CLASS NOTES: Nothing at this stage...

NB: Please be aware that later in this fic, a minor characters death is portrayed.

I choose to start this story now...

~ Sunnydale California. Mom's house, Revello Drive. ~

"Buffy!" Mom called out to me and I heard the click of her hanging up the phone. "Wonder Woman is coming to speak at the gallery!!"

"Uh... that's great mom," I said coming into the kitchen from the hallway where I had just dumped my overnight bag to be added to the luggage already piled up at my house for yet another trip to Gotham, my first spring break in Gotham this time.

"She asked me to ask you to be there. She wants to see you again. I didn't know you'd met Wonder Woman."

"Diana? Yeah. She helped out with that situation in Metropolis last year."

"Oh, of course." Mum smiled fondly at me. "She said that I should be proud of you sweetheart. I just want you to know that I am." She kissed my forehead before making herself some coffee.

"Uh, sure I do mom." Sometimes the displays of affection bother me in that 'something weird is going on' kinda way. She doesn't say anything else and turns her attention to the newspaper as she sips her coffee.

I finished checking my bag again and my dog who is no longer a little puppy. Robin the First is such a cutie. He's a beautiful, sleek looking animal. Mom doesn't seem to mind him running about the place when I visit and I don't mind taking him jogging with me. Sometimes he even helps me patrol. I spend most weekends in Gotham these days and I only see mom for occasional, short periods of time during the week.

I love my new place. Willow and I, with Bruce's help, found the perfect place and with the little money she brings in from working for Giles at the magic shop and what I bring in from my articles in The Daily Planet we can afford it, living expenses and have a little spare. We have an incredible computer set-up care of Oracle making Willow her official assistant. Oracle even revealed that she was Barbara to Willow. Willow's first response was to ask if Bruce knew, a question that was danced around by a chuckle and some fancy specification details from Babs that made Willow swoon with pleasure.

I miss Dick and my east-coast friends during the week, mostly when Kyle finds time to visit Willow and I leave them to do the couple thing while Robin the First and I patrol the streets of Sunnydale. No I don't wear the costume. I couldn't get away with it here. Besides the vampires would laugh and I'd have to explain it to everyone and I couldn't do that without risking Bruce, Tim and Dick's identities. I will have to tell Giles, I want to tell Giles but I want Bruce to be okay with it first.

Mom finishes her coffee and smiles at me before picking up the car keys. "Everything ready?"

"Yeah. We need to pick Willow up from our place as well as the rest of my luggage. She should be back from the magic shop by now."

"Dawn?"

"Coming mom." My little sister bounced down the stairs smiling. "Buffy? Can you give this to Tim?" she asked handing me an envelope.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "It's a little late for Valentines Day isn't it?"

"Oh, no. It's some information he asked for," she said as she passed by me and outside to the car.

"Oh?" She wouldn't say anything else no matter what I did to try to make her tell as we drove my mother insane on the way to Willow's and my house.

Willow was indeed home from her mornings work and on the phone to Kyle when we arrived. She pointed at a couple of bags by the door and kept talking on the cordless phone as she helped us take her bags out to the car. She checked the bedrooms were secure while I checked the rest of the house before she said goodbye and hung up. We did a final check of the house then locked the door and climbed into the car where I resumed my attempts to make Dawn tell me what was in the envelope that she had securely closed with sellotape. It quickly became evident that there was no way I'd find out what was in this envelope before Tim opened it in Gotham City which was *hours* away.

I waved goodbye to Robin the First who was unhappily closed into a metal cage for the trip to Gotham City on a commercial flight. Tell me again why I decided we had to refuse Bruce's private jet? Willow and I checked our luggage and waited to board the plane. Very soon we boarded the plane and took our seats after farewells in the airport gate lounge. I had hugged mom close and told her I loved her, then done the same to Dawn who quickly told me she still wasn't telling me what was in the envelope. I laughed and promised to call them from Wayne Manor when we arrived.

I fretted about Robin and bothered the Stewards about his safety the entire way. Most of them were good natured about it but there was this one guy... "I told you before Miss. Your dog is *fine*. Now sit back and enjoy the flight, and let us get back to our jobs."

Well that was *it*. I'm never flying commercial again, even if Bruce does insist on paying the difference for first class tickets. I glared at the man and slowly rose from my seat. "How the hell would you feel if it was someone you cared about caged like a dangerous killer and shoved out of sight for a lengthy flight across the country? How would you feel if it was *you* in the cage? I don't like cages and I *really* didn't like putting my little Robin in a cage. He's perfectly harmless. Ok so he's a little energetic but that's normal in dalmations. I certainly don't think it's fair to treat any animal that way. PSYCHOPATHS GET BETTER ACCOMODATIONS!!"

Others joined us then. The first guy was blinking in astonishment at my outburst and was quickly herded away by a woman who had introduced herself as Barbie when Willow and I had first taken our seats. The Head Steward was ushering me back into my seat with a soft voice requesting if everything was ok.

"If everything was ok, do you think I would have been shouting at one of your staff members?"

"No, of course not," he smiled. "I meant was there anything I could do?"

"Perhaps you could teach your staff about customer service," Willow said quietly. "My friend was only enquiring about her dog."

"Ah, you must be Buffy. Your dog is the dalmation, Robin the First?"

"Yeah," I said softly.

"I have checked on him myself and he is just fine. Not impressed with his travel arrangements but otherwise he's ok."

"Oh good," I smiled. "Look, I'm really sorry about..."

"You were right to be upset if Peter was rude."

"I'm just nervous for Robin. It's his first trip in a plane that isn't a private jet."

"A private jet?"

"Ah..." I looked at Willow who shrugged, "We normally travel to Gotham City in a friends plane."

"Buffy?" a beautiful redheaded woman said, standing up from her seat and walking over to us.

"Hello Veronica. How are you?" Ok, so I don't like socialite Veronica Vreeland but she's part of Bruce's social circle so I'll be polite.

"Surprised to see Dick let you travel this way. I thought you only ever travelled in Bruce Wayne's private jet."

"Hmph. I do have some dignity though I will say the service is better... no offence, uh, Michael," I said glancing at his name badge.

"None taken. Who can compete with the private jet of an industrialist billionaire?" he smiled.

"I don't know but if you ever find out you should let me know. Everything's ok Michael. Will you please give Peter my apologies?"

"Certainly Miss."

"He sounds like Alfred," Willow giggled as Michael walked away.

"Alfred? Bruce's butler? I don't like him."

"How could you not like Alfred?" Willow asked, aghast that anyone could find the older man objectionable.

"I don't think he likes me."

"I can't imagine why," I said and successfully hid the cruel smirk that threatened to break across my face. Alfred has expressed his displeasure with Bruce's choices of acquaintance in my past visits to the manor. He dislikes the vague and vapid women who rely entirely on their money and their plastic surgeons to succeed in life. I think there are very few women Alfred approves of having in the house and I think Bruce knows that.

So we spent most of the remaining journey time talking with Veronica about Gothams socialites and wishing we could join Robin the First in his exile from human company, or that we'd enter some strange time warp that would get us to Gotham in the next instant.

Finally, just as I was convinced my brain was about to dribble out of my ear in an escape attempt from Veronica's verbal diahorrea the Captain announced we would be landing shortly. Veronica went back to her seat and my brain returned to its happy place inside my head.