Disclaimer: Joss owns ‘em, I just play.

Author’s Note: Beta’d by BTL *huggles*
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Chapter 12: Warnings

“Nate? As in former husband, Nate?“ whispered Willow to Tara as the whole group gawked at the watcher at the door.

“Nice to see you again, Buffy,“ came Nate’s polite reply.

Buffy moved aside from the open doorway to let in Nate, ignoring the soft growl from Spike and the stares from her friends.

“Well, this is awkward,” noted Anya as no one said anything.

“Why is it awkward?” asked Molly, wanting to know what was going on.

“Nate is...” started Anya but was thankfully interrupted by Giles.

“...the watcher that sorted out the details of Buffy’s Council contract,” supplied Giles.

“And that makes it awkward?” asked Molly looking between Buffy and Spike.

“Just take my word for it,” offered Anya with a condescending pat on the slayer’s head.

“How about we get you all settled in?” asked Buffy nervously, clapping her hands together. “Spike, don’t eat him,” she tossed back as she lead Molly up to her room.

By the time Buffy had returned to the main floor, the Scoobies had offered Nathaniel Bradford some tea, and were making small talk.

At seeing her, Nate put down his teacup and stood. “Buffy, I don’t wish to intrude on your household. I merely stayed to remind Molly about our scheduled training sessions and to be a polite guest in your home. Here is my address and phone number should you have information for me, or wish to get in touch.”

Buffy took the offered slip of paper and examined it carefully. Then she looked back at the watcher with a curious eye.

“Scheduled training sessions?”

“Right, everyday after her school day is terminated. I require only two hours a night and five each weekend. Any other training you think Molly needs is at your discretion, however I must warn you that I will be inquiring into the details of each session as part of Molly’s time with me.”

“Sounds like a custody agreement,” muttered Buffy.

“In essence,” agreed Nate. “And I would request that I be included in any meetings or research you conduct that will effect Molly’s slayer duties. It is my right as her watcher.”

“Did he turn into Wesley when we weren’t looking?” asked Xander.

“Xander, do shut up,” ordered Giles stepping towards the other watcher. “I think it’s entirely reasonable to be kept apprised of situations that may arise.”

Nate dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you Mr. Giles.”

“Of course, if you bugger up the routine Buffy and her friends have here in Sunnydale, God help your sorry arse,” he finished with almost a Ripper like smile.

Buffy snickered from behind her hand at Giles’ comment.

“Yes, well, I have things to unpack at my flat. I trust I will see you tomorrow, Molly?” he asked his charge.

The teen nodded at once. Satisfied that he was leaving his charge in good hands, Nate headed out the door and to his car.

Buffy shut the door behind her former husband and glared at Xander.

“He’s gonna think we all hate him,” she accused the carpenter.

“Some of us do, pet,” muttered Spike, taking off upstairs.

“You don’t hate him! You just don’ t know him,” she countered softly.

“I agree with Buffy,” stated Giles. “The last time he was here we all believed he was going to contract Buffy to do the Council’s bidding. We all suspected him of something untoward. I believe we should give him the benefit of the doubt in this case. He may yet prove to be a great asset.”

“Or he could turn out to be like Gwendolyn Post,” countered Willow.

“Or a Wesley,” added Xander.

“No!” protested Buffy. “I know him. He’s not an evil watcher dedicated to unfashionable handware, and he’s not a bumbling fool. He’s a sweet man who works hard and really wants to help save the world.”

“That was in the future where you were married to him Buffy,” piped up Tara. “Who knows what happens to him now because he’s not married to you?”

“Wait, hold on...You were married to my watcher?” asked Molly still standing off to the side. “When?”

Buffy cringed. She had forgotten Molly’s presence in the kitchen. Slowly she turned to the Slayer and smiled. “It’s a really long story. I’ll tell it to you, just don’t tell him. ‘Cause if it’s not awkward now, it’ll be way uncomfortable if he knows.”

Wide eyed, Molly nodded, eager to learn something so intimate about the Slayer she’d been told was the greatest Slayer ever. She’d lived long enough to retire.
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There was a girl in the living room when Andrew returned home. A girl! A not Dawn girl! His heart went pitter-patter as he walked through the room to her spot on the comfy chair reading a book, her headphones basting something British and punk.

He cleared his throat.

But she didn’t hear him. Completely engrossed in her book, Molly didn’t noticed Andrew until he kicked her foot gently. She wasn’t expecting it at all. She was up off the chair and in a fighting stance, a reaction that Mr. Bradford had been drilling into her head since she met him. She pulled off her headphones.

“Whoa, back off!” Andrew nearly screamed. Taking a few breaths to compose himself from his near death experience he continued. “Uh, I just wanted to say, uh, hello and welcome to the Summers/Darlington/Wells residence. Welcome. I am Andrew, I live in the basement.”

“Oh. I’m Molly,” she greeted with a little wave of her hand.

Oh, she’s British! thought Andrew, his head cocking to the side as he contemplated the slayer.

“Didn’t you used to be in jail?” Molly asked.

“My life of crime is over,” Andrew explained with a whistful look. “I prefer to work for the forces of good, now.”

“Right, well it was nice meeting you,” concluded Molly, positioning herself on the chair once again, and opening up her book.

Andrew was about to open his mouth to say something else, make some sort of small talk, when the front door opened again, and in walked Dawn.

Both Molly and Andrew’s head turned as Dawn strolled into the living room.

“Not a word,” she started, looking directly at Andrew. She turned to Molly and smiled over sweetly. “You must be Molly.”

Molly nodded and offered a hand to Dawn. “You must be Dawn.”

Dawn shook the slayer’s hand quickly and stepped away. “That’s me. The Watcher’s Council got a file on me now too?”

“No. I didn’t read a file on you. My watcher told me about you, and your sister, she explained you were out on a date.”

“How did the date with Mister Soldier man go?” asked Andrew bitterly.

“None of your business Andrew,” muttered Dawn.

“He’s just using you. You’ll get hurt in the end. You know how the future’s supposed to end,” he said majestically.

“Andrew, enough. Why can’t you just let me be happy? Maybe it won’t work. Maybe he is going to turn me over to his evil government bosses. But you know what? He’s dreamy and he likes me. And I like him. I’ve got my whole life before I let you inseminate me!” Dawn took off out of the living room and up to her room.

“You have to forgive her,” noted Andrew to Molly once Dawn was safely up the stairs. “She doesn’t take the truth well.”

“You are supposed to inseminate her?”
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Buffy stalked out of her bedroom, having given up trying to reason with a sulking vampire, to get the dirt about Dawn’s date with Graham. She leaned against the doorframe and smiled at Dawn’s frustrated ‘grr’s.

“Andrew?” questioned Buffy.

“Andrew,” agreed Dawn.

“So, spill already. Graham, the tall, dark, and handsome. I want details,” ordered Buffy with a smile.

“He’s dreamy. Dreamy and in a uniform. He has a formal dinner he has to go to next week, and he promised he’d stop by just so that I can see him in his dress uniform. I’m in that drooly place just thinking about it.”

“He’s not taking you to the formal dinner as his date?” asked Buffy with an eyebrow raised.

“Oh even I agree it’s too early for that,” Dawn answered.

“There’s a someday attached to that?” Buffy probed.

“I hope so. I mean, we’ve had coffee, ice cream and innocent smoochies, and I know I’m too young, blah blah. He’s really nice though. This isn’t an RJ kind of thing, so don’t you go all high and mighty on me.”

“Oh I believe you,” said Buffy nodding. “Man in uniform, high on the hottie meter. I did have my phase with the species once you know.”

“And now you are back to the classics, bad, leather, and undead.”

“Forever to stay,” noted Buffy looking at her engagement ring. “Dawn. I want you to be careful. I know that I’ve said this before, and I do worry about you. You don’t know why Graham is in town. The last time he was here...”

“The last time he was here,” Dawn took up Buffy’s sentence, “there was death and chaos and a Frankenstein named Adam. I get it. It didn’t stop you from hooking up with the hot, tall, and studly.”

“True,” Buffy agreed smiling. “I’m happy you are happy.”

“Thanks,” said Dawn smiling up at her sister. “I just wish Andrew could be happy for me.”

“He’ll get over it. He’s your friend Dawn. And who knows, maybe he and Molly will hit it off.”

“Over my glowy green body!”
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Molly was introduced to the wonderfulness that was Sunnydale High the next day by Dawn. Dawn was a year ahead, so she had to leave the girl to her own devices but she met up with the slayer at lunch.

So did Buffy.

The two girls looked up from their lunch table in the cafeteria to see Buffy walking towards them.

“Buffy!” Dawn hissed, embarrassed that anyone she knew had seen her sister. “What are you doing here?”

Buffy smiled pleasantly, ignoring Dawn’s ire. “I forgot to give Molly her new cell phone. You got one when you started at this pit of death, Molly gets one too.”

“Thank you Buffy,” whispered Molly thankfully, taking the offered phone.

“So you are going now?” Dawn more ordered than asked.

“Yep, I’ve got a class in a half hour. Dull and boring but it must be attended. Stupid participation marks. See you at home.” Buffy turned to leave only to be faced with Robin Wood walking towards her.

“Great,” muttered Buffy, looking for another escape route.

It was too late though. The Principal had spotted her. “Miss Summers,” he greeted coolly. “What brings you to Sunnydale High?”

“Just dropping off something for Molly,” she said with a smile.

“Oh yes, our newest student. Direct from London, England. Tell me, Molly is it? Molly just why would you be here in Sunnydale when there are so many good schools in England? Your files say that your parents are still alive... Yet Miss Summers here seems to be your legal guardian.”

“It’s all very complicated and not something to be discussed in the cafeteria,” Buffy observed, her face losing the smile she so recently sported.

“Very well, we can discuss it in my office,” noted Robin, turning and indicating that he wanted the trio of girls to follow him.
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Buffy breathed nervously as she thought about the story she was going to tell the principal.

“Molly is a potential slayer,” stated Robin right away. “I won’t have her disrupting my school with her training. She either attends like a normal student or she will be expelled. No special treatment.”

“Is this what Snyder was like?” asked Dawn in hushed tones to her sister.

Buffy nodded her head.

Molly made to speak, but Buffy put her hand on Molly’s shoulder and made her rethink what she was going to say.

“Is that all?” asked Buffy.

“For now,” Robin said, shuffling some papers.

The three girls thanked their lucky stars as they left the principal’s office.

“Maybe threatening the principal at the beginning of the year wasn’t such a smart move, huh, Buffy?” stated Dawn, annoyed.
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tbc...