Rupert Giles and Willow Rosenberg were working on things for the "Cleveland Girls Preporatory Academy" which seemed a more appropriate name that "Vampire Slayer School." The school would be masquerading as a very exclusive all-girls boarding school for girls ages 10 and up. All younger slayers would remain with their familys, being guided by a private Watcher until old enough to join the school.
"So far I've located 313 active slayers over the age of 10 around the globe. I'm sure they are more, but that's how many I've found so far. We have 238 registered for the fall term, and 8 family interviews this weekend."
"How many girls are still unaware of their status?"
"About 30, I believe," the white-haired Wiccan answered the older mage, her mentor.
"Are any of the girls high-profile?" Giles asked his young protege.
"6 that I know of. Two are actresses. Two are Olympic-rate athletes, one a swimmer the other a gymnast. One of the girls is a concert violinist, and the sixth is Danish nobility. Very high up there."
"Okay, we have to follow protocol for her especially. BUt in the mean time, have we heard back from the Blacks yet?"
"Yes, Mr. Black has invited us to lunch to discuss the matter as a family, and break the news to Friday," Willow said. "We can even bring Robbie along with us, since they have several young children."
"I GET TO COME THIS TIME! YAY!" Robbie yelled, bouncing around. Rupert chuckled.
"Alright. It should be lunchtime in AUstralia soon. Are you teleporting us?"
"Of course. You know, from what I understand, Friday is a lot like Buffy was. She wants nothing to do with the supernatural."
"Well, because of her alien heritage, it is imperative she gets proper training She has the potential to be the strongest and most powerful Vampire Slayer of all time, but not if she resists the process."
"Well, let's go meet her." Willow said. She picked Robbie up balancing him on her hip as she cast a teleportation spell to transport them to the Black's front step. Robbie laughed, and Willow rang the doorbell.
Friday
Friday had her feet up on the table and was using one of her sais to pick the dirt out from underneath her nails.
"I don't see why we have to have this meeting," she was saying. "It's obvious you've already decided."
Jennifer Black sighed and was relieved to hear the door bell ring. She stood and answered it.
"Hi, Susie," she said. "Come on in."
"Thanks," Susie replied.
"Day is in one of her moods again."
"Again? Or still?"
Jennifer has to chuckle.
"Hi Susie," Friday said, seeing her Watcher enter the room.
"I don't think you should be using your sais like that," Susie said in alarm.
"That's what we've been trying to tell her," Troy put in.
"I'm almost done, gee," Friday rolled her eyes.
The doorbell rang again, and Jennifer has happy for another excuse to leave the presense of her step-daughter.
Giles
"Good afternoon Mrs. Black, I'm Rupert Giles, and this is Willow Rosenberg. And this is my son, Robert."
"You're pretty," Robbie said. Giles reached out to shake Jennifer's hand, as Robbie squirmed his way out of Willow's grasp.
Friday
"Thank you Robert. You can call me Jennifer," Jennifer replied with a smile. " Please, come inside."
She opened up the door and stood back so they could come in, then led them into the lounge room.
"My husband, Troy," Jennifer said. "This is Friday's watcher, Susie. And this is Friday."
"Hail the conquoring hero," Friday said blandly.
She got the dirt out of the last nail, wiped her sai, and sheathed it.
Giles
"Hello again Susie," Giles said. "You're right Will, she does remind me of Buffy," Giles said of Friday.
"Good afternoon Friday. Believe it or not, you might actually want to hear what I have to say and not blow me off, since it does concern your future." Willow grinned.
"You can call me Robbie. Only Papa calls me Robert. MUmmy used to, but she died." the little boy said.
Friday
"Okay," Jennifer smiled. "Please, have a seat everyone. I'll just get lunch out."
"Oh, don't you know? It doesn't matter what you say, He -" and here Friday pointed at her father, "has already decided I'm going."
"Now, Day," Troy said. "That's not the case at all."
"Liar."
"Friday, really," Susie frowned. "Please make an effort to listen to what they have to say. It's for your own benefit."
"Yadda, yadda, yadda," Friday rolled her eyes. "History repeats, as they say. Mother-dear couldn't handle me having alien powers so she ships me off to the other side of the country. Father-dear can't handle me having slayers powers - which I still don't want, except for the fact that they give me a great excuse to emulate my favourite comic book character, Elektra, and thus plans to send me to the otherside of the world. I expect that when I get to... wherever this school is, some other set of powers will manifest themselves, you'll get annoyed with me too, and send me off to Mars or something. Don't think I can't see it coming."
Giles
Giles tried very hard to hide a smile. "Now, Friday, this has nothing to do with people being able to 'handle,' you, it has to do with you're safety. You have to potential to be the most powerful Slayer to ever live, but you're sloppy and unpredictable. Without proper training, without learning how to hone your powers, to focus and channel your abilities, well, to be blunt, you won't make it to your 16th birthday. I don't think you understand, Ms. Black. Vampire Slayers have a tendency to die before they're old enough to drink. Now, because of Ms. Rosenberg, no one Slayer has to bear the burden of the world anymore." Willow blushed. "And that does take a touch of the edge off. But you are something nobody's seen before: and alien vampire slayer. And alien vampires, as we've recently discovered, are much stronger than normal vamps. Now, I don't wish to frighten you, or upset you, or cause a havoc, but without proper training, you will die."
"Now, Giles has a tendency to get carried away, but he is very right. If you're just slaying because it's something to do, if you're only doing it out of boredom, if you're doing it haphazardly, than you might as well sit in the middle of the graveyard naked." Willow said, try to press the importance of the situation without entire freaking the poor girl out.
Friday
"For your information," Friday said rudely, "I'm am already sixteen! And what's more, feeding me crap like 'I could be the most powerfulslayer in the world' is, is, is old! I've already has some silly little girl who thinks - well, in hindsight, probably is - a vampire inform me that, ooh wow, I'm a child of prophecy."
Jennifer entered the room with a couple of plates and set them down on the table.
"Now, really, Day," Troy said. "We're just trying to do what's best for you."
"That's what they all say."
Jennifer took this moment to leave the room again and decided to take her time bringing in the next plates of food. She regretted that she didn't really like dealing with Friday all that much, after all, she was her husband's daughter.
"Well, believe it or not, it's true," Susie said tersely. "Because we do actually care about you."
"No, you don't. You only care that I can rid the world of your precious - or rather, not so precious, vampires."
"Your well-being is just as important to us as your fulfillment of destiny is."
Friday rolled her eyes.
"Aww, all so nobel, and caring, are we? You guys don't give a crap, and you know it. You don't care about 'me' at all, just what I can do. Well, y'know what? Stuff the lot of you. I'm sick and tired of people telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing, and who you think I am. Maybe an early death wouldn't be such a bad thing - I wouldn't have to put up with the likes of you lot any more."
"And what if that early death involved a vampire turning you into one of his minons? Or worse yet, his childer?" Susie asked.
"Well, if that ever happened, I'd get to suck the life out of every one of you then, wouldn't I? Or die in the attempt. Either way, I get something that suits me just fine."
Friday didn't actually mean it. She wouldn't like to become a vampire, any more than she was interested in dying any time soon. But she hated the way it felt like everyone was trying to run her life - or cast her out of theirs.
Giles
"Now listen up, Friday. I will not lose another Slayer, especially one so powerful. BUffy was like my daughter, and when I lost her -- each timer, I felt like my heart was being ripped out. When Amanda was turned, I wanted to die with her. Kendra throught she was all-powerful. SHe thought she was an excellent Slayer. She died with in a year of being called. I've lost so many children over the past 8 years. I will not let your childish pride lead to your death, Friday." Giles sat down hard. He rarely lost his temper. Willow could count maybe a dlzen times in 8 years that he'd freaked out like that.
"Listen, Friday," Willow said gently. "It may seem like people are trying to control you, to manage your life for you, but that's not the case. As BUffy once stated, you've been forcd into a job that comes with a very early expiration date. In the past, very few Slayers ever made it out of their teen years. Actually, before BUffy and Faith, there were three. Thre Vampire Slayers who made it to 20. So while it seems like nobody's thinking about you, that's exactly what we're doing. You'll do no good to anybody, your family, friends OR your destiny as a big pile of ashes, so I'd kinda like to keep you alive. Plus, you're kinda cute," Wil;low winked, trying to lighten the mood.
Friday
Friday stuck out her lips, and tapped her bottom lip rapidly, making funny 'bubble bubble' sounds.
"Aww, poor baby. Oh woe is you! See this?" and she rubbed her finger and thumb together. "This is the world's smallest violin playing just for you."
"Day, really, don't be rude," Troy frowned, although he wondered why he was bothering to say this just now...
"Now, what I don't get is why you people are even bothering to talk to me about this. What are you trying to accomplish? Soften the blow? We all know you've already decided that I'm going. This... this is all to provide me with some sort of illusion of choice."
"Day, you do have a choice."
"And the pigs are fed and ready to begin their areobatics lessons."
Giles
Willow giggled. "I saw a flying pig once." Giles laughed.
"And that is why Xander is no longer allowed to speak Latin next to my books." The two Sunnydale alumns laughed at the memory.
"Anyway, Ms. Black," GIles said. "Actually, you won't be attending the school unless you want to. But first, why don't we tell you about it?"
"This is the campus," Willow said, showing her the brochure they had made up. "Dorms, caf, stables, pool, and extensive fitness and training rooms."
"You'd have all the usual classes," Giles explained. "MAthematics, English, Latin, visual arts, and history. As well as Demonology, martial arts and weapons training, and military procedure. We also teach you how to think fast in a crisis, how to make judgement calls, and what to do in unexpected situations."
"And we have frequent get-togethers planned with the Xavier Institute in NY, as well as field trips and parties," Willow said.
Robbie tugged on Friday's pant leg. "You're pretty."
Friday
Friday gave Willow a look.
"Just because the pig flew, doesn't mean it was going an areobatics class," she said blandly, accepting the brochure.
She flipped through it as they spoke, as if this were some great privlage she was bestowing upon them by even listening. But in truth, she was secretly interested. Friday had no intention of letting them know that, though, not when they seemed to be going out of their way to get rid of her, or otherwise making her life miserable.
She paused and looked down at Robbie. The scowl on her face softened.
"Thanks," she said softly, then looked back up. "Wait... did you say the Xavier Insitute?"
Willow
Willow grinned. "Yep. Mutant High. We have a lot of friends over there, My best friend's cousin is a teacher there. We also might take a field trip to the space station, as well as a lot of other field trips."
Friday
"My best friend goes to school there. Or... actually, she's finished school, now..." Friday paused considering. "That's right, she's moved in with her boyfriend now... but they're still in New York."
Would she really be that close to Julie?
"Just where is this school exactly, anyway? And how close is it to New York?"
She knew she was completely blowing her cover of disinterest, but she didn't care.
Jennifer reentered then with the last of the plates, and sat down.
Willow
"It's in Ohio, about a days drive from NY, but we do a lot of teleporting. And Giles keeps a house in Manhattan." Willow said, realizing that she might be able to talk Friday into it in a lot less time than she had anticipated. Giles let Willow do the talking, since she was a lot closer to Friday's age than any of the other adults. He scooped his son up into his lap.
Friday
"Hmm..."
Friday flipped through the brochure again.
"Please, tuck in," Jennifer said.
"Foods?" Jack said hopefully, popping his head in the door.
"Yes food."
"Yay!" and Jack bounded in with his two sisters not far behind.
"Military proceedure?" Friday read, raised eyebrows. "I hope that's an electrive, because I'm not touching boot camp with a ten foot pole. Not even a twenty foot pole. In fact, there is no pole long enough with which I would touch it. I'm not interested in being someone's grunt. Besides, the military is the single most paranoid industry in the world."
Willow
Willow laughed. "It's not, like, boot camp, or anything like that. It's, like, chain of command, weapons matenance, and, like, strategy. Helps you figure out the best plans of attack. Actually, I think the single-most paranoid industry in the world is the greeting-card industry." Willow said.
Friday
"Whatever. As long as you don't except me to get up at four in the morning and run laps - or something as equally pointless and inconveinent," Friday replied. "And how is the greeting card industry paranoid?"
Willow
Willow grinned before launching into a massive spiel about how the greeting card companies write all these cards anticipatin people getting injured or sick or dying, and almost instantly to looped it into a conspiracy theory relating the greeting card companies, the candy companies and Microsoft.
"It's all Bill Gates fault, really. I think he's a demon, but I can't prove it."
Friday
Friday stared at Willow.
"Who needs proof?" she said at last. "Just barge on in and confront him. You people seem to be good at that."
Willow
"I'm a 'you people' now?" Willow said, feeling hurt. Giles cleared his throat, but Willow kept talking anyways.
"I don't know what you have against us. Seriously. I know how awful it is when it feels like you have no control over your life, and all you want to do is bitch and moan about it, but get over it. Yeah, it sucks that you get powers you don't want. And it sucks that you don't think your family can deal with it. But don't take it out on me. I'm sorry I turned you into a SLayer, but now it's too late to go back. So, hit me if you want, but just get it out of your system and move on." Willow felt like she was back at Sunnydale high, and, and Friday was every cheerleader who'd ever picked on her.
Friday
"What I was saying is that you people seem to be really good at wriggling your way into people's houses and forcing meetins with people who want nothing to do with you," and Friday turned her gaze to Troy and Jennifer. "And you're just sick of me complicating your lives."
"Why don't you want me?" Friday wanted to scream, but she didn't.
"Day, we're not sick of you," Troy said paitently, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Please, please, please believe me when I tell you that we love you, and we just want what's best for you. We all know you're not getting the eductation you should be getting at home, and there's only so much that you can learn with Susie. Plus here you can meet other girls your age. Make some more friends."
"Oh that's right, because all slayers are girls..." Friday went on. "Oh joy, an all girls school. Well, I think I might have to swap a few genders around, because co-ed is so much better. Plus I don't want people going around saying I'm a a lesbian. Because that's what they say about all girls, and all boys schools - the students are all gay."
Giles
Willow looked like she'd been slapped in the face. She ran off to the washroom, crying, and definitely didn't look at all like a goddess at the moment.
Giles looked very angry, the veins in the neck and forehead p;opping out, as he restorted to Ripper-mode, becoming vber intimidating.
"I truly wanted you at my school, Miss Black. I thought you could be an asset to the community, and I had hoped that we could all learn from each other But I do not need somebody with an attitude, and I certainly don't need a student who would hurt another person verbally. I understand you've been hurt, and you feel abandoned, but that does not excuse your behavior." The middle-aged British mage glowered at Friday before going off to check on Willow.
Friday
"Friday Black," Troy said. "I full expect you to apologise."
Friday, on the other hand, had felt bad that she made Willow cry. She had just been looking for something - anything, she didn't care what - to complain about or tear apart, not actually trying to hurt anyone's feelings. But the moment her father said that, her decision retracted itself.
"Why should I?" she asked stubbornly. "Why? Just because you say so? Why should I listen to you at all?"
"Because I'm your father."
"Who's idea with dealing with a problem child is to send her to the otherside of the planet."
"Friday! The decision is completely up to you. If you want to stay here, you're more than welcome to. But, honestly, Day, we are trying to make sure you have the opportunity to live a long a fulfilling life. The dangers to slayers are very, very real, and we don't think you're able to get the best training you could here," Troy said, putting his hands on her shoulders, his voice lowering from an annoyed shout to a more conversationalist level. "If you decide to go, we know that you'll be given the best chance we can give you to survive past your twenties. And I don't think of you as a problem child at all Day. You're a teenager, and you're going through a particularily rough patch. And, if you do go, I fully exoect to see you back for holidays."
There was silence for a moment, as father and daughter stared into each others eyes. Then Friday pulled away and left the room. Troy sat back down with a sigh.
"You tried," Jennifer said softly.
Willow
Willow was having a minor meltdown. She was questioning her actions, wondering if she had made the right choice in activating the Potential Slayers. She was remembering Tara, and losing her. And she was remembering her own highschool experiences living on a Hellmouth. What they were asking of Friday really wasn't fair.
"I'm sorry," Willow whispered as she stood outside Friday's doorl "It's not right, to ask you to pick up and leave your home just because we want to keep you safe. And we shouldn't even have to keep you safe. This never should have happened to you at all, but it did, and now I want to make sure that you live a long and healthy life." SHe took a deep breath and walked away, going back to the living room to make polite conversation, and stop Robbie from being a holy terror.
Friday
Friday stepped out of her room and hurried after Willow before she rejoined the others.
"Oh hey..." she said tentatively, because this wasn't really something she was in the habit of doing. "Look... I didn't mean to upset you..."
Willow
"It's all right," Willow said. "I mean, I get the anger, probably moreso than anyone else here does. ANd you didn't know about Tara. It's just, I know how rough it can be when you have all this power, and it's new, and you don't know how to react, and that's why the school is there, so you can learn how to control it, and hone it, but mostly so you won't be alone." WIllow smiled.
Friday
Friday nodded slowly.
"Yeah... well... I guess I'll probably end up seeing you at the school then," she shrugged, then frowned. "Who's Tara? That is... if you don't mind my asking..."
Willow
"Tara was my girlfriend. She was murdered, by a bullet that was meant for my best friend. Afterwards, I kinda went psycho, absorbing too much power and almost ending the world. It was because I had a lot of power, but I hadn't been properly trained. And I let my power get the best of me. It took a lot of time, and practice, but I'm learning to be myself, and be this powerful person at the same time. That's why I want to help you, Friday." Willow said, tears in the corner of her eyes.
Friday
Friday noted the tears and had to make an effort not to roll her eyes. She hated sob stories.
"Yeah, well, whatever," she said. "You 'Merican's have really distorted terms don't you? Like, you have July and August off before school starts in September, right?"
Willow and Giles Willow narrowed her eyes "Well, since I grew up with it, it doesn't seem strange to me. The year-round schooling, which some Californian schools have always seemed bizarre to me But yes, school starts, this year, on the 8th of September, and there are a few breaks here and there before a week break in November, and a big break for Christmas and New Years. That's the end of the semester. Second semester starts in January, and school ends around May or June, depending on your grade, and how well you're doing. Basically, if you ace everything, we let you out early. July and August is summer vacation. And if you sign up for some advanced academic classes, I can get you university credits in high school." Willow nodded. "It seems strange, but if you apply yourself, like I did, you can have a whole university semster, or possibly even two, completed by the time you graduate high school. Or you can take regular classes and do less school work, but I loved school."
"That she did," Giles said, laughing a bit. "Willow used to cry on emergency closing days."
"Hey! No fair telling secrets!" Willow protested.
Friday
Friday stared.
"How can you possibly have - effectively - only two terms? That's insane! If we didn't have a break every ten weeks I'd go crazy. How long are your school days?"
She refrained from making some sort of sarcastic remark about 'applying yourself'.
Willow
"We have four terms. Two terms in a semester, about two months or so to a term, about four months to a semester, not counting exams and such. there are also quite a few mid-semester breaks," Willow explained. "HAve you ever seen American movies or tv shows where they reference 'Spring Break'? That's a week break in the middle of the term. You get those every now and again so that nobody goes crazy. You also get a week off for Easter, a week for American Thanksgiving, all of the Christian holidays off, because Giles is a Christian, and all of the Jewish holidays, because I'm Jewish. So, yeah, don't worry."
Friday
Friday shook her head.
"We get ten weeks starting end of Jan, beginning of Feb, then two weeks off starting at Easter, then ten weeks on, two weeks off until December where we get a month off. Unless you're fortunate enough to go to private school, in which case you get to have three weeks in stead of two and an extra week or some in the Christmas holidays. But they have longer school days. And you still haven't answered my question," she frowned. "How long is your school day? We're generally between 6 hours, and 6 hours ten minutes."
Willow
"Oh, well, homeroom is at 8 and school lets out at 2:30. So it's 6 and a half hours, but you get a half hour for lunch, so it's only six hours of school. Then, like, training and stuff after school. But you don't have to take the school bus, 'cause you can just walk there, so all you really have to do is roll out of bed and get dressed." Willow said.
Friday
"Six and a half hours? That's an extra twenty minutes!" Friday said. "That's how much extra the stupid grammar students have to do per day so they can get their extra weeks off school."
She shook her head in dismay.
"Plus your summer is my winter, so when I come back for 'summer' holidays, it's going to be winter and therefore cold here... but on the flip side I'm going to be stuck in the states when it's snowing. Unless it doesn't snow in... Ohio was it?"
Willow and Giles
"Lots of snow in Ohio, sorry," Willow said. "But I think snow is fun. I grew up in California, we only had snow once, and that was a gift from the PTB to stop a vampire with a soul from throwing himself out in the sun. Snow is good."
"Willow, perhaps we should eat, and maybe babble a little less?" Giles suggested.
"Ah, yeah, okay. Foods is good."
Friday
"Great," Friday muttered. "Longer school day. Measly holidays between most school terms... although having two whole months off at once does have a certain allure..."
She reached for some of the foodstuffs that Jennifer had brought out.
"Snow. I went to a school camp to the snow once. Couldn't find the place where they were having the ski lessons. Couldn't get the hang of going on the t-bar, let alone ski. Ended up freezing cold and otherwise miserable. And of course, being stuck sharing a room with certain girls from school who shall remain nameless - partly because you don't know them, and partly because I can't remember half their names anyway. One good thing about moving to the otherside of the country - don't have to put up with those stupid tarts any more. Although, the world being what it is, there's just as many stupid twits over here as well. I suppose, being an all girls school, I'll have to put up with that sort there as well. Just don't tell me I have to share a room. Because if I end up having to share a room with some little blond ditz who thinks the world is coming to an end if she gets vampire dust under her nails, I will take no responsibility for my actions."
Jennifer flashed Troy a relieved look, recongising Friday's current behaviour as meaning she'd decided to go to the school, but not promising anything about liking it.
Willow
"I know what you mean," WIllow said, nodding. "We had those girls in high school. They made my life miserable. But here, everybody's the outsider."
Friday
Friday was a little confused for a moment, as she had known the girls in question for most of her school life (and yet... she couldn't remember half their names?), but figured Willow probably meant that she was an outsider, not because she was new, but because she wasn't a member of their tight-knit cliche.
"Yeah, well, outside of excursions I got to ignore them most of the time. Got along much better with the boys than the girls. Probably because we all like computer and video games, and going on the net. And comics. I love Elektra. Elektra is very. very cool," Friday nodded.
Willow
"I love Elektra!" Willow said. "Xander and Jesse used to make me read all their comics when we were little, since they were my best friends, but Elektra was definitely my favourite," Willow said. "I have all of the originals, mint condition." GIles tried to hide a smile as he watched Willow become very animated.
Friday
"Oh my gosh! Really?" Friday exclaimed, eyes wide with exceitement. "That's sooooo cool! Plus, in a way, she's not such a back role model for a slayer. I mean, okay, she's an assassin, and she gets paid for jobs and stuff, but she didn't kill that kid like they wanted her to, even though he was the source of all the trouble. She just found another way of dealing with the little brat."
Oooh... if she had just found another huge Elektra fan... maybe she'd like the place after all.
Willow
"Oh, I know! I mean, sure, she kills people when she has to, but she really only kills bad people, And everybody makes mistakes sometimes. Elektra is totally my favourite. I like Catwoman, too, but I thought that the Halle Berry movie ruined it. I mean, it was a good movie, but they totally changed the character." Willow exclaimed
Friday
Friday wrinkled her nose.
"I'm not touching that movie with a ten foot pole. Not even a twenty foot pole. In fact there is no pole long enough with which I would touch it," Friday nodded. "I mean, lets face it, they go and use the same background story as DC, but then they have the nerve to say it's something new? That's so crap. But I don't really read Catwoman anyway."
End as written by Joy
They all finished their tea and then the Americans teleported back home.