Buffy said.
Joyce nodded, "No one… lays a finger… on my little girls."
And Joyce drops the ax. And Buffy, Paige and Dawn falls into her arms.
Later that night outside there is cop cars, cops, flashing bubble lights and a coroner's wagon.
Buffy, Paige, Dawn and Joyce walk to their car together.
"So, uh… what did you and principal Snyder talk about anyway?" Buffy asked.
"Principal Snyder told me you and Paige were troublemakers. And I could care less." Joyce said as she turned to her daughters. "I have three daughters who can take care of themselves. Who's brave and resourceful and thinks of others when there's a crisis." She doesn't mention it but she heard what Paige had told Dawn in the science classroom and knows that if Paige trusts Dawn that much to take care of her that Dawn must be able to take care of herself also. "No matter who you three hang out with or what dumb teenage stuff you all think you have to do, I'm gonna sleep better knowing all that."
Needless to say, a moment passes between them. They start toward the car again.
"About how long till this wears off and you start ragging us again?" Paige asked as Dawn smiled.
"At LEAST a week and a half." Joyce said smiling.
"That is so cool…" Buffy, Paige and Dawn said.
Author's Note: As I mentioned in the last chapter I bought several novelizations of episodes of BTVS. I have edited the chapters Angel and I Robot You Jane adding in some of the stuff the scripts again doesn't go into detail on.
