Fic: Wayward Angel 1/11 Rated: NC-17
Title: Wayward Angel
By: Polgara (melindoranightsilver@hotmail.com)
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to their respective creators and distributors. Alec Colson’s dialogue comes directly from the Stargate Episode 8.8 Covenant.
Distribution: My site - Worlds of Possibilities, ff.net, Wormhole Crossing, and TtH.
Spoilers: For Buffy everything is game, for Stargate SG-1 direct spoilers for season 8 episode 8 - Covenant - and anything before that.
Setting: Takes place several years after Chosen and starts during SG-1 episode 8.8 - Covenant.
Summary: Life is filled with moments. The decision in each of these defining times shapes who we are and who we will become. They push us forward and back, an intricate dance.
A/N: Chapter titles and lyrics at the beginning of each come from Kasey Chamber’s cd - Wayward Angel. Music was used as an inspiration for the entire piece.
A/N2: Super shout out to Ava for being my personal cheerleader through writing this. Seriously, without her, this may have never been finished.
A/N3: Much thanks goes to Copper, my wonderful beta!
This fic has already been completed. I will be posting every Sunday.
Any and all artwork linked within this fic was created by the lovely Ava.
I’m a wayward angel
I feel no sorrow
I’ll always carry you home
I’ll bring salvation
Before tomorrow
I’ll be wherever you go
~Wayward Angel
Buffy looked at her watch and then over at Willow. “What time should this thing start?”
“In just a few minutes,” the redhead answered, turning on the television before settling down on the sofa. “I wonder what kind of proof he has.”
The night before, Alec Colson of Colson Industries had gone on air with a press conference claiming that he had proof of alien life. Buffy was concerned that he had captured a demon and mistaken it for an alien. The last thing the world needed was to be exposed to the truth that was her life.
Her first instinct was to turn to Willow. The witch had done her research thing, but only found that his company had recently done contract work for the Air Force. She was taking a short break from the computer to watch this evening’s conference. Alec had given the government twenty-four hours to tell the truth or he was going to do it for them.
“Giles find out anything?” Buffy asked.
Over the past four years, Giles had improved his computer skills out of necessity. The Scoobies had rebuilt the Watcher’s Council and were more often than not spread out over the globe working on some project or another. They had found that email, text messaging, and IM were the easiest and cheapest way to keep in touch.
“He didn’t get as far as me,” Willow said. “But he did find out that they did some genetic sequencing for the Air Force.”
“Lots of ties to them,” Buffy said with a frown.
“Next thing I’ll check out,” Willow promised. “Oh look, it’s starting.”
They both focused their attention on the television. A handsome, dark-haired man stood behind a podium and began speaking.
“Welcome, and thank you for coming,” he said with a smile. “Yesterday I told you of our belief in the existence of intelligent life beyond our planet. I also told you that we believed several governments, including our own, have known about this and have been concealing the information for quite some time now. Yesterday, I challenged these governments to come clean - reveal the truth. We got only silence, which gives me no choice but to present to you what evidence I have.” He nodded to someone off camera. “How do I know for sure that alien life really exists? Ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing.”
The picture on the screen shifted to a door just off to the side. A man opened it and a woman came out followed by a…
“Oh my goddess,” Willow breathed, her eyes widening as she gazed at the image. “Is that really a… a…”
“Alien?” Buffy whispered.
On the screen, clear as day, was a thin grey figure standing a little over three feet tall. It looked every inch of the concept drawings that the conspiracy theorists had been raving about for years. It blinked its big black eyes as it looked around the room.
Without turning away from her television, Buffy said, “Willow, find out what’s going on. Now.”
XXXXXXXX
President Hayes leaned forward in his large chair and smiled. “Thank you for everything, Supreme Commander. I‘m sorry that we had to meet over these circumstances.”
Thor nodded his head slightly. “It was our pleasure, Mr. President. I am pleased we were able to resolve the matter quickly. ”
“I have one more matter to discuss with General O‘Neill. Something completely unrelated,” the president said.
“You can signal me when you are finished here,” Thor said to Jack before disappearing in a bright flash of white light.
Jack pursed his lips slightly before asking, “What’s up?”
“It appears that Mr. Colson’s revelations have had consequences reaching further than we had anticipated. I have to ask that you add a new member to SG-1.”
“Sir, Colonel Carter and I have been reviewing appl…”
“I’m afraid you misunderstand me,” Henry said, calmly interrupting him. “I already have a member in mind. Her name is Buffy Summers, a civilian.”
“A civilian? With all due respect, sir, but…”
The president held up a hand. “I can’t actually officially order you to hire her, but I must insist. The world owes her nearly as much, if not more, as it does you and your former team. I assure you that she can handle the job.”
Jack’s eyebrows rose up. “How is she capable?”
“I’m not permitted to say.”
“What?” A frown pulled at Jack’s lips. It wasn’t the answer he had been expecting. Not that he had a firm one in mind, but at least something that gave him an idea of why.
“It will be her decision whether or not to inform you and the team, though I’ve suggested to her to at least fill you and your CMO in on certain particulars.”
Jack rubbed his eyes in frustration. “You mean she already believes she has the job.”
“She has the job and is already on her way to the mountain. Trust her, Jack. She has more going for her than just her pretty face.”
XXXXXXXX
Jack looked up at the knock on his office door. He took in the petite blonde standing there next to a military escort and had a bad feeling about who she was. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Buffy Summers, General,” she said, her face and voice serious.
He bit back a groan. She was sensibly dressed in a tan suit, but it didn’t disguise her slight frame. She was barely over five feet tall and quite a looker. He didn’t think she’d last five minutes on the front lines, but he remembered what the president said and gave her a closer look. He was startled at her world weary eyes and, for the life of him, couldn’t fathom the reason why they should be that way.
“Take a seat, Miss Summers,” he said, gesturing to one of the chairs in his office. “You are excused,” he said to the young officer escorting her.
“Thank you,” she said politely, closing the door behind her.
Once she was seated, Jack asked, “The president all but ordered me to add you to my front line team. Any idea why?”
“Because I asked him to,” she said simply. “I finally called in the favor the government owed me.”
Jack frowned. He really didn’t know which issue to address first - the fact she knew about a top secret program or that the government owed her for something. Picking one he asked, “How did you know enough about the SGC to request this position?”
Her smile bordered on the edge of a smirk. “Your security system isn’t as good as you think.”
He sputtered. “What?!”
“My friends and I caught Colson’s press conference and did some investigating. One thing led to another and we found out about your little project here. Since we don’t exactly trust the military to handle this, I called the president. And here I am,” she explained.
Once again he found more questions to ask than real answers given. He quickly began to reevaluate his initial opinion of her; she was more complex than he thought. He was positive that his face held a bewildered expression when she let out a silvery laugh.
“Let me make this easy for you,” she said, the smile still teasing the corners of her lips. “I’m sure you have tons of questions. I’ll answer the most important one first.”
“Which is…?”
“Why am I qualified for this job?”
“Yeah, that would be a good one to start with,” he admitted.
Buffy handed him a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” He asked, looking down at it.
“It’s a confidentiality agreement. I can’t tell you anything until you sign it. I also have one for the base doctor,” she informed him.
“I don’t understand.”
“What I have to say doesn’t just affect me; it deals with hundreds of others. I need to know that we’re safe.”
Jack shot her a curious look before reading over the document in front of him. Despite what his former teammates believed, and even everyone else on the base, he did read everything before signing it. Once he was finished he signed it and handed it back. “So, Miss Summers…”
“Call me Buffy.”
He cleared his throat. “Buffy, why are you qualified to join the SGC?”
Buffy took a deep breath before beginning. “I know you’ve seen a lot since you’ve started working here ‘cause I’ve read the reports. But even with that in mind I need you to stay open to this and hear me out, because what I’m about to tell you is real and it is my life.”
“You’ve definitely piqued my interest. I’ll do my best.” He leaned back with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his hands clasped in his lap.
“When I was fifteen I was a cheerleader, beauty queen, and most of my thoughts centered around the hottest boys in school and the latest fashion. All of that changed when Merrick came and told me about my birthright.” Her eyes held a distant look as she recalled the past. “I was the newly called slayer.”
“Slayer?”
“Vampire slayer. One girl in all the world with the strength and speed to fight and hold back the darkness. There can only be one at a time.”
“You expect me to believe in vampires?” He asked with a snort.
“Yes. Along with demons and magic,” she said solemnly, not fazed by his disbelief.
“For cryin’ out loud.”
She rolled her eyes. “You said you’d listen. I’ll show you proof later.”
“Fine, fine. So tell me about being a slayer,” he said, waving a hand at her.
“At fifteen, I was thrust into a war that I knew nothing about, not even that it existed. Every night I went out to slay the vampires threatening the safety of the world.”
“Wait a minute. You were fifteen?”
Buffy smiled sadly at him. “Most of the slayers are called between fifteen and eighteen. Most don’t make it past a year.”
“And how old are you?”
“Twenty-six.”
Jack’s jaw dropped slightly. If everything she was saying was true, then he’d have to reevaluate his impression, again. He had only known the woman for five minutes and she was already keeping him on his toes. He could see a lot of headaches in his future. “You must be pretty good to have lasted this long. Unless you are able to retire at eighteen.”
“Slayers don’t retire, General. They die. And they usually die young, alone, and in a violent manner. With only their watcher to tell the tale.” She suddenly looked older than her twenty-six years.
“Watcher?”
“A slayer’s trainer or guide. Usually stuffy, British men in tweed. They belong to a much larger council,” she said.
“And they let these children go out and fight alone?” He asked incredulously.
“What would you rather happen? The world fall under evil’s reign? The slayer is chosen by destiny and only she is capable of protecting the world. I never said it was fair, or that it was right. It’s just the way it is,” she said, her voice hard and her eyes cold. Her body radiated tension as she spoke. “Without the slayer the world would literally become hell. Do I make myself clear?”
Taken back by her intensity, he decided to let her move on. “Crystal.”
Buffy relaxed back into her chair. “Merrick was my first watcher. He died within my first few months. My parents got a divorce and mom and I moved to Sunnydale.”
“That place that fell into a crater several years ago?” He asked suddenly, remembering Carter mentioning it and how suspicious it had seemed at the time. Their request to investigate it had been denied.
“The same one,” she said with a satisfied smile.
Jack got the distinct feeling that he was missing something, but decided not to press it. Something occurred to him. “Wait a minute. You said there is only one slayer at a time, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then how can you abandon your calling or whatever to work here?”
“I’ll get to it once I finish telling you why I’m qualified to be on your former team,” she said, the smirk back on her face.
“Fine, fine,” he said with a sigh. “You moved to Sunnydale,” he prompted.
“And I thought I could escape my calling, but I was wrong. The librarian at my high school was my new watcher and the school sat on top of a hellmouth.” She held up a hand to stop his question. “It’s literally what it sounds like and I’ve learned the plural of apocalypse. But my life as a slayer was different from those before me and all that follow.”
“How so?”
“I wasn’t alone in my fight. My friends discovered my secret and started helping me. For the first time, a slayer had a support system and it made all the difference. They were my link to this world and my reason for fighting.”
Jack couldn’t take it anymore and leaned forward. “And your watcher allowed this? A bunch of teenagers fighting? You could have been hurt, or even worse - killed!” In his outrage he forgot that he didn’t exactly believe in vampires.
“They already knew about casualties, General,” Buffy said, slamming her hands down on his desk and leaning in. “Their childhood friend was turned into a vampire and was used as bait for me. Since I was stopping the big bad from winning, Xander was forced to stake his best friend and watch him turn to dust. They had known me for all of two days. They knew the score and fought anyway.”
Jack thought back to when he had been forced to give the order to kill his friend Kawalsky, or even the time he’d killed Carter when she had been taken over by that entity, or stopped treatment on a dying Daniel. It had affected him deeply and he could only imagine the pain this Xander had felt at such a young age. He could also see how such an incident would propel the teenagers to aid Buffy. “But you let normal people help you fight the supernatural,” he pointed out.
She let out a soft sigh and leaned back. “Actually, they did research and only occasionally helped on patrols. At least, at first. Eventually they were able to fight and I was thankful for every ounce of help they gave.”
He rubbed his eyes. This was getting to be a little too much. He was right about the headaches, he could already feel one building. She was stubborn and he was stubborn, and there was no use in arguing over events of the past. “Point made,” he said, sinking back into his chair. “Continue please.”
“For six years we successfully held back the darkness. Then we came up against something bigger than what we could handle.” She seemed to retreat inside herself and again Jack was struck with how old she looked. He instinctively knew this part of her life was not going to be pretty.
“We lost a lot of good people, but Willow, a witch, managed to save us.” She looked up at him and smiled brightly. “She altered destiny. The reason why I can take this position is because I am no longer the only slayer. Her spell activated every potential slayer in the world.”
She leaned forward. “And that’s also why I had you sign that paper. There are hundreds of girls out there - some as young as five. If they were discovered they’d be turned into lab rats. It’s my job to protect them as well, and I will not let it happen.”
“And you expect these girls to fight?”
“No. They have a choice - one that I was not given. They have a chance to live a normal life, if they wish.”
“You could do the same,” he pointed out, but Buffy shook her head.
“It’s too late for me. I’ve seen too much. I’ve done too much. I can’t go back and pretend that I don’t know what’s out there.”
Jack took a moment to absorb all of the information. It was an incredible story, but his gut told him that she was telling the truth. He decided to ask a question that had been bugging him. “Why do you distrust the military?”
“I can’t tell you everything because it’s classified, but I can give you highlights. The government found out about the existence of demons and whatnot and started capturing them for study. The idiots then built a super soldier combining human, demon, and machine.”
“And let me guess. It broke free, created havoc, and you and your team had to clean up the mess,” he said with a grim smile.
“Give the General a cookie.”
“Really? What kind you got?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Buffy laughed. “At least you have a sense of humor, that’s comforting to know.” She gave him a speculative look. “Do you like to taunt your enemy too?”
He grinned at her. “Adrenaline rush.”
“Totally,” she agreed. “Do you want to see my proof now?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Got a TV and VCR handy?”
“Let me get one.” He picked up the phone and quickly made the request. After he put the phone back in the cradle, he asked, “How strong are you?”
She scrunched her nose up in thought. “I’m not sure. I’ve got a troll hammer I use that no one else can move.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Troll hammer?”
“Long story.”
“I want to hear them all eventually,” he said, wondering if they were anywhere near as interesting as his own.
“As long as you tell me yours.”
“Deal. Oh, one other thing before we get to the featured movie. Why do we need to tell the doc?”
“In case I get injured,” she said with a shrug. “I heal fast. It’s part of the slayer package.”
“Ah.”
There was a knock at the door and an airman wheeled in the requested equipment on a cart. He plugged it in and then left.
Buffy pulled a tape out of her bag and popped it in. “This was a sparring match between me and two master vampires.”
“A sparring match? Why aren’t you killing them?”
“Another long story. Just know that they are on our side. You’ll see their human face and their demonic one. I know you’re still having trouble believing this…”
“A little,” he muttered under his breath.
“I also have sensitive hearing,” she said with a grin.
A look of dismay crossed his face followed by a decidedly mischievous one. Buffy wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he was planning.
“These images are real no matter what you might think,” she said pushing play.
Jack sat there watching in disbelief as two men… No wait…. Two vampires fought with Buffy. He winced as the punches landed and nearly jumped out of his seat as the three of them were continually kicked, punched, or thrown across the room.
After five minutes, he said, “That’s enough.”
She stopped the tape and put it back in her bag. “Do you understand the need for secrecy now?”
“I do.” He settled his serious brown eyes on her. “Can I trust you to help keep my, your team and the world safe?”
Buffy’s eyes were just as serious as she replied, “Up to my last breath.”
“Good,” he said, holding his hand out. “Welcome to the SGC.”
“Thanks,” she said, returning the handshake.
He stood and led her to the door. “Let’s get you to the infirmary for your physical before we get you some quarters to stay in until you get a place of your own in town.”
“Do I have to go the infirmary?” She balked.
“Yes, you do. It’s standard procedure,” he said, pushing her out the door. “Besides, you need to have Dr. Jones sign that paper.”
“Dr. Jones?” She asked, the corners of her mouth quirking up.
“Yup, Dr. Henry Jones is our CMO.”
“Is he from…”
“Yup, Indiana,” he said with a grin.
“Can I call him Indiana?”
“Uh, no.”
“How about Indy?” She asked, adding a little bounce to her step.
“No.”
“You’re taking all of the fun out of it,” she said, pouting up at him.
“I know,” he said with a sigh and a little pout of his own.
“How many times did he tell you not to call him those names?” She shrewdly asked.
“Quite a few.”
She laughed. “Well, at least I know you’ll be fun to work for.”
He looked down at her much shorter figure. “You realize that I still don’t believe most of this, right?”
“I figured.”
“Gonna really prove it one day?”
“Maybe.”
By: Polgara (melindoranightsilver@hotmail.com)
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to their respective creators and distributors. Alec Colson’s dialogue comes directly from the Stargate Episode 8.8 Covenant.
Distribution: My site - Worlds of Possibilities, ff.net, Wormhole Crossing, and TtH.
Spoilers: For Buffy everything is game, for Stargate SG-1 direct spoilers for season 8 episode 8 - Covenant - and anything before that.
Setting: Takes place several years after Chosen and starts during SG-1 episode 8.8 - Covenant.
Summary: Life is filled with moments. The decision in each of these defining times shapes who we are and who we will become. They push us forward and back, an intricate dance.
A/N: Chapter titles and lyrics at the beginning of each come from Kasey Chamber’s cd - Wayward Angel. Music was used as an inspiration for the entire piece.
A/N2: Super shout out to Ava for being my personal cheerleader through writing this. Seriously, without her, this may have never been finished.
A/N3: Much thanks goes to Copper, my wonderful beta!
This fic has already been completed. I will be posting every Sunday.
Any and all artwork linked within this fic was created by the lovely Ava.
I’m a wayward angel
I feel no sorrow
I’ll always carry you home
I’ll bring salvation
Before tomorrow
I’ll be wherever you go
~Wayward Angel
Buffy looked at her watch and then over at Willow. “What time should this thing start?”
“In just a few minutes,” the redhead answered, turning on the television before settling down on the sofa. “I wonder what kind of proof he has.”
The night before, Alec Colson of Colson Industries had gone on air with a press conference claiming that he had proof of alien life. Buffy was concerned that he had captured a demon and mistaken it for an alien. The last thing the world needed was to be exposed to the truth that was her life.
Her first instinct was to turn to Willow. The witch had done her research thing, but only found that his company had recently done contract work for the Air Force. She was taking a short break from the computer to watch this evening’s conference. Alec had given the government twenty-four hours to tell the truth or he was going to do it for them.
“Giles find out anything?” Buffy asked.
Over the past four years, Giles had improved his computer skills out of necessity. The Scoobies had rebuilt the Watcher’s Council and were more often than not spread out over the globe working on some project or another. They had found that email, text messaging, and IM were the easiest and cheapest way to keep in touch.
“He didn’t get as far as me,” Willow said. “But he did find out that they did some genetic sequencing for the Air Force.”
“Lots of ties to them,” Buffy said with a frown.
“Next thing I’ll check out,” Willow promised. “Oh look, it’s starting.”
They both focused their attention on the television. A handsome, dark-haired man stood behind a podium and began speaking.
“Welcome, and thank you for coming,” he said with a smile. “Yesterday I told you of our belief in the existence of intelligent life beyond our planet. I also told you that we believed several governments, including our own, have known about this and have been concealing the information for quite some time now. Yesterday, I challenged these governments to come clean - reveal the truth. We got only silence, which gives me no choice but to present to you what evidence I have.” He nodded to someone off camera. “How do I know for sure that alien life really exists? Ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing.”
The picture on the screen shifted to a door just off to the side. A man opened it and a woman came out followed by a…
“Oh my goddess,” Willow breathed, her eyes widening as she gazed at the image. “Is that really a… a…”
“Alien?” Buffy whispered.
On the screen, clear as day, was a thin grey figure standing a little over three feet tall. It looked every inch of the concept drawings that the conspiracy theorists had been raving about for years. It blinked its big black eyes as it looked around the room.
Without turning away from her television, Buffy said, “Willow, find out what’s going on. Now.”
XXXXXXXX
President Hayes leaned forward in his large chair and smiled. “Thank you for everything, Supreme Commander. I‘m sorry that we had to meet over these circumstances.”
Thor nodded his head slightly. “It was our pleasure, Mr. President. I am pleased we were able to resolve the matter quickly. ”
“I have one more matter to discuss with General O‘Neill. Something completely unrelated,” the president said.
“You can signal me when you are finished here,” Thor said to Jack before disappearing in a bright flash of white light.
Jack pursed his lips slightly before asking, “What’s up?”
“It appears that Mr. Colson’s revelations have had consequences reaching further than we had anticipated. I have to ask that you add a new member to SG-1.”
“Sir, Colonel Carter and I have been reviewing appl…”
“I’m afraid you misunderstand me,” Henry said, calmly interrupting him. “I already have a member in mind. Her name is Buffy Summers, a civilian.”
“A civilian? With all due respect, sir, but…”
The president held up a hand. “I can’t actually officially order you to hire her, but I must insist. The world owes her nearly as much, if not more, as it does you and your former team. I assure you that she can handle the job.”
Jack’s eyebrows rose up. “How is she capable?”
“I’m not permitted to say.”
“What?” A frown pulled at Jack’s lips. It wasn’t the answer he had been expecting. Not that he had a firm one in mind, but at least something that gave him an idea of why.
“It will be her decision whether or not to inform you and the team, though I’ve suggested to her to at least fill you and your CMO in on certain particulars.”
Jack rubbed his eyes in frustration. “You mean she already believes she has the job.”
“She has the job and is already on her way to the mountain. Trust her, Jack. She has more going for her than just her pretty face.”
XXXXXXXX
Jack looked up at the knock on his office door. He took in the petite blonde standing there next to a military escort and had a bad feeling about who she was. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Buffy Summers, General,” she said, her face and voice serious.
He bit back a groan. She was sensibly dressed in a tan suit, but it didn’t disguise her slight frame. She was barely over five feet tall and quite a looker. He didn’t think she’d last five minutes on the front lines, but he remembered what the president said and gave her a closer look. He was startled at her world weary eyes and, for the life of him, couldn’t fathom the reason why they should be that way.
“Take a seat, Miss Summers,” he said, gesturing to one of the chairs in his office. “You are excused,” he said to the young officer escorting her.
“Thank you,” she said politely, closing the door behind her.
Once she was seated, Jack asked, “The president all but ordered me to add you to my front line team. Any idea why?”
“Because I asked him to,” she said simply. “I finally called in the favor the government owed me.”
Jack frowned. He really didn’t know which issue to address first - the fact she knew about a top secret program or that the government owed her for something. Picking one he asked, “How did you know enough about the SGC to request this position?”
Her smile bordered on the edge of a smirk. “Your security system isn’t as good as you think.”
He sputtered. “What?!”
“My friends and I caught Colson’s press conference and did some investigating. One thing led to another and we found out about your little project here. Since we don’t exactly trust the military to handle this, I called the president. And here I am,” she explained.
Once again he found more questions to ask than real answers given. He quickly began to reevaluate his initial opinion of her; she was more complex than he thought. He was positive that his face held a bewildered expression when she let out a silvery laugh.
“Let me make this easy for you,” she said, the smile still teasing the corners of her lips. “I’m sure you have tons of questions. I’ll answer the most important one first.”
“Which is…?”
“Why am I qualified for this job?”
“Yeah, that would be a good one to start with,” he admitted.
Buffy handed him a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” He asked, looking down at it.
“It’s a confidentiality agreement. I can’t tell you anything until you sign it. I also have one for the base doctor,” she informed him.
“I don’t understand.”
“What I have to say doesn’t just affect me; it deals with hundreds of others. I need to know that we’re safe.”
Jack shot her a curious look before reading over the document in front of him. Despite what his former teammates believed, and even everyone else on the base, he did read everything before signing it. Once he was finished he signed it and handed it back. “So, Miss Summers…”
“Call me Buffy.”
He cleared his throat. “Buffy, why are you qualified to join the SGC?”
Buffy took a deep breath before beginning. “I know you’ve seen a lot since you’ve started working here ‘cause I’ve read the reports. But even with that in mind I need you to stay open to this and hear me out, because what I’m about to tell you is real and it is my life.”
“You’ve definitely piqued my interest. I’ll do my best.” He leaned back with his elbows resting on the arms of the chair and his hands clasped in his lap.
“When I was fifteen I was a cheerleader, beauty queen, and most of my thoughts centered around the hottest boys in school and the latest fashion. All of that changed when Merrick came and told me about my birthright.” Her eyes held a distant look as she recalled the past. “I was the newly called slayer.”
“Slayer?”
“Vampire slayer. One girl in all the world with the strength and speed to fight and hold back the darkness. There can only be one at a time.”
“You expect me to believe in vampires?” He asked with a snort.
“Yes. Along with demons and magic,” she said solemnly, not fazed by his disbelief.
“For cryin’ out loud.”
She rolled her eyes. “You said you’d listen. I’ll show you proof later.”
“Fine, fine. So tell me about being a slayer,” he said, waving a hand at her.
“At fifteen, I was thrust into a war that I knew nothing about, not even that it existed. Every night I went out to slay the vampires threatening the safety of the world.”
“Wait a minute. You were fifteen?”
Buffy smiled sadly at him. “Most of the slayers are called between fifteen and eighteen. Most don’t make it past a year.”
“And how old are you?”
“Twenty-six.”
Jack’s jaw dropped slightly. If everything she was saying was true, then he’d have to reevaluate his impression, again. He had only known the woman for five minutes and she was already keeping him on his toes. He could see a lot of headaches in his future. “You must be pretty good to have lasted this long. Unless you are able to retire at eighteen.”
“Slayers don’t retire, General. They die. And they usually die young, alone, and in a violent manner. With only their watcher to tell the tale.” She suddenly looked older than her twenty-six years.
“Watcher?”
“A slayer’s trainer or guide. Usually stuffy, British men in tweed. They belong to a much larger council,” she said.
“And they let these children go out and fight alone?” He asked incredulously.
“What would you rather happen? The world fall under evil’s reign? The slayer is chosen by destiny and only she is capable of protecting the world. I never said it was fair, or that it was right. It’s just the way it is,” she said, her voice hard and her eyes cold. Her body radiated tension as she spoke. “Without the slayer the world would literally become hell. Do I make myself clear?”
Taken back by her intensity, he decided to let her move on. “Crystal.”
Buffy relaxed back into her chair. “Merrick was my first watcher. He died within my first few months. My parents got a divorce and mom and I moved to Sunnydale.”
“That place that fell into a crater several years ago?” He asked suddenly, remembering Carter mentioning it and how suspicious it had seemed at the time. Their request to investigate it had been denied.
“The same one,” she said with a satisfied smile.
Jack got the distinct feeling that he was missing something, but decided not to press it. Something occurred to him. “Wait a minute. You said there is only one slayer at a time, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then how can you abandon your calling or whatever to work here?”
“I’ll get to it once I finish telling you why I’m qualified to be on your former team,” she said, the smirk back on her face.
“Fine, fine,” he said with a sigh. “You moved to Sunnydale,” he prompted.
“And I thought I could escape my calling, but I was wrong. The librarian at my high school was my new watcher and the school sat on top of a hellmouth.” She held up a hand to stop his question. “It’s literally what it sounds like and I’ve learned the plural of apocalypse. But my life as a slayer was different from those before me and all that follow.”
“How so?”
“I wasn’t alone in my fight. My friends discovered my secret and started helping me. For the first time, a slayer had a support system and it made all the difference. They were my link to this world and my reason for fighting.”
Jack couldn’t take it anymore and leaned forward. “And your watcher allowed this? A bunch of teenagers fighting? You could have been hurt, or even worse - killed!” In his outrage he forgot that he didn’t exactly believe in vampires.
“They already knew about casualties, General,” Buffy said, slamming her hands down on his desk and leaning in. “Their childhood friend was turned into a vampire and was used as bait for me. Since I was stopping the big bad from winning, Xander was forced to stake his best friend and watch him turn to dust. They had known me for all of two days. They knew the score and fought anyway.”
Jack thought back to when he had been forced to give the order to kill his friend Kawalsky, or even the time he’d killed Carter when she had been taken over by that entity, or stopped treatment on a dying Daniel. It had affected him deeply and he could only imagine the pain this Xander had felt at such a young age. He could also see how such an incident would propel the teenagers to aid Buffy. “But you let normal people help you fight the supernatural,” he pointed out.
She let out a soft sigh and leaned back. “Actually, they did research and only occasionally helped on patrols. At least, at first. Eventually they were able to fight and I was thankful for every ounce of help they gave.”
He rubbed his eyes. This was getting to be a little too much. He was right about the headaches, he could already feel one building. She was stubborn and he was stubborn, and there was no use in arguing over events of the past. “Point made,” he said, sinking back into his chair. “Continue please.”
“For six years we successfully held back the darkness. Then we came up against something bigger than what we could handle.” She seemed to retreat inside herself and again Jack was struck with how old she looked. He instinctively knew this part of her life was not going to be pretty.
“We lost a lot of good people, but Willow, a witch, managed to save us.” She looked up at him and smiled brightly. “She altered destiny. The reason why I can take this position is because I am no longer the only slayer. Her spell activated every potential slayer in the world.”
She leaned forward. “And that’s also why I had you sign that paper. There are hundreds of girls out there - some as young as five. If they were discovered they’d be turned into lab rats. It’s my job to protect them as well, and I will not let it happen.”
“And you expect these girls to fight?”
“No. They have a choice - one that I was not given. They have a chance to live a normal life, if they wish.”
“You could do the same,” he pointed out, but Buffy shook her head.
“It’s too late for me. I’ve seen too much. I’ve done too much. I can’t go back and pretend that I don’t know what’s out there.”
Jack took a moment to absorb all of the information. It was an incredible story, but his gut told him that she was telling the truth. He decided to ask a question that had been bugging him. “Why do you distrust the military?”
“I can’t tell you everything because it’s classified, but I can give you highlights. The government found out about the existence of demons and whatnot and started capturing them for study. The idiots then built a super soldier combining human, demon, and machine.”
“And let me guess. It broke free, created havoc, and you and your team had to clean up the mess,” he said with a grim smile.
“Give the General a cookie.”
“Really? What kind you got?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
Buffy laughed. “At least you have a sense of humor, that’s comforting to know.” She gave him a speculative look. “Do you like to taunt your enemy too?”
He grinned at her. “Adrenaline rush.”
“Totally,” she agreed. “Do you want to see my proof now?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Got a TV and VCR handy?”
“Let me get one.” He picked up the phone and quickly made the request. After he put the phone back in the cradle, he asked, “How strong are you?”
She scrunched her nose up in thought. “I’m not sure. I’ve got a troll hammer I use that no one else can move.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Troll hammer?”
“Long story.”
“I want to hear them all eventually,” he said, wondering if they were anywhere near as interesting as his own.
“As long as you tell me yours.”
“Deal. Oh, one other thing before we get to the featured movie. Why do we need to tell the doc?”
“In case I get injured,” she said with a shrug. “I heal fast. It’s part of the slayer package.”
“Ah.”
There was a knock at the door and an airman wheeled in the requested equipment on a cart. He plugged it in and then left.
Buffy pulled a tape out of her bag and popped it in. “This was a sparring match between me and two master vampires.”
“A sparring match? Why aren’t you killing them?”
“Another long story. Just know that they are on our side. You’ll see their human face and their demonic one. I know you’re still having trouble believing this…”
“A little,” he muttered under his breath.
“I also have sensitive hearing,” she said with a grin.
A look of dismay crossed his face followed by a decidedly mischievous one. Buffy wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he was planning.
“These images are real no matter what you might think,” she said pushing play.
Jack sat there watching in disbelief as two men… No wait…. Two vampires fought with Buffy. He winced as the punches landed and nearly jumped out of his seat as the three of them were continually kicked, punched, or thrown across the room.
After five minutes, he said, “That’s enough.”
She stopped the tape and put it back in her bag. “Do you understand the need for secrecy now?”
“I do.” He settled his serious brown eyes on her. “Can I trust you to help keep my, your team and the world safe?”
Buffy’s eyes were just as serious as she replied, “Up to my last breath.”
“Good,” he said, holding his hand out. “Welcome to the SGC.”
“Thanks,” she said, returning the handshake.
He stood and led her to the door. “Let’s get you to the infirmary for your physical before we get you some quarters to stay in until you get a place of your own in town.”
“Do I have to go the infirmary?” She balked.
“Yes, you do. It’s standard procedure,” he said, pushing her out the door. “Besides, you need to have Dr. Jones sign that paper.”
“Dr. Jones?” She asked, the corners of her mouth quirking up.
“Yup, Dr. Henry Jones is our CMO.”
“Is he from…”
“Yup, Indiana,” he said with a grin.
“Can I call him Indiana?”
“Uh, no.”
“How about Indy?” She asked, adding a little bounce to her step.
“No.”
“You’re taking all of the fun out of it,” she said, pouting up at him.
“I know,” he said with a sigh and a little pout of his own.
“How many times did he tell you not to call him those names?” She shrewdly asked.
“Quite a few.”
She laughed. “Well, at least I know you’ll be fun to work for.”
He looked down at her much shorter figure. “You realize that I still don’t believe most of this, right?”
“I figured.”
“Gonna really prove it one day?”
“Maybe.”