FIC: Magic and Mayhem at the Rift (1/?)
Name: Magic and Mayhem at the Rift
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Buffy/Spike, Xander/Anya, Gwen/Rhys, Willow/ ?
Warning: Crossover insanity, the presence of vampires and demons on the rift (or are they aliens?) and some physical Owen-bashing provided by Buffy.
Summary: The gang from Buffy come through the rift. Set after Torchwood episode Meat (2.04) and immediately after Buffy episode Older and Far Away (6.14) (just before the end, in fact), spoilers for all six seasons of Buffy and the first season of Torchwood.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, if I did there would be a helluva lot more of Jack and Ianto kissing in the hot house (and Gwen wouldn't walk in and ruin it!). I also don't own Buffy ... if I did Buffy and Spike would ... wait, they already did! But, still I don't own Buffy, which is a fact that saddens me deeply.
You can find all the chapters plus chapters of the sequel here at my master fic list.
A group of young adults and a teenage girl were stood in the hallway of a house. A blonde woman was talking to the girl about 'punitive damages' and another blonde girl was talking to a blonde man, who was smirking.
“Think it's worn off?” she says, referring to the fact the group had been trapped in the house.
“Just one thing to do,” the man replied, reaching for the door handle.
He opened the door with a flourish and everyone began to file out hastily, complaining about pushing and cheering over the stars and the feel of the grass.
No one noticed some people dissapearing until the blonde man left. The blonde girl closed the door and grimaced when the girl, her sister, held up a little silver box; a lighter. Re-opening the door, Buffy the Vampire Slayer stepped outside and yelled, “Spike, you forgot your ...” She stopped when she noticed her surroundings had changed. It was night and she, Spike, Xander, Anya and Willow were being rained on. They were also in the city outside a large reflective water tower.
Cardiff
Monday, 19th February 2007
23:47
“What the ...” Spike began.
Suddenly five people surrounded them, guns out.
“... bloody hell?” he finished.
One hour earlier
22:43
Jack looked up from his desk and wandered down into the hub and across to Ianto, who was stood by the coffee machine.
“Any chance of some coffee magic?” Jack asked, holding up his empty mug.
Ianto smiled and took it off him, turning to the coffee machine and turning back around a minute later with a brimming cup of coffee. “Here you go, Jack.”
Accepting the coffee with a smile, Jack lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip. “Ooh, too hot,” he complained. His face broke out in a mischievous grin. “I better do something to pass the time while it cools ...”
Ianto smirked. “Maybe you just need some cold water.”
Jack glared at him and was about to take his coffee back up to his office when the rift monitor sounded. Walking across to Tosh’s station, Jack leant sipped his coffee. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Tosh replied. “It’s been happening all morning.” She tapped a few buttons bringing up a map of the city. “The rift has been opening all over town and spewing out ... Well, we don’t know.”
“Think we should go and investigate?” Jack asked.
“Not until we know what we’re dealing with. We haven’t heard about any problems so whatever it’s dropping off isn’t causing trouble yet,” Tosh explained. “For the time being we should stay put and keep an eye on the news.”
Jack nodded and examined the map. The areas of rift activity were few and far between and a good distance away from the hub. “Let me know if anything lands near here,” he said. “If it does we can send the team out to catch it.”
Tosh hummed in agreement and set up the rift monitor to beep more loudly if anything appeared nearby.
23:04
Gwen smoothed down her fancy black dress and smiled across at Rhys as they walked across a car park towards a fancy looking restaurant. “This was a lovely idea,” she said, a affectionate smile on her face.
“Well, I thought I should treat you for finally being honest with me,” Rhys said, attempting to sound stern but failing miserably.
“I should be dishonest for long periods more often,” Gwen responded, with a grin.
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Rhys replied, grumpily.
She leant round and held his face between her hands. “I don’t have any reason to lie to you anymore.” She leaned in and kissed him hard before pulling back and slipping her hand into his as they entered the restaurant and was seated.
Picking up his menu, Rhys said, “Anything exciting happened since the meat?”
Gwen glowered at him. “I don’t want to talk about my work while I’m having a romantic evening with my husband-to-be.” She smiled fondly at him. “Tonight, no work.”
They ordered and ate, enjoying the quiet companionship during the silent moments and the enjoyable conversation when they spoke to each other. Time ticked by slowly until Rhys announced, “I was supposed to be taking you dancing, wasn’t I?”
Gwen smiled. “I can do without. How about we have an early night instead?”
Rhys’ face lit up as he called for the bill. When they’d paid, they stood up and were about to leave the restaurant when Gwen’s mobile rang. Glancing at the caller I.D. she answered, “Jack? What is it?”
“The rift’s acting up, dropping things closer and closer to us. You need to get back here. Now.”
“Do I have time to go home and change?” she asked, fearing the answer. Rhys looked livid.
“No,” Jack replied. “Meet us on the plaza.”
Gwen nodded redundantly and turned off the phone. “I need to go,” she told Rhys.
23:41
“We were having a romantic evening, Gwen, you said you were going to leave work at work for the night,” Rhys grumbled as he drove.
“It’s not my fault the rift doesn’t follow my calendar!” Gwen snapped from the passenger seat. She’d tried to persuade Rhys to get a taxi home, but he wasn’t having a bar of it. “If I don’t go in something could go wrong and the whole team could end up dead.”
Rhys snorted.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.
“I’m sure they can take care of themselves.”
Gwen looked out of the window at the city lights rushing by and picked at a thread on her skirt. She was out of the car and running across the plaza towards Jack before Rhys had even stopped it completely. “What’s going on?” she said.
“The rift has been ...” Jack looked her up and down. “Nice dress.”
Gwen smiled and twirled around, the bottom flaring. “Thanks.”
“Wow, look at you, all dressed up,” Owen commented from nearby. Hearing the car door slamming, Gwen turned to see Rhys approaching, looking thoroughly ticked off.
“You brought your boyfriend?” Jack snapped.
“You said I didn’t have time to go home and change. Change would include dropping Rhys off!” Gwen replied, angrily. “We were having a romantic evening until you called.”
“I am sorry,” Jack said, giving Gwen her gun. “If it means anything, you look very cool with the gun and dress.” He grinned at her.
“You do look sexy,” Owen told her as Tosh and Ianto approached.
Rhys glared at him, but smiled at the others. “What’s that?” he pointed past Jack to the middle of the plaza. Five people were stood there, looking confused.
“Our cue,” Jack announced, drawing his gun and gesturing that the others should do the same and that Rhys should stay put. In formation, they surrounded the group, who were looking completely and totally confused and lost.
23:47
“Where are we?” Buffy muttered, looking around in confusion.
“Hands up!” Jack exclaimed.
Buffy turned to look at him holding his gun out, trying to judge if he was human or not. The guns made her think of the initiative and instantly put her on guard. She nudged Spike and put her hands up. He rolled his eyes and did the same. Xander, Anya and Willow followed suit, holding their hands up.
“They look human, Jack,” Ianto said.
“So does the Doctor,” Jack replied. “There’s something going on here with the rift and after last time ...” He sighed. “I just want to be on guard.”
Willow gazed at the group surrounding them, judging whether or not magic would be a good idea. They were outnumbered and, when it came down to it, she’d rather continue being a magic-junkie than see her friends, and Spike, end up dead. They reminded Willow, too, of the Initiative, but, she noted, the Initiative didn’t have as many sexy women.
“Come with us,” Jack said, gesturing with his gun that Gwen should lead the way to the invisible lift. She did so and the large group followed, joined by Rhys, who had an expression on his face that read ‘I’m supposed to be spending the evening with Gwen, so I’m going to.’
Jack was surprised when, as the lift went down, the newcomers didn’t seem to react to it. However, Buffy, who he was travelling down with, did look up with vacant eyes at Myfanwy as she flew around. There was something about the girl that disturbed him, her eyes seemed a lot older than her and she seemed distant.
Willow was travelling down with Tosh and truly enjoying every minute of it for two reasons; one, the hub was an amazing place to ogle, two, Tosh was an amazing woman to ogle.
Xander and Anya travelled down silently with Ianto, who seemed uncomfortable and Spike travelled down with Owen, who kept looking at him funny.
“Is there something on my face?” Spike snapped after a moment, wishing he could bend down and bite the doctor.
“I just can’t shake the feeling I know you from somewhere,” Owen replied.
“Well, you don’t,” Spike replied, shortly. “So quit staring.”
When the large group reached the bottom, they split off, the Torchwood Jack and Gwen aiming their guns at the Scoobies, the others relaxed. Rhys stood nearby, watching the scene. “Where are we?” Buffy asked, softly, after a moment.
“Torchwood,” Jack replied.
Buffy glanced across at the large Torchwood logo emblazoned nearby. “I mean ... in the world.”
Ianto raised an eyebrow but was silent. “Cardiff,” Jack told her. There was something in her eyes, as though she was humouring them by standing at gunpoint.
“Cardiff?” Xander exclaimed. “We’re in England?”
“Wales, actually,” Ianto told him.
“How did we get here?” Buffy asked.
Jack sighed. He hated having to explain everything to newcomers. “There’s a rift in time and space running through Cardiff. You ... fell through. Where are you from? The place and time.”
“Sunnydale, California, January two-thousand and two.”
“Oh dear,” Rhys said, from nearby, just to receive a glare from Gwen.
“Oh dear?” Xander said, panicked. “What do you mean ‘oh dear’?”
“It’s two-thousand and eight,” Jack explained, slowly. “And you’re in Cardiff. Why do you think he said ‘oh dear’?”
Spike chuckled from nearby and the Scoobies all turned on him to glare. “What? It’s funny!”
“John?” Jack said, gaping.
Spike looked around him in confusion then pointed to himself and went. “Me?”
“John?” Buffy said, with a giggle. “When did you go by ‘John’?”
It was the first display of any emotion at all Jack had seen on Buffy’s young face. “I don’t use aliases, Anne!” Spike snapped. “I’ve never gone by the name John.” He turned to Jack. “Must be thinkin’ of someone else, mate.”
Jack examined his face. “I don’t think so ...” He shrugged and turned back to Buffy, who had turned her attention again to him, her face becoming blank again.
“Why did you bring us here?” she asked.
“We didn’t, the rift did,” Jack said, again.
“Well, the rift can just send us back!” Xander exclaimed.
Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “If we could send you back, we would. Sorry, folks, you’re trapped here.”
Owen chose that moment to approach. “I need to run some tests on you,” he said to Buffy, moving towards her with a needle. “See if your ... trip ... had any adverse effects.”
He leaned towards her neck arm, intent on taking some blood. As soon as the needle touched her skin, she grabbed his neck and slammed his head into the wall nearby, spinning him around and holding him over a desk, hand poised over his neck. “Drop the guns,” Buffy told Jack, as he made to fire, “or I snap his neck!”
Owen was in a state of shock having just had his ass kicked by a scrawny girl. He felt more humiliated than if it had been Tosh who had attacked him. “Who the hell are you?” he growled at her.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” she replied.
“Did you say vampire?” Owen spluttered. Oh great, he thought, frustrated, I’m having my life threatened by an insane scrawny girl.
“Get their guns,” Buffy told Spike, who nodded and stepped forward, taking the guns off Jack and Ianto. Spike turned the gun on Jack without thinking and was shocked when he felt no pain. He turned one on Ianto and cried out, holding his head. Within seconds, Jack had grabbed the gun and was holding it against Spike’s back.
“Let him go or I’ll shoot,” Jack told Buffy, who just smirked.
“Feel free,” she told him, tightening her grip on Owen. Spike glared at her and rolled his eyes.
“You don’t care?” Jack asked, incredulous.
“Oh, I care,” Buffy told him. “But the gun won’t kill him.”
“It’ll bloody hurt, though!” Spike yelled at her, wriggling against Jack’s hold.
Xander snorted. “Suck it up.” He turned to Buffy. “And since when do you care?”
“Since ... oh never mind.”
Willow stepped between Buffy and Owen and Jack and Spike. “Maybe you should both let go of your hostages and ... talk this out?” she suggested.
Buffy’s eyes met Jack’s. “You first,” she told him, firmly.
Jack released Spike, slowly, who tugged down his duster and walked to stand beside Willow. At the same time Buffy let go of Owen who, trying to pull together the tattered shreds of his dignity, stood and glared darkly at her before walking away to, though he’d never admit it, hide behind Gwen.
“Who are you people?” Buffy asked, gesturing at the guns and Myfanwy flying around.
“Torchwood,” Jack told her again. “And you?”
“I told you. I’m Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“And we’re her Scoobie gang!” Willow exclaimed, jovially. Spike looked at her sideways with a sarcastic smirk. “Sometimes I act a lot younger than I am ...” she said, in a small voice.
“Buffy the ... Vampire ... Slayer ...” Ianto repeated. “Vampires with ... fangs?”
“Vampires: fangs, burn in sunlight, stake to the heart kills them, drink blood, kill mercilessly unless they get neutered by a not-very-friendly group of government boys ...” Buffy said, deadpan.
“I hate to break it to you, love, but vampires don’t exist,” Jack said.
Buffy sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.” She turned to Spike. “Show him?”
Spike grimaced. “Now you want to show me off ...” he mumbled as his face contorted into his vampire features and he growled at Tosh, who leapt back with a yell. He switched back. “I better get compensation for that,” he said to Buffy, with a grin. She just rolled her eyes, hoping her friends hadn’t noticed.
“Now do you believe me?” she said to Jack.
“But if you’re a vampire slayer, then why isn’t he ... ‘slayed’?” Owen asked.
“I keep asking the same thing,” Xander said, just to get slapped on the arm by Anya.
“He’s not evil anymore,” Anya said. “And he can’t fight back.”
“Hey!” Spike snapped. “I bloody can fight back!”
“With your words, Spike,” Buffy told him, quickly. “Spike’s sort of one of us ... for some twisted reason,” Buffy explained to Owen. She turned back to Jack. “Look, you don’t want us here, obviously, and we don’t want to be here. Dawn is probably going out of her head with worry back at home ...” She sighed deeply. “So why don’t we work together to work out what brought us here and how we can get back home?”
Jack glared. “We can’t send you home,” he said, slowly, as if talking to a small child. “The rift works one way. It brings things to us.”
“Well you can just make it send us back!” Spike snarled. “I only just escaped her house” - he jerked a thumb at Buffy - “I don’t want to be trapped here now, especially not with them!” He gestured at the Scoobies, pulling a face. Owen sent him an empathetic look.
Jack glared at Spike. “We can’t.”
“Well, can we get in contact with the Watcher’s Council at least?”
“The what?” Ianto asked.
Buffy threw up her hands in defeat and sat down heavily on the chair at the desk she’d threatened Owen at. “Have you got somewhere we can get some sleep?” she asked, in a weak voice, causing her friends to stare at her.
“Of course,” Jack said.
Tosh walked across and, after a sympathetic look at Willow, who was openly crying, whispered in Jack’s ear, “Couldn't we try? It can’t hurt to try and send them back, right?”
Jack groaned. “Fine, we’ll try and send them back. Don't get their hopes up, though,” he commanded.
~On to Chapter Two?~