Mary-

            Mary Malcom was painfully shy and had been since she was a child.

            Her parents, both tall, outgoing people didn't understand this weakness in her character, (their opinion) and pushed her constantly into social situations until she was in 9th grade.

            She may have been shy but she was stubborn as a mule. After she had made a scene at a dinner party that had been thrown for their minister, her parents had her committed to a metal health center.

            The doctors had kept her for exactly one day before calling her parents in and letting them know, in no uncertain terms, that it was 'their' behavior that was destructive and they needed parenting classes.

            After that humiliating experience they had left Mary alone. During her high school years she had blossomed into a beauty and began to attract the guys like bees to honey. She had dated occasionally but her quietness alarmed guys and they didn't stick around to get to know her better. She had graduated second in her class and had immediately moved to the other side of the state, mountains to coast.

            She had a job at the local bookstore, walking the three miles from her apartment each day cheerfully. Her parents were paying for her college in Bellingham, a little relieved that they had their own lives back. Mary wasn't offended, they just weren't cut out to be parents.

            Mary started to make friends at college. People gravitated to her because she was a peaceful person. You could talk to her and she wouldn't judge, and had excellent advice as well.

            Richie had met her in a history class and thought she was smart with wry, understated wit. She was beautiful , but that was secondary to the person that she was inside.

            On the day that the Slayers were activated she had been sitting at the school fountain, reading the latest Nora Roberts book. It had hit her like an avalanche and she had stood, swaying in the sunlight as it had raced through her body. Richie had see her stand and go pale and raced over to her, "Are you ok?" he asked. Her eyes were wide and dilated in her face and she was shaking. She nodded, then shook her head. Richie eyed her in concern and making a snap decision he walked her to his cycle and drove her to her apartment. He had made tea, 'Mac's remedy for everything from shock to ingrown toenails,' and had sat with her and calmed her down

            The next day it was between classes when there were gunshots and a crying, frantic classmate running through the grass. She was trying to get away from her enraged boyfriend.

            As Mary watched this she heard the screams as people fled the scene and something snapped. Mary stepped into the path of the crazed man, kicked him in the chest, grabbed his fallen gun and snapped it in half, then knocked him unconscious. She had stood over him, her vision red as anger surged through her.

            Campus security had finally raced up, pulling her back and telling her it was a dumb thing to do, but she had saved the girls life.  She had stayed until the girl was loaded into an ambulance, then she had raced back to her apartment, blowing off classes for the rest of the day. She had sat bundled up in a blanket on her couch shivering in reaction. Richie missed her and asked a classmate where she was and heard the whole terrifying story.

            Richie had visited that night and brought her to the dojo the next day. Mac had taught her to meditate and control the new feelings that coursed through her. She had taken to martial arts like she had been born with some innate ability.

            Then Buffy had come into their lives and had told her about the Slayers. Mary had stubbornly not believed. Monsters were all myth and legend. That was until her first patrol.

            Life changing was the only word for it.