Our Intention Was Not in Revealing You - August 27th
Twisted Shorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge - Day 27
Title: Our Intention Was Not in Revealing You
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/SG1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Stargate people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: The truth comes out.
Notes: Part 4 - Links Page
Seasons: SG-1 s1ep7 "The Nox"
Characters: Buffy, O'Neill, Teal'c, Daniel, Carter
Word Count: 2508
Buffy sighed and rubbed her forehead as she tried to explain her part in SG-1’s issue with Captain Hanson. Crazy sun sickness seemed reasonable…but so did ‘needed a better psych evaluation.’ Then there was the report about the crystal formations that had taken on the shape of O’Neill. She really needed to keep up her reports, but they had little time between one mission and the next.
“Lieutenant Summers,” Teal’c said from the door of the office she was ensconced in.
“Tek ma tek, Teal’c,” she greeted in Goa’uld without looking up.
“You have excelled at learning my language,” he told her.
“I tend to be good at useful things,” she replied as she closed her half-finished report.
“We had discussed sparring, I wondered if you had time now.”
“Kree shal,” she told him enthusiastically, jumping to her feet. “Weapon of choice?”
“I leave that to you.”
“Great.” She shoved her paperwork in her cubby and led him up a few levels to where they had a mostly empty room. Mats covered the floor and part of one wall. A door to the side held equipment. Buffy stripped her shoes and grabbed to bow staffs. She bounced into the room and handed one to Teal’c.
“They aren’t as heavy or end-weighted as Jaffa staff weapons, but they should serve.”
“If these were but a bit longer they would be bashaak,” he told her.
“Bashaak,” she repeated. “A…practice staff used by chal’til?”
“Indeed.”
Buffy took several steps back until she was in the middle of the room. She twirled the staff in front of her slowly, finding the center of the weapon and a balance that felt natural.
Teal’c stepped forward using one hand to weigh the staff.
She took the offensive, swinging at him with enough force to make him take a half-step back. He did not stop as he returned it. They circle each other, looking for weakness. They swung and jabbed at each other, parried and retreated.
Teal’c got the first shot past her defenses. She had swung for his right side, he had deflected it and then popped his staff forward to jab her in the ribs. It was a deft, powerful move, and she would have a bruise for a day or so. Even a cracked rib, she was sure.
A flash of concern appeared on Teal’c’s face. Buffy ignored it and used the pain to motivate her not to get hit again. She moved faster, pushed harder.
Over an hour they fought. Both were bruised, Buffy had a split lip and Teal’c a gash on his arm. Yet, neither called an end. Instead, it was O’Neill.
“What the hell are you two doing?” the Colonel snapped.
Buffy spring boarded away from Teal’c, avoiding the wide arc of his staff. She dropped her staff and bowed her head to Teal’c. “Ta’i kree.”
He mirrored her position. “Ta’i kree.”
Buffy picked up the staffs and returned them to the closet. She shoved her feet into her boots.
“What the hell was that?” O’Neill was yelling at Teal’c.
“Lieutenant Summers and I were engaging in staff training.”
“You’re both bloody and bruised.”
Buffy stepped out in time to see Teal’c raise an eyebrow. “In Jaffa training, bruises and blood are lessons at the hand of allies so that you do not make the same mistakes at the hand of an enemy.”
She walked to stand next to Teal’c, her thumb to the right side of her bottom lip.
O’Neill looked between the two of them. All he saw was the wisp of a girl barely over five feet and the tall, well-muscled Jaffa. They were both sweating, though neither appeared winded.
“Are you two out of your minds?”
Buffy frowned.
Teal’c responded first, “What has upset you O’Neill?”
“Two members of my team sparring without safety equipment,” he bit back. “You could have seriously injured each other. As it is Doc Fraiser may take you off-duty until you recover.”
“My symbiote will heal me,” Teal’c replied without hesitation.
“And Summers?”
“I heal fast.” Buffy shrugged. “Though that hit to my ribs may take a little longer.”
“Let’s see it,” O’Neill ordered.
Buffy glanced at Teal’c. “No, sir.”
“Then report to the infirmary.”
“I will, tomorrow morning. I sparred with Teal’c on my own time, I don’t report until 0800 tomorrow.”
O’Neill considered. “Fine. You will need clearance from a doctor.”
“Fine,” she shot back. “Lek tol, Teal’c.”
“Lek tol, Lieutenant Summers.”
Buffy made her face as bland as possible and looked at O’Neill. “Sir.”
O’Neill shook his head as she exited. “I just don’t get her.”
“What do you mean, O’Neill?’
He pursed his lips as he considered. “There is just something about her…”
Teal’c nodded. “She is surprisingly strong.”
“Recklessness,” O’Neill finally said. “She just seems so reckless.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow but remained silent. His observations had not attributed the same quality to Lieutenant Summers.
88888888
O’Neill was waiting for Buffy when she reported to the infirmary. They said nothing to each other as one of the doctors gave her a quick once-over.
Buffy spent the examine holding her tongue. During the night she had rationalized some of O’Neill’s annoyance with her. His record indicated a black ops background with a good portion of it redacted. He was the kind of person who had a sixth sense about others. It’s not like she had shared anything about her life before the Academy. And she was hiding something huge, something that had been at the core of her personality for eight years… So she understood why he was on her ass - up to a point.
The doctor went over his notes and declared her fit for duty.
Buffy jumped off the bed with a smile. “Great.”
“Are you sure, doctor?” O’Neill asked. “She sparred with Teal’c last night.”
Buffy sighed and lifted her shirt to expose her ribs. “I’m fine. Nothing a night of rest didn’t take care of.” The bruising was light hiding the cracked rib she had had less than twelve hours before. She lowered her shirt and pointed to her lip. While she had done what she could to keep it open, it was healing quickly and would soon be gone without a scar.
He glowered at her.
“If you have a question, Colonel, ask it.”
“What are you?”
She shrugged. “Human, but tomorrow… who knows maybe my ancestors built the Gate.”
She walked out of the infirmary, her perfect Slayer hearing caught O’Neill demanding to see her last MRI. “I’m definitely not a Goa’uld,” she muttered.
88888888
Buffy was surprised as she went through the Gate less than a day later, she was still with SG-1. Her MRI had not soothed the Colonel’s curiosity, he was keeping a close eye on her. They had been ordered to look for an invisible creature Teal’c knew the Goa’uld sought. All so the Secretary of Defense would think that military benefits were being gained from the SGC’s missions.
She listened carefully as she and O’Neill stepped through.
“Carter?” he called, not seeing the rest of the team.
“That way,” Buffy pointed as the Gate disconnected.
“Daniel! Teal’c!” he yelled.
From the tall brush Buffy had indicated the rest of the team came out. They walked over to meet them.
“Sorry, sir,” Carter said. “I thought I saw something just as we came through.”
“Teal’c?” O’Neill said. “Did we score already?”
“I saw movement as well, this way,” he indicated the tree line. They followed as Teal’c explained the characteristics of the creature they were looking for.
Buffy stopped, listening intently for something. She was not quite sure what. She looked around then slowly turned. “Um, problem.”
“Buffy?” Daniel asked.
“Do Stargates sometimes go missing?” she replied. “Because it and the FRED have disappeared.”
The rest of the team turned around and backtracked to her position. They looked around, but found no sign of it or where it had gone.
“Split up,” O’Neill ordered. “Teal’c, Carter go that way. Daniel, Summers, you’re with me.”
88888888
It was only a short time later they regrouped at the knowledge that they were not alone, Apophis and a handful of Jaffa were in the forest as well.
“That’s Apophis?” Buffy verified.
“Yeah,” O’Neill said.
“Huh,” she replied. “I am slightly disappointed.”
“Why?” Daniel asked.
“It’s easier when the devil has horns,” she told him.
“We have to do something,” Daniel told O’Neill. “He knows where Sha’re and Skarra are. We may not get another chance like this.”
An hour and half-baked plan later, Buffy sat on the ridge, behind a boulder. But the attempt to capture Apophis went wrong almost as soon as it was put into motion. Apophis had a personal shield and could not be hit. They took down one of the Jaffa, but O’Neill, Carter, and Jackson were shot by staff blasts. Apophis turned it to Teal’c.
“Teal’c, Jaffa! Shol’va!” Apophis barked.
“Tal shekka mel, I die free,” Teal’c replied.
“No!” Buffy yelled.
Apophis looked at her, then she was no longer on the ridge, but near a hut with Teal’c.
“What just happened?” Buffy said.
“I do not know.”
“Good, we’re on the same page,” she replied. “All of my weapons are gone.”
“Mine as well.”
“Okay…so instantly transported and divested of weapons,” she spun slowly around to take in everything. “Where is the rest of the team?”
“I do not know.”
“You’re killing me, Teal’c.”
He look startled.
“Tau’ri saying, means you’re not being very helpful. It’s meant as a joke.” She shook her head. “We need to go back for the team. We don’t want Apophis to take them.”
He nodded. “However, we must first get our bearings.”
“Okay. You scout one hundred yards that way and I’ll go this way. Then turn left and scout for another hundred and we’ll meet back here.”
Teal’c agreed and they set off in different directions.
Buffy felt Teal’c’s larva Goa’uld fade away as she moved. She put her senses on high alert as she walked. She heard nothing and sensed no one.
At the crest of a hill, she paused and took in the beautiful view of trees and hills. However, it was dampened by the fact that her entire team, save Teal’c, was dead. The plan had been sloppy and had not accounted for Apophis’s defenses beyond the Jaffa.
She arrived back on the far side of the hut and waited. Teal’c emerged a few minutes later.
“I found no significant landmarks,” he told her.
Buffy shook her head. “Nothing that way either.” She tilted her head. “I hear…Daniel.”
“What do you mean Lieutenant Summers?”
“I swear I hear Daniel.” She turned. “This way.”
They walked around the side of the hut. A child raced out to greet them. He grabbed Teal’c’s hand and led them towards the fire.
“Indy?” she said in surprise seeing Daniel, Carter, and O’Neill all alive.
“Buffy,” he greeted with a relieved smile as he stood. There was a hole in his shirt, but the skin was unblemished.
“How?” she asked, touched the frayed edge of his shirt.
“These… people,” Carter replied.
Buffy turned to look at the pale, frizzy-haired aliens. “Thank you.”
None of them responded, all just watched and ate.
“Here,” Daniel said as he moved over.
Buffy sat next to him on the log-bench.
O’Neill returned to the bench with Teal’c as the native people started to spoon the white soup mixture from their pot into a leaf cup. Buffy took one and sipped tentatively.
“Have you tried to ask them about the Stargate?” O’Neill asked.
“I have, they don’t understand,” Daniel said. “Actually they don’t really say much at all.”
“Sometimes there is wisdom is listening,” Buffy replied.
The woman native looked at her and gave a slight nod.
“I will take you to your doorway,” the short man said.
“Whoa,” O’Neill said in surprise.
“You understand what I’m saying?” Daniel asked.
“It took time to learn your speech.”
“Not much time,” Carter commented.
“Your weapons are gone.”
“Gone where?” O’Neill asked.
“You know about our enemy?” Carter asked.
“The bad guys,” O’Neill clarified, “they’ll be following us.”
“You attacked them,” the woman said sharply.
“You saw?” Daniel said.
“We only meant to capture them,” Carter assured.
“Look,” O’Neill told them, “we’re not in the assassination business, he’s just…bad. Very…”
“…Bad,” Daniel supplied.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Apophis and his Jaffa took two of their friends. We wanted to capture him and request the location. He enslaves worlds and has technology far beyond ours, a sneak attack was supposed to be more effective. As you could see, it was not.”
“You are not like them,” the woman said.
Buffy nodded. “I am not.”
“But you are not like him,” she pointed to Teal’c.
“I am not.”
“You are something…else.”
“I am.”
“What are you?”
“I don’t know that you have the context to understand,” Buffy said politely.
“Summers…” O’Neill accused softly.
“A secret,” the woman said, “I do not understand.”
Buffy smiled. “What would be the fast way to get this across?”
“Think it,” she requested.
Buffy closed her eyes and pushed to the front of her mind the knowledge of the Slayer and the underbelly of her world.
“You are Slayer,” the woman said. “One in a long line. A warrior of…Earth.”
Buffy nodded, trying to ignore the questioning looks of her team.
“You can sense them, but you do not think of it as enemy.”
An image of kissing Angel in his demon face flashed through her mind, she looked down, pushing away the memory.
“Life is complicated,” Buffy said softly.
“We will take you to your doorway,” the man said. “You will all go.”
“As in…the Stargate?” Carter asked.
“Yes, you will go?” the woman asked.
“Well, it’s not quite that simple,” O’Neill told them.
Buffy stood, walking into the woods without a word. She knew she was in for it. Once this was over O’Neill had what he needed to see her not just off the team but out of the SGC and the Air Force.
“Damnit,” she spat. She should have known that six years was too long to go without getting outed.
“Our intention was not in revealing you,” the woman said as she approached.
“I know,” Buffy said. “It is just that my secret is a type of lie. One that my team will not let go.”
“Your…leader,” she said softly, “he does not understand now. Perhaps your truth will show the truth.”
“What are you called?”
“We are Nox. I am called Lya.”
“I am Buffy.”
“Your friends are afraid of the one like Teal’c.”
Buffy nodded. “I thought I sensed another, but I’m used to ignoring Teal’c’s symbiote, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
“Do you wish to remain?” Lya asked.
“No, I ran from my life once, I cannot do that again.” She sighed. “I’m not a child any longer.”
“How old were you?” O’Neill’s sharp voice made them both turn. He and Daniel stood at the other side of the clearing.
Title: Our Intention Was Not in Revealing You
Author: hermione2be
Rating: PG/FR13/K+
Crossover: BtVS/SG1
Disclaimer: I do not own any of BtVS/Angel or Stargate people, places, or ideas. This fiction is done simply for pleasure and I receive no profit.
Summary: The truth comes out.
Notes: Part 4 - Links Page
Seasons: SG-1 s1ep7 "The Nox"
Characters: Buffy, O'Neill, Teal'c, Daniel, Carter
Word Count: 2508
Buffy sighed and rubbed her forehead as she tried to explain her part in SG-1’s issue with Captain Hanson. Crazy sun sickness seemed reasonable…but so did ‘needed a better psych evaluation.’ Then there was the report about the crystal formations that had taken on the shape of O’Neill. She really needed to keep up her reports, but they had little time between one mission and the next.
“Lieutenant Summers,” Teal’c said from the door of the office she was ensconced in.
“Tek ma tek, Teal’c,” she greeted in Goa’uld without looking up.
“You have excelled at learning my language,” he told her.
“I tend to be good at useful things,” she replied as she closed her half-finished report.
“We had discussed sparring, I wondered if you had time now.”
“Kree shal,” she told him enthusiastically, jumping to her feet. “Weapon of choice?”
“I leave that to you.”
“Great.” She shoved her paperwork in her cubby and led him up a few levels to where they had a mostly empty room. Mats covered the floor and part of one wall. A door to the side held equipment. Buffy stripped her shoes and grabbed to bow staffs. She bounced into the room and handed one to Teal’c.
“They aren’t as heavy or end-weighted as Jaffa staff weapons, but they should serve.”
“If these were but a bit longer they would be bashaak,” he told her.
“Bashaak,” she repeated. “A…practice staff used by chal’til?”
“Indeed.”
Buffy took several steps back until she was in the middle of the room. She twirled the staff in front of her slowly, finding the center of the weapon and a balance that felt natural.
Teal’c stepped forward using one hand to weigh the staff.
She took the offensive, swinging at him with enough force to make him take a half-step back. He did not stop as he returned it. They circle each other, looking for weakness. They swung and jabbed at each other, parried and retreated.
Teal’c got the first shot past her defenses. She had swung for his right side, he had deflected it and then popped his staff forward to jab her in the ribs. It was a deft, powerful move, and she would have a bruise for a day or so. Even a cracked rib, she was sure.
A flash of concern appeared on Teal’c’s face. Buffy ignored it and used the pain to motivate her not to get hit again. She moved faster, pushed harder.
Over an hour they fought. Both were bruised, Buffy had a split lip and Teal’c a gash on his arm. Yet, neither called an end. Instead, it was O’Neill.
“What the hell are you two doing?” the Colonel snapped.
Buffy spring boarded away from Teal’c, avoiding the wide arc of his staff. She dropped her staff and bowed her head to Teal’c. “Ta’i kree.”
He mirrored her position. “Ta’i kree.”
Buffy picked up the staffs and returned them to the closet. She shoved her feet into her boots.
“What the hell was that?” O’Neill was yelling at Teal’c.
“Lieutenant Summers and I were engaging in staff training.”
“You’re both bloody and bruised.”
Buffy stepped out in time to see Teal’c raise an eyebrow. “In Jaffa training, bruises and blood are lessons at the hand of allies so that you do not make the same mistakes at the hand of an enemy.”
She walked to stand next to Teal’c, her thumb to the right side of her bottom lip.
O’Neill looked between the two of them. All he saw was the wisp of a girl barely over five feet and the tall, well-muscled Jaffa. They were both sweating, though neither appeared winded.
“Are you two out of your minds?”
Buffy frowned.
Teal’c responded first, “What has upset you O’Neill?”
“Two members of my team sparring without safety equipment,” he bit back. “You could have seriously injured each other. As it is Doc Fraiser may take you off-duty until you recover.”
“My symbiote will heal me,” Teal’c replied without hesitation.
“And Summers?”
“I heal fast.” Buffy shrugged. “Though that hit to my ribs may take a little longer.”
“Let’s see it,” O’Neill ordered.
Buffy glanced at Teal’c. “No, sir.”
“Then report to the infirmary.”
“I will, tomorrow morning. I sparred with Teal’c on my own time, I don’t report until 0800 tomorrow.”
O’Neill considered. “Fine. You will need clearance from a doctor.”
“Fine,” she shot back. “Lek tol, Teal’c.”
“Lek tol, Lieutenant Summers.”
Buffy made her face as bland as possible and looked at O’Neill. “Sir.”
O’Neill shook his head as she exited. “I just don’t get her.”
“What do you mean, O’Neill?’
He pursed his lips as he considered. “There is just something about her…”
Teal’c nodded. “She is surprisingly strong.”
“Recklessness,” O’Neill finally said. “She just seems so reckless.”
Teal’c raised an eyebrow but remained silent. His observations had not attributed the same quality to Lieutenant Summers.
88888888
O’Neill was waiting for Buffy when she reported to the infirmary. They said nothing to each other as one of the doctors gave her a quick once-over.
Buffy spent the examine holding her tongue. During the night she had rationalized some of O’Neill’s annoyance with her. His record indicated a black ops background with a good portion of it redacted. He was the kind of person who had a sixth sense about others. It’s not like she had shared anything about her life before the Academy. And she was hiding something huge, something that had been at the core of her personality for eight years… So she understood why he was on her ass - up to a point.
The doctor went over his notes and declared her fit for duty.
Buffy jumped off the bed with a smile. “Great.”
“Are you sure, doctor?” O’Neill asked. “She sparred with Teal’c last night.”
Buffy sighed and lifted her shirt to expose her ribs. “I’m fine. Nothing a night of rest didn’t take care of.” The bruising was light hiding the cracked rib she had had less than twelve hours before. She lowered her shirt and pointed to her lip. While she had done what she could to keep it open, it was healing quickly and would soon be gone without a scar.
He glowered at her.
“If you have a question, Colonel, ask it.”
“What are you?”
She shrugged. “Human, but tomorrow… who knows maybe my ancestors built the Gate.”
She walked out of the infirmary, her perfect Slayer hearing caught O’Neill demanding to see her last MRI. “I’m definitely not a Goa’uld,” she muttered.
88888888
Buffy was surprised as she went through the Gate less than a day later, she was still with SG-1. Her MRI had not soothed the Colonel’s curiosity, he was keeping a close eye on her. They had been ordered to look for an invisible creature Teal’c knew the Goa’uld sought. All so the Secretary of Defense would think that military benefits were being gained from the SGC’s missions.
She listened carefully as she and O’Neill stepped through.
“Carter?” he called, not seeing the rest of the team.
“That way,” Buffy pointed as the Gate disconnected.
“Daniel! Teal’c!” he yelled.
From the tall brush Buffy had indicated the rest of the team came out. They walked over to meet them.
“Sorry, sir,” Carter said. “I thought I saw something just as we came through.”
“Teal’c?” O’Neill said. “Did we score already?”
“I saw movement as well, this way,” he indicated the tree line. They followed as Teal’c explained the characteristics of the creature they were looking for.
Buffy stopped, listening intently for something. She was not quite sure what. She looked around then slowly turned. “Um, problem.”
“Buffy?” Daniel asked.
“Do Stargates sometimes go missing?” she replied. “Because it and the FRED have disappeared.”
The rest of the team turned around and backtracked to her position. They looked around, but found no sign of it or where it had gone.
“Split up,” O’Neill ordered. “Teal’c, Carter go that way. Daniel, Summers, you’re with me.”
88888888
It was only a short time later they regrouped at the knowledge that they were not alone, Apophis and a handful of Jaffa were in the forest as well.
“That’s Apophis?” Buffy verified.
“Yeah,” O’Neill said.
“Huh,” she replied. “I am slightly disappointed.”
“Why?” Daniel asked.
“It’s easier when the devil has horns,” she told him.
“We have to do something,” Daniel told O’Neill. “He knows where Sha’re and Skarra are. We may not get another chance like this.”
An hour and half-baked plan later, Buffy sat on the ridge, behind a boulder. But the attempt to capture Apophis went wrong almost as soon as it was put into motion. Apophis had a personal shield and could not be hit. They took down one of the Jaffa, but O’Neill, Carter, and Jackson were shot by staff blasts. Apophis turned it to Teal’c.
“Teal’c, Jaffa! Shol’va!” Apophis barked.
“Tal shekka mel, I die free,” Teal’c replied.
“No!” Buffy yelled.
Apophis looked at her, then she was no longer on the ridge, but near a hut with Teal’c.
“What just happened?” Buffy said.
“I do not know.”
“Good, we’re on the same page,” she replied. “All of my weapons are gone.”
“Mine as well.”
“Okay…so instantly transported and divested of weapons,” she spun slowly around to take in everything. “Where is the rest of the team?”
“I do not know.”
“You’re killing me, Teal’c.”
He look startled.
“Tau’ri saying, means you’re not being very helpful. It’s meant as a joke.” She shook her head. “We need to go back for the team. We don’t want Apophis to take them.”
He nodded. “However, we must first get our bearings.”
“Okay. You scout one hundred yards that way and I’ll go this way. Then turn left and scout for another hundred and we’ll meet back here.”
Teal’c agreed and they set off in different directions.
Buffy felt Teal’c’s larva Goa’uld fade away as she moved. She put her senses on high alert as she walked. She heard nothing and sensed no one.
At the crest of a hill, she paused and took in the beautiful view of trees and hills. However, it was dampened by the fact that her entire team, save Teal’c, was dead. The plan had been sloppy and had not accounted for Apophis’s defenses beyond the Jaffa.
She arrived back on the far side of the hut and waited. Teal’c emerged a few minutes later.
“I found no significant landmarks,” he told her.
Buffy shook her head. “Nothing that way either.” She tilted her head. “I hear…Daniel.”
“What do you mean Lieutenant Summers?”
“I swear I hear Daniel.” She turned. “This way.”
They walked around the side of the hut. A child raced out to greet them. He grabbed Teal’c’s hand and led them towards the fire.
“Indy?” she said in surprise seeing Daniel, Carter, and O’Neill all alive.
“Buffy,” he greeted with a relieved smile as he stood. There was a hole in his shirt, but the skin was unblemished.
“How?” she asked, touched the frayed edge of his shirt.
“These… people,” Carter replied.
Buffy turned to look at the pale, frizzy-haired aliens. “Thank you.”
None of them responded, all just watched and ate.
“Here,” Daniel said as he moved over.
Buffy sat next to him on the log-bench.
O’Neill returned to the bench with Teal’c as the native people started to spoon the white soup mixture from their pot into a leaf cup. Buffy took one and sipped tentatively.
“Have you tried to ask them about the Stargate?” O’Neill asked.
“I have, they don’t understand,” Daniel said. “Actually they don’t really say much at all.”
“Sometimes there is wisdom is listening,” Buffy replied.
The woman native looked at her and gave a slight nod.
“I will take you to your doorway,” the short man said.
“Whoa,” O’Neill said in surprise.
“You understand what I’m saying?” Daniel asked.
“It took time to learn your speech.”
“Not much time,” Carter commented.
“Your weapons are gone.”
“Gone where?” O’Neill asked.
“You know about our enemy?” Carter asked.
“The bad guys,” O’Neill clarified, “they’ll be following us.”
“You attacked them,” the woman said sharply.
“You saw?” Daniel said.
“We only meant to capture them,” Carter assured.
“Look,” O’Neill told them, “we’re not in the assassination business, he’s just…bad. Very…”
“…Bad,” Daniel supplied.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Apophis and his Jaffa took two of their friends. We wanted to capture him and request the location. He enslaves worlds and has technology far beyond ours, a sneak attack was supposed to be more effective. As you could see, it was not.”
“You are not like them,” the woman said.
Buffy nodded. “I am not.”
“But you are not like him,” she pointed to Teal’c.
“I am not.”
“You are something…else.”
“I am.”
“What are you?”
“I don’t know that you have the context to understand,” Buffy said politely.
“Summers…” O’Neill accused softly.
“A secret,” the woman said, “I do not understand.”
Buffy smiled. “What would be the fast way to get this across?”
“Think it,” she requested.
Buffy closed her eyes and pushed to the front of her mind the knowledge of the Slayer and the underbelly of her world.
“You are Slayer,” the woman said. “One in a long line. A warrior of…Earth.”
Buffy nodded, trying to ignore the questioning looks of her team.
“You can sense them, but you do not think of it as enemy.”
An image of kissing Angel in his demon face flashed through her mind, she looked down, pushing away the memory.
“Life is complicated,” Buffy said softly.
“We will take you to your doorway,” the man said. “You will all go.”
“As in…the Stargate?” Carter asked.
“Yes, you will go?” the woman asked.
“Well, it’s not quite that simple,” O’Neill told them.
Buffy stood, walking into the woods without a word. She knew she was in for it. Once this was over O’Neill had what he needed to see her not just off the team but out of the SGC and the Air Force.
“Damnit,” she spat. She should have known that six years was too long to go without getting outed.
“Our intention was not in revealing you,” the woman said as she approached.
“I know,” Buffy said. “It is just that my secret is a type of lie. One that my team will not let go.”
“Your…leader,” she said softly, “he does not understand now. Perhaps your truth will show the truth.”
“What are you called?”
“We are Nox. I am called Lya.”
“I am Buffy.”
“Your friends are afraid of the one like Teal’c.”
Buffy nodded. “I thought I sensed another, but I’m used to ignoring Teal’c’s symbiote, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
“Do you wish to remain?” Lya asked.
“No, I ran from my life once, I cannot do that again.” She sighed. “I’m not a child any longer.”
“How old were you?” O’Neill’s sharp voice made them both turn. He and Daniel stood at the other side of the clearing.