When Buffy reached Dawn's dorm, she knocked gently. Dawn had two roommates that Buffy tried to avoid. Both frequently bombarded her with questions about what it was like being a slayer, although they were studying to be Watchers. Their curiosity got the best of them. When Dawn answered the door with her bag over her shoulder, a look of relief crossed the blonde's face. "Hey Dawn, want to take a walk with me before class?" she asked, wanting to get down to the talking before they were late.
"Sure Buff," she nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind her. The sisters walked in silence for a moment before one spoke up, "So, are you going to ask me how I feel about him being back? Cause I can't really answer. I mean, I'm happy he's alive – undead. I'm happy he's back. The only problem is, I'm not sure what to think of it all." Dawn started, "I mean, how is this going to affect everyone? How is this going to affect us?" she looked at her older sister, worry crossing her face.
"I don't know, Dawnie. All I can think about it how happy I am to know he's not gone forever. You know?" she looked down, speaking quietly as she replied, "So much time has passed though, and we've made lives for ourselves. There is so much to consider now, and that's if he decides to stick around…" she glanced around at the groups around them, some girls, and some boys, some mixed. "This doesn't just affect the Scoobies anymore, this affects the entire school. This is a Watcher and Slayer academy. These kids are taught to kill him. Both of them." She remembered Angel for the first time since they'd begun talking and her heart sped a bit. She hadn't considered both of them staying, she'd only thought of Spike. "We'd have to teach them all over again, about vampires with souls. None of them have been taught about it yet."
"It can't be so hard, I mean, you learned it, and accepted it. Didn't you?" Dawn asked, looking at Buffy. Her face was a mixture of worry and hope. Dawn didn't want to lose her best friend again, and she knew Buffy couldn't take losing him again. She wasn't sure Buffy could handle losing Angel either at this point, after she'd already lost so much.
"I did, but I learned because I was in love. These girls and boys… Half of them haven't seen a vampire yet! They won't get it as quickly." She glanced around again, a bit worried someone might hear their conversation.
"Look, Buff," Dawn stopped, and Buffy stopped when she realized her sister had. "This is your school, I'm not going to tell you how to run it, but you're going to have to teach them at some point. Not just about good vampires, either. There are good demons too, remember Clem? There is good in some of them. These kids deserve to know that." She gestured around her, "I'm gonna go to class, Professor Rosenberg doesn't like it when I'm late." She said, and with that, Dawn turned and walked away leaving Buffy to think about what she'd said as she made her way to her own classes.
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"I want you all to bring in your essays on proper staking techniques by Wednesday, no later! And don't forget, the big broody guy and the blonde smart ass are friends, not foes!" Buffy called out as the girls ran for the door at three o'clock. Faith chuckled in the corner and shook her head. "What?" Buffy asked, looking irritated as she walked back to her desk to pick up her jacket and bag.
"You've become what we hated, B. Those girls were about to fall asleep! Just because the ex's came to town doesn't mean you've got to make the girls suffer. They're used to practicing staking techniques, not writing about them." She shook her head again and stood up, ready to watch some TV and relax for the rest of the day. They began walking down the hall as they spoke on the way to their flat.
"Look Faith, those girls have never been taught about good vampires. They don't understand. It'll be better if they're out of practice for a few days, the last thing we need is an accident." She cringed at the thought of one of the girls getting hurt for trying to do what they've been taught. "You know as well as I do they wouldn't stand a chance against Spike or Angel."
"You've got me there, but an essay? Come on B!" she laughed and unlocked the door as they reached it. "Did you talk to Dawn?" Faith looked at Buffy then, as Buffy closed the door behind them.
"Yeah," she nodded and set down her purse and jacket on the table by the door. "She's saying we should start teaching the girls that not all demons are bad. Like Clem, Angel and Spike, how they're on our side. I don't know though, I mean. They're pretty special guys. I haven't met any other demons who were genuinely good other than them." She shrugged and walked to the kitchen in search of a drink. "I'll have to talk to Giles about it, see what he says. He's in charge here."
"You know he'll give you a million reasons not to do it, so why bother? You're right, we've met three, and we got lucky with them. The chances of us running into another 'good' demon, or vampire with a soul are pretty much at zero. All you need to focus on right now is which one you'll get back with." Faith winked and nudged Buffy as she made her way to the fridge for a beer.
"Very funny," Buffy shook her head and sighed, "I'm gonna head of to Giles' flat. Don't let any of the girls catch you drinking!" she said as she made her way to the door, "Don't let any of them drink, either." Buffy added as an after thought before walking out and closing the door once more.
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"He's just through there, I think." Giles answered Dawn's question about Spike's whereabouts before taking off his glasses for cleaning. The situation reminded him a lot of the college years, when Spike had just got the chip. He was about ready to drive a stake through the blonde's heart himself when Dawn had showed up. Angel and Spike were limited to the two back rooms in the flat, because they were the only two without windows, and no exposure to the sun in the hallway. "Be careful, he's himself again." Giles sighed and shook his head before putting his glasses back on his face in time to see Dawn disappear into one of the rooms. The knocking on the door was an excellent distraction, so Giles made his way to the door and pulled it open.
"Hey Giles," Buffy smiled and walked in, without waiting to be invited, and made her way to the kitchen looking for a cup. "I figure we're gonna talk about it sooner or later, so why not now?" Buffy looked over her shoulder at him as he walked away from the now closed door and towards the kitchen where she was pouring herself a glass of milk.
"You realize they're both here, of course." He glanced at the hallway, where he was sure both men were on edge at the mere smell of her entering and not being able to see her. "Of course." He added when she nodded with a smile before taking a drink. "Well, how do you feel about this all?"
"How do you think I feel?" she retorted as she set the glass down and made her way to the couch in the middle of the front room. "I don't know what to feel." She shrugged as she sat and leaned back. Giles walked over and sat on the chair across from her before he responded, a look of deep though crossing his face.
"Well, as expected you're fine. No signs of a depression or any other drastic emotion. I suppose you want me to answer all the questions?" he asked, knowing the answer already, so he continued without waiting for her to speak, "I can't tell you how to feel about this all, or what to do. All I can say is you've got to think about everyone, not just yourself. Those girls all look up to you, they're your students, and you're their teacher. You aren't just looking out for the Scoobies anymore, Buffy. There is more to the situation than that."
"I know, Giles, thanks for pointing that out." Buffy's words were riddled with attitude. She hated admitting he was right, but she'd known it all along that she had to think of how them staying would affect the school. "We can't send them away, they haven't got anywhere to go." She sighed and glanced down the hall over Giles' shoulder. "So I guess we'll have to talk to the girls about it. We'll need to hold a night assembly." Buffy closed her eyes and laid her arm across her face, covering her eyes.
"It's not the end of the world Buffy, you've seen that once or twice before, and you know this doesn't compare, so don't act like it." Dawn said, stepping out of the hallway. "They'll think it's cool, danger is cool these days."
"Dawn, I don't think you understand how serious this situation is." Buffy scowled before uncovering her face and sitting up. "Having them here puts all of the students at risk! They may know how to control themselves, but who's to say one of the girls won't get smart and try to fight one of them. None of them are finished with school yet; they won't know how to defend themselves against Angel or Spike's years of fighting."
"You really think Angel or Spike would hurt any of us?" Dawn shot back, crossing her arms with a know-it-all look on her face.
"You're missing my point Dawn." Buffy sighed and leaned back again before looking at Giles. He was sitting back and keeping his mouth shut. "You agree with her, don't you? You don't think they'll hurt any of the girls."
"Wasn't it you who was fighting for Spike just a year ago, saying he was different, he'd changed, he was one of us?" Dawn looked at Giles, then, "She's being irrational Giles. This isn't fair! You know as well as I do neither of them would do a thing to hurt one of those girls! Haven't they proven themselves by this point?"
"Dawn is right, in that sense, Buffy." Giles spoke up, "You were the one defending Spike just a year ago, and a few years before that you were defending Angel. You can't pick and choose when to back them up because you've been hurt." Buffy scowled at him then, and crossed her own arms. "You look like a child, and you're acting like one. Face your problems Buffy, because nobody is going to face them for you, and neither of those men came here to do you harm. They came because they trust all of us, and they need a place to stay." Giles, being the voice of reason apparently, stood at that and walked to the kitchen, meaning he was finished with the discussion. Dawn grabbed her bag from the floor by the hall and headed for the front door, leaving Buffy to face her fears alone. Slowly, the blonde stood and made her way to the hallway.
"Here goes nothing…" she whispered to herself, inaudibly before taking those last couple steps to the end of the hall where the sun left her.