"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 1999, welcome back to the high school you never attended. I'm sure you recall the destruction of the old Sunnydale High School building, which occurred on the day of your graduation ceremony. I am Principal Dritz, the principal you never had. Most of you have never before set foot in the new Sunnydale High building. After 10 years, you're probably all anxious to discover what your former classmates have accomplished. I hope you all enjoy this reunion...and please try to leave the school in one piece."
"It seems wrong that he's making jokes. People died on graduation day."
"Buffy, people died during every event of our high school careers," Xander reminded her, "Homecoming, the field trips, prom, picture day, graduation day, career day, Tuesday...."
"I know, but that doesn't mean it's okay to make light."
"Highest mortality rate in the US. We can't take death seriously here, honey, the suicide rate would skyrocket." That made Buffy smile.
"I have to admit, I'm anxious to find out what the gang's been up to since we last saw them."
"Afraid they won't be impressed, Miss working-for-the-district-attorney-graduated-from-law-school?" Xander teased.
"Law school? Well, I'm impressed," a familiar voice commented from behind them.
"Well, we can't all be Daytime Emmy Award nominated actresses like you...Cordelia Chase," Buffy replied as she turned to greet her old schoolmate.
"You are too kind. And who is this handsome gentleman with you?" she asked sweetly.
"Oh, Cordy, I know you remember Officer Harris." Xander laughed at that introduction.
"Officer? Xander's a cop?" Another friend had approached.
"Willow!" Buffy hugged her old best friend.
"Xander's a cop," he confirmed in the third person.
"And Buffy is working for the district attorney, " Cordelia added.
"And everyone in the country knows what Cordelia's been doing," the slayer chimed in. "How about you, Willow?"
"I'm a computer programmer," she replied proudly.
"Oh!" Cordelia suddenly remembered her date. "Everybody, this is Lance, he's one of the producers on the show." They introduced themselves to the handsome older man.
"Hey, are you going to introduce..." Xander began.
"Oh, of course," Willow said quickly. "This is my partner, Davis. She's an accountant."
"I have a really great idea. We should..." Buffy was interrupted.
"Isn't that Oz?" Xander asked. The others looked.
"Oz!" Buffy called. "Wanna come with us?"
"Where?"
"Well," the slayer explained, "I was just about to suggest that we pay a visit to Giles."
"Oh! That would be so great! I haven't seen him in practically forever," Willow replied joyously.
The others seemed equally accepting of the idea and they left. Buffy and Xander led the way to a small dusty-looking shop. Inside, the walls were made up of brimming shelves of huge leather-bound books. Towers of ancient looking tomes reached toward the ceiling. They entered the little store carefully, avoiding knocking over the stacked volumes.
"Giles?" Buffy called out. The former librarian emerged from behind a heavy oaken desk.
"Buffy, Xander..." he greeted them, but as he saw the others his tone changed to one of confusion. "Willow, Cordelia, Oz..." He removed his glasses, wiping the lenses and settling them back on the bridge of his nose. "What are you all doing here of all places?"
"The reunion," Buffy reminded him.
"We were all in town for the reunion and thought we'd pay you a visit," Willow said with a friendly smile. Giles managed to locate a sufficient number of folding chairs and the old friends all sat in a close cluster.
"Well, what have you all been doing since I last saw you?" he asked.
"I'll start," Cordelia volunteered. "For those of you who don't know, I've been starring on the finest soap opera on the air today. The man sitting here next to me is my boyfriend, Lance. He's one of the show's producers. This year, I have been nominated for a daytime Emmy award for the third time and Lance assures me that this is the year. I'm going to win it this time," she said determinedly.
"Congratulations, I'm glad to hear that your dreams are coming true," Giles said politely. "What about you, Willow?"
"It's actually kind of funny," she began, "after I moved to Boston and got my degree, I ended up coming back out to California. I have a job in San Francisco as a computer programmer. While I was in Boston I met Davis and she was also able to get a job in San Francisco-- she's an accountant-- so we've been living together since we moved out here about eight months ago."
"It's good to know your computer skills are being put to use," Giles replied. "Oz?"
"Just another could-have-been rock star. Record contract, drugs and alcohol, legal troubleā¦more alcohol, more drugs..." He stared at the floor as he spoke. "Almost died last year," Oz added, almost as an afterthought.
"What?" Buffy looked at him. "How?"
"Accidental drug overdose...on purpose," he replied. He shrugged.
"Accidental on purpose?" Giles asked.
"You tell people it was accidental 'cause you don't want to admit that you were too drunk to kill yourself properly..."
They all fell silent for a moment after that. "Buffy, Xander, why don't you tell your friends what you've been up to?" Giles suggested to finally break the awkward quiet.
"Law school for Buffy, police academy for me. She works for the DA...we're out there punishing evil-doers just like always. And..." Xander trailed off to let Buffy continue.
"We're engaged," she announced.
"To each other?" Cordelia gasped.
"Yes, to each other," the slayer replied with a laugh.
"Congratulations," Giles sputtered, revealing that even he hadn't known. As Buffy and Xander were accepting the congratulations of their somewhat stunned friends, Buffy saw a sudden brilliance flare before her eyes.
"It seems wrong that he's making jokes. People died on graduation day."
"Buffy, people died during every event of our high school careers," Xander reminded her, "Homecoming, the field trips, prom, picture day, graduation day, career day, Tuesday...."
"I know, but that doesn't mean it's okay to make light."
"Highest mortality rate in the US. We can't take death seriously here, honey, the suicide rate would skyrocket." That made Buffy smile.
"I have to admit, I'm anxious to find out what the gang's been up to since we last saw them."
"Afraid they won't be impressed, Miss working-for-the-district-attorney-graduated-from-law-school?" Xander teased.
"Law school? Well, I'm impressed," a familiar voice commented from behind them.
"Well, we can't all be Daytime Emmy Award nominated actresses like you...Cordelia Chase," Buffy replied as she turned to greet her old schoolmate.
"You are too kind. And who is this handsome gentleman with you?" she asked sweetly.
"Oh, Cordy, I know you remember Officer Harris." Xander laughed at that introduction.
"Officer? Xander's a cop?" Another friend had approached.
"Willow!" Buffy hugged her old best friend.
"Xander's a cop," he confirmed in the third person.
"And Buffy is working for the district attorney, " Cordelia added.
"And everyone in the country knows what Cordelia's been doing," the slayer chimed in. "How about you, Willow?"
"I'm a computer programmer," she replied proudly.
"Oh!" Cordelia suddenly remembered her date. "Everybody, this is Lance, he's one of the producers on the show." They introduced themselves to the handsome older man.
"Hey, are you going to introduce..." Xander began.
"Oh, of course," Willow said quickly. "This is my partner, Davis. She's an accountant."
"I have a really great idea. We should..." Buffy was interrupted.
"Isn't that Oz?" Xander asked. The others looked.
"Oz!" Buffy called. "Wanna come with us?"
"Where?"
"Well," the slayer explained, "I was just about to suggest that we pay a visit to Giles."
"Oh! That would be so great! I haven't seen him in practically forever," Willow replied joyously.
The others seemed equally accepting of the idea and they left. Buffy and Xander led the way to a small dusty-looking shop. Inside, the walls were made up of brimming shelves of huge leather-bound books. Towers of ancient looking tomes reached toward the ceiling. They entered the little store carefully, avoiding knocking over the stacked volumes.
"Giles?" Buffy called out. The former librarian emerged from behind a heavy oaken desk.
"Buffy, Xander..." he greeted them, but as he saw the others his tone changed to one of confusion. "Willow, Cordelia, Oz..." He removed his glasses, wiping the lenses and settling them back on the bridge of his nose. "What are you all doing here of all places?"
"The reunion," Buffy reminded him.
"We were all in town for the reunion and thought we'd pay you a visit," Willow said with a friendly smile. Giles managed to locate a sufficient number of folding chairs and the old friends all sat in a close cluster.
"Well, what have you all been doing since I last saw you?" he asked.
"I'll start," Cordelia volunteered. "For those of you who don't know, I've been starring on the finest soap opera on the air today. The man sitting here next to me is my boyfriend, Lance. He's one of the show's producers. This year, I have been nominated for a daytime Emmy award for the third time and Lance assures me that this is the year. I'm going to win it this time," she said determinedly.
"Congratulations, I'm glad to hear that your dreams are coming true," Giles said politely. "What about you, Willow?"
"It's actually kind of funny," she began, "after I moved to Boston and got my degree, I ended up coming back out to California. I have a job in San Francisco as a computer programmer. While I was in Boston I met Davis and she was also able to get a job in San Francisco-- she's an accountant-- so we've been living together since we moved out here about eight months ago."
"It's good to know your computer skills are being put to use," Giles replied. "Oz?"
"Just another could-have-been rock star. Record contract, drugs and alcohol, legal troubleā¦more alcohol, more drugs..." He stared at the floor as he spoke. "Almost died last year," Oz added, almost as an afterthought.
"What?" Buffy looked at him. "How?"
"Accidental drug overdose...on purpose," he replied. He shrugged.
"Accidental on purpose?" Giles asked.
"You tell people it was accidental 'cause you don't want to admit that you were too drunk to kill yourself properly..."
They all fell silent for a moment after that. "Buffy, Xander, why don't you tell your friends what you've been up to?" Giles suggested to finally break the awkward quiet.
"Law school for Buffy, police academy for me. She works for the DA...we're out there punishing evil-doers just like always. And..." Xander trailed off to let Buffy continue.
"We're engaged," she announced.
"To each other?" Cordelia gasped.
"Yes, to each other," the slayer replied with a laugh.
"Congratulations," Giles sputtered, revealing that even he hadn't known. As Buffy and Xander were accepting the congratulations of their somewhat stunned friends, Buffy saw a sudden brilliance flare before her eyes.
