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Different Point of View

By Rach

"Miss Summers, please take a seat."

Buffy entered Snyder's office cautiously. Visits to the Principal were never fun times for her. As she made her way further into the room, she noticed there was another girl sitting there. Inwardly, she groaned. The last time Snyder had paired her up with someone for one of his "projects", it had been with Sheila for Parent Teacher night. And that had been *so* successful - Sheila ended up a vampire - well, ended up dust, actually - and her mom and most of the other parents nearly died. So this visit was so far from being of the good, it wasn't funny.

"Summers, this is Winifred Burkle. She just transferred here from Texas, and I'd like you to show her round."

"You'd like ... me? You're giving me actual responsibility?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Summers. If you do a good job here ... well, I might be a couple less steps away from expelling you. Again."

Winifred turned to Buffy, a pleasant smile on her face. Buffy felt bad for not wanting to do it. The girl held out a hand. "Hi. Call me Fred."

Snyder leant over his desk and knocked Fred's hand away just as Buffy extended her own. "I wouldn't, if I were you, Winifred. Summers is trouble. There are plenty other - well, a few, slightly better - people for you to make your friendships with. All Miss Summers is to do is to get you used to the place. Doing a job where I can keep an eye on her."

Fred lowered her eyes to the floor at the Principal's sharp words.

"Okay. Summers, get out of my sight. Take Winifred with you. And don't get her into any trouble." Buffy didn't need to be told more than once. Grabbing Fred's hand, she darted out of the room, yelling "I won't let you down" as she left.

"I very much doubt that."

****

Giles looked up as Buffy entered the library. "Ah, Buffy, good. We need to ..." he trailed off as he realised Buffy wasn't alone.

"Giles, this is Fred. She's new. Fred, this is Mr Giles, the librarian." She turned back to Giles. "Snyder put me on sheepdog duty." She looked at Fred, and hurriedly clarified her remark. "Not that, you know, I don't want to show you around, it's just ... Snyder gives me the wiggins. Usually what's good for him, is bad for me."

Fred smiled. "I understand. I know people like that. Although usually it involved me doing other people's homework, but still. I can draw similarities."

Buffy laughed. It sounded like this girl and Willow were kindred spirits. "Okay, well, this is the library. If you need me for anything, I'll usually be here." As Fred raised an eyebrow, she hurriedly added, "I'm a keen reader."

Fred nodded enthusiastically. "I know what you mean. I used to spend hours in the library back home. I'm pretty sure I read every single one of the books there."

Buffy realised her opportunity and grabbed it with both hands. "Well, why don't you look around and see if you can find something you haven't read? I need to speak with Giles. Uh, Mr ... Giles."

Fred grinned happily. "Sure. That's one thing I can do." As she headed up into the stacks, desperate to get back into a familiar world, Buffy turned to Giles.

"I had to do it. I couldn't exactly say no ..."

"I understand that Buffy, but it doesn't make your ... situation ... easy." He cast a glance up towards the books, in case Fred was still within earshot.

Up in the stacks, Fred glanced around. She recognised most of the books, although they didn't seem as well worn as the copies in the library back home had been. Something caught her eye. She slipped her hand between two copies of Wuthering Heights, and pulled out a copy of an ancient looking text. It didn't seem to have a title.

Glancing through the book, she was met with pictures of hideous creatures, things with horns, tails, multiple eyes and far too many heads for anything pleasant. She stepped back out into the open, where Mr Giles and Buffy seemed to be having an in depth conversation about something. "Uh, excuse me?" They both looked up. "I was just wondering what this is? It doesn't have a title."

Buffy's eyes flashed wide open for a second, until she regained her composure. "That? How did that get up there?!" She laughed nervously. "That's one of the books for our ... uh ... mythology club." Inwardly she winced at the lie. The last time she'd told someone she was part of a 'club' rather than the truth, it turned out she'd been lying to an Incan Princess. Not a good idea.

"Mythology club? That sounds like fun." Just as Buffy was about to panic that Fred was going to ask to join the club, Willow and Xander walked into the library.

"Hey, Buffy," smiled Willow. "You ready to get your study on?" She stopped as she noticed Fred, standing slightly behind and to the left of Buffy. "Oh. Hi!"

"Willow, Xander, this is Fred. She just started here." She cast an imploring glance at Xander. "Xand, I really need this study time, or I'm gonna flunk French big style. Do you think you could give Fred the grand tour?"

He smiled, wanting to make this obviously-shy new girl feel at home. "Sure." He held out his arm, and Fred reluctantly slipped hers through it.

She was silent as Xander led her out into the hallway, and began to point out the main things of interest - and necessity. After a while, she started to loosen up a little - even going so far as to laugh at Xander's jokes.

"So, why do we have the honour of your presence in little old Sunnydale?"

"My Dad got a new job. I was excited at first - it was just so strange, you know, all the packing, and everything being in a mess, but for once it was okay, nobody minded? But then we moved out, and I miss my house, and my bedroom, and all my friends. Especially my friends. And my town. But Sunnydale seems nice, and you all seem real nice too, so I'm sure I'll get used to it." She stopped, and laughed, blushing. "Y'all have to stop me when I do that."

Xander smiled. "Do what?"

"I talk too much."

"I hadn't noticed."

Fred blushed again, and Xander laughed. "Come on, I'll show you the cafeteria. Are you hungry?" She nodded. "But I have my own lunch."

"That's probably a plus. The food here," he lowered his voice. "Well, don't tell anyone, but I have this theory, where it's not actually food, its some kind of alien life form." He laughed, and spoke up again. "But that's just me."

****

"This is just typical of Snyder. I mean, Fred's a nice girl and all, but I don't really need more people knowing I'm the Slayer. Kinda defeats the whole 'secret identity' thing."

Giles looked up. "I know, Buffy, but you can't risk getting on the wrong side of him." Buffy snorted. "Been there, done that, bought the incredibly unfashionable tee-shirt."

"She has a point," added Willow.

"I know she does," Giles sighed. "But ... all we can do is stick to our - your - Mythology club story around her."

"And do what? Hope she decides we're too dull for her? Did you see her face when I said "mythology"? She's going to want to join, Giles."

"Well she can't. It's our club, and we say who joins." Willow looked defiant.

"Will ... it's not a real club."

"I'm getting in character."

Buffy grinned. "Okay. So, shall we just take everything as it comes?"

"I think that would be the best plan of action."

"Now that we've sorted that, can we get back to the French? I'm still flunking over here."

*****

Willow and Buffy entered the Bronze that night and claimed a table.

"You think Xander, y'know, likes her? Like, *really* likes her?"

Buffy shook her head. "Doubtful. I didn't see sparkage. But with Xander, I guess you never know."

"What do you never know with Xander?" Buffy spun around in her seat, to see Xander standing behind her with Fred.

"Oh, hey guys. You made it."

Fred nodded. "Xander's been showing me around town. You don't really have a whole lot of town here, do you?"

"Not as such," Buffy laughed. "I'm drinks bound, can I get you guys something?"

Xander offered to head for the bar with Buffy, and Fred took a seat next to Willow. "Willow, right?" Willow nodded. "Xander tells me you two have lived in Sunnydale all your lives. That must be great, having such a good friend here the whole time."

"It can be," Willow replied, remembering the fling she and Xander had not so long ago. She'd seriously jeopardised her relationship with Oz and it was only just getting back on track. "So, where have you moved from?"

"Texas."

"What do you think of Sunnydale so far? Has Xander shown you everything there is to see?" Fred laughed. "I think so, pretty much, anyway." She paused. "He told me you're the smartest person he knows - that for a while last year you taught Computer Science."

"Yeah." Willow had really enjoyed being the teacher, but it had been surrounded in sadness. She'd taken over the classes after their previous teacher, Jenny Calendar, had been killed by a vampire - and not just any vampire, either. She assumed Xander hadn't told Fred that, however, so she didn't mention it.

"I'm not so great with computers. I mean, I can do the basic stuff, but all that complicated programming language? Not for me. I'm more of a physics girl."

Now Willow was interested. She was starting to sense that Fred was going to be someone she could really relate to and get along with. "Really? That's not one of my strong points. As Sciences go, I prefer Chem - with all the blowing up and setting things on fire!" She thought over what she'd just said. "But it's not like I'm an arsonist or anything." Laughing, she carried on. "Maybe we could help each other out some time."

Fred smiled. She hadn't been sure Willow had taken to her, but she felt the girl warm up almost instantaneously. "That'd be great." She was doing well. Her first day and she already had three friends. Or at least, potential friends, if she didn't screw up.

Buffy and Xander returned a few minutes later to find Fred and Willow chatting away. "Sorry guys," Buffy made a face. "It's seriously busy over there tonight. How about we take a rain check and just take a walk instead? We could go for a coffee or something."

Fred and Willow murmured their agreement with this plan, so they gathered up their coats and headed out into the balmy night air.

With the lack of fun things to do in Sunnydale, they ended up just walking home. Fred's house turned out to be a couple of blocks from Buffy's, so they walked Willow and Xander home and then headed back the opposite direction.

"So, you think you could tutor me in Physics a little? I feel bad taking up all of Willow's time, it would be nice if you could help her out some of the time."

"Sure, I'd love to."

"You enjoy your first day?"

Fred thought for a second. "As first days go, it definitely didn't suck!" She grinned. They turned a corner, and Buffy froze as she spotted a ruckus across the street. "Stay here. I'll be right back." She took off across the street, leaving Fred standing puzzled.

As Buffy approached, she noticed that the vampire she'd spotted had already bitten the young girl, but she was still conscious. She slowed down as she pulled her stake from her pocket, and drove it deeply through the vampire's back. As he dusted, Buffy leapt forward to grab the girl as she collapsed, no longer being help up by the vampire. She looked dazedly at Buffy.

"We gotta get you to a hospital," Buffy stated. The girl shook her head as defiantly as she could.

"No ... just live over there." She limply lifted one of her arms, and pointed at a house a few hundred yards away.

"But you still have to see someone."

"My Dad ... he's a doctor." Realising this girl was determined not to see a doctor, Buffy relented.

"Okay. But you have to promise me you'll tell him what happened."

The girl nodded as Buffy helped her to the door, rang the bell, and headed back down the street. She watched the girl from a safe distance, making sure she wasn't near enough to come under suspicion. She returned to Fred, where the new girl stood, wide-eyed.

"That guy turned to dust!"

Buffy cringed inwardly. She should have known she wouldn't be able to keep Fred away from the slaying if she wanted her as a friend. She might as well give it a go, though. She widened her eyes in mock surprise.

"No he didn't."

"He did! And he was drinking her blood. I saw."

"That would make him a vampire, Fred. Vampires don't exist."

"I know what I saw, Buffy. And you killed him. Which was cool." Suddenly something clicked in her head. "So ... you would be the Slayer!"

Buffy was shocked. She thought she would at least be able to tell Fred about it by herself. How could she know? "What? No I'm not." Lying again, Buffy? It's instinct now.

"You're supposed to be a myth. But ... myths are usually based in truth, at least to begin with, which you should know from your Mythology Club." Suddenly she smacked herself on the head. "You don't have a Mythology Club, do you? You were trying to keep your identity secret, God I can be so dumb sometimes!"

"Okay, this is too weird even for me. How did you figure it out?"

"I told you, I read a lot. When I finished everything in the library at home, I headed for the Internet. There's some wicked stuff on there, and there's a lot on Mythology. I got kinda obsessed with it all. Never thought any of it would be true, though, and I definitely never thought I'd get to meet a real live Slayer."

Buffy grinned. Fred wasn't stupid, and if she still wanted to hang with them now, it definitely made things easier. She knew Willow got along great with Fred, and maybe a new member in the gang with new specialities wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"Well, now ya have. And we should probably be heading home. It's been a long night, and do you know how amazed I am that you're not ... well, more amazed. Or completely freaked out. You're being incredibly calm about all of this."

"I spent 17 years of my life reading, Buffy. I've lost myself in worlds weirder than this." She laughed. "Although when I get home later and I realise that this is all real, *then* I'll probably be freaked out!"

Chapter Two



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