Shifting Dimensions

by NicNix

The Powers That Be are opportunistic manipulators who do not deserve the Champions They use. Someone decides to do something about it.

1. Personality...what Personality?

Disclaimer: I am stating for the record, that these characters, much as I might wish it, are NOT mine. Sigh. They belong to the genius creator Joss Wheedon, and the wonderful people at MGM and Gekko who brought us Stargate SG1.

PROLOGUE: Personality...What Personality?

In their own little slice of reality, The Powers That Be observed their most powerful champion as she fought to survive. They watched as she leapt from one building to another in her efforts to reach the safety of the city limits. She was keeping pace with the bus which was speeding just ahead of a rapidly expanding cavern as the town of Sunnydale collapsed in on itself.

For all intents and purposes, this champion should have died years ago. Had, in fact, died years ago and more than once. The situation which had brought about the battle with the First had not even been in the myriad of possibilities they had considered.

"What can I say? Free will is a bitch." The rough Bronx accent did nothing to appease the Powers That Be.

You are nothing more than a Messenger. Keep your thoughts and comments to yourself.

The reprimand was delivered without inflection, but with considerable volume as it reverberated in Whistler's mind. He could do little in response but to obey, even as he fumed inwardly. As far as he was concerned, the Powers That Be needed a serious personality adjustment.

"They are definately in need of something." The figure appeared out of nowhere, shrouded in a white glow, its tone sardonic. "It seems to me, that beings which are without humour, personality or even a shred of compassion do not have any place in the life of a human, be they a champion or not."

Whistler had a distinct feeling that whatever was about to happen was not going to impress the Powers. Knowing better than to allow his thoughts to show on his face, Whistler grinned on the inside as he tried to be as unobtrusive as possible.

And who are you to judge us?

"My name is Daniel, and though in my dimension I have this rule of no interference, I'm fairly sure they won't banish me for this. I don't think it's in their jurisdiction." He grinned at them, but it was more a bearing of teeth. He looked down at their image of the running girl and his face darkened. "You no longer have any say over the life of this Slayer. She will be given choices, and opportunities beyond what she could ever hope to gain if she continues on this path, your path."

He glared at the Powers.

"And unlike you, we will respect whatever decision she makes." Upon saying that, he vanished.

The Powers That Be exchanged thoughts, and came to the conclusion that whoever he was, he was bluffing. The Slayer was their Champion, and there was no one with the power to sunder that connection.

Having heard most of the conference between the Powers, Whistler couldn't help but be amazed by the arrogance they exuded, and he prayed to any god that may be listening that Daniel could follow through on his promise.

As he prayed he watched the image of the Slayer as she threw herself from a building towards the rapidly moving bus. He winced knowing that no matter how she landed it was still going to hurt. Lots.

But she never hit the bus. Or the ground. Whistler watched in awe as in the middle of that leap a bright white light encompassed the flying form, before disappearing into the atmosphere.

Whistler smiled. "Good luck Slayer." He whispered. It wasn't the first time he'd said it, but it was most likely to be the last. Then he leaned back and laughed as the Powers screamed furiously into space. The Powers That Be, for beings without personality, really did a very good impression of rage in Whistler's not so humble opinion.

2. A Question Without An Answer

CHAPTER ONE

One second she was flying, or perhaps falling would be the more accurate term, and the next she was floating. In a white, almost iridescent light.

It was truly a bizarre sensation that brought back memories of leaping off the tower so that Dawn could live. There were differences though. For example, she felt safe and warm, rather than feeling as though she was being ripped apart.

In all her previous experiences, and she'd had a few by now, dying didn't feel like this.

Shock, and a creeping coldness was what she was familiar with, and occasionally a sense of impending doom. Nothing about her preceding deaths had inspired any feelings of warmth and security.

You're not dying, in case you're interested. Injured and beyond exhausted, but not dead or dying.

With a start Buffy realised she was not alone in her bright white cloud. Then she realised something else. "Since when do clouds of light talk? And why am I here? And where is here exactly?"

Slowly the brightness faded, and Buffy was able to see. They were in a cemetery.

Rolling her eyes resignedly, Buffy said, "Oh you so lied! You said I wasn't dead!"

"I didn't lie and you're not dead." The bright light withdrew in on itself until a man stood before her. He had brown hair, and blue eyes set in a handsome face. Despite the circumstances, Buffy blushed, knowing that she looked terrible.

"You look as you should after a battle."

Buffy glanced at him, trying to see if he was serious or not.

Smiling, he said, "As my friend Teal'c would say, 'You are a warrior, and in battle any warrior who remains untarnished by filth is no true warrior at all.' Or something along those lines anyway."

She couldn't help but noticing he had a nice smile, but he still hadn't answered her questions and she refused to be distracted. "So, once again. Who are you? What are you? Why am I here? And where is here?"

Daniel frowned at the impatience in her voice. "My name is Daniel, I am an ascended being, you are here to make a decision and here is wherever you want it to be."

Weariness dragged at her, but Buffy forced herself to pay attention. "Hi Daniel, I'm Buffy Summers. You don't look like a sixty foot demon snake, a decision on what exactly and that last statement was a bit too cryptic for me to decipher at this point."

Daniel's eyebrows rose curiously at the comment about the demonic snake, but he didn't think here and now was the right place to ask. So he picked a somewhat less obscure topic. "You're here to decide on your future. I thought it was time someone asked you what you wanted to do. So, Buffy Summers, what is it you want to do with your life?"

She blinked at him.

"Buffy?" He frowned at her lack of reaction, wondering if the shock from her injury was finally setting in. "Are you alright?"

Still no reaction.

Now Daniel was getting really concerned. He couldn't touch her in his incorporeal state, and there was no one around to help her if she went catatonic. "BUFFY!" Daniel yelled in her face, but she didn't flinch and her eyes looked through him sightlessly.

"This is not good." He muttered as he resumed his glowing form and absorbed her into himself, trying to reassure her with his presence that she was safe.

He had to do something, but he couldn't let the other Ascended know what had happened, so he reached out with his mind to find Jack.

Daniel found Jack and the rest of SG1 on a routine research mission on the planet referred to as P2X-720 and was exceedingly grateful that they weren't on base, because then he very much doubted what he was about to do would remain unnoticed by those who watched him.

Taking Buffy with him, Daniel travelled to the planet that SG1 had just arrived at. He watched them for a moment as they settled into their normal positions in a march form the gate, before he left Buffy in plain sight against a rock outcrop near, but not to close to the tree line, where it would be impossible for his friends not to find her.

"I'm sorry, Buffy. If you need me, please, just call out for me, and if I can I will help you." Daniel whispered to her as he laid her down, mindful of the fact that she was quite seriously wounded. "Every time I try to help someone…" Feeling despondent, Daniel moved back into the trees, waiting patiently for his team to find Buffy, and help her where he couldn't.

He didn't have to wait long, as Teal'c who was taking point, saw a figure prone against a rock formation.

"O'Neill!" He called, his voice carrying easily over the distance to the Colonel.

The Colonel didn't bother using his radio to contact the other team members, as they had also heard Teal'c call, he just ran to where Teal'c stood, his staff weapon held warily at his side.

"Whatch'ya got Teal'c?"

"She appears to be injured quite severely, O'Neill."

Colonel O'Neill didn't glare at his friend for his statement of the obvious, knowing that while it irritated him on occasion, it was also an ability which was often very useful. "Carter! You and Jonas go back to the gate and get Frasier out here. I don't think our first aid supplies are going to cut it."

Major Samantha Carter agreed, "Yes, Sir." She snapped out, and she and Jonas took off at a run towards the gate.

Crouched down, Jack looked at the girl. "How old do you think she is T? Nineteen? Twenty?" He shook his head, as he leaned over her to brush her hair away from her face. Only to have his wrist grabbed in a punishing grip.

"Crap!" Jack yelled in shock, automatically twisting to gain freedom. But none of his usual tricks worked. The small hand holding him was as immovable as a solid steel shackle wound tight around him.

Teal'c armed his weapon. "Release O'Neill immediately, else I will be forced to fire upon you." The large man spoke calmly, without haste, but giving the impression that he would not hesitate to follow through on his words.

A bitter laugh escaped the figure as she looked up through the dirty fringe covering her face. "Go ahead. What's one more hole through me?" Despite the harshness of her words and tone, she let go, letting the man who would have touched her regain possession of his arm. "What do you want?" She bit out through gritted teeth, the muscles in her stomach protesting violently at any movement.

Jack was no stranger to pain, and understood that this girl was struggling to maintain consciousness, questioning them to keep aware of her surroundings and to fight back her body's desire to succumb to oblivion. He decided that he could at least introduce himself and Teal'c.

"My name is Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force. And this is Teal'c, one of my team. All we want to do is help you out."

Buffy froze at the reference to the military and stiffened, ignoring the excruciating stab of pain which tore through her. "Help me out how?"

Jack gestured to her stomach. "Will you let our doctor look at your wound? She is far too fond of big needles but she definitely knows her stuff. It probably won't mean anything to you, but there is no one else I trust more with me and my team." He smiled reassuringly at her, even as he took note that she did not tell him her name.

Refusing to be drawn into his friendly conversation, Buffy nodded reluctantly. "She can have a look, but no one is putting me under, got it?" She caught and held his gaze, demanding compliance.

Behind Jack, Teal'c had been observing as the girl battled her own physical fatigue and injury to remain fully cognizant of her surroundings, and primarily the two men in front of her. She recognised her own vulnerability and refused to let it rule her actions. For that alone, she gained a measure of respect from the Jaffa.

"O'Neill. MajorCarter and JonasQuinn approach with DoctorFrasier." Teal'c stated, before he looked at the girl, waiting until she met his steady gaze. "Please do not do anything that would cause me to do you further injury."

"I'm not in much of a position to argue with you am I?" She remarked, anger and frustration threading her tone. "I won't hurt them."

"I believe you will honour your words." Teal'c accepted and then stepped back.

A little startled at the large man's belief in her, Buffy lifted her eyes to watch the arrival of a tall blonde woman, a young man, and a petite, auburn haired woman.

Without stopping even to greet the Colonel, the petite woman dropped to her knees in beside Buffy. "Colonel, you're blocking the light." She said, before focusing her complete attention on Buffy. "Hi. My name is Janet Frasier, I am a doctor." Taking in the wary expression, Janet spoke quietly, and without placing any impatience on her words said calmly, "If I can, I'd like to see if I can help you. Will you let me have a look and see what I can do for you?"

She remembered she had said to Jack that she would let the doctor look, so she nodded saying, "Go ahead. But don't even think about drugging me."

Janet looked a little shocked at that, as well as a touch offended. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I can promise you that I won't do that except as a last resort to save your life."

Brown eyes didn't waiver from Buffy's, and for a moment Buffy could see that deeply ingrained in the doctor's psyche was the need to heal, and only to heal. Buffy trusted that more than she trusted the words spoken, even though they were no less true.

Though Janet had been a touch uncomfortable with the intense look she had been pierced with, but given the intrusive nature of her own work, she could hardly fault the girl for it. Janet waited patiently for Buffy to accept treatment.

Without moving, Buffy said. "You can have a look, I'm okay with it now."

Very carefully, Janet moved the blood stained jacket out of the way, so she could better assess the wound. Absently she called to out, "Sam, can you get the saline solution from my pack." She looked up and met Buffy's eyes, "I'm sorry, honey but I'm going to have to soak the wound to get a good look. Your shirt is stuck to it."

Buffy held up a hand. "Wait. You need to know something before you start poking and prodding." She paused until she was sure she had Janet's undivided attention. "There's an entry wound at the back."

Jack swore as Sam paled as they realised the implications of that statement.

Janet looked carefully at the young woman, taking note of the beads of sweat which were popping up, but knowing at the same time that she had promised not to drug her, she could do very little to aide in pain relief. She gestured to the environment they were in, "You understand that there is nothing I can do for you here? I can't even make you comfortable. If you come with us, I promise you, if you want to, you can return here. But I need to get you to our infirmary, where it's sterile and I have access to equipment which will help you."

Buffy figured if she refused their offer she would die here. Surprisingly, Buffy had decided she wasn't quite ready to quit yet.

"I will go with you." The words and tone were confident, but Janet and Jack could see the uncertainty in her eyes. Jack crouched down next to Janet, wincing as both his knees gave a fairly loud crack of protest at the action.

Turning to Jack, Janet said archly, "Do I need to do another scan on your knees, sir?"

Eyes wide, Jack was quick to voice his opinion, "Not at all, Doctor. My knees are fine I assure you. This young lady however, is in need of your care and attention. Let's get a stretcher set up." He ordered his team.

Her sense of humour getting the better of her, Buffy said in all seriousness to the Doctor. "I always thought it was age before beauty. Doesn't that mean he has to go first?"

Relieved that her patient was still feeling able to crack jokes, Janet giggled at the affronted expression on the Colonel's face. "Not in this case…" She frowned. I just realised I have no idea what your name is. What do we call you?"

Buffy waited until they had placed her on the stretcher and her pain levels had even out from screaming pain to a constant stabbing, before she responded breathlessly. "My name is Buffy. Call me Buffy." With that her body won the battle with her mind, and she passed out.

As Janet reached out to monitor the girl's pulse, Jack said incredulously, "Doc? Tell me she didn't just say her name was "Buffy"?"

"Sorry, sir. She did." This was said with a wince of her own. She was still astounded at what some parents named their children. Apparently the Colonel echoed her opinion.

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

3. A Medical Mystery

CHAPTER TWO: A Medical Mystery

It was the Slayer who woke up to the sensation of movement, instantly aware that she was surrounded by bodies. Her self preservation instincts went into automatic and she launched herself from her prone position over the heads of the people around her. She landed in a predatory crouch, facing those who were transporting her.

"Holy buckets!" Jack yelled.

The pain emanating from her middle was agonizing, but she ignored it, fixing her gaze upon the small woman who approached her.

"Buffy?" The woman asked gently. Calmly.

The Slayer frowned as the scent and sound of this woman was vaguely familiar to her.

"Please Buffy, we are just trying to help you." The woman was careful not to appear in any way threatening, choosing instead to see if she could coax the injured girl back to them.

The Slayer sensed no danger from these people, no intention to inflict pain, and so she allowed herself to be absorbed back into Buffy's psyche without hesitation. "Doc?" Buffy's weak but surprised voice carried over to her, and Janet was quick to go to Buffy and help her to her feet.

"We need to get you back on the stretcher, Buffy." Janet said, it wasn't quite an order but Buffy recognised the authority in it. However, Buffy wasn't really concentrating on what Janet wanted.

She was staring in confusion at the large ring rising out from the earth. Somehow, somewhen she had seen one of these before. An image from a page in a musty old book floated to the surface of her memories. "Astria Porta." She muttered. That meant something but she had no idea what.

Jonas standing nearby and who had exceptional hearing, gave her a sharp look, having heard her murmur the words.

Buffy blinked and returned to the present, taking a step towards the gate. Unfortunately, her body failed her, it's most recent exertion pushing it beyond its limits, and she collapsed. Janet reacted instantly, falling beside the now extremely pale girl and checking her pulse and breathing.

"Damn it! Dial the gate now!" Janet yelled her order as she started resuscitation. "Sam, I need you!" Without hesitation, Sam joined Janet in her efforts to keep the young woman alive.

Events moved very rapidly from there and less than ten minutes later, Janet was working quickly in the infirmary to stop the internal bleeding as machines kept Buffy's heart beating and her lungs breathing.

***

As the last member of the SG team stepped through the gate, Daniel breathed a sigh of relief as he watched them do everything possible to help the girl he had 'rescued' from the Powers That Be.

Knowing that he needed to be close to events as they unfolded as a result of his actions, Daniel made his own way to underground complex at Cheyenne Mountain.

***

In the briefing room, General Hammond was listening to SG1 tell their version of events.

"It was incredible, Sir. She leapt over us like a kid jumps a puddle. And she did it while she was badly injured." Jack was still trying to believe his own eyes, but it didn't stop him from spilling it to the General.

"I hate to suggest it, Sir…" Sam began, only to be cut off by Colonel O'Neill.

"Then don't suggest it, Carter." He stated in a tone that was bordering on a whine.

General Hammond smiled, well and truly used to the antics of his second-in-command. "Go on, Major."

"It is possible she is a Hok-tar, Sir." Sam paused before she laid out her reasoning. "Her pain endurance and her physical strength are beyond that of any normal human, Sir."

The General tipped his head considering her logic. "I think we might be a little early in that diagnosis, Major, though the thought does have merit, and I ask all of you to keep that in mind when you interact with her." He looked around. "We don't know who she is, people, beyond a first name. We don't know where she is from, or how she ended up so severely wounded. She may be a threat to us, the truth is we just don't know. Tread carefully." He paused considering if anything else needed to be discussed, but decided anything further could wait until the girl was out of surgery and they could be briefed by Doctor Fraiser. "Dismissed."

The frontline team of Stargate Command moved out of the briefing room, Jack commenting as they went down stairs, "Is it just me or does 'Buffy' sound like a very west coast name?"

Hammond returned to his office shaking his head as he went. He was well aware that Jack was actually quite brilliant, despite all the man's attempts to act and sound like an average soldier. He mentally shrugged. When Jack wasn't being an ass, he could be quite entertaining.

***

Janet stood in the observation room with Jack and Teal'c, looking down into her isolation ward where Buffy lay strapped to the bed. They were watching one of the nurses take notes of Buffy's vital signs as they conversed.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" Jack asked.

"To be honest, Colonel, I'm amazed she's alive. That wound punctured internal organs, and from a purely medical standpoint she should have died within minutes. And I can find no anomalies in her blood workup to be able to hazard a guess as to why she didn't." As a medical professional Janet was frustrated by her inability to explain Buffy's survival. As an individual, she was just happy that the girl was alive, and that she had been able to help her stay that way.

"There is one other thing, Colonel. She has either led a life of violence, or she has been abused for a very long time."

Jack stiffened. "What kind of time frame are we talking here, doc?"

Meeting the dark eyes of the Colonel, Janet could see the banked rage her words had inspired. For Janet, his protectiveness of children was one of his most endearing qualities. "Years, I'm afraid, Colonel, judging from the scars on her body."

Jack tensed, a muscle in his jaw ticking as he contemplated all the nasty ways he would exact revenge upon child abusers, if he could.

"Is it truly necessary to restrain her in such a manner, DoctorFraiser?" Teal'c asked tilting his head to look down at the petite woman he considered a friend.

Janet nodded, "You both saw the way she come out of unconsciousness when we were back on the planet. I'm concerned she'll do more damage if she reacts the same way as last time."

Teal'c inclined his head. "Will I be causing her harm if I sit with her?"

"It's not likely." Janet smiled at the man who nearly tripled her in mass. "I am sure the company would do her good."

"Will you be joining me, O'Neill?"

"Nah. You go on down, T." Jack wanted more information on Buffy.

Teal'c inclined his head once more and left the observation room.

"What else can you tell me?" Jack asked the CMO, who while she would not break patient confidentiality, would tell him as much as she could outside of that restriction.

"She is a mystery, Sir. Once her heart started beating on its own, it took five times the normal amount of sedative to keep her under for the surgery. And I'm talking five times the normal adult dosage, even though she weighs only slightly more than half of the average adult."

Jack shook his head, understanding the implications, if not the physiology behind it. "But she is human, yes?"

"According to all our samples, she is one hundred percent human." She paused, and frustration was evident in her tone when she spoke again. "There is nothing there Sir! Not even a hint of why she reacts the why she does. And until she wakes up and I can talk to her, there is nothing else I can tell you." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Sir."

"Don't apologise, doc. You kept her alive, that's more than any of the rest of us could do." Jack hated it when the doctor felt personally responsible for every medical problem she came across, even though he knew it was exactly that trait which made her one of the best in her field.

"O'Neill! DoctorFraiser!" Teal'c yelled and their attention immediately snapped back to the isolation room. Teal'c was struggling to restrain the girl as she had snapped one of the wrist straps and was fighting for freedom.

Janet was in the ward in less than ten seconds. "Teal'c, let her go and everyone step back, now!"

In the infirmary, no one argued with the Commanding Medical Officer when she gave an order. Janet stepped in front of Teal'c, and stood directly in view of Buffy who had by now ripped all her straps and was using the bed as a barrier.

"Buffy? You're okay. You are in the infirmary, and we are just trying to help you." Janet didn't attempt to get any closer. She could see the panic in Buffy's eyes and didn't want to exacerbate it in any way.

"Doc?" Buffy's voice was shaky. "You said you wouldn't drug me." Though weak the accusation was evident. "I trusted you."

Janet nodded sadly. "You weren't breathing and your heart wasn't beating. We had to do CPR to keep you with us. I had no choice, Buffy."

Although she was obviously still distressed and in pain, Buffy gaped at her. "I died AGAIN?"

Janet frowned in concern. "I take it that wasn't the first time you've died, then." Janet was careful to keep her distance, as it seemed that Buffy was starting to calm enough. "Would you do something for me?"

Buffy glared at the doctor. "Does it involve needles?" She asked suspiciously.

Janet exchanged a glance with the Colonel, who was grinning at Buffy. "No it doesn't involve needles Buffy." She aimed a scowl at Jack. "If I didn't know that she had been unconscious for the entire time she has been on the base, I would swear that you put her up to this, Colonel."

"Who, me?" His tone held a sufficient amount of offense, though his eyes held a spark of mischief that made Buffy warm to him.

Shaking her head at the Colonel, Janet looked at Buffy. "All I would like you to do is get back into bed, and if you can remain calm, I promise not to strap you down." She spared a glance at the torn restraints. "Not that we could anymore, anyway." She muttered.

Buffy looked at the bed and the damage she had done to it. "Sorry." She offered sheepishly, before she said archly, "If you hadn't strapped me down I wouldn't have had to rip them." But she did climb back on to the bed.

Jack bit back a laugh at the aggravated expression on the doctor's face.

"Watch it, Colonel, or I may discover that you need some booster shots." Janet threatened and smiled wickedly at him when he backed away rapidly.

Moving slowly and as unthreateningly as possible, not too difficult for someone her size, Janet was pleased when Buffy only tensed slightly at her approach. "Now, what hurts?" She asked in a straightforward manner.

Buffy shrugged casually. "Nothing hurts." It was a blatant lie.

Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow as Janet put her hands on her hips to glare at Buffy. "Now you listen to me, young lady. You need to be honest with me about your injuries and any pain you may experience or I can't do my job properly. My only concern is to have you fit and healthy, and I can't do that if you lie." It wasn't so much the CMO voice, which made Buffy meekly nod her head, but the implacable 'mother' tone which brooked no argument.

Janet took a breath then said perfectly reasonably, 'So, what hurts, Buffy?"

"My middle abdomen and lower back just to the right of my spine." She grinned wryly at the doctor. "And now my wrists and ankles are a little tender."

Nodding in response, Janet said to her, "We had to do surgery on a couple of your internal organs as they were still bleeding, and then we had to stitch you up, front and back." The small doctor gave her a quelling look. "So if you can refrain from any further acrobatics, your body will thank you for it. You'll still be tender but you won't have ripped any stitches." She sighed. "Now if you will let me look at your wrists I'll see what I can do about your self-inflicted injuries." Despite the sigh, Janet was gentle as she assessed the damage Buffy had done to her wrists and ankles, aware that she was being carefully observed.

"These will heal fine in a couple of days with some antiseptic to keep infection out." Janet spoke casually, keeping her tone light. "So Buffy, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two in January. I think." She answered the doctor's question absently, more preoccupied how she was going to handle the issue of her rapid healing. She figure even Janet, as nice a doctor as she was, would have concerns when her stitches would need to be taken out tomorrow.

Janet's gaze sharpened on her patient. "You don't know?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, looking very much like the young adult that she was. "Well, it was 2003 where I was, but I have no idea what it might be here."

Now Janet was confused, but Jack thought he might understand. "Buffy, where are you from?"

"The town is just a crater now. But I was from a town called Sunnydale, in California." Buffy seemed to withdraw a bit, as what she had left behind started impact on her.

"Wilkins." Colonel O'Neill snapped out.

The SF snapped to attention. "Yes, Sir."

"Aren't you from California?" The Colonel asked.

"Yes, Sir. Lived in California until I signed up, Sir."

"Is there a town called Sunnydale?"

"Not to my knowledge, Sir, and we moved around a lot."

From the observation room, where he had been watching, Jonas used the microphone to speak into the isolation room. "Colonel O'Neill. Since arriving on the planet I have made a study of your Atlas, focused particularly on the United States. I can guarantee there is no 'Sunnydale' in California."

"Ah, thanks Jonas." He turned to Buffy and raised an eyebrow in an excellent imitation of Teal'c.

Nodding, Buffy said, "I thought as much."

Jack gaped at her. "For crying out loud! You're from a different reality."

"Uh huh. Actually, I think it might even be dimension, but tomato, tomahto, right." Buffy shrugged.

"Not really." Jack stated just before he started swearing. "I thought we were done with this when Daniel left."

Buffy lifted wide hazel eyes to Jack's. "Daniel? Gorgeous blue eyes, brown hair, looks like a do-gooder?"

Now everyone stared at Buffy astonished. You could hear the ticking of the clock, at least until Jack broke the silence.

"Oh for crying out loud! Daniel! Get your ascended butt here now." He yelled into the room.

Buffy said in an aside to Janet, "I thought that Colonels were supposed to be sane?"

Janet squashed the giggle that wanted to escape, thinking that while her patient was a mystery to her, she had a sneaky sense of humour that was very similar to her own.

Jack grinned at her. "That's a vicious rumour." He looked around the room carefully. "DANIEL!" He snapped out again.

"Uh. Hi, Jack."

4. Stay A While

CHAPTER THREE: Stay A While

From behind Jack, Daniel gave Buffy a small wave. "Hi, Buffy. I'm glad your feeling better."

Jack took a breath and was about to start berating Daniel when Buffy beat him to it. She stood up ignoring Janet's restraining hand, and moved to stand in front of the incorporeal figure of Daniel.

"What made you think you had the right to intervene in my life?" She held up a hand to halt any response he would have made. "For the last seven years, my life hasn't been my own. And you swept in and just…made a decision." Buffy let her voice trail away into silence.

"I intended to let you choose, Buffy, but when I asked you what you wanted to do with your life, you went catatonic on me. I needed to get you medical help so I turned to the people I trusted most." He reached out to grip her hands, and was amazed when he could actually touch them. Buffy gasped at the warmth Daniel exuded. While part of him wanted to marvel at the sensation, the other demanded that Buffy understand his motives. "I refused to return you to your world, because if I did, the Powers That Be would have found another way to use you."

Buffy became rigid at the mention of the name and Daniel panicked. "Oh no, Buffy, they can't find you here. You're safe."

In a monotone, Buffy said, "They can find me anywhere. Anytime they want to." She shook her head and whispered despairingly to Daniel, "If they can find me in heaven, they can find me here."

Daniel gripped her hands harder, and then had an epiphany. "That's why I can touch you and no one else. You've existed in a higher plane of existence!" In a typical Daniel fashion, he focused on his discovery, and not what immediate effect it might have on his audience.

Glittering hazel eyes stared at nothing as Buffy murmured to herself, "It was safe there. Warm. No pain. No fighting. I was at peace." A single tear trembled on the tip of her eyelashes until gravity got the better of it . It was more than Jack could bear, and he gently pulled Buffy away from the still obliviously, excited Daniel, leading her to the infirmary bed to that she could sit down.

"Daniel!" He barked, "Can't you see that your damned happiness isn't shared by anyone else!" Jack fixed Daniel with an unfriendly look that clearly said to the younger man to fix the problem he'd created, or else.

Catching the disapproving looks of those around him, Daniel swallowed hard, seriously reconsidering his decision to stay around. Even though they technically couldn't do anything to him he felt his best interests lay in doing exactly as they wanted. He just hoped that Oma wasn't watching.

From the protective stance of both Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Fraiser standing next to her, Buffy watched Daniel as emotions flickered transparently over his face. "You'd make a terrible poker player." She muttered under her breath.

Daniel gave her a startled, and slightly offended look, especially when Jack chuckled, "She's got you pegged, Danny Boy."

"Buffy, I can take you back to your world, to your life, if that's what you want. But please, think it through carefully, because if you go back…" He left the sentence hanging.

She finished the thought for him, "If I go back…then I become nothing more than the PTB's weapon again."

Tipping his head to the side, Daniel admitted, "When I took you from them, they were a bit…upset… with you."

Grinning viscously, Buffy bit out, "Good. I'm nobody's puppet." She paused before continuing, figuring that nothing she said here would get her into trouble. Different dimension and all. "They sent me into an apocalypse with a group of terrified teenage girls. I had to do something other than watch them get slaughtered by an army of creatures beyond their ability to destroy. So I made them strong. And where is my Scythe?" She scowled at Daniel. "If you've lost it…"

Jack was impressed with the amount of menace which positively oozed from her.

The quick switch of topic lost Daniel for a moment, and he instinctively took a step back. "Ah…yes. About that…"

Standing up, Buffy forgot herself and where she was for a moment and began walking towards Daniel. For those watching, it was like watching a panther stalk its prey, her movements fluid, so graceful and simultaneously predatory for a moment she appeared more than human.

Feeling extremely hunted, Daniel made himself vanish in order to appear unexpectedly somewhere else in the room.

As Daniel disappeared, Buffy stopped, motionless and closed her eyes. Nobody in the room dared move or speak, instinctively sensing danger. Jack didn't say anything purely because he figured Daniel could handle, and probably deserved, anything that Buffy did to him.

Up in the observation room General Hammond and Sam joined Jonas, and he immediately gestured them to silence, before he indicated them to watch Buffy. As quietly as possible they did as suggested.

Without any preparation, not even a twitch of a muscle, Buffy leapt over to the other side of the bed and snapped an arm straight out, her hand appearing as though it was gripping something.

Daniel materialized in the space in front of her, his shirt firmly gripped in her hand. She pulled him down until he was eye to eye with her. "You will get me the Scythe. I don't care how you do it."

His blue eyes wide, Daniel nodded his head rapidly in agreement. "I'll find it, I promise."

From his position leaning on the bed, Jack stole a pen from Janet and threw it at Daniel. It passed right through him.

Buffy turned and frowned curiously at him. "Why?" She asked.

"Just checking." He shrugged.

Buffy snorted, "You just wanted to throw something at him."

In the observation room, General Hammond chuckled and Sam smiled despite herself.

Janet noticed that Buffy was getting paler. "Buffy, would you please get back in the bed. I don't want you to collapse again."

"I'm fine, Doctor Fraiser." Buffy said absently.

"You are not fine, young lady. You're as white as a sheet, which tells me your blood pressure is dropping. Now, get in to bed, please, Buffy. Let me do my job." Janet used the mother voice again, in combination with her doctor's tone.

Buffy gave a long suffering sigh, letting Daniel go reluctantly before she turned to Janet. "You must have a daughter." She muttered as she climbed on to the bed.

Janet, Sam and Jack laughed. "Yes Buffy, I have a daughter, her name is Cassandra."

Resting against the pillows, Buffy murmured, "Pretty name."

Jack wandered over to stand next to Daniel. "Don't you have something to do?"

Daniel shook his head. "What do you want to do Buffy? I can take you back now if you want."

"Can you give me a minute to think about it?" She asked, sounding in that moment much older than she looked. Jack's expression darkened as he remembered what the doctor had told him about Buffy's past.

"Alone?" She looked around the room at all the faces feeling a little overwhelmed.

"The SF's will have to stay, I'm sorry Buffy." Janet explained gently.

"That's fine. Just, can everyone else just leave for a while?"

Nodding, Jack ordered. "Out, people. Let's go."

***

Buffy sat in the bed, staring at the ceiling. She was grateful that Jack had cleared what was obviously an observation room as well.

What did she want to do with her life? It was a question that she hadn't asked herself for a very long time, because it had had no relevance to her reality. There were hundreds of slayers now. She had felt them all since the spell. Here, she was blissfully without responsibility for anyone but herself, possibly without vampires or demons to worry about. She could travel, study, and do anything she wanted really. But there was Dawn, who had lost her for a second time, but who was a different person from the angry teenager she had been.

Faith, her sister slayer, the other half of the Chosen Two. They had started the fight with the First at an uneasy truce, and ended the battle with a better understanding of one another. They loved each other, and Buffy thought that perhaps of them all, Faith would miss her the most. Buffy realised that she didn't even know if Faith had made it out.

Her friends, Xander, Willow, and Giles. They hadn't trusted her when it counted. Her own sister had kicked her out of her home and it had taken the words and comfort of a vampire to convince her to keep fighting. A vampire who had given his life so that she could live, so they all could live. Tipping her head back, Buffy allowed herself to grieve for a while. Tears falling from beneath closed eyelashes, soaking the pillow beneath her head. Her friends never knew, but Spike was their saviour. Without him… Buffy let the thought trail off, hiccupping sobs escaping her despite her best efforts to contain them.

Buffy didn't feel Doctor Fraiser's approach until arms surrounded her and began rocking her gently, a hand stroking her hair, a soft voice in her ear. "Cry it out, honey, just let yourself cry." Buffy curled into Janet. It had been so long since anyone had thought to hold her. So long since anyone had thought she might need to be held.

The force of Buffy's sobs shook Janet to the core. Even when Cassie had nightmares and woke screaming and crying, it had been this heart wrenching. Janet pressed her lips to Buffy's hair, her own eyes welling in response to the pain emanating from Buffy.

Gradually, the fierce weeping eased, and Buffy raised her head to meet Janet's eyes with her own, now extremely bloodshot, hazel eyes. "Thank you."

Reaching out, Janet brushed a tendril of hair away from Buffy's face, tucking the dark blonde strands behind her ear. "I know you don't know me Buffy, but if you need to talk, I'd be happy to listen."

"I was trying to figure out if anyone actually needs me back where I was." Buffy said, sniffing. "There is a lot to be done now. All the girls, they'll need guidance, but I don't think I am the one who can provide it."

Janet passed her a tissue. "I'm sure they do need you, Buffy. From what I've seen, you seem to be a very capable young woman." She paused. "I don't know much about the life you've led. But I do know that your body has gone through more trauma than anyone should have to."

Buffy glanced down at her hands, barely conscious that they were shredding the tissue she held. She wouldn't say anything yet, it was too soon, and these people were ultimately still military.

Janet continued quietly. "I know that you feel that your friends and family need you, and I'm sure they do. But what about what you need?"

Buffy smiled, but it was bitter. "You know, I can't remember the last time anyone asked me that."

Not saying anything, Janet just waited.

Softly, Buffy said, "I think I need a rest. To be somewhere where it's not me who is making the decisions that could get a young girl killed. Where I don't have to dig the graves for girls who never asked for the destiny they received." She took a deep breath, seemingly unaware of the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Where I am not alone anymore."

Daniel appeared next to Janet. "How would you feel about staying here for a little while? Take some time to think about what your options are and then when you have decided, you can always let me know then." He placed no compulsion behind his words, not wanting to pressure her.

Janet took Buffy's hands in her own, ignoring the shredded tissue. "I would love for you to meet my Cassie, if you want to stay a while."

Buffy could hear the sincerity in the doctor's voice, and she could see the genuine need to help in the brown eyes that stared into her own. Buffy considered carefully and looked at Daniel. "Have you got the Scythe?"

He waved an arm at the bed, and on the end of the bed the scythe became visible, as though it had been there all along. Buffy left one hand in possession of Janet and reached over to stroke a hand down the cool, red metal. She could feel the power of the weapon and came to a decision. "I'm going to stay, at least until I wear out my welcome. Can you give this to Faith? And tell her that it's hers, just as much as it was ever mine, and I believe in her."

"Anything else?" Daniel asked.

Eyes darkening, Buffy said quietly, "No. Not yet."

"They do love you Buffy." Daniel said, as the bladed weapon disappeared.

"I know, Daniel. But they kicked me out of my own home." She ignored the doctor's sharp inhale. "I'm not a good enough person to just forgive and forget so quickly. If Spike was still…" She broke off, as a fresh wave a grief rolled through her.

Daniel nodded. "I understand." And then he was gone.

Buffy sighed and let herself lean on Janet, who wrapped an arm around her.

***

Jack, Teal'c, Sam and Jonas stopped by the infirmary a couple of hours later to talk to Janet.

"How is she, Janet?" Sam asked her friend.

"Right now, she's asleep. Physically, she is healing well, very well in fact. But emotionally…I think she is exhausted. Whatever she has been through has…I hestitate to say damaged…but…" Janet had to consider her words carefully, not wanting Buffy to be labled as depressed or unstable. "It's like she has had the fate of the world on her shoulders, and has become so used to living up to the expectations everyone has of her, that she doesn't know how to navigate in a world where all she had to worry about is herself." Janet shrugged. "But I'm no psychologist."

Jack grinned at her, "You're sure sounding like a shrink though." For some reason he could explain, he wanted to check on her himself. "Can we see her, doc?"

Smiling at his enthusiasm, Janet led them through to Buffy's bed, now in the main ward of the infirmary. She pushed back the curtain, to find Buffy sitting up, very awake and staring directly at Teal'c.

"Hey Buffy, you didn't sleep for very long. Are you in pain?" Janet asked, concerned.

Buffy didn't answer because she was focused entirely on Teal'c.

"Buffy?" Janet queried.

"I thought it was Daniel that was setting off my spidey senses, but it's him." She said waving a hand towards Teal'c. "You are not a threat to anyone here, but you are not human either." She stated bluntly without a shadow of doubt. "What are you?" Her eyes snapped to Sam. "And you feel different too."

Buffy glared at them. "Who are you people?"

Jack ran a hand through his silver hair. "Bad day." He muttered, thinking that this was going to be a pain in the backside to explain to the General. He looked at Buffy with a grumpy expression. "I am not telling Hammond that National Security has been compromised because you have 'Spidey Senses.'"

"What are you going to tell him then, Sir?" Sam asked her Colonel.

He gave them all a beatific grin. "I'm not going to tell him." He paused dramatically then gestured at Buffy. "She is." He wandered out of the infirmary, calling back as he did, "I'm just going to go get him."

Buffy looked at the others and then said to Janet. "National Security? Just how top secret is this place?"

Janet just shook her head helplessly.

In a quiet voice, Teal'c said to Jonas, "Do you know what these 'Spidey Senses' are, JonasQuinn? I am unfamiliar with that particular expression."

Buffy snorted, "Then you're either from England, or another planet."

Teal'c just tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Would someone like to tell me what is going on?" General Hammond ordered as he strode into the infirmary, having heard Buffy's last remark. It wasn't quite a yell, but it definitely wasn't a conversational request, either.

Wide eyed, Buffy looked at Janet. "What did I say?"

5. Once Burned...

CHAPTER FOUR: Once Burned...

Daniel had been feeling rather good since he had left the SGC.

Buffy was going to give herself a chance to find out what she could do with her life, and Oma, who had been watching, had told him that his actions were impulsive and irresponsible; but there would be no repercussions from the rest of the Ascended. He grinned to himself, positive that he had seen a spark of approval in Oma's eyes, even though her words were stern.

All in all, Daniel was well satisfied with what he had accomplished. Now all he had to do was to return the Scythe and pass along Buffy's message to Faith. Simple.

Or so he had thought.

He hadn't really taken it into account that not only had he managed to enrage the Powers That Be, but Buffy also had a group of extraordinarily powerful friends. A group which included one extremely upset witch.

Ascension really hadn't improved Daniel's ability to see beyond the here and now. And as he stared into the unimpressed eyes of said red-haired witch, Daniel truly understood why Jack used to get so frustrated with him for his lack of foresight.

After all, hindsight is only a wonderful thing if you are still alive to appreciate it.

***

"You, young lady, are going to tell me exactly what you know about other planets, and how you leapt over my people with an injury that required major surgery, and the reason you could hold Doctor Jackson." General Hammond made his demands standing at the end of the girl's infirmary bed, extremely concerned about what this stranger in their midst might know.

Buffy gave him an unimpressed look. "There are eight other planets in our solar system, adrenaline and no, I will not tell you the reason I could hold Doctor Jackson, who I assume is Daniel." Buffy bordered on insolent with her response, but this man meant nothing to her.

"I don't know who you think you are-" The General was cut off by Buffy, who was getting more aggravated by the minute, much the same way as the General seemed to be. The tension in the room was palpable as the military personnel watched their commanding officer nearly vibrate with anger.

"I know exactly who I am. What I don't know is who you are and why the hell I should be expected to answer questions from a person who is a complete stranger!" Buffy was still sitting on the bed, but for some reason it felt like her presence became more formidable.

The General found himself resisting the urge to step backwards, as her words penetrated his ire with the situation. He realised that he would have to make some form of apology, because the girl was correct. Not once had he stopped to introduce himself.

"You have a point, Miss…" He trailed off, wanting her to introduce herself to him. Doctor Fraiser had already reported her full name to him, and as much as she possibly could without breaking the confidence Buffy had entrusted her with.

"Buffy Summers." She stated flatly.

"You have a point, Miss Summers." General Hammond continued calmly, and everyone in the room breathed a silent sigh of relief. "I am General George Hammond, the Commander of Stargate Command. It's part of my job description to protect National Security, as well as my people here, and I take it very seriously." He didn't smile as he spoke, wanting her to understand his perspective with absolute clarity.

His words made her remember with crisp detail exactly how she had felt every minute of every day since she had become the Slayer, and in particular how she had felt when the potentials had started showing up at her door. Responsible beyond anything she could compare to. Those children had depended on her to keep them safe.

In many ways, she supposed, General Hammond was in exactly the same position.

Buffy met his look with a direct, unwavering look of her own. "I understand better than you might think, General Hammond, so I'll answer your question about Daniel. But not here, and not right now. There is something else I need to do first."

Looking into her eyes, George Hammond saw a young woman who had grown up much faster than she should have had to. He nodded. "I will trust you to keep your word, Miss Summers. Now what is it that you require first?" He asked congenially.

Twisting uncomfortably on the bed, Buffy muttered reluctantly, "I need the Doc to take my stitches out."

Immediately Janet stepped forward and took over. "Why Buffy, are they hurting you? Is there any burning sensation?" She placed a cool hand on Buffy's forehead, then rested the back of her fingers against Buffy's cheek. "You are slightly flushed, I need to check your temperature."

Buffy grabbed the hand that was reaching for the thermometer, "Doctor Fraiser, I promise I'll be fine if you just take the stitches out. This isn't the first time this has happened, and the itching is about to drive me insane."

Frowning, Doctor Fraiser turned to her friends and collegues, "Okay, I need everyone who is not a doctor or nurse to leave please. I'd like to give Buffy some privacy." Janet made it a request, but there was a subtle tone of command in her voice, that had General Hammond supporting his CMO.

"You heard the doctor, let's leave them to their work. SG1 to the Briefing Room. Doctor Fraiser, we'll await your report there." General Hammond ordered.

Not even Jack argued, leading his team out of the infirmary.

Buffy didn't even wait until the curtain had been pulled before she was lifting the loose hospital shirt to get to the covered wound on her belly. Without waiting, she pulled the sterile dressing off, noting that there was only a trace of dried blood on the gauze pad.

"Shit." Buffy swore under her breath. She had left it too long and skin had started growing over the stitches.

Janet was about to chastise Buffy for removing the dressing herself, but stopped short when she saw the injury site. Glaring, she said in an acerbic tone, "Is there something you neglected to tell me, Buffy? Like the fact you can heal a fatal injury in hours? Or did it just slip your mind?" Her hands were gently feeling her way over the stitches, trying to ascertain the most painless way to remove the synthetic thread. Her tender manner as she doused the area with antiseptic and local anaesthetic was completely at odds with the irritation in her voice.

Buffy was going to respond to that when the doctor started pulling the stitching out, without any warning. It didn't hurt, but the tugging and sliding sensation did make her feel slightly queasy.

The last stitch of the stomach wound was taken out, and the petite doctor watched in fascination as the skin seemed to be closing up behind the thread as it was pulled out. She gave Buffy an admonishing look. "You and I are going to have a discussion about this shortly. Roll over, and I'll get the ones on your back out." Since it her back was feeling doubly itchy, Buffy didn't bother with arguing, she just rolled, listening to Janet. " And this conversation is going to have details, Buffy. All kinds of details. The first of which is why you didn't tell me this in the first place!"

Closing her eyes against the unpleasant feeling, Buffy figured she might as well agree. At least one person in this dimension needed to know the extent of her pain threshold and her healing ability. And she liked Doctor Fraiser, for some reason she instinctively knew that the woman who had saved her life could be trusted with information that Buffy would prefer wasn't common knowledge.

"I'll tell you if you'll let me have coffee. I think I'm suffering caffeine withdrawal." Buffy said looking at Janet over her shoulder beseechingly.

She was still irritated, but Janet managed to smile, "I think I can manage that. Though I make no promises about the quality." She finished up and pulled Buffy's shirt back down. "All done." She eyed Buffy's overly large hospital clothing critically. "Wait here and I'll get you some clothes that might actually fit you." She collected Buffy's patient file, and strode away.

Buffy returned to her former position sitting on the bed and fingered the clothing she was wearing with distaste.

***

"Thank you for joining us Doctor Fraiser." General Hammond greeted the doctor as she walked in holding files and a small pile of clothes.

"I'm sorry General, Sir. I don't have any answers yet. But Buffy has asked for coffee, and I'm going to take her to the commissary. I think in a more relaxed setting I can get her to open up a bit more." Janet spoke rapidly, not wanting to leave Buffy enough time to become suspicious.

"Are you certain that's a wise decision, Doctor?" The General asked, mainly concerned for the safety of Doctor Fraiser.

"Yes, General, I am." There wasn't the slightest hint of hesitation in her answer.

"Okay, Doctor. However, I am still going to post two SF's at the commissary doors." He stated resolutely.

Unhappy, but accepting that he wasn't going to change his mind, Janet said, "Yes, Sir." She paused. "Sir, if possible, I would like Major Carter to join myself and Buffy in the commissary in a half hour?"

The General turned to Major Carter, "Well, Major?"

"I have to admit to a fair amount of curiosity about the girl, Sir." Sam confessed.

"Alright Doctor, I'll expect a report from you later today." General Hammond dismissed the Doctor.

Janet breathed a sigh of relief at the speed with which she had managed to escape, juggling files and the bundle of clothes, made the trip back to the infirmary at a very brisk pace.

"You are my hero, Doc." Buffy said as she sipped coffee from the large mug cradled in her hands.

"Call me Janet." Amused, Janet watched as Buffy closed her eyes in bliss. "That bad?" She asked, referring to the withdrawal Buffy had mentioned previously.

Buffy opened her eyes to meet Janet's humour lightened gaze. "I'm a minimum of two cups of coffee-a-day girl and I can't remember when I last had a fix." She smiled at the other woman, though there was an edge of sadness to it. "My mum used to try to get me to cut down on my caffeine intake. I told her I would when she did. She gave up trying after that. There was very little that got in the way of my mother's coffee rituals."

"I take it your mum is a coffee devotee as well, then." Janet said.

Buffy's gaze returned to the coffee. "She was, yes." Buffy decided that Janet had a quality about her that encouraged her to share some of her life.

"I'm sorry Buffy." Janet reached over and gave Buffy's forearm a comforting squeeze.

"I assume by your use of the past tense that she isn't with you anymore?"

Meeting Janet's eyes, Buffy said, "She is always with me," she gave a wry smile, "Just not in a physical sense. She died two years ago of an aneurism, a couple of weeks after she had surgery to remove a brain tumour."

Nodding her understanding, Janet commented. "Yes, that is one of the risks we haven't been able to eliminate as a consequence of such delicate surgery." She paused, "I hate using platitudes, but I really am sorry for your loss."

Buffy shrugged. "Life goes on, right? At least that's what they tell us. Whoever 'they' are."

Janet sensed that this particular topic might be a touch too sensitive for their first real conversation and decided to steer the discussion in a different direction. Before she could Sam wandered in and over to their table.

"Hi Janet. Hi Miss Summers." Sam greeted cheerfully with a bright smile.

Scrunching up her nose, Buffy said, "Can you please call me Buffy? Whenever someone calls me Miss Summers I feel like I'm back at school."

Sam grinned, "Fair enough, Buffy. Do you mind if I join you for my coffee break?"

Mutely, Buffy held out her now empty mug. "If you return bearing large quantities of caffeine, I'd even give you my chair."

Laughing lightly, Sam took the mug. "I don't think that will be necessary. Janet?"

"No thanks Sam. I'm fine." Janet's mug was still two thirds full, as she'd been to focused on the girl sitting opposite her to remember to drink.

"I'll be right back." Sam walked over to the coffee machine.

Janet gave Buffy a very direct look. "Do you mind talking with Sam here? Because I still haven't got the answers I need."

Buffy observed Sam as she came back to the table and sat next to Janet. She could still feel the strange quality she had felt in the infirmary. "Are you evil, Major Carter?"

Taken aback at the abrupt question, Sam said, "I certainly don't think so. And my name is Sam, Buffy."

"Okay, thanks Sam. And no, Janet, I don't mind talking with Sam here. But I reserve the right not to answer a question, if I don't like it." Buffy wanted to make sure they all knew where they stood.

"Buffy, will you tell me why you didn't say anything about your rapid rate of healing?" Not much better subject than their previous one admittedly, but at least the topic would distract Buffy from the melancholy which had settled over her. It occurred to Janet that Sam would quite likely empathise with Buffy's loss of her mother, having lost her own mother far too early as well.

Keeping one hand wrapped around the mug as though she were afraid it might disappear, Buffy used her other hand in an outwards wave indicating the people in the commissary, specifically the two SF's standing watch from the doorway.

"It wasn't personal. A former mentor of mine would have said something like 'If you touch the fire and it burns you, you know better than to touch it again.' Let's just say that the military type people I've come across…not so much concerned with National Security and more worried about the creation of an army of super soldiers. Except for one itty bitty problem it might have worked too." Buffy said, trying to use humour to hide her own bitterness.

"What problem was that?" Janet enquired, somehow knowing that the answer was not going to be a pretty one.

Considering how best to answer, Buffy experienced a moment of contentment. Staring at Janet she realised that the other woman was genuinely curious, and happy to listen to whatever Buffy might want to tell her. And Sam seemed very interested as well. It had been a long time since she had found someone who would just listen, without passing judgement on her.

"I'll give you the Cliff Notes version of the back story." Taking a mouthful of the caffeinated beverage, Buffy savoured it briefly before she began. "The base was built underneath one of the Dormitories at the University in Sunnydale. Many of the boys and men in the building were actually soldiers and officers of this covert branch of the military, I even dated one." She met Janet's smile and Sam's grin with one of her own. "The base was essentially run by scientists who were doing experimentation on some of the…well… the term they used was 'sub-terrestrials'. Most were native to the town I lived in."

"I was given the opportunity to become a civilian expert on these hostile sub terrestrials, and for a while I found it interesting. But what they were doing messed with the natural order of life in the town, and it didn't take long for me to see the danger in what they were doing." In retrospect she wished she had been more receptive of Giles's concerns.

"They had one room which was off limits to everyone except the top scientists. But I can admit that if someone orders me to do something which makes absolutely no logical sense, I will ask questions." She smirked. "Apparantly I asked them too loudly and too often and the commanding scientist of the facility tried to have me killed."

"What!?" Janet yelled, drawing the attention of others in the commissary and a sharp look from both SF's. Janet waved them off as Buffy gave a self-effacing grin, and she only continued when people had returned to whatever they had been doing.

"When their first attempt failed, the super-soldier was activated." Buffy had never really taken the time to consider that Professor Walsh must have done something pretty much straight after she had 'reported' back. Lost in her own thoughts, Buffy nearly didn't hear Sam's question.

"When you say 'super soldier', what do you mean exactly?" Sam asked, only the slightest hint of scepticism in her tone.

Considering how best to answer the question and the reaction she was likely to get, Buffy gave a mental shrug. Too much of her life revolved around the existence of demons for her to edit everything. And to be honest, she didn't want to spend the rest of her time here editing her past to a non-scifi, non- fantasy sounding version of her reality.

"His name was Adam. He was a Frankenstein monster which was part machine and computer technology, part human, and part demon, powered by a Uranium core in his lower chest cavity. He also had a design flaw. He was evil." Buffy leaned back casually to wait for the inevitable exclamations of disbelief and accusations of her insanity.

Both women gaped at her, each focused on different aspects of her description.

"Demon?" Janet could barely comprehend this. Aliens were one thing, but demons?

"Uranium?" Sam murmured thoughtfully.

Buffy frowned. This was not the usual reaction, and it made her wonder what exactly these people did which allowed them to accept the existence of a Frankenstein so calmly. She decided to continue before they started asking questions.

"So anyway, Adamstein went damage bound. He was big, he was strong, he was smart and he was without conscience. And I would never have had to deal with him if the head honchos had been paying attention. So you can understand my mistrust of most things military."

Sam noticed that Buffy was taking responsibility for dealing with the creature and was intrigued by it, but decided that it could wait for another day.

Buffy went on before she could be interrupted. "The point of my little rant is that once we cleaned up, my friend found some files which had to do with me. If I couldn't be used or killed, then capture and experimentation was going to be the next step." Shuddering, Buffy whispered, "They nearly killed one of my friends with their experiments."

Janet took Buffy's hands in her own and found them could to the touch. "Buffy, why did they want to experiment on you?"

"You saw part of the reason earlier." Buffy said quietly.

Sam had a flash of insight. "Does it have anything to do with the 'Spidey senses' you mentioned earlier?" She gave a teasing smile as she spoke to set Buffy at ease.

Buffy nodded.

"And the fact that you heal faster than any human I've ever seen, Buffy. But your blood work shows up as normal and I don't understand why. But I'd like to."

Buffy tilted her head to the side, and her gaze narrowed on Janet. "But you have seen people heal faster than a normal rate, right?" She said shrewdly. "I'm guessing someone like Teal'c heals faster than average, given that he's not human." She paused and peered at them, trying to suppress a smirk. "Not that there is anything wrong with that."

Sam rolled her eyes. "No comment."

Buffy pouted at her and Sam laughed. "Still no comment."

"Ayiana!"

Sam made the connection instantly. "Of course!"

Buffy looked from Janet to Sam and back to Janet again. "And for those of us not in the loop?"

"Ayiana was a young woman who we found, and she healed like you do, in a matter of hours rather than days." Janet explained, thinking that she would have to check her results from the blood samples she had taken to see if there was any similarities between Buffy's and Ayiana's.

"Can I meet her?" Buffy asked considering the possibility that there might be a slayer in this dimension.

Janet and Sam exchanged a look. "I'm sorry Buffy. Shortly after we found her, Ayiana contracted a virus which decimated her immune system." She looked at the now cold coffee in her hands. "Nothing we tried made a difference."

Sam placed a hand on Janet's forearm and gently squeezed in sympathy. Buffy could see that Janet blamed herself and touched her hand briefly to get the doctor's attention.

"As a doctor, did you try everything you could?" Buffy asked directly. Giles had done this technique once or twice with her when she hadn't been able to save someone. Though he had found out it does run the risk of violence when used on a slayer.

Janet nodded morosely while Sam glared at Buffy.

"Was there any way to save her in the time frame you had?" Buffy asked, not flinching when Sam's eyes hardened, gazing flintily at her.

Janet frowned. "No. There wasn't. She was deteriorating too quickly to risk moving her."

Buffy raised an eyebrow at Janet, waiting for the doctor to come to her own conclusions. It didn't take long. "You can't save everyone." Buffy said quietly, "You're a doctor and you already know that, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded occasionally. And it doesn't mean you can't try."

As Janet shared a smile of understanding with Buffy, Sam suddenly realised that this girl, this young woman, was a hellava lot more than they had imagined. Sam craved more information. "So Buffy, how is it that you can touch Daniel? I thought he was out of phase with us, rendering us incapable of physical contact with him."

Smirking, Buffy gestured around them. "I'll consider telling you my secrets, if you'll tell me some of yours. Like, why we are at least fifty yards underground? Why did General Hammond ask me about the planets and oh my God…Teal'c isn't just not human, he's an alien!?" Buffy connected the bits of pieces of information in a moment of revelation.

Sam sighed and closed her eyes briefly. She looked at Janet, "How are we going to convince the General that we didn't tell her?"

Janet shook her head, and mimicked Colonel O'Neill from earlier. "We're not going to say anything." She pointed at Buffy, "She is."

"Nah uh. No way." She scowled. "He doesn't like me." A cunning expression crossed her face. "Can we blame Daniel?"

"That seems a bit unfair, given he isn't here to defend himself." Janet said. "Why Daniel?"

She shrugged, "Why not? If they choose death by firing squad he is going to look less like Swiss cheese than I would." Buffy thought that as justifications went, hers was quite valid.

Sam and Janet grinned. "I suppose that's true." Janet acknowledged.

"Plus it could be considered karma after he left you on P2X -720." Sam laughed.

Buffy spoke with a look of complete confusion on her face. "He left me where?"

Janet looked at Sam, biting her lip. Sam met her look, and then looked at Buffy. "I think we should speak to the General about now."

"I would say that is a great idea, before either one of us says something that is going to get us in more trouble." Janet whole heartedly agreed.

"You may have to sign some Confidentiality Contracts Buffy." Sam said a little apologetically.

"I don't see why," Buffy said crankily, loud enough to be heard clearly. "I probably don't even exist in this dimension."

She was still muttering darkly as she followed the two other women out of the commissary.

As they left, the SF's heard Janet say thoughtfully, "You know, that's a very logical argument, Sam."

"Don't go there, Janet. We're probably in enough hot water as it is." Sam walked faster, trying to get to the briefing room that much quicker. Although when she thought about, the Colonel was going to get a kick out of that particular viewpoint.

Non-compliance due to inter-dimensional non-existance. Brilliant.

***

In another place, a dimension away, Daniel was having a very bad day.

6. Confidence in Confidentiality Clauses

CHAPTER FIVE: Confidence in Confidentiality Clauses

He was stuck. Trapped. Unable to leave. A prisoner. Held completely against his will by a barrier he couldn't see. An invisible cage that made him uncomfortably aware that his existence was energy based.

"Where is Buffy?"

For once using silence as a strategy, Daniel ignored the question in favour of observing his captor.

Red hair, green eyes, slim build and a smaller than average height, even from his crossed leg sitting position on the floor.

"DAWN!"

For a moment nothing happened, and then a young brunette with red-rimmed eyes stuck her head around the door. "What is it, Willow?" Then she noticed Daniel.

She sounded tired, Daniel decided.

"Ah, Willow? Why do you have a strange man sitting in the middle of your room?" Dawn turned wide eyes to Willow, and in that instant Daniel groaned inwardly. He recognised that wide eyed look set in a smaller face, surrounded by dark blonde hair.

"Hey sweetie, I have someone I want you to meet." Willow gestured at Daniel.

Dawn knew better than to take that statement at face value. "Uh huh." She peered at the man, thinking that for a bad guy he was kind of cute. "So what'd he do?"

"He took your sister and the Scythe." It was stated blandly enough, though the glare that was aimed at him was the polar opposite of bland.

"Oh." It took a moment before Willow's words registered and Dawn leapt at him, her anger translating into a vicious swing. She passing through Willow's barrier easily and expected her fist to collide with enough force to do serious damage to the stranger's face.

She was thoroughly disconcerted when she fell straight through him.

"What the-" She exclaimed scrambling to get away.

"He's incorporeal Dawn. The barrier is made for him not for you." Willow said calmly.

"I got that, Willow." Dawn snarled in frustration, "But I thought the First was defeated? Didn't we defeat it?" Frustration turned to distress. "Please tell me that they didn't die for nothing?"

Lately, Dawn's moods and emotions seemed to be in a constant state of turmoil. One minute she would be the old Dawn, the quickly maturing teenager. The next she was like a child, either having a temper tantrum or in desperate need of reassurance. Willow couldn't really fault her for it, her own emotions having down their own version of a rollercoaster more that once over the last few years.

"No, Dawn. We won that battle." Willow offered gently.

"So if he's not the First why did I just fall through him?" The teenager demanded.

Willow gave her an annoyed look. "If I could get him to speak, I'd be able to tell you that. But my best guess is that he exists out of phase with us. His molecular structure is vibrating at a different rate than ours does…do you remember when Buffy was turned invisible, she could see us, but we couldn't see her." She tried to explain the concept in terms that Dawn would understand. She knew Dawn was very bright, but so far her talents hadn't extended into molecular science.

Dawn frowned, if she followed that theory then... "So why can we see him and why doesn't he just go all inviso-guy and leave?" She asked.

With a self satisfied smirk, Willow said, "I made a trap. It's very effective." The confident attitude faded as she continued her explanation. "When Buffy didn't…" Breaking off, she started again. "Faith said she had given the Scythe to Buffy. There was a good chance it was buried with the rest of Sunnydale. But I thought maybe, I could call it to me. So when we arrived in LA I placed a summoning spell for the Scythe and combined it with a…net…so that if something nasty had the Scythe…"

Dawn finished her sentence. "It was trapped." She scrunched up her nose and looked critically at Daniel. "Are you sure it worked, Willow? 'Cos I'm not seeing it."

Willow scowled. "Yes, it worked. He definitely has it." Her fierce expression darkened, as she stared at her prisoner, as if she could intimidate him into telling her what she wanted to know.

"Ah…Willow? How do you know he took Buffy? He might just have the Scythe." Dawn pointed out. As much as she wanted to believe Willow, she refused to get her hopes up. As far as she was concerned, if her sister were alive, she would have done everything in her power to come back to them. She decided that Willow needed to be reminded of that fact.

"Willow. If Buffy were still alive, you know she would kick his ass before she let him get in her way."

Now, that, Daniel thought was very interesting. Enough so, that he felt compelled to speak. Not to mention that he had been fighting to keep a bland expression for the last few minutes.

"You think so?" He asked curiously, not moving from his spot on the floor.

Instantly, their attention was focused on him. "I knew you could speak!" Willow exclaimed triumphantly.

Daniel snorted and momentarily channelled Jack. "Well, yeah. But you weren't saying anything interesting enough for me to bother." He shrugged insultingly.

"Hey!" Dawn snapped out. Then she clicked. "You do have Buffy! Give her back!" She demanded angrily.

"Why?" He asked derision in his tone. "Do you want to hail her as your saviour or kick her out again?"

Willow and Dawn both blushed. Daniel raised an eyebrow and waited.

Dawn muttered sullenly, "We made a mistake and we shouldn't have asked her to leave. But she shouldn't have asked us to go back to the vineyard either. Not after what had happened."

Giving the youngest Summers a surprised glance, Willow backed her up, "Not that it's any of your business, but Buffy did go too far. Xander had just lost his eye!" She paused.

Daniel met her hard green gaze, with a cold blue one of his own. "Did it occur to either of you that Buffy might have been just as terrified of what was coming? That every night in her dreams she was bombarded with images of what the future held? Did any of you bother to ask her?"

Looking uncomfortable, the two women shifted uneasily, until Willow decided to go on the offensive. "Just who the hell are you to tell us how we should have handled the situation? You weren't there and can't even imagine-"

Daniel cut her off. "You'd be amazed at the extent of what I can imagine." He had discovered that he was completely pissed off and it took him by surprise. "I want to speak to Faith."

Willow let her power fill the room, trying to threaten him. Dawn backed away from the witch. "Willow…" she asked tentatively.

"Maybe you aren't as redeemed as everyone seems to think." Daniel leaned back on his hands casually as he made the offhand comment.

But it made an impact. Willow paled and swallowed the power she had been building, reabsorbing some, and releasing the rest of the energy back into the earth and atmosphere.

"Now, I'm not going to say another word to anyone except Faith. So I would suggest you find her." The request was made in an even and very reasonable manner. But with an edge to it, suggesting he would not be cooperating with either of the two women in front of him anytime soon.

While negotiation and pacifism was much more in tune with his nature, he could and would be particularly stubborn if the situation called for it. And he knew that he could place the blame for that directly at Jack's feet.

***

Buffy walked into the briefing room behind Sam and Janet. Despite the fact that she was feeling very uncertain of her position, she attempted to appear confident.

"Doctor Fraiser, Major Carter, Miss Summers, thankyou for joining us." General Hammond waved them to three empty seats, Major Carter seating herself next to Colonel O'Neill, and Janet and Buffy sitting next to her. On the other side of the table, Major Davis, Jonas and Teal'c sat.

General Hammond decided some introductions were necessary, "Miss Summers, while I am aware that you know some of the people around the table, I'm going to go through and formally introduce you anyway." He gestured, a wave towards the seated people.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, commander of SG1. Major Samantha Carter, member of SG1 and theoretical astrophysicist. You already know Doctor Fraiser." He paused and smiled as Janet flashed Buffy a reassuring grin. "Teal'c, a member of SG1 and Jonas Quinn, who is a member of SG1 also."

Teal'c inclined his head to Buffy. She nodded back but kept a wary gaze on him.

Looking from Major Davis to Buffy, General Hammond said, "Major Paul Davis here is from the Pentagon, Buffy. I asked him to join us specifically to meet you." He leaned back in his chair slightly.

She took her eyes off Teal'c briefly to give the General a stunned look. "Why on earth would you do that? The Pentagon? I'm just me. Nothing special."

"Actually Miss Summers, you are. Special." Major Davis had observed the security footage of Buffy from the infirmary and had been briefed by Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Jonas on her reactions back on the planet. "Visitors from alternate realities we've had before, but an alternate dimension that exists parallel to ours…it's incredible."

Buffy couldn't help but smile at the Major who was obviously very passionate about his work. "Well, I suppose when you put it like that…"

Major Davis continued, "The thing is though, this facility you are in is one of the most closely guarded secrets of our government and as much as we would like to be able to trust your word that you won't say anything, we do need you to sign confidentiality agreements before we can truly begin to explain what we do here to you."

Buffy glanced at Janet and Sam, who then exchanged looks. Sam grimaced, knowing she was the one stuck with the explanation. "Buffy did bring up a point earlier, Sir." She directed her words to the General.

"Continue, Major." He had a gut feeling he wasn't going to like this.

"Buffy Summers," Sam gestured at Buffy, "Doesn't actually exist. There is no record of her signature, her birth, nothing, Sir."

Teal'c felt the need to place his own input on the conversation. "I too, had to sign papers, MajorCarter, to ensure my silence. Should not BuffySummers also be under the same regulations?"

Sam stared at him for a moment and then had to resist the urge to thump herself. "Of course! Buffy, if you don't sign, and there is no record of your existence, then we can't do anything to stop someone if they wished to harm you, like the scientists you mentioned before. Because technically, you won't exist."

Resisting the urge to bang her head against the table in frustration, Buffy held a hand out to Major Davis. "Hand them over. I'm not making with the sign-age until I've read them." She took the small pile of paper, and began to read, seeming to be completely oblivious to the intense observation she was under.

As a group, those in the briefing room watched as Buffy read each page individually and would nod to herself and sign where indicated. She also seemed to be making notes.

Finally, she finished and looked up with a raised eyebrow. "There really wasn't anything you could talk about while I was doing that? Casual conversation…it does actually exist, you know."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Buffy.

Jack was grinning.

"You have something to say, Colonel?" Hammond asked.

"Just glad I'm not going to be the only one who gets reprimanded for smart remarks, Sir." He was still grinning as the General resisted the temptation to roll his eyes.

"Ah… Miss Summers?" Major Davis looked shocked.

General Hammond frowned. "Is there a problem, Major?"

"Not really, sir." He leaned forwards. "You put comments in the margins Miss Summers. You've added your own clauses in this non-negotiable document and you expect us to accept this?"

Buffy gave him a look that was a combination of belligerence, bitterness and weariness. "In my experience, Major Davis, there is very little in life which isn't negotiable." She shrugged. "If you read the clauses I'm sure you'll find them very reasonable, and as to the comments, those are for your document designer-type people. They are suggestions about the wording, places where it could be improved." She said nonchalantly. "It's from the last time I had to sign one of these things."

"How is that possible Miss Summers?" The General asked curiously.

Only Janet and Sam had the slightlest inkling as to what she might mean.

"There was a program called the 'Initiative' in Sunnydale, run by the Army. I had to sign something very similar to what Major Davis just handed me." She paused, "and while I'm sure you'd love to know all the gory details, there are people I respect who were a part of that program, and I won't risk them."

Major Davis was looking at her with a furrowed brow. "But surely, if you are from a different dimension your words would have no consequences here."

In an expression eerily close to the one Teal'c had given her, Buffy raised an eyebrow and said, "And yet, I just had to put my name on all those pieces of paper." She shrugged. "Go figure."

The people on Buffy's side of the table were holding back their amusement with difficulty. Even the General could see the humorous side, though being a General meant he was not allowed to show it.

The Major from the Pentagon had to admit that there was a certain amount of irony to her comment. He skimmed over the clauses she had added. One of them read:

'In the event of an apocalypse I, Buffy Summers, reserve the right to use any available resource in the prevention of the aforementioned apocalypse, or any similar catastrophic threat to human existence on earth.'

"Sir?" He passed the document to Hammond to read.

Hammond looked at Buffy incredulously. "You consider this clause to be reasonable?"

Without flinching, Buffy nodded. "If you understood what my life has been like, then it wouldn't sound quite so crazy, I promise." Buffy was actually quite proud of her addition. Apparently she had been listening more than she had thought during some of the classes she had attended at college.

General Hammond gave Major Davis a decisive nod. "Let it go for now, Major."

"Are you sure, Sir?" Major Davis enquired uncertainly.

"Take it back to the Pentagon, Major. They can deal with Miss Summers'…ingenuity…there." Hammond said.

"Yes, Sir." Major Davis resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have some very unhappy superiors when he returned to the Pentagon.

General Hammond looked at Buffy. "I know you have questions Miss Summers. Let's start with that. Fire away."

Buffy frowned at him, then shrugged. "Okay. But remember you asked." She took a breath and began, "What exactly is Stargate Command? Where in the United States of America am I exactly? Why does Teal'c feel like something not entirely human? Where did you find me? What-" The questions spilled out of her in an endless stream.

"Aack! Stop!" Jack held up a hand, "That's enough!"

Buffy pouted at him. "But-"

"Ah! No." He cut her off.

Janet and Sam grinned. Jonas smiled widely and even Teal'c lowered his head to prevent the slight curve of his lips being seen.

"I think you've given us enough to start from, Miss Summers." Hammond smiled. "Major Davis, I think you can begin first."

"Yes, Sir." The dark haired man in dress blues cleared his throat and directed his gaze to Buffy.

"Stargate Command is an undisclosed program managed by the United States Air Force. This base is situated under Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado. The stargate is a transportation device which transfers a matter stream through a wormhole to other planets in the galaxy which also have a stargate. Stargate Command and its teams have been exploring these other planets in search of advanced technology and for the purpose of finding allies to assist us in the fight against the Goa'uld. The Goa'uld being a parasitic alien race which take hosts in their search for planetary domination." It was an extremely succinct explanation of what they did at the SGC.

For a moment Buffy looked at him blankly, "That is so cool!" She exclaimed, grinning. "So I take it that the tinglies that Teal'c makes me feel is because he is an alien." She smiled brightly at the somewhat stunned expressions she was receiving. "Oh, come on! I'm right aren't I? Tell me I'm right!" She was almost bouncing on her seat.

Teal'c met her gaze directly and spoke in his deep voice.

"Indeed."

Still visibly vibrating with excitement, Buffy said, "So when do I get to see it?"

Frowning the General said, "You already have, Miss Summers. SG1 and Doctor Fraiser transported you here through the stargate from P2X-720, the planet you were found on."

"WHAT?"