It was Monday at school that things got ugly, at least for me. Things
started falling into place. I understood what Giles had been talking about.
And as soon as I rounded the corner and stepped into the student lounge,
everything came crashing down.
I stood deathly still, pale. I could feel the adrenaline rushing and hear the blood pumping in my ears. I began to feel very light-headed. I wavered.
"Impossible," I whispered.
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to wish away what I'd seen. I opened them with dread. Brian and Justin still stood there. They hadn't noticed me yet. Then again, I looked like Buffy to them. I hoped.
I fainted.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Laurel, Laurel!" I heard a distinctly English voice whisper urgently. I came to and looked around. I was lying on a couch in the students' lounge. Xander and Willow stood over me.
"Giles..." I started. He held a hand up to stop me.
"Shh. We'll talk in the library. Can you walk?"
I nodded. "I think so." Xander put his arm around me and we followed Giles. Once we reached the library, Giles sat me down in a chair in his office.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
I eyed Willow and Xander warily.
Giles nodded at them, "Willow, Xander, please." They reluctantly walked over to the study table, closing the door behind them.
"Laurel?" Giles prodded.
"They're here. I saw them. I wasn't prepared. Everything started spinning...I could hear the shouting...the accusations..." I babbled.
Giles appeared perplexed. "Of whom are you speaking?"
"I...they...Brian...Justin...from Kokomo..."
"And they are...?"
I took a deep breath. "You were right. How I am to get out of here and Buffy is to get back..."
I stopped. Giles was silent, waiting.
"I'm so sorry this happened. I still don't understand how this occurred. So Buffy was unhappy with her life in Sunnydale. Well, maybe she's kicking some demon-ass in Kokomo. Obviously she's met and sent a few here!"
"What are you getting at, Laurel?"
"How else would Brian and Justin and anyone else get here?"
"I take it, then, that your 'demons' have arrived."
I nodded. "So what do I do now? Grab an axe and start hacking?"
"Remind me to tell Xander to keep his distance from you. You are starting to sound too much like him," he said, cleaning his glasses.
I snorted. "Trust me, this is four years of marching band talking now."
"Anyway, I believe you have a lot to tell me now. I only ask this so I can better help you."
"I know," I whispered. "Here goes." And I launched into the whole sordid tale I had relayed earlier to Xander and the others.
When I finished, Giles leaned back in his chair, sighing.
"You certainly have your reasons for being unhappy with life. You and Buffy both have suffered a great deal of trauma."
"I just never died," I replied with a small smile. Giles raised an eyebrow in reproach.
"All I can tell you is to deal with things as they come. If this Brian recognizes you, chances he'll go straight to you regardless of past relations simply because to he knows you. He'll want answers. If he was at the Bronze Friday, he most likely doesn't recognize you as Laurel, if he hasn't said anything thus far."
I slouched down in my seat.
"You, uh, heard about that, huh?" Giles shook his head.
"Angel. Really, Laurel, don't change Buffy's life completely. The poor girl, both of you really have enough problems as is."
"She'll always be the Slayer. I can never change that."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"How'd it go?" Willow asked in English a half hour later.
"Okay, I guess. Giles says to just deal with things as they come. Easy enough, I suppose." I kept my eyes focused on the chalkboard.
"What happened?" she questioned, concerned.
"Justin and Brian are here," I said, matter-of-fact.
"Oh. Does Giles know how?"
"No clue. And we don't even know if they realize something's up or if they know I'm really Laurel."
"Bummer," Oz spoke up. The bell rang, ending the school day. We made our way to our lockers. Xander was already there.
"Hey, love! How are you feeling?"
"Alright."
"Man, last period was killer. Boring. But you know Brolin and Anderson?"
Willow nodded. "The moron football jocks of the senior class."
"Not so much, but in top form today. Making up all there stories about living in Indiana. Just being clueless. It was great!"
I stood deathly still, pale. I could feel the adrenaline rushing and hear the blood pumping in my ears. I began to feel very light-headed. I wavered.
"Impossible," I whispered.
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to wish away what I'd seen. I opened them with dread. Brian and Justin still stood there. They hadn't noticed me yet. Then again, I looked like Buffy to them. I hoped.
I fainted.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Laurel, Laurel!" I heard a distinctly English voice whisper urgently. I came to and looked around. I was lying on a couch in the students' lounge. Xander and Willow stood over me.
"Giles..." I started. He held a hand up to stop me.
"Shh. We'll talk in the library. Can you walk?"
I nodded. "I think so." Xander put his arm around me and we followed Giles. Once we reached the library, Giles sat me down in a chair in his office.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
I eyed Willow and Xander warily.
Giles nodded at them, "Willow, Xander, please." They reluctantly walked over to the study table, closing the door behind them.
"Laurel?" Giles prodded.
"They're here. I saw them. I wasn't prepared. Everything started spinning...I could hear the shouting...the accusations..." I babbled.
Giles appeared perplexed. "Of whom are you speaking?"
"I...they...Brian...Justin...from Kokomo..."
"And they are...?"
I took a deep breath. "You were right. How I am to get out of here and Buffy is to get back..."
I stopped. Giles was silent, waiting.
"I'm so sorry this happened. I still don't understand how this occurred. So Buffy was unhappy with her life in Sunnydale. Well, maybe she's kicking some demon-ass in Kokomo. Obviously she's met and sent a few here!"
"What are you getting at, Laurel?"
"How else would Brian and Justin and anyone else get here?"
"I take it, then, that your 'demons' have arrived."
I nodded. "So what do I do now? Grab an axe and start hacking?"
"Remind me to tell Xander to keep his distance from you. You are starting to sound too much like him," he said, cleaning his glasses.
I snorted. "Trust me, this is four years of marching band talking now."
"Anyway, I believe you have a lot to tell me now. I only ask this so I can better help you."
"I know," I whispered. "Here goes." And I launched into the whole sordid tale I had relayed earlier to Xander and the others.
When I finished, Giles leaned back in his chair, sighing.
"You certainly have your reasons for being unhappy with life. You and Buffy both have suffered a great deal of trauma."
"I just never died," I replied with a small smile. Giles raised an eyebrow in reproach.
"All I can tell you is to deal with things as they come. If this Brian recognizes you, chances he'll go straight to you regardless of past relations simply because to he knows you. He'll want answers. If he was at the Bronze Friday, he most likely doesn't recognize you as Laurel, if he hasn't said anything thus far."
I slouched down in my seat.
"You, uh, heard about that, huh?" Giles shook his head.
"Angel. Really, Laurel, don't change Buffy's life completely. The poor girl, both of you really have enough problems as is."
"She'll always be the Slayer. I can never change that."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"How'd it go?" Willow asked in English a half hour later.
"Okay, I guess. Giles says to just deal with things as they come. Easy enough, I suppose." I kept my eyes focused on the chalkboard.
"What happened?" she questioned, concerned.
"Justin and Brian are here," I said, matter-of-fact.
"Oh. Does Giles know how?"
"No clue. And we don't even know if they realize something's up or if they know I'm really Laurel."
"Bummer," Oz spoke up. The bell rang, ending the school day. We made our way to our lockers. Xander was already there.
"Hey, love! How are you feeling?"
"Alright."
"Man, last period was killer. Boring. But you know Brolin and Anderson?"
Willow nodded. "The moron football jocks of the senior class."
"Not so much, but in top form today. Making up all there stories about living in Indiana. Just being clueless. It was great!"