DISCLAIMER!!!! Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, and all the characters, from "Buffy theVampire Slayer" aren't mine. They belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy. I'm jealous, but what can I do? All other characters, and the story itself are the sole property of ME, and my imagination. Please send all comments on the story to ME! Thank you and come again!
"You said they were in front of your English class." Giles said as the group reached their destination. "The appear to have, uh, left."
Giles was right, the hallway was deserted.
"Well, maybe she went to class." Willow spoke up. Both Giles and Xander gave her a raised eyebrow. Well Giles did, and Xander tried. "Or maybe not."
"You guys think that Snyder took her to the office to book her?" Xander said, finally giving up trying to raise an eyebrow.
Giles considered for a moment for a moment. "You're probably right." He sighed. "I should go over and clear things up with Principal Snyder."
"You mean lie, don't you?" Xander said with a slight smile.
"Well, uh, yes," the Watcher said, slightly chagrined.
The three of them made their way to Sunnydale High's main office, Xander and Willow arguing the whole way as to why Principal Snyder disliked Buffy so much.
"It's because he's evil I tell you, EVIL!" Xander insisted as they stood in front of the main office.
"He's not evil, he just a big meanie!" Willow replied.
Giles waited until they were finished debating. "I should probably go in by myself." The librarian said. "Principal Snyder would probably ask why the two of you aren't in class." He paused. "Why aren't you in class?"
"Uh, we're concerned that Buffy might be in trouble!" Xander said, surprise, or his best impression, in his voice. "That you're insinuating that we would use Buffy's problems with Principal Snyder as a reason to cut, uh, I mean, miss class, is shocking!"
Willow nodded in agreement with Xander. "I'm in shock."
Giles gave both of them a long look, 'hmphed!' and entered the office.
Xander turned to Willow. "You think he bought it?"
Willow nodded again. "Yeah, maybe even a little." She said solemnly.
}\pard \qj\widctlpar\adjustright { \'85-----\'85.-----\'85 }\pard \fi720\widctlpar\adjustright {
Giles stood in Principal Snyder's office, listening to the principal tell him what was wrong with the students of Sunnydale High. "They wander around, staring slack-jawed at the hard working teachers that try to give them something, something that they can use." Snyder said. " And these glass-eyed fools just nod their heads, look at the clock, and do their homework if they have time between satisfying their carnal lusts!"
Giles listened to all this with out comment. He had tried on more then a few occasions to convince Principal Snyder that his beliefs about the students were, for the most part, wrong. }{\i I still have no idea why he decided to become a principal,}{ he thought. "Err, yes, well, uh, here is the excuse slip that Buffy had forgotten in the Library," the Watcher said instead.
Snyder's face darkened. "Summers." He said with contempt. "She's the worst one of all. Just prances in here whenever she pleases. Cuts class, gets into fights, and creates general chaos wherever she goes. I really don't know why you protect this hoodlum, Mr. Giles."
"I'm not protecting her, Principal Snyder. Buffy really was on an errand for yesterday." Giles lied smoothly. He was getting pretty good at lying. He was starting to get worried about it.
"Maybe she was," the short principal said. " But sooner or later she's going to slip up. Then she's mine." An eager smile formed on Snyder's face as he imagined expelling Buffy out of school.
"Uh, yes. Well I must get back to the Library. Paper work and all that." Giles said taking advantage of Snyder's drift into fantasyland. "If you will excuse me..."
Principal Snyder nodded, his smile still in place. He didn't say good bye as Giles left his office.
Xander was staring at his reflection in a display case outside the office, trying to master the difficult art of eyebrow raising, when a man who looked lost came up and taped him on the shoulde r. "Uh, excuse me, but could you tell me if this is the main office?" he asked with a British accent.
Xander turned away from his reflection and toward the man, his right eyebrow raised straight up. It gave him a slightly crazed look. "Yes, it is," Xander replied.
A surprised look came to the man's face as he quickly took a step back from the tall boy, his right hand going into his coat pocket. Willow, who had been reading her history book, stood up and slapped Xander on the arm. "Stop doing that! You' re starting to scare people."
Xander looked embarrassed. "Sorry," he muttered toward the man who had interrupted him.
"Quite all right," the stranger replied after staring the two students for a moment. Both his hands were now visible. "Uh, do you young people go to this school? Perhaps you could help me locate a member of the faculty."
Xander, both eyebrows back where they're supposed to be, nodded once. "Yeah, we go here. Who you looking for?" he replied.
The man smiled. "I believe that he is the librarian, Rupert Giles is his name."
Both Xander and Willow stared at the man for a moment. "You're looking for Giles?" Willow finally asked.
"Yes, yes I am," the man said, his smile growing. "Would you know where I could find him? I phoned his office, but no one picked up."
Xander gave the man a long look. "Why you looking for him?"
The man looked a little surprised by the question. "Uh, I'm an old friend of Rupert's, uh, Mr. Giles. He called me last week in relation to a, ah, problem he had." The man said. "My name is Sidney Benson."
Xander looked at Willow. Willow stared at Sidney. Sidney looked at the two of them. "Hey, its nice to meet you Mr. Benson. Giles has mentioned you before." Willow said after some thought. "Giles is in the office. He should be out in a minute or two."
Xander stared at Willow. "When did Giles mention him? He didn't mention him to me! Did I miss a newsletter or something?"
"Later," Willow muttered to her friend.
"Uh, he mentioned me?" Sidney asked, his face guarded.
Willow leaned in toward Giles friend, "Yes. Giles said that he called you for some advice," she whispered. "About zombies."
Both Sidney and Xander's eyes widened. "He told you that?" Sidney asked, his face showing shock.
Xander just stared at his oldest friend as she nodded. "When was this? How come nobody is telling me stuff?" he asked, a little upset.
Before Willow could answer, the door to the main office opened and Giles came out. When he saw Sidney, he stopped in his tracks and simply looked at the other man.
Sidney looked at his old friend and smiled nervously. "Hello Rupert." He said after a very awkward few seconds. "It's been a long time."
Giles continued to stare at Sidney for a few seconds before shaking himself out of it. "Uh, yes it has. How have you been Sid?" he asked, his voice shaking more then the rest of him.
Sidney smiled again. "I've been quite well, in fact. Very busy, the last few years." The Reanimator replied. "And you?"
This time it was Giles who smiled. "I've been getting along. Been quite busy myself the past couple years."
The awkward silence returned as both men just looked at each other.
Xander, who had been watching the exchange with Willow, cleared his throat. "Ahem!"
Both men looked over at the pair o f teenagers. "Oh, how rude of me!" Giles said, slightly relieved that the silence had been broken. "Uh, Xander, Willow, this is Sidney Benson, an old friend of mine from my Oxford days. Sidney," he said turning to his friend," this is Xander Harris and W illow Rosenburg."
Sidney shook both their hands. "Nice to meet the both of you." He turned to Giles. "Willow here says that you mentioned me."
Giles gave Willow a quick look," What did exactly did she say?" he asked, his voice sounding a little angry.
Before Sidney could reply, Willow spoke up. "I just said that you had mentioned that you had called him for advice on how to deal with the zombies!" She said rather loudly and quickly.
Giles, Sidney and Xander all looked around to see if anyone had heard Willow's outburst. "Perhaps we should head to the Library." Giles said when he didn't notice anyone in the hall. "We may have a little more privacy."
Sidney nodded, and they both began to walk down the hall toward the Library. "Uh, hello?" Xander said from behind them. "What about Buffy? Is she ok?"
Giles turned around and seemed ready smack himself on the forehead. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Principal Snyder said that he sent her to class." The Watcher said apologetically. "Which means that she's most likely waiting for me in the Library."
"Buffy? Who is she?" Sidney asked.
"Uh, Buffy is the Slayer." Giles answered. A strange look came on to Sidney's face. "The Slayer is waiting for you in the Library?"
Giles nodded. "Most likely."
Sidney turned around and started to quickly walk down the hallway. "Is there a problem Sidney?" Giles asked as he caught up to his friend.
The former Watcher didn't answer immediately. "Probably." He said after a moment. "Eddie went to the Library."
"Who's Eddie?" Giles, Xander and Willow all asked at once.
"Eddie is my Slayer."
"Your Slayer?" Giles said totally stunned.
"Yes, my Slayer." Sidney said, his pace quickening.
"Your Slayer's a guy?" Willow asked as she tried to keep up with the two older men.
"Yeah, I thought that Slayers are all supposed to be, you know, girls." Xander said.
Sidney sighed. "I will happily explain everything once we get to the Library."
"Why the rush?" A worried Giles asked. "What's the problem?"
"The problem is that Eddie might, well, do something to your Slayer." The Reanimator said, his voice tense.
Giles caught up to his friend and stopped him. "What does something mean?" he demanded.
Sidney looked Giles right in the eyes. "Something means, provoke a fight with."
The librarian looked right back at his oldest friend and considered. "Should we run?"
This time it was Sidney who considered. "No. But we should walk fast."
The two older men started toward the Library as fast as they could without running. Xander and Willow were close behind.
