Chapter 18

I realize FF.Net is down so I'm flying solo on this one. I really hoped you all liked the last chapter.!

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Preview: The group discusses Cordelia and a new Watcher arrives. She's a bit of a mystery but she could hold the key to many things. Including Gunns heartstrings.

The group, minus Cordelia and Angel sat around in the new Council headquarters. The Slayers were sitting with the Watchers and all seemed to be getting along. The group listened intently to Willow explain about Cordelia being a full demon and attacking Buffy and Dawn.

"So what do we do?" Xander asked quietly after Willow was finished.

"I just can't believe it." Fred said sadly "I can't believe we didn't notice."

"There was no way you could have known." Giles said comfortingly

"So any suggestions?" Gunn asked.

"Not a lot I'm afraid" Giles answered "Willow is correct.To try to remove the demon now could, and most likely would, either send Cordelia back into a coma or kill her."

One of the Watchers spoke up "There was once an instance of this about three years ago I believe. A young girls human self was overpowered by the demon half inside her."

Wesley looked up "How was it dealt with?" He asked.

"I'm afraid it didn't go well." The Watcher said "The girl wasn't strong enough to reclaim her human side.She is still comatosed as far as I know."

"Man, this is really bad." Xander stated.

"Well if the Powers gave her the demon in the first place shouldn't they be helping?" Faith asked.

"It's possible they did." Wesley said "Cordelia may have not wanted their help."

"I called our research team." Fred piped up "They have nothing on this sort of thing. Not even a mention."

"Well the wouldn't." Another Watcher said. "These cases were usually kept secret. Most of the Council members weren't even aware of them."

"Them?" Buffy asked. "This has happened more than twice?"

"According to rumors inside the Council, yes." He continued. "One of our members was studying it supposedly.She had apparantly come up with something before the Council was blown up. Of course that was just a rumor."

"Who was the Council member?" Giles asked curiously.

"A young girl, new to the Council." The Watcher replyed "I didn't know much about her. I heard she wasn't the typical Watcher though. Travers hated her, he called her an abomination when the Council decided to hire her.What was her name?" He thought for a minute "It was quite different, I remember that. Oh! I know. Emerald. That was her first name." He finished proudly.

"Emerald?" The Watcher Felice asked, "Emerald St James?"

"Why yes that was it. Shame she died in the Council I must say." The watcher said mournfully "I heard she was quite beautiful. Why do you ask?"

"Because!" Felice exclaimed "She didn't die in the Council. She is on her way here. I talked to her two days ago."

"She's alive?" Wesley asked "That IS good news. Perhaps she can help."

Giles was quiet. He had a stunned look on his face and appeared to be thinking hard about something. Buffy was the first to notice.

"Giles?" She asked directing his attention to her. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, fine" He said softly before asking Felice, "You say her name is Emerald?"

"Yes Mr Giles, we went through Eton together. She was my roomate for 3 months."

"Does she perhaps have red hair and a tattoo of a half moon on her lower back?" Giles asked carefully.

"Why yes she does." Felice said surprised. "We always teased her about the tattoo making her a rebel Watcher. How did you know that?"

"An old friend of mine had the same." He said remotely. "It is the mark of their family. She once said she was going to have a daughter with emerald eyes and that would be her name."

Buffy and the rest of the group stared at Giles as he appeared lost in the past.

"Some of the Council members, Travers included, were petrified of her." Giles coninued. "They were convinced the woman was a danger to the Council. It was a lie of course, she would have never hurt a soul. They were just intimidated of a woman with more power than them. She was found dead in her home. I heard a rumor that she was in danger and tried to find out what was happening. When I went to her home, too late as it turned out, the neighbors said she had a child, a girl, but she seemed to have vanished."

"Vanished?" Kennedy asked "Vanished to where?"

"No one knew. Some of the Council members, the ones who arranged the death I'm sure, were enraged. They searched for the child until suddenly one day the search was stopped for no apparant reason. There were rumors of course why the search was stopped but nothing ever proven. Finally after about 13 years a friend of mine told me that the mother, she was a bit of a witch, saw what was going to happen to her and gave the child to a powerful coven in the remotest part of Scotland to be raised. I wanted to find her of course, but I feared the Council hurting her. I did find out that she quite a happy little girl and the mirror image of her mother, tattoo included. I heard she was quite a bit more powerful than her mother too. I expect the coven did that."

"After what the Council did to her mother why would she become a Watcher?" Andrew asked.

" I was always under the impression that Emerald was a bit of a reformer." Felice said. "Also, thinking back, I think Travers was scared of her."

"Where was her father in all of this?" Lorne asked.

"Yeah it wasn't you was it Giles?" Buffy asked only half joking.

"What? Oh no it wasn't me." he chuckled "She was beautiful and sweet but not interested in me I'm afraid.Actually I don't know who the father was. I was out of touch for a few years while this was happening."

"She never mentioned a father to me." Felice said "But I really didn't know her too well."

"Well there was kind of good news for her with the Council blowing up." Faith said "She won't have to worry about Travers trying to repeat history." when the Watchers all stared at her, she said

"What? I was looking for a bright side."

Right then the door opened revealing a woman, not to much older than Buffy. She was striking with bright red hair and green eyes. The men in the room just stared and Gunn thought for a minute he swallowed his tongue.

"Ahh Emerald," Felice said "Good timing I must say. We were just talking about you."

Emrald smiled at Felice warmly before saying "It doesn't have anything to do with that girl being taken over by her demon half does it?"

The group was stunned. Finally Fred asked "Are you some kind if seer?"

"Oh no." She said chuckling "The vampire told me when I went to the address Felice gave me."

"Oh dear!" Felice said in horror "I'm so sorry! The move here was quite sudden."

"Please don't worry about it." She assured the embarrased Watcher.

"Do you think you can help her." Lorne asked.

Emerald sighed "I honestly hope so. The demon is quite well planted all through her human half though."

Gunn realized she was still standing "Oh man you must be tired and we bombard you the minute you walk in.Sorry"

The group quickly found her a place to sit and offered something to drink. After the settling in the introductions were made. Things went smoothly untill she was introduced to Buffy. When they shook hands a jolt went through the woman and she hit her knees in pain.

"Oh my God." Buffy said backing away "What did I do?"

"Nothing, " Emerald assured her as she was helped up by Gunn "Please don't be alarmed. "I have a, gift you might say, of feeling what others have felt. I sometimes have trouble turning it off. I'm sorry."

Willow looked amazed

"You can really feel what others have felt?"

"Yes sometimes I can transfer things into myself like if a child has a broken arm I can transfer some of the pain to myself to spare the child. I'm so sorry" she said to Buffy

"No it's fine. Really" she assured her.

"I do have a suggestion of a way to find out how to help the woman. Cordelia isn't it?" Emerald asked.

"Yes it's Cordelia. And how?" Dawn asked.

"there's a place of energy in this city that leds to a place to confur with the Powers." Emerald said "I read about it not long ago in Darmings book."

"Mystical Energy and Power Souces?" Wesley asked. "I ordered it but haven't recieved it yet."

"I have it in my things. Perhaps you could look and see if you know where the location is?" Emerald asked him "I'm afraid when it comes to America I'm lost."

Wesley and the rest of the Watchers practically ran to find the book and the rest of the group, Emerald included, all chuckled.

"Man have you ever seen Watchers move so fast?" Faith said dryly.

"I think I'm going to like LA?" Emerald commented.

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OK kinda a pointless chapter but it will play a part in what comes up. Next up. Wesley, Buffy and some others patrol. Buffy see's the Wesley she hardly knows and they run into an old Sunnydale chum.