The Bad Man Cometh

Part of the Omniverse Project

by Benji: The Vampire Confuser

Buffy and friends are owned by the WB. Nightmare on Elm Street is owned by New Line Cinema.

Alice loaded the last box into the back of her van. Closing the door she looked around for Jacob. When she didn't see him right away, she felt a brief stab of panic. Then she saw him, playing with his yo-yo in the next door neighbor's yard, teasing their new kitten.

"Jacob honey!" she called. "It's time to go!"

"Okay mom!" he answered and ran towards the car. Alice got behind the wheel and waited for Jacob to buckle up before starting the engine. She stole a sidelong glance at him as the car sped away from their old house. She caught a glimpse of their house in the rear-view mirror. For a brief second, it was not her house, it was _his_. Then she blinked, and everything was as it should be.

It had been six years since she had battled Freddy for the soul of Jacob, then still in her womb. Now she envied him that he didn't remember it. At least she didn't think he did. She still wasn't sure if he had retained some memory of the incident through their dream bond. Both had the power of the dream master. But if he didn't remember, Alice was determined he never have to hear the name Freddy.

Alice had gotten a job as a student teacher in a small Californian town. She smiled at the sight of the sign before her.

NOW LEAVING SPRINGWOOD, PLEASE COME AGAIN

I don't know if you're still alive Krueger. she thought. And now, I don't care. You'll never hurt me or my son again.

Several days later, Giles took out his keys and unlocked the door of the library, desperately needing coffee. He'd been up all night with Buffy, a group of Vampires had decided to go for a night on the town. Giles suspected that Buffy would be less tired than he. After all, she was the slayer.

Giles got the coffee maker out and started it. While he waited he got out his pocket calendar and checked the days events. Two books were due, he figured they'd be late but he didn't mind. It was rare that any books were checked out anyway. The important thing about today however was that he was to get an assistant. She was officially a student teacher, but she'd been assigned to the library while she pursued her teaching degree. Hmmmm, Alice Walker. he thought. She's due here in about-

"Excuse me," a feminine voice called from the doorway.

Now.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Mr. Rupert Giles?" she asked.

"Oh please," he smiled, "Just call me Giles. Are you Alice Walker?"

"Yes I am."

"Ah, welcome to Sunnydale." he smiled, extending his hand.

"Thank you." she said. "I'm very glad to be here." She shook his hand firmly.

"So, I suppose you'd like the grand tour." he said, gesturing towards the library behind him.

"That would be wonderful." she smiled.

Giles began by pointing out the separate sections of books. Then he glanced around the room. "And that concludes the tour I'm afraid." he said apologetically. "Most of the funding that isn't going to sports, goes to computers. So our library is rather limited."

"That's fine." Alice said. She was just glad to be doing something menial and normal. It was a nice switch from fighting for her soul and those of her friends.

"I hope you're fond of free time." Giles said. "There's not much to do, and now that it's split between two people, well, it won't keep you occupied long. Fortunately I like to read, so I have something to keep me occupied."

"Not many customers huh?" Alice asked, looking at a book of mythology.

"No." Giles answered. "Though I do have a few regulars."

Owen entered, in his usual quiet way.

"As a matter of fact," Giles smiled, "Here comes one now."

"Morning Mr. Giles." Owen said. He handed a book to Giles. "Here, I made sure to return it on time. I know how serious you are about overdue books."

"Ah, oh, thank you Owen." Giles said. He hadn't realized that would come back to haunt him.

Owen looked from Giles and Alice, and blushed. "Uh, bye." he left quickly.

"Is he okay?" Alice asked, concerned.

Giles, smiled, amused. "It seems he misconstrued what was going on here."

"Oh." Alice said, and suddenly began to giggle when she realized what he meant. "Oh!"

"Hi Buffy." Giles heard Owen in the hallway.

"Oh, hi Owen."

Thinking quickly Giles said. "Now then Miss Walker,"

"Please," Alice said. "Call me Alice."

"Ah, well then Alice, how would you like to perform your first duty as Student Teacher?" He handed her the book. "And re-shelve this."

"Sure." Alice said, and headed into the racks of books.

Giles breathed a sigh of relief when Alice disappeared just as Buffy came through the door. "Buffy," he said when he saw her. "You look terrible. Here, have some coffee."

"Thanks Giles." she said. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

"I know," Giles said, "I was there."

"Oh no," Buffy said. "After that. I got home and remembered a test I needed to study for."

At that moment, Alice returned and saw Buffy. "You two have matching luggage." she said.

"What?" Buffy asked, confused.

"The bags under your eyes." she said.

"Oh." Buffy smiled. "That's pretty clever."

"Thanks. Can't take credit for it though. A friend of mine in my hometown used to say it."

"Really?" Buffy asked. "Where are you from?"

"Springwood, Ohio."

Unseen by Alice, but not by Buffy, Giles' head snapped up from the records book in which he was recording the return of the Emily Dickinson book.

"So um," Buffy said, "Who are you?"

"Oh, how thoughtless of me!" Giles said. "I forgot to introduce you. Buffy, this is my new assistant/student teacher, Alice Walker. Alice, this is Buffy Summers, another of my regulars. Actually she's more regular than Owen. You'll probably be seeing a lot of her. As well as three other students. I'll introduce you to them as they come along."

"Thank you, now I have a question," Alice said, "Where's the bathroom?"

"Oh, just turn left as you leave, and it's the third door on your right." Buffy said.

"Thanks." Alice said, and left.

"Okay," Buffy said as soon as Alice left. "What's the deal with Springwood? I saw your reaction when she mentioned it."

"I'll tell you when I'm sure, but it seems to me that I've heard the name before." Giles answered. "I know where to look though."

"Cool, well I gotta get to class. Have fun with your research." With that, Buffy left.

As the day wore on, Giles' words proved to be 100% correct. Alice and Giles finished their duties quickly, leaving her plenty of free time. And sure enough she met Giles' other regulars, Martin, Xander, and Willow.

Once Alice had gone home, Giles finally had time to himself to do some research. He found what he was looking for in "The National Directory of Haunted Places". Seems there had been many murders in Springwood that many of the future victims had attributed to Fred Krueger. A child murderer who'd been dead for years before the killings had started.

"Hmm." Giles said. "Interesting." But nothing more than that. The killings had been isolated, and he had plenty of other things to worry about.

Xander sat in his desk at school, unaware of how he'd gotten there. Last he remembered he'd been at home in bed. His teacher came down the aisle handing out sheets of paper.

"Now class," he said, "This test will count for 99% of your grade."

Geez. Xander thought. Then he got his. Advanced Physics? I don't know anything about physics!

"You have five minutes to complete the test." The teacher said. "Begin."

Xander looked at his test paper in panic. I couldn't pass this test in five years!

"Don't worry." a voice said from behind him. Xander looked behind him and saw a young boy sitting in the seat behind him. The boy smiled, and suddenly, Xander knew all the answers! He turned in his seat and finished the test with two minute's to spare. The teacher began to collect the test papers and brought them up to his desk. He took one look at Xander's paper and looked at him in pleased astonishment.

"Mr. Harris, you've just gotten every question on this test, correct!" The class erupted in applause and Buffy sat in his lap, kissing him. "I love you Xander!"

Clear across town, Alice Walker smiled in her sleep. I'm proud of you Jacob.

Thanks mom.

Now it's time to have your own dream.

Xander walked home with his friends, Buffy, Martin and Willow. Buffy was now acting as aloof as she always had, but Xander didn't mind. The kiss she'd given him was worth a lifetime of aloofness.

"Good goin' on the physics test." Martin said.

"Yeah," Willow agreed, "That was pretty amazing."

"Yeah well," Xander said modestly, "It's all thanks to the kid who was sitting behind me."

Martin looked at him, confused. "What kid?" he asked.

Suddenly their attention was inexplicably drawn to a group of kids playing in the park next to them. The jump-ropers were chanting a rhyme none of them had ever heard before.

"One, two, Freddy's coming for you," they said. "Three, four, better lock your door, five six grab a crucifix," Xander and his friends were suddenly filled with enormous fear. None could tell why such a harmless jump rope rhyme could affect them so. "Seven eight better stay up late," the children sang.

"Nine ten never sleep again."

Xander awoke in a sweat, breathing hard from fear. He could remember nothing of his dream except the last first and last line of the rhyme: Freddy's coming for you, never sleep again.

To Be Continued…