"So do you want me to read her?"  Angel jerked away from his thoughts as he heard Lorne address him.

"What?"

"He asked do you want him to read Buffy."  Harmony, Angel's secretary and old…acquaintance, set a cup of warm blood down on his desk.

"Thank you Harmony."  Angel said rather forcefully.  "You might as well, Lorne."  Angel turned his attention back to the green demon.

"Why is she coming here anyway?  Doesn't she have enough demons to slay in Sunnydale?"  Harmony flipped her hair.

"Nope, slayed 'em all after you left.  But it looks like quite a reunion in here; I might just have to break out mister pointy."  Harmony shrieked, as she turned around to see Buffy behind her.  As fast as she could, Harmony ran and hid behind Angel.

"Hi Buffy."  Harmony said in a forced happy voice.  "You can't kill me now, I work for Angel."

"Don't worry, I left mister pointy back in sunnyhell."  Buffy smirked.

"As I remember it, you could make a weapon out of almost anything."  Angel walked away from Harmony and sat down in his chair.

"Actually, anything really.  Look at mister "I'm the head of the big evil law firm I spent years trying to bring down."  Looking quite comfy in your chair."  Before Angel had a chance to reply, a red head walked into the room, obviously not to happy about Buffy's appearance.

"What so bad about being comfy?"

"Buffy, I'd like you to meet Eve.  She's our liaison to the senior partners.  Eve…"

"I know who she is."  Eve shot daggers at Buffy.  "In fact the senior partners want a word with her." 

"Well Eve, we're not going anywhere, so why don't you just start talking."  Gunn gestured to Buffy.

"Thanks, but no."  Eve gave Gunn an all too fake smile.  "The senior partners want a word with her, as in face to face."  Everyone but her and Buffy gasped.

"What's so big about these senior partners?"  Buffy started to walk towards Eve.

"They're the highest power next to the powers that be."  Wesley looked warily at Angel as the slayer approached Eve.

"Huh.  Ellen, is it?"

"Eve."

"Well, Eve.  If you know me so well, you'd know I don't respond well to authority."

"It's true, I experienced it first hand."  Wesley knowingly grinned a little.

"I don't like the powers that be…"  Buffy continued her voice lowering, getting icier.   "They…"  She looked over at Angel for a second.  "Interfere where they're not wanted.  They waste my time.  And worst of all, I just plain don't like them."  Eve took a little step back, but held her calm.

"So does this mean you're declining their offer?"

"No!  Just stating my point."  Buffy shrugged and walked out of the office, calling back.  "It's a dramatic tension thing."

The others stared after Buffy, Eve smiled and followed Buffy out, calling back.

"Don't worry, I'll have her back by dark.  I think!"

* * * *

"Ms. Summers.  Or may we call you Buffy?"  She stood in front of a panel of men and women.  They had been introduced to her as the senior partners.  She hadn't been told any of their names, only that they held high authority of a lot of people, and places.  Buffy couldn't wait to mess with their minds.

"I'd prefer Master, or Queen.  But I guess Buffy will have to do."  She faked a sullen sigh, then grinned.  "What can I do you for you boys and girls?"

"We know of your past with Angel."

"And…"

"We know of your past with the other members of his…team."

"This means…"

"We also know of your past, period."

"Great, know that we know you have an interest in me, why don't we move, like to the point."  Buffy was starting to get annoyed.

"What we mean, Buffy, is that considering your past, we would like to hire you."

"You couldn't gotten Mr. I run the evil law office I hate, to ask me?"

"This matter is too…delicate for Angel to pursue."

Buffy laughed then began o play with a display of knives.  When she turned she held a small katana blade in her hands.  "This isn't something Angel knows about is it?"

"No."

"Say I did take the job.  I want it on my terms."

"Whatever they might be, I'm sure we can accommodate."

"I want to go on the books as a freelancer.  That's what I am, that's how it will be."

"Done."  The men and women smiled at Buffy who grinned secretly back at them.