Slowly. Slowly. Steady. Almost there. Just one. More. centimeter….



“Summers!!”



Damn it. One flinch and it was all over.



“Summers!!”



“Will you stop yelling my name?” Buffy screamed back, throwing away her ruined work for the umpteenth time.



“I expect to be answered when I call somebody’s name.” Forrest said from across the room.



“I was working on something that required my complete focus, something that I’ve ruined because of you. Maybe if you actually worked, you’d grasp my meaning.” Buffy turned her back on him and began scribbling notes.



Forrest sneered at her back. “Walsh wants to see you, now.”



“What is it with the people here? Not everyone runs on her schedule. I need to finish my work.” She continued to write in her notes. Feeling he was still standing there and knowing he wasn’t going to leave, she sighed and threw down her pen.



Standing and smoothing out her lab coat, she turned and breezed past him. Forrest quickly fell into step behind her. “You do realize you don’t work for the military? People have first names, not everyone appreciates being talked to like that.”



“I do what I’m told.” Forrest said with a shrug.



“Look, what do you have against me? I don’t understand.” She said coming to a halt in the middle of the long white hall.



Rolling his eyes, Forrest just continued walking until he was in front of the right office door. When she didn’t move, he pointed at the door. “She’s waiting.”



“I give up.” Buffy walked slowly to where Forrest stood. “Do you know what she wants?”



Forrest didn’t answer.



“Well that’s great. Thanks for the awesome conversation. You can stop fussing over me and leave now.” Buffy turned and looked at the dark wooden door. It looked ominous against the bright walls that surrounded it. Slowly, she brought her hand up and knocked on the door. She heard a muffled “Come in”. She took a deep breath and opened the door.



“Ms. Summers, please, have a seat?” Ms. Walsh said without looking up from the paperwork she was filling out.



Buffy moved to sit across from the stern woman behind the desk. She sat there for what seemed like an eternity. She couldn’t help the sighs that escaped from her lips or the eye rolls she gave the top of Walsh’s head. ‘Was it really necessary for me to be here right now?’ she thought.



Finally, Walsh put down her pen and reached for a file sitting at the corner of her desk.



“Ms. Summers, I’d like for you to look over this.”



Walsh said tossing the file in Buffy’s direction.



Buffy took the file and scanned the contents. “Ms. Walsh, I don’t understand. Why are you giving me this?”



“Summers, that is a request that was sent to me from a colleague from our sister company, Cobate, based in the UK. They are in need of a research associate to assist in a field project.”



Buffy still looked confused. “And you’re telling me about this because…”



“I have decided to recommend you for the position. In that file I have included the letter of recommendation that I sent to Mr. Giles, the supervisor of the project.”



“But I’m in the middle of a project here. I don’t get why, out of all of the other researchers on staff, you chose me.” Buffy said throwing the file onto the desk.



“Ms. Summers, I believe that you have come to a dead end on the project that you’re currently working on. “



“But…I’m still in the early stages of research. How can I…”



“Ms. Summers,” Wash interrupted, “let me be completely frank with you. The project you are currently working on seems to have been hindered by a lack of communication between researchers. I believe that I must break up that team of researchers for the project to continue.”



Buffy was silent for a few moments. “Right, I understand. I’m not teacher’s pet. Therefore, at the first chance you get to get rid of me, you take it.” She sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to rub away the headache that was starting to form. “You know what the worst part of all of this is? You’re not just putting me on a different project or sending me to another division. You’re sending me halfway across the world, completely uprooting my life and you’re perfectly fine with that.”



Buffy stood and started to pace. “When you hired me, I told you that my goal in life was to research diseases. Now you’re willing to rip me away from that goal. And you didn’t even consult me before recommending me for this position.” She stopped and took a deep breath. “Okay, so what happens if he doesn’t accept me for his project?”



“I received his response earlier today. You were the only person recommended and so you have been offered the position.”



“Great, so now I’m being pushed out of one job and placed in another, not because of my qualifications but because you were the only person to respond. So, what are my options? Accept or…?”



“Or we will let you go. Obviously we’ll give you a copy of that letter of recommendation…” Walsh said.



“How generous.” Buffy snipped.



“However, that is not guaranteed to get you another job anytime soon.” Walsh finished.



Buffy nodded in defeat and opened the office door needing to escape the room sooner rather than later. “I guess the answer is obvious. I will accept the job. When do I need to arrive in England? I have to get things in order here first.”



“The company is in England, not the project itself.”



“Where am I headed then?”



“A small island owned by the company, near Abu Dhabi.”



“Great, even better.” Buffy said sarcastically.



“They are expecting you in two weeks, that should give you time to get everything in order. I will transfer all of your information to Cobate and get all other information for you about the project.”



Again, Buffy just nodded in defeat. “If that’s all, I’m going back the lab.” She turned on her heels and swept out of the office, wiping away the tears that had started rolling down her cheeks and feeling as though she had been hit by a truck. Her life was suddenly headed down an unknown path and she didn’t like it.

Buffy Summers looked like your stereotypical California girl. Genetics came together to give her model – good looks, if they had only made her just a little bit taller. However, it was a tarnished plate that life had handed her. Every time her life seemed to be going smoothly, something always threw it into chaos. She had come to expect it and accept it.

So, there she stood, in the hallway of her home, thinking of all the good and bad times she’d had in this house. She’d grown up in this house and it had been left to her by her mother. The one thing she could count on was that she would always have a home. But not anymore. One woman’s decision that she was no longer wanted and Buffy was being thrown out of the country. All of the rage built until the keys she held in her hand flew down the hall, crashing into the wall with a dull thud. A scream escaped her throat and she collapsed on against the wall, sliding down until she sat on the floor. How long she sat there she’d never know. Finally, she picked herself and went and changed into something more comfortable almost as if on autopilot. The ringing of the phone startled her out of her haze.

“Hello.” She answered in a worn voice.

“Yes, hello. Um, is this Ms. Buffy Summers?” A refined sounding man asked.

“Yes, it is.”

“Good, good. Ms. Summers, this is Rupert Giles. I am calling to inform you that we have accepted your request for transfer to our company.” Mr. Giles stated unemotionally, as if reading from a script.

“I was informed of my situation this afternoon. Maggie Walsh submitted this request without my knowledge, so please forgive me if I don’t sound very appreciative. I have no idea what she has signed me up for. All I do know is that in order for me to keep a job, I was forced to accept this one.” Buffy ranted.

“Ms. Summers, I was under the assumption that you had applied for this transfer yourself. Your qualifications fit perfectly with the project,”

“And I was the only applicant.” Buffy interrupted.

Mr. Giles just chuckled. “Quite right. Be that as it may, I was very specific when I wrote what I was looking for in a new researcher. I had begun to lose hope of ever finding someone. When I read your application, I knew you were the perfect fit for our team. Maggie Walsh never did know how to build a good research team, but her loss is our gain.”

“Well,” Buffy said hesitantly, feeling both embarrassed and flattered. “um, l really don’t know what to say. Can I just apologize for my tone earlier?”
“Ms. Summers,” Giles began.

“Please call me Buffy. I’ve had enough of people calling me by my last name.” she said, good-naturedly.

“Buffy, under the circumstances, I can completely understand your attitude earlier. Now, our team is run completely different from Maggie Walsh’s. We try to work as a team on all aspects of the research. All ideas and theories are taken into consideration, I pride myself in that. Hopefully you will see that when you arrive.”

“Mr. Giles, I was told that I would have two weeks to get everything in order. How do I know what that entails? I’ve no idea where to begin.” Buffy sighed.

“People just call me Giles,” he laughed as he heard her whisper ‘oh, god’ on the other end of the line, but chose not to comment. “And if I may, one of our researchers is in L.A. right now on leave. She was planning on flying back with you. We could arrange for her to come to Sunnydale and help you get everything you may need. She’s been with us for a while and knows all of the ins and outs.”

“I think that would be the best. I just feel very overwhelmed. And I still don’t really know what I’m being thrown into.” Buffy almost whined.

“No worries, we will inform you thoroughly when you arrive. Now I’m sorry, but I must go. But let me just say, I look forward to working with you. I really do believe you will approve of the work that we do and how we work.”

Buffy found herself smiling. “I hope so, Giles. I really do.”

“Goodbye, Buffy. We’ll see you in two weeks”

“Goodbye, and thank you” she managed to get out before she heard the click on the other end of the line.

Buffy slowly put down the phone. Mr. Giles, no, no mister, just Giles, seemed to very understanding and encouraging. She had never received any kind of support from Maggie Walsh. Walsh had always treated her like an uneducated child.

Buffy walked to the kitchen to fix her favorite tea, it always seemed to have a calming effect. She had pretty much been drinking it by the gallon since joining Walsh. Why had Walsh hired Buffy in the first place? That one’s easy, she thought, she didn’t. Buffy had been an intern at the company for a year, before applying for a job as a researcher. She had already been making progress on the project and wanted to continue. Apparently, so did the board of directors. Buffy was hired by them and placed back into her original project. Unfortunately, they had handed it over to Walsh who disapproved of how it was run. Buffy and Walsh had clashed on the first day.

**********************************************************

Buffy stood outside the big door that seemed have been darkened overnight. She was waiting for her meeting with Dr. Maggie Walsh. She had heard the name before but never actually met the woman. But she was having one-on-ones with all of her team members, getting to know them all personally, so that was promising. Buffy was excited. In such a male dominated company, she was lucky enough to get a female manager, someone who’d listen to her concerns and ideas.

The door opened, breaking her from her thoughts. Jonathan Levison, one of the older members of the team, stepped out. Buffy gave him a smile, one that he did not return.

“Hey Jon. Everything go good?” Buffy inquired.

Jonathan was usually upbeat, even in the worst situations. Today, he looked grim. Buffy’s brows rose at his response, or lack thereof.

“SHE told me to tell you, you can go in.” he sneered with contempt. He walked away, muttering to himself.

Buffy frowned at his retreating back. Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly on the door before entering the office. “Dr. Walsh?”

“Sit down, please.” The woman ordered, staring at Buffy as she walked to the chair. “You are currently working on your postdoctoral research, am I correct?” At Buffy’s nod, she continued. “I will allow you to continue the research you are working on right now but only after hours. However, this team is being restructured and you will be moved onto the new project we are about to begin.”

Buffy was starting to panic. This was her dream job. Now it was being turned into just another job. “Dr. Walsh, I already work 12 hour days. How will I be able to work on another project as well?” Buffy asked.

“Whether you continue to research whatever disease you are currently infatuated with is not my concern. We are beginning a project to test what drugs would be an asset to Army special forces. Our complete focus will be on this project.”

Buffy had gone for panicked to livid in the space of a second. Disease research was her life, it was what she was meant to do. “Dr. Walsh, let’s get one thing straight. I will work on whatever project you have for the team. However, MY complete focus will be on the CANCER research that I’m working on now. I have a lot invested in that work and I’m not going to give it up.”

Dr. Walsh looked hard at the woman sitting across from her. She had never been talked to with such a lack of respect. When she finally spoke, she did it slowly. “Ms. Summers, put your focus wherever you like. But let ME make something clear, if I feel as though your work is less than par, I will not hesitate in letting you go.” They stared at each other, waiting for the other to give in. Dr. Walsh finally ended it. “That’s all. You may go now.”

Buffy didn’t hesitate. She quickly got up and yanked the door open. She looked on last time at her tormentor, then slammed the door behind her with as much force as she could muster.

**********************************************************

That was two years ago, and it had been a long two years. It was time to move on and maybe, just maybe, life was ready to be kind to her.

Buffy had decided to sleep in late the next day. Just before she left the previous day, one of Walsh’s cronies had come to give her an envelope with the information about the new job. He’d also informed her that she was now on leave and wouldn’t need to return to the lab. They just couldn’t seem to get rid of her fast enough.





So there she sat, at 11:30 on a Tuesday watching TV and making a mental list of all the things she thought might need to be done before she left. The loud ring of her phone startled her, making her forget her newly formed list.





“Hello?” she answered.





“Buffy Summers?” said the woman on the other end of the line.





“That would be me.”





“Oh, good. Buffy, this is Willow Rosenberg. I work at Cobate with Dr. Giles. He gave me a call last night to let me know that you’ve joined our project. He also let me know that you had no knowledge of being transferred. Can I just tell you how crappy that is? Anyway, he asked if I would come to Sunnydale to give you a hand. I would be more than happy to. Actually, what he doesn’t know is my parent live in Sunnydale. How lucky is that? I figure I can come and stay with them and give you a hand all at the same time.” Willow said excitedly.





Buffy was slightly taken aback. Sure, Giles had been nice and encouraging, but Willow was just downright perky. She hadn’t been around somebody this lively since high school. “Willow, um,” she hesitated, “I really don’t know what to say. I can’t begin to explain how happy I am that you’re willing to come help me.”





“Oh, please, it’s nothing, couldn’t have worked out better for me. I’m sorry if I seem overly excited, it’s just our project rarely gets new people to join and when we do, it’s usually a man. How much information do you have about us?” Willow rambled. She had the ability to make you feel either anxious or relaxed. Buffy, having been surrounded by people who thought that grin was spelled with an M, was relaxed. Finally, she was talking to someone who seemed to match her personality perfectly and who could understand her.





“To be honest, the information they gave me is pretty minimal. I swear I think I could’ve found more info if I’d googled it. I’m out of their hair and that’s all they care about.”





“Yeah, well, Walsh isn’t exactly known for her dedication to her projects, just the money they seem to bring in. Anyway, enough about her, she’s out of your life now. Yay! New project on a beautiful tropical island. Again yay!”





Buffy sighed at that. She had to start looking for a real estate agent to sale her house. Willow heard the sigh. “Buffy, it’s really not that bad. We have a really great team.”





“It’s not that. It’s just, I have to start plans to sell my house. I really hate the thought.”





“Why don’t you just rent it out? You could still own the house and choose who you rented it out to. I’m sure you could find someone in town to help you out with that.”





“Oh my… I didn’t even think of that. You are a genius.”





“That’s what MENSA tells me.” Willow laughed. “Look, you make some calls and get started on that. I’ll be driving into town tomorrow. We could meet then around noon. How about that coffee shop on Main?”





“That would be perfect. I’m so glad you called. You’ve really given me the pep talk that I needed. Tomorrow coffee will be on me. What do you look like? I want to make sure I don’t start talking to some random person and turn into the town idiot.”





“Oh! Oh, yeah, that would be helpful I guess. Um, let’s see, I’ve got bright red hair and I’ll wear my t-shirt that says ‘Hokey Pokey Anonymous’. That should help us find each other.”





“It’s a date. I think I should go now. I’ve got calls to make. Thank you so much for your advice. I look forward to meeting you tomorrow.” The girls gave quick goodbyes before hanging up.





Buffy couldn’t wait to meet her new colleague, and hopefully make a new friend. She had been so wrapped up in her work lately, that the few friends she did have slowly lost contact. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to have a friend. Soon she’d find out if Willow Rosenberg really was best friend material.





But now, it was time to get on the Google.





**************************************************


Buffy sat at the first table she could find. It was at the front of the coffee shop, so she had a view of the door and could see anyone who entered the shop. Her leg shook nervously under the table and her fingernails beat out a steady rhythm on the top. I really should’ve brought a book or something, maybe a magazine, haven’t had the chance to read Cosmo in years.





Buffy heard the bell on the handle of the door give a gentle jingle as it was pushed open. She shot out of her seat, immediately recognizing the quirky t-shirt and bright red hair.





“Willow? Willow Rosenberg?” Buffy asked tentatively.





“Yeah! Buffy?” At Buffy’s nod, Willow shook her hand vigorously. “It’s great to meet you. Come on let’s grab some coffee and then we can chat.”





Both ladies ordered their sugary, caffeine loaded drinks and found a table in the corner of the shop.





“I really am glad that Mr. Giles sent someone to help me. I never got this kind of help from Walsh, even if I begged for it.”





“Okay, first of all, let me tell you something about our team. We aren’t really a team, more of a family. We help each other even if you don’t ask for it. Sometimes it gets annoying, but we really are there for each other.” Willow took a sip of her coffee, making a face at the strong flavor. “And as for Walsh, well, some of us have had run-ins with her before. We are completely aware of her attitude towards her less favored employees. As soon as you start working with us, you’ll see that she actually did you a favor.”





“I hope so. It’s just a little overwhelming, you know. So, what exactly do you do? I mean, what will I be working on?”





“Our main project is to work on finding an immunization for schistomiasis, a parasitic disease that is prominent in Asian and African countries. We have a really good location to study the parasite itself in its environment. It really is an important project, something we all take pride in. Fred will fill you in on all of the details about the parasite itself. You’ll be working side by side with her to begin with, I think. I’m really more of the IT girl.”





Buffy nodded, then frowned as she processed what Willow had said. “Fred? A girl named Fred?”





“Yeah, we’re not really a group of people with average names. See, you’re a perfect addition to our group. Wesley and Tara are really the only normal-named ones in the group. Well, there’s William and Alexander, but since we don’t call them that so they don’t count.” Willow seemed to be talking to herself for a second before continuing their conversation.





“We run, well, I… what you’d call a skeleton crew. I guess it’s why we’re all so close. There are nine of us, you’ll make ten. We all do our jobs well, but on an obscure project like this, we don’t really get much help from the company. They keep giving us money and we keep plugging away.“ Willow looked thoughtful. “I just seem to keep going off the subject. Um, what else would you like to know?”





“I think I’d really just like to process everything you’ve told me. Why don’t you tell me a little about you. How did you end up doing this project?”





Willow began to tell her story and Buffy listened intently. The two women chatted away for hours, like long lost best friends. Another two coffees and two brownies later, they had agreed to meet the next day to shop for Buffy some desert appropriate clothing.





Buffy walked down Main St. trying to memorize every detail she could. Soon she would be gone, not knowing when she would be back. So much could change while she was away, the only town she’d ever known could be gone when she got back. For the next week, I’m going to take in everything that I’ve overlooked for years. By the time I leave, I’ll be able to draw a picture of every street in town. She would make sure that Sunnydale was never a distant memory.

The night had stayed hot causing her to toss and turn in her bed. As soon as she found that glorious cool spot on her sheets, it seemed to move to the other side of the bed. Sighing in frustration, she hazily got out of bed. The sheets gently moved against a closed, dark window as she walked silently to the door. Making her way downstairs, the cool carpeted stairs seemed softer than ever. Three steps, two steps, one step away. Suddenly, the floor gave way allowing her foot to sink through it, stopping at the ankle. She’d forgotten about that, she needed to be more gentle. Lifting her foot up, she softly put it back down on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. The sun streamed through the front windows, heating the sandy floor. She needed to get to the front door. She looked over into the living room, nodding in acknowledgement of the others milling around. They nodded back and she could feel the encouragement that came with it. She would do it. With a few cautious steps she made it to the door. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the doorknob firmly and turned it until…

Ring! Ring!

Buffy startled awake from her strange dream. It took her a second to understand what was making such an annoyingly loud sound. She needed it to stop, now. Rolling over to the bedside table, she finally remembered it was the sound of her new cell phone ringing. An international cell phone had been just one of the many great pieces of advice she had received from Willow. Unfortunately, no one had called her on it yet, so she still didn’t recognize the ringtone.

Buffy reached over to the phone as she cleared her throat. She answered it as it started to ring again. “Hello,” she said hoarsely.

“Buffy? Were you still asleep? You should have been up two hours ago.” Willow asked worriedly. As hoped for by both, Buffy and Willow had become very close friends in the last two weeks. Any time Buffy needed help, Willow was there, no questions asked.

“Shit!” Buffy looked over at the clock sitting on the table. “My alarm didn’t go off. I know I set it last night.”

“See, it’s a good thing we packed all of your stuff last night. I’m on way over right now.”

“Great, I’ll take a quick shower and get dressed. Could you stop and pick me up a coffee?”

“You know it. And by the time I get there, you should be ready. We’ll load up that car and make our way to the airport. Wait, did you strip your bed sheet yet? That’s okay, I can help you with that when I get there,” Willow fired.

Buffy was able to find a company that would handle the renting of her house. After meeting a few prospective renters, she had found the perfect family who was willing to rent her house fully furnished. The transition to her new life was going easier than expected. She just hoped it kept going this well.

“Willow, breathe. Look, I know I slept a little late but we’re still good on time,” she said reassuringly.

“I know, it’s just…you know me, just a little excitable. I’ll let you shower, I’ll be there in fifteen with coffee goodness, ‘kay. Bye” she said ending the call abruptly.

Buffy just smiled and shook her head as she sat her phone on the dresser, grabbing her towel.


Buffy and Willow sat in the small, coach seats thirty minutes into their eleven hour flight to London. Buffy wriggled in her seat trying to get comfortable and settle her nerves.
“Buffy, it’ll be okay. I’ve made this flight many times and I’ve only had one near crash.”

“WHAT!?!”

Willow giggled evilly. “I’m kidding. Look, there’s nothing to worry about. I know that you’re feeling nervous about more than just a plane ride, but when we get to London and you meet Giles, I think you’ll understand that everything that’s happened has been for the better.”

“I know that, I just want everything to go as smoothly as possible. You’ve helped me so much. I just don’t think I can thank you enough.” Buffy grasped Willow in a hold that was as close to a hug as she could get.

“You don’t need to thank me. Helping you has helped me stay occupied these last weeks. And from here on, Giles has taken control of everything, so we only have to follow his lead.”

“That’s another thing that has me worried. I still have to think of this as a new job. I don’t want Giles to be disappointed in me.”

“Honey, I’ve told you. You have nothing to be scared of. Giles comes across as very rigid over the phone. In person, he’s completely laid back. It’ll be different from what you’re used to but I think that’s what you need.”

“I hope you’re right.”


When the plane finally landed at Heathrow, Willow practically ran off of the plane with a timid Buffy struggling to keep up.

“Willow, hold up. Where’s the fire?” Buffy asked, grabbing the other girls arm in order to slow her down.

“Sorry, I’m just really excited to be back in London.” Willow stopped a few steps away from the arrival gate, looking around at the people milling about. “Giles is supposed to be picking us up at the gate. Do you see him?”

“Maybe. But I don’t know what he looks like.”

“Oh, yeah, stupid question.” Willow giggled. She continued to look around. She finally spotted him, standing at the back of the crowd, casually looking at each person. “Okay, so remember, don’t be nervous. Giles is a great man and a pretty cool guy.” And with that piece of advice, Willow started making her way towards him.

“Giles!!!” Willow yelled while waving her arms like a wild woman.

Giles met the girls halfway, pulling Willow into a tight hug. “Willow, my dear, so good to see you.” He pulled away from her slightly, looking her over. “I must say, the California air must have been just what the doctor ordered.”

“More like a week’s long sleep.” Willow smiled.

Giles gave a small chuckle and turned to the other woman. “You must be Buffy. It very nice to finally meet you in person,” he said shaking her hand.

“Oh yes, I agree,” she replied, mimicking his formal tone.

“Well ladies, let’s go get your luggage,” leading them from the gate.

Buffy looked at Giles from behind. He was nothing like she imagined, even with Willow insistence that he was laid back. After speaking to him over the phone, in her mind she could see him wearing a tweed suit, glasses, smoking a pipe and carrying a briefcase everywhere. The man that greeted them at the gate was the complete opposite. He wore a pair of faded jeans, a blue t-shirt under a suit jacket. What really set him apart from her imaged Giles was the earring he wore that gave her a little insight into his past. ‘At least I was right about the glasses,’ she thought.

As they stood there waiting for their luggage to appear, a thought occurred to Buffy. “I was so wrapped up in getting everything sorted at home that I didn’t make any plans past getting on the plane here.”

“Ah, yes, I assumed that would be the case. Willow kept me up to date on everything. I know that this is a stressful transition for you. I felt that it would be best if I took over the plans from here.”

“Thank goodness. I was about to have a panic attack at the thought of finding a hotel last minute. Oh, there’s my bag,” she said. Together, Giles and Buffy hoisted the heavy bag off of the carousel. “I’m…I’m not usually this disorganized,” Buffy proclaimed, hoping Giles wasn’t already spotting flaws in her work ethics.

“Buffy, please understand that I am in no way judging you. I want all of my team to feel comfortable with me, both within and outside of the work environment. I wanted you to stay a few days in London so that you could get to know me before being thrown into another unknown country. Now, shall we leave this dreadful airport. I do hate being surrounded by befuddled tourists,” he said with a smile.

The ride from the airport had been filled with pleasant conversation. The flight had taken its toll on Buffy and all she wanted was to get to her hotel and take a long nap. Finally, the car stopped in front of a tall white building.

“Wills, what hotel are we staying at?” Buffy asked, looking at the building curiously.

“Oh Buffy, we’re not staying in a hotel. We’re staying with Giles. We always do. See he owns this building. He turned it into one large apartment so that we can stay here when in town. Believe me, it sounds more dubious than it is.”

Making their way inside, Buffy found that Willow was, once again, correct. The narrow building had five floors and had obviously been renovated to suit Giles’ needs. On the ground floor was a sitting room, an office, a dining room and the kitchen. Each of the other floors had two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.

“I’ve set up the first floor bedrooms for you ladies. Feel free to go up and rest. I will be in the office if you need anything,” he said after showing them around the place and helping with the bags.

“I think I’m going to take a quick nap before dinner.” Willow said as they walked up the stairs. “I’ll see if I can convince Giles to come with us to the pub tonight. You can’t come to London and not go to pub right.”

“I guess. I’ve never been out of the country, so I’m just following everyone else’s lead. I’m going to follow you and try to take a nap. See you in a bit,” Buffy said as she entered her room.

The room she was in wasn’t very big but large enough to house a bed, a wardrobe and a dresser comfortably. It was decorated in soft green and grey, neutral colors that allowed anyone to feel at home. Buffy sat on the bed and looked out the window. It didn’t have much a view but let in enough light to warm the room. She sighed as she realized she wouldn’t be able to take nap. She made her way back down the stairs, hoping to find something to occupy her time. Walking into the sitting room, she noticed some photos on top of the fireplace. The people in the pictures were smiling and hugging. All of the people in them were obviously close, but none of them looked related.

“Ah, I thought I heard someone coming down the stairs.” Giles said from behind her.

“Yeah, well, I thought I was going to take a nap, but I’m just not that tired,” she gave a small shrug. She continued to look at the photos. “If you don’t mind me asking, who are all of these people?”

Giles walked closer to Buffy. “That would be your new co-workers. Hopefully we can convince you to take a picture and add it to our display.”

“Of course I will. It’s still so hard to believe that everyone on your team is so close. That’s unheard of in Walsh’s ‘unit’,” she said shaking her head. She gave a sudden giggle. “Once, I told a joke to one of the people working with me and we started laughing uncontrollably. Walsh saw us and just glared at us. It was like being doused in ice water. The next day he was transferred to another project.”

“Well that seems awfully extreme. And I can guarantee you that nothing like that will happen within this project. I have chosen this team carefully. We work together so well, partially because we have to. We work in what some would call extreme conditions. We have to rely on each other for quite a lot but it’s what makes us form such a close knit group.” Giles put his hand on Buffy’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Now, I’ve got to do some work…”

“I’m sorry, Giles. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“Actually, I was going to ask if you would like to sit in with me. I was about to have a short video conference with Fred, who’s still at the camp.”

“That would be great. Willow told me I would be working with her the most, at least initially.”

“Willow was correct. Come now, let’s get you introduced to another member of the family,” Giles said, leading her down the hall and into the office. The room was more of a library, with books lining the walls and two desks with computers on either side of the large window that dominated the back wall. Two smaller writing desks sat in the middle of the room. The small lamps on these desks allowed for someone to prepare notes or read a book without lighting the entire room. It was the largest room of the house and obviously the most important. In front of one of the computers, Giles pulled out a chair for Buffy before pulling up another for himself. He had already set up the connection causing the two of them to appear in a small box in the bottom corner. Suddenly the screen gave off some loud static, followed by the image of a young brunette woman.

“Giles? Can you hear me? How’s the connection?” the woman asked without panic.

“Yes, I can hear you and the connection is good on this end. Fred, dear, I would like to introduce you to our newest colleague, Buffy Summers.”

“Hi, Buffy. It’s nice to meet you.” Fred gave a small wave to the camera. “I can’t wait to have you here working with us. Giles told me about your background, the projects you were part of while under Walsh. I think that you’ll really understand and appreciate the work that we are doing,” she said in a small, but confident voice.

“Willow and I have been doing our best to reassure her. I think she’s coming around,” Giles said as he winked at Buffy.

“I am. You’ve all been so helpful and positive. I’m really looking forward to working with you all.”

“Wonderful to hear. Now, how are things in the camp?”

“Well, they were going good until Xander and Anya had a big blow up.”

“I think we all know perfectly well that this is not the first or last fight that those two have. What was the problem this time?” Giles managed a tone that both exasperated and amused.

“A sandwich. I mean, I know how they can be but really, a sandwich!!” Fred just shook her head.

“Um, do you mind me asking, why are they constantly fighting? I thought that you all got along,” Buffy interrupted. The way that Willow and Giles spoke of the group, she thought that they were all inseparable. Listening to Fred, she was getting a different feeling. Now that she thought about it, neither had mentioned anything more specific, they always spoke of the group in general.

“Oh, we do get along. But like most families, we do have arguments. Xander and Anya argue more than average…”

“Lover’s quarrels, if you will,” Giles interjected.

“Yeah, exactly. This is nothing compared to when they decided to have their ceremony.”

“Fred could you go get Xander, I would like to speak to him.” Giles turned to look at Buffy. “I’m sorry, I’ve just realized that we haven’t given you any insight into the other members of the team. Anya and Xander are partners.”

“Willow mentioned an Alexander before…” Buffy remembered from her first meeting with Willow.

“One and the same. And quite the odd couple, those two. Xander is our resident maintenance man. Anya handles all expenses and any provisions we may need. Anya was part of another project I was running while here in London. When I was given this project, Anya jumped at the chance to ‘handle the money’. Our small group took up residence on the island. The company hired Xander after many complaints from me when things just kept breaking. The whole group has been on a never ending rollercoaster since those two met.”

Fred appeared back on the screen. “He’s coming.”

Soon, a man appeared on the screen wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt. “Hey, G-man, what can do for ya? Fred told me she met the new girl. I guess you must be her. Hi, there. I’m Xander.” Buffy gave a giggle and wave to the camera.

“Xander, I wanted to see how we were doing on getting Buffy’s tent set up.”

“Great, it didn’t take me long to get the tent itself set up. I’m still finishing up the electrical and lighting. It’ll all be done by tomorrow, I think.”

“Thank you, Xander. I think I will cut this call short. I just wanted to check in. Remind the other’s that we will be arriving in three days. Tell the other’s to take care for me.”

“And could you tell them that the new girl says ‘Hi’,” Buffy said.

“No problem, it was nice meeting you, Buff.” Xander glanced away from the camera, looking at something off screen. “Fred says she can’t wait to start working with you. I’ll see you guys in a few days. Xanman, signing off.” The screen went fuzzy before Giles reached over to switch off the monitor.

“Well, he’s awfully laid back.”

“We all try to be. Our work is very serious but we try to not let our personal relationships mirror that. Now, I was going to fix myself a cuppa. Would like one as well?” Giles led her out of the office.

“Sure, why not.” Buffy paused for a second. “Giles, what did you mean, Buffy’s tent?”