Dear Logan,

Hello again from London! We're over half-way through our time here. Can you believe it? Except for missing you, we've been so busy it's practically flown by. In fact, I may even be home before you get this! Can't wait to see you!

XOXOXOXOXO,

Mary Anne

Okay, so my letter to Logan wasn't as enthusiastic and informative as a letter to your far-distant boyfriend should be, but I was awfully busy. Mystical objects were disappearing from antique stores and museums all over town, and Giles was convinced the thefts were related. I was helping to research what all the items could be used for, and there was so much information that I was spending almost all my waking hours in the library.

But it was so engrossing that I didn't mind at all! Besides, it felt great to be doing something useful, like Mallory.

I have to admit, though, that part of my willingness to work such long hours was that I wasn't finding the other BSC members much fun. To be honest, I hadn't talked to them much since we arrived. Everyone was so focused on their own pursuits – Kristy on her Slayer Squad, Claudia on her Demon Designs, Stacey on Angel, Dawn and Jessi on . . .

Actually, come to think of it, I wasn't sure what Dawn and Jessi were up to. Jessi was walking around looking like her best friend had died (hmm. . . I hadn't seen Mallory lately either), and Dawn had taken to wearing a lot of black and grinning incessantly. I guess black dye is better for the environment or something.

Occasionally I felt a bit guilty for not paying more attention to my friends, but my big breakthrough in the library drove it all out of my mind.

It came at lunchtime one day when almost the entire senior Academy staff was gathered in the library for a meeting about the thefts. We had already figured out that the unknown thief had all the materials he needed to get past our anti-demon barriers and that made everyone nervous. We needed to figure out what the other items were for.

I had been there all day, of course, and was sitting in the back with a book. (I know I'm very useful, but I try to stay out of the way at staff meetings – all those important people bring back my old shyness). The library was especially full today because Buffy, Faith and Spike were there. They're not normally big with the books, as Willow says.

Giles had had sandwiches delivered, and everyone was making small talk, when Angel stormed in. He walked straight up to Spike, looking furious.

"You. Me. Outside," he shouted, his hands formed in fists.

I looked at Spike nervously, but he just looked amused and started to stand up. Giles, rolling his eyes, gestured for him to sit back down.

"Oh, come on, Angel. We hardly have time for your school boy rivalry today," he said with a strange mixture of sternness and amusement.

"He," Angel gestured dramatically at Spike, "has set me up." At this, Faith made a strange choking sound, while Xander hastily took a bite of his sandwich.

"And how has he done this?" Giles inquired, obviously trying to cover his own smirk.

"Those girls! They're impossible!" He seemed to notice I was in the room, and glanced over at me. "I'm sorry, Mary Anne," he said more calmly, "You're a very nice girl. But one of them is stalking me. And she stole my hair gel!"

Faith and Spike were snickering openly now.

"Oh, umm, that would be Stacey," I said apologetically, "she does tend to do things like that. But don't worry, she'll be over it in a week or two."

"Besides," Spike said cheerfully, "I thought you liked the little blonde ones. She did mention she was trying out for the cheerleading squad."

Buffy glared at him, then turned to glare at Angel. "Don't even think about it," she told him sharply.

Angel opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by Giles. "The girl has been informed of your vampiric nature, and of, shall we say, the romantic limitation inherent in that, hasn't she?"

Angel shot me an embarrassed look. "Well, I, umm, hadn't gotten around to mentioning the, umm, vampire thing yet. They're mostly nice girls, you know?"

The rest of the room turned and looked at me, apparently expecting me to be shocked. "Oh, I know all about it," I said cheerfully, "there's a whole book in this library on Angelus, and tons of prophecies too." It had been fascinating reading, and the story of how he lost his soul when he experienced a moment of happiness had brought me to tears (I'm such a sap.)

I met Angel's eyes, "I think it's very good you're seeking your redemption for all those years of torturing and killing people, you know."

Normally, I wouldn't be so forward, but if there's one thing I learned as a babysitter it's that you have to encourage good behavior (seeking redemption, in this case) and discourage bad behavior (murdering people and drinking their blood). As such, I'm never shy about expressing my moral beliefs.

"Well, that settles it," Giles said, "Mary Anne will simply inform this Stacey that you are an aged vampire, if she has not done so already, and that will take care of the problem."

"Didn't work so well in the past," Spike muttered under his breath. Angel and Buffy both turned to glare at him.

I hated to refuse Giles's request, but I had to speak up. "I'm sorry," I said, more shyly now, "You should have seen what happened when I told her the lifeguard at Sea City was too old for her. She was mad at me for a whole week."

"Well, then," Spike said jovially to Angel, "Looks like this one is up to you. Can I watch?"

Angel glared and tightened his palms into fists again. Faith rolled her eyes. "Sit down and get some coffee. Apparently, we're in trouble."

Giles nodded. "It does look that way. The last remaining Orb of Theokrades was stolen from the British Museum this morning by unknown persons. It's not especially valuable on the antiquities black market, not by British Museum standards, at any rate, but it's power is enormous. Unfortunately, we're not sure quite what that power can be used for – it's a very mysterious item."

The Orb of Theokrades? I had just seen that! While the conference continued, I picked up the second-to-last book I had leafed through and turned to the index. There it was, on page 274. I read the text and felt my blood run cold.

"Angel?" I asked softly. Something in my tone must have betrayed my fear, because the entire room went silent. "Are you sure it was Stacey who stole your hair gel?"

"Well, no," he said, "I just assumed she wanted a souvenir. Why?" He sounded a bit defensive at being questioned, but I ignored it. This wasn't the time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark figure enter the library – on closer inspection, it was Jessi. How strange. I drew my attention back to the matter at hand and continued:

"Because you have to have a personal item from someone to make the Orb of Theokrades work," I said hesitantly, almost hoping I was mistaken, "and when you do, it's part of what you need to remove that person's soul"

Frenzied conversation broke out. "Stop!" shouted Giles. "Mary Anne, does that book have a list of what else you'd need?" I nodded, and he walked over and took it from me.

"Alright, all of these items are easily obtainable or have been stolen but one. A dragon's tooth. That's not easy to come by, and it's very expensive."

"Umm," said Spike, "There's a bloke down on Harrington St. who should have one." In answer to a room's worth of querying stares he continued, "I pick up some blood from him everyone once in a while. It makes a nice change from pig."

"You drink dragons?" Willow asked, frowning. "But they're kind of cute. . ."

Buffy stood up, cutting off any reply. "I," she said, "am going to set my senior Slayers checking out the other likely sources. That can't be the only one in the city. You and Angel go stake out your source, Spike." They both opened their mouths to protest.

"Shut it. This thief is dangerous and effective. We need our manpower focused." She turned and walked out of the room; Faith, Angel, and Spike followed. Jessi slipped out behind them. I'd have to catch up with her later and see what she was up to. Maybe there was a book I could help her find (I always want to be helpful).

Xander turned to me as they left. "Good work!" he said, "You're a born Watcher for sure!"

I grinned. That was even cooler than being a babysitter.