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Chapter 18.

When the door bell rang, Buffy mentally went through all the people it could be and mentally prepared herself in case it was one of the ones she didn’t want to see. The tiny brunette was not someone she knew. Bouncing on her toes in barely concealed excitement, her behaviour was at odds with her outfit. The formfitting business suit, the sensible heals and the briefcase, screamed official, and still she bounced.

“Can I help you?” Buffy smiled politely at the woman.

“Guardian...er, I mean, Buffy Summers, am I right? Because you really do look like your picture...that is if it is you, because if it’s not you then you must have a twin and you look like her picture.” The woman babbled happily, her upper class British accent, strong.

“Um...yes, I’m Buffy Summers.” She let out a bemused little laugh as she answered.

“I knew it! I can not tell you how pleased I am to meet you. I would have been overawed to meet you as the Slayer, but now that you are...well what you are now, I can only say; I have been waiting my whole life to meet you and I’m so very excited. Now, what would you like me to do with all these boxes?” The woman had spoken so quickly and changed subjects so abruptly, that it took Buffy a moment to catch up.

“Oh...um...who are you?” Buffy asked, completely confused.

“Oh! I am terribly sorry. That was very rude of me, wasn’t it? However, perhaps you would be good enough to excuse my faux pax; I really am not usually so rude, it must be the excitement of meeting you.” Thrusting out her hand, she said; “Mary Perkinski, of the council of ‘Those Who Wait’, at you service.”

“I’m pleased to meet you.” Buffy smiled as she shook Mary’s hand. “Ah, you said something about boxes?”

“Yes, yes the boxes.” She indicated the large pile of file boxes on the path leading up to the front steps. “They contain all the financial records, hidden accounts, property ownership papers, investments and accessible funds that formally belonged to the Council of Watchers, but now belong to you.”

“Well then, come on in and welcome to my home.” Buffy grinned.

*******

“Sorry guys, but with Spike out patrolling, I need your help.” Buffy explained as she, Dawn, Tara, Anya, Mary and Giles hauled the heavy boxes into the dining room.

“Couldn’t we have waited for him?” Dawn whined, but at Buffy’s pointed glare she quieted her grumbling, at least from an audible level.

“I hope you’re not expecting me to sort through that lot.” Giles voiced his concerns, as the last of the boxes were brought inside.

“Actually Giles, I was hoping you’d loan me Anya and maybe Tara could help you at the shop when she’s not in class.” Buffy looked at them hopefully.

When Giles turned to Anya, he saw the same eager hope mirrored on her face, as he’d seen on Buffy’s. Tara simply smiled and shrugged, indicating that she had no problem with the suggested arrangement. He was relieved at the seemingly easy solution to the situation.

“Hey Luv, I discovered a new power;” Spike started excitedly talking as soon as he entered the kitchen, through the back door. “A vamp grabbed me from behind, then I started to glow and the git just dusted...who’s the bird on the floor?” Spike being the first to note that Mary had collapsed.

“Oh God...is she alright?” Buffy ran to Mary’s side and checked her pulse. “Pulse’s strong.” She noted.

“I think she just fainted, Buffy.” Tara said, as she joined Buffy, also kneeling at the unconscious girl’s side.

“Who is she?” Spike asked.

“She’s the representative that Joyce told us about.” Giles informed the curious ex-vampire.

Mary’s eyes started to flutter, an indication that she was coming around. As she opened her eyes, she saw the concerned looks on Buffy and Tara’s faces as they looked down on her. “What happened?” She asked as they helped her sit up.

“I think you fainted, what do you remember?” Tara asked in her beautifully calming manner.

“Well, I heard a voice and looked up and saw...oh my...” As she spoke she lifted her gaze to the other inhabitants of the room. When her eye’s locked with Spikes, she paused then mumbled her last two words before her eyes seem to roll back in her head and she promptly passed out again.

“That, sure as hell, wasn’t from fear.” Spike smirked.

*******

After Buffy successfully convinced Spike to stop laughing and to make himself scarce, the rest of the group gathered around the now awake and highly embarrassed council representative.

“Oh I am sorry; I don’t know what came over me. What ever will he think? I feel like a silly school girl who has been overcome by the sight of the latest pop icon. Please relay my apologies, but perhaps its best if I don’t actually see him.” The poor woman rambled disconcertedly.

“Forget it; I’m sure Spike wasn’t offended in the least.” Buffy smiled then placed her hand firmly over her sister’s mouth, before she embarrassed Mary with one of her little comments.

“Well, ah...you have the files, this is the address of the resource centre we’ve set up here in town,” Mary stated, handing Buffy the written down address. “Once you have decided how you are going to organize your duties, and what you would like us to do for you, please let us know. I would assume that eventually Mr. Giles will take over control of the research centre, but those are just my thoughts on the matter and I wouldn’t presume to tell you your job. Again...I can’t tell you how delighted I am to meet you all and I hope we can meet again soon. One final thing, I am fairly certain that you will be contacted by Quentin Travers, my suggestion would be to prepare yourselves, he can be...devious. Well goodnight everyone.” She waved as she exited the house.

“So, she’s gone then?” Spike smirked as he sauntered back into the living room.

“Impressed with yourself now, aren’t you.” Buffy snarked at her mate.

“Hell yeah! Never had a bird faint at the very sight of my luscious bod before.” Spike grinned and Buffy rolled her eyes.

“Buffy, are you at all concerned with Mary’s warnings in relation to Quentin Travers?” Giles interrupted the teasing pair.

Buffy took a moment to consider his question then her smile started to form; “Quentin Travers is an intelligent, sneaky, self-serving little control freak. He believes in his own ability to out-think the opposition, but he’s been frustrated time and again by me because of his inability to think outside the box. He doesn’t think well on his feet because he can’t improvise;” Buffy offered her opinion, looking to Giles for agreement. At his cautious nod, she continued. “If he contacts us, I think we need to let someone just as intelligent...and sneaky, but who doesn’t have a problem improvising, deal with a man who considers himself a ‘big bad’ controller of destinies.”

Every eye in the room turned to Spike.

“You know it’s not gonna be pretty.” He smiled as he gleefully rubs his hands together in anticipation.





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