Hellmouth High

 It was like any other Friday at SunnyDale High School. The warm Californian weather made it seem like summer even though it was late October. The chime of the bell from the clock tower told all the hurrying students that third period was starting and if you weren’t on your way to your class you better hurry up or risk being sent down to the office for being late.

In a blur of hurry and rush, a petite blonde figure weaved her way through the busy hallway by the lunchroom, darting up the back staircase to arrive on the second floor. Hanging onto her binder and textbook in one hand, she managed to slide into the classroom just as the teacher was closing the door.

"Leaving a very fine margin for error as usual Ms. Summers." Mr. Leaderman tutted as he moved back over to the board, giving everyone in the room a few more minutes to settle in as he wrote out the chapter references for what they would be working on today on the board.

Buffy let the comment fly past without paying any attention, she was here, on time because she hadn’t had to knock to get the door opened which meant she was having her best history period of the week so far. Turning she headed back towards the last few seats in the back row of the room, near the window, an ideal place for her because she could at least stare out the window daydreaming and not just fall asleep on her books and drool like she had a tendency to do in her other classes earlier in the day.

"Hi Wills." She greeted her redheaded friend who was already jotting down the chapter references as soon as the teacher could get them on the board.

"Hi, here’s your Coles notes on the lesson." The redhead handed over two sheets of point form bite sized information points for the Slayer to glance over to at least remember the highlights of what they were studying. She knew it was sorta like cheating, but really it was another way she assisted in saving the world every night. After all the Slayer didn’t have time to be studying colonial American when there were vampires to hunt, and if the Slayer failed history again then they’re be an unhappy Slayer Mom and that meant less hunting of vampires and more people in Sunnydale suffering from ‘neck ruptures’, so it wasn’t too hard for Willow to smooth over the indiscretion in her mind.

"Lifesaver." Buffy grinned and then slipped into her seat. She arranged her books, waiting for Xander who sat across from her to either comment on how he was a) tired b) hungry or c) how good her legs looked in her new suede boots but to her distraction he didn’t say anything. "Xander are you asleep already?" She turned to look at him only to find that he was turned around properly in his chair chatting to someone who was now sitting in the seat ahead of him that Buffy was very sure hadn’t been there the last time they’d had history.

The new girl had thick full lips and high cheekbones, her eyes an unusual green colour that held Buffy for a minute as she watched her talking to Xander. She had long jet black hair that was tossed over her shoulder loosely, the dark colour contrasting to the white t-shirt she was wearing, the logo for some trendy band stretched across her breasts. She had on a pair of dark hipster jeans that showed off her flat slightly tanned stomach.

"Isn’t it disgusting?" Cordelia was suddenly perched beside her desk. "She arrived this morning and has been acting like she’s God’s gift to every male in the school every since." She hissed her voice low. "Her name is Melanie Cole, she just transferred in from some snobby private school in Washington."

"Cordelia just doesn’t like it because she’s prettier than her." Willow said quietly under her breath to Buffy.

"Cordelia is not deaf and for your information those boots are not original D&G they are total knock offs." Cordelia flashed Willow an angry look.

Willow turned the corner down on a page in her book and wrote ‘See no mention of the fact she’s prettier.’

Buffy read it and couldn’t help her smirk.

"Look are we meeting at lunch to talk about this vampire thing or can I go have a real life?" Cordelia threw her weight on one hip impatiently.

"We’re meeting." Buffy quite enjoyed bursting Cordelia’s bubble about her real life. "So no real life for you."

"Fine." Cordelia huffed and moved to her seat further up the row.

"Hey Buffster, when did you get here?" Xander finally tuned into the Slayer’s presence.

"Oh you know, about an hour ago." Buffy teased sticking out the tip of her tongue.

"Is history already over?" Xander looked up at the clock.

"I think she was teasing." Melanie said with a smile looking at Buffy. "Hi, I’m Melanie Cole." She gracefully slid her hand out to offer it to the Slayer.

"Buffy." She smiled back and shook the dark haired girl’s hand.

"Nice boots." Melanie slipped in as she heard the teacher calling them all to pay attention to the lesson.

***

"Why are we meeting if Mr. Stuffy isn’t even coming out of his office?" Cordelia whined as they all sat around the table in the library.

"He’s meeting with someone, watch what you’re saying." Willow said in her library voice.

"You know Cordelia considering we’ve saved your ass several times, you’re not big on the grace." Buffy challenged the cheerleader.

"Oh don’t get all with the holier than thou Slayer talk." Cordelia said annoyed just as Giles finally exited his office with a slender tall woman walking in front of him.

"Nice of you all to be prompt." Giles glanced around at the assembled group. "I have some one I want you all to meet."

"Nice to meet you." The tall woman smiled at them all. She looked considerably more relaxed than the Watcher, as she had on a simple pair of navy dress pants and a cream coloured blouse. "I’ve heard a lot about you."

"Why do I always hate it when people say that?" Buffy frowned. "My names Buffy." She added offering her hand.

"Probably because you are never quite sure what has been said about you." Patent smiled and shook it lightly. "Patent."

"Or because I’m likely to know the things that have been said about me." Buffy gave a shrug and stepped back to sit on the table top.

"She’s not always this edgy." Willow apologized for her friend taking a few steps forward to greet the newcomer. "I’m Willow."

"Very nice to meet you Willow." Patent smiled and nodded when she didn’t see Willow’s hand come out from behind her back. "Perhaps it’s best Rupert if I give you a little time to explain to them what is going on and then we can make other introductions." Patent looked at him after getting everyone else’s names slowly.

"Yes, thank you." Giles turned to the Scoobies. "Patent has been sent to us by an elite organization known as the Witches Circle." He began taking a few slow steps around the main library desk. "This group has been in existence for as long, perhaps even longer, than the Watcher’s Council." He added the detail. "Over the years and for reasons best left forgotten, the two organizations decided to fight against the enemies of our world in their separate ways." He gave this information somewhat cagily. "But recently we have once again become united in our fight." He stopped.

Buffy raised her hand to ask a question to which Giles nodded for her to proceed.

"Who said we needed any help?" Buffy questioned.

"Perhaps it’s best to look at our new situation in a different light." Patent offered softly. "When is a little help not a good thing when you’re facing creatures of the hellmouth?"

"Well that depends." Buffy sighed. "The way I look at it, is usually all the ‘help’ I get tends to be just another person or two I need to keep alive. No offence Patent, but the only witches we’ve had around here have had a very bad obsession with cheerleading."

"Actually I don’t much like cheerleading, if I want to shake my ass I like to dance a lot more." Melanie smirked as she slipped out of Giles’ office, and jumped up to sit on the top of the book return counter.

"I knew it!" Cordelia pointed at Mel and then looked at Xander. "She had to be a witch, no one looks that good without the aid of a spell or two."

"Sorry Cordelia, I don’t use spells on myself, this is just how I look." Melanie burst her bubble.

"That’s what she tells us." Cordelia whispered under her breath.

"Is she always this much of a doubting Thomas?" Melanie questioned the group.

"Usually she’s worse." Willow smiled. "Are you a real witch?" She added unable to hide her smile.

"Yes, I am. In the Circle I am known as the Ninth Black." Melanie smiled back at her. "I sense a little magic in you." She winked at the redhead.

"Oh no." Willow blushed almost the same colour as her hair. "Just some spells and soup." She gave a shrug.

"You’ll have to show me the soup sometime, maybe we can spice it up." Melanie offered.

"Well this is all fine and dandy." Buffy cleared her throat before speaking. "But again no offence…" She glanced this time at Mel. "But a sixteen year old who can fly a broomstick isn’t helping me much with the slaying." She looked again at Giles for an explanation or at least a way out.

"I’m afraid Rupert, you were correct." Patent looked at the Watcher with a slightly disappointed look. "Quarterstaffs we agreed?" She moved towards the cabinet in the library.

"Hey hey!" Buffy dodged and made it to the cabinet before Patent could. "No touching the weapons. I am not responsible for any broken nails, split ends or tearing of expensive dress pants."

"Oh you won’t be sparing with me." Patent shook her head as she disappeared and reappeared on the other side of Buffy holding two of the staves. "You’ll be sparing with Melanie." She smiled as she teleported back to her first spot. "It wouldn’t be a fair fight with myself." She informed her.

"HOLY whatist!" Xander squeaked when they saw her appearing and reappearing.

"Giles, what’s with the…" Buffy stalled.

"Teleportation." Melanie filled in as she took one staff from Patent. "She’s a guardian, special class of persona." She held it loosely. "Do we really have to do this? Can’t we just like let the idea grow on them?"

"We don’t have time to establish who is qualified and who is not qualified." Patent shook her head. "Even Mr. Giles has agreed this may be necessary." She looked again to the Watcher.

"But talking about it’s always better." Willow pointed out frowning as she looked at the two long weapons. "And we still have a chemistry lesson."

"See talking, we don’t have to do the big stick show down." Melanie twirled hers a little absently. "I mean of course Buffy’s going to be territorial, this is her territory and since the Council decided to erase all history of us from what it teaches it’s Slayer we can’t expect her to just accept that I’m as powerful as she is."

"Excuse me?" Buffy arched an eyebrow as Willow frowned at the same instant. "Look Melanie, I don’t doubt you’re down with the Wicca mo-jo, and I’m even willing to believe you could be more help than hindrance in a fight, but you’re a girl, a normal mortal teenager, all-be-it with good dress sense." She commented glancing once more at the other girls outfit, "But unless you hadn’t read the brochure I’m the Slayer, the one and only, see huge and boring prophecy for details."

"I’ve read the prophecy." Melanie admitted as she leaned the staff against the desk. "And I’m not really here to smack heads with the Slayer. I can’t best you in a hand to hand combat match anymore than you can best me in magic. So as Willow said, we have Chemistry, so why don’t you two have a fight or something to duke out whose better, the Council or the Circle?" She looked at the two older adults. "Because I have no intention of starting up some thousand year old feud again with a girl I just met who as far as I know spends her time killing vamps and demons, which on any other day would be someone I’d be saluting for fighting the good fight."

"Yeah what she said." Xander nodded emphatically and looked at Buffy.

"I don’t want to fight either and hey you read it? Did it say anything good?" She asked of the other girl.

"Read sorta like mine, blah blah blah, great power, blah blah blah, save the world." Melanie gave a smirk. "Didn’t say you’d be strong and pretty though." She let her smirk fade slowly. "So anyone else got Chemistry in room 233?" She looked at her timetable as she picked up her books from the counter.

"All of us." Willow perked up a little, "Except Cordelia, she has cheerleading practice, the team has some big games coming up so they are allowed to skip some classes."

"The ones they’re no good at." Xander said innocently, but received a slap on his thigh from the tall pretty but pissed off Cordelia.

***

"So you’re not the least bit curious?" Willow sat on Buffy’s bed as the Slayer got changed so they could go out on patrol.

"Curious to know where she got her boots from." Buffy nodded.

"No, about the magic, about why they call her the ninth? About why the Circle and the Council broke ties so long ago?" Willow narrowed down her question to the points she felt were important.

"She’s probably called the Ninth because that’s how many spells she can do and the reason the Council and this ‘Circle’ stopped being friends is probably because one of them is British and the other French." Buffy smiled. "Remember the history lessons, they hate each other."

"Sometimes all you think about is Angel." Willow sighed as she picked up her shoulder bag. "Are we starting at the bronze?"

"That’s because Angel is all I need to think about." She gave an almost dreamy smile. "Wait till you fall in love Willow."

"I don’t think I ever will, I’m too much of a computer geek." The redhead frowned.

"Too bad the Circle didn’t send us a geeky little wizard." Buffy grinned and teased her friend. "It could have been true love over the cauldron."

"Buffy!" Willow squeaked and rolled her eyes. "I’m going to go say hi to your Mom, I’ll meet you downstairs."

"Love you Will!" Buffy called as her friend left her room.

***

"Well this is an unusual sight." Cordelia sat down next to Buffy on the worn couch at the Bronze. "Willow’s off talking to the new girl, tall dark and dead is no where to be seen, so it’s you whose being the wallflower while Willow has all the fun."

"Angel will be here, he just had something to do." Buffy growled but at the same time pouted. "And Willow is just being nice, you know next to the word nice in the dictionary is a picture of her."

"Mmmm nice." Cordelia crossed her legs and looked over to where the redhead was talking with Melanie. "Looks more like one of Willow’s puppy dog looks… you know the ones she used to give you when you were all cool and mysterious."

"Willow does not think that Melanie is cool or mysterious. She’s on her witchy kick." Buffy pointed out. "Which I have to say I’m a little questioning about, we have witch problems, my best friend starts dabbling in witchcraft and then a high level witch pops up."

"Not jealous you’re the only golden girl on the block?" Cordelia challenged in her sly way.

"Are you sure it’s not you that’s jealous?" Buffy turned the comment back on her. "After all it’s your boyfriend she seems to have wrapped around her finger." She nodded over to where Xander had joined the conversation and was putting all his effort into not drooling on his new extra snazzy shirt.

"I’m going to get a drink." Cordelia said sharply as she stood up and purposely went over to make Xander get her one.

***

Willow finally returned to Buffy’s side awhile later, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"She’s so cool." She said as she picked up her drink and took a sip.

"I thought I was cool?" Buffy pointed out with a slight pout.

"Oh you are, you’re super cool, you’re my super cool slayer." Willow corrected immediately.

"So what’s she? You’re wickedly wild witch?" Buffy continued to pout.

"No, no… she’s just… I found out why they call her the ninth." Willow frowned a little.

"Go on wow me." Buffy glanced over to the entrance.

"The Circle’s magic is hereditary, if a witch only has one daughter, her daughter gets both her magic and her mother’s magic, and well Melanie is the ninth in an inheritance line. It’s so impossible it’s basically improbable." Willow tried to explain without going into too much math.

"So she’s a freak?" Buffy clarified with an arched eyebrow.

"No more a freak then being picked out of all the girls in the world to fight vampires." Willow gave her a disappointed look.

"I didn’t mean freak in a bad way." Buffy tried to backtrack. "More…" She stopped as the person she’d been waiting for slipped through the door.

Angel seemed to look around for a few moments before he headed directly to the Slayer’s area.

"Hi." He said in his usual short way.

"Did you find that thing you were looking for?" Buffy asked leaning up and kissing his cheek.

"Not exactly." He said accepting the kiss with a neutral expression. "Someone else got it before me."

"Before you?" Buffy arched an eyebrow. "A bad somebody?" She lowered her voice a little.

"I’m not sure any nice some bodies would want the Konung stone." Angel pointed out. "It just means whoever owned those vamps in the uniforms you took out the other night, knows exactly what he is doing."

"Angel, what do you know about the Circle?" Buffy questioned.

"Why are you asking about the Circle?" Angel’s face changed to worry for a fraction of a second.

"Because of her." Buffy gave ever so subtle nod towards Melanie.

As Angel looked towards where Buffy had pointed, green eyes turned to fix on him meeting his own without a hint of worry or fear.

"She’s…" Angel’s eyes narrowed a bit. "It’s a group of witches, they have little power, I wouldn’t let her interfere in the things you do, she’ll only cause more trouble then she’s worth."

"See this is where we might have a problem." Buffy frowned and shook her head more. "You see the Circle and the Council have become like best friend’s again and she’s here to ‘help’."

"You don’t need her magicks." Angel shook his head and moved to block Buffy’s view of the dark haired witch. "You’ve never needed anything to win but yourself."

"That’s what I think but it seems someone else has a different idea." Buffy sighed a little.

"Why don’t we get out of here?" Angel offered glancing back to where Melanie was sitting talking to Xander again.

"Do you think we should patrol again?"

"Or just go for a walk, I’ve missed you." Angel stepped a little closer.

"Have you?" Buffy found herself smiling.

Angel just held out his hand and almost instantly Buffy took it and let him lead her to the door.

***

Melanie stood on the front porch after having rung the doorbell waiting to see if anyone would answer. She knew the sun was barely starting to go down and it seemed logical that the Slayer would be at home still before going out on patrol.

Joyce opened the door some moments later.

"Hello can I help you?" She gave Mel a smile.

"Hi, good evening." Melanie smiled back. "I was wondering if Buffy was home? I’m Mel, I’m in a few of her classes at school."

"Buffy didn’t say she had invited any school friends around." Joyce’s smile never faded. "I’m afraid you must be a bit early, as Buffy is still over with Willow studying."

"Oh right." Melanie nodded. "Actually I just sorta dropped by so it’s okay, I’ll give her a call over at Willow’s." She said without missing a beat. "Have a nice night." She offered moving back down the porch.

"Wait, just a moment." Joyce smiled calling back to Melanie. "Let me at least tell her you called, now who did you say you were?"

"Melanie Cole." The Ninth stopped and said again. "I’m sorta new in town, we have history and chemistry together." She filled in.

"I’m sure she’ll be sorry she missed you Melanie." Joyce gave another warm smile. "Feel free to drop by again anytime, I’m always more than happy to meet Buffy’s new friends."

"Thank you." Mel nodded and gave a small wave before she headed down the path. She didn’t even bother ringing Willow as she’d already talked to the redhead and she hadn’t mentioned anything about Buffy being there. "Oh well guess it’s solo mission as usual." She slowly walked across the street and headed towards one of the cemeteries in the centre of town.

***

"You know I love cloudy days." Buffy squeezed Angel’s hand as they walked through the dimly lit park. "It gives us a chance to you know, get out and about."

"I’m sorry I can’t go out with you in the sun like a normal boyfriend." Angel said with some remorse.

"no, I mean, it’s fine." Buffy shook her head.

"Did you have any ideas about what do to next to find the Konung Stone?" He changed the topic subtlety.

"I tried to talk to Giles, but he’s far too busy with his new Circle friend." Buffy admitted with a sigh.

"I’m sure it’s just because Giles likes to hang out with other people who know as much about obscure facts as he does." Angel tried to cheer her up. "Why don’t we shake up things as Willy’s later to see if anyone has any ideas?"

Buffy gave a hard sigh.

"I don’t mean to moan about this." She eventually said. "But everyone’s just too busy at the moment. Giles is too busy showing off her knowledge to Patent, Willow is too busy trying to impress the new witch on the block, Xander’s too busy running around after Cordelia and Mom’s too busy with the new gallery."

"It does have a good thing, it means that everyone is too busy to notice us spending time together and question you about it." Angel offered the up side.

"Yeah that is a good thing." Buffy gave a smile. "It’s just you know… I can’t help but feel having a ninth level witch and a slayer in the same place… it’s not so much a good thing as a really bad boring kind of thing."

Just as Buffy finished her cell phone chimed in her pocket.

"Sorry I won’t be a minute." She looked up whispering at Angel before taking the call.

"Buffy, your mom just phoned… she wanted to speak with you so I had to tell her you weren’t here, she thinks you’re on your way home." Willow said all of the words in one long breath.

"Mom called you?" Buffy seemed instantly concerned. "Did she sound sick?"

"No, she just said she wanted to know what you wanted for dinner." Willow relayed the information. "Apparently she’s at home until 9 tonight and hoped you’d be home to hang out with her."

"Okay I’m on my way Will, thanks Will." She added quickly closing up the small phone. She looked up at Angel with sad puppy eyes. "That was Will, I have too…"

"I know." Angel nodded. "I can walk you part way." He offered.

"Great." Buffy reached out to take his hand again.

***

"So you didn’t tell me there was a new girl at your school." Joyce questioned as she took another mouthful of her pasta.

"A new girl?" Buffy ate hers a little slower.

"Yes, Melanie? I think that’s what she said her name was, she came around six looking for you." Joyce filled in.

"Oh yeah, Melanie. She’s in a few of my classes, no biggie." Buffy stopped. "Wait. You said she came here?"

"Yes." Joyce nodded. "She was looking for you, I told her you were over at Willow’s, did she not get a hold of you on the phone? She said she was going to call."

"She must have found something better to do." Buffy gave a shrug and concentrated more on eating.

"You should invite her over, maybe her and Willow. You could have a nice night with the girls. I’ll pay for pizza." Joyce offered trying to make up for all the late nights she’d been keeping at the gallery.

"I could ask." The Slayer nodded. "But you know what it’s like when you’re new, there is so much to do and so much to get comfortable with."

"I also know how nice it is when someone makes the initiative to be friendly." Joyce pointed out. "Remember how nice it was that Willow went out of her way to be nice to you?"

"Yeah, okay, I’ll ask. Next time I run into her. So how’s the gallery?" Buffy barely had the question out of her mouth when the phone rang again. "I’ll get it." She raced up and picked it up.

"Buffy, where are you?" Willow checked immediately hearing it was the Slayer’s voice.

"At home where you told me to be." She offered in a quiet whisper before covering up the phone and looking up to her mom. "It’s just Willow." She relayed so that the older woman no longer paid attention.

"Okay don’t be mad, but have you seen or talked to Melanie in the last hour or so?" She questioned sounding a bit squeaky.

"Why would I have?" Buffy’s tone was lower.

"Well because I ran into her at the mall and I happened to say something about the stone going missing before angel could get it and she said she could help and she did this cool spell to trace it and then she was going over to your house and she said she’d call to tell me what you two found and I’ve heard nothing." Willow filled in quickly.

"Oh and when were going to inform me about this secret spell casting thing?" Buffy asked angrily not picking up on the redhead’s fears.

"It wasn’t a secret, she just did it, with a little basa root and some green tympe." Willow said back sheepishly. "I just watched I promise."

"I can’t believe you’d do this to me Will. I thought we were supposed to be best friends?" Buffy continued to rant, still not focusing on the reason Willow had called.

"Buffy, we are best friends. It wasn’t a secret, I was going to tell you as soon as I talked to you, and I thought Mel would have found you by now to tell you when she explained why she knew where you two could go looking for the stone." Willow’s voice was squeaky and more upset.

"Well we haven’t met each other so I don’t know where she or the stone is." Buffy then stopped and glanced at the hall clock. "Wait a minute Will, do you know what time it is? When did you last see her?"

"About seven thirty." Willow filled in. "You see now you know why I’m calling, she was supposed to be with you going after the stone, not going by herself. See I told her to go looking for it with you."

"Well she didn’t and now she’s lost, probably eaten by something and it’s my problem." Buffy cursed under her breath. "See this? This is why I said it was a bad idea?" She sighed hard.

"Do you want me to meet you at the library? We can get weapons?" Willow questioned quickly.

"No Will, you stay where you are. I’ll call Angel we’ll find her together." Buffy instructed.

"Are you sure? I could show you the spell she did, maybe you can find her with that." Willow tried again.

"How am I going to find anybody with a spell Will?" Buffy questioned.

"How about I call Xander and we can be at the library in case you need research?" Willow asked trying to find something to do to make it up to the blonde.

"How about you stay right where you are so that I know right where you are if I need you?" Buffy contradicted the offer again.

"Okay, right here, waiting for your call." Willow agreed reluctantly.

"And don’t think that you’ve gotten away with this whole spell thing. I’ll be telling Giles all about it first thing tomorrow morning." Buffy frowned as she spoke.

"Okay." Willow said sadder and hung up the phone.

***

Melanie smiled when she heard the two pairs of echoing footsteps coming down the dark school corridor towards the library. Feeling a little cheeky, she tucked her prize in her pocket and leaned back with her feet up on the table, balancing on the two back chair legs as she leisurely read the book she’d found amongst Giles’ stacks.

"Buffy why are we going to the school library?" Angel’s hushed voice asked as he paused just outside the door, obviously opening it for the slayer. "Because I saw the light on when we came passed, I thought maybe if Giles was here he could help." Buffy reasoned taking a step inside. "And the best weapons are there." She added remember her and Willows conversation.

"Hey, he’s not here." Melanie didn’t look up from her book, smiling at the bad template drawing of a Raziput demon. She wished that she’d taken a picture of the one she’d run into while on vacation in Brazil the year before, because it was so far off it was laughable.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy stared at the dark haired girl dumbfounded.

"Reading." She closed the book around her finger and looked up at the two of them. "And I figured this would be as good a place as any to hang out thinking sooner or later you might show up and I could give you this." She pulled out the large shiny dark blue stone and laid it on the table carefully, the slight cut in the bottom keeping it stable on the table so it didn’t roll off. "I heard you were looking for it."

"Where did you get this." It was angel that stepped forward

"Interestingly enough, in the stomach of a Tyrelex hound. This creepy demon guy down in a sub crypt over in Restful Cemetery had fed it to him to power him up with extra juice." Mel looked up at Angel. "Funny story how I found it actually..." She gazed at him a moment longer. "But you don’t look like the funny anecdotal story type."

"Is this her?" Angel didn’t comment on anything Mel said, instead he stepped a little closer being able to view her more clearly than he had before at the Bronze.

Buffy nodded and took a step forward a soft but genuinely concerned frown crossed her face.

"Are you okay?" She checked.

"I’m okay." Melanie looked at Buffy, putting her feet down and sitting properly. "I swung by your house to see if you wanted to come play hunt the shiny thing, but you were out. I hope I didn’t cause any trouble for you. Your Mom seemed super nice though." She added as a truthful afterthought.

"She is nice." Buffy smiled slightly.

"If you found the location of the Konung stone you should have informed Giles or your administrator." Angel looked at her, his eyes narrowing

"I was going to, right after I knew where Buffy was so that I wouldn’t blow her ‘me’ time." Melanie looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "And since it was ‘me and you’ time, aren’t you glad I didn’t?"

"You could have been hurt, and that would have made everything worse." Angel didn’t change his viewpoint

"Mmmm right..." Melanie pushed up to stand, smoothing out her cargo pants. "I’ll go call Giles and Patent, let them know the stone is all safe and such." She pulled out her cell phone and played with it in her hand. "Any other messages I should pass along?" She purposely looked at Buffy.

"I don’t think so." Buffy shook her head her eyes followed everything the other young woman did.

"Buffy, aren’t you going to say something?’ Angel looked at her "I have nothing against you Miss Cole, and I don’t necessarily doubt your ability, but Buffy has been the one to look after this hell mouth for a long time, I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to just turn up and try to take over." he looked at Mel making his short speech.

"Excuse me?" Melanie looked back and him and stuck her cell phone back in her pocket. "Let’s sum up two points Mr. Vampire with a soul, one I went to Buffy’s house first, unfortunately she was out having a life so I thought I’d be a friend and go get the orb back, I am neither taking over her hell mouth now or have intentions of doing so in the future." She shifted her weight on one hip. "And secondly, you don’t like witches, I can smell that fact on you, so why don’t we just agree on a mutual respect and oh say six foot personal space boundary and then we can all get along like good little kiddies here at Buffy’s hell mouth."

"It’s not my hell mouth, and the point is the stone is here and it’s safe." Buffy stepped forward placing herself physically between them glancing at them both with a slight frown.

"Exactly. You two can still catch the late show if you hurry." Melanie smiled at her backing off instantly. "I’ll deal with the bookworms."

"No, I have to go home, mom will be kinda crazy, she doesn’t like me out late on school nights." Buffy shook her head and glanced at Angel, "though we should walk you home, I am sure patent can keep the stone safe." she added turning to smile at Mel.

"Oh yeah, she’s got all kinds of nifty hiding places." Melanie winked at the blonde picking it up and putting it in her pocket. "You want to call Giles?" She held out her cell to Buffy.

"Thanks I will." Buffy reached out and took the phone backing off a little to make the call. She had barely let the speed dial ring up the number when the library door swung open again and Giles, willow and Patent walked in

"Don’t be mad, but I called out the troops." willow gave a slight sheepish smile.

"Neat trick Buffy." Melanie gave a little laugh.

"Is everyone alright?" Giles stepped forward a little as Buffy flashed Mel a smile and closed up the phone

"Right as rain, we have a pressie for them don’t we Buffy?" Melanie tossed the Slayer the stone. Buffy caught it adeptly and nodded.

"One lump of shiny blue rock to order." She stepped up to Giles

"Well done you two." He smiled brightly.

"Perhaps this partnership could work out better than we thought." Patent added her approval.

"Oh no, I didn’t get it..." Buffy shook her head

"It was a team effort, but I got the fun job of pulling it out of a hellhound stomach." Melanie stepped closer to her and smiled.

"I guess it’s the initiation around here right Willow? What did you have to pull out of what?" She winked at the redhead.

"Buffy’s math’s homework out of my own books." willow replied with a warm grin at the dark haired witch.

"Oh now I understand, suck up to the Willow." Melanie slid closer to her grinning.

"Well this evening has worked out rather splendidly." Giles smiled broadly

"For some maybe." Angel said quietly he took small steps to the door.

"Angel." Buffy glanced up jogging after him not catching him before he got to the door, she paused and held it open. "I’ll catch you all tomorrow." She smiled as much as she could "Nice hunting Mel." she added with an individual smile for her.

"Terrible twosome." Melanie smiled back at her watching till she turned before she focused her attention on Willow as Patent and Giles moved to examine and re-examine the orb. "So what is there to do in Sunnydale this time of night?"

"Homework." Willow replied with a chuckle.

"Homework?" Melanie’s brow furrowed. "Not even homework with big foamy latte’s?"

"Oooooh Mochas?" Willow perked up.

"And cheesecake, my treat." Mel grinned and moved towards the door. "Willow and I are going to go study okay?" She got a grunt from Giles and a wave from Patent.

"Looks like your friend patent makes a good friend for Giles." willow gave Mel a smile.

"Yeah, you don’t think they’d..." Mel screwed up her face. "Get friendly?"

"Oh no Mr. Giles is English." Willow shook her head adamantly

"Okay too much thinking about the mating patterns of the over 30 crowd." Mel grinned and opened the door for the redhead.

***

Melanie walked beside the slayer as they made their way through the cemetery. She watched as Buffy slowly massacred a leaf she’d plucked from a nearby oak tree.

"So... you meeting Angel later?" She tried to make some conversation.

"Maybe," Buffy gave a shrug, "He’s got something to focus on right now." She glanced at the other young woman.

"Something big and bad as Willow says?" Melanie questioned thinking they might have some enemy to focus on.

"no more something personal and me-ish." Buffy admitted

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry." Melanie stuck her hands in her pocket.

"You didn’t." Buffy shook her head, "It’s just, well how are you supposed to tell your mom that you are having with a 300 year old vampire and expect everything to be okay?"

"Mmmm too bad you weren’t a witch." Melanie gave her a slight smirk. "She wouldn’t be quite so shocked, but as she’s not it must suck."

"Me being the slayer is enough ‘weird’ for my mother." Buffy pointed out arching her eyebrows

"I bet." Mel gave a nod. "Guess that is one good thing about being a Circle Witch." She said her words not totally believable.

"You can date vampires?" Buffy arched her eyebrow more

"No, I meant..." Melanie drew to a stop. "We are taken from our moms when we’re born, so it’s not so hard pissing off your guardian dating a vampire."

"Taken from your mothers?" Buffy stopped and turned fully to look at Mel.

"Yeah, my mother is the Eighth, to have both of us together would be to risky." Melanie shrugged. "You know like having Momma Slayer and Baby slayer in the same place."

"Yeah I can see that but... you must see her right?" Buffy frowned

"On special occasions, or really high coven meeting." Melanie acknowledged.

"But..." Buffy couldn’t believe it, "Who brought you up?"

"Other witches, Guardians, some Familiars.’ Melanie explained. "I’ve moved around a lot. That’s one reason why it’s so cool they’re going to let us stay here awhile."

"But you had a ‘mom’ right?" Buffy couldn’t get past the issue "I mean who told you about you know ‘things, who picked you up when you scuffed your knees?"

"I’m close to a few people." Melanie tried to explain the concept that was sticking in Buffy’s mind so drastically. "But no one like your Mom is to you."

"Okay, sorry." Buffy turned back and began walking

"It’s okay Buffy, really... I’m sure all this Circle Witchy stuff makes us all sound crazy." Melanie followed her catching up with her easily on her long legs. "Mostly I meant... well... I can guess how important it would be not to upset your Mom if you had a Mom like yours."

"She drives me crazy." Buffy smiled, "But I love her." she added unnecessarily. "But I just wish she’d understand that I love Angel."

"I’m sure on some level she does, but you’re her baby girl. I mean I’m sure if it was anyone she’d be unhappy, some smelly boy taking her girl away from her." Melanie tried to be supportive. "Maybe you could have a dinner or something, with him and everyone there so she can get to know him in a low stress setting."

"Angel’s not really ‘low stress’ he doesn’t really get on well with most people." Buffy tried to think of a nice way to explain how insular Angel could be.

"He’s as friendly to most people as he is to me?" Melanie made the gentle inquiry.

"He was sort of extra brusque with you." Buffy admitted

"I’m not about making enemies with any of your good guys, so any reason why he can’t stand me at first sight?" She questioned genuinely curious

"I don’t know, maybe its a witch thing." Buffy offered

"Maybe." Melanie nodded. "Guess I can cross off double dating with you two."

"Oh no he’d probably be okay with your boyfriend." Buffy smiled, "What’s his name?" She asked obviously interested

"I don’t have a boyfriend." Melanie said with a shake of her head.

"Oh," Buffy paused "well there are lots of hot boys at school.’ she smiled

"Really? That’s great." The ninth’s response was a little less than enthusiast.

"definitely, I could ask Cordelia to do a little scoping out for you if you like, I would ask Will, but she’s not really a big ‘boy’ watcher." The slayer said openly

"Oh... really?" Melanie perked up a little. "Are there a lot of not big boy watchers at the school?"

"I’m not really sure." Buffy shrugged

"No I don’t watch the boys club eh?" The ninth gave a sad laugh.

"well there’s a couple of," she paused and tipped her head a little, "You know," She made an odd gesture with her hand.

"You know?" Mel made the same gesture back her lips pursing together a little.

"Girls you don’t change with." Buffy replied.

"Right." Melanie nodded. "You’ll have to point them out to me, you know, so I know."

"I’ve just thought that probably sounded really bad didn’t it," Buffy stopped chuckling a little at herself, "It’s just Cordelia’s phrase for them." She added the explanation

"oh right, she’s the cheerleader, with the chest." The ninth made a motion to her chest.

"Xander’s girlfriend." Buffy nodded, "Willow says they are perfectly nice girls."

"Well you know a lot of Dyke’s are perfectly nice girls." Melanie pointed out as she picked up a stick and played with it.

Buffy screwed her nose up instantly.

"Don’t you think that’s a horrible word." She pointed out "I can see why it offends them."

"No, actually I like it. It’s like witch, people use it with bad intent but I make them see it can be a good thing. I think dyke is the same." Melanie floated the stick in the air putting her hands in her pocket as it kept spinning and twirling. Buffy watched the stick twirl,

"we’ll have to ask the first one we meet, see what they think." She offered

"You just asked her." Melanie said in a soft voice after a long moment of pause.

"Oh... OH!" Buffy stopped and shook her head "Oh God, you must think I’m a complete bigot." she apologised quickly

"No, it’s fine. I just... I don’t hide and if we’re going to be friends you should know."

"It’s just you know, with high school and everything, so much is about label, and clichés, even if you don’t want it to be and Cordelia..." Buffy was talking over the other girl but stopped "friends, yes we’re going to be friends." She smiled and nodded at Melanie.

"Do you want to breath and stop beating yourself up? It’s cool." Melanie assured her with a gentle smile.

Buffy did indeed stop and breath a little slower.

"I’m a ninth level power witch whose gay, I’m weird I know." The black summed up.

"If I tell you something, sill you promise never to tell her." Buffy nodded that she understood the ‘weirdness’.

"yeah." Mel nodded.

"I’ve always wondered, you know, about Will." Buffy admitted in a hushed whisper

"I could talk to her if you want, I mean if all there is in Sunnydale is people throwing around labels maybe she needs a little reassurance." Melanie offered instantly.

"You would?" Buffy’s eyes widened, "I mean I don’t want her to freak out, but maybe just to even let your know you’re gay." Buffy whispered the last word.

"I’m not talking going up and saying hey Will I hear you’re gay." Melanie laughed. "And come on, it’s not a bad word Buffy. You can say it in a loud voice. I"M GAY!" She said in a loud voice that echoed through the cemetery.

"MEL!" Buffy scowled and looked around to see if anyone had seen

"What Buffy? You’re a slayer and I’m a witch, don’t you think dyke is the least worrying of the three?" Melanie laughed and had the stick float over to poke her playfully in the arm.

"Hey no using your magic for poking things" Buffy actually heard herself laugh

before she felt the soft chuckle escape from her lips. "How long have you known." She asked catching hold of the stick and pressing it into her front pocket

"I had a crush on Princess Leia." Melanie laughed.

"Gold bikini?" Buffy grinned, "I hear Xander did too."

"Oohhh gold bikini, don’t get me started." Melanie gave a happy sigh.

Buffy laughed harder.

"I liked Han solo."

"I bet you did, the rugged slightly dangerous fellow with the tarnished heart of gold." Melanie summed up with a smile.

"But I can fight better than him." Buffy pointed out "which tainted it a little’

"No contest. You’d have been a master Jedi." Melanie assured her.

"I always wanted a light sabre, even before I was the slayer."

"Don’t you have one of those electronic ones?" Melanie questioned.

"no, my mom wouldn’t buy me one." Buffy shook her head, "I tried to get Giles to buy me one, but he said no too, and bought me yet another short sword."

"So mean." Melanie pouted for her.

" I know." Buffy nodded, "It’s like Willow, she’s always wanted a Xena and Gabrielle doll, but her mom always said no."

"What? That is criminal. Does she have the bootleg DVD copies of the eps?" Melanie questioned instantly. Buffy nodded

"On her laptop I think."

"Whew." Melanie laughed. "I thought I was going to have to contact a friend of mine in Nepal to get another copy burnt off." Buffy smiled and moved a little further on through the cemetery,

"I really am sorry about Angel the other night." she offered

"It’s okay, he was just looking out for you." Melanie shrugged.

"Even when I don’t need it." Buffy nodded

"Yeah, but he’s your boyfriend... shows he cares in his way right?" Melanie tried to give Angel the best light she could.

"Yes." Buffy leaned against a large Ash tree, she smiled softly, "I just sometimes wish..." she breathed out slightly heavily

"Wish?" Mel urged her.

"That he’d lighten up a little." Buffy was honest, "I mean I’m 16, and I’m, the slayer, it would be nice to have a boyfriend that wasn’t so serious all of the time."

"Yeah, so Slayer you want to go get some ice cream? The vamps are boring tonight." Melanie gave her a wide smile.

"I’ve got a better idea, how about you come to my place and have ice-cream there, I can show my mom I hang around with live people sometimes too."

"Cool." Melanie’s face brightened. "We could pick up ice cream so we’re not mooching, I don’t want her to think that I’m just coming over to steal her ice cream."

"Will does it all the time, she loves it, gives her a reason to buy ice cream." Buffy grinned

"Well even cooler." Melanie threw her hair back over her shoulders. "Race yah?"

"No chance." Buffy laughed zipping up her sweater preparing for the sprint

"Okay ready, set... go." Mel yelled and started racing before she’d said go.

"Cheater!" Buffy yelled as she bolted after her.

"You’re the slayer, I need all I can get." She high jumped a fence.

"But you’re a lesbian witch, you could probably just transport there." Buffy vaulted the fence and gained some ground

"I’m not white, I don’t do air!" Melanie explained as she pushed more power into her legs. "I’m fire and energy."

"Fire and energy eh?" Buffy pushed a little harder gaining even more ground, "Sure that’s not water and slowness she teased

"Hey you’re the slayer!" Melanie vaulted over another picket fence to take a short cut. "You’d be embarrassed if you couldn’t out run the witch!"

"Oh I wouldn’t go that way if I were you," Buffy shook her head and took the longer route just as the loud barking and snapping of several large dogs filled the night air.

"Hush boys." Melanie threw her hands and the dogs lightly bounced off a barrier not able to reach her as she vaulted out of the yard.

"I Learned about Rick and Rover the first time I tried to cut seconds of my journey home time. " Buffy laughed as she turned the corner level with the witch

"Nice rotties." Melanie tried to fun faster but it was obvious that Buffy was going to beat her. "Come on, give me some credit for you just catching up with me."

"Much credit." Buffy nodded, "Is this when I tell you Willows beaten me before now."

"What?" Melanie stopped looking shocked.

"She and Xander were in a car." Buffy pointed out laughing

"You cheat!" Melanie started laughing too. "I could have teleported, but it’s super tiring." Both girls dropped out of their run and walked up the front walk to Buffy’s door.

"And it would be the second time you turned up at my house and I wasn’t there." she pointed out as she opened the door. "Hi mom." she called out

"Buffy... hi darling... how was patrol? are you alright?" Joyce came out of the kitchen looking a little apprehensive. "Oh Melanie." her eyes widened.

"It’s okay Mrs. Summers, I’m in the know." The dark haired girl smiled.

"Fully in the know." Buffy underlined, "And she came with me on patrol, so you have two teenaged girls hungry for ice-cream on your hands." The slayer grinned at her mother crossing over and kissing her cheek.

"I said I’d go and get some but..." Melanie tried to explain.

"OH don’t be silly Melanie, I have only three kinds in. I bet you both want chocolate sauce." Joyce put her arm around Buffy and led her to the kitchen.

****

Buffy was a forlorn looking young woman as she trudged the halls of Sunnydale High towards her locker. She’d had a pop quiz in first period French, and she’d barely been able to make out where to put her name. The science teacher had been sick and Will was helping the substitute so she’d had to do her lab with the class idiot, a boy named Leon who she was sure was sniffing glue in his spare time. Then lunch, her saving grace, had presented her with Giles and a very long rant about cleaning demon blood off swords before putting them away. Then to English and yet another surprise test, of course when she’d glanced in her daybook there in willow’s neat writing was a note telling her about the surprise test, but she hadn’t thought to look in her daybook last night.

All and all it had been a really crap day.

She turned the numbers on her locker and slid open the door about to push her books into it haphazardly when she stopped. On top of her gym bag was a long cylinder wrapped in happy birthday paper with a small card on top open so it could easily be read.

"I know it’s not your birthday, but a little birdie told me you were having a bad day. Meet me in the quad, if you dare!" The handwriting was distinctly Melanie’s, even so much that Buffy could identify it already. Smiling to herself Buffy picked up the gift and pulled the paper off excitedly revealing the silver handled blue shafted light sabre. Grinning inanely Buffy found the small switch on the side that made it begin to glow, with a flick of her wrist it extended to about three feet long and made a ‘swooshing sound as it cut through the air. Laughing out loud Buffy gave it a few more trial swings before collapsing it again and switching it off. Securing it in her belt she locked up her locker and ran off towards the quad.

As soon as Buffy entered the quad it was easy to see the tall cloaked figure standing the centre waiting for her.

"Ah O-Buffy-one-Kenobi." She said in a deep voice. "I see you are up for a challenge."

"Mel vada, your presence surprises me.’ Buffy grinned and pulled out her sabre flicking it on and extending it "But you should not have come here this day." she added with a bigger grin

"I too have the force, and know that it is my destiny to be here." She flicked back the hood and pulled out her own yellow light sabre. "The dark side will either conquer you or destroy you O- Buffy-one."

"No vada, I sense there is still some light within you.’ Buffy SHOOK HER HEAD AND BEGAN circling Mel

"You are weak, the dark side is strong." Melanie circled with her, dramatically posing with the sword at intervals as she moved.

"Hey Buffster, Mel..." From the sidelines came Xander’s greeting that died in his throat as he saw the two

"young apprentice, you come to see the masters battle." Melanie didn’t take her eyes off Buffy.

Xander glanced around and caught sight of Willow who was already sat on a bench watching. She beckoned quickly with a grin giving her a nod he dodged over to her.

"What no bikini." He grinned at her as he sat earning him a slight smack on the arm.

Finally Melanie lunged at Buffy, her sabre making a dramatic swooshing noise as Buffy parried away. Buffy returned the lunge with a volley of short swings and light jabs, as the sabre swooshed and crackled with each interception.

"I want a light sabre." Xander whined lightly in willows ear

"Sssssh, this is the big dramatic part." Willow waved at him without looking away.

"Do you think you can defeat me?" Melanie questioned looking at the slayer in a dramatic stance. "Do you think you can defeat the dark side?"

"Listen to me Mel Vada, we should not fight." Buffy too stopped and dipped down her light sabre a little "For I am your mother."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mel put both her arms up screaming, launching at Buffy more wildly.

"That’s not exactly how it went." Xander whispered to Willow.

"Shush." willow again hit him and clapped loudly

As Buffy fought back she managed to push Mel further onto the grass eventually forcing her down onto one knee

"You will not destroy me O-Buffy-One-Kenobi." Melanie breathed dramatically between most of her words. "The dark side will prevail."

"embrace the light Mel vada, for it will bring you..." Buffy grinned "Much chocolate."

"Chocolate?" Melanie looked up at her. "Bring on he light." She stood up laughing and collapsed her light sabre. "Princess Willow, bring me chocolate!" willow instantly bounced up and ran over producing two kit Kats, one for each valiant Jedi.

Buffy laughed collapsing her sabre before taking the chocolate bar

"She wouldn’t go for the gold bikini." Melanie informed Buffy with a laugh as Willow approached.

"I wouldn’t fit the top half." Willow shook her head

"That looked fun." Xander walked over to them as the crowds watching began to disperse Willow produced another kit=kat out of her bag and handed it to Xander

"I had fun, you Buffy?" Melanie munched her chocolate.

"Very much fun." Buffy nodded "The most ive ever had in the quad/" She admitted offering Willow a bite of her kit Kat, the redhead refused producing one for herself

"And best part is, that ones for you." Melanie smiled at her.

"For me?" Came the slightly confused reply

"You said you wanted one." Melanie winked and moved over to the bench Willow had been sitting on pulling off her cloak.

"I meant one of the 12.99 ones from toys r us." Buffy protested

"Who says I didn’t get it from Toys R us?" Melanie gave an innocent look.

"The fact it has a metal handle and not a plastic one." Buffy pointed out

"Buffy, what you have there is a limit..." Xander began.

"XANDER!" Melanie looked at him with a sharp look. "It’s a present, doesn’t matter where it came from." She said more casually to Buffy.

"I love it." Buffy admitted turning it over and over in her hand. "Thank you." She moved over and hugged Mel

"You’re very welcome." Melanie hugged her back. "I just wanted you to be happy." She said as they hugged.

"Very happy." She underlined before pulling back a little.

"Mission accomplished." Melanie smiled brightly.

"Oh speaking of missions." Buffy linked her arm into Mel’s she eased her away a little and lowered her voice, "Have you..." she glanced back at Xander and willow.

"Willow knows." Mel nodded. "Xander’s head might explode."

"probably." Buffy agreed, "do we need to talk about yours and willows talk?" she added in a whisper

"mmmm I’d say probably." Mel nodded.

"Okay, supper at my place?" Buffy offered

"do you need to ask your mom?" Mel questioned not wanting to intrude.

"no she’ll be cool." Buffy smiled "She loves to cook."

"Perfect." Melanie nodded as they moved back over to join Willow and Xander.

*******

If Buffy had been hoping to get to hear quickly from Melanie about her conversation with Willow, she was very disappointed. When they’d gotten home the black had helped her mom make dinner, of course they hadn’t had the chance to talk about it during dinner, and now that the meal was over, Melanie was helping Mrs. Summers with the dishes.

"Well that is it, that you very much Melanie." Joyce smiled as she put the last pot away. "Are you going up to your room or taking over my television?" She smiled at her daughter.

"We’ll go up stairs mom," Buffy smiled back and then looked at Mel, "want anything before we go up?"

"No, I’m totally stuffed." Melanie patted her flat tummy.

"right then lets go." Buffy glanced towards the staircase

Melanie smiled and followed her up, for the first time getting to see the Slayer’s room.

"It’s very nice." She smiled having expected that Buffy’s room would be a real reflection of her rather than her special powers. Its feminine drapes and bedspread fitting perfectly with the petite blonde’s usual demeanour.

"So," Buffy kicked of the fluffy slippers she wore and climbed up onto the bed crossing her legs beneath her and leaning forward a little expectantly

"So?" Melanie teased as she moved over and sat identically at the bottom of the bed. When she saw the look that Buffy gave her she laughed. "Okay, well we were at my house and basically it went like this..." Melanie began.

***

Melanie looked from the screen of the TV to the redhead sitting beside her.

"Will, how long has Xander been going out with Cordelia?" She asked nonchalantly.

"oh that’s a hard question, they’ve been like on and off and then on again so many times, he doesn’t really fit with her cheerleader image so its a hard thing for her to consolidate in her head you know?" The red head replied honestly.

"Yeah... that’s why I asked." Melanie admitted. "She sorta said something the other day that made me... well wonder how compatible they could be."

"What did she say?" Willow shifted a little interested and worried for her best friend at the same time.

"Oh nothing about Xander, just... well you know Cordelia better than I do. She was just bitching about some things." Melanie explained.

"Cordelia bitches all the time, was it about Buffy? she bitches about her, and me, it was probably me." willow gave a sigh and a shrug.

"No, actually it was about how her favourite soap was having one of the pretty rich girls be gay, and how stupid that was." Melanie explained what had basically indeed been the conversation she’d heard.

"Oh that figures." Willow nodded, "You should hear the things she says about Melissa and Jody." the smaller redhead shook her head a little sadly

"Melissa and Jody?" Melanie questioned. "Are they those two punk rocky girls?"

"They tend to look a little that way, but the real problem that Cordelia an her cronies have about them is that Jody for sure is gay." Willow explained

"Oh right." Melanie nodded. "And Melissa is on the questionable list? Her and Jody aren’t dating? They look like they make a great couple."

"They’re not dating no, Melissa is in the tech club I go to on Wednesdays after class, she’s dating but not Jody, no one knows who it is, or what sex they are, not that I’m interested in that, she’s just really good and 3D model development." Willow clarified, "But Jody is dating a student from UoS."

"A female student type?" Melanie confirmed. When she saw Willow nod she smiled. "Cool. You seem okay with the whole gay thing." She added.

"It’s just a label, Jody is a perfectly nice person, and like I say Melissa has some excellent tech skills, she’s even helped me with a project before now." Willow gave a shrug. "I think people like Cordelia like to use labels and things like that because they are basically shallow and don’t have real personalities of their own."

"Good good, though bad for me, if the only two possible dykes at school are already dating people." Melanie put on a pout.

"you’re gay?" Willow sat up a little straighter and looked at Melanie with wide green eyes

"Yeah." Melanie nodded. "I wanted to tell you cause you know we’re friends."

"I really appreciate that, thank you." willow smiled brightly

"And it’s okay?" Melanie looked at her really wanting Willow to be okay with it.

"Oh yes, its okay, very okay, that is, of course it’s okay, you’re still Melanie, the great witchy helper of us, the Scoobies." Willow smiled again, "Don’t tell Xander though, he’ll dream about you even more than he already does."

"Ewww he dreams about me?" Mel made a face.

"Oh he dreams about everyone, he has the hugest crush on Buffy, at least he did for a long time, I’ve not asked him about it recently." the redhead smiled

"Well as long as I’m in with everyone." Melanie laughed. "You think I’m going to have to suffer being ostracized and much Cordelia backstabbing now?" She said more seriously.

"To be honest I doubt you’ll get any more than you already do, to Cordelia, Buffy is the slayer who has no life and ew a 300 year old boyfriend, Mr Giles is the old boring librarian who tries to make his life more exciting by pretending to be a big know it all. I’m the geeky freak who has even less of a life than Buffy and no dress sense." Willow gave a shrug.

"And I’m the dyke witch." Melanie grinned. "Sounds like a fine bunch to me. OH and by the way, I like the way you dress."

"Thank you." Willow smiled more and played with the edge of her green and orange striped t shirt. "so.... do you have a girlfriend? I mean did you have one, before you had to move?"

"Sorta." Melanie nodded. "She’s a witch too, we had to do some training together. She was the first person I had anything you know even a bit serious with. Everyone before that was just dates and stuff." She admitted. "But we’re just friends now."

"What was her name? do you keep in touch with her? What is she like?" Willow questioned quickly.

"Her name was Audrey, and we send the odd email." Mel smiled. "She’s a firecracker, always getting into trouble."

"sounds like way to much of a wild card for me, not that I...." Willow blushed and looked away.

"It’s okay, I accept that not everyone in the world can be smart enough to be attracted to women." Mel winked at her. "I mean how sexy they are, how beautiful, how they aren’t smelly boys." eventually willow looked up a little bolder.

"Are they as nice to...." she waved her hand to fill in her words, "As they are to look at?"

"Kiss?" Mel looked for some clarification, willow nodded quickly that that was indeed what she was asking

"Oh yeah." Melanie nodded. "No gross stubble or bad breath and girls always have such soft lips and lip gloss tastes so good."

Willow felt a small shiver race up her spine as she thought about the simple words Mel spoke.

"wow." she said quietly.

"Hey maybe I can corrupt you into going out checking out the girlies with me." Melanie winked at her.

"Maybe....I mean no... That is I’ve never done it, kissed one that is, in fact I’ve never really kissed anyone, other than family at Hanukah and barmitsphers." Willow looked down embarrassed

"Will, how many people do you think I’ve kissed?" Mel reached out and put her hand on Willow’s arm. "By the way if you guess higher than three, and that counts Mike Dugan who kissed me at a dance once even though I didn’t want him too and wasn’t expecting it. Then you’re going to be wrong."

Willow smiled again and seemed to relax a little.

"so the answer is 3?" she asked with a smile. "who’s the third?" she added.

"Amanda Dixon." Melanie smiled. "I was staying with another Circle witch in New York. I had the biggest crush on her when I was 15, she was 16 and at this party we were at, I was hanging out on the balcony and she came out taking to me and I was in heaven and we were talking about all kinds of things, and I knew in a week I was going to have to leave so I kissed her." She grinned. "And she kissed me back, but then said I couldn’t tell any of her friends or she’d never talk to me again."

"what a Meanie." Willow pouted for her, "Was she good?" She added with an almost impish glint in her eye.

"You know when you’re so super nervous you can barely remember?" Melanie laughed. "It made me all light headed so I’d say it was good."

Willow leaned back into the comfy cushions.

"I cant believe you’re a lesbian." She admitted looking at Mel intensely.

"Why not?" Melanie asked softly not meaning the question in a bad way but genuinely curious.

"Just because you know, you have the long hair and the legs that every boy in school wants to watch for hours.’ willow gave a soft shrug "And you’re not all about the women power or anything." She added

"Well I’m not a Nazi feminist or anything, but I do think that girls are every bit as good as boys." Melanie admitted.

"some are better." Willow grinned

"Exactly." Melanie grinned back. "So anyone that my redheaded siren has a crush on?" She said subtly.

"Oh im not a siren." Willow shook her head

"Siren in training?" Melanie tried a compromise.

"There’s no one no." Willow shook her head, "I mean no one could possibly like a geek like me."

"Why not? You’re friendly, smart, easy going, loyal, funny." Melanie listed off the redhead’s characteristics.

"Because im not all cheerleadery like Cordelia, all long legged like you, or all innocent and charming like Buffy." willow pointed out

"No, you’re Willow." Melanie assured her. "You know it’s going to be my mission to make you see how great you are right?"

Willow laughed a little.

‘how long are you staying?" she asked with a chuckle\

"Mmmm ages as far as I know." Melanie explained. "They wanted to make this a more permanent move if things worked out with Buffy... on a slaying demon level." She corrected quickly.

"Oh im sure it will, I mean anything that helps keep the baddies down is a good thing, has to be right?" Willow smiled, "and you’re even getting along." She added the bonus

"We are." Melanie nodded. "Can’t say the same for Angel and I, but you know one out of two ain’t bad."

"With Angel its more of a case of getting him not to hate you." Willow laughed, ‘he doesn’t much mind me, but I’m not sure he’d take a bullet for me or anything you know?"

"Yeah." Melanie nodded. "You want to go to the mall and shop? There’s nothing on TV."

"Definitely." Willow nodded and eagerly got up.

***

"And we went shopping, I got a new shirt and she got some new boots." Melanie looked at Buffy.

"So what do you think, is she gay or is it just that she’s not had any experience either way?" Buffy didn’t seem wholly content

"I don’t think she’s had any experience either way." Melanie summed up. "I don’t think she has a lot of confidence in her sex appeal."

"will has sex appeal?" Buffy arched her eyebrows

"She hides it well." Melanie nodded. "Everyone has sex appeal."

"Wow she must hide it well." Buffy laughed "We should all go out to the bronze again, you can check out the locals." Buffy teased

"Totally, maybe we can find someone for Will too." Melanie nodded. "I think a little attention would be a good thing for her."

"The right kind of attention." Buffy pointed out quickly

"Yes." The ninth nodded. "Be it girl or smelly boy."

Buffy laughed.

"Boys smell nice." She pointed out sticking the tip of her tongue out

"Ewww, no they don’t, not like girls do." Melanie teased. "And we don’t have razor burn."

"Not on your face maybe." Buffy continued the banter

"OHHH Did you just make a dyke joke?" Melanie put on her mock look of horror. "You’re going to pay for that one."

"And just how are you going to make me pay?" Buffy arched her eyebrow cockily.

"Mmm I could do a spell on you, or I could..." Melanie lunged forward and started to tickle her.

"No, no," She wiggled and batted at Mel’s hands in a very ‘girlie’ non slayer way.

"Yes yes." Melanie teased as she kept tickling and used her body to hold her down a bit playfully to keep her from wiggling away.

"What are you two doing it sounds like you’re coming through the ceiling." Joyce’s jovial voice called to them through the door. Melanie stopped tickling her but laughed.

"she’s tickling me mom." Buffy took the opportunity to roll off the bed and run for the door.

"Scaredy cat." Melanie teased moving to chase after her.

******

They were laying on the Slayer’s bed, that was easy enough to discern for Buffy. The air was filled with a hazy sweet smelling mist and as she looked down at herself she was wearing a silky white long nightdress with spaghetti straps and a slit that went a very long way up her thigh she realized. There was gentle romantic music playing and pink rose petals were scattered on the bed around her.

"That you would do all of this... makes me feel so special." A sultry voice came from the doorway and as she turned her head it was as if Melanie floated towards her to then crawl up the bed. The witch was wearing a black silk nightdress similar to her own but Buffy blushed as she saw how much more the chesty brunette filled it out.

"You are special." She heard herself say as her hand reached out to take Mel’s.

"Special enough to kiss?" Melanie questioned and before Buffy knew what was going on, she’d pulled Mel closer to her and their lips had locked together in a hot open mouthed kiss.

*****

"Buffy... Buffy!" Willow’s voice broke into her dream as a sharp poke from the redhead’s elbow went into her side. "Wake up, the film is over."

"Huh.. huh what." Buffy blinked open unconsciously licking her lips and squirming a little in her seat.

"The film on WW2 is over." Willow looked at her. "You must have been having a good dream."

"Why,,, why would you say that." Buffy tried to concentrate and shift the dreams images in her head to a better place in her brain one that wouldn’t be so distracting

"You were moaning and licking your lips." Willow teased her as she gathered up her books. "Are you coming to the library? Mel said she was going to meet me there."

"err, no. I have... to go somewhere else." Buffy gathered her pens and picked up her bag.

"Um Okay, see you in Chemistry." Willow nodded and gave her and odd look.

****

Melanie stopped as she saw the redhead start to slow down as they approached the door of the Bronze.

"Willow, come on, you look so good. Everyone in there is going to think so." Melanie urged her. She’d worked hard on Willow’s slightly curly up do and convinced her into wearing a slightly short tight wool skirt and a tight long sleeved t-shirt with a light cardigan over it. She had on calf high brown boots and a sparkly pair of long earrings. "I might even forget we’re just friends." Mel teased with a wink. Willow blushed slightly that contrasted with her ginger hair.

"I don’t think I’m your type." she said with a slightly shy look.

"Only cause I don’t want to every lose you as a friend Willow. Which I know sounds like a total line but from me it’s not Will." Melanie turned and looked at her. "I know we’ve talked a bit about the Circle and everywhere I’ve been, but you have no idea how much I’ve always wanted a friend like you. Someone I can really talk to, someone who gets me you know?"

"You have? I mean, thank you, thank you so much." willow impulsively gave Mel a quick hug, "You’re great." she said before backing off a little and straighten down her outfit, "Lets get the party started."

"That’s my girl!" Melanie hugged her again and then they moved into the club.

****

"So I said to Barry, Barry you might think that jacket is ace but it’s so.... holy sweet mother of Mary." Xander stopped mid sentence to Buffy. "Willow was attacked by a fashion magazine!"

"A good one?" Buffy turned to where Xander was staring. "Oh God." her hazel eyes widened. "I’m being upstaged by my best friend." She looked down at her slightly old looking leather pants and red top

"Oh my god and the goddess Mel is with her in a skirt!" Xander put his hand up to his heart. "I feel faint."

"Xander get a h-h-h-holy cow." Buffy caught sight of the witch as she moved to Willows side, following the line of Xander’s sight as it traced up long sheer black stocking covered legs.

"Will she date me if I give her a holy cow?" Xander’s eyes skimmed up as Buffy did to the wrap around silk top she was wearing with a thick velvet choker. "Will! Mel!" He coughed and beckoned them over when they looked around a bit lost.

Both women smiled as they were spotted and hurried over. Buffy took the few moments to dig for some much needed control. By the time they were along side them she’d manage to stop staring at her two friends.

"You two look great." she welcomed them both with a big smile.

"Totally drool worthy." Xander looked at both of them. "I’ve known you forever Will and I’ve never seen you look so good." He grinned at her.

"Thank you I think." Willow gave him a shy smile.

‘really Will, you look great." Buffy was quick to continue the compliments, "You too Mel, did you get your skirts from Bloomies?"

"No, order from Abecrombie." Melanie explained. "I like the leather." She grinned at Buffy’s pants.

"Oh you know, nothing special." Buffy gave a shrug. "Angel’s just getting us drinks, the band from the university is playing." She nodded to the crew on the stage who were testing equipment whilst the dj played tunes to keep the crowds happy.

"Great, well I know I’m in the mood to get this party started... anybody want to dance?" Mel looked around at everyone.

"I’d..." Xander was about to whole heartedly say yes but he saw that Cordelia had just come in. "oops girlfriend alert, I’ll meet you guys on the dance floor."

"I’m not sure." Willow eased up onto one of the stools around their table, "You two go ahead Buffy never says no to a dance, do you Buffy." She smiled proudly at her best friend, in a way that made Buffy know she couldn’t say no.

"Hope you’re ready to be out danced." Buffy tried a confident smile as she looked out at the dace floor.

"You might be able to outrun me, but there is no way you can out dance me." Melanie gave her a confident grin as she followed her out on the floor.

The music was fast and infectious in it’s rhythm and almost instantly Melanie settled into the sound of it, letting herself be lost in the melody. Her body moved with an almost hypnotic impact, her arm movements graceful yet alluring, basically she was a girl shaking her booty for everyone to see and either be jealous of or make them want her even more.

Buffy had to give up watching her dance partner as she knew she was spending too much time examining how she moved and how her body seemed to be taken over by the strong beat and hard rhythm of the music. She closed her eyes and let herself move more freely dancing with Mel giving her a confidence that even she normally lacked on the dance floor.

***

"Willow." Angel came back to the table raising an eyebrow. "You... look nice." He tried to be pleasant when he saw that the redhead had obviously done her best to dress up but he could still smell the fear and uncertainty on her.

"Thank you." Willow smiled sweetly, "Buffy’s on the dance floor with Mel." She added the explanation for the slayers absence

Angel put the drinks on the table and then turned, his eyes narrowing a bit when he saw that the two girls were dancing rather close together, with most of the dance floor watching them.

"She’s right at home isn’t she?" He said in a low tone.

"Oh yes, Buffy’s always loved the dance floor." Willow slipped the slender straw into her mouth and took a sip of cool soda.

"Yes Buffy has." Angel didn’t correct that he had been making a comment about Melanie. "Tell Buffy if she comes back I’m going to check the back room just in case."

"Is that secret talk for smoochies?" Willow gave a grin

"No." Angel said turning without saying anything else and heading towards the dark corners of the bar and the back room. Willow gave a little shrug and continued to sip her drink.

*****

"The band aren’t bad are they?" Buffy turned and asked the question of Mel as they sat sipping drinks. They had stopped dancing when the band had come on and after a brief check with Angel that he would do a quick patrol and then come back to the bronze in time for more late dancing, the four friends had settled to enjoy the atmosphere

"No, they’re great." Melanie nodded putting her drink down. "The bassist is good." She looked up to the stocky blonde who was near their side of the stage.

"Isn’t she." Willow turned and nodded at the witch comment

"She looks a little young to be in a uni band." Melanie nodded.

"Their leaflet does say she’s only a freshman." Xander picked up the flyer from table and handed it to Mel.

"Oh right, that explains it." Melanie looked up again to stare at the bassist. There was just something about the young woman that was tingling at the witch’s senses.

"Sorrow’s Junction," Buffy took the flier from Mel, "Rather a gloomy name for a band wouldn’t you say?" the slayer observed reading through the brief band resume

"A little, unless you know the legend." Melanie felt another twinge of question come up as Buffy read the name.

"Legend?" Willow turned and looked at Mel questioningly

"Sorrow’s Junction is a town, well it is the colonial name for a town." Melanie began. "Legend says that it was founded by a very rich man who came over from England. Legend also says that the man was the first made in the new world who was a werewolf and he introduced the infection to the Americas."

"Oh how nice of him." Buffy arched her eyebrows to the sky.

"Just a legend though right?" It was willow that checked

"How many things have you dealt with that are just legend?" Melanie raised her eyebrow looking at Willow.

"Well there was that story that rubbing the leg of the Isis statue in the museum made your thin....." Xander started but flushed red in embarrassment

"Made your?" Melanie looked at him with question.

"Enhanced manhood." Willow helped him out

"It was just a legend." Buffy added "though he never let us measure." she teased.

"I’m sure they have a tape measure behind the bar..." Melanie added to the teasing.

"Okay well cordie and I are going to get some air - right babe?" Taking the cheerleaders hand he pulled her up and moved towards the door

"Did I say something?" Melanie grinned.

"Um... hi Willow?" A short guy with dark blonde hair was stood next to the table.

"Er.. Er mmmm yeah?" Willow turned to him and played with a curl near her ear.

Buffy shifted a little and watched the interaction interestedly.

"Hi, I’m Oz." He said shuffling a bit. "I was wondering if you wanted to play some pool?"

"Oh pool? I’m not very good." Willow replied

"It’s okay, neither am I." Oz gave a slight shrug.

The young man had a pleasant smile and his approach had been noting short of lovely, with a slightly unsure smile Mel glanced back at Mel and Buffy.

"Perfect then, you can both practice a bit." Melanie said smiling at Willow and then Oz.

"Okay, well I cant be too long, but a game would be great." the red head stood up slowly. "You guys will be right here yeah?" she checked

"Here or dancing." Melanie assured her.

"Go have fun will." Buffy encouraged as the slender red head moved away with the sort guy.

"Wow, must be the curls." she said turning to Mel with a grin

"Must be." Melanie grinned back.

"Thanks she really doesn’t look great, you’re amazing." Buffy complimented the other woman

"It wasn’t hard at all." Melanie smiled. "Well other than convincing her she could wear that skirt... convincing her the boots did look good, that she could wear the shirt... that she could wear the earrings... okay it took hours but it was so worth it."

"It was," Buffy confirmed, "So, what’s the scoop on the bassist," She added glancing back at the stage, "You’ve checked her out fifteen times in the last ten minutes." The slayer pointed out.

"She niggles my witchy sense." Melanie admitted. "There is something in her aura I just can’t place."

"My vamp senses aren’t flickering, demon?" she too focused on the stocky blonde, who’s hair she just noted had deep navy tips.

"No, it’s not a strong enough niggle. It’s just a little something." Melanie shook her head. "Maybe she dabbles in witchcraft."

"Bad witchcraft?" Buffy edged a little forward on her seat.

"No, definitely not bad she just doesn’t have enough niggle. Maybe I’m just being over sensitive." Melanie shrugged. "But forgive me if I keep an eye on her."

"No problem." Buffy nodded. "Other than the niggling bassist, any one catch your eye in a ‘good’ way?" Buffy gave Mel’s shoulder a slight nudge.

"Mmmm not really, the only girl who kinda looked good I found in the bathroom hallway making out with an smelly boy." Melanie sighed.

"I am sure he wasn’t smelly," Buffy laughed, "You did check he wasn’t a vampire though right." she gave her friend a grin.

"Oh course. I remember what you taught me in Vampire 101." Melanie grinned back.

"Are you having a good time." Buffy checked subconsciously sliding a little closer to her.]

"Yeah, are you?" Melanie turned towards her a bit, making it so her knee pressed against Buffy’s leg.

"Yeah, I like to get out, have fun, as you can tell its not angels favourite past time."

"I guessed that from his early exit." Melanie nodded. "But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a good time. Though you weren’t better than me, you can really dance. Shaking that ass." She lightly smacked Buffy’s leather covered thigh.

"Thank you." Buffy blushed, "But Angel will come back, we’ll dance the last dance then we’ll walk everyone home, have some secret snuggles and then I’ll go to bed as usual." Buffy couldn’t help but breath out a little in pleasure at the soft smack

"Very romantic." Melanie acknowledged. "Oh I think Willow and I are going to the mall tomorrow again, there’s a sale at that little shop with the nice sweaters. Did you want to come?"

"Definitely." Buffy agreed instantly. "You and Will, you’re getting on really well aren’t you?"

"Yeah, she’s a sweetheart. She totally get the whole witchy thing and the weirdness of me being like the witchy chosen one. It’s really nice to just be myself around her, and everyone." Melanie explained. "I can see why she’s your best friend."

"Yeah she’s the best friend I’ve ever had.: Buffy wasn’t sure why she underlined the redheads importance in her life exactly the way she did. After all she didn’t feel threatened by the new friendship between Mel and willow, did she?

"But it’s also cool that you’re the slayer, so that we both get the whole way we each have to deal with the world. You know having powers, having to save people." Melanie continued. "I feel like we have a special connection too." She reached out and put her hand over Buffy’s and gave it a light squeeze.

"Yeah I feel that too." Buffy turned her hand over and held onto Mel’s lightly, her eyes traveling up to meet green, and holding them for a long silent moment.

Melanie took a slow breath in, it was hard to ignore the warm flush that rose in her body and the way that Buffy’s usually blocked aura broke free to mingle with hers.

"Did you want another drink?" Buffy asked pulling her hand back.

"Yeah that would be nice." Melanie nodded almost glad for the momentary breather.

"I’ll be right back." Buffy slipped out of the booth.

****

Willow smiled as Oz leaned over the table for another shot. They were both just basically hitting the balls around the table without any of them going in. She hadn’t noticed when the band had gone off stage to take a break between sets, and she especially hadn’t noticed when the bassist had approached the pool table.

"Oh Drew, hey... you guys are right on tonight." Oz looked at the other woman as she approached.

"I’ll take that as a compliment." Drew gave a smile and then looked at the table. "Haven’t gotten any better I see." She laughed taking the cue from Oz’ light grip and lining up for a quick shot and potting two balls in the process.

"Wow, you play pool as well as you play bass." Willow smiled as she saw the good shot, trying to make her brain not notice when the girl had leaned over the table and gave her a great look at her ass in the dark navy cargo pants she was wearing. The bassist had shoulder length blonde hair, the ends of about five inches had been dyed navy to contrast. She had on a tight t-shirt with a strange shooting star logo on it across her ample breasts.

"Drew this is Willow, she’s at my school." Oz said by way of introduction.

"Hi Willow, unusual name." Drew smiled, her silvery grey eyes regarded the redhead openly and a slow smile stretched over her face. Willow felt a hot blush rise in her cheeks as the girl rather blatantly checked her out.

"Especially when you find out I’m Jewish." Willow said and then felt instantly stupid for saying so. "Well my parents are, I’m not really practicing any religion."

"well no I mean Willow is kinda Jewish isn’t it, there are lots of trees mentioned in the torah I think." Drew stopped her obvious appraisal as she watched Willow’s cheeks colour. "And hey, Drew’s not such a normal name either, my parents had a thing about ET."

"I thought it was a lovely movie, I was so glad he got home." Willow smiled and reached up to play with a curl.

"Do you two want to play and I can get us drinks? I think I owe you one after the Alpha Kegger Drew." Oz tried not to interrupt but the two girls had effectively started ignoring him.

"You owe me more than one after that fiasco boy." drew laughed and gave him a toothy smile, showing off her perfect set of bright white teeth. "I’ll have a coke." She put in her order. "Willow."

"Coke would be great." Willow smiled at Drew and then remembering that Oz was actually going to get it, she smiled at him too. Once he had walked away she looked rather nervously at Drew, she wasn’t quite sure why her stomach felt like she was on the wild rollercoaster at Six Flags.

"He’s a nice enough guy." Drew watched as Oz left, "The dingo’s play decent stuff too." She added the compliment, "So what did you think of our set, or were you too busy playing pool to notice I’ve spent the last hour up there playing my heart out."

"No of course not, it sounded really good, you could tell you were playing from the heart. I loved the slow song you played." Willow moved a little closer to the table and leaned against it.

"Thanks, though I can only take so much of the credit, Jude, that’s the lead singer, she took me in when their old bassist dropped out of Uni at the start of this year."

drew explained leaning a little more heavily on the cue.

"Did you help write any of the songs?" Willow asked interested.

"Yeah a couple." Drew gave a soft shrug, "None of the ones you liked I bet." she laughed brightly, "So you’re in you’re nearly in your final year like Oz eh?"

"No, I’m a junior." Willow said reluctantly feeling like a little girl dressed up in her mother’s clothes all of a sudden.

"Sweet sixteen eh." Drew smiled more but didn’t laugh, "You look really good tonight." She added not making any further comment on the age issue.

"Really?" The redhead questioned again feeling herself blush a little. "A friend of mine helped me do my hair, I don’t usually curl it."

"I bet it looks great either way." Drew turned and looked again at the table. "So did Oz actually teach you any moves or did you two just play chase the cue ball."

"Chase the cue ball." Willow admitted. "You look like you know lots of moves." She said innocently.

"A few, I’m good at pool too." Drew leaned on one hip with a grin.

"Oh, right." Willow bit her lip and swallowed. "So what was I doing wrong? With the cue." She added the last three words quickly.

"You weren’t gelling with it." drew smiled, "Here see," she pushed up to stand properly before lowering once more over the table, "you need to feel the cue, make friends with it, it’s not a stick of wood." She let her fingers caress the long slender shaft of wood over and over, "But at the same time you need to be firm." She curled one hand round in a low grip on the cue and then lined up her shot, making a quick sharp strike against the cue ball which went hurtling across the felt, hitting a ball and sinking it in the closest pocket. "And always have an idea of where you want the balls to be going, and figure out the best way to get them there." She eased back up and nodded to willow "Go ahead try it. She smiled, "You’re lined up on the blue."

"The blue." Willow took the stick a little tentatively. She leaned over the table slowly, mimicking a little how Drew had ran her hand over the cue before she tried to brace it and line up the shot, though she knew she was still as wobbly as ever.

"Much better approach." Drew complemented her, "But you’re acting scared of the balls." The other girl came a little closer behind the red head, "You’re the boss," She lowered her voice as she lowered her body closer to Willow’s.

Willow instantly felt her temperature rise and the butterflies in her stomach started to do kamikaze missions up into her throat.

"I’m the boss." Willow repeated not able to do more than whisper the words as she felt the other woman lean around her to help steady the cue.

"uh-huh." Drew echoed reaching a hand down to the lower end of the cue, "You’re in control." She added lower still as she drew willows hand and the cue back and forth a little

"I feel nervous not in control." Willow admitted taking another slow breath in.

"Then maybe pool’s just not your game." Drew stopped their arms movements.

She made a move back to take her lean and weigh away from Willow completely

"No, it’s not that... I haven’t had the chance to play..." Willow glanced back the little bit to be able to catch the other woman’s eyes. "And no ones ever shown me what to do."

"Now that surprises me." Drew admitted completely honestly, "Maybe I should have a word with Oz, I’m sure he could teach you," She paused and gave a soft shrug, "something." she concluded.

"It’s okay, maybe I should just give up and be content to never learn." Willow turned back and took her hands off the cue. "I should have known this was a bad idea." She pulled her cardigan a little closer over her body with her hands.

"Willow, there are other games, better games." Drew watched Willow movements carefully. "I bet for example you can dance."

"You’d lose, I haven’t danced that much either." Willow admitted looking into silver eyes that studied her.

"Just because you’ve not done it much, doesn’t mean you’re not good." drew propped the cue up along side the pool table. "come, dance with me." she held out her hand

"Only if you promise not to laugh." Willow looked from her hand to silver eyes and back again.

"Laughing is the last thing on my mind." Drew admitted her hand never moving from the open offer

Willow slowly let go of her cardigan and reaching out put her hand in Drew’s.

"This way." drew drew willow in front of her and then guided her to the now busy dance floor. Willow felt her feet following along, even as her mind tumbled with what had been said and what was going on. She was just about to be in the middle of the Bronze’s dance floor... dancing with a girl! She could just hear the taunts and jibes from Cordelia and the other so called ‘cool’ girls. But for once after all of that, was another voice and smile as she remembered Melanie’s confession that she was gay and how everything she had said had made Willow realize there were people with opinions other than Cordelia’s and in fact they mattered a whole lot more.

"Is here okay?" It was Drew’s voice that broke Willows conversation, and the older girl released willows hand

"It’s fine." Willow noted that the blonde had lead her onto the dance floor and the throng of people around them was moving without any care or notice of what they were doing. "Do you like this song?" She asked standing perfectly still.

"It’s okay, do you hate it?" drew watched the play of emotions over Willows face.

"No, no it’s okay." Willow realized finally she wasn’t moving and slowly she began to sway a little shifting her weight from one hip to the other.

The taller girl smiled as Willow moved slightly and in turn let herself slide into the rhythm of the song easily picking out the line of the bass guitar to dance to.

"Why are you so nervous Willow?" She took a small step closer.

"I don’t want you to think I’m a geek, even though I really actually am." Willow felt herself admitting the factual truth as she stared into silver eyes and felt her body moving more to the music.

"Hell I’m a freak but I don’t mind if you think that, I’m happy with who and what I am." Drew kept eye contact all the while "Are you happy, willow." She asked not even blinking.

"Right now?" Willow didn’t break eye contact either but her question sidestepped a tiny bit.

"Yeah right now is a start." Drew nodded

"Very." Willow said the single word possibly a little too soft to hear, but it was underlined by her body language as she danced a step closer to Drew.

For the briefest of moments Drew closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose, before opening them again and looking down at Willow,

"Good." She replied honestly.

"I like this song more." Willow said as the music mixed into another track, it was still fast but there was less screaming lyrics and more layered sampled music and effects.

"It’s definitely more sophisticated." drew agreed with a nod, "Easier to move to, to feel." She let her eyes drop from Wllows to look over the redheads slender body.

Willow gave a nod as she felt her body relaxing more into the song, she wasn’t really conscious that she was dancing anymore. Her mind was too occupied with the conversation and all the double meanings things could have.

"The band are playing at the Uni rec hall tomorrow night." Drew moved in a little closer, "You and your friends should come."

"What time?" Willow asked without any hesitation.

"Any time after 10, we’re second set, so we’ll go on stage about 11." The blonde informed her.

"After ten." Willow nodded. "Will you be around the hall after your set?" She asked licking her lips.

"Yeah, there’s a party at one of the halls after, but I don’t usually follow along to those, usually just full of boys with too much alcohol and too much testosterone in their systems."

"I know a few like that who don’t need the alcohol." Willow gave a soft laugh. "Do you have a cd of your stuff?" She asked still dancing.

"Not an officially produced one or anything but..." the blonde paused and slipped her hand into the back pocket of her cargo pants. "Here’s a tape of a few of our tracks, you can have that." She held it out for the redhead.

"Great, which ones did you write?" Willow took it and held it in her hand carefully.

"The ones that I have very cheesily written ‘mine’ beside in green pen." Drew pointed to the case.

Willow looked down at it and then grinned.

"Very subtle." She found herself teasing and then her eyes went wide, her movement stumbling. "Oh God, I didn’t mean that in a bad way, I think it’s cute, and so cool you like your own stuff, you should be proud of it."

"And totally anal of me to write mine in green on a tape only I ever play." drew filled out her babble with a chuckle.

"Why did you pick green?" Willow questioned.

Drew looked up straight into willows green eyes with a smirk on her face

"The blue one had run out."

"Not anal at all then." Willow smiled back at her.

The pair danced through another track and then with a quick glance stage ward, Drew reached out and put her hand lightly on Willows arm.\

"Willow, I’m having a great dance, but I have to go..." She frowned very softly and briefly.

Willow followed her eyes up to the stage where the other band members were obviously close to ready to start the next set.

"You’re at work, I can’t take up all of your time." Willow could feel the warmth of Drew’s hand even through the light sweater. "Break a leg, or do you only say that to theatre performers?" She looked uncertain for a minute.

"Not sure, but I did that once, when I was a kid, don’t wanna go there again." Drew smiled brightly. "If I don’t catch you later, I’ll see you tomorrow night yeah?" She seemed reluctant to move away before receiving an answer.

"Yes." Willow nodded and waggled the tap. "I’ll try to learn a few songs by then."

"sweet." Drew grinned and then released Willows arm darting hurriedly back towards the back stage.

Willow watched her for a moment and then did a quick 180 to head back towards the table where Mel and Buffy were sitting.

"Hi, um Mel do you want to go to the bathroom?" Willow came over her breathing a little faster.

"The... what... right... yeah..." She felt herself thrown by the redhead’s stare. "We’ll be right back okay?" She looked at Buffy.

Buffy barely had a chance to register any reaction before the pair slipped away.

Mel found herself pushed into the small bathroom.

"Willow what is going on? Are you okay? You look totally freaked." Mel asked immediately.

"You have to help me out." Were willows opening words

"Of course Will, anything, what do you need?" Mel assured her quickly.

"I need you to come with me to the Uni rec hall tomorrow night." The red head outlined

"Why?" Melanie asked her confused.

"Hello have you not been keeping up with the last hour of my life?" willow flustered

"Okay Oz came and asked you to play pool, I haven’t laid eyes on you since... what has gone on?" Melanie moved her back to lean against the garbage. "You look like you’re going to pass out. Did he hurt you?" Her eyes darkened a bit.

"Hurt me? Oz?" Willow shook her head, "He’s the sweetest guy Mel," She assured her. The ninth breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, so we’re going to the Uni rec hall tomorrow cause he’s going to be there right?" She tried to draw a line between the only two pieces of evidence she had.

"No, that is I suppose he might be, the Dingo’s probably have a set, they play at the Uni a lot." Willow seemed a little sidetracked for a moment.

"Willow hold on, if Oz may or may not be there, why is it that we MUST be there?" Melanie pushed for clarification.

"Drew." Willow barely breathed the name

"Drew?" The ninth was even more confused. "Who is Drew?"

"Drew, the tall, toned, blonde with the great.... figure." willow realised her hands had raised out to her front as she had spoken the descriptions

"Drew... with the great..." Melanie had been following along until her eyes watched the hand movement Willow made and her brain went a bit offline. "Great..." She finally caught up and made the same basic gesture Willow had. "Where is she? I didn’t see her."

"Hello, she’s playing the bass in the band." willow squeaked.

"The bassist?" Melanie instantly conjured a picture of her in her mind. "Yeah great." She made the gesture again without thinking. "But Willow, how?"

"I know its all incredible, but I was there, with oz, and the pool table and she comes over and she’s all, hey how you doing’ and then asks if I I’m just playing with balls or if I’m serious and I tell her I think I’m serious and then she tries to teach me." Mel followed along with a variety of facial expressions. "but im still no good, even though I am the master and I am in control..." Willow took a quick much needed breath. Mel raised and eyebrow. "so we decided, well she decides I shouldn’t push the balls thing if I cant do it, or its not working for me so we end up dancing and talking

"Dancing and talking." Melanie repeated absently.

"yes yes," Willow nodded emphatically, "Then she tells me about their gig tomorrow, gives me a tape of the band, with the songs she wrote highlighted in green," she flashed Mel the tape, "So now I have to go to the hall tomorrow" She took another quick breath. "To see Drew to say thank you for the tape, and the dance and the pool lessons."

"Willow, you know I’m totally cool with it, because well being a dyke and all but..." Melanie reached out and rubbed her arm. "You’ve never mentioned girls exactly as on your like list. Is this cool for you?"

"Yes... that is... I don’t know, if felt cool, dancing with her, well no, it felt kinda hot.. and sweaty and...." Willow blew up onto her forehead.

"Okay okay Willow, it’s cool, it’s obviously very cool." Melanie smiled brightly and hugged her." You met a girl Will, you have no idea how happy I am for you right now."

"Well I don’t know about met a girl, I mean she might jus want.. I mean friendship is good right? And she is older than me and she’s in a band, I mean she’s not going to want lowly old me, but it would be nice to just you know see her again." Willow babbled

"Okay Willow answer three questions, did you ever catch her looking at your breasts?" Melanie just asked the question point blank.

"She looked at all of me, I think she was counting freckles at one point." Willow blinked

"Okay that’s a yes to question one and two." Melanie gave a soft laugh.

"sorry, that’s so me, ;m always answering question too quickly." willow gave an apologetic half laugh

"Last question, were her fingernails long or short?" Melanie shook off the apology.

"her left hand were really short." willow closed her eyes trying to remember "But she plays the bass so she has to have short finger nails on that hand for the fret work."

"Okay replacement third question, did she touch you like a ‘friend’ or like someone making a pass at you?" Melanie realized the usually good indicator of fingernails wasn’t going to work with a bassist.

"I don’t know, no ones ever made a pass at me before." willow frowned a little

"Did she touch you at all?" Melanie broke it down.

"Oh yes." willow nodded giving a small shiver remembering the press of her body against her back as they leaned over the pool table.

"How?" Melanie followed up.

"Leaning over behind me on the pool table...." willow said with slightly glazed eyes

"Okay enough, the look on your face tells me it was not friendly touching." Melanie laughed. "Officially Willow, you ‘MET’ a girl." She grinned at the redhead.

"I did?!" Willow squeaked "And she was a ‘cool’ girl." She grinned more

"Who wants to see you tomorrow night." Melanie punched her lightly in the arm. "You siren."

"Oh yes, yes tomorrow night, so you’ll come, with me that’s, because I so couldn’t go alone..." Willow shook he head

"Yes Willow, I will so go with you, even just so that you can hang out with her afterwards and totally blow me off." Melanie laughed and hugged her briefly again.

"You are so cool." Willow squeezed Mel a second time before she could back away. "And you could always bring Buffy to hang out with while drew and I get to know each other," she grinned more at the idea.

"You want Buffy to come?" Melanie asked seriously. "I mean... are you going to tell her about Drew?"

"Oh god, I hadn’t even thought about that," Willow suddenly went a funny shade of green

"Will... Will... relax." Melanie waved at her a bit with one hand when she saw the odd colour. "You should totally tell her Will, she’s your best friend, she’ll be totally cool with it. Look how cool she is with me, she even made this really naughty lesbian joke the other week, and she so wouldn’t do that if she wasn’t cool with it. She’ll be so happy you met a girl Will."

"You think?" Willow tried to calm the raging panic in her head

"I do." The black nodded. "She’s your best friend Will, she just wants you to be happy. "

"Yes, and, and if this makes me happy then Buffy will be happy too." Willow reasoned.

"Exactly." Melanie nodded. "We could go out and talk to her, yeah?" She remembered the slightly confused, worried and hurt expression that Buffy had had when Willow had arrived at the table and directed Mel to the bathroom.

"Now, talk to her now about girlies? Willow paled again

"No, about how you met someone nice who you are attracted too and you want to go meet them tomorrow night with a little best friend back up." Melanie rephrased things.

"Oh, see that sounds so much better.: Willow perked up again "Less hello Buffy I’m a lesbian." she giggled nervously

"Willow, just because you’re going to hang out with a cool girl you meant doesn’t mean your a lesbian okay. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, I mean don’t get hung up on labels... just have fun and see what happens, enjoy yourself and worry about labels later." Melanie said gently. "Besides for all we know Willow Rosenberg could be charming every girl and boy in town in a few years, it’s cool as long as she’s happy."

"Perhaps I should just see if Oz wants to go for a coffee some day, rather than go to the hall tomorrow night." Willow suddenly lost her faith

"Willow, if all you had done was play pool with Oz would you have dragged me in here for this conversation?" Melanie asked sceptically.

"Maybe if he hand danced with me, leaned over me and invited me out." Willow padded her answer

"Un huh, but I believe you were too busy doing that with Drew to give him the opportunity, so I think we know what choice you made." Melanie winked at her. "Come on, it’s just us going to listen to her band. If you don’t want to see her or it’s not working out we can bail."

"yes." willow once more surd her foundations, though she was beginning to feel a little queasy from the emotional rollercoaster ride she’ been on. "we’d better go back to Buffy. She looked at Mel

"Yeah." Melanie nodded. "Whatever you want to tell her is okay with me Will, but I just want to know so I don’t tell her something accidentally."

"I might tell her, but nothing too definitely , I’ll wait to see what happens tomorrow." Willow weighed out the sutiatuoin

"Okay, we’re going to see the band play, you met the bassist." Mel summed it up. "Just another Saturday night out having fun."

"Yes, yes exactly." willow nodded enthusiastically

"Gotcha." Melanie nodded and held the door open for her to head back into the club.

By the time Will and Mel made their way back to the booth, it surprised them both to discover that Angel had returned and the slayer was curled up close to him leaning her head into his broad shoulder, sipping her drink.

"Hey we’re back." Melanie announced feeling the waves of nervousness coming from Willow.

"So you are." Buffy sat up a little, "Though I have to ask, Will what have you been doing? She smiled at them both

"What do you mean?" Willow looked at the smile instantly panicking.

"Well about a minute after you and Mel slipped off, this guy from backstage came over and handed me five tickets for some gig at the university tomorrow. Someone called drew apparently sent them, saying that they’d get us all straight in without having the hole line up thing." Buffy nodded to the tickets on the table

"Oh yeah, Willow was just telling me about how she made a friend with someone in the band and she’s gotten us tickets." Melanie threw in to help the redhead.

"Well I figured since Oz is in a band, that he’d probably know this band, so I didn’t send the guy away, you know worse case scenario he gotten wrong table and we get free tickets for Saturday night fun, so I wasn’t complaining or arguing." Buffy smiled brightly/

"No no, we have Saturday night fun that is totally ours." Willow managed to inject some words finally. "Can you both come?" She picked them up handing one to Mel and tucking one in her pocket she held two out to Buffy.

"You go." Angel encouraged Buffy to take a ticket, "I’ll patrol so you don’t have to worry." He added

"Are you sure?" Buffy laid her hand against his shirt lightly. The dark vampire gave a silent nod as the slayer picked up her ticket.

"Xander and Cordie?" she looked at the other two.

"Yes, then it works out." Willow gave a lopsided smile.

"I’m sure they’ll love it so much they’ll ignore us like they did tonight." Mel subtly reassured Willow not to be concerned with Cordelia.

"Well I don’t know about you Will, but my curfew was midnight." Buffy moved to get up.

"Ooo we’re 12:30, Will’s crashing at my place." Melanie looked at the redhead with a smile. "Why don’t you and Angel head home and Willow and I can head to my place?"

"You’ll be okay?" Buffy hesitated

"It’s on the way, we’ll walk them home." Angel put in the opposing offer as final as he pulled away and stood up offering Buffy his hand. Buffy took it immediately.

"Sounds perfect, okay?" She checked looking at both girls.

"Fine, right Will?" Melanie looked over to find Willow was half turned around looking at the band play and specifically a certain Bassist. "Will?"

"Yeah right, can’t be late for curfew." She turned back her voice a little squeaky.

***

Saturday for the Slayer, the witch and the hacker had been extremely busy. Of course they had been a new outfit to arrange for Willow, who wanted to look well as good as she had the night before. Then they’d enjoyed a late lunch at the mall, hoping to manage to calm Willow’s fraying nerves down more and then back to Melanie’s. As Angel was taking care of patrol, they’d decided to all get ready at Mel’s house, she had the large basement all to itself, with it’s own washroom, so it
seemed the most likely spot for ‘dress up’ headquarters.

Willow had taken the spare room upstairs to shower and get dressed. Mel had promised to do her hair again with Buffy’s help. Courteously Buffy had showered first and was left in the basement room to manicure her toes as Mel showered.

"God that felt good." Melanie came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and her long wet hair combed back. "Did you pick the pink or the coral?" She questioned seeing Buffy was still working on her nails.

"Pink with coral tips, I thought I’d do my fingers the same." Buffy glanced up, a glance that faltered when faced with the scantily clad wet Spellcaster. 

"Oh sorry... semi naked me... is that a problem?" Melanie saw the flash of what she made herself assume was hetero panic on Buffy’s face.  "I promise to keep the towel on."

"No, no problem." Buffy looked away realizing she’d been staring. 

"I like the tips, very cool.  Can you do them on me if we have time?" Melanie questioned as she moved over to sit in a side chair and began to put cream on her long legs.  "I swear I’m still dried out from Washington."

Taking short surreptitious glances at Mel Buffy made a noise of consent to the nails question.   

"So what is the university like?" Melanie said when she finished covering most of her exposed flesh in cream.  She moved over to the mirror and fiddled with plucking her eyebrows for a moment.

"Big, and well full of students." Buffy replied slightly stupidly. "Okay so that was a monumentally stupid response." she berated herself .

"Well not particularly informative." Melanie laughed a little.  "Are you thinking about going there?" She moved to the closet and pulled it open, she moved to pick out a top and when she had one and a pair of light pants to wear while she did her hair she let the towel drop, her back turned in full view to Buffy.

"Maybe, I’ve not re..." Buffy’s voice vanished as a shiver raced through her and her stomach flip flopped at the long creamy expanse of exposed skin, "Really thought about it." She forced herself to focus. 

"Mmm I’m not sure I want to go to university, as soon as I’m out of high school the Circle will want me doing assignments full time."

Melanie let the towel drop the rest of the way, exposing her backside for a few long moments before she pulled up the loose silk pants and slowly slid into the small white baby doll t-shirt.  

"you’d be leaving SunnyDale?" Buffy sat up straighter .

"Once I graduate high school I’d have to start taking mission assignments.  They’d let me keep a home base, but as the ninth I’m expected to take over all the high profile and dangerous missions... one day I become Circle Mistress."

She screwed up her face.  "Be thankful you’re with the Council."

"The circle mistress?" Buffy queried.

"The Circle is sorta like a well kingdom, there is one witch, the higest ranking one to rule everyone." Melanie tried to explain. "When I’m ready, it will be me."

"wait, so you’re like, a princess? Buffys eyes widened

"Well... I guess sorta... I’m the highest ranked witch." Melanie tried to downplay it. "It’s not really that big a deal." She came over and flopped on the bed.

"Your moms the queen?" Buffy swallowed

"She’s the current Mistress." Melanie nodded. "And well Lilla is sorta a bitch." She summed up.

"A bitch? Your mom? weird." Buffy summed up

"She is a total type A personality, everything has to be her way and asap." Melanie shrugged.

"maybe its not such a bad thing she didnt bring you up." Buffy smiled

"That’s what I tell myself." Melanie actually smiled back.

"Im sure my mom will adopt you if you like." Buffy laughed

"You’re lucky, she’s really nice." Melanie kept smiling.

"No really, after all if she’s got the two of us to worry about, maybe my life would be better as well as yours." Buffy joked

"What are you two doing?" Willow came down the stairs. "You’re not dressed; we have to be there in a hour and a half." She was in her new outfit and looked like she was ready to explode.

"Okay, okay will, we’re working on it." Buffy laughed.

"Work faster!" The redhead announced before hurrying off again.

Laughing at Willow and each other Mel and Buffy turned their concentration to getting ready.

******

True to her word the ticket’s that Drew had provided got them past the long line up into the rec centre without any hassle. The five of them were inside the Rec hall and amid the throng of a crowd almost instantly.

"Okay if we get separated we meet by the speakers by the bar." Xander made a meet point for them all.

The bar was off to the back at the left hand side, but it was cordoned off so that you had to show you were of age to get anywhere near it. On the other side there was a juice and energy drink canteen which seemed to be doing much better business. The stage was at the far end of the hall, a band that no one probably recognized was playing and the crowd near the stage was very into the music while further back people were in packs and small groups talking and enjoying drinks.

"There’s forty five minutes till the band goes on." Willow looked around nervously.

"It’s cool Will, as soon as this band finishes their set we’ll go scope out a nice spot close to the stage okay?" Melanie assured her.

"Xander and I are going to get a drink, this so better be good." Cordelia huffed and then stalked off with the young man left to rail behind her.

"Well she’s in a fine mood." Buffy chuckled and stepped closer to Mel and Willow "So which band is drew in, is he one of the dingo’s?"

"Um, not exactly." Willow squeaked feeling herself start to get cold as she started to worry.

"Willow, maybe... um Buffy and I should go get a drink and I can fill her in on Drew eh?" Melanie could see that the redhead was far too much on overload to deal with te