New Girl in Town: Part Three
by Byn
One night a few weeks later, the phone rang in Principal Snyder's office, startling him badly. He exhaled and strove to calm his racing pulse before he answered after the second jangling ring.

"Snyder here."

"She's teaching the class."

"Yessir."

"Against our orders. Why didn't you stop her?"

"She wouldn't take no for an answer," Snyder replied, mentally gathering himself for what he could guess was coming.

"We were under the impression that we gave you free reign over this school. Yet even with carte blanche, you still cannot fully control the situation. Why, pray tell, is that?"

"She threatened to raise a major uproar if she wasn't allowed to teach that damned class. Go to the Board and to the media, she said. It would have raised lots of questions. I thought that the fewer waves the better."

"Your choice was unwise. We must now make our own arrangements, even though it might jeopardize the whole campaign."

Snyder gulped at the almost palpable menace of the unspoken threat.

"You need to keep a tighter rein on things there," the deep voice almost purred. "Speaking of jeopardy, how are you coming with that other. . . problem?"

"It's gotten even tougher. As you know, that renegade group is gone. Their leader was killed, and his second in command skipped town. The rest are dead or scattered. There's been less activity, and she hasn't been as active as a result. Worse yet, her grades have improved. Giving her the boot is going to be even harder than before." Snyder heard a muffled curse on the other end.

"At least they were useful for covering our movements if nothing else. We have no choice. We must eliminate the woman before she uncovers something."

"When?" Snyder asked but didn’t dare sigh aloud. Yet another death to explain plausibly away.

"Soon. We're waiting on a likely recruit for the job."

"I see."

"I hope that you do." The line went silent as the other party rang off. Snyder slammed down the handset and gave vent to a stream of very imaginative and colorful invective.

The next night . . .

"Nope, not a one. Same as the past week, and the week before that. Hey! You think I got 'em all?" Hope shone through Buffy’s voice and eyes. "At first there were lots of 'em. After I got back, I mean. But lately, it's like they've dropped off the face of the earth. Not that that's a bad thing," she quickly amended.

"It's possible, I suppose, but unlikely, even though you've been e-extremely diligent in your, ah, slaying," Giles gave her a small smile. He was relieved, as always, when the Slayer checked in unscathed from her nightly patrols. "There's nothing in the diaries about an extended lull after their leaders have been vanquished. Actually, I don't think that's ever happened before. However," Giles let the sentence trail off as he considered various possibilities. Time to go look stuff up. A shadow outside the library doors caught his eye. "No, definitely not. There's one inside the school now. Come on!"

Stake at the ready, Buffy led the way as they tailed the undead monster. A light shone in one of the classrooms up ahead. Ms. Wells! Buffy realized. She must be grading midterms or doing teacherish stuff. Giles came to the same realization and felt fear ball up in his stomach. They watched as the vampire opened the door.

"Yes?" Eliza looked up from the book she was reading and the notes she was making. A tall, handsome youth of about sixteen stood in the doorway. "It's way after hours. Can I help you with something? Or can it wait until Monday?"

"Yeah, you can help," the boy smirked as he slowly closed the distance between them. Eliza moved her right hand down to her lap and grasped the object that lay hidden there. "As a matter of fact," he began as his face transformed, eyes glowing a feral yellow and fangs lengthening. "I could use a snack!" The vampire snarled as he lunged for Eliza, launching himself into the air to clear her desk. Eliza screamed.

Buffy and Giles ran through the door in time to see the vampire explode in a shower of ash which settled on Eliza, her desk, and her books. She still held the stance that saved her life--cringing away from the attack, arm and stake upthrust. Slowly she lowered the weapon, picked up her book, and blew the ashes from the pages.

"Oh, ick." Eliza began to brush ash off her clothes and out of her hair. She looked up to see Giles and Buffy staring at her, slack-jawed, from the doorway.

"I, um, took your information to heart, Giles, and prepared myself as best I could," Eliza said, pointing to the stake, which looked suspiciously like a sharpened wooden letter-opener. "No one told me they did this, though."

"Are you okay, Ms. Wells?" Buffy put in.

"Yes. Thanks Buffy. In one piece. I got him before he could bite." Buffy shot a meaningful look at her Watcher.

"Um, yes. You-you’re quite right, Buffy. Well, ah, Ms. Wells, since you are now, shall we say, initiated, it is time we told you everything. Buffy, please go get the others. They need to be in on this. Ms. Wells, have you safeguarded your home properly?"

Eliza stared at him, frowning. "I beg your pardon?"

Giles saw that reality had not yet sunk in. He sighed. "I thought not. Eliza, if you will allow me, I will drive you to your place so you can gather what you need. You are welcome to stay at-at my house tonight. The danger, I think, is too great for you to stay at your home, at least until I can assist you in protecting yourself and your domicile. Do you have a cross on a chain, for starters?" Eliza continued to stare.

"Slumber party! Goody!" said Buffy, deliberately breaking into the silence. She smiled at the teachers, and left the classroom to go get the Slayerettes.

"Okay," Eliza sighed. "I'm game."


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