The group from the Roosevelt room entered Basement C. This is where they'd had the Sagittarius meeting to discuss how to disclose the President's condition. And C.J knew that Sam had had to go over the First Lady's interview with her before they went on air. They would probably end up in here again for campaign strategy. The room was dark and slightly musty. The blankets that Donna had arranged had been removed and the room was cold.
Lord John Marbury seem actually surprised, and positively delighted to see them. As much as C.J liked Lord Marbury he wasn't what she though of a Watcher type. Even Toby seemed more able to take charge of what they were doing and get them through it.
But Toby had his small-boy-in-front-of-the-principle look when confronted with English Ambassador.
"Thank you so very much for so very far," Marbury said, with a smile for the assembled visitors.
"My Lord, thank you for this opportunity," Giles said, offering his hand.
"Not at all, your Grace, no more than I'm meant to do, saving the world, it's why I'm here."
"Oh, no I'm not," Giles said, when Marbury had finished his spiel. "I am not Watcher to the active Slayer."
"Who is then?" Marbury demanded, looking scandalised. "Toby?"
"No, no, my Lord. Donna wasn't Called as part of the Slayer line, and I'm not really a Watcher anyway. I am very sorry about earlier, I had no idea that you held the position you do until about five minutes ago."
Marbury waved Toby's concern away. The others were looking at Toby and Giles; they were both behaving in an oddly subservient manner.
"Who is the Master Watcher?"
"I don't think we have one, my Lord," Giles offered apologetically. "When Buffy died for the first time the Slayer Kendra was Called. When she died Faith was Called. Faith is the current Slayer in the line. She's serving a prison sentence in Los Angeles. Her Watcher, Mr Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was fired."
Marbury frowned.
"We'll make do," he said brightly, after a moment's contemplation. "When the President arrives we can do introductions."
"I'm here, John," the President said, coming down the stairs.
The group of visitors shuffled sideways, so they weren't between the President and Lord Marbury, but were still all together.
The President ran his eye over the group. Xander snapped to attention and saluted when the President looked at him. The President saluted in return but looked questioningly at Xander.
"Ah, sorry," he murmured, sheepish. "There was a thing once."
Giles insisted that everyone be presented. No one had a chance to protest. The President was thrilled to meet them all, but Willow had no illusions about him remembering all their names. She had seen that look on some of her Professors.
"My Lord, Mr President, may I present Miss Dawn Summers, sister to Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Dawn fought the urge to curtsy. Marbury gave her a particularly piercing look and Dawn blushed. The President shook her hand, but offered her a grandfatherly smile.
"Wait a sec, he's in charge?" the President demanded, pointing at Marbury.
"He's the Lord Watcher," Toby said with a shrug.
"You did ask him to call me, sir," Giles said.
"He just sort of took over," the President explained. "I thought that you'd be in charge when you arrived."
"He's the only one who knows what's happening," Giles said. "Forgive me, my Lord, but Toby gave the impression that you were quite eccentric."
"Oh, yes," Marbury said, "but I was chosen by her Majesty and the council of Watchers to oversee the security and safety of the defence of this world. Or something like that. I assure you I know what I'm doing."
The President didn't really have a counter argument. He also did not have anyone to support him in it. Only Donna might have, but she quite liked Marbury.
"My Lord, Mr President," Giles continued, "may I present Tara Maclay and Willow Rosenberg, both powerful witches."
Marbury seemed about to ask them a question until Giles shook his head. Tara smiled nervously at both men. And was worried by how light-headed Willow seemed; she shook the President's hand vigorously. But he seemed amused by the awed expression on Willow's face. Though perhaps a little nervous of the magic element.
"My Lord, Mr President, may I present, Anya Jenkins, formerly the Vengeance demon, Anyanka."
"I'm human now," Anya said, smiling brightly. "Xander tell me I'm not very good sometimes."
Xander chuckled good-naturedly. He would have introduced himself, but Giles stopped him.
"My Lord, Mr President, may I present Xander Harris, the Heart of our operations in Sunnydale."
"Actually, I'm a carpenter," Xander said as he shook hands with them.
"That is an honourable profession," the President said.
Giles took a deep breath before finishing.
"My Lord, Mr President, may I present Spike."
"William Lancaster," Spike said, offering his hand to the President. He avoided looking at Marbury, who seemed almost amused by his presence.
"Why do they call you Spike?"
"S'my name. You don't really want to know why."
"He use to torture people with railway spikes," Marbury said, matter-of-factly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, William."
Spike shrugged.
"Right, all done? good," Marbury said.
"My Lord," Giles asked, tentatively, "what so you hope to achieve here?"
"I have a book," he proclaimed.
Willow and Giles stepped forward eagerly. Even Toby seemed to be drawn by the battered leather bound volume Marbury pulled out of his jacket pocket. Tara watched Willow, amused. The others looked slightly bored. Spike scoffed, and Dawn rolled her eyes.
"Watchers and books!" C.J said, almost fondly.
"Do they train that in them?" the President asked Dawn.
Dawn blinked and looked up at him. He'd snuck up on her, and his expression was so mischievous she didn't know how to reply.
"Willow and Giles have always been like that, ah, sir. I don't know about Toby."
The President paused. "I think I'm like that sometimes," he said.
"What's the bloody book say?" Spike demanded.
"This book," Marbury said, waving triumphantly, "is the Written Before the Son Prophecies."
The blood drained from Giles's face. He couldn't decided whether he was horrified or excited.
No one else knew that any reaction was called for, although Anya and Spike both had calculating expressions. C.J watched Giles's reaction and sighed. There was going to be trouble for whatever they were called here to do.
"We're going to bring Miss Buffy Summers back."
"No, you're not," the President said.
"I'm sorry, sir," Toby said, "but you don't have any jurisdiction in this decision."
"If it's in the Prophecies than it is to be done," Giles said, slowly.
"We can do that?" Willow demanded, "Really, do it? Here, now? I – I thought the spell required all sorts of things, the urn of Osiris and, well, Buffy's grave."
She stepped back from the look Giles turned on her. Tara held her hand.
"This is very different to that," Marbury said, gently. "There is only one copy of the Prophecies, and it belongs to the Lord Watcher. They detail many events and possibilities. This is one of the crossroads in the war the council is waging."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Xander said, looking around the group. "We're talking about raising the dead. Seriously talking about raising the dead," he added, looking at Willow.
"If it doesn't work we have to deal with it. And we have to worry about Dawn and Spike."
They both looked at him, but neither of them protested Xander's point.
"You," he pointed at Giles, "are going to let him do it because of some Watcher thing. Did we learn nothing about what happened to Faith? You're in charge," Xander said, sounding doubtful as he looked Marbury over, "but you're crazy, the President doesn't think you should be in charge and we don't know anything about you. You're working off a prophecy, because we all love them."
He turned to Donna and C.J, "I don't know what the deal is, but you two are Slayers, why aren't you saying anything about this?
"Can someone tell me what's going on?"
There was silence. Toby wasn't willing to venture into the issues Xander had raised about the Watcher's Council and it seemed Marbury was also circumspect. Giles was trying to find a way to explain the purpose of the Lord Watcher. The President had no jurisdiction, and certainly no expertise. He was more worried about the young girl by his side.
Dawn had been through her attempt to raise the dead, and didn't want to do to Buffy what she had almost done to their mother. Spike looked smug. Xander had, however implicitly, recognised his feelings for Buffy. Tara had a vice like grip on Willow's arm to stop her protesting Xander's dismissal of their plans.
Anya had an arm around Xander, patting his back. He'd slumped a bit after his outburst, he was however still waiting for some kind of explanation. He wanted Buffy back, and would be willing to go through with what ever it was. But he needed someone to justify it first.
Donna and C.J were standing back from the circle the group had formed watching Marbury and Toby. Although they both glanced up at the door occasionally.
The silence was broken by the door opening and firm footsteps descending the stairs.
"Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"Abbey," the President sighed.