Day 4: Real Man by Laney
Title: Real Man
Author: laney_1974
Crossover: BTVS/Stargate
August Fic-a-day Challenge Contribution Date: 4 August 2015
Characters: Joyce Summers, Jack O'Neill
Word Count: 1,225
Rating: 15
Timeline: BTVS: AU from mid-season 3, takes place just before The Wish. Stargate: Midseason 3 - no specific spoilers for Stargate though.
Author's note: I am taking liberties with Hank and Joyce's relationship which are outside of known canon. Sorry, Hank's being painted as a douche for the purposes of this fic. Please note: I am completely disregarding the BTVS writer's retcon in Normal Again. It didn't happen in this story/verse. It's an obvious retcon because I hardly imagine that Joyce would have failed to mention it, or at least apologise to Buffy, when she found out Buffy was the Slayer in season 3. So it didn't happen here.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Buffy and Angel people belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy. The Stargate people belong to Gekko Productions, Double Secret Productions, MGM/UA, Showtime/Viacom.
Summary: Joyce stared at the letter in her hand and resisted the urge to scream
Joyce stared at the letter in her hand and resisted the urge to scream. The only reason she didn't was because she was having lunch in her favourite coffee shop. Why she was surprised by this latest revelation from Hank, she didn't know. In spite of what Buffy believed, she and Hank had had trouble for a long time before Buffy started acting out. In fact, a part of Joyce was still convinced that Buffy's behaviour had been because of their marital problems.
The fact that he had decided to not only reduce his child support payments for Buffy, and was no longer planning to surprise Buffy and take her to Spain right after graduation, was enough to make Joyce want to throttle the man. The fact that he was now planning to marry his secretary and take her and their eight year old son to Spain was enough to make Joyce want to strangle him.
Part of her was relieved that he wasn't coming to Graduation anymore. Mainly because now that Joyce knew what went on in Sunnydale, she didn't want him in any danger. This just wasn't the way she wanted this to happen.
Joyce closed her eyes, unable to believe the man she had fallen in love with in college had turned into this.
God, she just wished...
"Are you okay?"
Joyce looked up to see a girl around Buffy's age standing beside her table, with a concerned expression. "Yes, thank you. I'm fine."
The girl didn't seem convinced. "Are you sure? You look like you're just about to cry?" she said, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.
"No, really, I'm fine." Joyce's eyes went back down to the letter in her hands.
"Bad news?" the girl asked, nodding to the letter.
"Yes, from my ex-husband..." Joyce blushed a little. She had no idea what made her say that to this nice young girl.
A look of understanding crossed her face. "I thought so. My mom gets the same look on her face whenever my dad screws her over." The girl leaned across the table. "Let me guess, he screwed you over on child support or decided not to see your kids or something?"
Joyce blinked in surprise. "Both actually."
She snorted. "Typical. Why do guys have to be such douches? Is it really that hard?"
Looking at Hank's letter, Joyce thought that that was a good question.
The girl sat back in her chair and sighed. "You know, sometimes, I wish... I don't know."
"Actually, I know exactly what you mean," Joyce confessed. Thoughts like that had crossed her mind many times since the divorce.
The girl's eyes brightened in excitement. "Well? Come on, tell me what you wish!"
Joyce bit back the urge to laugh. Over the years she had thoughts of all kind of interesting wishes she would like to come true, but there was no way she could ever say anything inappropriate to this teenage girl, let alone her own daughter.
No, she had to take the higher ground. "Sometimes I wish that instead of marrying Hank, I married a man - a real man - one that loved me so much he would do anything for me and his family, someone who valued my opinion." Joyce smiled, enjoying the thought of the impossible dream. "I wish my husband was a man that would come to my rescue whenever I was in danger, would search this world and beyond to find me."
The only problem with the wish, and the reason that it was only a fantasy that she allowed to think about during times when she was at her most selfish, most hurt, and not something she truly wanted, was because as much as she hated Hank at times, he had given her Buffy.
And her daughter was something that she never wanted to give up, no matter how much pain Hank caused her.
With a sigh, Joyce looked at the girl, ready to say her goodbyes. When she saw the girl's face, however, Joyce froze. There was... there was something wrong with her face. It wasn't human, and the vicious smile made Joyce's blood run cold.
"Done."
ooOOoo
It was the gunfire that startled Joyce into consciousness, but it was the sight of never ending stars and planets outside her cell window that made Joyce actually scream.
She struggled against her bindings and frantically tried to remember how she got here, and what was going on....
Any attempt to try to work out what was happening was put on hold as the door to her cell slid open and a man a few years older than herself burst into the room. The expression on his face was panicked, but the second his eyes landed on hers, his expression turned to pure relief.
"Thank God!" he exclaimed, racing towards her.
As soon as he was in front of her his hands went on her face and he kissed her gently, before he started searching for any sign of injury. "Christ, Joyce, I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened, I don't know how they even knew you existed. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
Joyce stared at the man kneeling before her, a man who had pain in his eyes. "I... I'm not sure."
The relief left his face at her response, replace with worry. "You're not sure?"
"I don't know... I don't know." And she didn't. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. She had just been in a cafe... and now she was in what seemed like a spaceship in outer space.
The man swore and reached for the radio on his pack. "Carter, come in."
While he was waiting for her to respond, he started working to free her from her restraints.
"Carter here, Colonel. Did you find her?"
"Affirmative," the man - the Colonel - replied. "But I think she's in shock. We're going to have to get out of here as soon as possible. I want you and Daniel to meet me at the transporter rings. Teal'c's standing guard outside, we'll meet you there in less than five minutes."
"Yes sir, Carter out."
The Colonel helped her to her feet. "Joyce, baby, I know you're scared and confused, but you just have to hold on a little longer, okay?" he said as they made the way out of her cell. "I swear, once we get home I will explain everything, but until then I just need you to trust me."
Joyce wasn't able to do anything but nod, everything the man had said rendering her speechless.
He kissed the top of her head. "That's my girl."
As they began walking down the corridor, an African American man - Teal'c - joined them. "It is good to see you well, Mrs O'Neill."
Mrs O'Neill?!? "Um, thank you."
Teal'c nodded. "You should be reassured that no harm will come to you, Mrs O'Neill. Colonel O'Neill searched your planet and beyond to locate you. He will not allow you to be harmed."
Joyce faltered, almost causing the Colonel to trip, when his words hit her.
Those words. She had said those almost exact words to that girl... that thing... and now...
Suddenly, Joyce understood, and her entire world turned to black.
End
Author: laney_1974
Crossover: BTVS/Stargate
August Fic-a-day Challenge Contribution Date: 4 August 2015
Characters: Joyce Summers, Jack O'Neill
Word Count: 1,225
Rating: 15
Timeline: BTVS: AU from mid-season 3, takes place just before The Wish. Stargate: Midseason 3 - no specific spoilers for Stargate though.
Author's note: I am taking liberties with Hank and Joyce's relationship which are outside of known canon. Sorry, Hank's being painted as a douche for the purposes of this fic. Please note: I am completely disregarding the BTVS writer's retcon in Normal Again. It didn't happen in this story/verse. It's an obvious retcon because I hardly imagine that Joyce would have failed to mention it, or at least apologise to Buffy, when she found out Buffy was the Slayer in season 3. So it didn't happen here.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Buffy and Angel people belong to Joss and Mutant Enemy. The Stargate people belong to Gekko Productions, Double Secret Productions, MGM/UA, Showtime/Viacom.
Summary: Joyce stared at the letter in her hand and resisted the urge to scream
Joyce stared at the letter in her hand and resisted the urge to scream. The only reason she didn't was because she was having lunch in her favourite coffee shop. Why she was surprised by this latest revelation from Hank, she didn't know. In spite of what Buffy believed, she and Hank had had trouble for a long time before Buffy started acting out. In fact, a part of Joyce was still convinced that Buffy's behaviour had been because of their marital problems.
The fact that he had decided to not only reduce his child support payments for Buffy, and was no longer planning to surprise Buffy and take her to Spain right after graduation, was enough to make Joyce want to throttle the man. The fact that he was now planning to marry his secretary and take her and their eight year old son to Spain was enough to make Joyce want to strangle him.
Part of her was relieved that he wasn't coming to Graduation anymore. Mainly because now that Joyce knew what went on in Sunnydale, she didn't want him in any danger. This just wasn't the way she wanted this to happen.
Joyce closed her eyes, unable to believe the man she had fallen in love with in college had turned into this.
God, she just wished...
"Are you okay?"
Joyce looked up to see a girl around Buffy's age standing beside her table, with a concerned expression. "Yes, thank you. I'm fine."
The girl didn't seem convinced. "Are you sure? You look like you're just about to cry?" she said, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.
"No, really, I'm fine." Joyce's eyes went back down to the letter in her hands.
"Bad news?" the girl asked, nodding to the letter.
"Yes, from my ex-husband..." Joyce blushed a little. She had no idea what made her say that to this nice young girl.
A look of understanding crossed her face. "I thought so. My mom gets the same look on her face whenever my dad screws her over." The girl leaned across the table. "Let me guess, he screwed you over on child support or decided not to see your kids or something?"
Joyce blinked in surprise. "Both actually."
She snorted. "Typical. Why do guys have to be such douches? Is it really that hard?"
Looking at Hank's letter, Joyce thought that that was a good question.
The girl sat back in her chair and sighed. "You know, sometimes, I wish... I don't know."
"Actually, I know exactly what you mean," Joyce confessed. Thoughts like that had crossed her mind many times since the divorce.
The girl's eyes brightened in excitement. "Well? Come on, tell me what you wish!"
Joyce bit back the urge to laugh. Over the years she had thoughts of all kind of interesting wishes she would like to come true, but there was no way she could ever say anything inappropriate to this teenage girl, let alone her own daughter.
No, she had to take the higher ground. "Sometimes I wish that instead of marrying Hank, I married a man - a real man - one that loved me so much he would do anything for me and his family, someone who valued my opinion." Joyce smiled, enjoying the thought of the impossible dream. "I wish my husband was a man that would come to my rescue whenever I was in danger, would search this world and beyond to find me."
The only problem with the wish, and the reason that it was only a fantasy that she allowed to think about during times when she was at her most selfish, most hurt, and not something she truly wanted, was because as much as she hated Hank at times, he had given her Buffy.
And her daughter was something that she never wanted to give up, no matter how much pain Hank caused her.
With a sigh, Joyce looked at the girl, ready to say her goodbyes. When she saw the girl's face, however, Joyce froze. There was... there was something wrong with her face. It wasn't human, and the vicious smile made Joyce's blood run cold.
"Done."
ooOOoo
It was the gunfire that startled Joyce into consciousness, but it was the sight of never ending stars and planets outside her cell window that made Joyce actually scream.
She struggled against her bindings and frantically tried to remember how she got here, and what was going on....
Any attempt to try to work out what was happening was put on hold as the door to her cell slid open and a man a few years older than herself burst into the room. The expression on his face was panicked, but the second his eyes landed on hers, his expression turned to pure relief.
"Thank God!" he exclaimed, racing towards her.
As soon as he was in front of her his hands went on her face and he kissed her gently, before he started searching for any sign of injury. "Christ, Joyce, I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened, I don't know how they even knew you existed. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
Joyce stared at the man kneeling before her, a man who had pain in his eyes. "I... I'm not sure."
The relief left his face at her response, replace with worry. "You're not sure?"
"I don't know... I don't know." And she didn't. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. She had just been in a cafe... and now she was in what seemed like a spaceship in outer space.
The man swore and reached for the radio on his pack. "Carter, come in."
While he was waiting for her to respond, he started working to free her from her restraints.
"Carter here, Colonel. Did you find her?"
"Affirmative," the man - the Colonel - replied. "But I think she's in shock. We're going to have to get out of here as soon as possible. I want you and Daniel to meet me at the transporter rings. Teal'c's standing guard outside, we'll meet you there in less than five minutes."
"Yes sir, Carter out."
The Colonel helped her to her feet. "Joyce, baby, I know you're scared and confused, but you just have to hold on a little longer, okay?" he said as they made the way out of her cell. "I swear, once we get home I will explain everything, but until then I just need you to trust me."
Joyce wasn't able to do anything but nod, everything the man had said rendering her speechless.
He kissed the top of her head. "That's my girl."
As they began walking down the corridor, an African American man - Teal'c - joined them. "It is good to see you well, Mrs O'Neill."
Mrs O'Neill?!? "Um, thank you."
Teal'c nodded. "You should be reassured that no harm will come to you, Mrs O'Neill. Colonel O'Neill searched your planet and beyond to locate you. He will not allow you to be harmed."
Joyce faltered, almost causing the Colonel to trip, when his words hit her.
Those words. She had said those almost exact words to that girl... that thing... and now...
Suddenly, Joyce understood, and her entire world turned to black.
End