(1)

My office was in shadow when I opened the door.  Being on the seamier side of
LA, the shadow of the downtown skyscrapers brings an early twilight.  I bent
and gathered the mail from the standard issue beige office carpet.  I tossed
it on the battered table that doubled as a desk and sat.

Putting aside the preapproved credit cards and sale circulars, I settled on a
large brown envelope neatly addressed to my attention.  I slit it open and
shook out its contents.  To my surprise, they consisted of five crisp new
hundreds, a 5 by 7 studio portrait and a single typewritten sheet.

Taking first things first, the bills appeared to be legal tender.  The
picture seemed to be of an attractive young dark-haired girl, maybe 16.  I
settled back to read the letter.

'I found your name in the LA yellow pages.  I figured from the size of the ad
and the area your office is in that your prices would be reasonable.  I hope
the 500 is enough for a retainer.

What I want you to do is follow the girl in the picture and report her daily
activities, where she goes and who she meets.  Keep written reports and I'll
let you know later where to send them.  Call the number at the bottom of the
sheet when you start the job and tell me how to reach you.  Call the same
number when the retainer is used up and I'll send more money.'

At the bottom of the page were a name, address and a telephone number.  I
reached for the phone and punched in the number.  After three rings, a
neutral voice repeated the number and told me to talk after the beep.  Not
being one to follow instructions, I hung up at the beep.

I considered the address, " Sunnydale, " I mused, " it's been a long time."

I picked up the picture, " Ms. Dawn Summers, what is so interesting about
your life and who wants to know about it?"

0

"Now calm down Buffy.  What could she have done that's so bad?" Willow asked
trying to calm her friend.

"That's just it, I don't know.  She disappeared after school, missed dinner
and finally called at nine to tell me she was at Ellen's and she wanted to
sleep over."

Willow maneuvered Buffy into a chair, " OK she should have called sooner, but
she's a kid.  Look at the things we did at her age.  Well, not so much me, if
you don't count the chess club incident.  I'll bet you did a few things when
you were sixteen that…."

Willow stopped as her friend's face drained of color.

"She wouldn't, " Buffy gasped, " she couldn't."

It was another 15 minutes before Buffy recovered.  While she was making tea
for the both of them, Willow made a mental note to ask Buffy some pointed
questions about her wild teenage years.

0

"Ellen, just remember if anyone calls I'm sleeping over, " Dawn said.

"What if they want to talk to you?" her friend asked anxiously.

"Jeez, just tell them I'm in the bathroom.  Don't worry, no one's going to
call."

After a few more minutes of reassurance, Dawn hung up the phone.

"Well done, now I suppose the night is all ours, " a voice said from the
shadows.
 

(2)

After the best part of a half-gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough, a calmer
Buffy and a relieved Willow were sitting at the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry, " Buffy apologized, " lotta stress lately, not easy being Mom."

With the last word, Buffy's lower lip trembled and she blinked back tears."

Willow put an arm around her, " I know, " she whispered to her friend.

"She's all I've got left, " Buffy said in a choked voice, " and all we seem
to do is fight and yell."

"Will, I yelled at her tonight and hung up the phone when she tried to
explain.  I'm a terrible sister."

"No you're not, " Willow encouraged, " why don't you call her at Ellen's?
Now that you've both had a little time, I'm sure you can make it up.  Do you
have the number?"

0

Dawn watched as Brian took the black leather satchel from the trunk of his
car.  She still felt a little thrill at being with this handsome older man.
Not that old, she told herself, maybe 25, that's not so old.  Anyway, he
looks younger, she thought, as she surveyed his tall well-built form from his
curly black hair to his shiny Doc Martins.  He always dressed in cool casual
clothes, not like the rest of them.  She wondered about that.

"Why don't you dress like Giles and Wesley did, isn't it a Watcher
requirement to look all stiff and stuffy?" she asked as he closed the trunk.

"Only among the older generation," he said with a smile.

She loved the trace of an accent in his voice, just enough to know he's not
American but not enough to give her Giles flashbacks.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded.

"Ok, here we go, " he said as they headed into the park, "Slayer lesson
number one."

A Slayer, she thought, how things had changed.  Was it only last Tuesday?"

0

"Miss Summers?  It is Miss Summers isn't it?" the stranger asked with the
trace of a British accent.

Dawn looked up from her sandwich and saw a tall handsome man with a
questioning look.

She blushed, swallowed and nodded her head, in that order.

"May I join you, " he asked gesturing to the step beside her.

She nodded again and he sat.

"My name is Brian Phillips.  I've been sent, " he paused and looked around at
the nearly empty lawn, " I've been sent by the Watchers Council to talk…"

She blushed again and interrupted him, " I'm Dawn Summers, and you want my
sister Buffy.  She's the .."

"Slayer, yes I know.  She's the reason why I've come here to school to see
you and not your home."

"I don't understand, " Dawn said.

"As you know, your sister has been operating for sometime outside normal
council guidelines.  With the recent departure of Mr. Giles, she has had no
oversight."

Dawn's face brightened, " and you're her new Watcher, right?"

She thought about having Mr. Brian Phillips around and was not unhappy, not
at all.

"No, actually I'm in the IVT department, Identification, Verification and
Training.  I find and train new Slayers.

"Then why are you…" Dawn started.

He continued to look at her.

"You mean, me?  No, no it can't be,"  she said anxiously.

He smiled, "actually it can.  I've been sent to interview, test and train
you."

"But Buffy, why didn't she say something?"

His expression hardened, " that's what we thought.  We notified her six
months ago and requested some preliminary information.  At first, she seemed
to cooperate, but never actually supplied anything.  When we pressed her, she
broke off communications, but not before she told us in no uncertain terms
what she would do to us if we contacted you."

0

Willow busied herself cleaning up the remains of their ice cream binge while
Buffy called Dawn.  She was loading the dishwasher when Buffy returned to the
kitchen.

"That was quick, did you two settle things?" Willow asked as she closed the
door and flipped the switch.

Willow wiped her hands and turned to face her friend and a chill went through
her.

Buffy's face was pale and drawn.

"What is it?  Is Dawn Ok?" Willow asked.

"I don't know, " Buffy replied in a flat voice, "she's not at Ellen's.  She
asked Ellen to lie for her."

"Where is she?" Willow asked anxiously.

"Ellen didn't know, but she thinks that Dawn has been spending time with
someone else lately.  Someone older and good looking and with an accent."

"You don't think?" Willow started.

Buffy grabbed her jacket and headed for the door, " I think a certain British
bad boy better have a very good alibi for tonight."

Willows head was spinning as she shrugged on a sweater and followed the
Slayer, " no not Spike, it can't be," she said to herself.
 

(3)

They had been walking into the park about fifteen minutes when the attack
came.  There were four of them.  The first two rushed them from the front.
Dawn held off the one on her side with a wooden cross Brian had supplied.  He
lashed out at the other one and sent it headlong into a tree.  In the
meantime, Dawn had been forced off the path still holding out the cross.

Brian grabbed the vampire menacing Dawn and spun him around, but was knocked
off balance in the process.  Looking around, Dawn picked up a rock and
smashed it into the head of the vampire as it bent over Brian.  She was
helping him to his feet when the second pair attacked from the rear.

Dawn closed her eyes and kicked out at the one charging her, she heard a
satisfying 'thwack'.  Opening her eyes, she watched her attacker wobble away
and collapse in the trees.  Looking over at Brian, she saw him advancing on
the lone remaining vamp brandishing a very pointy stake.  The vamp stopped
and glanced from Brian to Dawn and then turned and ran off melting into the
trees with his mates.

"Are you Ok Dawn? " Brian asked breathing heavily.

"I'm great, " she responded with a grin.  "How did I do?"

He walked to her and gave her a hug, " you were brilliant, truly brilliant."

0

Buffy gestured for Willow to stop as they reached Spike's crypt.

"Stay behind me and be quiet, " she whispered.

Buffy slowly opened the door and led her friend into the dim interior.  She
was only three steps into the room when she heard the door slam behind her.
She turned and gave Willow a pointed look.  He friend shrugged her shoulders
and mouthed the word 'sorry'.

>From deeper in the dimness, they heard a familiar cockney voice, "Is that
you?  It's about bloody time.  I waited for ……"

He stopped short when he recognized his visitors.

"Well, " said with a smile, " what have I done to deserve a visit from the
Slayer and her trusty companion?"

Buffy rushed forward shoving him against the wall, " I'll give you what you
deserve if I don't get some straight answers."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, " he said pushing her away, "what the
hell are you talking about?"

"Have you seen Dawn tonight?" Willow asked trying to defuse the situation.

"The little bit?  I haven't seen her for at least a week.  In fact, I was
kinda feeling that she didn't love me anymore."

"This is no joke, " Buffy hissed, " tell me the truth."

"That is the bleeding truth.  What's going on, has something happened to
her?" he asked with real concern.

"We don't know, " Willow spoke up.

"If you haven't seen her, " Buffy continued, " then who were you expecting
when we came in?"

"It's really none of your sodding business, but if you must know I was
expecting a young lady for a little evening recreation," he said with an evil
grin.

"Eww, " Buffy groaned, " what kind of ' young lady' would meet a creep like
you in a place like this?"

Willow flushed, " maybe it's just a nice girl who's interested in different
people and getting to know them better."

"Nice girl?  Have you seen the skanks that he attracts?  She's probably some
burned out vamp wannabe who'll do him all night for the chance to get turned."

Luckily the light was too dim for Buffy to see the deep red flush spreading
over Willow's face.

"I'm betting that they were going to have a nice quiet evening talking, maybe
with a little kissing, but no hands in funny places or .."

"Live in your dream world snow white, " Buffy said angrily, " I've got a
sister to find."

Buffy walked to the door and looked back questioningly.

"I'll be with you in a minute, " she said peering into the dimness, "I
dropped my sweater."

"Ok, I'm heading for Xander's, " Buffy said as she went through the door.

Willow picked up her sweater from the chair she'd dropped it on.

"I'm sorry Spike.  I just couldn't get away, ' she apologized.  "I'll meet
you at my place when I get home, Ok?"

"Sure Red, I understand, ' he said as he bent down to kiss her.

"Are you sure about that hands thing? " he asked squeezing her bottom.

Cheeks burning, she ran out after Buffy.

0

"I'll be fine," Dawn said, " I'll just sneak into Ellen's bedroom window and
no one will be the wiser."

"Ok if you're certain, I'll drop you at the corner, " Brian said.

"Remember, nothing to your sister about this.  I have to wait for the
Council's guidance," he said pulling in to the curb.

She nodded.  "Good night Brian," she said in a soft voice.

He caught her hand, " you were brilliant tonight you know, the best I've ever
seen at this stage of training."

She smiled again and ran off down the street.

A few minutes later, Brian pulled into the lot at the entrance to the park.
He drove to the edge nearest the woods and turned out his lights.  A figure
crossed from the woods, opened the door and slid into the seat beside him.

"Do you know what it does to my reputation to lay down for some chit of a
girl?"

Brian turned and grabbed the vampire's shirt front, "I don't know and I don't
bloody well care.  You will do what you're told.  Or would you rather go over
my head.  I'm sure that a meeting could be arranged."

The vampire trembled in his grip, " what ever you say, I'll do what ever you
say."

"Tomorrow night, three attackers all different, nine o'clock at Greenfield
cemetery."

The frightened vamp nodded in agreement.

"Now get out of here, " Brian said with disgust, "I have a report to make."

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