"Where is it?" Warren stopped in the middle of the office, staring at the corner of his desk. He distinctly remembered putting the Moche Mask there last night, after everybody had gotten sick of his quite natural boasting and had gone home, which he thought was very rude. After all, hadn't he been the one to save the day, stop the sacrifices? Didn't they see that he had a life altering moment thanks to their red headed friend? Wasn't he allowed even a little bit of time to be pleased with himself? Even Willow had left the room. Well at least he had the mask to remind him of his deeds. Except it wasn't where it was supposed to be. "Where is it," He repeated.
"Behind you," said Willow, who was seated at her desk, working on a computer which he had expressly forbidden to be in this room. Willow knew that, he had told her that it, while useful, ruined the ambiance of the room. Was out of place here. "In the trophy case," Willow added without looking up.
Trophy case? Warren to a quick look around . Sure enough, over by the door, was a tall dark wooden case with a glass front, and there on the top shelf was his Moche Mask. He went to retrieve it.
"Leave it."
"Hey its my trophy, my first big case. I think I have the right to have it."
"Not where I have to look at it."
Warren stared at Willow. "What are you doing?"
"Setting up a working relationship." Willow smiled thinly. "It's been brought to my attention that part of what's wrong with me is that I don't wanna be all the time side kick, and I don't necessarily have to be in someone's shadow, Buffy's or yours."
"So," Warren spread his arms. "You're just going to take over. What? You want my desk now? That I beat this sacrificial thing doesn't mean anything?"
"Oh it means a lot, and no I'm not taking over and I don't want your desk." Willow glanced at the expanse of oak. "Way bigger than I need."
"What I need is for this to work." Willow slid a paper over her desk towards Warren. "The bill for this place, which I have to pay for cause you don't have credit, and in no conceivable way are going to get credit. So it's my name on the licenses, the bills, the lease, all of which have to be paid. So there's going to be some changes."
"Changes," Warren asked. "What changes?"
"Not much," Willow shrugged. "You still get to be the unseen partner, doing whatever it is that you do and leaving me instructions in your book. I can follow instruction just like Archie Goodwin can on Nero Wolfe. But sometimes we're gonna do things the Remington Steele way, you know where the boss took instructions from the employee, who was really the boss but you know what I mean."
Warren struck a pose. "Supposing I don't agree?"
"Then this partnership ends now, and I take my chances with the PTB. Who really want this to continue."
Warren thought it over. "Okay, I'm cool." He walked around Willow's desk to stand behind her. "So what are you doing?"
"Setting up a web page for Willow and Warren Consultations."
"But we're supposed to be Detectives. That's what we do. We detect."
"Detectives need licenses," Willow told him. "Which you're not going to be able to get. Consultants don't need licenses, so you won't have to. Hence Willow and Warren Consultations."
"If I say yes, do I get to keep my trophy."
"Not if I have to look at it everytime I come in here."
"Behind you," said Willow, who was seated at her desk, working on a computer which he had expressly forbidden to be in this room. Willow knew that, he had told her that it, while useful, ruined the ambiance of the room. Was out of place here. "In the trophy case," Willow added without looking up.
Trophy case? Warren to a quick look around . Sure enough, over by the door, was a tall dark wooden case with a glass front, and there on the top shelf was his Moche Mask. He went to retrieve it.
"Leave it."
"Hey its my trophy, my first big case. I think I have the right to have it."
"Not where I have to look at it."
Warren stared at Willow. "What are you doing?"
"Setting up a working relationship." Willow smiled thinly. "It's been brought to my attention that part of what's wrong with me is that I don't wanna be all the time side kick, and I don't necessarily have to be in someone's shadow, Buffy's or yours."
"So," Warren spread his arms. "You're just going to take over. What? You want my desk now? That I beat this sacrificial thing doesn't mean anything?"
"Oh it means a lot, and no I'm not taking over and I don't want your desk." Willow glanced at the expanse of oak. "Way bigger than I need."
"What I need is for this to work." Willow slid a paper over her desk towards Warren. "The bill for this place, which I have to pay for cause you don't have credit, and in no conceivable way are going to get credit. So it's my name on the licenses, the bills, the lease, all of which have to be paid. So there's going to be some changes."
"Changes," Warren asked. "What changes?"
"Not much," Willow shrugged. "You still get to be the unseen partner, doing whatever it is that you do and leaving me instructions in your book. I can follow instruction just like Archie Goodwin can on Nero Wolfe. But sometimes we're gonna do things the Remington Steele way, you know where the boss took instructions from the employee, who was really the boss but you know what I mean."
Warren struck a pose. "Supposing I don't agree?"
"Then this partnership ends now, and I take my chances with the PTB. Who really want this to continue."
Warren thought it over. "Okay, I'm cool." He walked around Willow's desk to stand behind her. "So what are you doing?"
"Setting up a web page for Willow and Warren Consultations."
"But we're supposed to be Detectives. That's what we do. We detect."
"Detectives need licenses," Willow told him. "Which you're not going to be able to get. Consultants don't need licenses, so you won't have to. Hence Willow and Warren Consultations."
"If I say yes, do I get to keep my trophy."
"Not if I have to look at it everytime I come in here."