Abbey ignored her husband. She hadn't finished being mad with him over his declaration yet. Instead she weighed up the group taking in the menacing blonde man, C.J and Donna trying to be inconspicuous, the girl relying on Jed's strength and the two women standing next to them.
"Abbey?!" the brown haired one murmured.
The President and Willow both were shocked at Tara's forwardness. Everyone was surprised by the First Lady's response.
"Tara?" she whispered, staring at the young woman.
Tara smiled nervously, but Abbey reached out and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry. I was sorry to hear about your mother. I tried to find you, but you'd hidden yourself too well."
Tara was pushed to arms length so Abbey could her over.
"I don't blame you though. You do know you could have called me? Anytime?"
"I – I couldn't do that. The- they found me. Bu- but Willow and the others wouldn't let them take me. Did they do the demon thing to you too?"
"Bah!" Abbey said, "I'm a witch. I don't believe in demons."
Everyone raised their eyebrows.
"There really are demons," Anya said, anxiously.
"Too right there are," Spike said, trying to look scornfully at Abbey.
Marbury stepped forward offering his hand.
"Lord John Marbury, Wiz One Black," he said.
"Abigail Bartlet, Wit A Five."
"Rupert Giles, Wiz One Red."
"Witch?! Abbey, what the heck is going on?" her husband demanded.
"I asked first," Abbey said.
"Actually, ma'am, I did," Xander said.
"Right, yes, of course, explanations!" Marbury cried dramatically.
"He's in charge?" Abbey asked speculatively.
"We were getting to that," C.J said.
"Lord Marbury is my Lord Watcher," Toby said, with the implication that that should have been enough explanation for anyone.
"Like the Archbishop of Canterbury," Marbury said. "I was appointed by her Majesty and accepted by the Watcher's Council in England. I have the same authority of the Council as the Archbishop has over a Morning Congregation Committee Meeting in Sussex. Stopping India and Pakistan blowing each up is a vitally important task, but it's simpler than interpreting this little book."
The President decided then to completely give up any thought of understanding Marbury. For the first time the man had given them a straight forward, and unaffected explanation. And it made no sense.
Marbury waved the book again for emphasis.
"But mostly my job is looking after the book, unless it says something relevant. Which it does now. It said 'one plus one equals three.'"
"What's the book?" Abbey asked.
"The Written Before the Son Prophecies," Marbury answered.
"I've heard of them. In the Magda books. Okay," she said, thinking. "How does your position relate to Toby and Mr Giles."
"They're Watchers."
"I'm not," Toby said. "But I was going to be."
"How do you know Tara?" Willow asked.
Abbey's expression brightened. "I'm her aunt," she said. "Her mother was my sister."
Willow's draw dropped and she stared at Tara.
"She – The First Lady is your aunt? And you never said."
"I didn't know who she had married," Tara said, with an apologetic look at Abbey. "And mom didn't talk about her sister once… I wasn't sure…"
"Once a week she wrote," Abbey said. "Told me all about you."
"As lovely and heart-warming as this family reunion no doubt is for you," Spike sneered. "The boss bloke was going to tell how to get Buffy back."
"Yeah," Xander said. Annoyed at agreeing with Spike again.
The look Abbey turned on Spike was politely questioning. After about ten seconds he broke.
"William Lancaster," he said.
Tara took the hint and introduced all the other Scoobies.
When she finished with, "my girlfriend, Willow Rosenberg." Abbey nodded politely to Willow, as she had to everyone else and Willow grinned. It wasn't often that she was introduced as Tara's girlfriend instead of the other way around. And she'd just been personally introduced to the First Lady.
Everyone else was beginning to get quite anxious about Marbury's book. Donna and the President both felt that they in way over their heads. And actually out of their minds. C.J didn't like the idea of prophecies, and it seemed that the group from Sunnydale had much the same idea. She was beginning to feel bitter towards Miles Winters again. Buffy's friends knew about her Calling and helped her. They were going to have to tell Josh and Sam about Donna, it would make it easier.
Dawn and Xander wanted to be able to do something. They now had three witches, two slayers, two and half Watchers and the President in the room, which severely limited the powers that either of them could offer. The dictations from Lord Marbury and his desire to obey them were reminding Toby, forcibly of why he hadn't become a Watcher. Anybody could take his spot in this basement but while they were saving the world nobody was out there making it worth saving.
Willow was excited by the prospect of doing some serious magic. Tara was concerned for her. And Abbey was beginning to have serious concerns about the redhead, herself.
Lord Marbury knew exactly what he had to do and how to do it. He began to read.
"This book is written in my native language. The Fates tell me that those who need it will be able to read it. This is introduction is written as the Fate's tell me how. The Man who will be called God, and by God will be born in nine years time. The Son born of death will be born in two thousand and seventeen years. The chance will come one half of one year before. Please read the descriptions of the information I have described as carefully as possible. I do not know everything about the images I have been shown. I hope I have given you enough information to make the right decision."