Title: Morbid Curiosity

Author: DC – devils_symphony@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: If I had created 'Buffy', I wouldn't be here. Don't own, don't sue. 'Cept the plot. No one can claim that but me.

Author's Notes: Yo. Here's chapter two, new, improved and beta'd (thanks Rogue!). Have fun.

---

Startled Awake and Forced Asleep

---

By the time Xander and the rest and trooped back into the Bronze, the band had changed. Slow, alternative music was filling the club, and the masses danced slowly as one. Sweet, soft electrical guitar played next to an equally sweet violin, filling the song with melancholy as the singer, clad in black denim, crooned into the microphone. Xander, visibly shaking, sat down at a vacant table, as the one they had been sitting at was taken over. The group sat down, and, with one chair missing, Gunn stood behind Faith, a hand on her shoulder, which she ignored as she looked at Xander for his reaction. William stared at the centre of the table, while Tara rested her clasped hands on the table, looking sympathetic.

"What…" started Xander, but his voice came out wrong. He shook his head. "What was that? What happened out there?"

"Pretty much standard vamp attack," Gunn said quietly, exchanging a glance with Faith.

"Vamp."

"Vampire," confirmed Faith, her voice as quiet as Gunn's, a tone Xander had never heard her take – it sounded sorrowful, regretful, as if she hadn't wanted that to happen at all. "It's kind of a Sunnydale gimmick. They're pretty plentiful here."

"As I said in the library, the graveyards, the oddities this place has to offer," William said, looking up. "Vampires, demons, witches, werewolves…they're all too true."

"We try and fight them," said Tara, she and William exchanging a glance. This reminded Xander of concerned parents. "Try. It's hard, y'know, but we try. We can't not do this, though. Too many vampires out there. If we didn't fight back, we…we'd be overrun."

"Supposing this is real…you're just kids. Like me. Just kids. Why don't you let the police or adults sort this out?" asked Xander, his hands held up in question. He leant back in his chair, looking from grave face to grave face.

"Well, first off, what are we gonna tell the cops?" asked Gunn with a shrug. "'Yo, we got vamps,' won't cut it. Adults, people who ain't us, don't believe in this crap. And even if they did, they wouldn't understand. What do the cops do? They shoot if they have to, but bullets won't kill a vampire, or most other of the evil creatures out there."

"None of them are prepared to understand," added Tara.

"And besides, we're not just kids," said Faith, leaning forward and crossing her arms on the table, looking at Xander evenly. "Gunn lives and breathes fighting vamps, it's how he was raised. Will digs this supernatural stuff, he's handy with a stake as well as a reference book. Tara…she's one of the white witches out there."

"I do small spells, like, defense magicks and stuff, it's nothing big," the strawberry blonde reassured. "I'm not that great a witch, I've just started learning."

"And what do you do? What's your gimmick?" asked Xander, meeting Faith's even stare.

Xander was met with a smirk. "Well, I'm the Slayer," she said, leaning back into her chair now and interlocking her fingers behind her head in a relaxed posture. Xander arched an eyebrow in question. "One girl in all the world with the strength to defeat the forces of evil and whatever."

"Faith's gifted with supernatural speed, strength and senses," William explained, faltering a little under Xander's hard, disbelieving stare. "The Slayer is a girl Chosen out of each generation to fight the forces of darkness. When Faith dies," he flickered an apologetic glance towards Faith, who shrugged, "another girl will be Chosen to take the burden. Faith is humanity's only defense against the demons." He gave Xander a slightly wry half-smile. "With the exception of us, of course."

"We don't expect you to believe this right away," Tara said, leaning over and placing a motherly hand on Xander's. "We didn't, at first. But when faced with evidence like what you witnessed just now, it got hard not to believe."

"No, it very easy to not believe," said Xander. He pulled his hand away and stood up. "That guy out there, I don't know, but he wasn't a vampire. They don't exist. Neither do witches, or werewolves, or demons. I mean come on, this is a place named Sunnydale-"

"It's also the Hellmouth."

Xander paused, looking at Faith, who had stood as well. "What?"

"The Hellmouth, the Mouth of Hell, do I have to spell it out?" she snapped.

"Faith-" started William.

"No, shut up Will, I'm not done!" William's jaw clenched, but he didn't continue his sentence. "We live on the Hellmouth, Harris. I have to stop it from swallowing this place up, okay? Because it's an entrance to the big ol' fiery hole, that means all of the creepy shit is attracted. You think that guy out there was bad? Try fighting a werewolf. Try killing a fully armored demon. Try and stop a pending apocalypse. This is all real, Xander, and you can leave now if you don't want to accept it. But don't think I didn't see a spark of recognition when you saw ugly-face out there. I think you know what really happened to that girl at your school."

Xander's blood froze, and he glared accusingly at William. "That's what you were implying, wasn't it? That my best friend was killed and drained by some blood-sucking fictional character?" William didn't meet his stare. "I don't believe this," said Xander darkly. "I don't believe any of this." With that, he turned on his heel and strode through the Bronze, weaving his way through the hordes of teens and college students, determined not to look back. He banged his way out the door and into the chilly night. The door closed behind him, and he started at a run, pulling his jacket around him-

-and there was a shriek as he plowed into someone, both he and the figure crashing down. "Oh – my – god! I twisted my ankle!" said a shrilly voice. Xander opened his eyes to see he was lying on top of none other than Cordelia Chase. "Get off me you pervert!" she yelled, and he quickly scrambled off her. She used him as leverage to get to her feet and she dusted herself off furiously. "God, what the hell is your problem!" she snapped, and then she stopped when she recognised him. "Xander Harris?" she sneered, running a hand through her long brown hair, chocolate eyes blazing. "Oh – my – god!" she said again. "You're a freak and a pervert!" She turned her back on him and banged her way through the door viscously, almost killing a guy who was coming out. Xander gritted his teeth and turned, sighing defeatedly.

A good day, ending with a bad night. Could it get any worse?

---

"Hey!" Xander called outside of the girl's locker room. Friend forever and for life, was taking her time in there. "We're gonna be late!" It wasn't like he was eagerly anticipating the math detention that awaited both of them, but his best friend was going to make it worse for both of them if she was any longer. Glancing around and hoping that he wouldn't be accused as a peeping tom, Xander reluctantly entered the locker room.

It was quiet and empty and not at all like the visuals he liked to imagine that a girl's locker room would be like. Yup, the place was devoid of blonde and brunette girl's wandering around in itty bitty towels, laughing and pulling at said towels until one may slip… Nah, it was lots like the guy's locker room, and it was empty.

"Yo, c'mon, math ain't bad enough if we piss off Ms. Green!" Xander complained, still walking amongst the lockers. A few stickers made one of the lockers different from the rest – it read 'L.A Cheerleaders Kick Ass!' Xander would never have dreamed befriending the head cheerleader, but he figured he was cheating by befriending her before she became a cheerleader. Since they were in preschool. "You're hiding, aren't you?" he asked cheerfully, pausing before turning down yet another small corridor of lockers, bypassing showers.

Suddenly, the silence seemed all too much, deafening. His own footsteps spoke warnings, the warmth in the air clinging and uncomfortable. A sense of dread over took his otherwise jovial mood, and it wasn't just because of math detention. He rounded the corner slowly, and his blood chilled when he saw an arm lying on the ground, the rest of the body obscured from his vision as he stopped rounding the corner. The arm that he could see didn't move, and he shivered at the pale quality it had taken.

"B-Buffy?"

Xander woke up with a start, shaking violently, cold sweat making his forehead shiny and his hair damp. Breathing hard, he lay back down in bed, pulling the covers around him and squeezing his eyes shut. His eyelashes were damp from suppressed tears and they only begun to dry as he drifted into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

---

The next morning, Xander wasn't in the most positive frame of mind as he walked down the halls of Sunnydale High. Now that he had pretty much secluded himself from both Faith's group and Cordelia's group, he felt so very alone. The dream involving Buffy was far from comforting and not a good way to end off an already bad night. He felt like he was going insane.

And now he was meant to face the school counselor in two periods of class.

He sighed and bent down to get a drink form the fountain, when he heard a familiar and irritating voice come floating down the halls. "And then he just leaped at me! I fell and he lay on me and I had hurt my ankle, and then he tried to feel me up! He's a freak, no question, but come on, only a real sick creep would do that, am I right?"

Xander's blood froze, not for the first time in the past couple of days. Great, he could almost feel the rumors spreading. He stood, turning off the drinking fountain tap and turning to see Cordelia, her minions, and a few guys with football jackets on walking over to where he was. "Oh, that's him," Cordelia said, as if Xander were an exhibit at a museum. "I told you, he looks and dresses like a freak to, as well as act like one." They passed him in a cloud of giggles, flirtations and perfume mingled with cologne. Trying not to let this new information get him down, Xander turned and almost ran into William.

"Woah!" Xander cried, backing up a step. "Hey Houdini, new trick? Appear out of nowhere and frighten the bejesus out of any poor soul?"

William laughed softly, but it was covered with a healthy dose of concern. "Sorry about last night," he said, fiddling with the tartan hem of yet another Mrs. Wyther creation, which did noth to compliment the cream coloured silk, the cherry red cuffs and the seventies-wide lapels of the same colour. "It must be…"

"Listen, it's hard to know, I mean, vampires?" said Xander. "Tara was right, it's hard not to believe when you just saw some guy with big ugly fangs bite a girl and then turn into ashes when killed. But it's not a great ride to the path of believing, y'know? It's…not easy to accept."

"I know," said William, "at first I was reluctant to believe. Gunn already knew, and Faith had her super strength to convince her, and Tara already knew about magicks…but it took me a while. And then one night…" He trailed off, and then, hesitantly, he pulled back his shirt a little, to expose more skin on his neck. Just at the base of it, was faint scarring, and Xander shivered. It looked uncannily similar to the wounds on his friend's neck, only less. "Faith saved me, by a fraction, and since that, I was all for the believing, and more importantly, the killing of vampires. I was interested in occultism anyway, as Faith mentioned last night. Being bitten was a wake up call." He readjusted his shirt, and then looked at Xander meaningfully. "I'm sorry to bring this up again, but I doubt your friend was stabbed in the neck with scissors. The pictures in the paper…they look too similar to things I've seen far to often in my life."

"I'm starting to believe," said Xander, glancing at the floor when William's eyes lit up with relief at progress. "But…I think I just need to be alone." It hadn't been what he had originally wanted; he wanted to just be accepted by people but… He was starting to see possibilities of true evil, and it scared him, especially to think that his friend had been a victim of the said evil.

William nodded in understanding, and turned. "Wait, Will," said Xander, and William turned. "My friend…she was bitten, I think. I saw her tombstone. It said her name – Buffy Summers, her age – my age, her virtues – too many to fit on it. She was my best friend in the entire world. It kills me to think that whatever that the man last night was, was the same thing that got her. And it makes me angry and I realize that I'm starting to believe." William's expression didn't change, but he tilted his head, listening intently. "If there is truth in this, and evil, then I'll believe. Just let me think on it. I'll…see you some time."

"See you later, then."

---

Computing had been fun, surprisingly enough. Xander had never been one for the world of technology, but it had been fun to be paired up with Tara, the only familiar face in that class. She, like Will, had said her many apologies about the other night, but Xander had waved it away, and the two had spent the period clicking on the mouse, tapping on the keyboard and generally carrying out enjoyable small talk, about hobbies, likes and dislikes, bitching about Cordelia Chase. Just things in general. When the bell went, they exited the class together.

"Math next, big yay," Tara said sarcastically.

"Big yay, because I'm not going," Xander said. Before Tara could say the inevitable 'why?' Xander continued. "Flutie's making me see the school counselor for a once-off session. Do you know where his or her's office is?"

"Oh, yeah, it's on this hall, actually," said Tara, looking a little concerned. "Just two doors down there. Her name's Ms. Calendar. Why do you…" She glanced at the floor bashfully. "Sorry, that isn't my business. See you at break, then?" Xander nodded, received a hug from the strawberry blonde – she even smelled like strawberries – before heading in the opposite direction, towards Ms. Calendar's office. Xander sighed, submitting to yet another counselling session, before knocking on the door. 'Here we go, another day, another counselor. She'll probably ask me about my hobbies, or future goals, or something. Best not to mention the dream last night or she'll think I'm actually here for a reason other than Fl-'

"Come in!" called the predictably female voice. Xander twisted the door handled, opened the door and stepped inside. She stood from behind her desk, smiling in greeting, her feminine-styled suit the colour of charcoal, her hair a few shades darker. Her lips were coloured a modest, almost earthy shade of red, matching her moderately long nails perfectly. This was something Xander hadn't counted for – Ms. Calendar was hot. It almost wasn't fair – Xander knew that he wasn't supposed to think a member of school faculty as hot. It was not the natural order of things. He closed the door behind with an orderly click, and he pressed his back up against his, mouth agape.

"Hello, Xander, I presume?" she asked. She spoke in a businesswoman fashion, even as she smiled softly. She extended a hand. "Please, sit down. I'm Ms. Calendar."

"Hello," Xander managed, stepping forward to take her hand. Soft, youthful, as if Ms. Calendar wasn't over twenty. And she is, thought Xander, so stop it, close your mouth and sit the hell down! He obeyed the voice of reason in his head and sat, jaw snapping shut. She was a school counselor, just like any other he had encountered. But this one was… Xander mentally slapped himself. Stop taking notice of her deep, penetrating eyes, or her silky smooth dark hair, or her very youthful looking curves, or her smooth tanned skin, or- 'Oh for crying out loud.'

"So, Xander," she started, closing a cream coloured file and shifting it aside. She smiled and clasped her hands together. "This is your second day at Sunnydale High. How goes everything so far?"

Ah, this was familiar. The chatty small talk, as if she really cared and wasn't counting down the days, hours, minutes until her next paycheck would arrive. She'd start asking him about his future goals, or something. "Fine." Wow, that was so damn convincing. Memo: don't pick drama for next terms options.

"Fitting in okay?"

Yeah, it's great. I found out that vampires exist, I met a 'Slayer', a witch and two other vampire hunters, I saw a vampire die the other day and I've only just recently found out that I have a thing for older women. I'm fitting in great and it's all peachy. How are you today? "I think so. Made a few friends."

"That's great," she said, with a certain sincerity that made Xander believe that she actually cared. "Now, I was just reading up on a little report. This girl at your old school, Buffy Summers. I am so sorry by the way," she added meaningfully, reaching over to clasp his hand sympathetically. If it weren't for the twang of pain he felt for his deceased best friend, Xander would have keeled over from the contact. Ms. Calendar withdrew her hand – 'NOOOO!' – and continued. "It says he that you found her. Xander, this is going to sound a little weird, but do you ever dream about that day or things related to that day?"

Xander glanced away, shifting nervously. "Once, the day after. But you know, I've gone through therapy and come out the other side sane and kicking-"

"Hm, yes, I understand that," said Calendar. "Let's forget that conversation." She waved a hand, dismissing said conversation, and Xander gave a small half-smile in return. "Now, let's talk about your future goals, shall we?"

---

Xander emerged from Ms. Calendar's office, just as the bell rang, signaling break. The chatty small talk had gone on predictably. Xander had ratted off about his goals that involved some things he figured she'd want to hear, like achieving well in school. Then more predictable questions had followed: what hobbies do you enjoy? How's home life? What's your favourite subject? (Followed by, as usual, a small laugh and a 'oh yeah, I always loved that subject too!') And then, there was at the end, the token statement of: 'Well Xander, if you need anything – anything – just drop in, I'm here for you. Remember, there's nothing to big or to small that can't be talked out with an adult you can trust.'

All the while Xander had been sneaking glances at the little 'V' of skin just under he neck. Xander wasn't exactly one to really ogle at anyone, but Ms. Calendar just radiated sexuality, for some reason. It made Xander want to sit down in baggy pants for a while and thing of boring, cold things, so that no one could accuse him of truth behind Cordelia's statements. Xander hardly ever checked out girls, let alone older women, and it was then that he felt adolescence had truly hit home – again. For the umpteenth time. Suddenly feeling very hungry, Xander started towards the cafeteria. He had been slightly late getting out of bed, and had avoided lateness by not fixing a lunch and just grabbing five bucks.

"Yo, Xander." Xander paused to let Gunn catch up with him. Predictably, the boy wore something similar to yesterday – five layers of clothing that made him seem buff and intimidating rather than fat, including a dark green hooded jacket, the hood hanging limply under his backpack. "You weren't in math, and Tara was all 'it's not my place to tell you' so it's now my place to ask you, where were you?"

"Counselor, Ms. Calendar," said Xander. Gunn gave him a wide grin.

"Man, she's hot for school staff, eh?" he asked, and Xander's shoulder slumped with relief.

"So very glad I'm not the only one."

"Nah man, she's got half the school hot for her. So what'd she have to say?"

"It was just a 'get to know you' thing. No big."

"Yeah." There was a pause as they walked towards the cafeteria. "Hey, just wanted to say that I don't blame you for running out of the Bronze last night. It must have been kinda trippy to see your first vampire and all."

"Very trippy with a side of stumble. But I think I'll cope." Xander glanced at Gunn. "Do you think I'm still on speaking terms with Faith?"

"Yeah. She gets hell mad in the short term, but it burns out pretty damn quick." Gunn opened the cafeteria doors and both walked inside, getting routinely bustled but the bustling crowd of bustles. They quickly conformed to the fast paced crowds and got into line, picking up trays as they stood patiently behind the long line of students.

"In L.A we had a butch man-woman thing serving 'Tuesday Surprise' in a big spoon," Xander said conversationally. "But this seems better. Having nice neat little packages on the warm benches thingies."

"Heat chutes."

"Say whatta?"

"We call 'em 'heat chutes' for lack of a better name," Gunn explained, grabbing a lukewarm pasta and white sauce in a decent sized disposable plastic lunch box. Xander took one that contained a burger wrapped up in cooking papers with a side of wilting salad.

"And whaddaya call the benches for cold stuffs?" asked Xander, taking a cake desert thing that was slathered sinfully in chocolate. It was wrapped up in glad wrap and Xander was pretty sure the chocolate would come off, but, hey, it was still chocolate.

"Um, we call 'em the 'benches for cold stuffs'," said Gunn, and then shrugged, taking a wrapped up apple muffin. "Hell, I dunno, its just the spot in the 'teria that gives us free food."

"Fair enough." Their trays suitably loaded with food-like things, they made their way through the crowds, looking around. "You're tall, do you see anywhere?" asked Xander, trying to steady the lunch box before it slid off the end of his tray.

"Yeah, over here," said Gunn, veering to the left. The intimidating student seemed to create a suitable path, so Xander happily stood behind Gunn to get full benefit from said path. "Hey guys," Gunn said, sitting down in a seat. Xander sat down next to him to find that he was right opposite Faith and next to William, who gave him a welcoming smile.

"Hi Faith," Xander said a little tentatively.

"Hey Xan," said Faith. She picked at her chocolate muffin, glancing at him. "Rough night?"

"The roughiest."

"You mean the roughest?" asked Tara, from where she sat next to faith and opposite Gunn. She smiled a little to show she wasn't so serious and didn't think him to be illiterate.

"Yeah, that one," Xander said with a nod.

"I get that," Faith said. She sighed, shoving the mutilated muffin aside. "Listen, Xander, sorry 'bout exploding the other night-"

"It's fine."

"Nah, really-"

"It's fine," said Xander, a little bit more firmly. He lifted the lid of the plastic lunch box in front of him, stabbing at the wilting salad with the included plastic fork. "I was a little freaked, a little wigged out. But it's fine." Faith nodded and they exchanged a small smile.

"Hey, is Xander a fully fledged Scooby?" asked Tara brightly, nibbling on a carrot stick.

"A what now?" asked Xander, looking at everyone, glad that the tense demeanor of the group had been lifted.

"A Scooby," William repeated with an amused smirk. "It's a rather correct analogy Tara made up a few months back."

"Analogy to what?"

"Mystery Inc. in 'Scooby Doo'," Gunn said. "We fight the forces of darkness and solve supernatural mysteries. So if you're one of us, you're a Scooby."

"Most of the time we have to just crack books and make notes on the crazy crap that goes on here, but sometimes we break out with the fighting," Faith said, biting into her muffin. "And we get wicked cool weapons."

"Sounds neat," said Xander, unwrapping his burger. "Where'd you get the weapons from?"

"Well," started William, "you remember Ethan Rayne, a 7 on the Richter scale of freakiness as you so adequately put in?" Xander shuddered in response. "He's Faith's Watcher." He continued when Xander's befuddled expression said it all. "A Watcher is a man or woman who keeps track of the Slayer's progress while she trains and battles with demons, monsters…" Suddenly, the table had a new member, when a girl dressed on in black sat down opposite William. Xander blinked. The girl, a senior, had rather sickly pale skin, her hair falling in dark tresses over her shoulders. She wore a black dress and a black collar. Her eyes glinted rather strangely, and Xander tried not to shiver. "Erm," stammered William, "and that is the main plot of th-that n-novel I, um, I leant you," he covered up. "Drusilla, what do you want?"

Faith rolled her eyes a little in the girl's, Drusilla's, general direction, and Tara stared down at her food. "Oh come on William," Drusilla said, her voice English, cockney, "what's wrong with letting family join you and your friends?"

"Family?" blurted Xander, and William sighed wearily.

"Drusilla is my cousin-in-law," he said disdainfully. "My uncle married her mother a year back and so the story goes."

"We also live on the same street, isn't that so, Will?" she asked playfully. She had a slow, deliberate way of talking that reminded Xander of simpering, or perhaps a cat, personified, who was acting less than her age. In short, Drusilla seemed slutty to Xander, despite the modest black dress that reached her ankles. She wore no makeup, with the exception of the heavy black that surrounded her eyes. Xander thought she looked…dead.

"And therefore I see you all the time so you can leave. Now," William said in a tone Xander would never have associated with him. Drusilla pouted, but she rose from her chair, circling the table so she stood next to William, who looked at her wearily. Slowly, like a pair of snakes, she round her arms gently around his neck in an almost threatening embrace, and Xander notice William stiffen.

"Until we meet again then, cousin," she said, emphasis on the word cousin. She sauntered off, and William shuddered melodramatically.

"Dude, your family is just plain weird," Faith said, arching an eyebrow.

"I hate my family," the Brit sighed, and, without hesitation, there was a slight thump as his forehead connected with the table, arms folded above his head. Xander patted him on the shoulder lightly and sympathetically, before his started munching on his burger.

"They don't hate you," supplied Gunn unhelpfully. "And hey, look at the bright side. You get to be the normal one."

"Gunn, I research and kill the forces of darkness for an extracurricular activity, how am I normal?" came William's muffled reply. Gunn blinked and then gave a wry grin.

"Got me there. Yup, you and your family are all quirky. Deal."

There was a slight and obscured cry of dismay from William and everyone exchanged a round of amused glances. "So hey, if Xander wants to be a Scooby, he can come with us to the library after school to have a rundown with Ethan," Tara said excitedly. "We have regular Scooby meetings to see if there's anything we should be looking out for." Her excitement faded a little. "Oh, that's if you want to be a Scooby, 'cuz, just for a warning? We know not what the meaning of normality is. Ever."

"So, you can be a decent student with average grades, normal friends, mediocre hobbies and grow up to get a reasonable wage and become one of those sparkling citizens America loves so much, or," Faith said, pausing for effect. "You can sacrifice normality, deal with actual reality that there is evil in the world, come home late, learn more first aid than you can begin to imagine, let your grades drop a little and fight for the side of good without recognition or gratitude at all from said side of good. So, what's it gonna be, Harris?"

William lifted his head so he and the rest of the Scoobies could look at Xander, waiting for an answer. Xander leant back, before smiling wryly. "Do I get a membership card?"

---

The rest of the day went on without a hitch. Cordelia and the Cordettes, as Gunn had taken to calling them, had mostly ignored Xander, and he hadn't heard any rumors about attempted rape, so that was a definite plus. Science was dull but they did only practicals and went away homework-less. Social Studies was fine and Xander was able to hand in the little homework that was required – a sketchy paragraph on what he thought was the meaning behind the words 'Environmental Impact'. English was probably the most lazy thing Xander had done all day – as the class still worked on the project that had been given far before Xander had arrived, he didn't have anything to do except grin when Gunn glared at him in jealousy.

Finally, the bell, the sweet beautiful bell, rang out loudly, and Xander stood, things already packed away in his bag, as there was no need to get stuff out. He walked out into the still empty hallway, waiting patiently as the rest of the class started filing out. Gunn promptly whapped him over the head. "Lazy ass," he said, and Xander snickered. Faith and Tara walked out, chatting about something, and then, finally, William emerged from the depths of the classroom.

"You're the last one out, what were you doing?" asked Faith.

William grinned happily. "Mr. Gerald," – the English teacher – "leant me a poetry book because he was noticing that I was writing a lot of poetry in my journal and he said that I'd rather enjoy it and that I was going very well in English and was passing with flying colours and-"

"Yo, slow down," laughed Gunn, and William settled for grinning as if he'd been given a Spiderman comic book that was signed by its creator. Or maybe that was just Xander. "You're so revved up on an itty bitty comment by a teacher? Man oh man are you gonna be annoying when we get our report cards."

"Hey, can we start migrating towards the library? This scene's old," Faith complained, though she flashed a supportive smile in William's direction. The group of five headed down to the library, chatting, though William had gotten out aforementioned poetry book and was reading avidly, trusting Tara to guide him and not letting him bump into things, as the strawberry blonde put a hand on the small of his silk-clad back.

"Trust me, all that crap Anne Rice writes about vampires is such…crap."

"But it's still good reading," Tara was arguing to Faith, just as Xander noticed a large crowd milling around the library's entrance.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I never knew how avid Sunnydale students were to learn," Xander said, and the other four looked up. They all glanced at each other before breaking into light jogs, and then shoving their way methodically through the crowd.

"Yo Ethan!" bellowed Gunn. The creepy, cool, calm collected man Xander had seen yesterday was edgy and nervous now as he walked over to them. Xander stood next to Gunn, and William hovered somewhere behind him. Tara stood on the other side of Gunn, looking worried and apprehensive, and Faith positioned herself in front of the group, a natural born leader.

"Oh goddess!" cried Tara, when she saw what all the fuss was about. Xander saw her flutter a pale hand to her mouth as her greenish blue eyes filled with tears of sympathy. It was then Xander, through the policemen and women that had arrived at the library saw Drusilla, lying dead and stone cold on the floor. Her brown eyes were wide and glazed over, her mouth slightly parted. A small pool of blood lay cooling on the carpet just under her neck, and Xander tried not to gag when he saw the obvious bite mark he had seen a month ago on Buffy Summers, the same pattern scarred on the base of William's neck. As this thought ran through Xander's head, William stepped next to Xander so he could see. Before Xander could warn him, William gave a small cry and looked away, blue eyes wide behind his spectacles.

"Dude," murmured Gunn, his eyes glued to the scene.

"Oh god," said Xander, as he took in the girl's prone form, the prominent bite mark, the blood, the dazed, dead look in her eyes... Students fled and some gathered, making the crowd denser as they tried to get a peek at the dead body that was Drusilla.

"Lord," William was saying, and Xander turned to him. They met eyes before William turned and left the crowd, looking thoroughly shaken. Xander glanced back at Faith, who was talking to Ethan quietly. Gunn still stared at the horror, and Tara was looking stricken, backing up a couple of steps. Making a quick decision, Xander followed William, who was making fast time down the hall.

"Wait, Will!" called Xander, and when the boy didn't stop, Xander broke into a run, grabbing William's arm and turning him around. The Brit had turned paler that usual, and was shaking. "Are you okay?" Stupid question, but the only one that sounded right.

"Yeah…yes, I'm…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Dear god. I didn't like the girl but she didn't deserve that…" William trailed off once more, taking a few deep, quivering breaths. "I've seen a lot of dead bodies, but it never ceases to shock me. And she was there, today, alive. And now she's stone cold…"

"Hey," said Xander gently. "Are you going to be okay?" William nodded, and Xander removed his hand from the Brit's arm. "Good. C'mon, let's regroup." He led the now quiet William towards where Faith and the rest, including Ethan, had gathered, away from the now dispersing crowd around the entrance of the library.

"Hey Will," Tara said gently, looking fretful and motherly. She embraced the boy, who smiled a little.

"You okay man?" asked Gunn.

"I'm fine, really," said William in reply, disentangling himself from Tara. "Really. Mr. Rayne," he looked at Ethan, "how did she die?"

"The police are concocting all sorts of theories," said Ethan, rolling his eyes a little, "like suicide and an accident or a murder, as if she was stabbed in the neck." Xander shivered as his eyes met with Ethan's. "But it was, of course…" He trailed off, and looked at Faith meaningfully.

"Yeah, Xan's one of us," she confirmed, and the two students exchanged bittersweet smiles.

"She was bitten," Ethan said, glancing around to see if anyone was listening in. "I don't know how a vampire could have gotten into the school, but it happened. I was out, tracking down a student who was keeping an overdue book, and when I returned I found her. I rung up the authorities to take her body away, but not before I took the time to get a good look at her neck wounds. Definitely the work of a vampire, a female one, most probably."

"How the hell did you figure out its sex?" asked Faith, befuddled.

"M-male vamp's kinda have bigger jaws and mouths," Tara answered.

"It's a sad day when a tenth grader knows these tidbits of trivia," Xander quipped.

"Faith, I want you to patrol tonight," Ethan said authoritatively. "Don't go near the Bronze."

"Hey, that's cool, you guys wanna come with?" said Faith, mainly looking at Gunn.

"All for it," he answered.

"I can't," said Tara regretfully. "Mom wants me home tonight, so we can have a cliché family dinner, or something like that."

"Will?" The boy shrugged then nodded in answer. "Xan? Wanna experience your first patrol?" asked Faith, smiling as if to say 'I dare you to say no'. "It's wicked fun, and you'll get to kick some undead ass."

"Well, who can turn down an offer like that one?"

~~~

Ta-da? Hm. Yes, NOW it's beta'd. For some reason the "new, improved" version didn't get up there right away. *shrug* Anyhoozit, hope you enjoyed it!