Chapter 7: A Coven is Born

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

Timeline: now in season 1 of BtVS and SG1; storywise, it starts about 4 months or so after 'XX Origins of Buffy', Chapters 21-24

A/N: It isn't intentional – entirely – that I haven't mentioned Xander, Willow or Jesse yet. It's just the way Musie has run with things.

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.

Sunnydale High Library

February 1997

Despite her earlier decision not to try out for the cheer squad, Buffy was talked into it by her future chief-of-staff, Jean. Since jocks and cheerleaders held the most sway with the student population – even while being more than a little despised by them – it only made sense for Buffy to be on the squad. Giles, of course, forbade it, which swayed Buffy from being 'ehh' on the subject to feeling like he was trying to turn her into a good little Council drone-Slayer. Mark laughed in the older man's face when it happened, telling him that he said the wrong thing when he said he wouldn't 'allow' her to do it.

If she made the squad, her friends would help her on the slaying front. After the Harvest, Buffy gathered everyone at the Summers' home, including Larry and Jonathan, and let Giles handle the Slayer intro. Then Mark explained that if they were going to help, they'd need to learn how to defend themselves. Since the town didn't have a martial arts studio, Giles was negotiating with Principal Flutie to create an afterschool club where he could train them. It was currently tied up until the next school board committee meeting in March. For now, they were working out in the backyard.

But as the tryout progressed, weird things started to happen to the other cheerleader hopefuls…supernatural-ish things. Jonathan hesitantly suggested that it could be spells, so after Buffy was hit by one, they realized it must be Amy doing it so she could follow in her mother's footsteps.

"Not that it makes much of a difference, but I'm not sure it's because she's doing it because she loves her mother," Jonathan explained. "Catherine Madison is a seriously narcissistic woman who terrorized Amy. Amy was like 10 pounds heavier, but you'd think it was 110 the way 'Catherine the Great' – a name she gave herself in high school, by the way – would harp on every bite of food Amy ate. She wasn't shy about who heard her, either."

Larry nodded in agreement. It was the stuff of legend until a teacher stepped in and warned Catherine that if she continued, social services would be called. Nothing more happened, at least in public.

After Giles saved Buffy, two things happened. First, he won the respect of Mark and Buffy, and therefore the rest of the group. Second, a few of the children thought it might be a good idea to study magic – just in case they had to fight another witch or sorcerer.

"It may take us years to be any good at it, but the same is true for the martial arts training," Amy said. She was so grateful to be saved from her mother, she joined up and brought in another boy who she saw at the Magic Box when she was buying ingredients for her mother.

Michael was the one to suggest that since they had thirteen members, they should become the Slayer Coven. "The group would consist of Giles, Mark, Oz, Devon, Sam, Sticks, Jean, Mara, Larry, Jonathan, Amy and me. Buffy should be the leader because if it weren't for her, none of us would be here."

A/N: Short one today because I'm heading out on a trip tomorrow and need to get things ready.