Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Panzer et al. They are being borrowed and returned hopefully in about the shape they were taken in. Jeff, Emmy, and just about everyone else, belong to me. You can use them if you like, just return them please.

Chapter 2

It had been three days since Emmy had her bike brought over to Rick's to have it repaired. Jeff had taken her out for coffee twice; he was planning to do so again today. Jeff wasn't sure how he felt about Emmy. He was sure, other than finding her extremely attractive, that he wasn't "into" her. Besides, his career as a Watcher—even the specialized kind that he was—would be over if he started "dating" an immortal. That was considered crossing the line. Coffee was safe. Getting coffee was something you could do with your college roommate, a professor, or the newspaper delivery boy. Okay, maybe not the newspaper delivery boy…but still, it was in the friends' zone, even if Eddie Izzard disagreed*.

Jeff had decided to meet Emmy at Rick's today. It was a good plan for two reasons. First, Emmy worked closer to the shop than to the paper. Second—and this was Jeff's favorite reason—he knew it would piss off Rick. It was gratifying to hear Rick swear as he looked up. "Seriously?" his friend said, with irritation, as he exited his office.

Jeff watched as Rick strode confidently toward Emerald Wallace. As he drew near to Emmy and began to speak, Jeff slipped from the office to butt into the conversation.

"Ms. Wallace, what an unexpected surprise. I thought I made it clear that your bike would be here for a while." Rick's demeanor seemed to Jeff, only slightly less hostile than it had been the first time the two had spoken.

"Oh, she's not here about the bike, Rick. I asked her to meet me here because it was closer to our destination than her workplace, or you know, mine." Jeff told this to Rick as he slapped him affectionately on the shoulder and then stepped past him, grinning at Emmy. He put out his arm for her—as if he were an escort—and she took it. The smile on her face told Jeff she was amused by his stunt.

"Wait," Rick began, looking confused, "where are you two going exactly?"

Jeff shrugged. "Out for coffee again. I'm taking Emmy to all the best places in town. As you know, I use caffeine as fuel for both jobs, which makes me an expert on the brew."

The look on Rick's face momentarily turned to shock, but quickly melted back into indifference. "Right, well, have fun then, kids."

"We always do," Emmy said, speaking for the first time since she'd arrived. "Don't work too hard, Mr. Cloud."

Jeff and Emmy strode out the door arm in arm. Jeff knew he should be a little more worried: after all, Emmy was an immortal…which meant she had a Watcher. Still, when an immortal suddenly moved to a new location, it usually took a while before the Watcher was able to follow. Assigning a new Watcher, if the current one couldn't or wouldn't move, took even longer. Jeff had a feeling he was in the clear—for a few more days, at least—and it had been so fun to bother Rick. The aftermath might be a bit of a windstorm, but Jeff was good at handling his immortal.

The coffee date with Emmy had gone off smoothly. The thing about coffee dates with Emmy was they always seemed to be fluff conversations. Jeff felt comfortable with her. It was as if he had known her his whole life. They talked about nothing and everything because they felt safe sharing opinions with each other. The only thing wrong with their conversations was that they were always tiptoeing around secrets. Jeff knew that about Emmy; he was almost positive she knew it about him. Even so, it made life feel a little easier than it had felt a week ago.

Seven days. That's how long Casey Anderson had been missing. Most missing persons cases were solved in the first 48 hours, or not at all. Jeff had told himself that he wasn't going to think about that. He could solve this case, back-up or no back-up.

His anxiety over Casey was the reason he was annoyed about the late night meeting with Ms. Green at the paper. What could the woman possibly want after regular business hours? He couldn't make even the morning addition with anything this late. Still, she had been determined to see him—which was cutting into his continued search for Casey—and putting Jeff in a foul mood.

He tapped lightly on the open office door and waited for the 'dragon lady' to look up. "You wanted to see me Ms. Green?"

"Yes, Jeff. Come inside and close the door," Ms. Green said, as she finished marking the page in front of her.

Jeff followed instructions and took a seat across from the grumpy older woman.

She looked up at him and said, "Jeff, I already know that I don't have much time left here at the paper. Another five to seven years and my eyesight will be shot, my hands will be shaky, and I will probably start thinking a cat stuck in a tree is news. I've come to a decision: I want you to replace me."

Jeff was absolutely stunned. He wasn't even a full time employee of the paper. He was a photographer, who wrote short articles, now and then, for a little extra cash. "Uh, Ms. Green, I don't know what to say."

Ms. Green smiled. It made her look like the receptionist of Monster's Inc. "Of course you don't," she said. "Your gratitude is touching. Let me make a few things clear. In order for the paper to even consider you for this position you have to get your master's degree, which, I've noticed, you are lacking. That could take you up to four years. Then, for the next year, you will shadow me. That way you can learn my job and seamlessly take over as I retire." She leaned back in her chair, but only a little, to let Jeff know she expected a reply.

Jeff, however, was the most stunned he'd ever been in his life. This was a chance of a lifetime. He should be thrilled. The only thing he felt was dread. "I guess I'll start studying for the GRE." It was the only thing he could think to say, even if it wasn't really what he wanted. 'As soon as Casey is safely back in her mother's arms.' He added to himself.

"Excellent choice Jeff, I look forward to seeing you grow as a journalist." Ms. Green turned back to her news print, signaling to Jeff that this was the end of the interview.

Jeff walked out of the office still feeling a bit numb. Stacy, Ms. Green secretary, accosted him as he was leaving. "Did she ask you?"

Jeff wouldn't exactly call it asking, but replied anyway. "Yeah she did. Looks like more school for me."

"You're so lucky. It's such a great honor! You know, you're the only person she's even mentioned for this position." Stacy hugged him. "I just know you'll do great!"

"Thanks," Jeff replied, feeling himself slipping down the rabbit hole. It had already been a crazy week. He hoped nothing else would happen.

Rick stalked back and forth across his living room. He wasn't normally a pacer, but this situation called for pacing. It was all Jeff's fault, anyway. Everything explosive in his life right now was Jeff's fault: the Casey Anderson case; the fact that he was a detective at all; and, of course, his main reason for pacing—Emerald Wallace.

It had been 11 days since she'd walked into his office with her stupid bike. How had his world turned upside down so quickly? He had no idea what it was about her that got under his skin. Her presence drove him crazy like no other immortal he'd ever known. There were other immortals in the area… He'd even talked to them on occasion. None of them had the same effect on him as she'd had. There was something about Emerald…

Well, for one thing, she was beautiful. Drop-dead gorgeous came to mind when he thought of her. Perfect curves, just the right color of olive skin, and those green eyes that made you think of a cat stalking its prey.

Nothing he said or did upset Emerald. She was impervious to sarcasm, hostility, and snide remarks. He'd thought that after she left with her bike today he'd be done with her. That would've made him happy. He knew it wasn't to be. Jeff wanted to continue his ongoing friendship with the woman. He'd made that pretty clear in their conversation this morning.

"Did you know Emerald was a thief like Amanda?" Jeff had asked him.

"I was a thief once too, you know," Rick replied, rolling his eyes.

"No, you were a teenage crook. 'Thieving' is what masters do," Jeff retorted.

"Did she tell you this, or did you finally look up her chronicle and find out who her Watcher is?" Rick asked.

"She told me. She implied it was when she was 'younger.'" Jeff actually held up air quotes. "I seriously wish I could just tell her… I mean, at least that I know about immortals. It would make our conversations so much easier."

"Well, I'm glad you can't. Your job is to watch me, remember, and I want nothing to do with her. I can't even understand why you're dating her. You know it can't go anywhere, and as soon as her Watcher gets here, there's going to be trouble. Her bike's out of the shop now. Let her find her own damn places for coffee." Rick knew he sounded jealous, but he was frustrated with the turn of his best friend's loyalty.

"Okay," Jeff said. "One, I'm not dating her. Two, even if her Watcher does come down here, so long as I keep my oath, I'll be fine. What is your problem with her, anyway? She's really nice Rick, if you'd just open your eyes and see it. It's not like she's after your head. So what is bothering you?" Jeff's tone told Rick he (Jeff) was frustrated, too.

Rick never got a chance to answer, as Jeff's cell phone went off right then. He held up a hand for Rick to stay silent.

"Hello," Jeff said, then listened for a few beats before replying to the caller, "Guess I'll get my camera and head over, then." He closed the phone and looked up at Rick. "Something big is going down between the police and a shooter on Fowler and Hunter. I've got to run." He then headed out to do his other job.

That had ended the conversation, but Rick was fixated on the question. What was it about Emerald that bothered him? Why did he have this overwhelming need to push her away? He stopped pacing and flopped onto his couch. He seriously wished he had Methos' talent for molding into the furniture. So far he had not succeeded in learning the old man's trick. He turned on the TV and, with the practiced skill of a 1980s teen, zoned out with a mindless sitcom.

*If you look up Eddie Izzard: Coffee on Youtube, you can probably find the minute thirty second video that explains that reference.

Author's Note: I wrote this story in November of 2010 for Nanowrimo. My mom is beta-ing, but any leftover mistakes are mine. I want anyone who is reading this to know that this story is actually complete. It has a beginning, middle, and ending. It is going to take a while to get all of it online, because when it comes to grammar, I suck. So, in order to try and make it enjoyable…I am taking my time. That might mean another two years before the whole thing is cleaned up and online. If you'd like the rest you can PM your email to me, and I will send you the whole unedited version as it stands now.

Also, this chapter was a filler chapter I created when I reread the story not long ago. I realized that I left a huge gap in time between the first chapter and second chapter, and I never filled it in. At the time of Nanowrimo, I must have decided to just skip ahead and write what I knew was there, than forgot to fill in the blank. Thanks for your patience, hope you enjoy.