[ ] denotes thoughts
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Part Seven
SHS library, after school is out.
Faith looked over the assembled group before she spoke. "Okay, we only have a few hours to get everything set up. So here's how we do it: Willow and Cordelia, I want you to put together the signs giving directions. Xander and Oz, I want the two of you setting up the tables for refreshments and getting the chairs for outside the classes. Max, I take it you are willing to help us out?" Max nodded in answer. "Good. You and I will first post the signs outside the classroom doors, then come back here for the direction signs to start setting them up. Any questions?" No one responded. "Alright, let's move!"
The enlarged Scooby gang got up to do their respective jobs when the library doors opened and Buffy entered. "Hey, I heard you might need some help tonight."
Everyone, but Faith, was slightly surprised to see the small blonde, but Faith ignored the glances (and glares) of the others and welcomed her. "I was wondering when you were coming, B. Glad to see you showed. I need you to help Willow and Cordelia with the direction signs."
"Sure," Buffy replied and moved to the table with Willow and Cordy.
The other four headed out the door to get to work, leaving them alone in the library.
"So what do we do?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, here are the sheets showing how each sign is supposed to look. All the sheets are numbered so when you are finished writing the directions on the sign put the number on the back so we know where it goes. There are only five signs that we have to make so two of us take the smaller signs and whoever is left gets the larger one."
"Dibs on a smaller set," Cordelia called out.
"Same here," Buffy said.
"Okay, the big one's mine then," Willow chimed in.
"Why are you so happy?" Cordelia wondered aloud.
Willow grinned, "Because the bigger one is the easiest and quickest to do."
The other two girls groaned.
***
SHS student lounge
"Here's the tablecloths, Oz." Xander kept one in hand and set the extras on a nearby chair. "Can you get the other side of this one?"
Together they laid out the cloths one after another in silence until Oz finally spoke up. "How are you, really?"
Xander was startled by the sudden question, but after a moment was able to answer. "Fine. Why?"
"Why don't you say anything about your past?"
"I've told you stuff about me," Xander automatically replied before realizing the real source of the questioning. "Willow asked you to talk to me didn't she," he said making the question a statement.
"She's worried about you," Oz confirmed.
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not quite ready to talk about it. I still have nightmares about that night," Xander shuddered at the memories.
"Might help to talk to someone."
Xander sighed out, "I know. I'll talk to someone, I promise. And when I'm ready to talk to everyone I'll let you know."
"Max or Cordelia?" Oz questioned, amazing Xander with his insight.
"I'm not sure yet," he said thoughtfully. "Maybe both. It's just a little easier talking to someone who was there that night, y'know?"
Oz simply nodded. "I'm ready to listen when you're ready to talk."
"I'll remember that. Now let's go get the food and drinks from the kitchen."
***
SHS hallway
"So what's Xander been up to since coming to town?" Max asked as she handed Faith another poster.
[Slaying vamps, becoming possessed, saving my life... Y'know.. normal stuff.] "Not much. Just getting used to a new school and hanging out with us, I suppose," Faith answered.
"Faith, I know about vampires and things like that. You can talk to me about that sort of thing," Max pressed.
Faith sighed, "Yeah, I'm just used to covering up about all that. No one else around here is willing to believe that sort of thing."
"I know the feeling. After that time in LA, no one would listen to anything the students said about what really happened," Max told her as they moved down the hall to the next room. "After seeing how quickly they were burying the truth we decided to keep our mouths shut. Even when they blamed Xander for the fire. He was the one who told us not to say anything. Didn't want everyone to take the blame if they just needed one scapegoat."
"I can see Xand doin' that."
Max smiled, "Yeah, he always was one to protect his friends in any way he could. Gotta love him for that, right?"
"Yeah, friends like him are hard to come by," Faith remarked. [I could have used a friend like him when I lived in Boston. Maybe things would have turned out different for me,] the slayer mused as the duo walked down the hall.
***
SHS library
"So do you and Max get along?" Buffy asked to break the silence.
"Me and Max?" Cordelia snorted. "We only really know each other through Xander. She's nice enough though. A lot like Xander is. I could see her as a friend if we hung out more."
"Are Xander and her.. close?" Buffy continued tenatively.
Cordelia and Willow looked up from their signs at the question. "Good friends? Yeah. Anything more? I doubt it. If anything was going to happen it would have in LA," Cordelia noted.
[Buffy's interested in Xander? I don't believe it. She wouldn't want to ruin her reputation with the in crowd. Then again, she is here helping us maybe Buffy isn't as shallow as the rest of those harpies. But why Xander? I admit he's cute, but she doesn't know him at all. Of course, considering the 'people' she hangs with I can understand her wanting to meet new people. But Buffy doesn't even know about the things he goes out to fight at night, so how...] Willow's wandering mind was interrupted by Cordelia nudging her elbow.
"You still here, Willow?" Cordelia asked.
"Oh.. yeah.. Sorry," Willow sheepishly replied. "I should get back to work."
Cordelia was going to comment on the red head's zone out, but decided to let it go and work. Buffy had already turned back to her sign to avoid embarrassing herself further.
***
SHS student lounge, later that evening
"That wasn't too bad," Faith remarked to the gang as they watched some parents grabbing snacks from the tables.
"Nope. We came. We saw. We organized!" Willow exclaimed.
"Yes, you all did remarkably well," Giles told them as he walked over.
Xander was looking around the room to see if they forgot anything and spotted something that could ruin anything and everything.
Snyder.
"Miss Giles," Snyder greeted with a scornful voice. "I see you recruited your band of troublemakers to do this."
"Everything's set up, Mr. Snyder. We have it all under control," Faith said proudly ignoring his tone.
"We'll see, Miss Giles. The night isn't over," the principal snidely commented. "I'm sure something will go wrong."
CRASH
The windows of the student lounge shattered and several figures entered through the new entrances. The Scoobies recovered from their shock to take in the new arrivals.
Vampires.
"He had to say it, didn't he?" Xander muttered under his breath. It just happened to be what most of the others were already thinking.
"Honey, I'm home! Now where's dinner?" the blonde vampire in the lead called out. His gaze swept the cowering humans landing finally on the gathered Slayerettes. "Oh, wait there it is," Spike answered his own question with an evil grin.
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End Part 7
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