The Substitute

Day 4

Before school, Buffy checked in with Giles at the library. "So, Giles, any more on that fairy tail demon?" she asked.

He appeared from his office, nose in a book. "Hmm? Oh, yes, actually," he replied in his clippy British accent. "I was able to tell that her name is Cassandra, and she is thousands of years old. She lived in Rome and was changed into the demon at the age of seven by an elder sorcerer. She saw entire family murdered, and stole the sorcerer's magic cane, which she used to kill him. It a powerful effect over her, and changed her. Now she makes everyone else's dreams seem simple at first, but they turn into raging nightmares. Some never wake up again."

"Wow, I feel sorry for her in a way. Can we kill her?"

"Well, yes, we can. She doesn't talk, and she can only be seen at night. She has a pendant that she wears around her neck. It's a piece of the staff, molded to form a triple moon. It's her source of power. Destroy that, and you will destroy her," Giles explained, setting his book on the table.

Buffy shrugged. "Sounds easy."

Giles looked up, "This girl is very dangerous, Buffy. She can make you think that you're in another existence, in your dreams, even when you're wide awake. She can destroy you with your own mind."

Buffy sighed. "Not so easy."

"Precisely."

"Hey guys, what's up?" Willow called, entering the library with a bounce in her step. Buffy smiled at her anxious friend.

"Just talking about the fairy tale demon, Cassandra," Buffy answered.

Willow nodded. Buffy had filled her in the other day after school. "Is she dangerous?"

Buffy gave her 'the look.'

"Oh, that's a yes. I keep forgetting, Hellmouth, everything is bad and dangerous."

Giles looked up. "Not everything, just, the vast majority."

"Name one thing of great power that's not bad or dangerous," Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"Well, there's...and.....let me see....Buffy. You have a great power and pose no threat to us whatsoever."

"I don't count," Buffy replied, looking smug.

Giles straightened. "Well, there has to be something...Oh yes! I know just the thing," he quickly made his way to his precious books and found the one he was looking for. Buffy and Willow grinned at each other. Leave it to Giles to find anything.

"Here, you see?" He pointed to a picture of a delicate, and old, glass vase. "It's a vase for life. No matter what you stick inside, it will become pure and alive. It resides at the museum of art in the main part of Sunnydale."

"Even a vampire?" Willow asked.

Giles shook his head. "It has to be smaller than the vase itself."

"And what do you mean 'main part of Sunnydale?' Everywhere is the main part of Sunnydale. There isn't a whole lot of Sunnydale," Xander teased, coming into the room and catching the last part of their conversation. Cordelia was right behind him.

"I have to agree with Xander on this, for once," Cordy said.

Buffy headed to the doors. "Well, I have to go turn in a history paper, cya!"

"Wait a minute!" Xander said as soon as she'd gone. "She's in my history class, and we haven't had any papers....Angel's teaching that class.....Think I should go after her?" He asked, more of jealousy than of worry.

Cordelia just rolled her eyes and hit him in the arm.

Classroom B-6

Angel was grading yesterdays pop quiz when he heard someone enter the room. He looked behind his shoulder to the door and smiled when he saw Buffy. "Hey, sleep well?" he asked her softly.

She smiled. "Yeah, and I liked that story. You get to read me more, tonight."

Basement Hallway

Snyder hated walking into the basement. It was so dark, and chilly down there. The perfect place for rats to infest. He was required to make his weekly rounds, as the principal's duty, so he decided to get it over with early this week. He stopped when he heard a noise.

Drip, drip.

That's just the leaky pipes in the ceiling, he told himself. He thought he heard something scuttle past his feet.

Scratch, scratch.

That's just a beetle or something, too small to be a mouse. He passed the open doors of classroom B-6 and absently dismissed the two figures kissing.

He paused a few steps after he'd passed the door. Two figures kissing? And they looked allot like that new teacher, Mr. Giles and....Buffy Summers. That girl was trouble! He slowly took two steps back and peered into the room.

Mr. Giles was sitting at his desk, grading papers. He looked up and smiled at the principal. Snyder glared and looked around, but didn't see anyone else in the room. He shook his head. He was having too many thoughts! He walked on.

Classroom B-6

Buffy sighed and came out from the closet. "That was close! I really think he saw us!"

Angel nodded. "I think we must have scared him, because he seemed pretty out of it," he chuckled.

Buffy hit him on the arm. "Angel! That was really close. I could get expelled, and you could be fired."

He leaned in and kissed her softly one last time. "I'm sorry, now get off to class."

She smiled and quickly hurried out of the room.

Later during class

Buffy watched as Angel taught the class. She really liked having him as a teacher, and not just because they were dating. He really knew how to hold the attention of her peers. Everything was made interesting and fun. They did some in class activities, and were a part of lengthy discussions. Buffy was really learning, and she liked that feeling!

When Angel asked her a question, she could easily answer it. He smiled a look of approval, and moved on with the lesson. Today, they had to do a worksheet. Buffy knew almost all the answers without looking in the book, but she had trouble with one of them. Instead of skipping it like usual, she asked Angel for help. He leaned over her desk behind her and placed his hand absently on her shoulder. Guiding her through the problem and answer, he helped her figure it out.

Scott watched with amusement at his teacher helping his friend. He'd liked Buffy for a long time, but was content on being just a friend for now. Besides, they looked really cute together. They both had that intense, street look. And he could tell they both loved each other very much. Amy looked over at Scott.

"Scott, I was wondering, ummm, maybe we could hang out sometime?" she asked.

Scott looked at Amy. He liked her. "Yeah, that would be fun."

They smiled at each other. Another relationship was building in Sunnydale, California.

That night at Buffy's house

Buffy was snuggled up against Angel as he read to her 'Alice Through The Looking Glass.'

'Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.'

Buffy smiled as Angel read of their silly debate. It reminded her of Xander and Cordelia. She knew the next part was in the movie!

'The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright --
And this was odd because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done --
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead --
There were no birds to fly.'

He finished the rest of the poem and they moved on with Alice's next adventure, as she met the White Queen. They ended at chapter five. Angel tucked her in.

"I should go now. I'll see you tomorrow at school." He kissed her forehead.

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, tomorrow." She fell into a deep sleep.

Next part

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