A/N: As happens so often with a guy named Bill, apologies for the length of time between updates. I don't want to bore you all with details of my personal life, but things have just been extra crazy busy, plus, I've had a few health problems. And, to be honest, this story was stumping me. I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle Witch again, but I wasn't sure where to go next. I have plans but, wanted a little more build up. Then I got an idea what to do with Witch to make it a little different. Warning, at first the "episode" might not seem too different from the one on the show, but, there WILL be a twist.

To guest reviewer Micheal: Thanks for the kind words about the story and for your condolences on the loss of my Dad. And thanks for your patience. I hope I don't disappoint.

Chapter 8 The Witch? Pt 1

"This is MADNESS," announced Giles, as Buffy stood before him wearing her old Hemry High cheerleading outfit, both of her cousins watching, both clearly amused.

"You don't like the color?" Buffy asked, feigning innocence. She knew full well what the problem was. Kara snickered while Alex shook her head at her cousin's antics.

"What? I don't like..." Giles stammered, pinching the bridge of his nose. It was much too early in the day to be developing a headache, but, since meeting his Slayer, headaches were becoming a daily occurrence for Giles. "Buffy, do you ignore everything I say? As a rule?"

"Just the boring bits," Kara muttered under her breath, then smiled sweetly when Giles glared at her. The normally shy and introvereted girl was developing a bit of sass, now that Buffy was living with her family.

"No," said Buffy exasperatedly. "I believe that's YOUR gig. I TOLD you we were trying out for cheerleading."

Giles looked at Alex and Kara imploringly. "Can't either of you talk any sense into her?" he asked.

"Don't look at US," argued Alex, scoffing. "Giles, I've known Buffy all of her life and the only thing I've ever been able to talk her out of involved a cat, a tube of super glue and a bicycle." Kara laughed as Buffy rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at both of her cousins.

Giles sighed. "You have a sacred birthright, Buffy," he said. " You have been chosen to slay vampires, and fight evil. NOT to prance about and wave pom pom's at people! And as you Watcher I forbid it." Giles winced inwardly. He knew that forbid was a mistake, with this Slayer, the moment the word left his mouth.

"This is gonna be gooooood," Alex singsonged to no one in Kara. Kara nodded.

Buffy cocked a hip and gave Giles a Look. "And you plan on stopping me HOW exactly?" she challenged.

Giles looked stunned but recovered quickly. "By appealing to your common sense, if such a creature exists," he said exasperatedly.

"Look, Giles," Buffy pleaded. "I'll still have time to fight the forces of evil, ok? But I also want to have as normal a life as I can in the meantime!"

Kara decided to take pity on the poor Slayer. "Giles," she said. "Buffy isn't like other Slayers. She isn't fighting alone. She has me, and while I'm not as good a fighter, I am a little stronger than she is. I'm not saying she should ignore her duties, but, I think she can do both."

Alex took up the argument next.. "Giles, I've been reading some of the Watchers journal's you have. I know the Watchers Council thinks they're doing the best thing, but, I honestly think part of why most Slayers die young is because they Slay to the exclusion of all else. Buffy needs something outside of Slaying to keep her grounded. Something safe."

Giles sighed. "Three against one," he muttered. "Very well. If it doesn't interfere with your duties."

"Thanks Giles," said Buffy as she decided to leave before he changed his mind. Not that he would STOP her, but she was tired of fighting about it. She turned to Kara and Alex once they were all outside. "And thank YOU guys."

"That's what family is for," answered Alex with a smile. "Ok, you two, I gotta get to class. Have fun and learn something cool." She turned and left.

"Thanks, Mom," said Kara chuckling as her adopted sister headed off. As Alex was a senior and Kara and Buffy were freshmen, they didn't share many classes.

"You sure you don't want to try out with me?" Buffy asked Kara. "It'll be fun."

Kara fidgeted and adjusted her glasses. "N-no, I don't think so," she said. " Thanks to you-know-what, I don't much like being the center of attention. Besides, I'd probably use too much strength and send some poor girl through a wall or something."

Buffy chuckled at the visual. "Well, we'll just have to find you something else. Maybe Glee club?"

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Later, Buffy and Kara entered the gym with Willow, Xander and Jesse for the cheerleader tryouts. Buffy was telling the gang about her adventures with Giles this morning.

"So, Giles didn't approve?" Willow asked sympathetically.

"He totally lost his water," answered Buffy rolling her eyes. "We haven't even SEEN a vampire in a week. I'd say he should get a girlfriend, if he wasn't so old."

Kara looked puzzled. "Lost his water?" she asked. "What does that even MEAN?" Buffy and Willow just chuckled and shrugged.

Xander and Jesse, meanwhile, were both looking around, taking in every sight.

"People scoff at school spirit," said Xander. "but when you see young women giving their all like this..." He was momentarily distracted by a girl named Amber doing the splits. "oooh, stretchy! Er, where was I?"

"You were pretending seeing scantily clad women in revealing postures was a spiritual experience," teased Buffy, enjoying his discomfort.

"Not sure pretending is the right word, Buff," said Jesse.

"See," said Xander. "Jesse gets it!"

"THERE'S a sterling endorsement," said Kara, rolling her eyes.

"Buffy," came a voice from behind them. The group turned to see Bill Gordon standing there. Buffy smiled. She hadn't seen much of Bill since the Harvest. The longish haired boy walked over to them and exchanged greetings with the group.

"Hi Bill," said Buffy brightly. "Come for the spritualism?"

Bill looked around confused as the others all chuckled at the private joke. "Uh, no," he said. "I heard you were trying out and I just wanted to come and wish you luck, and to give you this. For luck." He handed her something.

"What is this?" asked Buffy, taking it, the other girls gathering around. It looked like a friendship bracelet that Bill had made himself.

"I know," said Bill, looking a little embarrassed. "It's cheesy."

"Not at all," said Buffy with a beaming smile as she looked at the bracelet. "It's REALLY sweet," She handed it back to him and held out her wrist. "Put it on me?" she asked. Bill gave a shy smile and complied.

"God," said Cordelia, walking over as she watched Amber stand on one leg and hold the other straight in the air. "Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?" She and Jesse exchanged a smile. Since the night of the Harvest, Cordy had started spending more time with Buffy's friends.

"I hear she turned them down," said Willow.

"Ok," called out Lisa, the captain. "Let's start with...Amber Grove. If you're not trying out, please leave the gym floor." Buffy and the others went to the side as Amber began her tryout.

"Hi Amy!" said Willow, as another girl came over to them. She was blonde and pretty, but, perhaps a little awkward.

"Hi guys," said Amy with a nervous smile.

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader," Willow said. "And you look great. You've lost a lot of weight!"

"Had to," said Amy, a bit ruefully. "Mom." Willow nodded knowingly.

"Do you know Buffy?" asked Willow, indicating the Slayer.

"Hi," said Amy smiling. "Oh how I hate this. Let me count the ways!"

Buffy smiled, warming up to Amy immediately. They all turned to watch Amber's routine. She was AMAZING.

"She trained with Benson...He's the best teacher money can buy,"said Amy.

"They have cheerleading coaches?" asked Kara, looking bemused. She still wasn't sure she got the whole cheerleader thing. They didn't have anything like that on Krypton.

"Oh yeah," said Amy. "I train with my Mom. Three hours in the morning, three at night."

"God," said Buffy. "That much quality time with my mother would probably lead to some quality matricide!"

"Your Mom's not THAT bad," Kara scolded, nudging her.

Everybody laughed and turned to watch the rest of Amber's tryout. Cordelia turned away feigning boredom.

"What the..." asked Buffy as smoke started emanating from Amber's pom pom's.

"That girl is on fire," said Kara, her eyes wide.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Enough with the hyperbole!" she said.

"IIIIIIt's NOT hyperbole!" said Jesse, as Amber dropped her pom pom's and her forearms and hands burst into flames. She screamed as Buffy, Kara, and Bill vaulted into action. Kara and Bill pulled a Sunnydale Razorbacks banner from the wall as Buffy tackled Amber, then they wrapped her tightly int the banner, smothering the flames.

"It's ok," Buffy told Amber, holding her tightly. "You're gonna be ok."

Nobody noticed a soft laughter coming from the bleachers.

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Later, the group, minus Bill, who still didn't know about all the supernatural stuff, met in the library and filled Giles in on what had gone down at tryouts.

."I've seen some pretty cringe worthy stuff since becoming the Slayer," said Buffy, a little shaken "But never in all that time have I seen somebody's hands get toasted."

Giles furrowed his brow. "I imagine not," he said pacing.

"So," said Buffy. Not a vampire problem, but it IS funky, right? Not of the norm?"

Giles stopped and looked out at the group. "Quite," he said. "Spontaneous human combustion is rare, and scientifically unexplainable. But there have been reported cases for hundreds of years. Usually, all that's left is a pile of ashes."

"That's all that would have been left of Amber, if not for these two," said Cordelia, indicating Buffy and Kara. She was sitting between Xander and Jesse, looking as if drawing comfort from them.

"So, we have no idea what caused this?" said Xander. "THAT'S a comfort!"

Giles shrugged thoughtfully. "Well, that's the thrill of living on a Hellmouth," he said. "one has a veritable cornucopia of fiends, devils and ghouls to engage..." he stopped, noticing they were all giving him funny looks.

"You're weird, Giles," said Cordy.

Giles rolled his eyes. "Well, excuse me for finding the glass half full!"

"Any common denominator in cases of combustion?" asked Buffy, attempting to get things back on track.

Giles took his glasses off and chewed the stem. "Rage," he answered. "In most cases the person who combusted was terribly angry or upset."

"So," said Xander thoughtfully. "Maybe Amber has this power to make herself be on fire."

"Kinda like the Human Torch," finished Jesse. "Only...it hurts." Both Kara and Cordelia rolled their eyes.

"So, we should get the skinny on Amber," concluded Buffy. "See if she's had any colorful episodes before."

"That would mean illegally hacking into the school's computer system," said Willow. she got a big, bright, smile on her face. "At last! Something I can do!" She got up and moved to a computer.

"We'll ask around about her," said Xander. Jesse and Cordelia nodded.

"Guys," said Buffy. "You don't have to get involved. This is my gig." She looked to Kara. "OUR gig." Both smiled.

"What do you mean?" asked Xander.

"We're a team," added Jesse. He looked to Cordelia. "AREN'T we a team?"

"Yeah!" said Willow. "You're the Slayer and we're, like, the Slayerette's!"

"I want to help too," said Cordelia. "But I am NOT a Slayerette!"

"We don't want you guys putting yourselves in danger," said Kara. "Buffy and i are the only ones with powers."

Xander scoffed. "I LAUGH in the face of danger. Then, I HIDE until it goes away!"

"Ok, well, I'm psyched for the help," said Buffy. She turned to Giles. "And if we find out Amber DIDN'T cause this herself?"

"Then we'll have to determine who or what did it," answered Giles. "And deal with it accordingly."

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Buffy and Kara walked into their house after school to find crates strewn about everywhere, Joyce trying to open one with a crowbar. Alex had a student council meeting, and Eliza clearly wasn't home yet.

"Hey Mom," she said, walking up to her.

"Hi Aunt Joyce," added Kara.

"Hi sweeties," said Joyce, smiling but not looking up. "How was school?"

"A reverent joy," snarked Buffy. "What's all this?"

"It's for the tribal art display," said Joyce,

"Oh cool," said Kara, checking out a statue then grabbing a donut and sitting noticed Joyce had not actually looked at either of them yet. "Buffy had tryouts today" she said.

"Great!" Joyce said, a touch absently. "How'd it go?"

"Well, there was an accident, so I didn't get to try out yet," said Buffy. "There was some pretty stiff competition though."

Joyce nodded as she continued struggling with the crate. "Well, I'm sure you'll do great," she said. "Keep on plugging. You just have to get back on the horse."

"Mom?" said Buffy.

Joyce finally turned to look at Buffy. "Yeah?" she asked.

"What was I trying out for?"

Joyce paused. Both stumped and embarrassed. "Uhm, some activity? I'm sorry Sweetie. I honestly have no idea."

Buffy smiled. "It's ok, mom," she said. "Your platitudes are good for all occasions."

"I'm just distracted here," said Joyce. "I've got inventory to do. This is the galleries first major show." She finally gave up on that crate and turned to another. "Could somebody with super strength PLEASE help me out here?""

Buffy and Kara exchanged a grin, then went about opening all of the crates for Joyce. Without the use of a crowbar.

Thank you," said Joyce with a smirk.

"It was cheerleading tryouts, Mom," she said.

"Oh GOOD," said Joyce. "I'm glad you're taking that up again. Keep you grounded."

Buffy chuckled indicating Kara. "That's what SHE said."

Joyce and Kara too chuckled as Joyce pulled a statue of a man halfway out of a crate, then shoved it back in. "Oh dear."

"What is it?" asked Buffy.

"Fertility statue," said Joyce. "Something YOU will never need to see!"

Buffy chuckled heading for the fridge, and looking inside. "You know," she said. "This girl Amy's mother works with her like three hours a day." She closed the fridge. "Sounds like she's really into it."

"Sounds like Amy's mother doesn't have a lot to do," said Joyce absently, picking up a few pieces and exiting the room.

Once she was gone Buffy and Kara went straight for the crate and looked at the statue inside. "Jeepers!" Buffy said, her eyes going wide.

"Earthlings are WEIRD!" said Kara, her eyes just as wide as Buffy's

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A/N2: Buffy's comment about Kara maybe joining Glee club was totally tongue in cheek on my part, a nod towards Melissa Benoist playing both Kara on Supergirl and Marley Rose on Glee. I have no plans on using any Glee elements in this story. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you thought.