Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

***
Buffy hissed in frustration as she marched through the SGC

'The grass is always greener on the other side. Nope, not helping.'

'People always want what they can’t have until they get it. Hindsight isn’t helping.'

'Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Hindsight again.'

'Patience is a virtue. I am not that virtuous.'

'Don’t kill your father because you only have the one. Ok we can try to chant that one.' Buffy decided in her mind as she stormed through the halls of the SGC. Maybe it will help.

Mostly no one knew about Buffy’s slayer abilities yet still they jumped aside seeing the angry and nearly feral look in her eyes as she made her way toward the gym.

“Buffy!” Jack called out seeing her.

“Speak of the Devil. I will not kill my father. I will not kill my father.” Buffy grumbled as she ignored him and continued on her way.

“I am still not talking to you.” She called out a little louder and increased her pace her shoulders tense and anger burning in her eyes.

“Hey Kiddo wait up. I really want to apologize and get you to move in with me.”

Buffy froze on the spot and turned to her father and started stalking him like a lioness preparing for the kill.

“Really?” She hissed in a whisper. Jack could swear he could hear her mumbling something about not killing her dad over and over.

“Do you even know what you are apologizing for this time?” She asked with fire in her eyes.

“Whatever you are mad at me for?” He asked with an innocent expression on his face.

“Ug! I don’t believe you!” Buffy cried out and clenched her fists in anger.

“Look Kiddo I know you are angry.”

“Angry? I am well and truly beyond that point Jack. Shall we recap for you? I can’t believe I wished that you were my father before I knew you were my father!” She growled to herself and started pacing before him like a caged tigress. “Flashback, my first night in Colorado Springs.”

Jack winced. “I thought we got past that?”

Ignoring him Buffy continued, “First you fought with Daniel to get him to stay away from me. Then when I am on my date with Paul you show up and announce to the entire night club that I am horny.”

“I am really, really sorry about that and it was totally not my fault. How was I to know that the music would die in the middle of my sentence? I thought you forgave me for that after a couple weeks of torture.”

“I am not finished! You were supposed to be home having your bonding night with Daniel and Teal’c. Instead, you dragged them with you to stalk me while I was on a date.”

“I was not stalking you!”

“I forgave you...eventually and talked to you about interfering in my love life. You agreed to stop doing that, but then you went off and took revenge on Parker while I was in Gate Certification.”

“Hey, he deserved everything he got and more!” Buffy couldn’t help the small smile on her face as she remembered Jack’s revenge before she remembered why she was angry at her father.

“That is beside the point! I can take care of myself, and you had already agreed to stop interfering. I forgive you again and you promised again to stop interfering. Jack I am an adult now and if I want to Boink the boys on base in our downtime that would be between me and them.”

“Ack!” Jack cried and covered his ears. “Buffy!”

“What did you threaten them with?” Buffy demanded.

“Who?” Jack asked once again all innocence and confusion.

“The guys on level 20. Yesterday I was making friends with them and today they are afraid to even look at me! Look not that it is ANY of your business, but I was just making friends. I am new in town and would like to have some friends.”

“I am sorry.”

“I have been hearing that from you a lot lately, yet it keeps happening! How am I supposed to believe that you are sorry when you keep doing it?”

“Buffy, I really am sorry. I want you to have friends. I just heard them talking about you and what they were saying had me seeing red. I couldn’t help myself. Is there any way I can get you to forgive me and move in with your old man?”

Buffy sighed and looked at the ceiling in supplication. It wasn’t like she could stay mad at him forever, she totally sucked at holding grudges and he was her father. Yet, she was at a complete loss as to how to resolve his overprotective streak with her.

Buffy opened her mouth to accept his apology when there was a sudden commotion at the end of the hallway. Doctor Felger was scrambling around picking up papers and books he had somehow dropped.

Taking pity on the poor scientist Buffy stepped forward to help him and started picking up a stack of papers for him.

“Here let me help you with that.” Buffy offered.

“Buffy!” He cried out looking between Jack and Buffy in apparent terror. His face was ghostly white, and his hands were shaking wildly. “NO! No thank you I... I have this. I can get this no problem. I wasn’t trying to get you to come help me because I wouldn’t do that. I... I like someone else!”

“Um, o.k. good to know.” Buffy stated handing him his papers.

Dr Felger looked to Jack with terror in his eyes. “I really wasn’t trying anything. Because I would never do that!”

Buffy closed her eyes and prayed for patience.

“You threatened the scientists too?” She cried out in shock and disbelief.

“I never said anything to him!” Jack cried out while Doctor Felger continued to repeat never ever ever.

“Hey!” Buffy finally cried out offended at how adamantly he was denying ever being remotely interested in her. “Calm down it isn’t like I was lying in wait to seduce you.” She turned to her father with fire once again burning in her eyes. “Take care of this Jack, I have had it! This is ridiculous!” Then continued down the hallway even more angry then when she started.

“Crap.” Jack grumbled and turned to the scientist who had frozen with a far off look on his face that was slowly turning into a very happy smile.

“FELGER!” He cried out.

“What? I...I wasn’t thinking about Buffy seducing me! Honest I was thinking about someone else entirely! I swear!”

“Felger.” Jack took a deep breath, “Where did you get the idea that I would hurt you if you pursued my daughter romantically?”

“Everyone knows.” Felger admitted and at Jack's very irritated glare cried out. “I... I’ll just go get these papers filed.” This said he took off down the hall oblivious to the papers he was losing in his haste to escape the angry Colonel.

“Crap. How am I going to fix this?” Jack asked himself.

___

Teal’c stood watching the tiny blond as she killed the punching bag in front of her. She was obviously venting a great deal of anger. The bag broke from its chain and she growled in frustration causing him to lift an eyebrow in surprise.

“Is something troubling you Buffy Summers O’Neill?”

“My father is completely psychotic.”

“O’Neill has been acting in a most unusual manner, but I do not believe that he would ever kill people in showers.”

“Not psycho like the movie, psycho like totally insane. Did you know he even threatened Doctor Felger?”

Both of Teal’c’s eyebrow’s rose at that.

“I am just trying to vent my frustration with him, but I keep breaking the equipment.”

“Perhaps you would like to spar. I must admit that I have been curious of your abilities as The Slayer.”

“No way in the mood I am in I’m afraid that I might break you.”

“I would welcome the challenge. I have not been able to find anyone who can make me work at my fighting. I am concerned that I am going to start to lose my skills.”

“I get that. I have the same problem finding someone to spar with.” Buffy considered for a moment. “I am not too anxious for the whole base to find out about my slayer-ness, abilities.”

“We can keep it private.” Teal’c assured her.

Buffy’s smile was blinding. “Well then let’s go. I will try not to break you.”

“I shall endeavor not to harm you either.”

Together they locked the doors and sparred for hours, both warriors delighted to find someone who could keep up with the other so well. In the end they emerged together from the locked gym both covered in sweat and smiling. It was around the base in twenty minutes with a betting pool about if Jack would be able to intimidate Teal’c from leaving Buffy alone or not.

“Teal’c will you be my spartner?” Buffy asked as they walked to the lifts.

“I am unfamiliar with that term.”

“Sparring plus partner equals spartner.”

“I would be most honored.”

“Great, stick with me and we will get you caught up on pop culture and slang of all kinds. You are my first new friend since coming here. You wouldn’t happen to like old badly dubbed Kung Fu movies, would you?”

Teal’c’s eyebrows rose but before he could reply she continued. “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t, but my friends and I used to watch them together all the time. Ever since we scattered to the winds it just isn’t fun watching them by myself. Though Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master can still be good.”

“I do like those kinds of movies; I especially enjoy Bruce Lee. However, no one ever wants to watch them with me.”

“I am your girl. Er, while not actually being your girl. What I meant was your girl to watch Kung Fu movies with. That isn’t to say that we couldn’t do other things together or that I couldn’t be your girl, but I only just met you and that wasn’t what I meant to imply. Please stop me from talking before I say anything else to totally embarrass myself.”

“Do not be embarrassed I am looking forward to being your spartner as well as having a friend to watch Bruce Lee movies with.”

“Thanks, Teal’c, for everything. I am looking forward to movie night too.”

“No Buffy Summers O’Neill it is I who should be thanking you. If we are both still on world this weekend perhaps, we can get together for a movie night.”

“I would like that Teal’c.”

Showered and changed Buffy decided that while most of the men on base were afraid to be around her maybe she should concentrate on making friends with the other ladies on base. This decided she went to visit Janet, a civilian scientist named Chloe, and her next stop was visiting with Sam. She was feeling much better and there was a slight spring to her step as she entered the lab to see Sam and some guy working intently on a project.

“Just a minute please.” Sam called out to whoever it was that had entered the lab without even looking up to see who it was. Rodney Mackay did however and smirked in the young blonde's direction before getting back to work with Sam. This visit to the mountain was becoming very interesting.

It wasn’t long focusing on the project they were working on before they forgot all about the person who had come to visit them. Buffy meanwhile couldn’t hold still or keep from being curious about all the projects around the room.

A half hour later Sam turned from their project to finally notice Buffy who was inspecting one of the artifacts from P-17135.

“Buffy?” She asked in surprise and a little guilt normally whoever had come to visit would either leave or remind her that they had come to visit.

Said girl jumped to attention and smiled widely. “Sorry, neat stuff you have here.”

Rodney didn’t bother looking up while he replied, “This ‘neat stuff' is very sensitive and shouldn’t be messed around with by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing.”

“That rules out everyone on the planet Rodney.” Sam spoke up with an arched eyebrow.

“I’m sorry I didn’t want to cause problems I just wanted to see if Sam wanted to get together with Janet and the girl on the other science level um Chloe! Chloe is her name. And go for coffee or shopping or something. New girl in town and was wanting to make friends.” She babbled as she slowly backed toward the door. “But you are busy so I will just go.” Turning Buffy left before she could get into too much trouble for messing with the alien devises.

“Wait, Buffy.” Sam ran to the door but said girl was already gone.

“Good job Rodney.” She growled sarcastically. “The poor girl will probably never come back to see me again.”

“Please I did you a favor. Barbie might be as sexy as sin, but she is obviously lacking in the brains department. You wouldn’t want her to come back and mess with this stuff. She could have blown up the mountain.”

Sam had frozen looking at the project that had been giving her the most fits as she tried to reassemble it. She had given up on reassembling it and was planning on sending it with Rodney back to Area 51.

“I think you are wrong about that Rodney.” She stated pointing at the now assembled object.

“That’s impossible she obviously did it wrong.”

Sam had been looking it over and it looked fully assembled. Reaching over she closed the shield doors and turned the machine on. It emitted a low hum indicating that it was ready for use.

“Ok, so it was a fluke. No way could Barbie pull something like that off again.”

“Her name is Buffy.” Sam enunciated as if talking to a moron. She wanted to get to know Jack’s grown daughter since meeting her but now she wanted to get to know her much more.

“Oh, but she is hot though.” Rodney went on.

“She is Colonel O’Neill’s daughter.” Sam stated and watched Rodney’s face.

“So... off limits then?”

“That would be a safe bet.”

“What about you? I know you want me.”

“In your dreams Mackay.” She stated leaving the room.

“Every night.” He admitted to himself.

***

Chapter Text

Buffy was surrounded by boxes of manila folders. There was a pile of manila folders three feet deep to the left of her and another pile about equally deep on her right. Buffy sighed as she put another report on the pile to her left and picked up another from her right. Getting up to speed on their allies and enemies was going to take some time, and these reports were very dry reading. It was amazing to her that something that must be very interesting could be written about in such a way that made her want to hit her head against a wall repeatedly.

“Wow, is Buffy in there somewhere?” Daniel asked as he poked his head into the office space she was utilizing to read mission reports.

“Very funny,” she replied and sighed, putting down the file she was reading.

“What are you reading there?”

“I need to get caught up on just about everything, so I’m reading mission reports. Please save me from death by boredom.”

“I would be glad to. I wanted to see if you wanted to get out of the mountain for a little while and get some dinner.”

“A date?”

“That was my original plan, but Jack, Sam and T found out and wanted to come. So we are going to have a group thing, if that’s ok. Maybe we can regale you with stories to get you up to date on things without torturing you with mission reports.”

Buffy smiled and set the report aside. “I don’t think I can thank you enough.”

They ended up at Jack’s place with steak and salad before them while they laughed and told Buffy all about their prior missions.

“Then Daniel ascended,” Samantha stated.

Buffy turned to Daniel with wide eyes.

“It isn’t what you’re thinking of -- it wasn’t like your graduation.”

“Good to know that.”

“I seriously need to hear this story about your graduation,” Jack stated, wishing he could have been there for her. “When Daniel ascended he basically turned into a glowing flying squid,” Jack added.

“JACK, I was a higher being”!

“You were a higher being that was a glowing flying squid?” Buffy asked with large eyes.

“Well, I guess that’s what I looked like,” Daniel admitted, worried about how Buffy would take this. Would she ever let him kiss her again or would it gross her out?

“I can live with that,” Buffy stated, seeing the worry in his eyes. Who was she to point fingers? After all, she was once turned into a rat.

***

Buffy was patrolling the town and checking out the nightlife. There were not a lot of vampires in Colorado Springs. She had every hope, however, that her new job would keep her slayer side occupied enough. If not, then she could always take a break and visit Faith in Sunnyhell. For now, taking things easy was just what the doctor ordered.

Entering a dance club she decided to enjoy herself while giving the vamps a chance to come find her.

Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Air Force pilot, covered his heart when he saw Buffy dancing alone.

“Excuse me, boys, I just found the future Mrs. Cameron Mitchell, and she is dancing alone.” He winked to his friends and went to join her on the dance floor.

“Hello, gorgeous. Mind if I cut in?” he asked with his most charming smile. “Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell at your service, but you can call me Cam.”

“Buffy Summers, Civilian Consultant.” Buffy introduced herself in turn and wondered if Cam was stationed at Cheyenne Mountain with the Blue Book Project.

“Delighted to make your acquaintance, Buffy. What do you consult on?”

“Oh, a bit of this and a bit of that. I’m with the Blue Book project working on deep space radar telemetry.”

“You don’t look like a scientist.”

Buffy laughed. “That’s because I’m not. I’m not smart enough for that kind of work. What do you do?”

“I fly. It’s the greatest feeling in the world. Almost”, he wiggled his eyebrows in a comically suggestive way.

Cameron bought Buffy a drink and they laughed and enjoyed the evening together. Finally, Buffy reluctantly decided she needed to get to work on her patrol or it wouldn’t get done that night.

Pocketing his phone number Buffy smiled to herself as she considered that she just made another date. Cameron was a Southern Gentleman, and while at times he reminded her a little of Riley Buffy sensed that he had far more self-confidence. She hoped that would make all the difference for him accepting the Slayer side of her, if things progressed between them. So with a bounce in her step, she left to patrol.

She didn’t notice the young man who stared at her and whispered her name under his breath in surprise.

“Jay, you coming?” his friend called out to him.

“No, go ahead. Something came up.” He answered without taking his eyes off the tiny blond woman as she walked down the street.

“Wow, I was starting to wonder if any woman could turn your eye.” Without paying attention to his friend he followed the young girl.

“I am going to kill Jack for not letting me know about this,” he whispered to himself as he followed her around a corner into an alley where she had suddenly disappeared.

“What the...?” He looked around the alley in dismay. Before he could do anything else he found himself being throttled, as the tiny blond captured him into a shockingly strong hold.

“Why are you following me?” she demanded as she looked him in the eye.

“B-Buffy, I...,” Jay trailed off, not knowing what to say. Did she have any idea that Jack O’Neill was her real father? And even if she did, what could he say? ‘Hey, kiddo, I’m your father’s younger clone. But I decided to go by Jason or Jay.’ She would probably call men with straightjackets.

Buffy looked deeply into his eyes and saw her father staring back at her. “Jack? What the...? How did...? You didn’t say the ‘W’ word, did you? I warned you not to say the ‘W’ word.”

“You recognize me?” he asked in surprise. “You really know who I am?”

“You may be a lot younger on the outside, but I can still see you on the inside. Now, what happened? We need to try and figure out how to fix this. Something tells me it will be awkward for you to show up for work as a 17-year-old boy.”

“No, we don’t have to fix this,” he stated, wondering how the heck he was going to explain to her.

“What do you mean? You want to stay in your younger body?”

“There isn’t much choice. Besides, it’s better this way.”

“Great! My father is younger than me, and now he thinks it’s better this way.”

“You know I’m your father?” His heart melted that his daughter recognized him.

“Jack, did they scramble your brain when they shrank you? I promise, we will figure something out. Was it aliens, or did you use the ‘W’ word?”

“Buffy, I have something to tell you, and I am not sure how.”

“Well, let’s get home and you can figure it out on the way,” she suggested, pulling him to his feet.

“You’re working at the mountain now?” he asked, finally registering her question about aliens.

“Boy, they really did scramble your brains, didn’t they? Yes, I finished Gate Certification last week, remember? You went all psycho on Parker’s ass while I was busy.”

“Who is Parker?”

“Let’s get you back home,” Buffy urged, now deeply worried for her father in the teen’s body.

They arrived at Jack’s home and Jay still hadn’t figured out how to explain things to Buffy. Seeing the light on, he knew that he was running out of time.

“Buffy, there is something I need to tell you. I...”

“Buffy,” Jack’s voice called from inside, “you’re back early.” Then Jack came out of the house and was instantly concerned for Buffy, as she was white as a sheet. A moment later he realized why, because she turned and looked back and forth between himself and his clone.

“Stay calm, please. Buffy, breathe!” Jay urged, stepping toward her. When she stepped away from him it was like an arrow in his heart.

“What are you doing here? You told her?” Jack asked in surprise as he ran down the steps to reach Buffy, who was looking like she was going into shock.

“There are two of you”, she whispered. “How can there be two of you? What the hell is going on here?”

“She figured it out when she tackled me for following her. She looked at me and she just knew,” Jason explained with more than a hint of wonder awe in his voice. “She thought this was a new development, and I have been trying to figure out how to explain things to her all the way back here.”

“How hard can it be? Loki, a naughty Asgard, cloned me but the clone turned out to be younger than he intended.”

“Oh, ok,” Buffy stated as the confusion seemed to melt away from her. “I guess we should go inside and have a little chat. I am obviously missing some vital information from all those reports I’ve been reading.”

Once inside, Jay temporarily set aside wondering why Buffy seemed to be taking this so well in order to focus on explaining things to her.

“I’m not in the official reports,” he explained. “Only a few people know I’m still alive. Officially, I am Jack O’Neill’s nephew, from his brother Sean O’Neill.”

“My brother who died about 17 years ago,” Jack interjected.

“That explains why I didn’t know from reading the reports. But why didn’t you tell me?”

“It honestly didn’t occur to me,” Jack explained, uncomfortable as always when the subject of his ‘Mini-Me’ came up.

“Can I talk to you for a moment alone, Jack?” his clone asked with pure rage burning in his eyes.

“I’ll go get something for us to drink,” Buffy announced and left the room.

“Thanks a lot, Jack. You think that just because I am your clone that I don’t have feelings too? That I haven’t been worrying and thinking about her just as much as you have? Wanting to meet her and get to know the woman she has become? I get that you think I’m just a bad copy. Did you think that she couldn’t handle it?”

“No, I...I didn’t want to share her with you, if you must know. I haven’t been wanting to share her with anyone. She has nearly throttled me several times because of it,” Jack said, finally coming clean. “I knew she could handle it. She is probably going to treat you just the same as she treats me. Though possibly better, because you haven’t made an ass out of yourself...yet.”

“Jack, you have everything. You have SG-1 and the life I remember working toward. I know that I can’t expect a father-daughter relationship with Buffy, but can’t you let me have any relationship with her at all?” This said, Jay felt his emotions getting the best of him and decided he needed to get out of the house to try and calm himself.

Buffy came back into the room carrying three glasses of iced tea with her. “Where is the other you?”

“He went outside.”

“Jack, it’s dark and he doesn’t know about vampires yet,” she admonished him, and rushed outside to find her father’s clone.

“Jack?” Buffy called out, exiting the house and running to catch up to her father’s clone.

“Call me Jay, or Jason. I’m trying to leave ‘Jack’ behind me.” Then under his breath he said, “I wish it could be Dad, Daddy or something like that.”

“What is wrong with calling you ‘Daddy-o’? It could be short for Daddy O’Neill, but at the same time it wouldn’t be like admitting you are my father. Since it is a really old slang expression, we could probably get away with it.”

“You heard that?” Jay asked in surprise then furrowed his brow as he realized the dig to his actual age. “It isn’t that old.” he objected.

“I have pretty good hearing. How did you come up with Jay-short-for-Jason as your new name?”

“When I...I mean, when Jack was young, we hated our given name of Jonathon. So, we came up with Jack. One friend used to call me...him, us, Jay. Then when I found out about the clone thing and I knew I couldn’t be Jack anymore, at first, I was going to go with Jonathon, but I realized fairly quickly I would end up with the same problem. ‘Jon,’” Jay shuddered in revulsion. “Might as well call me ‘Craphouse.’”

Buffy’s laughter was music to his ears. “Oh, Jayce, that reminds me of an old friend from before Sunnydale.” Jay blinked at his new nickname and smiled. He liked it. “His name was Richard, and he would go by that or Rich. He once told me it drives him crazy that people want to turn a beautiful name like Richard into a Dick.”

Jay laughed and Buffy stepped forward to hug him. Once Buffy was in his arms he couldn’t hold back his tears. “Buffy, I have missed you so much. So, so much,” he emphasized.

“I’m sorry Mom didn’t wait longer for you when everyone thought you were dead.” Buffy admitted as she released him from the hug.

“Me, too. Buffy, I know having me around will be a little awkward and difficult, but please don’t turn away from me. I know I am not the original Jack, but I feel like I am. I need you in my life.”

Buffy blinked to see him so surprisingly vulnerable. It was disturbing to see because Jack and Jay seemed to be the most invulnerable men she had ever known. “We’ll work it out, Jayce, I promise. But you have to do something for me.”

“What can I do for you?” Jay asked determined to do anything she needed.

“Until I am able to show you something, that will be hard to explain, so in the meantime just promise me you won’t go out at night or verbally invite people into your home.”

Jayce looked extremely confused.

“I promise I will explain to you soon. Just, in the meantime, will you do that for me?”

“I would do anything for you Buffy,” Jay promised. He was still confused but her resulting smile was worth it.

***

Chapter Text

***

Finally, the time had come for Buffy’s first trip through the Stargate. General Hammond always liked to have those new to gate travel go to a friendly and relatively safe world for their first trip. So, he decided to have Buffy go with the Tok’ra agents SG-1 had requested to join them on Pangera. So, she met with a female Tok’ra named Kamel and a male Tok’ra named Malek.

“You are to be just an observer this time out Buffy.” General Hammond stressed to her just before she was about to leave. “I don’t expect you to have to do anything this time out nor do I expect there to be a need for your particular talents.”

“Good to know Sir. Should something unexpected happen,” Buffy asked?

“Then you will take your orders from Colonel O’Neill.”

So far things were a little dull. Apparently the Pangerans had created a super drug from a captured Goa’uld Queen, but they couldn’t duplicate it, and the captured queen was dying. At first the Tok’ra were impressed that people could come up with such a use for the Goa’uld. Until they found out that it was their own queen Egeria that was being used for experimentation. Then they threw a hissy fit. Though Buffy decided she couldn’t blame them for being upset. If someone had used a member of Buffy’s friends or family for experimentation, she would have not only demanded they stop, but she would also have dealt out retribution in kind.

Instead, the tok’ra, Kamel sacrificed herself to give her host over to Egeria putting the Pangerans in danger. They relied on the super drug they created called tretonin to stay alive, but they had to continue taking it or die.

In the end the queen Egeria decided to make a last act in helping the pangerans with the Tretonin. She had just finished explaining how to save the people when Buffy decided she had to try something. A Tok’ra Queen could help not only the Tok’ra but the rebel Jaffa who were in need of young symbiotes to live.

“Jack, I am not sure if it would work but I could try healing her with my super doper sudoku sword.”

Jack blinked he hadn’t even thought of her being able to heal with her sword.

“I thought you weren’t sure how to use that thing,” he asked?

“I am not sure I can, but I would like to try. I had some dreams recently that may help me to use it.”

“To what is this woman referring,” Egeria asked?

“With your permission, Buffy will try to heal you. She has a special sword that heals and kills; depending on how she uses it.”

“Why didn’t you say anything before,” Malek asked? “If you can heal her, you must!”

“I can try, but I can’t promise it will work.”

“My only other choice is death, please proceed.”

Buffy drew her sword placing the tip to the stone floor beside her, kneeling she kept her left hand on the hilt of her sword and placed her right hand on Egeria’s head. Silently she willed health and energy to flow through her and into Egeria. At first nothing happened but then she could feel a great wave of energy flow through her into Egeria. Then she found herself exhausted and dizzy. She collapsed to the ground Jack and Daniel rushed forward to help her.

“Buffy, sweetheart, are you ok,” Jack asked? “Talk to me.” Her father commanded.

“Ouch.” Buffy moaned “did it work?”

Daniel and Jack turned to look at the woman on the bed who did seem to look much better. The Tok’ra, Malek checking her over, stated, “Her vital signs have improved greatly. She will live for a while longer at least.”

“I can feel it, I may even have enough strength and health to spawn a new Tok’ra queen.” Egeria stated smiling.

Malek bowed to Buffy stating, “I thank you, all the Tok’ra owe you their gratitude and thanks for what you have done here today.”

Buffy smiled in return but quickly fell asleep in her fathers arms.

“Something is wrong with her, let's get her back to the infirmary NOW.” Daniel growled his protective instincts once again roaring to life around the tiny blond.

“Please allow us to take a look at her with our scanning device here. It will tell us instantly what is wrong with her.” The Tok’ra asked stepping forward as Jack stood up with Buffy in his arms.

Jack was clearly feeling torn about trusting the Tok’ra but finally stepped forward to allow her to be scanned.

A moment later Malek pronounced that Buffy was simply suffering from exhaustion and would make a full recovery.

“Thank you but no offense I want my people to give us a second opinion on that.”

“You do not trust me?” Malak asked clearly surprised. “I owe her for the life of my queen.”

“It isn’t so much that we don’t trust you. It is just that she is very special to us, and we want to be absolutely sure.” Daniel tried to smooth things over.

“That and we don’t trust you,” Jack added.

***

Back at the SGC Sam stopped by the infirmary to see how Buffy was doing. She was sleeping soundly with Jack sitting at her bedside. Thinking back over the last few weeks she found herself certain that her hypothesis concerning Buffy Summers O’Neill was indeed correct.

Just being around Buffy over the last week Sam knew she was a lot like Jack in many ways; their sense of humor, their ability to go from playful to deadly serious in a heartbeat. Mostly she knew they both were more intelligent than they liked to let on.

She had quickly come to suspect that Buffy was far more intelligent than she pretended to be. The first clue was the ancient artifact she had assembled perfectly. When asked about it, Buffy claimed that it must be some kind of weapon and explained that the Slayer within her had an innate instinctual knowledge of any weapon touched.

However, the devise had turned out to be a storage devise for music, art and knowledge, Daniel had salivated over it before taking it to his lab to study and translate. The team plus Buffy had been forced to make sure Daniel ate and slept for days after that.

Meanwhile, Sam started watching Buffy closely while trying not to let her know. At first, she was about ready to believe that Buffy assembling the artifact was a fluke of some kind. Then she noticed the number of projects and puzzles would find themselves mysteriously solved after a visit from Buffy. Buffy also had a tendency to run into people just outside of Sam’s lab just when Sam would be explaining about crystal technology to the other scientists. Finally, she got permission to check security footage of her lab, proving it was indeed Buffy who was secretly helping out.

“How is Buffy doing?” she whispered to Jack.

“Apparently she is just exhausted and will make a full recovery.” Jack replied looking at his daughter with worry in his eyes despite being told she would be fine.

“That is good. Sir, I need to talk to you about her. There is something you should see.” Sam motioned toward the door. Jack was obviously hesitant to leave so Teal’c offered to sit with her while Jack was gone.

Jack listened as she explained her findings.

“Carter, she was probably just trying to help out but didn’t want to have people know and bother her with boring geek stuff. Danny already tries to get her to help him translate things all the time. She is never sure if she should stay and flirt with him or run from the linguist.”

“I don’t think that is it Sir. I was trying to solve a complicated problem on a whiteboard the other day. Buffy came in and looked at it for a few minutes and said it looked like gobble-de-goop but then she said something that directed me to the answer. When I asked her about it straight out, she said she didn’t know what I was talking about, but she looked nervous. I don’t think she plays dumb just to get out of work or just to get people to underestimate her.”

Jack’s eyebrows drew together in anger. “Dam it!”

“Sir?” Sam asked in concern. “What is it?”

“I think I know why. She shouldn’t feel like she has to hide her intelligence unless she wants to!” Jack hissed. “I need to talk to her to know for sure.”

“If I am right, she has genius potential, we need her to stop hiding her intelligence and help us.” She advised.

“I will talk to her Carter, but I won’t make any promises. Her safety comes first.” Jack smirked a little smile to soften his news.

“What could be dangerous about letting her brilliance shine?” Sam asked.

“The same people who kidnapped her two older half-brothers might target her too.” Jack explained causing Carter’s eyes to go wide in surprise.

***

Chapter Text

Major Paul Davis and General George Hammond sat in the briefing room going over business together. Once that topic had wound down; Major Davis asked about someone who had been on his mind a lot lately.

“So how are things going with Buffy Summers-O’Neill sir?”

” That is a loaded question son. She completed Gate Certification in record time, and I am delighted to have her here.”

“Am I sensing a problem?” Major Davis looked concerned.

“It isn’t anything I don’t think she can handle. Her abilities are unbelievable, and we are trying to keep them under wraps for now. Jack’s overprotective manner has much of the base thinking she got the job through nepotism.” General Hammond outlined one of the problems facing the tiny slayer.

“How is Buffy handling the scrutiny,” Major Davis asked?

General Hammond smiled “She said that they will come around in time and it wasn’t the first time she had to deal with people underestimating her.”

Major Davis smiled in return. “I don’t think that will be a problem for long. Have you given her a permanent assignment yet?”

“That is a whole other can of worms,” but General Hammond smiled as if it was a good thing. “I originally thought about putting her with SG-1 until we found out that she is Colonel O’Neill’s daughter. I was thinking about putting her with the Marines.”

“They are our highest risk team.” Major Davis stated noncommittally Buffy would probably do great with them. Was it because he liked her that he didn’t like that idea?”

“Yet, Dr. Jackson insists that she has skills essential in his department.”

“And not utilize having the Slayer on payroll?” Major Davis asked surprised.

“Dr. Jackson isn’t the only one. Major Carter has expressed a desire to have her join her department as well. She says that Buffy isn’t only smarter but far smarter than she likes to let people know about.”

Major Davis smiled. “I believe that about her sir she is…unique. Have you decided yet what you are going to do with her?”

“Instead of assigning her to a specific team I want to make her a civilian consultant. That way she can help us out in all her skill sets. The only problem with that is it will make keeping her Slayer skills secret very difficult. At least the commanding officer of each SG unit will have to be made aware of her unique skills.”

***

The briefing room was packed with Marines who all seemed to be wondering what she was doing there.

“I hope it isn’t a babysitting job,” someone in the room whispered to another.

“I think it must be. Colonel O’Neill's daughter is here, I heard she got the job because she is his daughter,” someone’s reply.

“I don’t think General Hammond would go for that! She must have some value, or she wouldn’t be here,” someone else’s whisper.

Only the leader Reeves was quiet, but he continued to stare at her and occasionally shake his head. Buffy couldn’t blame him for his consternation, she didn’t look like Earth’s great defense against Vampires or whatever General Hammond had told him.

It didn’t matter this time what any of them thought of her; she wasn’t going to go with them anyway. She had to go with the diplomatic team, she only hopped General Hammond would listen to her when she explained her slayer dream.

It had started while she was recovering from her first trip through the gate and had continued for every night since until finally last night she got the message.

“Miss Summers-O’Neill.” General Hammond called her into his office and Buffy sighed that at least he was going to listen to her before the meeting.

“Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice.” Buffy saluted him but was directed to sit.

“What seems to be the problem,” General Hammond asked?

“I think you were briefed that the Slayer sometimes has prophetic dreams,” Buffy asked? General Hammond nodded his head, so she continued. “I have been having one for the past several days and I know what it means now. I have to go with the diplomatic team, SG-9, to meet with the Protoss.” Before General Hammond could interject Buffy continued obviously nervous.

“See in my dream I was setting the table, and each China plate had a picture of a member of SG-18 on it.”

“The Marines in the next room?” General Hammond listened wondering what China had to do with anything.

“Yes, well Jack came and offered to take care of that. I explained to him that I was supposed to be with SG-18 and he said ‘SG-1 can take care of that you need to take care of those dishes over there.’ I looked and on the China hutch was some plates with SG-9 on them. Then the entire stack of plates fell to the floor and broke, blood came out of them. Then the plates that were SG-18 broke and bled. Then I had a plate that was Jack and SG-1 in my hands. Jack asked me why I didn’t go with SG-9 then it broke and bled, then the whole China hutch fell over. I know it sounds crazy sir, but I have to go with SG-9. In high school I had a dream of one broken plate and the world almost ended.”

“You regularly have dreams like this,” General Hammond asked?

“I promise I am not crazy sir.” Buffy urged.

General Hammond smiled “After all the things I have seen while sitting in this chair you can go with SG-9. SG-18 will have to get along without you.”

“Oh, and maybe we should send SG-1 with SG-18 just in case, in my dream Jack said he would take care of what I needed to do.”

So, Hammond called SG-1 up and explained to Jack that because of Buffy needed to go with SG-9, SG-1 would go with SG-18. Jack was a little skeptical which Buffy knew was just in his nature when it came to things like Slayer dreams. In the end he agreed, and they went out to join the briefing.

Once again Buffy heard whispers from SG-18 as she left the briefing room.

“She didn’t want to come with us.”

“Daddy’s little princess must be scared.”

Keeping her head up Buffy ignored them thinking to herself that they would eat their words one day.

***

“Welcome back SG-1 and SG-18,” General Hammond welcomed the teams back. They were all sweaty and covered in alien goop. Together Jack and Reeves saluted the General and saw the men needing medical attention off to the infirmary.

“I understand that you were probably attacked by a group of bug like aliens.”

“How did you know that Sir,” Jack asked?

“SG-9 and Buffy met up with them while in negotiations with the Protoss. Apparently, the bug-like aliens are called the Zurg. According to SG-9 Buffy saved the world from their invasion by helping the Protoss when they were attacked. The Protoss in turn came to our aid but were unable to stop the first ship from leaving to attack you. We are set to continue negotiations with them tomorrow.” General Hammond looked as pleased as Jack had ever seen him.

“Where is Buffy,” Jack asked?

“She stayed behind on the planet. Apparently, a Jim Raynor asked her on a date.”

”A Protoss? Aren’t they those spindly alien people,” Jack asked?

“They had some humans with them to help them in negotiations. Jim Raynor is a human. I believe SG-9 referred to him as a space cowboy. He apparently helped fight the Zurg.”

“I am sure I owe him big time but that doesn’t mean I like the idea of him dating my daughter.” Jack growled the last part.

General Hammond was having a hard time not laughing at the looks on not only Jack’s but Daniels face as well. He was saved by an incoming wormhole.

A few moments later Buffy returned with a slight blush on her face and recently kissed lips.

“General Hammond, Hi Dad, hi Daniel.” She chirped like she was meeting them on the street.

“How was the date?” Jack growled.

Buffy’s blush only deepened, “Fine, fine. General Hammond?”

“Briefing is in one hour.” He informed her enjoying the interactions between his 2IC and the young slayer before him.

“Thanks. Gee can’t talk got ta’ go.” She stated rushing out of the invocation room.

“I don’t think I like this Jim Raynor guy.” Daniel stated before leaving the room to follow her.

“Me neither.” Jack hissed under his breath before following.

Chapter Text

So far it was another boring trip through the gate. Teal’c and Bra’tac were meeting with another faction of rebel Jaffa. Buffy sighed as they talked and turned her attention to the west. The gate was in that direction and yet she felt like there was danger coming as well.

“Jack, it may be nothing, but I think my slayer senses are telling me about trouble coming from the direction of the gate.”

“Hey folks we may have incoming problems,” Jack started to forward Buffy’s warning when the black armored form of a super soldier appeared firing his weapon at everything that moved.

Rushing forward Buffy pulled her sword from her pack. Knowing that bullets and zat blasts didn’t harm them she only hoped she could make a difference with her mystical sword.

As if in slow motion she saw the soldier turn toward her and the blasts that came in her direction. She avoided the first three blasts but then came one she could not avoid.

Pain erupted within her and she nearly collapsed under the blast. Forcing her will forward she continued as if nothing had happened determination the only thing keeping her on her feet.

She might die today. She knew it was a bad hit, but there was one thing she was certain of; she would be talking the super-soldier with her if she did.

***

Jack’s urgent cry resounded through the gate room as he exited the wormhole carrying a wounded Buffy in his arms. “We need a medic.” They were quickly followed by the rest of SG-1 and Master Bra’tac.

They saw Buffy off with Janet and turned back to General Hammond. He could see the desire radiating off of Jack to be with his daughter.

“What happened? I thought this was to be a peaceful meeting with some other factions of rebel Jaffa?”

“It was until Anubus sent a super-soldier to ambush the meetings. We were unable to defend against them General Hammond.” Teal’c explained.

“How did you get away? Are the rest of the rebel Jaffa, ok?” Hammond looked concerned they still had no defense against the super-soldiers.

“Buffy attacked the super-solder. It managed to get a good shot in but before she went down, she made him loose his head; literally.” Jack explained. “She used her special sword and cut the suckers head off with one blow.”

“I thought the Super-soldiers armor protected them from just about everything.”

” It does, logically she shouldn’t have been successful Sir. It was either a slayer strength thing or some property of the sword she was using.” Sam explained.

“However she did it Hammond of Texas, I and all free Jaffa at the meeting there owe Buffy Summers-O’Neill our lives. She saved us of that there is no doubt.” Bra’tac stated.

“The rebel Jaffa are evacuating to the alpha site with the rebel Jaffa already there. Sir I request permission to…”

“Go ahead Jack we will have the mission briefing in two hours.”

General Hammond didn’t need to excuse Jack twice. Instantly he rushed to the infirmary to see how Buffy was doing.

***

Hours later Buffy was on the mend; shocking even those who knew about the Slayers healing abilities by how quickly she was healing.

Buffy and her, now fully debriefed, father sat talking. First, they talked about how she shouldn’t take such chances with her life. She responded that no one else had a weapon capable of killing the super-soldier so she had to try. Next topic of discussion was why don’t you want to move in with me? To which her reply was, ‘I am used to having my independence and you have a tendency already to meddle too much in my personal affairs; specifically, my dating life.’ There was some complaining and wheedling after this. Buffy responded by stating that she will keep thinking about it. Finally, they discussed Carter’s theory that Buffy was hiding her intelligence.

“I am sorry. I will be more careful in the future,” Buffy replied.

“I don’t want you to be afraid to show your brilliance. If it is just that you want to avoid boring egg head stuff believe me, I get it and I will cover for you. But if you actually want to embrace your inner nerd you need to know SG-1 has your back and we can work it out.” Jack tried to reassure her. “Why are you sorry about this?”

“Mom would get angry when I did too well in school. She said I wasn’t safe, and I guess I have really taken her fears to heart. I thought in the mountain I would be safer to let down my guards a bit. But if I am wrong.” Buffy nibbled gently on her lip. “What can we do to be sure it is safe?

“I think you are right, and it is safer in the mountain but there are things we can do to make sure you are safe.”

Buffy sighed as she thought about all the frustration, she had growing up having to pretend she was not as smart as she actually was. She remembered the thirst for more knowledge and her secret attempts to soak up knowledge in private. What would it be like to actually be free to learn?

“I won’t have to act like a total egghead, will I? I don’t want to end up like that Rodney Mackay that was here before.”

“Perish the thought. You are Buffy Summers-O'Neill and will stay that way egghead or not.” Jack winked at his daughter. “I will warn you long before you start acting like Mackay.”

“Alright, let’s do this,” Buffy smiled.

“You aren’t afraid?” Jack asked.

“Actually, a part of me wants them to make a move against me. I promised mom I wouldn’t give up on finding my brothers. What better way than bringing down the organization that kidnapped them in the first place,” She asked? There was a gleam in Buffy’s eye and Jack knew any people that tried to harm Buffy was in big trouble, not just from the slayer but from her father and SG-1.

Chapter Text

***

Sam poked her head in the door to the infirmary. “Hey, Buffy, are you up to a visitor?”

” Sure, Sam it’s always good to see you,” Buffy replied.

“Actually, it’s a friend of yours who finally came for the tour.” Sam explained stepping aside to allow Giles into the room.

“Giles!” Buffy cried out happily “I would come give you a hug, but I am healing here. Welcome, why didn’t you tell me you were coming today?” Jack noticed with no small amount of jealousy how she lit up and smiled at the other man. Buffy was positively glowing to see her watcher again.

For a moment Giles seemed to share in the joyful glow with a brilliant smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Then his British side took over and he was all stiff and proper once again. “Dear girl it is good to see you.” He smiled and polished his glasses.

“Where is Willow? She and Sam are going to get along like a house of cards of fire or something like that. Oh! And you can finally meet my father Jack O’Neill and Daniel in the flesh. This is my father, Jack. Jack this is Giles my watcher.”

The two men exchanged pleasantries and Buffy requested Jack go get Daniel so that he too could meet her watcher. When he left Giles took the newly vacant chair next to Buffy’s bed.

“They told me you were wounded. Are you alright?” he asked.

“I will be fine. I am healing well. What about Willow? It is so good to see you.” she smiled.

“It is good to see you. Willow sends her regards; she is in England helping me get the council set up again. She is doing much better but wants to take going back into the world slowly.”

“I sort of understand that.” Buffy felt disappointed but knew if it was best for Willow then it was best for her too.

“Buffy, I need to talk to you about the council and the explosion. I have come across information that Traverse was trying to get the council to turn you over to a private company.”

” Seriously?” Buffy asked. “Do you have more information? What did they think would happen with the Hellmouth unguarded?”

“We have a tape of a meeting that was going on before the explosion. Apparently, the plan was to have Faith killed so a new slayer would be called.”

” Would the council have gone along with that?” Buffy asked, not even shocked after surviving the Tento di Cruciamentum.

“The council seemed to be divided but more of them voted against turning you over to the other company.”

“Well at least Traverse is dead now.” Buffy sighed and Giles started polishing his glasses again. “No freakin’ way! How could he have survived?”

“That is something I am not sure about but in the video feed he was in the council chambers a few moments before the bomb went off. However, there was a flash of light, and he was gone. A second later the bomb exploded.”

“Crap, he is still alive then. I want to see this tape and I want SG-1 to see it with me. He must have planted the bomb himself and set it to explode if things didn’t go his way.”

“I can’t imagine Traverse working with a vampire like the Dragon.”

“What makes you so sure the bomb was set off by the Dragon? I promise he was in the States when the council was bombed.”

“Well, there was a note,” he explained.

“That is it? Was there no thought given that someone wrote it to keep us from looking at other options?” She asked.

“Buffy, Traverse was a hideously odious man but are you honestly suggesting that he bombed the council himself?”

“I need to look at the footage before I answer that. Let’s wait for Jack and Daniel to get back; I want them to see it too.” Buffy explained. “You said once before that magic couldn’t be used in the council chambers, so the bomb was a regular bomb. Could Traverse have gotten out of the council using magic?”

“No, he couldn’t have, but somehow he did.” Giles shook his head even now wondering how the other man did it.

“I want to see the entire meeting Giles, don’t skip ahead.” She stated when she noticed Giles was fast forwarding the DVD.

“I want to see what it is that would make the council turn on Travers when they would support him through the Cruciamentum.” Buffy explained.

“It’s bad, and I don’t think they want to let you out of the infirmary to destroy a few punching bags. Please Buffy I don’t think this is a good idea.”

In the end SG-1 gathered around Buffy’s bed in the infirmary to watch the tape from the beginning.

“I like movies, did anyone bring some popcorn?” Jack asked.

Giles froze and looked from Jack to Buffy and back. “He really is your father, isn’t he?”

“Duh!” Buffy and Jack intoned at the same time.

Shaking his head Giles started the tape. It started out boring enough Buffy finally broke down to fast forward through the opening pleasantries of the meeting.

“She is our tool to use as we see fit.” Travers’ voice filled Buffy with loathing.

“Summers has been holding the Hellmouth against all manners of attacks. We know you dislike her, but she is getting the job done,” another watcher argued.

“My contact has agreed to kill her temporarily, and then resuscitate her. If this works, we could have an army of slayers,” Travers argued.

“If it doesn’t work the Hellmouth will be unguarded. I don’t like her attitude any more than you do but there can be no doubt she gets results.”

“If it doesn’t work, we simply eliminate the other slayer, Lehane, and then we will have a council loyal slayer under our control. However, if it does work, we have ourselves a third slayer to negotiate with. I have a second contact group willing to pay for a slayer.”

“A slayer is not meant for the use of companies, they are meant to battle evil,” one watcher spoke out.

“I am disturbed by your willingness to throw the lives of these girls away,” another spoke up.

“They are ours to do with as we please. It is not only our right but our duty to use these girls to our best advantage. Just think, if a brief moment of death can get us two slayers, we might be able to create an army of them. We have more enemies than you know.”

“I for one want to know what these companies plan to do with a slayer? You may think we can trust these companies to do what is right with them, but what assurances would we have that they wouldn’t find a way to use them against us?” the first watcher spoke out again.

“The risk outweighs the benefit. We have plenty of money; I see no need to sell our slayers. We must keep our slayers from outside control. They must remain ours.” The second watcher spoke up again, to be agreed with by most of the room.

“Both slayers are already outside of our control! Can’t you see that?” Travers demanded.

“The Summers girl is performing her duties. Lehane is about to be released on parole, we will watch her closely to be sure she is truly reformed. While Miss Summers is guarding our world adequately, she is not to be touched.”

“Can’t you fools see the opportunity before us?” Travers hissed.

“We have a divine and sacred duty of guiding and guarding the slayer. What you are suggesting is abominable.”

“And yet, each time one of our slayers turns eighteen you all agree to the Tento di Cruciamentum, because you know that they become too powerful as they reach maturity. We were not able to keep them subjugated.”

“The purpose of our time-honored test is not in debate here.”

“Did he just call the Cruciamentum a time-honored test?” Daniel asked in anger.

“These people are already dead right?” Jack asked, “Because I find myself wanting to shoot them. All of them.”

Giles looked nervous and embarrassed. “Not all of them felt that way.”

“And yet, they haven’t spoken up to say so at this meeting of theirs.”

“Things were going the way that they wanted; they had to pick their battles.”

“What the…” was heard from the screen.

“Shh, look.” Jack called for silence and attention to be turned back to the recording. Sure, enough Travers disappeared immediately before the bomb went off.

“That was beaming technology. So, the company that wants to get their hands on Buffy must be the Trust.”

“Does this change our plans?” Buffy asked her father.

“No, we just have to be even more careful. I don’t want to lose you.”

“What plans? What is going on?” Giles demanded.

“We have made some plans in case a certain company tries to abduct me.” Buffy admitted and explained what was going on.

“I guess we should let you get some rest so you can finish recovering.” Giles stated and stood stretching. “I have an early flight to go back to England.”

“I will walk Mr. Giles up, there are some things I want to talk to him about anyway.” Daniel stated to the group and turned to lead the way.

“I just want to stop by my office for a quick moment.” He explained when he took a detour.

“I was wondering, Mr. Giles, are you planning on sending Buffy a new watcher anytime soon?”

“I am Buffy’s watcher.” Giles replied.

“Yes, how exactly does that work with you in England and her in the states? Separated like that how do you watch her?” Daniel asked emphasizing the word watch. Giles stiffened but Daniel wasn’t through yet. “My understanding of a watcher’s duty is not just to teach and guide but to watch her; to record her deeds and exploits for future slayers and watchers. That isn’t something you can do if you are on a different continent. And more than that; you are supposed to be helping and supporting her, but you just left her alone expecting her to deal with everything in her life and slaying on her own. Despite being a superhero, she is still a girl. She is a young woman who sometimes needs to know that she doesn’t have to face everything alone.”

Giles had the grace to be ashamed for a moment before his pride got to him.

“Just who do you think you are to be judging me like that?” Giles demanded.

“Me, I’m nobody. I am just a guy who cares for Buffy. A guy who found her alone facing hell on earth and tried to help. I am the man who held her when she broke down in tears after fighting the dragon and tried to kill herself because of her grief. I am the man who recorded everything he witnessed from her amazing courage to her overwhelming grief, and I am the man who is going to be here with Buffy once you are gone again. Here, I wanted to give this to you.” Daniel handed a diary to Giles. “It will tell you all about who I am and why I am judging you like that. Mostly it will tell you about Buffy’s encounter with the Dragons, both the vampire and the hell beast she had to fight to save the world.”

“I will read it once I get back to England.” Giles lied. He was planning on reading it once he got back to his apartment.

“I will walk you out. Just please think about what I said.”

Giles did think about it, walking back up out to his car and the drive back to his apartment, he thought about it while reading the journal and all night long as he couldn’t sleep.

The next morning found Giles rescheduling his flight and heading back to Cheyenne Mountain. He needed to speak with Daniel again.

Daniel for his part was surprised to see Buffy’s watcher again.

“I read the journal. It was very well written. I have been thinking about what you said all night. You are right, Buffy needs someone here to support her and record her deeds. I can’t be here right now as I am trying to get the council back up and running. I am trying to correct past mistakes like the Cruciamentum. I must be in England to do this. So, I have a proposition for you.”

“For me?” Daniel parroted dumbly.

“I can’t just send her another watcher. She won’t accept just anyone. Also, this place is classified above top secret; there isn’t anyone I can send. You, however, are here. Could you please act as her Watcher while I cannot?”

“I would have to talk to General Hammond about it. Everything we do is classified I can’t just send you journals about what we do here.”

“Of course,” Giles nodded.

“Also, Buffy and I have a unique relationship it might not be the best for me to be her Watcher. We haven’t been on a date yet, but we are planning on it.”

Giles started cleaning his glasses, “I see, you wouldn’t be the first watcher to have a relationship with their slayer. Though perhaps I will have to look into this just being a temporary position with the council,” Giles replied.

“With General Hammond’s approval, I would be honored, so long as Buffy doesn’t mind” Daniel smiled.

Chapter Text

***

Buffy was just being released from the infirmary with orders to take it easy when Daniel found her.

“Hey, Buffy, how are you feeling,” Daniel asked?

“All better now but I still have to take it easy for a few days. They didn’t actually want me to leave the infirmary yet, but I promised to keep my head down for a while. So, I am going to go to Jacks’ place for a few days.” Buffy explained.

“He finally talked you into living with him,” he asked?

“We are trying it out for a few days only, and then we will have to see. Walk me to my room so I can get my things,” Buffy asked?

“I will do one better and drive you to Jacks’ place if you don’t already have a ride?” He offered.

Buffy nibbled her lip as she considered Daniels offer. She wanted to take things slowly with him but even friends give each other rides all the time. She was supposed to call Jack to come pick her up. This would save him some time and gas. Carpooling was the cool thing to do these days she decided.

“Sure, if you don’t mind waiting for me to pack a bag or two,” Buffy answered.

Daniel smiled at her, and she could feel the effects of that smile all the way down to her toes. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, but it was too late to back out now.

A little while later they were driving back from the mountain towards Jack’s place and Daniel noticed a Starbucks ahead.

“Would,” Daniel took a deep breath and breathed it out slowly. “Would you like to stop and get a coffee? I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you.”

Nervously Buffy replied. “Sure, coffee is the non-relationship drink of choice after all.”

Daniel wasn’t sure he liked that response but reminded himself that he was going to take things slowly with her. He comforted himself by remembering how Faith told him that Buffy was interested but needed to take things slowly. Surely Faith had her ways of knowing that Buffy was still interested in him. He only hoped she would still be interested once he asked her what he needed to ask her.

Daniel pulled into the Starbucks parking lot and Buffy went to open her door.

“Wait please.” Daniel pleaded. Buffy turned to look at him with an obvious question in her eyes.

“I would like to be a gentleman…if you don’t mind.” He explained while motioning toward her door.

Buffy blinked in surprise but nodded and waited for Daniel to come open her door for her.

She remembered when she was little Hank would do things like that for her mom; she remembered asking why mom couldn’t open her own doors. Her mom had explained that it wasn’t that she couldn’t but that it was a sign of respect and honor. That had dwindled and stopped long before the fights started but Buffy always remembered how after Joyce explained it, she wanted to eventually meet a gentleman too.

Daniel opened the door and held his hand out to help her out of the seat and she couldn’t help the brilliant smile she gave him. She knew a lot of girls her age wouldn’t appreciate it, but she did. She felt her heart open up a little more to him and had to push back the overwhelming fear she felt that this had happened. She wasn’t ready to be in love again.

Daniel for his part took her arm and rested it on his own. This suddenly didn’t feel like friends getting coffee but something more and it scared her. But she walked with him her heart beating frantically as if she had been fighting or running all out.

Daniel for his part was overwhelmed by her smile, but he caught the sudden look of fear as it entered her eyes, and he found himself wanting to know what her previous boyfriends had done to her that she would be afraid of him just taking her out for coffee. He wanted to tear them apart for whatever they had done.

He decided to take it as a hint that he needed to slow down and keep things light tonight. So, he smiled trying to tell her without words that he understood and would respect her and not hurt her. He would have to talk to her about what he needed to talk to her about later.

After the initial jitters, Buffy found herself relaxing in Daniel’s company and thoroughly enjoying the evening. When he dropped her off and walked her up to the door, she found herself agreeing to a date with Daniel for tomorrow night. Instead of being frightened about it she was excited. There was just one thing she had to do before her date, so she asked, and he agreed to pick her up a little later than he originally asked her.

****

The next night found her with Jayce, walking around town and watching the sunset while she explained the 411 to him about vampires and then of course the slayer.

“So that is what a slayer is, and I am one.” Buffy finished explaining to Jayce.

“Was it Jack who put you up to this? It was, wasn’t it? Here I have been worrying for days about what you wanted to tell me, and it was all just a joke?” Jayce asked.

” No Daddyoh this is not a joke and it’s no laughing matter. This is why I wanted to wait until the evening so I could show you that I’m not lying and more importantly that I am not crazy!” Buffy explained looking at the afterglow and the first stars of the night.

“Well that you could worry that I might think you are crazy is a good indication that you aren’t. I am still waiting to find out where the hidden camera is.” Jayce rolled his eyes.

“OK while we are looking for my proof let me ask; you know that aliens exist but being told that vampires and demons exist makes you think I am pulling your leg why is one more easy to believe than the other,” Buffy asked?

Jayce was silent for a few moments as they walked, and he considered her question.

“There are two reasons and neither one is very comforting now that I think about it,” he admitted at last. “First, I was thinking that have lived on this planet a long time and never seen any, but then I remembered that the Goa’uld have been on the planet, and I had never seen them. So, I realized that my first reason is more for comfort of mind than because I really don’t believe in them. It is more comforting to believe that dangers are far away on other planets. I like to think that kids like you are being protected by the SGC.”

“And what is the other reason,” Buffy asked?

“The other me, Jack would have sent you to live in the Land of the Light or somewhere safe like that.”

” Don’t think he hasn’t tried to get me to do that.” Buffy smiled thinking of her overprotective father.

“Jack wouldn’t let you go out to face these things alone.” Jayce presented his final argument.

“Jack likes me to bring back up whenever possible, fortunately he got to see first-hand how good I am at what I do. So, he knows I can handle myself. It also helps that he knows Colorado Springs doesn’t have much of a vampire population and it is even smaller since I have been in town.” Buffy sighed. “Hence why we are having such a hard time finding you proof. I think we should go visit a family of friendly demons that lives in town if they can’t be proof enough maybe they have news about any new vamps that might be in town.”

Together they found the friendly demons who did know about a new vamp in town. Buffy caught it and let Jayce have the honors of dusting it. She then left Jayce and Jack together so she could go on her date with Daniel. Who better at helping Jayce deal with the craziness of her world than Jack?

***

Chapter Text

Soft and sweet dinner music played at the fancy restaurant Daniel had chosen as they sat and looked at the menu.

“I was surprised that you still wanted to go out with me after the way Jack has been being.” Buffy stated.

“You thought Jack had frightened me away from you? Buffy as Teal’c would say, ‘undomesticated equines’ couldn’t frighten me away from you.” Daniel stated adamantly.

“I’m sorry but in my defense, you jumped away pretty quickly when Jack spilled the beans that I was his daughter, and you haven’t really tried to kiss me again since.” Buffy blushed but she wanted to know how he felt.

“I was hoping to rectify that tonight,” Daniel stated with a slight blush.

In response Buffy smiled.

“There’re some things I needed to talk to you about too.” Daniel admitted.

“Me too, I mean there are some things I needed to talk to you about also.” Buffy was clearly nervous.

“Ladies first,” Daniel smiled to try and comfort her.

“Daniel, I like you a lot so much so that it scares me. When I am around you, I feel like I felt in heaven, I mean when we were ascended. I still can’t get over that one. I just don’t know how to separate my feelings for you from the way being around you makes me feel. I need to know that what I feel for you is real and not side effects of us both having been ascended together. So, I was hoping you could have some patience with me; that we could take things slow maybe continue seeing other people for a while. Just let things develop slowly if that is even possible.”

“I will tell you the truth, the thought of you with someone else bothers me but I understand that you want to take things slowly. I won’t push for now,” Daniel answered her question then really thought about what she said. “Being around me really makes you feel like that; and you remember what it was like,” Daniel asked?

Buffy nodded.

“That is amazing do you remember anything else?”

“Not really just how it felt; warm and safe. It is weird but I thought my mom was there with me. I guess that isn’t likely.”

For a while they spoke about what Buffy remembered of being ascended. Daniel kept finding himself lost in her eyes. Emerald pools that actually reminded him of being ascended too.

He could recognize that he was drawn to her much like she was apparently drawn to him. He found himself wondering for the first time if he might have had a significant other while he was ascended; and if he did was it, Buffy? The more he thought about it the more he understood why she might be nervous to trust her feelings about him. However, he knew that wasn’t all that attracted him to the tiny blond before him. Rather than be frightened of what he felt Daniel recognized that if he were to win her heart, they would have more going for them than most people ever dream of.

***

After dinner they stood outside and took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. “Let's walk for a minute,” Daniel suggested. “Look at the stars together.”

So together they walked and looked at the stars. It was one of Buffy’s more memorable moments. Daniel pulled her into a heart stopping kiss. It was incredible and Buffy could only curse her luck, because she could sense that they were being surrounded by men in black.

Pulling Daniel closer she whispered in his ear. “We are being surrounded. When I say now get back to the mountain.”

Buffy felt his grip on her tighten as he realized the danger they were in.

“No, I don’t want to leave you.” He said concern lining his brow.

“Someone has to sound the alarm and get them to start tracking me; if you aren’t free, they won’t know to start the plan,” she explained.

Daniel couldn’t argue with her logic, he knew this was the plan but how could he just leave her? The moment came and it took all his faith in her and his team to leave her side to try and get to safety.

It took all of Buffy’s will power not to kick the guns out of their assailants’ hands. She had to remind herself that she wanted to be kidnapped so she could try and discover her brothers. So as soon as Daniel seemed to have gotten away, she stopped fighting and only put up a mild token struggle.

It became increasingly obvious that they didn’t realize they were dealing with a slayer as they only had one man stay on her with a gun. He was close enough she could have easily kicked the gun from his hand. Also, they tied her hands with rope as if that would keep her tied up. Yep, everything was going her way…until they brought Daniel back to the van.

“I’m sorry; I really did try to get away.” Daniel stated as they had him sit down beside her and put two men with guns on him.

Buffy smiled wryly at him in an attempt to convey some form of comfort to him. “It’ll be alright.” Now Buffy was tempted to take out the men guarding them, but it would be much more difficult to take out the two men who were guarding Daniel without Daniel getting hurt.

Gently Daniel bumped her arm to get her to look at him and he almost imperceptibly shook his head. He was content to wait things out with her. She felt she could seriously kiss him again for showing so much trust in her. For being willing to go along with things so she could have a chance to find her brothers.

Then a black silken hood covered their heads, so Buffy sat back and just listened to any hint of where they were being taken.

They circled around town for so long that Buffy wasn’t even sure of where they were until they went over some railroad tracks and she was able to get her bearings again.

It was only another minute before they parked and escorted the two of them into a warehouse.

The hoods were ripped from their faces and Buffy seriously hoped it hadn’t messed up her hair too badly.

“Welcome Dr Jackson, we’ve been hoping to have an opportunity like this for a while now.”

“Wait a minute….it isn’t me you want? Well, why not?” Buffy asked before breaking the ropes holding her and launching into an attack. In moments the men surrounding them were all knocked unconscious. With this she smiled brightly at Daniel and hopped forward to untie him. She was just finishing when there was a noise followed by pain in her arm. Looking down she was confused as to how she was bleeding as none of the men even got a good hit in.

“Buffy!” Daniel cried out in alarm and jumped forward to look at it.

“So that explains it. It serves the others right for not knowing who they were kidnapping when they were kidnapping them. I’d sit down Dr. Jackson, Miss Summers or I will shoot you again only this time I won’t be aiming for your arm.” A new man came out of the shadows holding his gun steady while aiming it at her heart.

Daniel and Buffy sat down slowly; anger marring their brows.

“I will shoot her again Dr. Jackson, if you don’t play ball. All we want is for you to translate something for us then we will let you both go. We will even bandage her back up first just to show we mean you no harm.”

“No Daniel don’t do it.” Buffy whispered.

“I’m not going to let them shoot you again.” Daniel growled while eyeing daggers at the man with the gun.

“Whatever they want it for it isn’t good.” Buffy argued.

Slowly the man came forward the gun still centered directly on her. ‘Keep coming’ she thought, ‘just a little closer’. Sadly, he stopped just a little too far away from her.

‘Crap!’ she thought to herself. ‘He is almost right where I want him.’

Pulling out a board he held it up for Daniel to see. "What does it say?" He demanded to know. Looking over at Daniel the gun wavered away pointing to the side and it was in this instant Buffy leapt into action.

Shortly later, Daniel and Buffy tied the bad guys up and used the phone to contact the mountain for backup. Together they had struck a blow against the trust. Later they discovered that they had found a cloaked Ha'tak in synchronous orbit on the far side of the moon. It turned out that the tablet was the password that allowed them to ring up to the ship.

***

Buffy returned home to find Jayce and Jack still talking. Jayce was still obviously trying to come to terms with Buffy’s status as the Slayer.

“How was the date with Daniel?” Jack asked.

“We went to a nice restaurant and had dinner. Then we went for a walk in the moonlight. It was very romantic.” Wondering if they had tuned her out yet Buffy continued. “We held hands and kissed in the starlight.” She could practically see both of them sticking their fingers in their ears saying la la la la la to tune her out. “Then we were kidnapped by the trust. They wanted to force Daniel to translate this stone tablet. I got shot but I'm fine and everything worked out alright in the end.” Buffy explained hiding her wounded arm.

“Wait a minute,” Jayce cried out coming out of his Buffy was on a date with Daniel stupor. “Buffy is dating Daniel, and you are ok with this?”

“Absolutely not but as with the slaying I can’t get that girl to mind me,” Jack growled.

“Good night, Dad and Goodnight Daddyoh.” Buffy smiled indulgently as she went to get ready for bed and to check the bandage Janet had helped to bind her wound with. As dates go it wasn’t her worst one. Absently she thought about the kiss in the moonlight again. No, it definitely wasn’t her worst date ever.