Sunnydale High School Library.
"You're Irish?" asked Giles as he fixed his glasses on his nose while smiling at Beth. The young woman nodded her head before the older librarian told her it was good to have someone from close to home attend Sunnydale High, "where in Ireland are you from?"
"Dublin, but my ancestors come from Galway," said Beth noticing the slight increase in his heart rate, as well as his breathing, before he nervously nodded his head while saying that a friend of his was from that area too. An innocent smile formed on Beth's lips as Giles motioned towards the counter while asking for her book list. Reaching into her bag, Beth took out the list of books and leaned against the counter where Giles had asked her to stay while he searched for the books she needed. Watching the man go up the stairs, Beth couldn't be sure as she thought about his reaction to her ancestors, in reality, herself and her family being from Galway; and then there was the mention that a friend of his was from that area too, "you said you haven't met someone from home, but it seems this person; this friend of yours is…."
"Oh," said Giles as he leaned away from a book stack and looked at her, "he hasn't been to Ireland in a long time, he's more American now than… well… he's more American now."
"I see," answered Beth with Giles going back to concentrating on the book stacks while wondering if she should use her hypnotic ability on him. Beth thought that he may know about Liam and where to find him, but immediately decided against it since she wouldn't be able to make him forget revealing information to her, and she didn't want to tip her hand too quickly in case he wasn't talking about Liam. However, she made a note to keep an eye on him in case he ever mentioned Liam by name, or as Angel, after which she would get Giles to call out for Liam before killing the both of them, "well, I can tell you that it is good to have someone from home employed in this school. I was worried that I would be only one from the Isles."
Giles just smiled as he carried some books in his arms down the stairs, and then to the counter. He checked out the books on the computer and then handed them to Beth. He told her that she was welcome back to the library anytime, even if she just wanted to talk about home, "but you should get going to your first class."
"Not nice to be late on the first day, is it?" asked Beth wincing while Giles shook his head.
"It is not," replied Giles. Just as Beth was about to turn around, Giles put his hand up and asked her to be careful. Beth narrowed her eyes at the man and then listened as he told her that the city wasn't as safe as people seemed to think it was, "there's been known to be gangs high on a drug called PCP creating problems, especially at night. Just make sure you're not by yourself if you do go anywhere.. at night, I mean."
Smiling while nodding her head, Beth thanked Giles before she turned around, the books on her arms as she walked away. As the doors closed behind her, Giles couldn't help but feel something wrong… he tried to rack his brain as to what it could be but came up with nothing. Thinking it was just his imagination; Giles went back to his office and started to investigate the darkness that Mr. Zabuto had indicated was already in Sunnydale.
However, the problem was that he kept on thinking that it could be something related to Spike and Drusilla; those two were the only possible reasons for the darkness Zabuto was talking about.
'And if they are still alive,' thought Giles as he sat down in his office and looked at the various books on his table, 'then we have an even bigger problem.'
Beth put her books into her backpack as she continued to walk down the hallway until she reached the stairs. Going up one level, she then made a left into the hallway and headed to the fifth door on the left. Making sure that it was the classroom she was supposed to be in, Beth knocked on the door.. stepping back when the balding, male teacher opened the door and asked if she needed help. The young woman then handed a piece of paper, her transfer documents, to the teacher who looked through it, and then stepped aside asking her to come in.
"Next time try not to be late," said the teacher as he closed the door behind him before asking Beth to introduce herself to the class. In her Irish accent, Beth introduced herself as she scanned the sea of eyes looking back at her; and when she was done, she walked towards an empty seat at the back next to a dark haired young man no nodded at her before whispering that he liked her accent.
Beth smiled before thanking him while the teacher started on the First World War, "what's your name?"
"Xander," said the young man waving his hand as Beth heard his heartbeat racing. She saw the young man's pupils dilate, she heard his breathing quicken and noticed the young man rubbing his palms together after waving his hand at her. He then brought out one hand towards her, which she took in hers and then shook.
"Nice to meet you, Xander," she whispered, shaking his hand. She noticed that Xander seemed to want to say something else before releasing her hand, but the teacher told the two of them to concentrate. Xander looked sheepishly away before taking out her books; studying a period of time she had already been through. Beth had to fit in as much as possible while at the same time looking for anything that would lead her to Liam. She knew that he was supposed to frequent the school, which meant that he had something which connected him here, 'he's got a soul, so he'd want to do good to redeem himself. So he's probably helping to kill the vampires and demons that are attracted to this place because of the Hellmouth underneath the city. And then there is the blonde girl in the library, the one talking to Mr. Giles. The First came to my penthouse as her, and I didn't hear any heartbeat… but from this girl, I have her scent and her heartbeat. What's going on? What's so special about her that the First came to me as her?'
Beth told herself that was only one of a plethora of questions that needed to be answered. And as she met more people throughout the day, she found that she was essentially going nowhere. It was in the cafeteria during the lunch period that Beth was sitting by herself, and looking down at the food on her tray. The fork she was holding hovered over the meatloaf, and then the mashed potatoes, and then the macaroni and cheese while a frown developed on her face. She looked up and scanned the area around her table, and then noticed a couple of girls at the food line, and then heard the two chairs around her getting pulled back. Looking away from the girls, Beth tilted her head and smiled at the two young men, one of whom turned his chair around and sat down, his arms wrapped around the seat back while the other one sat and grinned and Beth before leaning forward.
"See," said one of the boys, "I told you I saw a new chick."
"Yes," replied Beth dryly, as she looked back to her food and picked up some macaroni and cheese with her fork, and the put it into her mouth. Chewing, she looked back at the boys and said, "I'm new. I'm from Ireland."
"I like it how you say Ireland," said the boy, a stout young man, as he smirked at Beth, "I'm Ron, and this is my partner in crime Pete."
"I'm Elizabeth O'Connell, but my friends call me Beth."
"So can we call you Beth?" asked Ron before chuckling at Pete, and then turning to the young woman, "listen, all jokes aside… we'd like to show you around. How about we start with the Bronze tonight?"
"The Bronze?"
"Yea, it's…."
"Ron… Pete…" said Xander sarcastically as Beth turned to face him, and then back at the young men, "are you bothering the new girl? I mean come on, fellas. That's just sad."
"Beat it, Harris," frowned Pete before turning to Beth, "so what do you say, Beth? The Bronze? A little Welcome to Sunnydale party?"
"I will be fine with that," replied Beth as she heard their heartbeats quickening, "will you be picking me up or shall I meet you two gentlemen at the Bronze?"
"I can drive…"
"You don't have a car," said Xander while Beth looked down and chuckled.
"Why are you still here, Harris?"
"I keep you honest," smirked Xander, "and please, you failed your driving test."
"Harris!" hissed Pete while Beth ate her food, just as Xander asked Beth if she'd like to join him and his friends at the table on the far side of the cafeteria. Pete and Ron looked at the table, as did Beth when she noticed Buffy joining a red-haired girl, an orange haired young man, and a dark-haired young woman. She then glanced at Ron who said that Beth didn't want to join 'the weirdo, the geek, the loser, and Oz'. Pete then leaned forward, and tapped the top of Beth's hand before nodding towards Xander, "and this is the loser who's dating the other loser."
"Hey," whined Xander with a scowl on his face before turning to Beth and telling her, "at least this loser has a girlfriend, unlike these clowns."
"Hey," said Ron.
"If the shoes fit… oh… oh… you do have a pair of clown shoes," chuckled Xander before reminding Beth that she was welcome at their table anytime. He then walked away while Pete and Ron turned back towards Beth and asked her to ignore the young man who was walking away. She watched the redhead wave at Xander, and then Beth asked Ron and Pete about them.
"Willow," said Ron nodded at the redhead, "geek. Then you already had the unfortunate luck of meeting the loser, Xander. Then you have the loser slut, Cordelia. I mean she had some class at least... anyway, you've got Oz next to her."
"He's pretty ok," added Pete, "and finally, Buffy Summers.. shrew and troublemaker. Gets into fights too much."
"Remember that rumour about how that gang was after her?" asked Ron as Pete nodded his head.
"What gang? You mean the ones on PCP?" asked Beth after she swallowed a bite of the meatloaf.
"Yeah," answered Ron sarcastically before mocking saying, while air-quoting, "PCP, right."
"Oh?" asked Beth, "I heard…"
"More like Halloween pranksters," said Pete, "fangs, makeup, yellow contacts. And the leader was going after Buffy for some reason."
"I heard they were just trying to play a prank on her since she was the new kid… well, the newest one anyway," added Ron.
"She was already here for a year by then, dumbass," said Pete as Ron frowned at him. Pete then continued, "and the leader was this silver haired freak show who…"
"Silver hair?" asked Beth as her expression changed to more of a serious look, "what was he called?"
"Who knows," shrugged Ron while Pete had a more thoughtful look on his face.
"I heard Principal Snyder talking on the phone, maybe it was his gang name or something… spike? I think," said Pete as Beth tightened her jaw. The two young men were arguing about the name that Snyder used, but Beth knew that it was Spike instinctively, and her blood boiled. She closed her hands into fists as she remembered the torture after she was brought back to life as punishment, she remembered the voice of the one who brought her back to the world of the living so that he could have a chance at revenge for the death of his family at the hands of Liam.. at the hands of Angelus.
"Your brother did this!" screamed the man, while all Beth, or Kathy, could see were fuzzy shapes after she was resurrected, "what happens from now on… it is his fault. You will pay for his sin.. you will pay for all he has taken away from me!"
Beth remembered screaming for Liam to help her, to save her every time she was tortured.. from the first day, to the last when she became like this. And then she learnt that he was with a group terrorising Ireland, and then England, Scotland, and then Europe.
Beth hated her brother, but she hated Spike, Drusilla, and Darla even more. After she became what she was now, Beth's hatred grew further. The truth was that she lost all four of them during the Boxer Rebellion; while her primary target was always Liam. She would think to herself while shadowing and observing them that Liam had every opportunity to make her like him, and he didn't. Instead, he opted for another 'family', so she resolved to take them away as well. She wanted to kill them, and then kill Liam.. and anyone else she could get her hands on just for fun.
But she waited too long.
And here was another chance. Even though Angel had a soul, Beth suspected that there was a part of him that still cared for his former friends.
'They are here.' thought Beth to herself as she slowly unfurled her fists, 'all I have to do is stay out at night, and find a vampire. Get them to take me to Spike. This day has just gotten very interesting. But first, I need a few drinks for dinner tonight, normal food just gets me so far.'
"Boys," said Beth with a smile while tilting her head, "so? The Bronze? Both of you, tonight?"
TBC.