Ah yes, Halloween. The time of year where everyone loves monsters and pretends to be one for the sake of being rewarded with sweets and praise for how original or charming their ghoulish outfits are. I can understand the appeal, but that doesn't mean I share it.

But perhaps I'm just being a boring old woman, complaining about the younglings again.

Out of all of us, I think Xander was the most excited about the approaching holiday. Not that he needed an excuse to eat copious amount of candy and chocolate, but it was more acceptable to do so on Halloween. An acceptability he took full advantage of.

Me? I was just happy to not be teased about dressing in all dark colors, since others were sporting the motif as well. In fact I'm pretty sure I saw no less than five individuals dressed as Death himself.

An interesting way of having fun, to be sure.

Although somehow safety was an issue, as we witnessed when Principal Snyder 'volunteered' a hapless girl for the safety program. I always thought that was rather an odd way to encourage volunteering, but who am I to question the tactics of school leaders?

Both Willow and Xander commented on the 'volunteering' practice as we skirted around Snyder and the very putout looking girl.

"What's the deal?" Buffy asked, eyeing the table.

"A bunch of little kids need people to take them trick-or-treating." Xander explained as Willow opened her locker.

"Sign up and get your own pack of sugar-hyped little runts for the night." He finished.

I winced.

It's not that I don't find some children cute and nice, and all that. But at the same time they're very…loud. And I have sensitive hearing, remember.

"Yikes," Buffy said, evidently sharing my sentiment, "I'll stick to vampires."

And then before you could say 'Don't say that too loud', Snyder appeared at Buffy's side and spun her to face him.

"Miss Summers," he said, sounding oddly satisfied, "just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for."

Subtlety is not Snyder's forte, I must say.

"Principal Snyder!" Buffy responded, making a valiant effort to look excited, bless her poor heart.

"Halloween must be a big night for you," he continued, "tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples. One pathetic cry for help after another."

I frowned in confusion and looked at Willow.

"How is bobbing for apples a cry for help?" I murmured. "And why would the Slayer be crying for help?"

"I don't know," Willow answered, "and I think he's just trying to be expressive."

I wasn't any less confused, but nodded like I understood.

"Well," Snyder was saying, placing his hand on Buffy's back and pushing her towards the volunteer table, "not this year, missy."

He handed her the sign-up clipboard.

"Oh," Buffy said, "gosh, I'd love to sign up but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome, and can tragically no longer hold a flashlight."

I groaned inwardly and took a step back from the group, finding a nice, quiet doorway to hide in. Brave as she might be, Buffy can somehow come up with most non-plausible excuses of anyone I've ever met, and that's saying something.

Snyder felt the same, I gathered.

"The program starts at four," he said, ignoring her excuse completely, "the children have to be back at six." He handed her the pen. She yanked it out of his hand, pouting, and scribbled her name down on the clipboard.

And then Snyder whipped out two more pens and handed them to Xander and Willow.

He didn't look my way, and it was a good thing he hadn't. Can you imagine me trying to her small tikes? I have a hard enough job with the three younglings and Giles, for pity's sake. I'd lose my mind if I had to look after tiny, defenseless beings.

"I can't believe this." Xander complained after we had finally escaped from Snyder, "We have to dress in costumes and the whole deal?"

"Snyder said they were mandatory." Willow sighed.

"Great," Buffy moaned, "I was going to stay in an watch TV. The one night a year things are quiet."

I patted her shoulder sympathetically.

"At least small children will be the worst of your problems." I said, "Small blessings, eh?"

"You're one to talk," she responded, pouting, "you didn't have to sign up. Why didn't you volunteer when the rest of us had to?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, and let just a hint of my vampiric face come through.

"Point taken." She acknowledged.

"Wait," Xander said, "back up, Halloween is considered quiet? I figured it'd be a big ole' vamp-scara-pallooza."

"Not really," I shrugged, "it was to begin with, but there were some mishaps when vampires accidentally attacked their own kind, there was a minor war started when that happened, as I recall. It didn't last long but they all agreed to lay low for the night after that. Keeps things simple and avoids any further embarrassment."

I smirked.

"Besides," I added, "part of the thrill of the hunt for vampires is the fear they induce. People expect to be scared on Halloween, so if they see a vampire running at them, they're more prone to laugh than run away. Takes some of the joy out of it. Makes them feel ridiculous."

Xander snorted.

"Those wacky vampires," he joked, "that's why I love 'em, they just keep you guessing!"

He wandered over to the soda machine while Willow and Buffy started moaning about how they had no idea what to do for costumes. I couldn't really join in, so I watched Xander, and saw a rather large boy approach him, and heard him start asking about Buffy, asking if she'd go out with him.

This wasn't an unusual occurrence. Buffy attracted a good deal of attention from young men and boys, and with just cause, she was gorgeous after all.

But the boy, Larry, I think Xander said his name was, said something that made me pay a bit more attention, and Xander too, I think.

He called Buffy 'fast'. And Xander, for once, channeled my thoughts and said: "I hope you mean like the wind."

"You know what I mean." Larry answered, smiling slowly. I hate that sort of smile, only truly vile people can use that kind of smile and I don't know why they think they should use it, but they do.

"Hey," Xander snapped, "that's my friend you're talking about!"

"Oh yeah?" Larry said, "Well what're you going to do about it?" he demanded.

"I'm going to do what any man would do about it:" Xander responded, he suddenly grabbed Larry's shirt, "Something damn manly."

Larry laughed derisively and broke out of Xander's grip.

"Buffy." I warned, she looked at me, "Protect Xander for trying to protect your honor." I told her.

She immediately stood up and reached the pair just as Larry raised a fist to hit Xander. She grabbed Larry's upraised fist, twisted it behind his back, and slammed him into the soda machine.

Willow gasped in surprise while I sighed and stood up to go help, if need be.

She slammed him into the machine so hard that Xander's Dr. Pepper rolled out.

Larry groaned and Buffy pulled him back.

"Get gone." She told him, and flung him from the machine. He stumbled towards me and I stopped him abruptly with a hand to his chest.

"In answer to your question," I told him, "No, I don't think she'd go out with you. Try being a gentleman next time." I took my hand from his chest, and pushed him away before walking up to Xander and Buffy, leaving a very disgruntled and embarrassed Larry behind us.

"Oh, hey!" Buffy exclaimed excitedly, scooping up the soft drink, "Diet!"

"Do you know what you just did?" Xander demanded.

"Saved a dollar?" Buffy answered. There was something off about Xander's tone, I thought, and he didn't exactly looked grateful for having not been punched in the face.

"Larry was about to pummel me!" he whined.

"Oh, that?" Buffy smiled, tapped his chest good-naturedly, "Forget about it."

She turned and started back for the table, but I was watching Xander. He looked like a strange combination of angry and crestfallen.

"Oh I'll forget about it," he said, marching after her, leaving me to bring up the rear, "In maybe fifteen or twenty years when my rep for being a sissy-man finally fades!" He snapped. I blinked in surprise. What was wrong with him?

Even Buffy looked bewildered.

"Xander it was just-" she started, but he interrupted her, angrily.

"A black eye heals, Buffy, but cowardice has an unlimited shelf-life." He said, "Oh thanks," he drawled sarcastically, "thanks a lot for your help!" he snapped.

He gathered up his bag and all but stomped away.

Buffy moaned and sat down heavily.

"I think I just violated that Guy Code, big time." She said.

"I think I'm missing something," I said, still completely bewildered, "what was that about?"

Buffy waved her hand.

"A guy is supposed to defend himself or get pummeled, rather than get saved by a girl, I guess." Buffy explained.

"That's stupid." I said, sitting down and frowning at Xander's retreating form. "I'm sorry, but that is phenomenally stupid. What difference does it make? I find it very silly indeed that he should get upset about being saved by a girl. What shame is there in that?"

"Boys are so fragile." Willow sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't understand." I muttered, crossing my arms.

"To be honest, I don't either." Buffy answered.

Willow smirked and glanced at Buffy.

"Speaking of fragile boys," she murmured, "how was your date last night?"

Right, Buffy had had a date with Angel and I had forgotten all about it. I'd been busy…in a sense. Locked in the house with Giles while we laughed over papers students had written in English class that lacked the Oxford comma.

We have good times, don't question it.

"Misfire." Buffy answered. "I was late due to unscheduled Slayage, showed up looking trashed."

"Was he mad?" Willow asked. It was funny, and a little sad, how much Willow had changed. Once upon a time she would have been terrified of the thought of a vampire attacking Buffy while she was alone, but now it was so commonplace she didn't even give it a second thought, but moved right on to the Angel aspect.

I didn't know whether to feel sad, or proud. Or both.

"Actually he was pretty un-mad," Buffy answered, "Which probably had something to do with the fact that Cordelia was drooling in his cappuccino."

I winced.

Cordelia's presence, which was already unwelcome, was leading to more problems in the inner circle than I'd planned on.

"Oh, Buffy," Willow murmured encouragingly, "Angel would never fall for her act."

"You mean that 'Actually showing up in a nice outfit and embracing personal hygiene' act?" Buffy countered.

"You know what I mean," Willow protested, "she's not his type."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"Willow's right," I broke in, "Cordelia, from what I've seen and believe me that's more than enough, she acts like the little girl in middle-school that has a crush on her sister's boyfriend in college. It's not charming, it's annoying and honestly rather embarrassing. Trust me."

"But I don't know what his type is." Buffy argued. "I've known him for almost a year and he's not really the type to over-share."

"True." Willow and I said at the same time.

I shrugged.

"We're a secretive lot, what can I say?"

"I guess it's too bad we can't sneak a look at the Watcher Diaries and read up on Angel." Willow said after a brief pause, her big brown eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I'm sure they're full of fun facts to know and tell." She finished.

I felt my eyes widen.

"Yeah," Buffy said slowly, "it's…too bad. That stuff is…private." She matched Willow's look.

"Also," Willow said, grinning, "Giles keeps that stuff in his office, in his…personal files."

"Most importantly," Buffy added, "it would…wrong."

They both looked at me.

I sat back in my chair. I'd read them, of course. If I was a Seeker, then of course I would know what the Watchers had written. But that didn't mean I was going to divulge privy information.

"You're evil." I told them. I stood up from the table and shook my head.

"I'll give you fifteen minutes," I said, "I don't know what you're doing, I don't know what you looked at, and I certainly had nothing to do with whatever it is you read. But don't leave smudges on the pages and if you rip anything you have to work the stacks with me for two days. Understood?"

They grinned at each other.

"Yes, mom." They chorused.

"Kids today." I muttered, walking off towards the girl's restroom. You just can't reason with children once they get their minds fixated on something.

(Hey guys! Sorry about the REALLY long hiatus. I've just had a LOT to deal with/still dealing with it so I can't promise updates are going to be frequent, but I am trying to get back in the groove of writing since I'll probably be traveling from September til I don't know when, and I'd like to get season 2 finished before then, but I can't make any promises.

Again, SO sorry this took so long! Just lots of personal crap that I really just cannot figure out how to deal with and that pretty much stifles all creative ability, so I appreciate your patience and hope you enjoy this chapter! Apologies for any typos that are made, I tried to catch them all but I always end up missing some, sorry!)