moragmacpherson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
moragmacpherson) wrote2009-01-23 11:04 am
moragmacpherson) wrote2009-01-23 11:04 am
Fic: Hellmouth High Schools Don't Have Reunions (9/20)
Title: Hellmouth High Schools Don't Have Reunions (9/20)
Author: MoragMacPherson
Rating: PG to PG-13
Timeline: School Reunion for DW. Between Homecoming and Band Candy for BtVS
Disclaimer: If it's a character or a place, I don't own it.
Archive: Here, TtH, Teaspoon, the pit, I think. If you'd like it, let me know.
Author's Note: Response to challenge 3108 by Winterd at Twisting the Hellmouth. Un-beta'd. Oooh, and it also got recced on Calufrax, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Summary: What if "School Reunion" took place at Sunnydale High?
Ugly or Pretty, It's Still My City
The library itself seemed normal, if dark and strangely deserted, as Xander commented. Rose frowned. “Why? It’s half-eight. Do you guys sleep here or something?”
Oz raised his hand. “Three days out of the month.”
Willow nodded. “Sometimes more often, depending on Hellmouth activity.”
“Right.” Rose bit her lip. “I always thought the teachers slept at school, but the only sleep I ever caught in school was in maths.”
Xander patted her shoulder. “Oh, I totally get that too.”
Buffy emerged from the cage. “No sign of Giles. His favorite crossbow is missing too.” She frowned. “He didn’t even leave a note for me to go patrolling.”
Willow looked around. “Do you think he knows we suspect him?”
Buffy groaned. “Could be.” Stamping her foot, she announced, “I don’t like this!”
The Doctor cleared his throat from behind the stacks. “I doubt you’re going to like this any better.” He extended his arm out from the shelf and beckoned the group towards him. “Quietly,” he cautioned, “Rose was on to something.”
Despite this, none of them could control their gasps. Wrinkled leathery creatures slept upside down in the stacks, their talons hooked to the ceiling, wings folded around their bodies.
“Those are aliens?” breathed Willow.
“Yes,” confirmed the Doctor. “Thirteen of them. That’s six maths teachers, five dinner ladies, the nurse and the, uh, librarian.”
Xander’s eyes widened. “You mean Giles is batman?”
The Doctor nodded. “So it would appear.” Holding his arms out he walked backwards, pushing the group back. “I don’t recognize them. We need to get that oil to the TARDIS to analyze it.”
Buffy gripped his arm. “But what about Giles? What did-“
The Doctor hushed her. “I don’t know, Buffy. I need to find out what they are first.” When they reached the doors, Xander and Oz held them open then shut them slowly and silently.
Rose peeked through the windows again. “All right. That was creepy. Bat people in school and no one’s running or screaming. This is new.”
Buffy started to say something, then snapped her mouth shut. “Okay, where’s this TARDIS thing?”
The Doctor loosened his tie at her glare. “Right this way.”
Rose walked alongside Buffy. “We are actually helping you, you know. No need to keep barking at us.”
Buffy cast a sideways glance at the taller girl. “Barking?" She shook her head. "Listen, you guys come waltzing in here, and I appreciate the help, but your friend isn’t in mortal danger, mine is. And I don’t care if it’s aliens or demons, but it’s my job to protect this place. You guys will come and go, and at the end of the day, I get to live here.” She turned to the girl. “You decided to go off and have a grand adventure with an alien hottie, that’s great. I got chosen to stay here and fight the demons. To watch my friends die. To kill-“ Buffy choked on the words. “But it’s all a game to you two,” she finished.
Rose blinked, a little stunned. “It’s not a game.”
“Really? How many bodies do you leave in your path?”
“Fewer than there would be without us,” averred Rose. The rest of the gang had turned the corner.
Buffy bit her lip, and then crossed her arms. “Okay. Fine. You’ve seen the things that go bump in the night, and I know it’s impossible to turn back once you’ve experienced it. And you love him. But I’ll give you this advice-“
“I didn’t ask for it and I-“
“I’m giving it anyway.” Buffy’s face and tone softened. “Just be careful. He’s gonna get you hurt or killed.”
Rose scoffed. “How do you know that?”
“Because that’s what happens to the people I love.”
Next
Author: MoragMacPherson
Rating: PG to PG-13
Timeline: School Reunion for DW. Between Homecoming and Band Candy for BtVS
Disclaimer: If it's a character or a place, I don't own it.
Archive: Here, TtH, Teaspoon, the pit, I think. If you'd like it, let me know.
Author's Note: Response to challenge 3108 by Winterd at Twisting the Hellmouth. Un-beta'd. Oooh, and it also got recced on Calufrax, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Summary: What if "School Reunion" took place at Sunnydale High?
Ugly or Pretty, It's Still My City
The library itself seemed normal, if dark and strangely deserted, as Xander commented. Rose frowned. “Why? It’s half-eight. Do you guys sleep here or something?”
Oz raised his hand. “Three days out of the month.”
Willow nodded. “Sometimes more often, depending on Hellmouth activity.”
“Right.” Rose bit her lip. “I always thought the teachers slept at school, but the only sleep I ever caught in school was in maths.”
Xander patted her shoulder. “Oh, I totally get that too.”
Buffy emerged from the cage. “No sign of Giles. His favorite crossbow is missing too.” She frowned. “He didn’t even leave a note for me to go patrolling.”
Willow looked around. “Do you think he knows we suspect him?”
Buffy groaned. “Could be.” Stamping her foot, she announced, “I don’t like this!”
The Doctor cleared his throat from behind the stacks. “I doubt you’re going to like this any better.” He extended his arm out from the shelf and beckoned the group towards him. “Quietly,” he cautioned, “Rose was on to something.”
Despite this, none of them could control their gasps. Wrinkled leathery creatures slept upside down in the stacks, their talons hooked to the ceiling, wings folded around their bodies.
“Those are aliens?” breathed Willow.
“Yes,” confirmed the Doctor. “Thirteen of them. That’s six maths teachers, five dinner ladies, the nurse and the, uh, librarian.”
Xander’s eyes widened. “You mean Giles is batman?”
The Doctor nodded. “So it would appear.” Holding his arms out he walked backwards, pushing the group back. “I don’t recognize them. We need to get that oil to the TARDIS to analyze it.”
Buffy gripped his arm. “But what about Giles? What did-“
The Doctor hushed her. “I don’t know, Buffy. I need to find out what they are first.” When they reached the doors, Xander and Oz held them open then shut them slowly and silently.
Rose peeked through the windows again. “All right. That was creepy. Bat people in school and no one’s running or screaming. This is new.”
Buffy started to say something, then snapped her mouth shut. “Okay, where’s this TARDIS thing?”
The Doctor loosened his tie at her glare. “Right this way.”
Rose walked alongside Buffy. “We are actually helping you, you know. No need to keep barking at us.”
Buffy cast a sideways glance at the taller girl. “Barking?" She shook her head. "Listen, you guys come waltzing in here, and I appreciate the help, but your friend isn’t in mortal danger, mine is. And I don’t care if it’s aliens or demons, but it’s my job to protect this place. You guys will come and go, and at the end of the day, I get to live here.” She turned to the girl. “You decided to go off and have a grand adventure with an alien hottie, that’s great. I got chosen to stay here and fight the demons. To watch my friends die. To kill-“ Buffy choked on the words. “But it’s all a game to you two,” she finished.
Rose blinked, a little stunned. “It’s not a game.”
“Really? How many bodies do you leave in your path?”
“Fewer than there would be without us,” averred Rose. The rest of the gang had turned the corner.
Buffy bit her lip, and then crossed her arms. “Okay. Fine. You’ve seen the things that go bump in the night, and I know it’s impossible to turn back once you’ve experienced it. And you love him. But I’ll give you this advice-“
“I didn’t ask for it and I-“
“I’m giving it anyway.” Buffy’s face and tone softened. “Just be careful. He’s gonna get you hurt or killed.”
Rose scoffed. “How do you know that?”
“Because that’s what happens to the people I love.”
Next