Part 19

"Giles, can we get out of here for a bit?" Meg asks.  "I need to speak with you, and I don't want to take a chance at anybody over hearing what I have to say."

"Of course Meg, why don't we take a short stroll, and get something to eat.  You can tell me what's on your mind," says Giles.  "Let me just tell the others that we're leaving. 

Giles walks out into the store to inform the others of their plans.  As he explains where he and Meg are going, he becomes aware of the varying looks of discomfort on the faces of everyone, except for Spike.

"What's the matter?" he asks.  "Has something happened?"

"Giles, we know she's your friend, but we're all kind of concerned," begins Buffy.

"Yeah," adds Xander, Meg seems pretty cool, and God knows you've been well, less uptight since she showed up.  But what do we really know about her?  I mean it's great that you are getting lai,"

"Xander, that is enough!" Giles shouts as he removes his glasses and begins to polish them vigorously.  "Ok, you have some concerns, would you care to share them with me at any point?"

"Look Giles, we've been discussing the things that Meg said to all of us, and she's told each one of us that she wants us to work as a team, yet she insists on breaking us up to talk with and plan with," said Buffy.  "None of us think that's right."

"Will you at least discuss this with her?" asks Giles.  "I think you owe her that courtesy."

The Scooby's look at each other and come to an unspoken agreement.

"Sure Giles," said Tara, in her traditional role of peacemaker.

As Tara is speaking, Meg enters the Magic Box from the training room. 

"I see we have some difficulties," she sighs.  "Does anybody care to tell me what the problem is, or were you planning on keeping it a secret?"

Dawn steps up to stand in front of Meg.

"It's simple…you keep telling us how important we are, that we're a part of a team, but you aren't treating us like one.  You are breaking us up into individual segments."

The others look at Dawn in amazement.  She is usually out spoken, but this time, she manages to get her point across without any screaming or histrionics. 

"Dawn, have you ever heard of the expression 'A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link?'" Meg asks.

Dawn nods, and Meg continues.  "Well, I want to make sure that WE, and that means all of us together, have no weak links.  To do this, I need to meet with all of you and discuss your strengths and weaknesses.  To me, that is something that is intensely personal and private.  Would you like it, would any of you like it if I were to stand before the lot of you and point out every fault you have?  I don't think you would, and I don't work that way.  Now, I want all of you to take some time, and decide if this is what you really want.  If it is, we'll continue our individual discussions after lunch.  If not, I will go back to England tonight."

Meg walks out the door of the Magic Box leaving the others in stunned silence.

"Well, I hope you are all bloody well pleased with yourselves," says Giles angrily.  "She's been given a most difficult job to do, and none of you are making it any easier for her.  I suggest you all grow up, and quickly."

Grabbing his coat, Giles rushes out the door and chases after Meg while the others stand there with varying degrees of shock and embarrassment on their faces.

"Well, we certainly messed that up, didn't we?" asks Buffy to nobody in general

"Yeah, we did," agrees Willow.  "The question is, how do we fix it?"

"With lots of groveling.  Lots and lots of groveling," adds Xander.

"Look, we haven't survived for this long by blindly accepting everything that comes our way," says Buffy.  "We had questions, and we raised them.  I don't think we did anything too awful."

"Well, we didn't do anything too great either," says Tara.  "For what it's worth, I like Meg, and I really think she's here to help.  I vote we give her a chance."

"Me too," says Xander, raising his hand.

"I think she's ok too," adds Anya.

"I like her, she scares me, but I like her," says Dawn.  "Spike, what about you?"

"Whatever, it's not like I'm a member of your bloody group anyhow.  How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Well take that as a yes," says Buffy.  "Will, what do you think?"

"Well, if my sweetie thinks she's ok, then I'm in as well," said the red headed witch as she hugs Tara.

"Great, that just leaves me," says Buffy.  "Ok, I'm willing to really try and give her a chance.  In fact, why don't we get ourselves organized a bit and do some training. Spike, Xander, why don't you two come with me?  Tara, can you and Willow find some books for Dawn to start looking at?  Anya, I know you have to stay out here in case a customer comes in, but maybe at the same time, you can start cataloging all the research books we have."

The Scooby's spring into action doing what they do best; working together as a team.