Meet Anne Slader

Chapter 1

It was their first day at school in the year 1997 at Sunnydale High. Anne was starting to freak at 5 am that morning; she ended up waking Connor and got them down to the school at around 6. Connor was practically sleep walking around with Anne's stuff to her office going down one of the hallways, and Anne had to tug his sleeve a few times before he got that he was supposed to turn. Anne on the other hand was all over the place, and she was freaking out that she was actually going to have to help kids though it did sound cool.

After being at the school for half an hour Connor was sitting in the student lounge or common area with couches/benches, he was sitting in one staring at his schedule that Anne had handed to him. She was probably still moving all of the stuff into her office; she had given him some cash and shoved him out telling him to meet someone his age. He had wanted to know who else would be in the school at this insane hour, school starting at 8:30!

He guessed that he had dosed off, when he jerked awake 45 minutes after his last coherent thought, it was about 7:15, so people was be coming sometime soon, so he went to see how Anne was doing.

She was still in her office, just finishing organizing her files, "So," he said, "Almost done?"

She looked up at him her hair done up in a clip now a rich brown, which was odd since she was a blonde when they first met, but she then stood up and dusted off her feminine gray pants suit. She suggested they pick something up from the cafeteria before people start arriving, and trotted off in her clanking black boots. He shook his head, he'd never understand what it was with girl and fashion, first Cordy now Anne, he didn't get it.

After eating a bagel from the cafeteria Anne grabbed a coffee and waved goodbye to Conner, telling him she'd catch up with him at lunch. Connor then went back to the benches that he'd started off on, and started sorting though the bag that Anne had given him. It had a three-ring binder, some notebooks, a package of pencils and an eraser, pens, notebook paper, and it was all stuffed into an all purpose bag/backpack that slung over one shoulder. He calculated that it shouldn't be too heavy, though who knows what books the teachers would give him.

It wouldn't be much with the super strength, which he would need to hide, now that was not something he was used to, I mean in a hell dimension you wanted the creatures to know that you were strong to scare at least some off. Then it occurred to him, this is going to be hell, school, thinking work, not the most fun, he was the action guy like Gunn was, though he could think it not like he was stupid. He just hadn't been able to show it.

It was about a quarter to eight when the kids started to trickle in, by then Connor was completely bored and had resorted to staring at his schedule which didn't exactly make the most sense to him, but that was probably because he wasn't paying much attention to it. That was when a dark haired boy that reminded him strongly of a younger Harris, and a red headed girl, he guessed they were Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg, friends of Buffy Summers who he had yet to see.

They were in the middle of a conversation, obviously worried about their friend Buffy who had been acting strange, that was what Anne had told him to expect, and not to interfere if he could help it. So he glanced up at them as the sat down, then continued to stare blankly at he schedule. Then getting bored put his feet up on the bench across were Xander was sitting, Willow was sitting next to, and a bit over from Connor. Xander looked over as he heard the shoes clank down next to him, looked at the shoes and followed the legs up to Connor, who smirked at him and then continued starring at the schedule.

Xander cleared his throat, and seeing that he had gotten the other boy's attention said, "Excuse me, I don't know who you are, but get you stinky feet down from here," he pointed at the offending feet.

Connor stretched out his legs then retracted them underneath him, and Willow peaked over his shoulder at his schedule, and said, "ooh, you got yours already!"

Connor blinked for a second, "Yeah my guardian is in the staff, and I'm new, I don't know somehow I got it."

"Oh, your new, I'm sorry, I'm Willow Rosenberg, and my friend is Xander Harris," Connor nodded to both of them.

"Nice to meet you two…" just then he saw a blurred figure rushing past him, all three teens starred as the 20 year old or so year old rush past them, then ran back.

"There you are Connor, I've been looking for you," Willow and Xander starred at the woman who wasn't even short of breath. "I just realized how embarrassing it must have been for coming with me so early, don't worry, you'll be able to come to school at the regular time every day after this, just you better be in school," she said trying to be stricked, or maybe like a parent.

Connor just starred at her, "Anne it's not that big of a deal, I've more than once spent at least 48 hours awake."

"Yes but now your trying to make the effort to semi normal, and I see you've made some friends great!" Anne said enthusiastically, Connor could tell that she was faking it, she was so depressed lately, and maybe this break will help relax her a bit.

Willow ever polite shook hands with her, "Nice to meet you I'm Willow Rosenberg," this must have been creepy for Anne meeting her best friend again, "and you are Mrs.…"

Anne seemed to wake up, "Oh, I'm not married, or Connor's mom," she grinned impishly at them, "I'm Anne Slader I'm a old friend of Connor's parents, and his guardian while his dad is away."

Just then Buffy walked up, she looked a lot similar to the 2003 Buffy, but Anne had slight differences in facial features, plus the brown hair. "So guy, what's up, oh hello, I'm Buffy Summers," and she shook hands with Anne who introduced themselves, and Connor could almost see the shiver going up Anne's spine, and Buffy looking a little shaken, then Connor introduced himself. Anne then excused herself saying she needed to get back to work, and if anyone ever needed to talk, she was a councilor.

After that they all went to their classes, the scoobies were in a lot of his classes, and in others he found a friendly face or two. The day flew by for Anne who only got a few people who needed some suggestions on how to juggle everything, and some wanting to change their schedule.

By the time it was lunch Connor was swimming in knowledge of what he knew and what he didn't and he was sure that he would need a tutor in almost every subject. He bought lunch with the money Anne had given him that morning and he sat down at an empty table, where the Scoobies promised to meet him. Just then Anne came into the cafeteria quickly bought a salad, using teacher access to jump the line of high school students, and sat down next to Connor.

"Hi-ya Connor, how's the day going?" Anne asked starting on her salad quickly.

"Good, I think, I don't know how I'm going to survive this." He said while picking at his food, which was some sort of spaghetti.

"Well look at me I finished, and pretty well with my best friends help," she quickly finished up the last of her food, grabbed a water she bought waved to Connor and said, "Got to book, more people to meet up with!" With that she bounced down the hall making Connor wonder where she was going.

As he went back to eating his food and watching the Scooby trio make their way through the lunch line, a boy who Connor thought was likely to be on the school football team came up, "How's you end up with a hot chick like that?"

"Excuse me?" Connor asked acting confused and surprised.

"The one that strutted away from this table, she's an older one, mmm, she's a looker," one of the guy's friends slapped his him on the back in agreement laughing.

"She's my honorary aunt, I'm staying with her here, and not like that you idiots!" he said grossed out by the concept, especially since she was old enough to have changed his dippers, though that isn't saying much in this world, I mean so was Cordy. After that though his thoughts took a downward spiral, and when he realized the smart ass boy that starting talking was thinking of asking her out he lashed out, with words that is, "That is one thing you better not do, stay away from her for your own good." He said it in classic protective Angel mode, getting in the other boy's face.

"What are you going to do about it kid?" the guy said.

"Nothing, but I'd be more worried about what she would do to you?" Connor said as he sat back down.

"That petite little girl? No way!" he said blowing it off.

"Then be my guest at trying, I hope I don't miss the event," and with that he turned his back on the football player and started picking at the food once again. He sensed the guy and his friends leaving, and saw the trio walking to the table with questioning looks directed at the other guy.

"Hey Connor!" Willow said excitedly, as Buffy said, "What was Larry doing here?"

Connor gave them a faint smile and replied to Buffy's question, "Wanted to know about Anne, not that he has a chance, but it will be fun to watch him try." The trio sat down and they ate their lunches though Buffy seemed a bit quiet and didn't talk much, Connor even talked more then her, and that was a big improvement for him.

As Connor was talking to Larry Anne was walking through the halls to the library, when she got there she took a moment to relish in the old familiarity of the room full of musty books. After a moment she heard a faint "Can I help you" coming from the back room, and was unsurprised when a younger Rupert Giles poked his head out of the office and asks again.

Anne walks up looking around curiously, and smiles at him, "Hi, I'm Anne Slader, I'm new here, I'm the new councilor, and my 'charge,' the son of a friend of mine is here with me, and his education hasn't been the best. So I was just wondering if maybe he could stay here after school, have someone help him every once in awhile when he has trouble, and just wait until I'm finished at here?"

Giles smiled uncertainly back, "um, of course of course he is always welcome here, but I have a little group that comes in here everyday…"

"Not to worry, Connor is a very polite and quiet and a bit shy, so no worries he shouldn't get in the way." Anne smiled again, "Thanks so much, this move has been so fast, with the new school year and all."

"Yes, yes, always is, Mrs. Slader? Is that correct?"
"No, no, not married, not dating either really, I'm a Miss, but please call me Anne, I'm just a few years out of high school myself, and I'm back here again. But um I'll be on my way, need to get back to my desk, I'll see you later on to pick up Connor most likely. Thanks again."

A/N: Hey again, I finally got out a new chapter hope you like it! Please Review!!! I think Connor is a junior or senior, as was said that he got his SAT scores in the season finale of Angel, so lets just say he's 17 and being in sophomore year to be with the Scoobies. Please keep reading! Thanks for all of the reviews on the prologue.