Disclaimer: I own nothing, get used to it.
Notes: Thanks to Reg Stacey for doing my editing, and all those who reviewed the first chapter.
Email: angela_tenshi@yahoo.com
Chapter Two: One Watcher is one Watcher too many.
Buffy stood looking blankly at Adam Pierson for a moment or two, then cried out in exasperation.
"My what?!"
"Your Watcher. Surely, you were expecting me."
"Why would I?"
"Well, your old Watcher Rupert Giles left, didn't he?"
Buffy answered with a little hesitation.
"Well….yes."
"So," Methos said, taking a seat at the round table beside Willow. "It only makes sense that the Watchers Council would send you a replacement."
Buffy crossed her arms in defiance and walked until she was standing directly in front of him.
"I don't need another Watcher."
"Evidently, the council disagrees with you."
Throwing her arms in the air, Buffy looked around the room at her friends.
"What, is this another plan to get me under the councils thumb? Are you here to make sure that I'm a good little Slayer and do what I'm told?"
Methos grinned and adjusted his body so that he was sprawling on the chair.
"Sorry, I'm not that kind of Watcher."
Hesitantly Willow spoke to the unfamiliar man.
"Then what kind of a Watcher are you?"
"Like the name implies… I'm here to Watch."
Xander spoke up. "Just to Watch…"
Sighing, Methos looked at the five young people around him. For children they certainly were quite cynical and suspicious. But then again, he wasn't one to talk, as he didn't trust anyone.
"I'm here to chronicle your life, so that it may benefit the Slayers that follow you. If you need my help with anything, I am of course at your disposal. I'm not here to take charge Buffy, I'm here to help."
Of course, the gang didn't believe him.
***
More then a week had passed, and still Buffy refused to talk to Methos. He understood of course, reading through her old Watcher's files he found out why the Slayer had a mistrust of the Watchers Council, he too shared that mistrust. Still he was here to do a job, so everyday even though the Slayer refused to acknowledge his presence he still found his way to the Magic shop. To pass the time he would read through the historical demonic volumes, which were being held upstairs, or he would help Anya with the shop.
Xander had often marveled at Anya's transformation from Demon Matron of scorned women, punisher of evil males to humble shopkeeper. Since becoming a member of the working force Anya had embraced the true meaning of America, capitalism. Yes the only thing in the world she loved as much as Xander was money. She exchanged one evil for another, and Xander had yet to decide which was worse.
This day was no different; Methos walked into the Magic shop and the only ones there were Anya and Buffy. Buffy of course spared a brief moment to glare at the Watcher then promptly left the shop to go to her own job at the Double Meat Palace.
"Adam, could you do me a favor and put away this new shipment of books?" She didn't' wait to hear what he would say, she just dropped the box in his arms and pointed to the bookshelf near the stairs.
"Sure Anya, I would be delighted." He grumbled under his breath. Ever since he had offered to help her that one time, she had been using him for free labour. Best not knock it though; at least she wasn't making him leave because he was loitering.
The little bell over the door chimed as someone walked into the store. Anya who had looked up from the till with a smile frowned when she realized that it wasn't a customer at all, it was just Willow.
"Oh it's you. I thought it might be someone who actually spent money here."
Willow rolled her eyes and put her backpack on the table and pulled out textbook and began to read.
"I'm going to be closing the shop for lunch so I can do a deposit. Remember to lock the door if you're going to leave." Anya instructed, as she grabbed the deposit bag and left the store.
Adam turned back to his task of shelving the books, but in the background he could hear the shuffling of paper, then nervous taping. He looked to the table where Willow sat. She was anxiously drumming her fingers against the wood and was taking quick shallow breaths while closing her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes…no." she said with a slight shake to her voice. " I can smell them, you know."
"Smell what?"
"The spell components in the store." She pointed behind the counter.
"Anya has just restocked the rosemary. And…I can smell the belladonna and …and the monkshood coming from the shelf by the door." She smiled weakly. "Its one of my bad days."
Adam put down the books and went over and rested his hand on the shaking girls shoulder. "Would you like to get out of here?"
Willow nodded her head, and then they left.
***
Willow and Adam stepped into his apartment, which was just across the street from the Magic shop, and located above a women's dress shop. Adam fumbled to find the light switch.
"Sorry about the mess. You're the first person to see my new place."
Willow took time to look around the room. It wasn't so much that it was a mess, but there were volumes upon volumes of books all over the place. As she watched Adam walk to hang his trench coat on a peg on the wall, she saw resting against the wall was a huge battle axe that look like it had seen a battle or two.
"Nice axe."
The man looked over to the weapon and gave a sad smile.
"It once belonged to friend I called Brother."
Adam then, as if to avoid any more talk on the subject, walked over to the wall and pressed the flashing red light on the phone.
"Adam, it's me Joe. I heard that you got transferred to a new division. So how come I had to hear it from someone else and not you, huh? Call me."
"Mr. Pierson, I'm calling on the behalf of Mr. Travers." A cold British woman's voice came over the system. "He was wondering when you were going to send him your first report regarding Miss. Summers. As you know, all reports are due at the beginning of the week…"
Adam reached over and erased the messages from the machine, and mumbled under his breath, "Bloody Watchers."
Willow smiled at the little comment and then began to look at the pictures on his mantle. There were a few of a small pretty blonde woman, and one of two men sitting on bar stools. Then she noticed one other picture on the corner; it was one of Adam and an attractive dark-haired man with a rakish smile. Her eyes went wide when she realized who it was.
"Adam!" she called over her shoulder, Adam came into the room to look at the picture Willow was pointing at.
"Is that Byron?"
Adam smiled, ah Byron they still remember you.
"Ya, we were old chums back in the old days. We used to write together."
"Oh my god you wrote with Byron!"
'If only you knew' he thought as he smiled at the young woman.
"Once upon a time." He then glanced at a clock on his end table and motioned to the door with his head. "We'd best be getting back. Buffy will probably be wondering what I've done with you."
Notes: Thanks to Reg Stacey for doing my editing, and all those who reviewed the first chapter.
Email: angela_tenshi@yahoo.com
Chapter Two: One Watcher is one Watcher too many.
Buffy stood looking blankly at Adam Pierson for a moment or two, then cried out in exasperation.
"My what?!"
"Your Watcher. Surely, you were expecting me."
"Why would I?"
"Well, your old Watcher Rupert Giles left, didn't he?"
Buffy answered with a little hesitation.
"Well….yes."
"So," Methos said, taking a seat at the round table beside Willow. "It only makes sense that the Watchers Council would send you a replacement."
Buffy crossed her arms in defiance and walked until she was standing directly in front of him.
"I don't need another Watcher."
"Evidently, the council disagrees with you."
Throwing her arms in the air, Buffy looked around the room at her friends.
"What, is this another plan to get me under the councils thumb? Are you here to make sure that I'm a good little Slayer and do what I'm told?"
Methos grinned and adjusted his body so that he was sprawling on the chair.
"Sorry, I'm not that kind of Watcher."
Hesitantly Willow spoke to the unfamiliar man.
"Then what kind of a Watcher are you?"
"Like the name implies… I'm here to Watch."
Xander spoke up. "Just to Watch…"
Sighing, Methos looked at the five young people around him. For children they certainly were quite cynical and suspicious. But then again, he wasn't one to talk, as he didn't trust anyone.
"I'm here to chronicle your life, so that it may benefit the Slayers that follow you. If you need my help with anything, I am of course at your disposal. I'm not here to take charge Buffy, I'm here to help."
Of course, the gang didn't believe him.
***
More then a week had passed, and still Buffy refused to talk to Methos. He understood of course, reading through her old Watcher's files he found out why the Slayer had a mistrust of the Watchers Council, he too shared that mistrust. Still he was here to do a job, so everyday even though the Slayer refused to acknowledge his presence he still found his way to the Magic shop. To pass the time he would read through the historical demonic volumes, which were being held upstairs, or he would help Anya with the shop.
Xander had often marveled at Anya's transformation from Demon Matron of scorned women, punisher of evil males to humble shopkeeper. Since becoming a member of the working force Anya had embraced the true meaning of America, capitalism. Yes the only thing in the world she loved as much as Xander was money. She exchanged one evil for another, and Xander had yet to decide which was worse.
This day was no different; Methos walked into the Magic shop and the only ones there were Anya and Buffy. Buffy of course spared a brief moment to glare at the Watcher then promptly left the shop to go to her own job at the Double Meat Palace.
"Adam, could you do me a favor and put away this new shipment of books?" She didn't' wait to hear what he would say, she just dropped the box in his arms and pointed to the bookshelf near the stairs.
"Sure Anya, I would be delighted." He grumbled under his breath. Ever since he had offered to help her that one time, she had been using him for free labour. Best not knock it though; at least she wasn't making him leave because he was loitering.
The little bell over the door chimed as someone walked into the store. Anya who had looked up from the till with a smile frowned when she realized that it wasn't a customer at all, it was just Willow.
"Oh it's you. I thought it might be someone who actually spent money here."
Willow rolled her eyes and put her backpack on the table and pulled out textbook and began to read.
"I'm going to be closing the shop for lunch so I can do a deposit. Remember to lock the door if you're going to leave." Anya instructed, as she grabbed the deposit bag and left the store.
Adam turned back to his task of shelving the books, but in the background he could hear the shuffling of paper, then nervous taping. He looked to the table where Willow sat. She was anxiously drumming her fingers against the wood and was taking quick shallow breaths while closing her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes…no." she said with a slight shake to her voice. " I can smell them, you know."
"Smell what?"
"The spell components in the store." She pointed behind the counter.
"Anya has just restocked the rosemary. And…I can smell the belladonna and …and the monkshood coming from the shelf by the door." She smiled weakly. "Its one of my bad days."
Adam put down the books and went over and rested his hand on the shaking girls shoulder. "Would you like to get out of here?"
Willow nodded her head, and then they left.
***
Willow and Adam stepped into his apartment, which was just across the street from the Magic shop, and located above a women's dress shop. Adam fumbled to find the light switch.
"Sorry about the mess. You're the first person to see my new place."
Willow took time to look around the room. It wasn't so much that it was a mess, but there were volumes upon volumes of books all over the place. As she watched Adam walk to hang his trench coat on a peg on the wall, she saw resting against the wall was a huge battle axe that look like it had seen a battle or two.
"Nice axe."
The man looked over to the weapon and gave a sad smile.
"It once belonged to friend I called Brother."
Adam then, as if to avoid any more talk on the subject, walked over to the wall and pressed the flashing red light on the phone.
"Adam, it's me Joe. I heard that you got transferred to a new division. So how come I had to hear it from someone else and not you, huh? Call me."
"Mr. Pierson, I'm calling on the behalf of Mr. Travers." A cold British woman's voice came over the system. "He was wondering when you were going to send him your first report regarding Miss. Summers. As you know, all reports are due at the beginning of the week…"
Adam reached over and erased the messages from the machine, and mumbled under his breath, "Bloody Watchers."
Willow smiled at the little comment and then began to look at the pictures on his mantle. There were a few of a small pretty blonde woman, and one of two men sitting on bar stools. Then she noticed one other picture on the corner; it was one of Adam and an attractive dark-haired man with a rakish smile. Her eyes went wide when she realized who it was.
"Adam!" she called over her shoulder, Adam came into the room to look at the picture Willow was pointing at.
"Is that Byron?"
Adam smiled, ah Byron they still remember you.
"Ya, we were old chums back in the old days. We used to write together."
"Oh my god you wrote with Byron!"
'If only you knew' he thought as he smiled at the young woman.
"Once upon a time." He then glanced at a clock on his end table and motioned to the door with his head. "We'd best be getting back. Buffy will probably be wondering what I've done with you."