Buffy and Angel got Jake back to the girl's dorms by 5:20. "Angel wait here." Buffy said as she and Jake got out of the van.
"What are we doing?" Jake asked.
"We are going to find you so better clothes to wear."
"Why?" Jake asked as she opened the door to her room.
"It's a surprise."
"Alright." Jake found Lena, Caroline, and Paige inside. "Hey, guys, this is Buffy. Buffy, this is Lena, Caroline, and Paige." They all said hi, and went back to whispering among themselves. Buffy ignored them and started rummaging through Jake's closet. She pulled out black pants, a white tank, and Jake's leather jacket. "All we need it the right accessories and you'd have the perfect punk look." She commented.
Jake rolled her eyes. "Are you going to make me wear make-up, too?"
Buffy smiled, "a little."
Jake changed a let Buffy do her hair and make-up, as the three girls watched in awe. By 5:55, Buffy and Angel were driving Jake over to the boy's school. Jake heard music blasting out of the social hall. "What's going on?"
Angel and Buffy just smiled as they led her in. Jake couldn't believe her eyes. Oz and his band were playing with a bunch of Rawley kids dancing around the stage.
Ryder walked up to her. He said we would party."
Wow."
Ham appeared to her right. Wow, Jake, you look…great."
"Thanks, I think." She said touching her spiky hair. He hugged her.
"The band is really cool." Ryder said. "What are they called?"
"Dingoes Ate My Baby." Buffy said, as she grabbed Jake's hand. "Come on." She pulled Jake up to the stage. Oz winked at her as the rest of the group gathered around and started dancing. Angel hung back.
Ryder noticed and joined him. "You don't like them?"
"No, they're great. I just…" Angel sighed. "I can't dance."
"you've been around for more than 200 years and you can't dance?"
"Thanks, you know how to make a guy feel great." He smiled. "I can do the waltz and the tango, but…"
"But that's dated?" Ryder suggested.
"Yes, and it will make me look…"
"Weird?"
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"No."
As another song ended Oz grabbed the mike. "This next song is for Jake."
Jake beamed as he ran over and grabbed Angel and Ryder and pulled them to the front. Ryder turned to Angel, "you were saying?"
"Shut-up, Ryder." Angel replied with a smile.
Oz smiled at Jake as Devon grabbed the mike.
Feeling
I've been lost for years
You can never understand me
Unless you those tears
But you never get to sleep
When I'm away
I don't mind
The deeper you lay
Out of time
Pain, I can't sleep
Angel watched Spike dance and followed his lead. Spike laughed watching his grand-sire trying to copy his style. Bella grabbed Ryder and Scout to dance on either side of her. Will joined them with Xander and Anya. Jake was happy, happy to be alive, happy to have survived her first battle, and happy to have Ham at her side. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
Loaded
Loaded up this gun
There's a killer in me
Hoping
Hope that you're the one
But you always run away
When I come around
I don't mind
The day I'll track you down
Terrify
Pain, I can't sep
As the song ended and another started Angel noticed someone peculiar enter the hall. He watched as a man about Giles' age walk in. The man spoke to a student, she pointed in Angel's direction. Angel knew she wasn't pointing at him, but at Jake. "Buffy?' Angel pointed to the man.
"Who is he?" She asked.
"I don't know, but he's looking for Jake."
As that song ended, Ryder grabbed Ham and Jake and pulled them toward the bathroom.
"What's going on?" Jake asked.
"I don't know, Angel asked me to pull you out of the room."
Buffy danced with Angel when the man approached them. "Miss Summers?"
Buffy started at the man with the British accent. Angel looked at him. "Angelus!?" The man hissed.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked, before the watcher could pull out a cross and cause a scene.
"I'm here to find the new slayer."
"Why?"
"Mr. Travers sent me, I am her watcher."
Angel glared at him. "Wesley is her watcher."
"Not anymore."
Angel and Buffy told the Brit to meet them at the house tomorrow and let Jake continue to party.
The next day at the house, Buffy opened the front door and let the watcher in while the rest of the gang assembled in the parlor. The Rawley kids were asked to come over later, once Giles was sure the man was legit. Wesley stood up and glared at the man in tweed. "Why would the council send me here if I am not her watcher?" Wesley was more pissed than Angel or Buffy had ever seen him.
"I think the question is: Are you evil?" Xander interjected.
"Xander!" Anya exclaimed.
"No, remember the last replacement watcher?" Gunn and Doyle glanced at Wesley.
"Gwendolyn Post." Oz said.
"Exactly!" Xander exclaimed.
"Oh, I see you want proof." The man said. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed.
"How come you don't have a council issued cell phone?" Gunn whispered to Wesley. Wesley smiled at Gunn's comment.
"Mr. Travel's, please. John, it's Nigel Adams. He wants to talk to you." Nigel said as he handed the cell out to Wes.
Everyone watched and listened to Wesley's questioning. After five minutes he turned the cell off. "He's Jacquelyn's watcher."
"Why?" Angel asked.
"They had a problem that had to be taken care of, so they sent me to find and train her. They didn't expect Giles and Buffy."
"She's not going to like this." Spike said as he walked into the room.
"William the Bloody?" Nigel froze.
"You know we'd better call her." Buffy picked up the phone.
"Wait!" Xander exclaimed. "If he really thinks he's up to the job…"
"Xander?" Giles was confused.
"Let me call her, I have an idea." Xander and Giles went to call her from the phone in the kitchen.
"Did Xander just say he had an idea?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah, why?" Doyle asked.
"Xander's plans are infamous." Willow smiled.
"Huh?" Gunn asked.
"Rocket launcher." Oz said.
Buffy smiled.
Ten minutes later, Jake, Hamilton, Ryder, Will, Bella, and Scout walked in. Wesley stopped pacing. "Everyone, this is Nigel Adams, my replacement."
"Why are you being replaced?" Hamilton asked.
"The council only needed Wesley to fill in. I am the slayer's actual watcher." Nigel said. He then turned to Bella, "do you understand, young lady?"
"Um, yeah, but why are you asking me?"
"You're the slayer."
"No, I'm not. What kind of watcher are you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Jake's the slayer."
"Jake?" Nigel's jaw dropped, in front of him stood one girl and five boys. All five were smiling at him. "You don't mean to tell me…the…the slayer can't be." He turned and looked at Wesley, who smiled back.
"She's right, are you sure you're the watcher. You can't even see what's right in front of you." Wesley challenged.
Jake stepped up to Nigel, who was startled, when he turned back around.
"Well, you definitely aren't her." He said.
"Are you sure?" Ryder asked.
"Look all of this is very interesting, but don't we have work to do?" Jake asked as she left. Hamilton smiled at Xander as he followed her.
Nigel ignored Jake and turned back to the three remaining boys. He squinted at them. Ryder glanced at the other and then headed for the basement with the others on his heels.
"Is this some sort of game?" Nigel asked.
"Yup." Buffy said as she walked up to Nigel. "Just like those games the council likes to play with me." She walked past him toward the basement. "If you want it to end, get your council whipped butt to the basement, now!"
Nigel followed her down. He saw Jake flip over Bella and mock stake her. Spike ran over to Jake, but she flipped over him. He vamped out and growled at Nigel. He stared in shock at Spike.
"By the way we call him Spike." Buffy said. "He's harmless."
"Stop calling me that," he growled. Jake knocked him to the floor and mock staked him.
Without looking up, she spoke. "So, you figure it out yet?" She stood up. "There's a few things I need to make clear." She walked over to him. "My name is Jake, I live and attend Rawley Academy. I will not be an action figure for the council to play with. I have both friends and a boyfriend; we will not be separated. And nobody lays a hand on Ryder. Understand?"
"I have orders to follow, you are to come with me to England." Nigel said ignoring her.
Jake threw Nigel to the floor. "Understand?"
"Ye-yes."
"Good."
Buffy, Spike, Angel, and the other watched in awe.
"Well, Nigel, I guess you have your work cut out for you." Spike said lighting a cigarette.
Note: I'm not going to be able to add the next chapter for a while, due to finals.