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Amy had been defeated. Amy had been defeated and things were supposed to be better. Sure, they had been so concerned with getting Sara medical attention that they forgot about Amy's body, but Willow said she sensed nothing the week after the battle on Hart Island. If Willow said it, then that was good enough for Dawn. But they all decided to remain vigilant anyway, just in case. But things were supposed to be better now. At least that was what Dawn thought.

When she had arrived in New York, Dawn had known that she was going to be walking into a hot zone. It was no secret that Buffy didn't want her there, lest Amy turn her attention and machinations onto her. Thankfully, that hadn't been the case and her encounters with the woman were quite limited. Still, she had been thoroughly warned of the possibility that Amy would come after her and Dawn was prepared for it

What she hadn't prepared for was someone else that Buffy and Sara had warned her about, someone she had been told was not going to get involved in their problem, but someone Sara remained suspicious of. Dawn had been told explicitly that anything and everything dealing this person was to be avoided at all costs. She had filed it in the back of her mind, but never took it seriously. Until now.

Her mind swirled with a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. The man had been told to avoid at all costs was not only right in front of her, but was head of the foundation that sponsored her internship. She stood there shocked as he shook her hand. Words seem to turn into inaudible sounds. But she was soon brought out of her stupor when Dr. Simmons gently shook her.

"Dawn..."

"Um... yes?"

"There's no need to be nervous, my dear."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replied. "What were you saying, Mr. Nottingham?"

"Well, I was saying that I'll need my hand back."

Dawn looked down and saw she was still shaking it. She quickly, and embarrassingly, released it. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm just a little..."

"Nervous?" Ian replied. "Sometimes I have that effect. I was asking how your internship was faring."

"Good so far," Dawn replied. "However, new developments are making me realize that I'm going to have to approach things in a different way."

"Ah, but sometimes new developments can open the door to wondrous possibilities," Nottingham said back.

"Or they just make things much more difficult," Dawn retorted.

Nottingham smiled. "Indeed." He turned to Dr. Simmons and said, "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to speak with Mrs. Davenport and endure yet another request to donate some of my private collection. Dr. Simmons, Miss Summers. It's been a pleasure."

"Likewise, sir," Dr. Simmons replied. As Nottingham left, Dawn quickly let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. "Well, that went alright," he remarked. "A little awkward for a moment, but... Dawn are you alright?"

"I'm just... just a little flustered. It's a bit stuffy in here."

"I'll get you some water," Dr. Simmons replied.

"No, no," Dawn quickly said. "I just need some fresh air." She quickly left the main party and walked toward one of the restricted areas, where most of the interns worked. Nearby, there was a balcony where anyone could view the night sky and relax a bit. Dawn breathed in the night air, the sensation cooling her insides. She couldn't believe what was happening and began to wonder how much of the situation did Nottingham truly manipulate. Did she even earn her internship? Was she qualified at all, or was it just some ploy to get her near the Witchblade?

Then there was the fact that she would have to tell Buffy about tonight's encounter. Saying Buffy would explode was putting it in the mildest possible terms.

"Trying to grasp the moment, I see," a masculine voice remarked. Dawn didn't need to turn around to see who it was, but did so anyway.

"Wondering what it all means," Nottingham continued, "and how you'll handle it."

"You could say that, Mr. Nottingham," Dawn retorted. "I'm more surprised at the fact that we all got royally duped."

"Oh, come now," Nottingham replied reassuringly. "It wasn't your fault. You were preoccupied."

"Yeah, we were," Dawn said back. "And like any good villain you took advantage of that."

"'Villain', she says," Nottingham noted. "You think I'm some sort of villain, Dawn?"

"What else would you be?"

"An opportunist. I saw a chance and I took it."

"A chance that I would put on the Witchblade and you could manipulate me," Dawn retorted. "Not gonna happen."

"Is that what you think I'm going to do?" Nottingham asked.

"No, that's what I think you're going to try. You won't succeed."

"You're right. I won't succeed."

Dawn paused for a moment and looked at him, confused. Normally bad guys were too confident in their own abilities, something that was usually their undoing. His response was a curveball.

"I won't succeed in manipulating you because I'm not planning to," he continued.

"Um... well... that's new," Dawn remarked. "Sara told me..."

"Lady Sara has already poisoned you against me," he interrupted, disappointment in his voice. "I am not here to manipulate you Dawn, but I do want to use the Witchblade, in a way you would most definitely approve of."

"And what way would that be?" Dawn asked skeptically.

"In a way that would help you master the Witchblade and help this city. Surely you must see this is the chance of lifetime, Dawn, a chance to realize your true potential."

"Really?" Dawn replied sarcastically. "Because what I see is that me and the rest of the Slayers just got taken for a ride without even knowing it. We're not used to being made fools of. Speaking of being made a fool of, I'm wondering: did I even earn my internship, or was it all a ploy to get me to wear the Witchblade?" Her nostrils flared a bit; the notion that she was unqualified for what she thought she earned made her furious.

"Rest assured, Miss Summers, you earned this internship with your own hard work and talent," Nottingham replied.

"Is that so?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes," he replied. "However, you did have 'attributes' the other candidates did not possess."

"How do you know so much about me?" Dawn asked pointedly.

"Money and influence can allow you to obtain many secrets."

"Well, your days of getting secret info are over," she replied. "The Watchers' Council will hear about this and make sure any leaks are plugged. Giles will see to that, so I suggest you stop looking for them. And one other thing: you stay away from me. I catch you near me again and you'll find out how well I use my other 'attributes'. Good night, Mr. Nottingham." Dawn walked toward the entrance of the balcony, ready to leave Nottingham to himself.

"You're going home?" he asked.

"That's the idea," she replied.

"To inform your sister, no doubt."

"She'll want to know about this."

"And what do you think she'll do?" he asked pointedly.

Dawn quick gait slowed to a crawl, then stopped. Taking a few seconds to answer she replied, "I don't know."

"Oh, come now, Dawn, we're both intelligent people; let's not insult each other by pretending otherwise. You know exactly what she'll do." He walked around to the front of her. "Allow me to speculate: she'll make sure you don't go anywhere near me or this museum, thus forcing you to give up the internship you so rightfully earned. Then she'll make arrangements to ship you off back to Europe, out of sight and hoping to stall your progress until Sara wakes up and she can write this whole thing off as a bad memory." He smiled. "Am I off the mark?"

Dawn stood speechless.

"She's afraid of you, Dawn."

"She's... concerned. She wants to make sure I'm prepared to handle the Witchblade."

"Is that what she tells you?" Nottingham replied. "She knows you have a kind of power she can never have. And what better way to make you not use it than to tell you the old standard: it's for your own good."

Dawn stood and looked at him silently.

"She wants to contain it, to control it, but she has seen it while you've been on patrol and knows it's too strong to yield to her."

Dawn swallowed nervously and said, "Buffy hasn't exactly taken me on patrol yet, so I'm not sure what she sees about it out there..."

"Really?" Nottingham replied. "A power such as the Witchblade would aid the Slayers greatly and Buffy chooses not to use it. Interesting, wouldn't you say?"

"She's been taking the time to train me, so I won't be a danger or get killed out there."

Nottingham chuckled a bit. "Is that the idea that you comfort yourself with? That sooner or later Buffy will realize what you bring to the table and allow you to help?"

"I've helped out Buffy plenty," Dawn countered. "I've been on patrol with her before."

"As a glorified sidekick. But now you've been placed on the forefront in this war, and it worries her. The Witchblade has played many a pivotal role in the course of history, brought down kingdoms and built up empires. Now it finds itself confined to an old hotel subject to the whims of an anxious Slayer. Such a waste."

Dawn said nothing.

"She's your sister. I understand. You're reluctant to see such ill intentions in her. But the Witchblade chose you, Dawn, giving you a chance to shape history in a way Buffy never could. That always stirs up feelings of jealousy."

"You think my sister is jealous of me?" Dawn asked, unsure of the answer.

"Perhaps," Nottingham replied. "Perhaps not. Either way, she's not letting you patrol for some reason." He paused to let Dawn contemplate that idea. "I can see you're conflicted. Here's my card. Ask your sister tonight to be included on the next patrol. Try to convince her."

"And if she does?"

"Then you throw away the card and never see me again," Nottingham replied. "But if I'm right, meet me at 6:00 p.m. sharp tomorrow at that address."

"For what?"

"To realize your true destiny," he said. "This is a one-time offer, Dawn. Once the door shuts, it will never open again. Think about it." And with that, Dawn was left holding the card as Nottingham left to rejoin the party.

Dawn had taken a few minutes to contemplate Nottingham's words and then rejoined the party, the tenseness of her encounter keeping her from fully engaging in the event. Ten o'clock had come and there was Buffy, waiting outside of the museum in the van. Dawn slowly walked to it and got in. Buffy looked at her sister curiously and asked, "Everything alright?"

Dawn looked at her and replied, "Uh, yeah... yeah, I'm just really tired. Ready to get to bed."

The trip back home was quiet, quieter than Dawn wanted. A part of her wanted to tell Buffy everything that happened, to tell her that Nottingham had arranged for her to come to New York and wear the Witchblade while they were all focused on Amy. She wanted to tell her that he was getting information somehow from leaks through the Watchers' Council. But she couldn't form the words. Nottingham's warnings echoed through her mind. They pulled up to base and went in, Dawn walking upstairs. Giles had just come in as well. Dawn stopped midway and turned to her sister.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah, Dawn?"

"Can I... I mean... I'd really like to patrol with you tomorrow night," Dawn sheepishly said.

"Dawn, we've been through this..." Buffy began to say.

"But I'm ready, Buffy. I know I am. Just give me a chance."

"Dawn, I've already told you: I don't think you're ready for patrol," Buffy replied. "Why don't you give it another couple of weeks? Then we'll talk about it, okay?"

"Okay," Dawn said, letting out a disappointing sigh. As she continued upstairs, Giles approached Buffy.

"Buffy, are you sure about what you're doing? At this rate, she might never patrol."

"That's what I'm hoping for, Giles," Buffy replied. "Look, I don't want to do this, but you don't see the look in her eye when we're training. I haven't seen that look since Faith went through her little episode and it gets a little bit worse every time. Maybe I'll let her patrol with us sometime soon, but for now I want to draw this out as long as I can until Sara wakes up."

"I think you're going about this all wrong," he remarked.

"I know you think that, but we both agreed that you'd follow my lead on this. Is that still the plan?"

Giles looked at Buffy, who looked back at him with a questioning and somewhat hurt look in her eyes. Apparently, the trust issues between them had not gotten fully resolved in Buffy's mind. He wanted that trust back and so replied, "Yes, that's still the plan."

"Good," Buffy tersely replied. As the two parted they did not notice Dawn sitting at the edge of the steps, a hurt look on her face. She had heard everything. She didn't know what hurt more: that her sister didn't trust her or that she was deliberately trying to hold her back. It didn't matter. She would find a way to use the Witchblade, with or without Buffy's help.

Thursday, 7:36 am - 11th Precinct

"Impressive record..." Captain Akins remarked.

"Thank you, sir," the woman replied somewhat anxiously.

"Then it gets 'interesting'," he continued. "I don't like it when things get 'interesting'." He closed the file and looked at the woman in his office. "I'll be honest with you: no one would have bothered looking at your application had it not been for this letter from a Mr. Angel of Wolfram & Hart recommending you for the position and this other letter detailing the circumstances that led to your firing. Some look at this file and see trouble on the horizon. I see a cop who went through some hard times and needed away from the job for awhile. Now, I'm known as a man who doesn't mind giving people second chances, but there are two things that I have never budged on in my career: having people who aren't corrupt and having people who can follow orders. From your record it seems corruption won't be a problem. It's the second part I'm wondering about. If you're going to work in this precinct, I need to know whether or not you can follow direction. If not, the door is right there."

"I can, sir," the woman replied. "I have no problem following direction. Whatever issues I had back then are behind me."

Akins looked at the woman curiously. "Good," he replied, "because I've recommended to the board that you be placed on a six-month probationary period and they've accepted. You do anything that makes me regret that recommendation and I'll see to it the only police job you'll have is a Staten Island dispatch, understand?"

"I understand, Captain Akins."

"Good then. And with that, welcome to the 11th Precinct, Detective Lockley. You start Monday."

"Thank you, sir," she replied as she stood up, shaking the captain's hand. As he walked her out of his office, a familiar voice called out her name.

"Kate?"

She turned and looked to the owner of the voice. "Jake?" she replied.

He walked up to her and hugged her lightly, prompting Danny to look on mild surprise. "It's good to see you. It's been a while. What brings you here?"

"I'm gonna be starting Monday," she said.

"I'm a little surprised you two know each other," Captain Akins remarked.

"Oh, it was, uh, some police seminar in L.A. a few years back," Jake supplied. "Kinda boring, actually."

"That it was," Kate agreed.

"Well, then it makes sense to pair you two up Monday. McCartey here will show you the ropes. I'll see you Monday, Kate."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Then I guess I'll see you Monday, too," Jake said.

"See you, Jake," Kate replied as she smiled and left.

Danny walked up to his partner and said, "You two seemed friendly."

"We went out for drinks once during the seminar," Jake replied. "It was nothing. We were just friends. Besides, she doesn't date cops. Still, though, feels weird having her here."

"Why's that?" Danny asked.

"It's kind of a odd story, man."

"Well, since I'm gonna be working with her, I'd like to know it."

Jake looked at his watch. "I'll tell you on the way."

Thursday, 5:54 pm - Residence of Ian Nottingham

Dawn walked toward the building, its imposing presence standing out in her mind. It wasn't scary or threatening; it just seemed overwhelming, like it would engulf someone such as her. She walked up to the gate and rang the bell. A servant spoke to Dawn over the intercom.

"Mr. Nottingham has been expecting you, Ms. Summers," he said, prompting Dawn's curious and questioning look. The man buzzed her in and then walked up to her.

"Okay," she replied, "color me freaked out a bit." The servant smirked at her.

He escorted her upstairs and down a hallway to the entrance of a room, closed off by two large doors. He opened the left side and motioned for Dawn to go in. Thanking him she went in and saw Nottingham sitting in a chair next to a vigorous fire. She walked toward him, saying, "Mr. Nottingham, I..."

Suddenly she was cut off by the releasing of two arrows from opposite sides of the room, one aimed at her head and the other at her waist. As quickly as they were released, she lifted up her right arm and dropped her left arm. Shielded in metal she blocked the arrow cruising toward her head and caught the one aimed at her waist. Breathing anxiously, shock written over her face, she eyed Nottingham as he rose from his chair, wine glass in hand.

"I think you're ready to begin."