The sun beat down upon Sunnydale High on the first day of the new school year. The seniors were swaggering about as if they had been seniors forever, and the freshmen were scurrying around, still unsure of their place.
Principle Snyder survived his kingdom with a critical eye. "One day," he said. "The campus is completely bare, empty, and the next children are everywhere. Like locusts. Crawling around, mindlessly bend on feeding and mating, destroying everything in sight in their relentless, pointless desire to exist.
Cori spoke from where he was walking along with the principal, "I so do love these pep talks. Have you ever considered, given your abhorrence of children, that school principal is perhaps not your true vocation?"
"Someone's gotta be watching him," he replied. "They're just a bunch of hormonal time bombs. Why, every time a pretty girl walks by, every boy turns into a jibbering fool."
Cori's gaze lit on Demeter as she walked past, he offered her a bright smile, "Miss Calendar!"
"Mr. Coricopat," she said, stopping and offering him a beautiful smile.
"I...That is, I mean…" He shook his head slightly, his smile turning sheepish, "Hello."
Snyder was still talking, now utterly to himself.
Her smile turned even fonder. "Hello. It's good to see you."
"Yes. I-I mean, it's good to see you too." He considered for a moment, "You wouldn't happen to be heading toward the faculty room would you?"
"I think I could make my plans fit into that," she said, turning that way, leaving the principal still ranting to himself.
Cori fell into step beside her, "And how was your summer?"
"Good. It got a little extreme in there. I did the Burning Man in Black Rock. It's an amazing festival... you should have been there. Drum rituals, naked mud dances, raves, mobile sculptures you would have just..." she paused, remembering who she was talking to and grinned. "Hated it with a fiery passion."
He nodded, "Yes, I can't imaging finding any redeeming-n-naked?" He blinked, glancing at her.
She shrugged, brushing it off. "You spent all summer with your nose in a book, didn't you?"
"I well...I suppose you'd consider that terribly dull."
"Depends on the book," she said with a shrug, flirtatiously.
"I..." He smiled a bit at that, "I...that is..."
"Cori!" a voice called down the hall and Mistoffelees came into sight, grinning widely in a lime green jacket. He paused slightly, nodding at Deme. "And Miss Calendar."
Coricopat looked up in surprise, "Mistoffelees, it's good to see you."
Grids approached right behind her friend, "How about me?"
"And you as well, very much so."
"Hey! C-man!" Tugger greeted, bringing up the rear of the group.
"Hey kids," Deme said and Mistoffelees was all but bouncing on the soles of his feet.
"Tugger. Good to see you. Don't ever call me that." Cori looked to Griddlebone, "How are you?"
"Alive and kicking," she replied.
"You just got back in last night right?" Mistoffelees said, turning back to her. "We haven't had much time to talk yet."
She nodded, "Yeah, got home last night, getting back in the swing of things."
"The swing of things?" Deme asked.
"Went out hunting last night." She explained quietly.
Mistoffelees turned quickly to her. "You did? Did... anything happen? It's been so quiet this summer..."
She nodded, "Yeah, got one."
"There was one there?" Cori blinked in confusion.
Grids nodded again, "Yeah. Welcome to Sunnydale, let us have you for dinner. I vote that for the new town motto."
"I thought the Hellmouth was closed," Deme protested.
Cori nodded, "It is, but it's not gone. The mystical energy it emits is still in this area."
"Still the undead's favorite party town then," Tugger said.
The librarian turned to Grids, "This vampire - could you tell where he might be from?"
"Local talent. Fresh. He was still wearing his funeral ensemble," came the reply.
"Which means there are other vampires about, and they're already killing. I should have been on top of that. I wonder if they're here for some particular purpose..."
Grids response was a bit clipped, "You're the Watcher. I just work here."
"Well, I have to consult my books."
Tugger glanced down. "Eight minutes, thirty seconds. You so owe me," he said to Mistoffelees.
The smaller teen rolled his eyes. "Did I agree to that bet?"
"Course you did," Tugger informed him cheerfully.
"Was I in my right mind?" Mistoffelees asked.
Tugger looked affronted. "I would never take advantage of the fact your higher brain functions turn off by ten pm and ask you to make a bet at two am in the morning."
Cori looked between the two of them in confusion, "What?"
"I called ten minutes before you needed to consult your books," Tugger explained.
Mistoffelees rolled his eyes at the hand Tugger was still holding out to him. "I'm not paying you."
Grids glanced at them, "Well, we'd better get to class." She turned to leave, but stopped when Cori called her, "Yeah?"
"I realize you've only just returned, but when you're ready, I think we should start your training again."
She nodded, "I'm ready. I'll see you after school."
The librarian was taken aback, "Well, I understand if you need a few days to -"
"I'm ready," she answered firmly before turning and heading for class.
Mistoffelees frowned after her, though Tugger already heading off. He glanced back at the librarian. "It's good to see you again," he said softly.
Cori offered him a gentle smile, "You as well. Have a good day."
"Yeah, you too," the smaller teen said and turned, slipping off.
Cori watched them go, shaking his head slightly and turning to Deme, "Shall we?"
She nodded. "Yeah, though we should start heading toward our classes too."
"Do you mind if I walk with you? After all, I've only the library to return to, not a classroom of students."
"I'd like that," she said with a smile.
He returned the smile, "After you, then."
o.o.o.o
Grids landed a last kick to the post, wiping her brow as it snapped in half. Cori emerged from where he'd been watching, cleaning his glasses, "Safe to say, you've stayed in shape..." He eyed the splintered wood.
"Well, I'm ready for anything they want to throw at me."
Mistoffelees pushed the door open and froze, a couple books in his hands. He looked the scene over and didn't comment, setting the books down and sliding behind the counter. Cori glanced in his direction as he went to gather up the remains of the post, "Well, I think that's enough for today..."
Mistoffelees glanced over. "Everything alright?"
Grids nodded, "Yeah, everything's fine, why?"
"I donno," he said, eying the splintered post.
Cori got the larger pieces picked up and put away in the cage, looking for a broom to sweep up the actual splinters.
"Well, I'm fine."
"Alright," he said softly, turning the computer on.
"Well...I'm going to head home. See you tomorrow." Grids headed for the door.
Mistoffelees watched her, frowning. Cori watched as she left as well, sighing softly, "Well...that was thrilling."
"What happened? I mean, entirely, do you have any idea?" Mistoffelees asked.
"When?" Coricopat asked, dumping the splinters into the trashcan.
"Um, start with within the last hour?"
"She was training as usual, and...got rather a good deal more violent than she normally does."
The smaller teen frowned, running a hand through his hair. "Oh. But... why?"
"I have no idea. Have you noticed anything...off today?"
"She seemed... more, I don't know, gung-ho than usual. Like she could do anything and didn't give a damn about anything else. And, well, I don't know, I've barely seen her in three months with me being gone and her being gone, I guess I expected her to be happier to see all of us but she barely communicated."
"...This is a concerning turn of events..." Coricopat murmured, considering.
"Do..." Mistoffelees paused. "Do you think it's because of what happened last year?"
"I...it's possible."
Mistoffelees looked down. "Damn..."
Cori sighed, emptying the dustpan into the trash, "It's something she'll have to work through on her own, all we can do is be here."
"But... if she gets herself hurt," Mistoffelees protested weakly.
"I...I know. I don't know what to do about it though."
Mistoffelees looked down, fiddling with the hem of his jacket. "Is... should we try talking to her?"
"We can try, but I don't know that it will do any good."
"I... suppose..." Mistoffelees sighed.
"I'll see about talking to her tomorrow, alright?"
"Al-alright."
"Is there something I can help you with?" the librarian asked, wanting to change the topic at least a little bit.
"I... no? I just was doing some homework. If you want to have the library to yourself of course that's totally fine I just... got in the habit last year."
"No, no it's quite alright, I just wanted to make sure," Coricopat assured quickly.
The smaller offered him a smile. "Thanks?"
"You're always welcome here. Honestly this past summer was a bit strange not seeing all of you."
"Yeah, it was. Honestly, for a large part of it my uncle decided..." He needed to ignore me somewhere else. "... That I should come on one of his business trips with him."
Cori blinked, "Where did you end up?"
"Just on the East Coast. Well, not even the coast. Near Chicago. It was nice though, I got to meander around the city for a while. But it was..." Lonely. He'd forgotten how much he didn't say around Coricopat when it came to his uncle.
He nodded very slightly, "I see."
"I missed you... guys." Apparently he'd lost the ability to speak over the summer. Mistoffelees hoped he would get it back soon though, he needed it for classes.
"And I you, all. It's been a quiet summer, but it's been odd without hearing from you all."
"Well, maybe next summer we can figure out this new fangled tech called e-mail, or even phones," he said with a faint smile.
That garnered a laugh, "That certainly sounds like a possibility."
"We'll have to look into it then," the teen said softly.
Cori came over to lean against the counter, "What are you working on?"
"Hm? Oh, some stuff for AP English. They do not kid around with homework."
"No, I don't suppose so. What are you taking this year?"
"Hm? Oh, the normal classes... except with that extra edge of AP. I have a couple free periods but mostly it's the normal classes at a higher level. I even got out of PE except for one semester. Oh, and Latin."
"Latin? Really?" Coricopat asked, though really he shouldn't have been surprised.
"Well, they're offering it, and I've taken French for years, so I figured it was time for something new," he said, looking down quickly.
Cori arched an eyebrow, but nodded, "If you need help with any of your classes, you know where the library is."
He smiled at that. "Well, I think I know where it might be. Somewhere in the vicinity of the school right?"
"Yes, one might even say in the school," Coricopat grinned.
"Really?" Mistoffelees asked, eyes widening as if with revelation.
"Really, or so the rumors say."
"I would never have known," Mistoffelees said lightly. "Considering I spend every afternoon there..."
"Of which I'm glad," Cori's eyes widened slightly as he realized he'd actually said that.
Mistoffelees glanced up at that, and he grinned slowly, like a rising sun. "I... good."
Coricopat returned the smile, "It's always good to see you."
The teen swallowed. He wasn't quite pathetic enough to ask, it is? "I like being here."
"Well, you're always welcome."
"How... how was your summer? Anything interesting after we buried the Master's bones?" Mistoffelees asked, changing the subject due to a slight tightening in his chest.
"Not really, spent much of it researching and reading for leisure."
"Anything worthwhile?"
He shrugged, "Just some re-reading, really. Some Chaucer, a bit of Ovid."
That got a blink out of the teen. "Right. You so get to help me with AP English this year, okay?"
"Very well, I can do that."
Mistoffelees offered him a faint smile. "I really did miss you... and your tea. Really, the appeal of the library is all in that tea."
"Well, as that's the case, shall I brew some?"
"I would certainly not mind that..."
"Then I shall," Cori straightened and went to make the tea. Mistoffelees watched him, swallowing hard. The librarian emerged a few minutes later, setting a cup down beside Mistoffelees.
"Thanks," he said softly, picking it up.
"You're welcome. Is there anything I can help you with this afternoon?"
"I... don't think so. But thank you."
"You're welcome, I'll be in the stacks if you need anything."
"Alright. Enjoy it back there. I'm sure the stacks miss you when you're gone."
"I'm sure..." He shook his head slightly before heading up to double check his cataloguing after the repairs in June.
o.o.o.o
Grids woke up abruptly from a nightmare, she sat up slowly, looking around and pausing when she saw a figure near her window, "Hello..."
Mac sat, crouched right outside the window. "Do you mind if I come in?" he asked, voice soft.
She responded with a half-shrug, "Be my guest."
He slipped inside, sticking his hands into the pockets of his black leather coat. "How are you doing?"
The smile she offered him didn't reach her eyes, "Peachy." Her gaze swept over him for a long moment and she dropped the smile, "So, is this a social call? It's kinda late. Or, it is for me. What is this for you, after all? Lunch hour?"
He tensed at that, giving her something almost like a hurt look. "It's... not quite a social call."
"And that means grave danger...Great. God, it's so good to be home."
"I'm sorry," he said, voice still quiet.
She shrugged, "Forget it. Let me guess, some of your cousins have come for a family barbecue, and we're all on the menu."
"Not quite," he said, frowning. "The Anointed One is gathering his forces in town, and I'm not actually sure why."
"Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough then."
"You don't sound all that concerned," Mac remarked.
"I can handle myself. I could use a little action anyhow."
"Don't ever underestimate your enemies," Mac said, voice hardening slightly.
She turned to glare at him slightly, "I'm not."
"You sound like you are," he replied.
"Why don't you back off?"
"I..." he considered her for a moment and stepped back. "Right. Sorry. I'll just go."
She nodded slightly, curling back up, facing away from him.
"I missed you," he added softly from the window.
She didn't answer for a long moment, finally turning toward the window, "I missed y-" She stopped when she saw he was gone.
o.o.o.o
"I seriously think something is up," Mistoffelees was saying, glancing at Tugger over his soda at the Bronze the next night.
"You're just paranoid."
"Grids has never acted like this before," Mistoffelees protested. "I mean, bitchy, yes, but not on this level. She's not been talking to any of us, and she's taking slaying even as a joke."
"She's always been different," Tugger said, spreading his arms.
"But not mean," Mistoffelees replied. "Not like she has been."
Grids entered the Bronze, her dress coming to mid-thigh and open in the back. She looked around, frowning when she saw Mac, "Oh, hi again."
"Hi," he replied, looking her over.
"Is there danger at the Bronze now?"
Mac frowned, crossing his arms a bit defensively. "I can't help but thinking I've done something to make you angry, and I have no damn idea what it could have been."
She looked him over, shaking her head, "I'm not angry. I have no idea where that thought comes from."
"What are you afraid of, huh? Me?" He paused. "Us?"
"Could you contemplate getting over yourself? There is no 'us'. I'm sorry if I was supposed to spend my summer in L.A. mooning over you, but I didn't. I moved on. To the living." She turned on her heel and headed toward where she could see Tugger and Misto.
Bombalurina watched the blond pass her, frowning slightly, something was off. Mac stared after her, hunching his shoulders.
"What's wrong with Mac?" Mistoffelees asked as she approached.
She shrugged, "No idea." She looked toward Mac, considering for a moment before shrugging her coat off and turning to Tugger, grabbing his hand, "What do you say to a dance?"
"Huh?" he asked in shock, rising immediately though.
She smirked up at him, pulling him onto the dance floor.
Mistoffelees blinked after them in surprise. "Hey Grids," Tugger started. "What's up?"
"Hm?" She started dancing, a tad too close, more than a tad too sensually, her half-lidded eyes never leaving him.
"I... Uh..." he stammered out for a moment, before swaying slightly into the dance.
She pressed up a bit harder against him, circling him, her hand trailing around his abdomen, she stretched up behind him, pressed solidly against his back, her lips inches from his ear, "Tugger, did I ever thank you for saving my life?"
"N-no?"
"Don't you wish I would?" With that she backed up, sashaying off the dance floor, grabbing her coat and leaving.
Mac looked after her for a long moment before leaving in disgust, Mistoffelees blinking in surprise.
Grids got part way down the alley before she heard her name. She turned to see Bomba coming toward her, "Well, you're really campaigning for bitch of the year, aren't you?"
The blond looked the other girl over, "As defending champion, are you nervous?"
"I can hold my own, "Bombalurina took a step nearer "We've never been close, Grids, which is nice, 'cause I don't like you very much. But you have, on occasion, saved the world and all that stuff, so I'm gonna do you a favor."
"This is my thrilled face."
"Your friends can't do it, 'cause they like you. And they're sort of afraid of you."
Grids rolled her eyes, "What's the favor?"
"I'm going to give you some advice. Get over it."
"Excuse me?"
"Whatever's causing the Joan Collins 'tude, deal with it, embrace the pain, spank your inner moppet but get over it, 'cause pretty soon you won't even have the loser friends you've got now."
"I'd say it's about time for you to mind your own business," the slayer growled.
"It's long past. Nighty night."
Grids turned and left, tensing when she heard Bomba call after her, "I'll just go and see if Mac feels like dancing." When the blond didn't react, Bomba turned to go back inside, but was grabbed by two vamps, one clamping his hand over her mouth and dragging her out of sight.
o.o.o.o
"She's possessed!" Mistoffelees declared the next day.
Cori arched an eyebrow at that, "Possessed?"
"It's the ... alright, not the only explanation but it makes sense. You should have seen her last night and..."
"Hey," Tugger protested. "Are we overlooking the fact that she may just be actually attracted to me?"
Cori looked at him for a long moment, eyebrow still arched.
"You're right, something's up," Tugger sighed.
Coricopat offered him a slightly more sympathetic look at that, "But possessed by what? If we're going with that theory."
"A possessing thing!" Mistoffelees said and wilted slightly.
The librarian shook his head slightly, "Well that narrows it down..."
Mistoffelees waved his hands around for a moment. "The Master. What if this has something to do with the Master?"
Cori considered that for a moment, "It's possible, but even then her behavior may well be caused by something relatively mundane."
"Oh?" Tugger asked.
"Certainly, She may simply have what you Americans refer to as 'issues'. Her experience with the Master must have been extremely traumatic. She was, for at least a few minutes, legally dead. I don't think she's dealt with it on a conscious level. It would be too painful. She's convinced herself that she's invulnerable for the very reason that she feels-"
"That's great about the trout!" Tugger said suddenly, and Mistoffelees' eyes slipped over Cori's shoulder to see Grids striding in.
Cori blinked at that, "Trout?" He turned slightly, following their gazes, "Trout! Yes! The trout... is a fish. Good morning! Did you sleep well?"
She barely spared him a glance, "Like a rock. The Master's gone."
"I'm sorry? I'm not sure I heard you."
"The Master. I went by his grave last night and they have a vacancy."
Coricopat paled at that, "Good god."
"But, they're just bones," Mistoffelees said, frowning. "Who would want something with just his bones?"
"They're gonna bring him back." Grids spoke with finality. The others just stared at her for a moment. She whirled on Cori, " They're gonna bring the Master back to life and I seem to recall you telling me he was history."
He shook his head, "I've never heard of a revivification ritual being successful -"
"But you've heard of them. Thanks for the warning!"
"Grids, we did bury him in hallowed-" Mistoffelees started.
"This is Slayer stuff, okay?" She snapped at him, "Can we have less from the civilians, please?"
Mistoffelees' eyes went wide and he wilted back slightly. Tugger took one look at him and turned back to the Slayer. "Alright, that's just about enough!"
Grids whirled to face him as well, "Oh really? What've you got to say about it, Tugger?"
"You've been a bitch since you got back and you know what? Maybe you're friends are getting sick of it!" his voice was rising and Mistoffelees pulled hard on his arm.
"Tugger," the smaller teen said, voice soft. "Don't."
"But-"
"Don't," Mistoffelees repeated.
Cori looked between them, opening his mouth to speak, but Grids cut him off, "You know what, fine! I need to get to class anyhow."
Mistoffelees pulled his knees up to his chest and Tugger finally looked away.
"See what you can find," Grids said to Cori as she left.
The librarian sighed, running a hand over his face before removing his glasses to clean them, "God..."
"What do we do?" Tugger asked, the smaller teen still quiet.
"We figure out what in the bloody hell can be done about the reification ritual and then we deal with the wayward slayer," Cori answered, putting his glasses back on before moving over to Misto and kneeling down by his chair, "Mistoffelees?"
Mistoffelees glanced at him, a little in surprise. "You really have a habit of doing that, don't you?" he murmured, shifting his shoulders slightly.
He managed a faint smile, "I suppose I do. Are you going to be alright?"
"Me? I'll be fine," he said and smiled. Despite the fact he'd never expected Griddlebone to remind him of what his uncle might have said to him, or the fact that the horrors and sacrifices and friendship of the last year had just been brushed aside. "It's not really anything."
Cori frowned at that, highly doubting it, "Well, no matter what she thinks, /I/ need your help. Would you be able to help me with the research?"
"I... Sure. I can be there in a few minutes."
Coricopat offered him a gentle smile before rising again, "Alright. Thank you."
The two teens watched his retreating back for a moment, Tugger waiting until he was out of slight before leaning slightly toward Mistoffelees, both of them staring at the same point. "You're totally in love with him because he knows exactly the right thing to say to you at the right time, huh?"
Mistoffelees inclined his head slightly toward Tugger. "It's not helping."
"You gonna go help with research then?"
"Uh-huh."
Tugger shook his head, smiling faintly and patting Mistoffelees on the shoulder. "Good luck."
"Uh-huh."
Welcome back one and all to an exciting new year at Sunnydale High with Cats! Thank you one and all who's reading this, and remember that feedback makes your author's day brighter.