I have read so many great Stargate/BTVS crossovers that I decided to try my hand at one. I absolutely love them but find the Stargate world a bit intimidating. However, this idea came to me, and I just had to write it. Please don't expect me to get all Stargate details perfectly correct. I probably won't. This story will mainly be set on earth in the BTVS world. It takes place after season 8 of Stargate but before season 9 begins. Basically, when Daniel Jackson is preparing to join the Atlantis expedition is the timeline for Stargate. The timeline for Buffy is season 5, right when Joyce begins to get ill.
This story centers around Joyce's poor health making her worry for her girls' futures. She and Buffy have just figured out that Dawn was the Key and made from Buffy. In my story, Buffy tells her right after she figures it out. Worried for their future, Joyce contacts their biological father, Daniel Jackson. He will meet his daughters and discover the earth is much more dangerous than he ever imagined. Most SG-1 characters will make an appearance.
Disclaimer: I do not own either BTVS or Stargate SG-1. None of these characters are my own.
Chapter 1: Joyce's Decision
******Sunnydale, CA******
Joyce listened to her doctor tell her that he was sending her to a specialist. She nodded and said all the right things. She took the information the nurse gave her. However, it was like she was existing on two levels. On one level, she was interacting and answering when appropriate. However, her mind was busy making plans. Something was wrong. She could feel it.
For weeks, she hadn't been feeling right. She had no energy. Her head seemed to hurt all the time. Medicine didn't seem to help. A few times, she'd dropped things. The last time, the girls had witnessed it, so she'd promised to get help. Her doctor had not yet diagnosed her, but Joyce knew deep inside that is was serious. If something happened to her, how would her girls manage? Buffy had her hands full with going to school and her slayer duties. Hank had stopped calling regularly over a year ago. Dawn emailed him faithfully, yet he rarely replied.
Joyce wanted her daughters to have everything. They deserved a father who would love them and be there for them. A father that would put them first. If something happened to her, they would need him.
After she left the doctor's office, she drove around Sunnydale for hours, her mind imagining different scenarios. Finally, she made a decision and went to campus, searching for Willow. Her mind came up with excuses if she found Buffy instead of Willow. Luckily, when she knocked on the dorm door her daughter shared with Willow, Buffy wasn't there.
"Hi, Joyce! Does Buffy know you were stopping by? She's in class right now," Willow said, stepping back to let her in.
"Actually, Willow, it's you I wanted to speak with," Joyce said, closing the door. She could see that Willow was surprised.
"Me? Really?" Willow asked.
"I need you to do something for me if you can. I don't want you to take time away from your studies, but I think you would have better luck doing it than if I tried," Joyce said, giving her a smile.
"Well, sure! What can I do for you?" Willow asked, eager to please.
Joyce really loved Willow. She was exactly the kind of best friend Joyce always wanted for Buffy. Even though Sunnydale brought so much darkness and death to their lives, it had brought some incredible people, too. She sat down on Buffy's bed. Willow followed suit by sitting on her own, facing her. "This is a private matter that I don't want you to share with anyone, especially Buffy," Joyce said. When Willow's eyes widened in concern, she continued, "I plan on telling Buffy all about this myself. But I need you to find someone for me."
Willow looked confused, but she nodded. "I'll do my best," she said. "Who do you want me to find?"
Joyce took a deep breath before replying, "I need you to find the girls' father. Something's wrong with me—I hope it's nothing, but I feel like it's something. Just in case, I want to find their father." She winced as she slipped up.
"Hank? You've lost touch with him?" Willow asked, frowning.
"No. Not Hank. Hank isn't actually Buffy's biological father," Joyce revealed. She didn't need to mention Dawn right now.
"What?" a stunned Willow asked.
Joyce sighed. "Buffy and Dawn have no idea. I actually didn't know until Buffy's freshman year of high school—when she found out she was a slayer, we didn't believe her, you know," Joyce shared.
Willow nodded. "Yes, Buffy's mentioned it," she said.
"We had her committed," Joyce shared, shocking Willow further.
"Oh!" Willow exclaimed. Then she quickly added, "Well, I could see how you might've been scared. I know for sure that's what my parents would've done. They're psychologists."
"It wasn't my idea. Hank thought it was best after her expulsion," Joyce said with a sad sigh. "We began fighting a lot, and I just wanted it to stop. I agreed. While we were there, they ran all kinds of test to determine that her delusion wasn't caused by a physical reason. Hank and I had to give an extensive family and medical history. That's when we figured out, Hank wasn't her father."
Willow was speechless as she took it all in. "Wow," she said weakly.
Joyce gave her a look of understanding. "Yeah, I know this is a lot to take in. Hank and I were dating for a year when we broke up. He'd cheated on me. I was studying art history. It was the second semester of my sophomore year, and I had this really cute and brilliant T.A. teaching this Egyptian history class I was taking. His name was Daniel Jackson. He was so brilliant that he already had one Ph.D., and he was working on his second. But he was only a year or two older than me. We had a very brief relationship," Joyce shared. "It didn't get a chance to develop into anything serious because Hank came around so apologetic. He had a ring and begged me to marry him. I was so caught up in the romance of it all. I broke things off with Daniel. A month later, Hank and I were married, and the class was over. I never spoke to Daniel again because he finished his dissertation over the summer."
"You didn't know you were pregnant?" Willow asked.
"It never occurred to me that Buffy wasn't Hank's. Daniel and I went out just a hand full of times and were only intimate one time," Joyce said, feeling awkward. She had not told anyone any of this since moving to Sunnydale. Only her best friend back in Los Angeles knew the full story.
"Is this why you and your husband split up?" Willow wondered.
Joyce nodded. "I know Buffy thought it was her fault, and I wanted to tell her. But things were bad enough. She and Hank always had such a close bond. I didn't want to destroy that," Joyce said sadly.
"That's understandable," Willow said. "So Buffy has no idea?"
Joyce shook her head. "It's past time the girls knew the truth," Joyce said. She didn't know if Buffy was going to share her new revelation about Dawn with her friends. Joyce just knew that it wasn't her place to share that with Willow. Telling her what she was telling her now was already too much.
"Dawn won't take it well. She might feel like being half-sisters makes Buffy less of hers or something," Willow said.
"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," Joyce said. "First, I need to find Daniel. An email address would be enough. Writing a letter might be cowardly, but it'd be easier. It's been too long. Over twenty years."
"Write down everything you remember about him, and I'm sure I can find him," Willow said, handing her a notepad and pen.
Joyce gave her a grateful look. "Thanks, Willow. I know doing this without telling Buffy and the gang is a lot to ask, but I will tell her as soon as you find him," Joyce assured her.
"I'll get right on it," Willow said, taking the notepad from her when she was done.
Joyce stood up. "Just call me when you find out. I really appreciate this," Joyce said, giving her a hug.
Willow smiled. "I'm just glad you need me to do something that will help," Willow said.
Joyce said goodbye and left the dorms, feeling like a weight had been lifted.
******Colorado Springs, CO******
Daniel was in his apartment trying to decide what he would need to take with him to Atlantis. Jack got promoted out of SGC and Sam was in Area 51. Teal'c was helping the Jaffa council, so he had nothing to keep him here on earth. He was excited. To go to the city of the ancients was such an incredible opportunity. He'd wanted to go ever since it was discovered.
He sat down at his desk, logging into his computer. If he was going to be gone indefinitely, he needed to see about subletting his apartment or long term storage. He checked his emails, skimming over them. His work with SGC caused him to get more than his share of requests. If he didn't know the person personally, he rarely found time to read the emails. He paused when he recognized a familiar name.
Joyce Summers. Why was that name familiar? He clicked on the email and began to read.
Dear Daniel,
It's been twenty years since we've seen each other. You probably don't even remember me. I met you at the university my sophomore year. You were my T.A. We had a brief relationship. I hope you remember because this will be even harder if you do not. It's been six years since I discovered my daughter Buffy was not the biological daughter of my husband Hank. To our dismay and the detriment of our marriage, the doctors told us it was impossible for Hank to be her father.
This means, Daniel, that you are her father. You were the only other man I was with at the time. It never occurred to me that Hank wasn't the father because you and I were only together that one time. I swear to you that I wouldn't have knowingly deceived Hank that way.
Yes, I have known for six years and never contacted you. There are several reasons. One being Buffy was going through a rough time and the divorce devastated her. I didn't think she could handle knowing the truth. We moved from Los Angeles to Sunnydale, California right after the divorce. It was a lot of upheaval for my girls. I have another daughter named Dawn who is six years younger than Buffy.
Why am I telling you this after all this time? I'm sick, Daniel. The doctors don't yet know what's wrong with me. It may end up being nothing. Just the fear of it being something, though, has caused me to worry about the future. Buffy deserves to know the truth. I want to introduce you our incredible daughter, Daniel. I promise you, Daniel, she is extraordinary. You would be so proud to know her.
Daniel couldn't believe it. He read the email over and over. Joyce included her address and contact information.
He had a daughter. She was twenty years old, already grown. But still, Daniel had a family.
This changed everything.
*****Sunnydale, CA*****
It had been two weeks since Joyce had told Willow about Buffy's father. It had taken Willow just a few days to get Daniel's email address. His phone number was unlisted. Joyce had emailed him a week ago. Even though he hadn't responded, she knew that she had to tell the girls. She had a brain tumor. In a few days, she was going to be checked into the hospital. Dawn's life was in danger by some new demon that Buffy couldn't easily defeat. Now was not the time to leave the girls defenseless. Joyce prayed that Daniel would contact her soon.
"Girls, we need to talk," Joyce began.
Buffy looked at her mom in alarm. Things were becoming so difficult that she was thinking of dropping out of school. Her fear for her mother and Dawn was so all-consuming. They had no idea what Glory was. She'd finally told her friends about Dawn, and they all were searching for answers. Giles had even reached out to the council for help. They were waiting for a reply.
"What's wrong? Do you feel sick? Do you need some of your medicine?" Buffy asked anxiously.
Dawn was sitting next to her mother, snuggling close. Buffy resented her taking the time. There was too much to do for Buffy to take time to just sit with her mother.
"No, Buffy, that's not it," she said. "Come sit." She held out her hand and pulled Buffy down on the other side of her. "Buffy, we need to tell Dawn the truth."
Buffy jumped up, glaring at her mother. "Mom! Now is not the time for that!" she exclaimed, upset. She had enough to deal with. Dawn was overly emotional on a normal day. Finding out she was recently fashioned and given to Buffy to protect would mess her up.
"It is, Buffy. She deserves the truth. You both do," Joyce said. "I have a secret of my own to share with you both. Dawn needs to hear yours first, however."
Buffy sighed and sat back down. Then she and Joyce did their best to tell Dawn the truth about herself. There was a lot of yelling, a lot of tears. Finally, Buffy said, "Dawn, it doesn't matter how you can to be. The truth is you are my sister. The monks made you out of me." She reached over and took Dawn's hand. "Your blood is my blood. That makes you my family."
"You are a precious gift, sweetie," Joyce said, her arm around Dawn's shoulders. "We are so blessed. The memories may be fake, but what we feel for you isn't. We love you."
Dawn had been crying for a while. It was too much. Her mother had a tumor and now this. How was she supposed to deal with this?
"So that woman that's got you guys all worked up is looking for me, right?" Dawn asked as she realized the truth.
Buffy sighed, wishing she didn't have to tell this to Dawn. She had enough on her plate. However, Buffy nodded. "Yes. Your blood is a key that opens up dimensions," Buffy said.
"I guess that's kind of cool," Dawn said. "It's better than your boring slayer blood!"
Buffy smiled. "That was exactly what I was thinking," she said in agreement.
"I have something else to tell you both," Joyce said, pressing ahead. She couldn't put it off. It was too important. Her hand went to her head, rubbing her temple as a headache built.
"That wasn't enough?" Buffy said dryly.
"No, this is about you, Buffy," Joyce said, pushing aside her pain. "It's something I should've told you years ago. I hope you will forgive me for keeping it from you."
Dawn looked at Buffy in confusion. Buffy felt a pang of anxiety. What else did she have to deal with? "What is it?" she asked bracing herself for a blow. She listened to her mother explain the real reason her parents split up.
"Dad isn't my dad?" Buffy asked in shock. It'd been so long since she'd heard from him. When she'd moved to Sunnydale, they'd spent only the first summer with their dad. It hurt Dawn more than Buffy. She'd kept too busy to think too much about Hank. She had Giles after all.
"He always loved you like he was, Buffy. You have to know that. Finding out that you weren't his by blood, though, devastated him," Joyce said.
"That's why he didn't want us to spend the past few summers with him. He didn't want to keep pretending," Buffy said bitterly. Hearing this truth at least explained his absence. It wasn't something she'd done after all. A weight she hadn't realized she'd been carrying lifted.
"I don't know what's going through his mind," Joyce admitted. "He hasn't returned any of my calls in a long time."
"So tell me about our dad? What's this guy like?" Buffy asked.
Dawn frowned. "How is he my dad? He's just yours," she said.
"You and I share the same blood. That means if he's my father, he's yours, too," Buffy explained.
Dawn's mouth fell open slightly as she considered Buffy's words. To have a dad who might want to be around them would be kind of cool. Then something occurred to her. "He'll think I'm a freak once he finds out the truth!" she exclaimed.
"What about me? I slay monsters every night. I'm a bigger freak!" Buffy countered.
"Technically, I'm not even a year old!" Dawn proclaimed.
"I died once," Buffy said.
"I'm just a great ball of green energy!" Dawn said smugly.
"I dated a vampire with a gypsy curse who I had to kill when he tried to destroy the world!" Buffy bragged.
"Okay, that's enough!" Joyce broke in, smiling. "You're both freaks. It's a good thing he's the kind of man that won't mind." She was relieved. They weren't yelling and crying. Her daughters smiled to hear that.
Now they just had to wait to hear from Daniel.
*****Colorado Springs, SGC*****
Daniel had spent the past two days trying to untangle his life since he'd discovered the email. It had been mailed over a week ago. He didn't know if he should call or just show up. After spending a day in a fugue state, he called Jack to tell him the news. This type of conversation needed a face to face, so he skyped.
"You're a dad?" Jack asked in surprise. He looked at Daniel's face through the computer to see if he was joking.
"That's what the email said. I'll forward it to you," Daniel said.
"Well, congratulations!" Jack said with a grin. "There's nothing like being a dad."
"It might not be true. I mean, I haven't done a DNA test," Daniel said, pushing his glasses up.
"What kind of woman is this Joyce? Do you think she'd tell you this if it wasn't true?" Jack inquired.
"No, I don't. I remember really liking her. She was the only woman I met in during my dissertation that managed to distract me from my work," Daniel said with a rueful smile.
Jack laughed. "Sounds like a woman I'd like to meet. Do you need me to go with you to California? Moral support?" Jack asked.
It meant a lot to Daniel that Jack would offer. His responsibilities as general were immense. However, Daniel knew that he'd drop everything to support him. That was just the kind of man Jack was. It was why he was Daniel's best friend.
"I appreciate that, Jack, but that's not necessary. I know you got a lot on your plate. I think I can manage on my own," Daniel said. "Bringing my friend the general may be a bit much for a first meeting."
"Call me if you change your mind," Jack said in all serious. The two of them had been through too damn much together. There wasn't anything Jack wouldn't do for his former teammates. Daniel, though, was closer than a brother. Jack had been looking out for him for so long that he didn't know any other way. Daniel's propensity for getting in trouble, kidnapped, or killed made Jack's job particularly challenging. It also made him particularly protective of his friend.
"I will. I promise," Daniel told him.
Jack disconnected and made a call. Daniel was the smartest man Jack knew and had the biggest heart. There was no way Jack was going to allow Daniel to travel without someone watching his six.
The next day Daniel went to SGC and explained to their new commander, Major General Landry his situation and why he could no longer go to Atlantis.
"I understand," Landry said. "Your daughter needs you. I wish I'd made more of an effort to be there for my own daughter. If I had, we'd probably be closer."
"Thanks. I don't know how long I'll be gone," Daniel said.
"You have ample leave acquired, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Take all the time you need. I've just selected the new team leader for SG-1, a Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell. If you want to come back to work, I'm sure he'll have a spot on his team for you," Landry said.
"I appreciate that, sir," Daniel said. An announcement sounded, interrupting, "Off world activation."
The two men headed to the stargate to see who was arriving. Daniel grinned to see Teal'c coming down the ramp.
"Teal'c! What are you doing here?" Daniel asked as he greeted his old friend.
"Jack O'Neill told me you have a daughter. I would be honored to meet her," Teal'c said.
Daniel shook his head. He shouldn't be surprised. His friends never let him down. Although he could do this alone, it'd be nice to have someone there to support him. Sam might be the least obtrusive, but her gender might give people the wrong about their relationship. Teal'c had a reassuring presence that Daniel hoped his daughter would appreciate.
*****The Next Evening*****
Buffy was trying to hold it together. Her mother was going to have brain surgery tomorrow. Her rapid deterioration the past few days was terrifying to see. Had it just been a few days that the three of them were in the living room discussing their father and telling Dawn who she was? Now she was talking to people who weren't there. Buffy felt like she was going to shatter at any moment. For five years, she'd had to be strong. Lives depended on her being strong, having the answers. But at home, she was just Buffy. Her mom was the strong one. At home, Buffy didn't have to be the slayer. She was just allowed to be her mother's daughter. Now, though, she had to take care of her mother. She had to make sure the bills were paid, so her mother didn't have to worry. Now she had to do all the things her mother did so effortlessly. In the back of her mind was the growing threat of Glory.
How was she going to get through this? What if her mother didn't make it? How would she survive without her mother? Who would take care of them? It didn't matter that Buffy was an adult. It didn't matter that Buffy was the thing the monsters feared. She was at her core just a girl who needed her mother.
Hiding her sobs as she washed the dishes, she allowed her fears to escape. She'd been holding it back so long. Not even Riley got to see how broken she was feeling. If she allowed herself to grieve, she might never stop. Did tears mean she was giving up on her mother? She didn't know. It was just so hard. She cried like she hadn't since Angel. Her short reprieve was interrupted by her sister's scream.
"Buffy!"
Fear pounded through her as she raced up the stairs. The sight she encountered filled her with object horror. Buffy didn't hesitate. She attacked the creature that was trying to suffocate and kill her mother. The disgusting giant buglike creature was tougher than it looked. Her fight eventually made its way down the stairs.
Spike somehow was there and lent a hand. She caught the knife he threw just as the thing attacked again. Although it knocked her down, she stabbed it, killing it finally.
The front door opened. Riley rushed in, his former team with him. Buffy barely noticed the strangers that were with him.
Daniel and Teal'c had arrived at the address Joyce had sent just as a team of military types pulled up. Daniel intercepted them, identifying himself and Teal'c (known as Murray outside of SGC). The man in charge recognized Daniel's name. "Sir, we're here to retrieve an extraterrestrial," Graham said.
"What?" Daniel asked, stunned. He exchanged a look with Teal'c.
"This is my girlfriend's house," another young man said. "I'm Riley Finn."
"Buffy Summers? Is she your girlfriend?" Daniel asked. The man nodded as they heard a crash and rushed to the door. Daniel looked down in horror as he saw a young woman covered with some hideous creature. The fact that the thing was dead didn't register at first. When the woman he assumed was his daughter shoved it off of her, he exhaled. She was okay.
"Soldier Boy was late to the party again," a white haired man said with a smirk. Then the man looked alarmed at the number of soldiers coming into the house and backed off.
"Are you okay, Buffy?" Riley asked as he helped her to her feet.
"I'm fine. I got to go check on my mom," Buffy said, racing up the stairs.
Riley looked at Daniel with renewed interest. "So why are you guys here?" he asked Daniel, glancing warily at Teal'c.
"I'd rather tell that to the women who live here as it concerns them. Is Joyce able to speak?" Daniel inquired.
Riley frowned. "She has a brain tumor and is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow," Riley said. "Now's not a good time."
Daniel felt a pang of sorrow. He hoped that she'd be okay. Although he was excited to get to now Buffy, he didn't want to be her sole means of support. He wasn't ready for that.
Buffy came down with a younger girl behind. The girl was looking down at the thing. "What is it?" she asked.
"A queller demon. It feeds off of insanity," Riley explained.
Daniel said nothing and exchanged another look with Teal'c. They knew it was an alien yet still called it a demon. The fact that his daughter and her sister didn't seem freaked was very odd.
"Is it dead?" Dawn asked fearfully. She peered over Buffy's shoulder to looked down at the thing.
"Yes. I killed it. You have nothing to worry about," Buffy said, reassuring her.
"Excuse me," Daniel said, deciding it was time to get their attention. Both girls looked up at him.
Buffy realized that the two strangers weren't with Graham's group and narrowed her gaze. "Who are you?" she asked, taking a step toward Daniel. The big black guy behind him was smiling pleasantly, but Buffy sensed there was something not quite right about him.
"I'm Daniel Jackson. Your mother contacted me. She said I'm your father," Daniel announced, giving her an anxious smile.
Riley and the sisters looked at him in surprise.
Buffy stepped closer, looking at the man with new eyes. The man wore glasses and had beautiful eyes, full of intelligence and compassion. They looked at her with longing and fear. Buffy could see that the man was not like her but like Dawn. He wore his emotions on his face for all to see. She gazed at him in silence, searching his eyes for more.
She saw his kindness; she sensed his strength. She saw shadows of suffering; she saw courage. He wasn't a man who'd run from a fight. He wouldn't break or run when things got tough.
Buffy stepped closer, flashing him a grateful smile. "You came," she said. Somehow, just his presence lifted the unbearable weight that was crushing her. She moved him to wrap her arms around his waist, her head on his chest.
Her father had come for her. Relieved, she hugged him tightly.
Hope for tomorrow filled her. She wasn't alone.
*****Chapter End*****
This story will follow season 5, but I'm not going to bother getting the exact dialogue down from every episode. If I, who has seen all episodes over a dozen times, can't remember every tiny detail, then let it go! Reviews are greatly appreciated. Flames are NOT! Thanks for reading! Postings pretty regularly since I have a lot of chapters written already.