Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the vampire slayer or any of the Songs mentioned in this chap. Joss owns the Bufster and Michael Jackson and C&C Music Factory own the songs.

Sorry for the late update again this became a monster and it took awhile. Hope you like and here's to all the reviews that bring me the oxygen I need.

The Talent Show

Jessica's father began to explain that his and Joyce's relationship was getting very serious and that they will be seeing a lot more of each other all the while smiling at Buffy's indignant glare. She was suppressing a gag reflex as the two began to hold hands in their presence.

"So the two of you are boyfriend and girlfriend," Buffy asks incredulously.

"Well that's a juvenile way of putting it but yes Buffy we are," Joyce answers as she gives her daughter a look that said behave yourself.

Buffy bit into her meal and smiles at the both of them, which made Jessica involuntarily shiver. "Well I'm real happy that my mom has found someone to make her, err, happy," then her smiles disappears and she focuses her attention solely on Joseph Cine. "If you hurt my mother in any way, I will have to seriously injure you despite my friendship with your daughter."

"Buffy!" Joyce squeals in disbelief of her daughter's behavior. Joseph Cine laughs aloud not realizing the genuine threat the petite blonde could be.

"I don't doubt that you will Buffy, but I assure you that my feelings are sincere concerning your mother. I can only hope that with time you will see that and I can gain your trust and respect with my actions," Joseph Cine's words takes the wind out of Buffy's ire as she can see that he was being genuine.

"Well now that we've got that off our chest let's finish eating," Buffy said as she smiles at Jessica.

They all started to eat and talk and laugh, all except Jessica. She was still a bit wary about why her boyfriend Jonathan was present at this meeting and from the look on his cute little face, so was he. Jessica looks at her father several times during the meal questioning him with her eyes but all she got in response was a smile and a wink. The whole situation was making her extremely nervous.

They all finished up there dinner and Joseph bid a goodnight to the Summer's women and they head home. Jonathan starts to leave but Joseph stops him and asks him to stay a little while longer. He then proceeds to lead Jessica and Jonathan to the living room and asks them to take a seat.

Then to Jessica's complete horror, he begins to have the sex talk with them. Jessica starts to hyperventilate and Jonathan turns completely green and red at the same time and starts to sputter out his words.

"Mr. Cine, I assure you that is the last thing on our minds right now. We've just starting dating and are only trying to get to know each other first," Jonathan says in a very high-pitched tone.

However Joseph Cine was not having any of it, knowing what teenage boys thought about twenty-four seven and he sat forward to ask them one small request.

"I'm sure that my daughter's virtue is foremost on your mind Mr. Levinson," he proceeded to give Jonathan a look that said it had better be. "However I was a teenager once and I know how things can get in the heat of the moment. I want you two to promise me something if you wish me to give my permission for this relationship to continue."

Jonathan gulps and Jessica was having serious thoughts on finding a rock, no a big gigantic bolder to crawl under and die.

"What is your request sir?" Jonathan asks.

Joseph Cine then looks at his daughter who was doing a real good impression of a gaping fish and puts his request on the table.

"I want to ask you two to have a certain level of responsibility in your actions. I ask that if this relationship gets beyond the puppy love stage that you would consider waiting for a long while before the two of you become physical with each other," Joseph looks adamantly at the two youth.

"Yes sir, most definitely will wait," Jonathan responds rather quickly.

Joseph smiles and claps his hands together as he gets up to bid Jonathan a good night. "Well now that we've got the more important things out of the way let's call it a night."

Jonathan rises and starts to give Jess a kiss on the cheek but changes his mind at the frown her father gives him. Joseph walks Jonathan to the door, as Jessica seems unable to move, speak, or even think. Joseph returns from bidding Jonathan a good night and sits across from his daughter and smiles.

"That's a nice respectful boy you have there Jessica," he says to his daughter.

He waits for her to respond but Jessica is to shell shocked to say anything to her father at the moment. Therefore, she politely gets up and walks towards the stairs; she turns around slowly to finally say something. She opens her mouth and then closes it; she shakes her head and then proceeds to go far away from her father.

"Goodnight Jessica," Joseph says with a smile in his words and Jessica just continues to shake her head and escape his over protectiveness. She didn't even realize that this whole situation had completely taken her mind off a certain master vampire.

~%~

The next day Jessica gets up extra early for school to avoid her father and his antics. He had totally embarrassed her in front of her friends at dinner. She was sure Buffy would blame her for this new development in their lives and poor Jonathan she could not blame him if he wants to avoid her for several days or months or years.

She went to school an hour early and went to the library, to her surprise Rupert Giles was already there and he was having a complete fit about something or other.

"Bloody dictator, how dare you volunteer me for something as vile as this," Giles paces back and forth talking to himself.

"Giles are you okay, I can come back later if you need to be alone," Jessica laughs.

Giles then turns to her quickly and grabs her arm ignoring her yelp as he drags her to a seat. "You are now my personal assistant for this god awful project, I will not take no for an answer."

"Okay," Jessica raised an eyebrow. "What exactly am I assisting in?"

"The school talent show" Giles says as he blocks her escape route.

"Oh cool I always like watching those," Jessica said oblivious to the fact that she will regret saying those words later.

Several hours later.

Jessica sat beside Giles trying her best not to burst into laughter as Cordelia Chase thoroughly destroys Whitney Houston's I Believe the children are our future. She had a sudden urge to run and bye several earplugs for the remainder of the auditions.

She leans over and whispers to the man next to her who sat in torment. "It will get better Rup, I hope." She squeals as Cordelia screeches out a verse.

"I bloody well hope that it does, and do not call me Rup young lady." He said as he rubbed his temples trying to relieve the headache that was steadily getting worse.

"Thank you Cordelia, that's going to be lovely." Giles lies.

Cordelia looks put out by his interruption. "But I didn't do the part with the sparklers," Giles elbows Jessica in the ribs as she tries horribly to stifle her laughter.

"We'll Uhm," Giles tries to come up with an excuse to get her off the stage. "Save that for the dress rehearsal. Lisa Please," he calls the next girl up and to his horror, she is just as bad with the instrument she starts to play. Giles runs his hands through his hair and glances at Jessica.

"This is utter torture; I never knew that there were so many horridly untalented youth in Sunnydale,"Giles said to a highly amused Jessica.

"Ahhh, it isn't that bad Mr. Giles," She said to him as she patted him on the back. Before he could respond to Jessica's obvious insincerity the trio came to taunt them both.

"If it isn't the great producer and his trusty sidekick," Buffy smiles as she, Xander and Willow sat with Giles and Jessica.

"You had to see this to believe it." Xander said as he ruffles Jessica's hair.

"Hey watch the hair bub," Jessica glares at him and tries to fix her now unkempt hair.

Giles prepared himself for the scathing remarks he knew were coming. "Oh you three," he said without any enthusiasm.

"The school talent show, however did you finagle such a primo assignment?" Buffy looks down at a very irritated Giles.

"Our New Fuhrer, Mr. Snyder." Giles rolls his eyes at the mention of the little troll.

"I think they call them assistant principals now." Willow smirks and glances at Jessica."

"Uh, well he thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but he would have none of it," Giles said.

Buffy's face took on a look of all watchers throughout history as she spoke her next words. "Giles, into every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny."

Giles got rather upset at her mocking and snaps. "If you had a shred of decency, you would have participated or at least um… helped."

"Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role and watch," Buffy said.

"And Mock," Xander said as he shook his head vigorously.

"And laugh," Willow chimes in for effect and Jessica smirks at the utter ribbing the trio was giving Giles.

"Besides you have a hidden talent sitting right beside you, I've seen her at work and she's quite amazing," Buffy winks at Jessica and Jessica's smile completely disappears as Giles starts to smile and plead to her with his eyes.

"Forget it Giles I'm not doing it, nope nada, no, nay, het, nein! And if there is any confusion, those words all mean, no I'm not doing it!" Jessica frowns at the pouting man as the trio laughs.

"Okay, I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles and his apprentice to this business he calls show." Buffy said as the three of them got up and walked right into a weasel. Jessica crosses her arms and smiled in triumph, she knew what was coming and she was going to love every minute of their squirming.

Buffy's smile drops off of her face and she gasps. "Assistant principal Snyder." Willow and Xander both look horrified at the none smiling fuhrer.

"So, we think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of?" Snyder asks as he looks at the three with contempt.

"No, no, we don't. Well unless you do." Buffy said in a blonde moment.

Snyder continued his questions ignoring Buffy's response. "And we think our afternoon classes are optional. Giles looks around, not really feeling sorry for the trio. "All three of you left campus yesterday."

The trio look ready to crawl under a rock at Snyder's interrogation. "Well yeah, but we were fighting a demon—, "Willow's eyes went wide as she hit Buffy in the back for mentioning demons in present company.

"Fighting?" Snyder questions them, ready to give the lot of them detention.

"Not Fighting," Buffy said quickly, eyes wide.

Xander jumps in to try to explain their defiance of the rules. However, he doesn't make the situation much better. "No, we left to avoid fighting."

Snyder had enough of their antics. "Real anti-social types, you need to integrate into this school people. I think I just found four eager new participants for the talent show.

Xander began his nervous laughter and Willow squeaks a terrified no. "What? Buffy asked in horror. All the while Jessica was laughing her head off not realizing the body count Snyder expects.

Snyder smirks and looks at Jessica who immediately stops her joviality. "What are you laughing at young lady I said four willing participants, which includes you." I've been watching you four, always getting into one scrape or another."

Buffy turned to look at her friends as she tries to plead with Snyder. "Well, we're really, really sorry. But about the talent show-- please, you can't make us." Buffy was near hysteria as she addresses Snyder.

Mr. Flutie may go for all that touchy feely crap and he may think the world of you four," he directed his gaze at Jessica as he lectures. "But that almost got him eaten. "You're in my world now, and Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time.

Xander made one last plea for mercy. "Can I just mention that detention is a time honored form of punishment?"

"Here here," Jessica yells in agreement to Xander most excellent idea.

"I know the four of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch…and mock… and laugh… at," he then leaves them to stew in their own horror.

Xander gets animated with denial. "NO!" he says as he plops down into one of the auditorium seats. "No," he says again this time in a smaller more defeated voice.

Buffy saunters up beside Giles not able to form any coherent form of English and looks into the face of a very pleased Englishman trying to hold back his laughter and Jessica jabs him in the ribs scowling at him.

"Not funny," she says as Lisa finishes playing her rendition of a dying frog.

Giles looks up at the student almost losing his composure. "Thank you," he says as Lisa walks off the stage.

Then all five of them watch in dismay as Morgan began his dreadful dummy act. Giles rolls his eyes as Morgan could obviously be seen speaking for the dummy and his jokes were very bad to say the least. Then all of a sudden, the act began to take a turn for the better to even Morgan's surprise. It was almost as if the dummy had taken over the act and made it much easier to watch.

"There you see, I'm sure you four can come up with something equally exciting," Giles said reminding them of their impending doom. Neither one of them notice when the dummy Sid looks there way all on his own.

~%~

Jessica sat listening as Buffy, Willow and Xander try to come up with something to do for the talent show. She laughs aloud at the suggestion of Buffy slaying vampires on stage and then she made a suggestion to them that they all agreed to. Snyder would not know what hit him. Buffy hit Jessica in the head and smiles.

"You were sitting on an arsenal like that and you just sat there making us sweat huh, that's just cruel and unusual punishment Jess," Buffy said.

Jessica put her hands on her hips and stuck her tongue out. "Well it's the least I can do and besides it is just hilarious to see the looks of horror on your faces," Jessica looks at the time and yelps.

"I have to go guys we have a previous engagement I have to attend to, I'll see you guys later to practice our parts." She purposely omits the fact that she was the new school mascot and that she was now on her way to cheerleading practice.

Jessica gets up to leave and notices Sid the dummy following her with his eyes and her skin begins to crawl. "Stop that Morgan it's just plain creepy,"

As Jessica leaves, Buffy threatened to burn Sid the horny dummy if Morgan did not come up with some new material that was less filthy and both Morgan and the Dummy went tight-lipped.

Jessica notices that Principle Flutie, Giles and Snyder are talking and a plan of revenge formulates in her mind. Buffy raises an eyebrow and Willow becomes nervous as Jessica turns to them with an evil grin on her face and starts to rub her hands together as if she trying to start a fire with them.

Xander Swallows hard. "What's she going to do?" the two girls shrug and watch as Jessica skips with delight toward the three authority figures.

Jessica skids to a halt in front of the three that now had their attention on her. "Hello Miss Cine I hear you have a part in the talent show," Flutie beams at her.

"Yes I do oh favorite principal of mine, thanks to the keen recruiting skills of your assistant here," she looks pointedly at Snyder who smirks at her not knowing the full intent of the conversation.

"That's actually what I wanted to discuss, an idea I have for our new and beloved assistant principal," Snyder's smirk disappears immediately.

"What did you have in mind Jessica," Giles asks a bit nervously.

"Well, as you know our Mr. Giles has done an excellent job with staging this show and he will be quite busy back stage making sure everything is up to par. And we still need a mc to introduce all of the acts and I can think of no one better to do that than Mr. Snyder,"

"Now look here…," Snyder's outrage was cut short by an ecstatic Principal.

"That's an excellent idea Miss Cine, I'm sure Snyder will have no objection to helping out where needed," they all look towards Snyder, as his ears turn crimson.

"Of course not," Snyder says through clenched teeth. He glares at Jessica as she politely says her goodbyes and heads out of the auditorium, but not before she gives her laughing friends a wink.

~%~

Jessica rushes into the gym with her mascot attire on only to stop short at the malevolent glare of Cordelia chase and her sheep.

"You're late, that is not acceptable. We run a tight ship around here and we will not be brought to lower standards by a lowly swine," Cordelia poked the Razorback in the shoulder.

Jessica disguised her voice so she wouldn't give away her identity. "Oh yes mighty Cordelia, queen of the swine," All the cheerleaders laugh and then quickly stifle it at Cordelia death gaze.

Cordelia's full attention is on the pig-clad girl as she gives her an evil smirk and Jessica inwardly cringes knowing that she had started a war of words and domination here. The question is could she hold her own against the incomparable Cordelia Chase.

"Well since it seems you're an attention hog, let's see what you can do now that you have our full attention," She goes over to the radio and presses play and Gonna make you sweat by C&C Music Factory starts to blare from the speakers. She looks expectantly for the razorback to start.

Jessica just smiles underneath her mascot outfit and starts to go into a rendition that would make the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders envious. She sways back and forth across the whole of the gymnasium as the words enter her very being and she forgets her audience and gets into her act. Ending her performance with a front handspring, step out, round off, back handspring, step out, round off, back handspring, full twisting lay out landing right in front of a smirking Cordelia. The squad broke out into a cheer.

Cordelia thought it very impressive, not that she would let this little upstart know that. Whomever this razorback is, Cordelia secretly thought that they might actually get to go to nationals this year with her help. This may be the start of a beautiful friendship or at the least Cordelia could make her into another one of her sheep. If only she knew who was under the mascot suit.

~%~

After the whole fiasco with Sid and the organ-stealing demon came to an end it was time to get the school talent show underway. The auditorium was jam packed with parents and to Jessica and Buffy's dismay, John Cine convinced Joyce to come out and see the show. A certain weasel had made it his business to inform them of the upcoming event and of their participation in it.

As act after act perform the more nervous the trio became, it will soon be their turn. Jessica laughs as she saw Xander hyperventilating, Willow looking as pale as a vampire and she swears Buffy is about to hurl any minute.

She steps up to them and gives them a pep talk that semi calms them down and Jessica hands them their costumes. They all smile as they realize no one will see their faces with the Phantom of the Opera type masks that she hands them.

"You will do fine guys, just remember your parts and enjoy yourselves. I'll make sure that all eyes are on me okay," They all nod at her gratefully.

~%~

As Snyder reluctantly introduces the last act, the lights in the auditorium begin to dim and it is so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Michael Jackson's Dangerous starts to play in the background and the spotlight turns unto Jessica as she has her head down. Her outfit a flawless copy of MJ, High water black pants with white socks and black shoes, White shirt with black tie, black jacket and black fedora atop her head. The finishing touch, the lone white glove that adorned her right hand.

Jessica flowed across the stage in brilliant Jackson style as she belted out the verses to the song. Her background singers adorned in similar style but with the addition of their white mask did their best to harmonize the one word that they had to sing. "Dangerous," The trio sang in a disjointed union, but that was never caught as all eyes were on Jessica as she moonwalked on the smoke filled stage.

As the performance ends, Jessica takes a bow. The curtains close and the auditorium goes into an uproar of applause, the football team, Jonathan levinson, John Cine and principal Flutie being the loudest of the bunch.

"Bloody hell," is all Giles can think of to say as he cleans his glasses.