Title: Sunnydale Elementary
Author: Margie
Rating: G
Pairing: B/S, X/A, W/T (friendship - they're only in the 3rd grade people!)
Summary: What if the gang had met back in 3rd grade? AU, everybody's human. Giles is Spike's dad.
Disclaimer: Own nothing. Joss owns all.
Author's Note: This fic was inspired by the elementary series found at
www.roswellunderground.com**************************************************************************************
Chapter 16: SUMMER VIGNETTES (Sunday in the Park with Spike)
Tara was swinging happily away as she watched her friends playing around her. Anya was standing by the teeter totter and 'charging' each person that wanted to use it. Tara giggled. Spike was playing along by handing over several small piles of pebbles that he had gathered as 'money'.
Tara's smile stayed intact as she thought about Anya's reaction to Spike's suggestion that they use pebbles as money for the game. "Game? I'm not playing a game. I really think people should pay for the use of the teeter totter. I mean, it's fun for them so they shouldn't mind paying right?" Spike had just shook his head and smiled fondly at her while gathering his first 'payment'. She thought she'd heard one of his funny expressions too; something like "dozy bird."
"Hi Tara." Willow greeted her as she took the swing next to hers.
Tara blushed. She hadn't heard Willow coming and had jumped when she said hello. "H-hi Willow." She stammered shyly.
Just then Xander and Buffy came streaking by running through the sand to get to the jungle gym. "Last one to the top is a monkey's uncle!" Xander screamed as he reached for the first rung on the jungle gym. He grunted in mock anger when he saw Buffy breeze by him. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten those last two twinkies?
When he reached the top Buffy was already smiling triumphantly. He humphed at her and sat down for a good sulk. "Xan! You never beat me!" Buffy laughed even as she patted him on the back. "It's probably just cause I'm lighter." She tried to console him.
From down below Spike looked up and watched as Buffy comforted Xander. He found himself walking toward the jungle gym, and when he was close enough he called up to them, "Always knew there was a reason I called you monkey boy!"
Xander scowled down at him. He guessed their truce from the movie the other day was over. "Shut up *spike head*!" Xander called down to him, emphasizing Buffy's nickname for him.
Will just smirked and then moved back over to the teeter totter to continue pretending with Anya. Just as he got there he heard a small squeal and turned toward the swings quickly.
Willow was standing over Tara, trying to help her back up. When they were both standing Willow turned to the new comer and gave him her 'resolve face'. "You get off those swings right now! We were here first!" She stomped her foot at him, while Tara stood silent and slightly behind her.
Buffy, Anya, Will, and Xander all made their way over to stand by their friends. They arrived just in time to here the fourth grader say with a sneer, "Make me!"
"We're going to make you all right mate." Will came to stand before the girls, giving the bully a hard glare. Xander came to stand next to him. The four girls were standing together, Anya and Buffy giving stern looks to the fourth grade bully.
"Yeah no one treats our girls that way!" Xander jutted his chin out, his little hands balling into fists.
"Oh. You two puny guys think you can take me on?" The boy looked them up and down and clearly found them lacking. Xander and Will threw quick glances at each other but remained in fighting stance. The bully was twice their size but it was two to one after all.
"There are six of us," Buffy stated quietly, taking a step forward. "Not two."
"So now you to losers are gonna let the girls do the fighting for you?" The bully laughed at the thought.
Will threw Buffy a 'stay out of this' look, but she ignored it. "They," she gestured toward Will and Xander, "don't *let* us do anything. We do what we want."
Will rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but be a little impressed. She was at least sticking up for herself.
The other girls were slowly coming around and stepping forward as well; even shy Tara, her courage inflating at the sight of her friends surrounding her. Before he knew it the bully was surrounded by the six of them, his ugly smile faltered a bit, but he stood his ground.
"You gonna leave now mate?" Spike asked casually.
"No way in hell!" The boy answered, making Willow gasp at his curse and Tara blush.
"Not nice to curse in front of ladies mate. Didn't your da ever teach you anything?" Will turned to meet Xander's stare. "Maybe we should teach him a lesson monkey boy? Whaddya think?"
Xander gave Will a mean stare at the use of the nickname but he only nodded.
Together the two boys moved forward. Buffy began to move forward as well, and then there was chaos everywhere. The boys had gotten there first and the bully had started throwing punches and landing a few. Buffy moved in, along with Anya and then it was just a blur of limbs and hits and yelps.
Somehow the boys had managed to pin the bully down, his face in the sand. Xander sat atop him, while Will held his head down and explained the proper way to behave. Before letting him up, Xander made the boy apologize to all the girls. They let him up slowly and he finally slunk away in embarrassment.
After things had quieted down they began to examine each other for bruises and cuts. It didn't look like anyone had been badly hurt. It hadn't taken them that long to pin the boy down especially since there were six of them and only one of him.
As they wandered over to the drinking fountain to wash their hands and faces Will wondered when they had become a group of six, instead of two groups of three.
