"Preparing to head home, Corporal?" General Higgins asked when he saw Xander packing his bag.
"Yes, Sir. My son's first birthday is coming up. I don't want to miss it. Sir, my wife has clearance to know Demon Command exists and she's from Sunnydale too. She knows these people too, I know this operation is Classified, but some of it pertains directly to her. How much can I tell her?"
"She has a right to know, you're correct about that, especially about the clone of herself. Aaron confirmed it's breaking down, but not as fast as the Echo of yourself did. But he was an idea made flesh, tied to an actual person. The second Cordelia Chase was a full being in her own right, but if that First character was right, missing a great deal of her personal memory and used for her psychic ability and possessed. The body we retrieved is no longer possessed, but the damage to it is severe and she'll never come out the coma. There's just not enough brain activity, as in any, beyond automatic functions. The doctors who examined her believe recovery is impossible, but she'll linger for a few months, at best and then die. She can breathe on her own, but that's about all she can do."
"She's not tied magically to anyone, is she? Willow did make her, whether she knew it or not."
"Aaron could find no evidence she's linked to anyone presently. Traces of the possession can be seen in her aura, as the traces of your possessions can be seen in yours."
"I can't make any decisions regarding the clone, Sir. Except for that bad haircut and dye job, she looks like my Cordelia, I'm too close to make an objective decision."
"I understand, Corporal. I'll take care of it. I understand the Echo asked you to settle his own affairs."
"Yes, he asked me to sell his apartment and car and put the money into a trust fund for our Jesse and use his and Anya's life insurance money to help someone. I've turned it over to the Business Affairs Office to deal with it on my behalf. The money from the insurances will go toward helping with Buffy's expenses. Her own house will need to be sold, she couldn't afford it anyway before this."
"On behalf of Demon Command, the town of Sunnydale will be purchased and turned into a training area for our recruits. With the Hellmouth here it's an ideal place, because of the constant influx of vampires."
"In one move it goes from trap for humans to trap for vampires." Xander laughed. "Oh, I like that."
"I'd also like to discuss something else with you, Corporal."
"Please don't ask me to transfer to Demon Command permanently, Sir." Xander said seriously. "I will go where ordered, Sir, I am a soldier, but Demon Command is an exception, at least permanently. I'd have to begin separation from the Army. It would mean choosing between my family and the Army."
"As much as I'd like to have you on board permanently, Demon Command is a difficult enough assignment without adding the burden of not being willing to commit fully to it because of personal concerns, especially justifiable personal concerns. So no, while we may call you for a temporary assignment again in the future, you will not be permanently assigned to Demon Command."
"Thank you, Sir, I appreciate that."
"No, this concern is in regards to Dawn Summers. Buffy Summers asked Faith Lehaine to care for her if she's unable to and her own recovery will take time. Faith still needs to be evaluated and her future determined, but going back to prison isn't a part of that future. Which means she currently can't look after Dawn herself, but may eventually be able to. Hank Summers isn't a possibility, the civilian agency the President is working on putting together to track down the Potentials and get them out of harms way, will also oversee training for those residing within the United States. They attempted to locate Mr. Summers and did indeed find him, but there's a very large problem in regards to him."
"What kind of problem?" Xander asked, concerned. He may not know Dawn personally, but his Echo had helped care for her, plus she was only 15, the age Buffy was when she was Called.
"As far as Hank Summers is concerned, he has no knowledge of either Buffy or Dawn Summers existing. Something has affected his memory."
Xander stared at the General, trying to understand. "Buffy spent the summer after she died and was revived with her father, he was well aware of her existence then. But it was the last time she did, she ran away the next summer and he blew off their annual father/daughter tradition on her eighteenth birthday."
"Rupert Giles says she attempted to get ahold of him when her mother became ill and he never returned phones calls."
"That's familiar." Xander muttered, no one in Sunnydale had returned his phone calls either.
"And it was when her mother died that Buffy was told by his office that he was in Spain. He never contacted her and Miss Rosenberg and Miss McClay used the so-called Buffybot." They both looked disgusted at the mention of the sex bot Spike had built. "To keep Social Services from taking Dawn away, so they could care for her themselves when she was dead. Before Aaron heads back to Brazil, he's going to Spain to determine why Hank Summers appears to have no memory of either of his daughters."
"Given that he hasn't been in contact with Buffy since her Senior year in High School, the cause may be connected to something that happened during that year." Xander suggested.
"You may be right." The General agreed. "But in the meantime, I'm not sure foster care is the best place for the younger Miss Summers, I was wondering if you and your wife would consider taking care of her for awhile?"
"That would be very difficult, Sir. We're not the people she knows. But from a logistics point of view, we live in a one bedroom apartment with a nearly one year old child. We're going to need to move now that he's getting older and more active but money's still tight. Cordelia's ready to begin going on auditions again, she completed the refresher acting course and a couple of others. But until she finds something we have only my income and subsidiaries from the Army to see us through."
"Anyone who looks after Dawn Summers will need clearance, Corporal. Too much of her is tied up in Classified and that's going to take time. I anticipated your concerns and the civil office will cover a stipend to help with expenses."
"That helps, Sir, but the final decision is not one I can make alone, I need to talk to Cordelia."
"A secure line can be arranged."
"Very well, Sir. Once you've done that I'll talk to her and we'll decide."
"It's already done. This way, Corporal."
"You really want this to happen, Sir. Why?"
"I feel very protective of both Dawn and Faith, they both need someone who can be trusted to help them. I intend to try to help Faith myself, she reminds me of my daughters. And something tells me Dawn needs someone to protect her and I trust you to do that."
"I'll do my best, Sir."
"You alway do."
A/N Regarding the clone Cordelia's memory, this can be traced to the Angel show. As of the end of Senior year, Cordelia's father appears to be alive, she mentions him to Xander, but he's never mentioned on the Angel show. And a couple of earlier episodes, including Band Candy on the Buffy show mention her mother. The second is the Spin the Bottle episode on Angel where everyone reverts to their seventeen year old selves. They all remember their lives at seventeen, except Cordelia. Cordelia's seventeen year old personality is there, but she has no knowledge of Sunnydale, never mentions her family or Xander, who she was dating when she was seventeen and has no knowledge of vampires. And yet seventeen year old Cordelia did know they existed. It could be argued that being Ascended and possessed was the cause, but that doesn't explain why there's no mention of her family prior to that. And as a reviewer also pointed out, Cordelia on Angel seems very chummy with Willow, the other half of the Fluke, after she moves to Los Angelus. Something else that's weird.