Two weeks later - Summers residence, 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale

Buffy was curled into the crook of Spikes arm. The couple were lying together in bed in Buffy's new room.

"God, I really hate these dreams,' Buffy grumbles.

Spike hugged her to him. "What were they about Luv?"

"They're pre-cognitive dreams or nightmares about the Master."

"Poor you, having to dream about the old bastard. He's bad enough in person."

Buffy just mumbled in agreement.

"Buffy? It's time to get up sweetie."

"I'm up, Mom!" she calls back

"Don't want to be late for your first day!" Joyce says from in the hall.

"No... Wouldn't want that" she mutters under her breath. Spike laughs at her and gets an elbow in his stomach for it. Buffy goes to get up but is pulled back by Spike.

"What no kiss goodbye,' he pouts cutely. Buffy smiles back and they kiss deeply.

"Buffy." Joyce calls from down the stairs making Buffy jump.

"I'm coming." Buffy calls back. Spike leers at her words and Buffy swats him playfully, 'not that way you pervert." This time Buffy jumps out of bed, grabs her clothes and makes it into the bathroom before Spike can react, her laughter taunting Spike who falls back onto the bed horny as hell.

Xander Harris swerved in and out between students as he unskilfully rode his skateboard.

"Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa! 'Scuse me, not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me... Whoa!"

He is distracted by the sight of Kendra McPherson actually wearing a dress and doesn't notice that he's headed right for the stair railing, he crashes into it and falls underneath it, groaning in pain. A girl dressed very conservatively walks up and has to step high to avoid tripping over his legs.

"I'm okay. I feel good." He says more to himself before grinning cheerfully up at his best friend, Willow Rosenberg.

She looks down at him, smiling and pulling her hair behind her ear.

"Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see!' he gets up.

"Oh, really?' she quirks an eyebrow and they begin walking toward the school.

"Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math."

"Uh huh, which part?"

"The math,' he states plainly as if she should've known that, 'can you help me out tonight, please, be my study buddy?' he begs with puppy dog eyes.

"Well, what's in it for me?' Willow asks smiling shyly.

"A shiny nickel!"

"Okay. Do you have 'Theories in Trig'? You should check it out."

Xander looks confused, 'Check it out?"

"From the library? . . . Where the books live."

"Right, I'm there! See, I wanna change..."

Just then another boy walks up and greets them. His name is Jesse. He is Xander and Willow's other best friend.

"Hey, hey,' Jesse says as he and Xander slap hands.

"Hey, Jesse, what's what?"

A jeep pulls to a stop to drop Buffy off out front of the school. She hops out and happily greets the waiting slayer with a hug.

"Hey Kendra, how're you doing?"

"I am well, how are you?"

"Glad to see you again, not good to be near the hell mouth again, happy to make friends with the others again, nervous about school and . . ."

The Jamaican girl can't help but smile fondly at the other girl before interrupting.

"I'll walk you to the principles office."

"Not there again,' Buffy exclaimed mournfully, 'do I have to?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you're a meanie,' she pouted. They walk into the school.

The threesomes stare in shock as the quiet Kendra led the new girl inside.

"New girl!' Jesse blurts out.

"Pretty much a hottie!" Xander says.

"I heard someone was transferring...' Willow adds

"So tell!' Xander demands.

"Tell what?" Jesse asks baffled.

"What's the stitch, what do ya know about her?"

"New girl!" he shrugs.

"Well, you're certainly a fountain of nothing,' Xander complains.

Willow just looks on in amusement at their antics.

Buffy comes out of Mr. Flutie's office and is joined by Kendra. They walk silently towards the library for a few moments before Kendra speaks up.

"How is Tara doing?"

"Tara is doing well. She's moving here next week, her Aunt has to go on a business trip and she felt that she would be safer here under the protection of Spike and I, especially after what had almost happened to her,' at Kendra's questioning look Buffy hastily adds 'LA isn't the safest of places, particularly for young women living alone. At least here all she has to deal with is the occasional vampire or demon, and her Aunt has been teaching her a lot of protection spells along with mine and Spike's training she is very well capable of holding of all most anything until help arrives, if she can't deal with it herself, I don't like the fact that she could even come into contact with demons or vamps but behind that shy innocent face she has a back bone that goliath couldn't break and she refuses to ever be a victim again."

"I don't understand why anybody would want to hurt Tara. She has such a pure soul." Kendra murmured.

Buffy nods in agreement as she pushes the well-known doors open. Inside, she looks around. Two familiar figures are standing at the book checkout counter and Buffy unconsciously relaxes at the sight of Giles as his warm familiar eyes look up to meet her own. Buffy smiles brightly and bounds over to him.

"Hi I'm Buffy, you must me Giles, It's great to meet 'cha,' she says shaking his hand.

Rupert Giles blushes at the enthusiastic greeting and clears his throat before saying "Ah yes . . . It is a pleasure meeting you as well Miss Summers,' for a moment Rupert swore he saw her eyes shadow as he spoke her name.

"No, Giles, please just call me Buffy, if you call me Miss Summers, I'll start looking around for my mum."

"If you like . . . Buffy." Buffy's smile widened even further at that, before a more serious expression settled on her face.

"Giles, can we meet later to talk about Slayer stuff, right now I need some text books for class."

"Right . . . sure . . . what texts do you need?" she hands him her list. "Right, I won't be but a moment." Buffy smiles once again. She'd forgotten just how cute and shy her watcher had been when she'd first met him.

Meanwhile, Kendra was standing next to her watcher, curious about the meeting between the other two. She knew that Buffy had known Giles in her previous life and had wondered just how Buffy was going to handle it. She gave a little sigh at the instant connection they seemed to make before turning to face Mr. Zabuto.

Sam Zabuto looked down at his charge, 'is there anything unusual to report from last nights patrol?"

Kendra shook her head negatively, 'I dusted two vampires last night and Buffy dusted three. There was no sign of any suspect activity."

Buffy nodded in agreement at Kendra's assessment.

Giles came back with her books and Buffy takes them grabs Kendra by the hand and drags her out the door calling goodbye.

The school quad at Lunch time.

Willow is sitting on a bench, waiting for Jesse and Xander to join her as she opens her lunch. She is surprised when Kendra and the new girl come along instead.

"Uh, Hi! Willow, right?" the new girl asks.

Willow looks startled. "Why? I-I mean, hi! Uh, did you want me to move?"

Buffy smiles, 'Why don't we start with, 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and, uh, then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favour,' she and Kendra sit down next to her, 'It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while."

"Why?" Willow asks confused. Buffy feels sad at the reminder of just how insecure Willow was when they first met.

"Because I am new here and I want to do well in my classes and I heard a rumour that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up."

"Oh, I could totally help you out! Uh, if you have sixth period free we could meet in the library?"

"Sure, do you mind if Kendra joins us though."

"No problem, just as long as my friend Xander can join us, I'm helping him with Math."

"Certainly. The more the merrier. "

Just then two boys arrive; Xander hops up onto the wall behind the girls and sits on it between them and Jesse stands in front of them and drops his bag.

"Hey!" Jesse says

"You guys busy? Are we interrupting? We're interrupting." Xander says as he tosses his bag to Jesse.

"Hey!" Buffy greets with a smile.

"Hello." Kendra says quietly.

"Hey!" Willow chirps cheerfully.

"Hey there!" Jesse reply's as he drops Xander's bag next to his own.

"Buffy, Kendra, this is Jesse and that's Xander."

Xander asks 'So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it."

"Do you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?" Jesse grins.

"Gee, everyone wants to know about me. How keen." Buffy says a bit taken aback over there questioning.

"Well, not much goes on in a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale. You're pretty big news." Xander points out.

"I'm not. Really." Buffy denies unconvincingly.

They chat for a while longer until she notices Giles trying to get her attention at the stairs that lead into the school and nudges Kendra to see if she also noticed. The other slayer nods her head indistinctively in response.

"Well, we'd love to sit and chat, Kendra and I have a few things to do so I'll see you 6th period in the Library right?" Buffy looks questioningly at Willow, who smiles in agreement. The three friends watch curiously as the two girls catch up with the new librarian.

"What's the stich?" Buffy asks.

Giles looks puzzled, 'Sorry?"

"What's the 411?"

"The 411,' when he still looked baffled, Buffy elaborated 'the information, the story, what's going on?"

"Ah,' Giles exclaimed in comprehension. "Well, uh, Mr. Zabuto and I thought now would be an ideal time to discuss your . . . um . . . calling and how we are going to go about . . . um . . . working together."

"Okay,' Buffy agreed with a smile and they went through the double doors into the library.

Giles went over to the counter and picked up a large old book, "According to my research, the influx of the undead, the . . . supernatural occurrences, it's been building for years." He looked up from the his reading, 'I believe that that is why there is suddenly two slayers abroad in the world and why you both have been sent here."

"Ooh yay' Buffy rolled her eyes speaking sarcastically 'apocalypse alert."

"This is not a laughing manner" Giles looked affronted by her attitude.

"Chill Watcher man, I know that there is something big about to happen here, that's why I'm here and not in Spain with my lovable father and his secretary of the month; seriously though, certain sources in the LA magical community have hinted that a certain Master Vampire has been preparing to escape from his underworld entrapment where he has spent the last so many decades since the last time he tried to open the hellmouth." Both watchers look stunned at this new knowledge, 'and no I cannot divulge these sources as they are very private citizens and yes I am sure that this information is correct, the oracles of the powers that be confirmed it."

Outside the school and behind some bushes and through the ground, the lair of the Master, there are candles everywhere. Vampires bearing torches are gathering and the vampire Luke chants.

"The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake, and the world will bleed. Amen!"