Buffy looked up at Principal Wood.
"Well, Buffy, your desk, your computer…your entire counseling station is right over there," he said, motioning. She smiled.
"Thank you, sir," she said, and walked over, sitting behind her desk.
"Hope this year fares better than last," he said. She nodded.
"Yeah…" Hopefully I don't get fired this time, she thought. He paused, and turned back.
"I almost forgot…We started a new class, a self-defense class, down in the gym. We have a new teacher down there…uh…" He glanced down at the papers in his hands. "Mariana Wychel. Around, I don't know, one, I was wondering if you would take your lunch break, go to the gym, and see if she would like to join you for lunch in the teacher's lounge…" Buffy smiled.
"Yeah…sure…All right." Principal Wood smiled.
"Good…Have fun today, Buffy."
"Thanks…" He walked back into his office, closing the door behind him.
Buffy looked over at her clock, and sighed.
"It's one…Suppose I'll go down to the gym…" She stood, and left the office, heading down the hallway towards the gym.
"God, Miss Wychel is so cool! All other teachers yell when we start fighting, she just teaches it!"
"Man, I wish I took that class this year!" Buffy looked around at the excited kids, talking heatedly and happily about Mariana's class. She gave a half-smile, and stopped one kid in the hallway.
"Yeah, Miss Summers?"
"What class did you just come from?"
"Oh, Miss Wychel's self-defense…why?"
"Do you like it?"
"Oh, it is awesome! First day, she's showing you spins, and kicks, and jumps, and all these really cool things…" Buffy smiled.
"Is she still in the gym?" He shook his head
"She's outside, on the grounds…" The boy turned, looking over his shoulder at the gym doors. "I believe she's showing some kids a little something extra…Kids that aren't in her class this semester…" Buffy nodded.
"Thanks…" He nodded, and headed off.
Buffy continued down the hall, and opened the gym doors, starting across to head outside.
"Buffy!" She turned, and smiled at Dawn.
"Hey, Dawn…What's up?"
"Have you seen this new teacher yet?" Dawn asked, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"Oh, not yet. I was just going to go meet her…Why? Have you?"
"Nope…But I've heard she's amazing."
"Me too…"
"And, not just in her fighting ways…Almost every guy I've bumped into says she's a total babe. Talk about finding ways to get the guys to pay attention in class," Dawn said. Buffy smiled.
"What class are you going to next?"
"Well, I have lunch now, and then I come into this self-defense class…I so can't wait to see this teacher…" Buffy looked around, seeing kids flood past the gym doors towards the cafeteria.
"Dawn, why don't you come meet her with me?"
"You mean it?" Dawn asked, smiling.
"Yeah, sure, why not? You can start class with a bit more knowledge than the others…" Dawn smiled.
"Sure!" Buffy and Dawn continued to the door, but stopped when Buffy's cel phone began ringing.
"Oh…Hang on, Dawn…" She pulled it from her pocket, and flipped it open, turning away from Dawn and putting the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Buffy Summers?"
"Uh, yes. Who's this?"
"This is Doctor Monroe, from the morgue…"
"Oh! Hello…"
"I was just reviewing the autopsy done on Miss Hardt…" Buffy nodded.
"Ah…right…did you find something?"
"I'll say…"
"Alright, just a moment…Dawn, I have to take this…Why don't you go on outside?"
"Uh, okay…" Buffy started across the gym, and sighed.
"Alright, Doc…What'd you find?"
"Well, something surprising, actually…You said that Miss Hardt wanted to die, because of things she was seeing, or hearing or feeling, correct?"
"Yes…"
"I believe I may have found the reason for this…"
Dawn pushed open the doors, and watched a woman, with nearly-white-but-still-blonde hair, standing with her back to Dawn, talking to a few kids. Her hair was to the middle of her shoulder blades, and straight, and thin. Her skin wasn't tan, but wasn't pale, either. It seemed just right for her. She was skinny, but built, standing before Dawn in a sleeveless blue T-shirt, and somewhat baggy blue jean shorts, belted with a thin black belt. She wore a silver class ring on her finger, that was shining brightly in the sunlight. The woman had on white, black, and green New Balance tennis shoes, and white ankle socks.
"You want me to show this to you?" she asked the kids.
"Yeah!" was the unison response. Dawn smiled, walking a bit closer. The woman nodded, and took a breath. She stretched her arms and legs just a little, and nodded her head again.
"Alright…" Dawn watched, in awe, as this woman began to do back flips. Her hands hit the ground, then her feet, then her hands, her feet. Hands, feet, hands, feet. For the fifth one, she just flipped herself into the air, not bothering to put her hands down. Her feet hit, and she was standing in a fighting position. She jumped, doing a kick, and spun herself around, doing another kick, landing on one knee, hesitated a second, and flipped the other foot around. She flipped herself behind the kids.
Buffy shook her head.
"Doctor, just tell me what the reason is…"
"Well…Buffy…"
Dawn watched the woman stand in fighting position, and she spun towards the kids, one foot out to kick them with. Dawn's eyes widened in horror and fear as she saw her face.
"Doc! Come on! I haven't got all day!"
"Buffy, Miss Hardt was three months pregnant." Buffy's eyes widened, and she felt her hand shake as she dropped down, sitting on the ground.
The woman that stood, smiling, right in front of Dawn's eyes, was someone she'd never thought she would see again.
"Buffy!" she cried. Buffy leapt up, and ran outside.
"Dawn? What is it?" She raised a shaky hand to the woman before her. Buffy looked over, and widened her eyes again.
"Oh…My…God…" The woman walked over to them.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
"Alex?" Buffy whispered.