Chapter 4: Buffy's Official Watcher

Challenge: for the livejournal 2020 August Fic-a-Day Challenge

Timeline: pre-series BtVS and SG1; storywise, it starts about 4 months or so after 'XX Origins of Buffy', Chapters 21-24

A/N: I figured that Giles had been in Sunnydale for a couple months before Buffy showed up. If it isn't canon, let's pretend it is.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Stargate SG-1 character belongs to Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright / SyFy Channel. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

Summers' Home

September 1996

By the time school started, Buffy and Mark made friends with other kids, but still mostly hung out with the Dingoes and their girlfriends…at least Sticks and Sam's. Oz didn't have one and it was a little painful to spend time with the girls that Devon hooked up with. Apparently, he had a type and that type was brain-dead.

They were having a quietish dinner in at Revello Drive while Buffy made a care package for her sister, who was in the Air Force Academy. The quiet night in was something the band couldn't understand. If their parents weren't around, they'd be having parties non-stop – except for Oz, of course. He could take or leave loud parties.

Speaking of Oz, he noticed that the people they were friendly with were pretty over the map, so to speak, and asked them about it.

Mark explained, "When there was an attack during the dance at our old school and the gym was set on fire, Buffy saved a bunch of people, but for some reason, a lot of the kids thought she was to blame for the attack and the fire in the first place. We later found out that her so-called best friends were the ones spreading the rumors because they were jealous of the hero status Buffy gained."

"We decided that most of the kids wouldn't have believed the rumors if they knew me at all," Buffy continued. "Not that we're expecting anything similar to happen here, but it would be nice if I wasn't shunned for the rest of my high school life. If I don't limit my circle of friends to one group, the better my odds are for keeping some of them if something bad happens."

They didn't mention that a lot of the friends they had made so far were because Buffy and/or Mark had saved them from the nightlife. While the students in question seemed to have the same blindness towards the supernatural that the Hemery students had, they knew the twins saved them from bad guys/girls somehow. That usually made for friendly-ish attitudes.

"I wish you luck with that," Oz replied in his usual calm manner.

The conversation changed to school interests and the band was surprised at the variety the twins mentioned.

Looking up from his laptop, Mark started off, "I know we probably won't have time for all these things – at least in one year – but I'd like to do something with one of the bands, take debate and any language, computer and woodworking classes the school has. Once I get to know people a little more, I want to try to join the student government."

"What about you?" Sticks' girlfriend, Mara, asked as she helped Buffy set down the desserts.

Buffy shrugged, but answered, "I'm not as academic as Mark is, but I want to try Speech…the kind where you do monologues and stuff. Gymnastics is always fun, and I like stargazing, so maybe some astronomy? Since we have to take care of ourselves, I'll probably do home ec. I wish the school had self-defense classes 'cause I enjoyed that in LA. We also had a school TV program where people could talk about things they wanted to share. If we had that here, I'd offer fashion and beauty tips."

After finishing his bite of brownie sundae, Oz encouraged her, "You could put an ad in the school paper about the defense class. There's bound to be somebody who knows somebody. I could talk to the AV guys about the TV thing. If someone like you were involved in the project, it would have a better chance of succeeding."

"Someone like me?" Buffy repeated in shock, wondering if she should feel insulted or not. It didn't seem like it, but one could never tell.

Sam replied, "Yeah, you are a popular type…or at least can hang with the in crowd if you wanted to. If you think it's a good idea, more people are going to take it seriously. If the AV guys tried it on their own, they'd probably have an audience of themselves and maybe a handful of other people. You should actually be the one joining student government," he added thoughtfully.

To Buffy surprise, Mark agreed, "You're a lot more charismatic than I am. You're a born leader type. That's why you were up for cheer captain despite being a sophomore."

She snorted, "Yeah, look how that turned out. My so-called friends turned on me at the first sign of trouble. Not sure how leadery that is."

"That's why you'd have us," Jean offered with a smile, grabbing Sam's hand. "We'd make sure you aren't surrounded by betrayers. Mark can be your second-in-command and you can rule Sunnydale by the time you graduate."

"Not sure how useful it would be to rule a high school-" Buffy started to object.

Jean cut her off, getting up and pacing excitedly, "Not the school…I'm talking the town! You should be ambitious! Not to mention we need a new mayor. Our current one…well, his family has been the mayor since like…forever or something. I don't think we've had one who hasn't be name Richard Wilkins and it kind of creeps me out."

Sam hugged his girlfriend and told the twins, "Jean's something of a political bug. She'd totally run your campaigns if you gave her half a chance.

"Let's wait until we find out if people like me before we start the plans for world domination," Buffy teased, smiling at Jean.

Sunnydale High

November 1996

The plan to have friends in multiple cliques was mostly successful. Word had gotten out – thanks to Devon – that they didn't have parental supervision and when they refused to have massive parties, the stoners and Cordettes froze them out. At least until Cordy decided that she wanted to date the lead singer of the band and needed Buffy to put in a good word for her. Now they were in a truce pattern. Cordy didn't understand why Buffy didn't try out for the cheerleading squad when they had tryouts, but she was grateful not to have the competition from somebody who almost ran the squad at her old school. Sadly, she didn't make it because there was only one spot available during the summer, however, with the student death rate the way it was, there'd probably be another tryout soon.

Sometimes Mark and Buffy would hang out with people together. Most of the time, they'd eat lunch with people who shared their individual interests. Other kids tried breaching the clique-borderlines, but for whatever reason, only the Summers' twins could manage it without ridicule. Currently, Mark was with the marching band and Buffy was with the poetry crowd. It was because of them, that Buffy learned something that would greatly affect her life.

"Be careful going into the library this week," Owen warned the group. "There's a new librarian and he's kind of strange. Maybe it's a cultural difference thing."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, but asked, "Cultural?" She liked the guy up to a certain point, but he tended to be over-dramatic, and her life had enough drama in it. Plus, his fascination with death was more than a little off-putting.

"Yes, he's English," Owen replied, shooting her a half-smile. He kind of wanted to ask her out, but she didn't seem all that receptive to his flirtations.

"English?!" Buffy sat up straight, wondering if this was a coincidence. What were the odds that they'd get an English librarian just a few months after she moved here? On the other hand, the universe didn't revolve around her, so it could actually a – no, she didn't believe in coincidences. She needed to get Mark and head to the library as soon as possible. They both had study hall last period, so maybe they could get a hall pass.

One of the other kids was tired of the conversation and hoped for his own shot of gaining Buffy's attention, so he asked about the story of her being a hero during the gym burning at Hemery.

She sighed in resignation, having lost count of how many times she told the story already, but began her tale again.

A couple hours later…

"Is anyone here?" Mark called out when they pushed open the library doors and didn't find anyone behind the desk or in the office.

A man appeared from the upper stacks and inquired politely, "May I help you?" Yup, he was definitely English!

Buffy shot her brother a look and he went to see if they were alone before potentially discussing something that could get them put in the funny farm.

Bemused by the lack of a response to his question, Giles waited until Mark came back out and nodded at Buffy.

"Well, I'm looking for a book on good monologues, for speech class, but I'm also wondering if the phrase 'Chosen One' means anything to you," Buffy asked, watching his reaction.

He had started down the stairs when she mentioned the book. However, when she said 'Chosen One', he almost stumbled down the stairs. Luckily for him, Mark was right behind him and grabbed his suit jacket, stabilizing him.

"Thank you," he murmured to Mark absently over his shoulder, before turning back to Buffy. "You're Buffy Summers?" the man asked in hopeful anticipation. She nodded warily. Suddenly those thoughts of this being a coincidence were vanishing.

He glanced behind him at Mark as if to gauge whether he should continue or not.

"I'm her brother; I know everything she does," Mark explained.

Frowning slightly, the man introduced himself, "I'm Rupert Giles, your new Watcher. The Council won't be happy that you've told your family about your Calling," he chastised his Slayer.

"Not my family, just Mark," Buffy replied with a glare. Mark wasn't sure if that was due to the reprimand or the thought of their dad and sister. "Why did it take them so many months to send another Watcher?" she demanded.

"We weren't sure what had happened. Mr. Jamison-Smythe stopped sending updates. At first, we thought perhaps that Lothos had killed the two of you, but then one of the Watcher trainees was reading back issues of the Los Angeles Times and saw the news article about the school gym burning down. As well as your heroics that saved so many lives that night. By the time a team had been dispatched to talk to you, the house was empty, and we spent months trying to track you down. First in Washington, DC and finally here," Giles finished his account of events. "Why aren't you living with your father?"

Twin glares were his only reply for several minutes.

A/N: This is as far as I've gotten in my outline, well, except for them meeting Angel in January 1997 (March if we go by airdates). Of course, if I can move Giles' arrival, I should be allowed to move Angel's.