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.
[Reviews - 15]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2665 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Chapter End Notes:
Oh my goodness, I'm writing again. Feel free to review. I really appreciate it.