Buffy looked startled and a little apprehensive at her question, and Maggie sat back, feeling self-satisfied. This girl might be the Slayer, but one girl could not possibly compete with the sheer numbers the Initiative was able to capture or kill. Looking at her as she waited for her response, Maggie wondered if she really was the Slayer, or just a girl with a few martial arts skills, a little luck, and a besotted boyfriend by the name of Agent Finn.

Buffy considered her response carefully. She didn't want to boast, and she definitely didn't want to take away from Riley's honest pride in the numbers of demons he had captured. The male ego was so fragile. She sighed to herself, then decided she may as well get it over with.

"Seven, maybe nine..." Buffy began, only to be cut off by Professor Walsh.

Maggie said, "Well, that's quite an impressive number..."

She was cut off in turn by Buffy, who said in a small voice, ..."hundred."

Riley's hand abruptly dropped from the back of Buffy's chair, and he sank down in the chair behind him. Maggie sat forward sharply, shocked.

"Seven to nine hundred?" she barked. Surely the girl was exaggerating, she must be.

"Well, I've never really bothered to keep count, and sometimes in fights when a bunch are attacking at once, it's hard to remember afterward...but that sounds like a pretty close guess." Buffy was somewhat surprised to realize her body count had been that high, too.

"You should probably ask my Watcher," Buffy suggested in a rush. "He keeps a journal diary of all encounters with demonic entities, he could give you more detail. I usually report to him after a fight, then...try to forget about it." Buffy leaned back and closed her eyes, thinking of the nightmare re-creations she sometimes experienced after a battle. A mind might be a terrible thing to waste, she smirked to herself wearily, but there were times when she wished hers would just shut up!

"What...is a Watcher?" Maggie asked faintly, trying to comprehend the staggering numbers of demons Buffy had faced in her young life. Professor Walsh hadn't realized there were so many Hostiles in Sunnydale. Or had been.

Buffy explained the Watcher/Slayer relationship, leaving out her rebellion from the Watcher's Council.

"And the Hellmouth? What is that, exactly?" Riley questioned. "You mentioned that last night when we fought that demon, you told me...'Don't let it jump into the Hellmouth, or we're done for'."

Maggie had wondered that herself after reading Agent Finn's report from the previous evening.

"The Hellmouth is a portal from our world into the demon realm," Buffy replied. "It's the reason there are so many demons present in Sunnydale. They tend to be drawn toward sources of dark power, and more than one of my fights has been because a group of demons decided to try to let Hell onto Earth via the Hellmouth. That's what last night's group was up to."

Professor Walsh leaned forward, intrigued. "So, this Hellmouth allows demons to pass back and forth?"

"Actually, most of them come and go without the Hellmouth. But, if the Hellmouth was ever successfully opened," Buffy paused, shuddering at the thought, "the demons that are here would look like a bunch of groupies for the main event. The Hellmouth would bring Armageddon to us."

"I definitely would like to meet your Watcher," Maggie stated emphatically, looking at Buffy with deep respect now, instead of the stinging condescension she had shown earlier. "Now, would you mind telling me about a few of your adventures? I'm interested in your methods, they're obviously very effective."

Maggie looked up at the sound of a knock on her office door. "Come in," she called, continuing to straighten her desk. Buffy's and her Watcher were supposed to be here momentarily, and she wanted to make a good first impression on him. Her future cooperation with the Initiative was dependant on the blessings of her Watcher, Buffy had told her.

The door opened and Maggie walked forward to greet Buffy. She saw a man behind her, waiting for Buffy to clear the doorway, so Maggie drew Buffy forward out of the way. After shaking her hand, she looked up, and groaned in dismay. It was the English librarian she had talked to the other day, Mr. Giles. This was her Watcher?

Maggie greeted him with outward composure, noticing his frosty attitude toward her. She wasn't surprised; quickly reviewing her conversation with him about Buffy, she could think of at least 10 things she had said that would have been insulting and offensive to him. Her 'lack of a strong father figure' comment was first on the list.

His easy-going attitude about Buffy's lack of discipline in the academic area came back to haunt her now. Of course he would have said what he did, his job was to help her save the world, not ensure she finished her math homework every night. He had kept her alive for over three years, that spoke of a strong-willed individual. Maggie could already tell that keeping Buffy on the straight and narrow was almost impossible.

"Hello, Professor Walsh," Giles said coldly, taking a seat next to Buffy. Buffy leaned over and squeezed his arm in warning. She knew Giles did not like Maggie, hated her in fact, but he had agreed to meet with her for Buffy's sake.

Professor Walsh decided an apology would be of no help here. Nonetheless, she attempted to smooth over the situation. "Mr. Giles, forgive my somewhat brusque attitude with you the other day. Had I any idea to whom I was speaking..." she trailed off, knowing that she wasn't helping matters.

"That is neither here nor there," replied Giles, unable to give her the satisfaction of his forgiveness. "What is of concern to me is Buffy's involvement with your organization. Ethan Rayne, while being an untrustworthy source at best," he glanced at Buffy, then continued, "has told me some disturbing things about what your project is stirring up in the demon realm. Does '314' mean anything to you?" he questioned, noting her start of shock.

"I'm sorry, I'm unable to discuss the specifics of my project with you, confidentiality is mandated by the military in this matter," Maggie replied, sweating inside. How had this Ethan Rayne heard of Project 314?

"Whether or not you can discuss it is beside the point. I'm telling you this to warn you. The demon world is upset and angered by your activities. I would watch my back very carefully if I were you," Giles responded. "And I'm not going to allow Buffy to get dragged into your problems through association with you."

Maggie couldn't help but admire his protective attitude toward Buffy, but her project was too important to abandon. She would just have to keep Buffy away from that aspect of the Initiative. She nodded to Giles. "I understand your position, and I appreciate the warning. Buffy doesn't have to have anything to do with the goals of the Initiative, but I was hoping she, and perhaps you, would be willing to assist us in some of the captures and research."

She waited while Giles rose to his feet and began pacing, head lowered in thought. Buffy sat quietly, leaving this decision to Giles. She knew that her bond with Giles was too strong to abandon if he chose to deny Walsh's request.

"Alright," Giles finally agreed reluctantly. "Buffy and I will assist you, though not on a regular basis. I believe she has enough to deal with in her normal duties to add any more. However, should I feel, at any time, your activities are interfering with the duties of the Slayer, our cooperation is over. "

Maggie agreed. It was more than she had hoped for from this man. She was really going to have to learn to stop analyzing people without all the facts.

Giles was the strongest father figure she had ever met.