Chaperoning.
I inspected my appearance in the mirror one final time. I had no problem with cladding myself in a suit. I did it virtually everyday, as it were, only this one wasn't of a tweed fabric. I certainly wasn't trying to make myself look five years younger, either, just in the off-chance that I might happen to meet someone of my own age or thereabouts at the homecoming dance, either. The reason for the final inspection was because I had vials of holy water and a rather large stake in my tuxedo liner and I wanted to assure myself that it wasn't bulging to the point where I would be asked about it, or worse, to the point where one of the items might accidentally fall out and insure that I would be harangued about it.
There was no mistake to be made about it. We were going to this dance, to insure that the students attending their annual right of passage that was the homecoming dance, were safe as houses. Angelus had a flair for attacking Buffy at spectacular moments and he would likely expect her to be there. Cordelia, now a vampire, would have been a safe lock as the queen of the event, more then likely, and with her being by Angelus' side now, she would almost certainly like to make an appearance. Dances and social functions were her strengths and I could only imagine if she influenced Angel's already dastardly ways on this, the destruction that could proliferate at this event.
I was scheduled to be the chaperone of the event, anyway, and thus, my attendance was required, and Buffy, Xander and Faith would also be there, stag, as Xander's date had been murdered by Angelus and sired, and as far as I knew, Buffy didn't have a date, as that young boy that she had ben seeing had decided not...not to be with her anymore. The arrangements for the three of them would be made amongst themselves and I had to admit that it caused me a fair amount of disquiet, but I had to take some solace in the fact that Faith was now here and that there were now two slayers of strength and vigor here to batle Angelus, Cordelia and possibly, Spike, back.
As I got into my car and meandered the streets of Sunnydale, I couldn't help but look around. I supposed that it was that I was trying to spot Angelus and Cordelia, and that I was driving extremely slow, causing the car behind me to blare his horn, the pillock. I let him pass and continued to drive slow, also looking for Spike and even Oz, who understandably, didn't want to attend the event because he was set to go to it with Willow and she too had been taken away from us, robbed from us, a life so promising, by Angelus.
I arrived at the school and a number of cars, including Commandant Snyder's were here. I saw nobody of repute on the way and certainly didn't see Angelus, Cordelia, Spike or Oz, but then, I expected nothing less from Angelus. He would make sure that his entrance was a surprise and would likely also make sure that he caught us at the exact worse possible time, to make things that much more dificult on all of us. I disembarked my vehicle, looking around and walking slowly as I made my way towards the Gymnasium entrance. Only students came into view and as I entered, I realized how dark it wa and how much we were going to have to be on our toes this evening. I had hoped to see Buffy, Xander and Faith already here, but alas, they weren't and immediately, my head started going through masses of possibilities and none of them were idyllic.
My mind was only cleared of that as I was about to enter, and saw that Snyder was inspecting the belongings of all of the students in attendance. A brief moment of trepidation encompassed me as I wondered if Snyder would inspect me, but I merely walked by as he checked a male student and exchanged glances with him. Not that it mattered if he did inspect my belongings; that birk wouldn't prevent me from going in and wouldn't even garner an explanation.
Too much was at stake to worry about Snyder on this evening. I had the sinking suspicion that Angelus and Cordelia would make an appearance and I had to be prepared for that, we had to be prepared for that. I only wished that Buffy, Faith and Xander were already here. I just knew definitively that I was going to fidget and stare at my watch until they arrived.
There was no mistake to be made about it. We were going to this dance, to insure that the students attending their annual right of passage that was the homecoming dance, were safe as houses. Angelus had a flair for attacking Buffy at spectacular moments and he would likely expect her to be there. Cordelia, now a vampire, would have been a safe lock as the queen of the event, more then likely, and with her being by Angelus' side now, she would almost certainly like to make an appearance. Dances and social functions were her strengths and I could only imagine if she influenced Angel's already dastardly ways on this, the destruction that could proliferate at this event.
I was scheduled to be the chaperone of the event, anyway, and thus, my attendance was required, and Buffy, Xander and Faith would also be there, stag, as Xander's date had been murdered by Angelus and sired, and as far as I knew, Buffy didn't have a date, as that young boy that she had ben seeing had decided not...not to be with her anymore. The arrangements for the three of them would be made amongst themselves and I had to admit that it caused me a fair amount of disquiet, but I had to take some solace in the fact that Faith was now here and that there were now two slayers of strength and vigor here to batle Angelus, Cordelia and possibly, Spike, back.
As I got into my car and meandered the streets of Sunnydale, I couldn't help but look around. I supposed that it was that I was trying to spot Angelus and Cordelia, and that I was driving extremely slow, causing the car behind me to blare his horn, the pillock. I let him pass and continued to drive slow, also looking for Spike and even Oz, who understandably, didn't want to attend the event because he was set to go to it with Willow and she too had been taken away from us, robbed from us, a life so promising, by Angelus.
I arrived at the school and a number of cars, including Commandant Snyder's were here. I saw nobody of repute on the way and certainly didn't see Angelus, Cordelia, Spike or Oz, but then, I expected nothing less from Angelus. He would make sure that his entrance was a surprise and would likely also make sure that he caught us at the exact worse possible time, to make things that much more dificult on all of us. I disembarked my vehicle, looking around and walking slowly as I made my way towards the Gymnasium entrance. Only students came into view and as I entered, I realized how dark it wa and how much we were going to have to be on our toes this evening. I had hoped to see Buffy, Xander and Faith already here, but alas, they weren't and immediately, my head started going through masses of possibilities and none of them were idyllic.
My mind was only cleared of that as I was about to enter, and saw that Snyder was inspecting the belongings of all of the students in attendance. A brief moment of trepidation encompassed me as I wondered if Snyder would inspect me, but I merely walked by as he checked a male student and exchanged glances with him. Not that it mattered if he did inspect my belongings; that birk wouldn't prevent me from going in and wouldn't even garner an explanation.
Too much was at stake to worry about Snyder on this evening. I had the sinking suspicion that Angelus and Cordelia would make an appearance and I had to be prepared for that, we had to be prepared for that. I only wished that Buffy, Faith and Xander were already here. I just knew definitively that I was going to fidget and stare at my watch until they arrived.