PART 1: THE BEGINNING OF IT ALL

"So Giles, what's this new assignment you have for us?" Buffy flopped down on the couch, leafing throught the folder Giles handed her. "The Dollhouse? What's that?"

"Yes, well, the Dollhouse has been on the Watcher's Council radar for sometime now. And well, we'd like you to investigate it."

"Giles, what is it?"

"Kind of hard to say really. Nobody really knows. Up until a few years ago, it was just an urban myth based in Los Angeles. A place that allowed people with unlimited funds to...in a sense...rent someone for a day and have them be anything they want."

"So...glorified pimps?"

"Uh...no. They can be rented for anything: social work, romance, somebody's boyfriend or girlfriend or lover, hired assasin..."

"Uh huh. Crazed people with different personalities who can be anything they want."

"No. Anything the person renting them wants."

"Okay...crazy people renting out people. How's that?"

Giles shrugged. "Close enough I suppose."

"We'll get right on it."

"Buffy, who is this we you keep referring to?"

"Me and Faith."

"Faith? Buffy, I don't think-"

"Giles, she's my girlfriend now. You're just going to have to get used to it."

"I suppose." He sighed. "Well...it's on your timetable, so whenever you want to get started-"

"I'll be fine Giles. Really." Buffy smiled, gently leading him toward the door. "I'll have Will run a search for it and Faith and I will get started on it in the next few days."

"Well, if you're sure-"

"I'm very sure."

"Alright. Good night then."

"Night." Buffy waited until Giles was down the street before closing the door. "Dollhouse..." she mused, walking into the kitchen. "Hey Will, you ever hear of something called the Dollhouse? Apparently it's this super secret organization thingy in L.A."

"Thingy?" Willow arched an eyebrow. "Thingy isn't really a word Buffy." The slayer rolled her eyes. "Um...okay. Grammar lesson aside, no, I haven't. I could run a background search on it and see what I can come up with."

"Great. Thanks."

A few hours later

"Nothing? There's absolutely nothing on the Dollhouse? Like anywhere?"

Willow smiled apologetically. "Sorry Buffy; I can't find any records or newspaper articles or client accounts or...anything. Whatever this Dollhouse is, it's locked down pretty tight. Somebody has great PR."

"Just what I need, an organization with great PR." She sat down the table, putting her head in her hands. "Absolutely nothing?"

"I can run another search if you want. But Buffy, I don't think..."

"Will?" Buffy sat up straighter, studying her friend. "Willow, what is it?"

"I think I just found something."

"What?"

"Well, I don't know how much it'll help, but...there seems to be...leaked blueprints of the Dollhouse online." She pointed to the screen. "See? There's a building here, with pipes, underground passageways, pathways through vents..." she peered at the screen, squinting. "I think it's literally underground. But...who would have an organization that's underground?"

"Whoever it is, they obviously don't want visitors. And they don't want to be detected."

"Do-do you think you and Faith will be able to infiltrate it?"

"Shouldn't be a problem. I need to head home; I'll talk to her about it."

Willow rolled her eyes as Buffy left the house, headed back to Faith's apartment. "I"m just the brains of the operation. Don't mind me."