Part 13:
A/N: How to reply to the reviews I've received? OK, I got a few reviews after the last installment from some people who were upset about me using Christ as a figurehead. My intent was not to offend anyone in any way. To make things clear, I write about what I know. And as I'm a Christian, that's what I'm most familiar with as far as religion is concerned. Secondly, this is fan fiction people! Technically, I can do what I want with this plot! Again, if the last chapter offended you, I am sorry; however, I will not just sit by and let people call me what I consider a degrading name. You know who you are and what you said. To those of you with positive comments, thank you! I appreciate those.
Sorry about the long wait. Like I said, I was going to be busy last week, and I really, really was! I didn't have anytime to get on the computer, much less think of a plot…So, this is kind of a scene with all the Watcher's, Immortal and otherwise…
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here that looks familiar...so I don't own anything at all. Except the plot.
As soon as Buffy had exited Giles' room, Merrick rose to his feet, going into the room. This wasn't going to be the easiest thing he had ever had to do, but Rupert needed to know what was going on. The problem with being the active Watcher was that so many things were overlooked. Merrick shut the door behind him, walking to Giles' bedside.
"Hello, old friend." Merrick jumped in surprise. He hadn't expected Giles to be the one to greet him.
"Hello Rupert. How are you feeling?"
Giles grinned a bit wryly. "Bit like a truck ran over me. Did you get the license number by chance?"
" 'Fraid not, old chap." Merrick paused, trying to clear his throat. "I suppose you're wondering what the heck I'm doing here, eh?"
"In a way yes. I, um, seem to remember Buffy telling me something, but as I was in a coma...well..."
Merrick nodded in understanding. "Of course. Rupert, what do you know about Immortals?"
A look of puzzlement seemed to cross over Giles' features, albeit briefly. "Immortals? Well...if I recall, they're rather rare. For the most part, an Immortal isn't evil, unless he is power hungry. Let's see, the only way to kill one is by beheading, and if an Immortal is killed by another, the one left living will receive the other's powers." (That sentence was really bad, sorry! Also, if anyone can provide me with more info about Immortals, I'd be forever grateful!)
The elder Watcher nodded in confirmation. "Precisely. Now what I have to tell you might be a bit shocking, but keep in mind that it was in the best interests of the Slayer."
Giles bristled a bit at this. Anything that was for the good of the Slayer never came of any good at all. "I'm listening," he said through gritted teeth.
"Rupert, I am one of those Immortals." Seeing that Giles hadn't reacted too violently, Merrick felt it safe to continue. "When Buffy saw me die, I didn't actually do so. You see, when a new Slayer is called, I am sent to prepare her for her actual Watcher. The girl's true powers aren't awakened until she has a reason to fight. It's different for every one, but for Buffy it was seeing someone she cared about die. It also prepared her to face death, and loss."
Giles tried to breathe and count to ten...1...2...bloody hell...3...I'm going to kill him...5...and Quentin Travers... "Why," he asked dangerously, "the bloody hell wasn't I told about this?" Giles finally lost his infamous temper, yelling the last part of his question. "Why is it that the bloody Council feels that the Watcher in the thick of things wouldn't be able to handle the truth?"
Merrick had the graciousness to look contrite. "Rupert, I am sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. You weren't told, because the Council knew of your emotional attachment to the Slayer. You would have told her, and we couldn't have Buffy losing her edge. Miss Summers is the best Slayer we have had since Lucy Hanover."
Giles gritted his teeth again, but calmer now. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I suppose if you are the one to tap into the girl's power, I should be grateful. I just wish it didn't have to be done in such a manner."
"Believe me, I understand. Besides that, I hate getting 'killed'." The two Watcher's chuckled at this, then met each other's eyes. "Truce?"
"Of course." Both men looked up as they heard a knock on the door. "Come in," Giles called out.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Giles, how are you feeling?"
"I'm quite well, considering. Thanks for asking Wesley." He paused as Wesley pulled up another chair then began speaking again. "Wesley, you remember Merrick, don't you?"
"Ah yes. The Immortal. Good to see you again sir." Wesley nodded politely, not noticing the look of shock and betrayal on Giles' face.
"Y-You knew?" He sputtered angrily. "They t-told you and they never said a word to me?"
"Well, I-I...um...it isn't my fault Rupert!" Wesley managed to blurt out. "I only knew because the Council tells everyone but the active Watcher. If you had known, and told Buffy, she would've been looking for Merrick around every corner. She would have been unfocused and undisciplined. We couldn't have that. She was already a bit plucky and unpredictably at the time."
Giles was still seething, although he understood the Council's reasoning. I just wish they would trust me. I wonder if the other Watchers went through this frustration? "I understand. Believe me, I'm not happy about it, but I understand."
Merrick turned to the youngest Watcher. "Was there something you needed, Wesley?"
He cleared is throat a bit awkwardly and nodded. "Well, actually, there was. Er, is. In any case, Cordelia had a vision."
"Cordelia?" Merrick looked at his companions in confusion.
"Uh, one of Buffy's friends from high school...Wesley, what in the world did you mean by a vision? I didn't know Cordelia had the gift."
"She didn't until a few months ago. It's a rather long and emotional story, we'll get into that later. Anyhow, in this vision, Cordelia saw Buffy fighting something, and behind her were three beings. They looked human, but she says they were glowing in a golden light. Apparently, they didn't feel menacing or evil, but rather, warm and safe. We were unable to find any information in the library Angel has, but we compiled our knowledge and discovered that there are Angels in Sunnydale. As in the ones you read about in the Bible."
"Angels in Sunnydale..." Merrick scratched his chin thoughtfully. "There must be a reason for it. Something big is coming."
Giles nodded at this. "I'll say something big is coming. Have you heard about Adam?"
The two men shook their heads in confusion.
"It's a rather long story, but important to Cordelia's vision I would say. A while back Buffy began seeing a young man, Riley, involved with what we later learned was the Initiative..."
A/N: I tried to make Giles sound really English this chapter, so I hope it came across. I swear everyone will be coming together soon...I want to keep them separate up until the climax, and who knows when that's going to happen? Also, if you didn't know, Lucy Hanover isn't mine either. She's mentioned in the teaser of the pilot episode "Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest". I'll get the next installment out as soon as I can…until then, please review! No flames please!
A/N: How to reply to the reviews I've received? OK, I got a few reviews after the last installment from some people who were upset about me using Christ as a figurehead. My intent was not to offend anyone in any way. To make things clear, I write about what I know. And as I'm a Christian, that's what I'm most familiar with as far as religion is concerned. Secondly, this is fan fiction people! Technically, I can do what I want with this plot! Again, if the last chapter offended you, I am sorry; however, I will not just sit by and let people call me what I consider a degrading name. You know who you are and what you said. To those of you with positive comments, thank you! I appreciate those.
Sorry about the long wait. Like I said, I was going to be busy last week, and I really, really was! I didn't have anytime to get on the computer, much less think of a plot…So, this is kind of a scene with all the Watcher's, Immortal and otherwise…
Disclaimer: I don't own anything here that looks familiar...so I don't own anything at all. Except the plot.
As soon as Buffy had exited Giles' room, Merrick rose to his feet, going into the room. This wasn't going to be the easiest thing he had ever had to do, but Rupert needed to know what was going on. The problem with being the active Watcher was that so many things were overlooked. Merrick shut the door behind him, walking to Giles' bedside.
"Hello, old friend." Merrick jumped in surprise. He hadn't expected Giles to be the one to greet him.
"Hello Rupert. How are you feeling?"
Giles grinned a bit wryly. "Bit like a truck ran over me. Did you get the license number by chance?"
" 'Fraid not, old chap." Merrick paused, trying to clear his throat. "I suppose you're wondering what the heck I'm doing here, eh?"
"In a way yes. I, um, seem to remember Buffy telling me something, but as I was in a coma...well..."
Merrick nodded in understanding. "Of course. Rupert, what do you know about Immortals?"
A look of puzzlement seemed to cross over Giles' features, albeit briefly. "Immortals? Well...if I recall, they're rather rare. For the most part, an Immortal isn't evil, unless he is power hungry. Let's see, the only way to kill one is by beheading, and if an Immortal is killed by another, the one left living will receive the other's powers." (That sentence was really bad, sorry! Also, if anyone can provide me with more info about Immortals, I'd be forever grateful!)
The elder Watcher nodded in confirmation. "Precisely. Now what I have to tell you might be a bit shocking, but keep in mind that it was in the best interests of the Slayer."
Giles bristled a bit at this. Anything that was for the good of the Slayer never came of any good at all. "I'm listening," he said through gritted teeth.
"Rupert, I am one of those Immortals." Seeing that Giles hadn't reacted too violently, Merrick felt it safe to continue. "When Buffy saw me die, I didn't actually do so. You see, when a new Slayer is called, I am sent to prepare her for her actual Watcher. The girl's true powers aren't awakened until she has a reason to fight. It's different for every one, but for Buffy it was seeing someone she cared about die. It also prepared her to face death, and loss."
Giles tried to breathe and count to ten...1...2...bloody hell...3...I'm going to kill him...5...and Quentin Travers... "Why," he asked dangerously, "the bloody hell wasn't I told about this?" Giles finally lost his infamous temper, yelling the last part of his question. "Why is it that the bloody Council feels that the Watcher in the thick of things wouldn't be able to handle the truth?"
Merrick had the graciousness to look contrite. "Rupert, I am sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. You weren't told, because the Council knew of your emotional attachment to the Slayer. You would have told her, and we couldn't have Buffy losing her edge. Miss Summers is the best Slayer we have had since Lucy Hanover."
Giles gritted his teeth again, but calmer now. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I suppose if you are the one to tap into the girl's power, I should be grateful. I just wish it didn't have to be done in such a manner."
"Believe me, I understand. Besides that, I hate getting 'killed'." The two Watcher's chuckled at this, then met each other's eyes. "Truce?"
"Of course." Both men looked up as they heard a knock on the door. "Come in," Giles called out.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Giles, how are you feeling?"
"I'm quite well, considering. Thanks for asking Wesley." He paused as Wesley pulled up another chair then began speaking again. "Wesley, you remember Merrick, don't you?"
"Ah yes. The Immortal. Good to see you again sir." Wesley nodded politely, not noticing the look of shock and betrayal on Giles' face.
"Y-You knew?" He sputtered angrily. "They t-told you and they never said a word to me?"
"Well, I-I...um...it isn't my fault Rupert!" Wesley managed to blurt out. "I only knew because the Council tells everyone but the active Watcher. If you had known, and told Buffy, she would've been looking for Merrick around every corner. She would have been unfocused and undisciplined. We couldn't have that. She was already a bit plucky and unpredictably at the time."
Giles was still seething, although he understood the Council's reasoning. I just wish they would trust me. I wonder if the other Watchers went through this frustration? "I understand. Believe me, I'm not happy about it, but I understand."
Merrick turned to the youngest Watcher. "Was there something you needed, Wesley?"
He cleared is throat a bit awkwardly and nodded. "Well, actually, there was. Er, is. In any case, Cordelia had a vision."
"Cordelia?" Merrick looked at his companions in confusion.
"Uh, one of Buffy's friends from high school...Wesley, what in the world did you mean by a vision? I didn't know Cordelia had the gift."
"She didn't until a few months ago. It's a rather long and emotional story, we'll get into that later. Anyhow, in this vision, Cordelia saw Buffy fighting something, and behind her were three beings. They looked human, but she says they were glowing in a golden light. Apparently, they didn't feel menacing or evil, but rather, warm and safe. We were unable to find any information in the library Angel has, but we compiled our knowledge and discovered that there are Angels in Sunnydale. As in the ones you read about in the Bible."
"Angels in Sunnydale..." Merrick scratched his chin thoughtfully. "There must be a reason for it. Something big is coming."
Giles nodded at this. "I'll say something big is coming. Have you heard about Adam?"
The two men shook their heads in confusion.
"It's a rather long story, but important to Cordelia's vision I would say. A while back Buffy began seeing a young man, Riley, involved with what we later learned was the Initiative..."
A/N: I tried to make Giles sound really English this chapter, so I hope it came across. I swear everyone will be coming together soon...I want to keep them separate up until the climax, and who knows when that's going to happen? Also, if you didn't know, Lucy Hanover isn't mine either. She's mentioned in the teaser of the pilot episode "Welcome to the Hellmouth/The Harvest". I'll get the next installment out as soon as I can…until then, please review! No flames please!