Chapter 40

Giles pulled up outside Meliá Castilla, the hotel where they would meet the Jentil delegation in the Conference Center. Buffy was pretty sure the demons were staying in the hotel, so she was surprised at what a nice place it was. Part of her still expected demon-friendly places to be sketchy, like they were in Sunnydale. Once the car was handed over to a valet, they stepped into the lobby and spotted Dana Garcia waiting for them by a bank of elevators.

"Hola!" Buffy greeted the other woman, making an effort to seem friendly and non-threatening.

"Hola, Ms. Buffy, Ms. Dawn, Mr. Giles." Dana smiled and nodded at them graciously, her face its usual practiced expression of confidence and empathy. "Are we ready?" Dana led the group up in the elevator to a conference center floor with keyed access. As they headed down the hallways, following the HR woman to their meeting, Buffy realized the floor must have been locked because it was demon-dedicated, or at least demon friendly. She was getting a shit-ton of tinglies, and many of the people she spotted, both meeting attendees and workers, had physical indications of demonic-ness.

Dawn was growing antsy, and Buffy reached out to rub her shoulder. She was always impressed at how strong her sister's demon-detecting powers were. Buffy's had taken at least two years to function optimally, and she knew many of the newly called were still having trouble detecting demons and sensing danger around them. Dawn didn't just sense demons, she sensed other Sineyans and demon-human hybrids, and could generally tell if one meant harm. Buffy and Willow had discussed adding her to the team evaluating Slayers with reports against them, but finally decided against it. Buffy hadn't told Willow Dawn was adjusting to being sixteen again; they hadn't told anyone but Aunt Vin about The Incident. Willow thought they needed bonding-time with William, which was as good a story as any.

The foursome reached a conference room door, and Dana raised her hand to knock when Giles stopped her, "Pardon, Ms. Garcia, if you would be so kind as to wait for a moment while I use the washroom?"

"Ah, yes, please." The woman gestured in the appropriate direction, and Giles stepped away with a nod at the Summers women, noting Buffy's hand still draped over Dawn's shoulder.

"So," Dana smiled at them, "Is there anything I can do to help? Are you nervous, do you need to use the facilities?" She gestured to the side hallway again.

Buffy shook her head, running her hand through Dawn's hair in what she hoped was a soothing motion. "No, I think we're both ready and eager to get started. We'll just wait here with you until Giles is ready to walk in with us."

As she was speaking, the door they were standing in front of opened, leaving the women staring at the chest of a seven-foot tall demon. He wore a long sleeved button-down shirt and pants, but it was obvious that he was covered in blonde hair several inches long, and longer on top of his head and in a ruff along his throat and clavicle. Even his face and hands, where Esme's hair was barely more than thick peach fuzz, had an inch or so of hair. Buffy wondered idly how he managed to eat without getting the hair on his upper lip dirty. She raised her eyes to the Jentil's face, smiled and nodded politely, and urged Dawn to step back and let him walk by.

"Buffy," Dawn leaned close to her ear, "We have to ask what happens if Esme wants to marry a Jentil, or at least date one."

"We have years to worry about that, she's not even three." Buffy murmured.

"Yeah, but what if they don't think she's good enough to date a full-blooded member of their species, but she wants to fit in here? We'll need to prepare her for that, somehow." Dawn chewed on her lip, looking down the hallway at the retreating demon. "I can see why Dad got involved with a Jentil, there's something magnetic about them, isn't there?"

Buffy blinked at Dawn, taking in the heat rising in her face as she watched the Jentil. "Seriously? Are you taking after Xander now, Ms. Demon Magnet?" She smiled and tried to seem casual and jokey about it, but Buffy was internally uneasy. Dawn had already dated a vampire and Marco, The Immortal. She didn't need to be chasing members of some obscure, insular species that wouldn't want her around.

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Chill, Buff, I'm not gonna ask him out. He might not even be participating in the meeting, he's leaving, right? I'm just saying, kind of cute, I get the attraction. That's all."

"Sure, I guess," Buffy murmured, trying to be diplomatic. She very much did not get the attraction. She'd never been a fan of heavy body hair on guys, and she was very much over dating dudes who gave her a crick in the neck.

Giles reemerged and Dana knocked briskly on the conference room door. A Jentil woman in a beautiful flower-embroidered dress answered the door to Dana's knock. "Ongi etorri, Dana. Hauek al dira gure gonbidatuak? Welcome, Dana. Are these our guests?"

Dana bowed low before the woman, "Bai, hau da Buffy eta Dawn Summers, Esmeren ahizpa zaharrak; eta Rupert Giles, Ardurez Kontseiluko Zuzendari Nagusia. Yes, this is Buffy and Dawn Summers, Esme's older sisters; and Rupert Giles, Chief Executive of the Council of Watchers."

The woman smiled in their direction, dipping her head in a large nod or very small bow. Buffy responded with the same gesture, while Dawn and Giles both bowed properly, though not as low as Dana had. "Eskerrik asko, Dana, orain utzi gaitzazu. Thank you, Dana, you can leave us now."

Dana blinked at her, clearly tense but unwilling to argue. Buffy wondered what the shoo-ing motion of the demon's hand meant. Were they being rejected? "Anderea, ez dakite gure hizkuntzan… Ma'am, they don't speak our language…"

The woman waved again, and Dana subsided. "So, this is where I leave you," She said to the three Sineyans. "They do not want me in the meeting. I apologize, I was not aware of this in advance. Please do let me know if I can assist you with anything. I will await your departure out here." She pointed to a lounge area down the hall. Buffy and Giles exchanged a look, and Giles thanked her and sent her on the way.

Once Dana had taken a few steps, the Jentil woman stepped back and waved them into the room silently. Buffy squared her shoulders and stepped in ahead of the others, hoping she'd have time to warn them in case of a trap. Fortunately, the demons gathered were extremely non-threatening. Four were dressed in the caftans their research had called ceremonial Jentil robes, and the rest wore regular clothes. All were covered in hair, although several had shorter or thinner hair on their faces and hands, like Esme. One woman also had thinner hair on her arms, almost like a human, but had hugely bushy eyebrows that blended directly into her head-hair, covering her forehead. As the first woman closed the door behind them, the demons around the table stood to face them, two being assisted to stand by others.

"Lady Sineya," Said one of the elderly-seeming demons in ceremonial robes who was being supported. "We are honored by your presence, great warrior. Please, feel welcomed into the presence of the Council of Jentil Leadership."

"Welcome," Intoned the demons around the table, bowing as one. Buffy noted that the man who'd spoken only nodded, and that the man supporting him bowed only slightly.

Buffy glanced back at Giles, catching a twitch of his lips and slight nod. "Thank you for welcoming me so warmly," Buffy said as she turned back to the table and its occupants. "I am pleased to meet more of the people with whom my youngest sister shares her heritage." She mimicked the slight bow of the younger demon supporting the spokesman. "I thank you also for your willingness to conduct this meeting in my language. We understood that would not be the case." Buffy continued, feeling foolish for the formal language but thinking it was necessary.

"You are our guests," Responded the spokesman. "We would be poor hosts indeed if we were to inconvenience you. Please, sit, and introduce us to your delegation."

The Jentil remained standing, so rather than flop into a chair Buffy turned to the others. "This is my other sister, Dawn Summers. And, this is my Watcher, now the Head of the Council of Slayers and Watchers, Rupert Giles."

The spokesman smiled and nodded at Dawn, then turned his attention to Giles. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, both of you. I am Ekhi Eneko, the Leader of this Council. Mr. Giles, as we have been unable to do so before now, please allow me to extend my congratulations on your election."

"Your good wishes are gratefully received," Giles responded, giving another bow. "I sincerely hope that this meeting will lead to improved relations between our people, and cooperation in the future."

The elderly spokesman smiled, "I am pleased to hear so. We could not extend dialogue until we knew we would not be sharing information with any lower beings. Now that we have communicated with you, we can ensure clear dialogue. Please, please sit," He waved them towards chairs with a wry chuckle, "I am no longer young enough to stand for an extended time and wait you out. I beg you indulge an old man and sit so he is also able."

The Sineyans took their seats, and as they settled Buffy watched the Jentil towards the ends of the table sit at almost the second her rear hit the chair. Those closer to the center moved more slowly, but were also clearly moving to accommodate their leader. Buffy recalled from the Council's files on the Jentil that hospitality and community were really big deals, but not what that actually entailed.

When everyone else was seated, the younger man at his side supported the leader into his chair, making sure he ended up seated first. The older demon sighed as he settled into his seat and turned his attention back to Buffy. "I assume you will wish to discuss changing the situation of my granddaughter before we move along to any business we have with your Council?"

Buffy barely contained her shock at the grandfather comment, then realized she should have known they were related by the surname he shared with Esme's mother. "Yes, if you're alright with that, it would be my preference." Buffy smiled politely, feeling simultaneously annoyed that she was out of her depth with the older man and soothed by the sense that he meant them no harm.

Mr. Eneko nodded. "I know you likely aren't familiar with our culture. We do try to keep information from the humans, so I'm unsure of what the Council has on record. First, I want you to understand that my conflict with Sarabe was not that she married outside our species, but that she insisted on taking only one partner, living alone with him, and isolating the child in a single home."

Buffy blinked and glanced at Giles, taking in the indications that he was also surprised. "I…I'm glad to hear that. Dana told us that you disapproved, and refused to care for Esme after her parents died."

The older demon sighed. "Part of that comes from Esme and the half-truths she told her friend, and part of it is a misunderstanding of our conduct toward the child. She is a lower being, so we did not see fit to explain ourselves to her. You are worthy of an explanation, I believe."

Buffy instinctively bowed her head toward the table in appreciation, and when she looked up the old man was smiling at her. Buffy had an inkling of what Dawn had felt earlier as she absorbed the warmth from Mr. Eneko's eyes and the friendliness in his somewhat pointy smile. Definitely not human, but not threatening or alien either.

The old man cleared his throat and continued. "You may know that Jentil society is based on social interaction to promote understanding. What better way to understand someone you have to work with, than to spend several weeks living in their home? Perhaps you may connect with another member of their household and take them as a partner, or not. This is our way, it has been since before humans even existed. It caused great conflict as Christianity and its rules for human behavior became prevalent in Spain. Many of our people were attacked by humans in that time. This was one of many reasons our ancestors isolated themselves from the lower beings.

"While Sarabe lived among humans she lived according to their ways. When she returned to Spain, she was planning to bring your father into our community. He rejected our hospitality, wishing to remain in human society. As there is no way to honor our traditional child-rearing customs in human society, she was forbidden to procreate. Our children are raised in community; while they have some adults who are primarily responsible for their care and discipline, there are many adults and children around them, and they move from one home to another over time, according to which adults can satisfy their particular needs.

"Sarabe's declaration to her friend that she was having a child against our wishes caused much of the confusion after her death. Ironically, this also partially solved the problem. The group home where she lives is not ideal, but she is safe and well cared for, and she is in contact with many different people. Will you be willing and able to provide Esme with a communal environment, should you take her to the United States with you?"

Buffy blinked, thinking for a moment. "We are going to be living in an apartment, as a family unit. The apartment is faculty housing in a school, the other faculty families in apartments include one with young children, and a couple who will be married in a few weeks and plan to have children. Most of the other families have teenagers. The student body ranges in age from around ten to early twenties at the moment, but that may change over time. The Council is still working to find the best way to deploy our people."

"And this is the place you plan to live while you raise Esme?" Asked another Jentil.

"I'm not certain how long we'll be there, at least a four or five years," Buffy responded. "It may be that in the future I'm needed in Bath or New York or Zanzibar, and we relocate to somewhere with a different living situation."

Mr. Eneko nodded. "That is acceptable for now, as long as you continue to be her primary caregiver and she continues to be raised as part of a community. You will also need to decide on a secondary caregiver for Esme, and bring them before our Council for approval. Will it only be your sister and yourself in your household?"

"Umm, no, I'm seeing someone, and he'll be living with us. We aren't sure if the living arrangement will remain long term, but he is committed to being a…Primary caregiver to Esme, as I am."

"Me, too." Dawn interrupted. "I probably won't be living with Buffy full time for more than a year or two before I start college, but I'm committed to being a caregiver and a supporter to Esme."

"We appreciate your contribution, Ms. Dawn." The younger man seated next to Mr. Eneko, the one who'd helped him sit and stand, acknowledged her, and it was only when he drew Buffy's attention that she realized he'd been taking notes this whole time. "We traditionally only allow Primary and Secondary caregivers who are self-supporting legal adults, but we certainly appreciate that you are part of your sister's household currently, and in that capacity will share in Esme's care."

"Do I understand that you are saying that your boyfriend will continue to assist you in raising your sister, even if you separate?" The elder demon arched a bushy eyebrow at Buffy, who blushed.

"Well…It's a bit difficult to explain, there's history between us going back to before my Dad married Sarabe, when William first became my ally in my Slayer duties. The short answer is that he's always going to be part of Dawn's life, whether he and I are dating or married or just coworkers. He will do the same for Esme." Buffy held in her need to babble and justify Spike to others; these weren't her people, and she wasn't sure what they might approve of or not.

"We will have to meet this young man of yours." Mr. Eneko declared. "Now, how do you plan to educate Esme on her mother's people?"

Buffy shot Giles a look, and he took the opportunity to speak, "In preparing for this meeting, Buffy and I found the Council's records woefully incomplete. We would appreciate the opportunity to learn from your people directly what you wish to share; perhaps we can send researchers along with the family when they come to visit?"

Mr. Eneko smiled again, "Ah, so you do plan on bringing her to visit us?"

"Oh, definitely," Buffy declared. "We're not sure if we can get to you more than once a year, but we're willing to try. And if we can only make it once, we could do it during the summer holiday, and stay for a month or two. We would prefer to have the whole family come, at least for the first few years. I don't like the idea of putting such a young child on a flight by herself. In the US, children generally don't fly alone until they're ten or older."

The older man nodded slowly. "Perhaps we should have you come now and stay with us for a while, before you take Esme away. We can get to know all of you, and you can learn more about our people. You are staying here in Madrid, yes?"

"Yes, we have a house with three other Sineyans, two of whom are Council employees. They are all close friends of the family." Buffy practically bit her tongue trying to stem the flow of words. There was no reason to tell them about William's estate, or the fact that Wesley used to be Faith's watcher.

"And what about this attorney Dana spoke of?" One of the other Jentil asked. "Will you wish to communicate with him while you stay with us?"

"Oh. Our attorney and his fiancée are two of the people staying with us."

"If it helps at all," Giles cut in, "The Council owns a house in Durango, which I believe is not far from where your people live. Perhaps our party can stay in Durango and commute in to meet with you. We really must maintain communications with the outside world, as Buffy and I are co-heads of a large organization, and Tom is also working remotely."

"Or, the three of you who must communicate with the outside world can come and go, while the others stay with us and spend their time learning about our ways," The woman with the sparser hair suggested.

Buffy frowned. "That would split up two couples, and Tom and his fiancée are mated, so I can't make that decision for them. They need to tell me if they can manage to live apart for several weeks without negative effects. Also, they're getting married the first weekend of July, so we'll need to be in LA by then. All of us." Buffy hoped it was clear that they wanted Esme at the wedding as part of the family. "William was injured and is still recovering. He has a wheelchair and other mobility aides, and has been seeing physical therapists. Do you have someone in your community who can assist with exercises and stuff, or would he have to see someone in Durango?"

"We have multiple physical therapists in our home community, and other members of our species working in the field in other locations." Mr. Eneko turned to the younger man who'd been taking notes. "Why don't we make some inquiries into who might be willing to host members of the Sineyan group. There are five adults and two children…"

"Six adults." Buffy interjected. "I'm sure Dawn would argue her status, but if you consider her a child there are six adults."

The note-taking demon nodded at Buffy, "I'd appreciate getting the names from you before you leave today, so we can prepare accommodations. We will assume that your entire group stays with us, and you use the Council of Watcher's property for communications with your workplaces, unless this becomes prohibitive and someone must move to Durango."

Buffy nodded, "That is acceptable."

"Now!" Mr. Eneko slapped his hands on the tabletop. "Now, Mr. Giles, shall we turn out focus to creating a limited treaty of cooperation between our organizations?"

Giles nodded, "Yes, of course. As we are already committed to peaceful relations, you may begin by making any requests or restrictions you would like."

Buffy winced internally, thinking that Giles was being too generous, but she did her best to let him lead this part of the meeting. He could use a strategic challenge that didn't feel like the fate of thousands of Sineyans rested on him.