The Summers Residence, Sunnydale, 1430 hours.
Tara was just kneeling with both knees on the carpeted floor of her room as she continued to hug Willow tightly. The sight of the holes on the window, as well as the glass on the carpet and the holes made by both of the bullets on the ceiling and above the chest of drawers. The same chest of drawers where Willow was standing while she was talking to Tara. The blonde witch had last night only decided to come back to her girlfriend after a few months apart due to her abuse of magic, and if her brother hadn't come when he did.. Tara knew that one of the bullets may well have him her, and then Willow.
'I'd be without my love' thought Tara to herself as she tightened her hold on Willow while tears fell onto the redhead's shoulder as the blonde thought about what could have been, 'I'd be dead and… and Willow… oh God, my Willow.'
"Tara" said Willow softly into the blonde's ear as she placed her hand gently on the back of Tara's head before looking into her eyes, "you're safe. You're here with me… with us. You're not going anywhere, Buffy will get Warren, and when she does…. He… he'll.."
"Willow" said Tara as she wiped her eyes before noticing the redhead's hair going black just for a few seconds, "I… I… think we… we… should let.. let.. the police deal with.. with Warren."
"Alright, sweetie" said Willow as she caressed Tara's cheek before planting a kiss on her cheek, "you're safe. I.. I don't know what would have happened if you were standing there. I.. I love you so much that… that if anything happened to you…"
"I love you" said Tara as she quickly kissed the redhead before she could finish what she wanted to tell Tara. It was then that they heard footsteps coming up the stairs before Willow stood up after which she helped Tara up as Buffy and Xander walked into the room. Tara was looking around the room before she settled on the two holes on the ceiling, and the wall, again until Xander called for her. Turning her head, she saw a nervous Buffy playing with the letter that she had read earlier that day.
"Sorry" said Buffy as she handed the letter back to Tara, "I kinda read it."
"Me too" said Xander as he put his hand up, "so.. I think… well, is he really your brother?"
"I.. I don't know" said Tara as Willow wrapped her arm around Tara's arm, "my mom never said anything about John, or anyone else. As far as I know, my father.. I mean the man who came to take me away was my only family. He, Donny, Beth and the others."
"Tara, I'm sorry" said Buffy, "but we need to check on him. We need to know if he really is who he says he is; and most importantly, I need to know if he's part of the Initiative."
"Buffy" said Tara shaking her head, "I.. I don't think he is. I… I would have sensed deception, and.. and he was as confused as me."
"Buffy's right, baby" said Willow as she held on tighter to Tara, "the Initiative wanted to learn about magic. And they could have done something to hide his true intentions."
"I wouldn't be surprised if some part of the Initiative survived and has been trying to gather magic users, or charms, or something" said Buffy as she shrugged her shoulders and looked at Xander before looking at Willow and Tara, "and the both of you are the most powerful witches I know."
"If a group broke away from the people who controlled the Initiative" said Xander, "they could come after the two of you using an known brother. At least that's what I'd do."
"Soldier boy memories?" asked Willow.
"Yea" replied Xander, "see I still have that stuff in my head. Comes in useful sometimes."
"Of course, Xand" replied Buffy looking at Xander before she turned to face Tara, "it's for you guys, Tara."
"We could just ask him" said Tara despite knowing that Buffy, Xander and Willow had already made their minds, "I mean, I can feel it in my soul that he's my brother. That the letter he had was written by my mother, I mean… I.. I just feel uncomfortable checking up on him when we could just wait until he wakes up."
"Tara" said Willow as she stepped in between her girlfriend, Buffy and Xander, "I.. I know a truth spell that could…"
"No" said Tara shaking her head as Willow immediately apologized. The redhead knew how Tara felt about misusing magic to complete a task when it could be completed another way. But the only other way that Willow saw to find the truth about the Major's involvement with the Initiative was using a technique that the redhead hadn't used for a long time.
"It's a bad habit, I'm sorry" said Willow shaking her head, "I… I can try hacking into his personnel file. I'm sure that I can find a clue on if he's part of the Initiative."
"No" said Tara shaking her head as Willow frowned, "if.. if it gives you peace of mind, then maybe.. maybe just a basic search. I mean, I.. I don't know if you can find anything on him and me being related since I know he didn't know about us either. But, I mean… nothing that would… you know, I mean… can you find something that's already public?"
"Yea" said Willow as she headed to a table at the other end of the room while the others followed behind her. Once they reached the table Tara stood next to Willow, who took a seat as she opened her laptop, while Buffy and Xander stood behind the redhead. They saw Willow go to the search bar and type in 'John Sheppard' and frowned as she received thousands of hits. Buffy then asked to try just 'Major John Sheppard Air Force' which Willow typed into the search bar before frowning at the results that appeared on screen.
"He doesn't really have an online presence" said Willow, "nothing actually. I mean the only mention of his name is on the Wikipedia page of a Patrick Sheppard."
"His father?" asked Buffy as she leaned forward before looking back at Tara who was looking transfixed at the screen.
"I think so" said Willow as she clicked on the link which brought her to another page that had Patrick's profile as well as a picture of a grey haired man in the early sixties.
"This could be your real father, Tara" said Xander as Tara looked back at him, and then at the screen once again. It was then she noticed Willow's eyes go wide as the redhead continued reading the profile.
"Oh"
"My"
"God"
"What?" asked Tara as she looked back at Willow, Xander and Buffy who were leaning forward while looking at the screen, "guys? Willow?"
"Patrick Sheppard is the father of David Sheppard, and John Sheppard" said Willow as she pointed at the screen, "worth over…"
"Holy crap" said Xander as he looked on with eyes wide open, "look at the zero's, and look at aa the places where he has houses."
"He's a utilities mogul" said Buffy as Tara stepped back before turning around and closing her eyes, "he's got his fingers everywhere. Oil, gas, clean energy, telecommunications…. Holy crap."
"Ummm… Tara, your dad's loaded?" said Willow as she turned back while Tara was just looking down at the floor before she asked them to stop.
"OK" said Tara nervously, "I.. I should get down there. I.. I mean… yeah.. I.. I gotta go."
"Tara" said Willow as she got up from her chair and headed towards the door as Tara just rushed out of the room and towards the stairs, "Tara, wait."
They watched Tara rush out of the room before Buffy turned to Xander and asked him to follow her while Willow tried to hack into the Major's personnel file. Xander told the redhead to be careful, that if he really is part of the Initiative, then it's most likely that his file could be flagged if someone without any authorization checks on it.
"Nah" said Willow as she turned back to look at her laptop while Buffy placed her hand on the redhead's shoulder, "I'll be careful."
"Oh, Xander" said Buffy as she took the dark haired young man to one side before she heard the sound, of the back door closing shut, "Dawn will be back soon so… could you, you know… just keep her away from…."
It was then that they heard the main door open before closing shut as a surprised voice came up the staircase and into the room occupied by Buffy, Xander and Willow.
"Hey guys" said Dawn, "anyone home? And why is there a man in the living lying on our couch? Guys?"
"Xander" said Buffy as he nodded his head, "go."
After watching Xander rush out of the room before he shut the door behind him, Buffy turned back to look at Willow who was already typing furiously on the keyboard. The blonde Slayer walked up to the redhead and placed her hand on Willow's shoulder before giving a gentle squeeze, silently telling the redhead that she was by her side.
"This would be so much easier with magic" said Willow as she continued to furiously type.
"You just got Tara back, Will. Maybe we should ease up on the magic stuff?" said Buffy as Willow nodded her head while she watched the Department of Defence logo briefly flash before Willow leaned back and smiled, "so, we're in?"
"Uh huh" said Willow as she leaned forward again and continued to type furiously, "I'm trying to hide my trail, and…. and we have maybe two minutes? You'd think that the Department of Defence would have stronger security than this."
While Willow was typing something in a query box, Buffy picked up the phone in the room and dialled a number that she was told to call in emergencies when she was part of the Initiative. She had no idea if the number would even work since the organization was supposed to have been broken up, so she knew it was a huge risk. But if she needed to find out if out if Riley knew anything, then this was the best way to try reach out to him.
'I'm sure that this line is monitored' thought Buffy to herself when the other line was suddenly picked up, with a voice on the other line saying that this she had reached a flower shop.
"Umm.." said Buffy confused. She was given this number by Professor Walsh during her initiation as a secure way to contact the Initiative if there was no other way to communicate, however, she played it cool saying that she needed to talk to Riley about someone who could be from the previous version of the Initiative, "his name is John Sheppard, a Major with the Air Force. And if he is Initiative, then I want Riley here to take him back. You people are messing with things that are beyond your understanding.. again. So get this message to Riley, and tell him to get here as soon as possible."
Buffy then put the phone back down on the cradle, sighed, and walked back to Willow. It took a few seconds for Willow to retrieve the Major's file. However, she never realized that since the Major was a part of the Atlantis Expedition; and by extension a member of the SGC whose files are monitored twenty-four seven even if someone with authorization logged in to check on the file, a red flag was immediately raised at Homeworld Security.
Briefing Room, SGC, 1445 hours.
Dr. Weir was talking to General Landry who had some Airmen moving some of his belongings to his new office at the SGC. The man, who'd be taking over from General Jack O'Neill, was drinking a cup of coffee as he talked to Dr. Weir about the reports he had read about what she experienced in Atlantis. He still recalled General O'Neill walking up the steps to his home before telling the man that he was going to be the base commander for the SGC. Shocked, General Landry would learn about the threats faced by the planet as General O'Neill talk to him in the living of his home. It was a few days earlier that he received another report from General O'Neill that the Atlantis Expedition had contacted them, and that a team was being sent to Pegasus to shore up the defences of the city.
He was involved in the debriefing of Dr. Weir and the other key Atlantis personnel while he was still moving into his new home in Colorado Springs, and now.. all that remained was getting his important belongings to his new office.
"I hope you have some personnel in mind, Dr. Weir" said the General as he had a relaxed conversion with the Expedition leader. He knew that days of debriefings, including one that just concluded with the IOA, must have been grating on the woman's nerves. So he asked her for a sit down, just the two of them, over a cup of coffee.
"Dr. Jackson would be a huge help to Atlantis" said Dr. Weir.
"He's excited" said the General as he took a sip of his coffee, "he's already begun his preparations to move to Pegasus once the Daedalus returns to Earth."
"I still can't believe SG-1's been retired" said Dr. Weir, "Dr. Jackson will be coming with us to Atlantis, Teal'c is helping the Jaffa create a new government after they earned their freedom from the Goa'uld, and Colonel Carter's head of research at Area 51."
"It's an end of an era" said the General, "but I'm sure that the new commander can select a team that will be just as good as the previous iteration."
"I'm sure, sir" said Dr. Weir as she looked at the Airmen moving boxes in the adjacent office before looking back at the General, "how are you holding up?"
"As well as I could be" said General Landry, "I'd assume you felt the same as I am right now when you were commander of this place."
"First I thought the President was joking. Then I read the mission reports and…. lets just say that my first day here didn't go that smoothly" said Dr. Weir, "especially with Anubis' fleet coming to end us all."
"Let's hope my transition into this place is easier than that" said the General as Dr. Weir gave him a smile.
"Oh, you never know" replied Dr. Weir as the General gave a small smile, "Ba'al just might reappear tomorrow."
"Don't jinx the first say of me commanding ths place, Dr. Weir" said the General as Dr. Weir took a sip of her coffee before they looked at the metal stairs as Walter walked up and entered the briefing room. He told the both of them General Landry had a call from General O'Neill on Line One. The General then nodded his head as he motioned towards Dr. Weir to follow him into the office.
Once inside, he picked up the phone as Dr. Weir sat on the chair across from his desk and looked at some of the boxes before looking at the suddenly concerned face of General Landry.
"Jack" said the General, "yea, I have her with me. Oh ok…. Hold on."
"General?" asked Dr. Weir as General Landry placed the phone back on the cradle, but not before pressing the speaker button on the phone so that the both of them could hear what General O'Neill was saying, "what's going on?"
"General O'Neill wants to talk to the both of us together" said General Landry as Dr. Weir looked on in concern.
"Elizabeth" said General O'Neill's voice as Dr. Weir leaned forward, "do you have any idea where Sheppard is?"
"Major Sheppard said he had something personal to take care off in California, General" said Dr. Weir, "I think he said he was going down to a place called Sunnydale?"
"Ok" said General O'Neill, "fits with what we've got."
"Jack, what's going on?" asked General Landry.
"Sheppard's personnel file was flagged after someone accessed it, someone from Sunnydale" said the General's voice over the phone as General Landry and Dr. Weir looked at each other concerned before looking at the phone again, "the geeks traced the I.P address to a residential area."
"Did they get anything?" asked General Landry as Dr. Weir look out her phone, and then remembered that cell phone didn't receive a signal all the way down in the bowels of the SGC.
"Just saw his redacted file. Whoever it was just got just cut the signal but the trace seems to have been successful" said the General, "we've tried to call him on his cell, but no one's picking up. I'm sending a team to…"
"Sir" said Dr. Weir, "if I could suggest something? Let me accompany the team, if these are civilians then they'd probably respond to me on why they checked up on the Major, than they would with someone from the military. No offense."
"Fine" said General O'Neill, "I'll have Davis and the team meet you at the Sunnydale Army Base. I want you to take Daniel with you, I mean if you wanna go the diplomatic route first.. then I can't think of anyone better to accompany you."
"Thank you" said Dr. Weir.
The Summer Residence, Sunnydale, that same time.
Major Sheppard slowly opened his eyes, only to be confronted by another pair of eyes looking back at him. Before he could say anything to the young woman who was kneeling n the floor with a smile on her face, she told him that her name was Dawn, and that she thought he was hot.
Groaning as he slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position while Dawn slowly stood up, she looked behind her and shouted that the Major was awake. Her shout made the Major flinch before he rubbed his forehead as he tried to relieve the stinging in his brain.
"So" said Dawn as she turned back to look at the Major, "you're really Tara's brother? I mean that's what Xander told me before he left to talk to Tara and…"
"Yeah" replied the Major as he rubbed the sides of his forehead as the both of them heard the back door open and then close shut, before hearing footsteps coming in from the rear of the house, and form the top of the stairs to his right side.
"John?" asked Tara as she walked in with Xander, "are… are you alright?"
"Yeah" said the Major as he stood up and looked at the blonde before he gave a little shrug, "I feel like a truck drove over my head, and then just for the fun of it.. it decided to back up and run over it again."
"Oh" said Tara as the Major saw her look at him, and then look back down on the floor nervously.
"So" said Major Sheppard as he looked at the group in front of him before looking at the nervous Tara. He noticed that the blonde he saved walked over to Tara and stood in front of her protectively, as did the redhead. He then asked the blonde if she was feeling alright.
"Yeah" said Buffy, "what was that?"
"So, Tara" said the Major as he sought to quickly change the subject, "I take it that these are your friends?"
"Ye.. yes" said Tara as she nodded her head before looking down at the carpet again while the Major gave a little frown. He then recalled the way that she was treated by the Maclay's and shook his head before asking his sister to introduce them to him.
"I'm Dawn. We've met" said the brunette with a wave and a grin on her face, "do you fly planes? I mean jets, you know…."
"Yea" said the Major as Dawn jumped and looked at Buffy who rolled her eyes before the brunette looked back at the Major.
"Can you take me up?" asked Dawn excitedly, "it's so cool and…"
'Dawn" said Buffy as she glared at her sister, "not now."
"Ummm" said Tara, "thi… this is Xander, Buffy.. and… umm… Willow."
"Her friend, Willow" said the redhead as Tara looked at the Major and then at the carpet once again, "just friends, you know.. nothing more… besties…"
The Major looked at the look on Tara's face as she glanced at him once again while Willow was talking before looking back down nervously.
"Tara" said the Major, "I was hoping that we could.. you know… just talk and.."
"Before that" said Buffy, "we need to know a few things about you. How do we know that you are who you…."
"Hold on" said the Major as he raised his hand before reaching inside his left pocket to take out a cell phone that was vibrating on silent mode. Looking at the caller I.D. he looked back up at the group and told them that he had to take the call.
"You can take it here" said Buffy as Tara glanced at her, and then at the Major.
"It's my boss, so… yeah… I'll be outside" said the Major as he walked to the door and stepped out, "I'll be right back."
It was a few seconds later that the group inside the house heard the Major shout into his phone before he walked back into the house with his phone still on his ear, while frowning at Tara and the others.
"Elizabeth" said the Major as he sighed and put a hand into his pocket, "I'm sure they.. I understand about the… Elizabeth, they're my sister's friends and…"
"You have a sister?" asked Dr. Weir who was just leaving the main floor lobby as she walked outside into the Cheyenne Mountain parking lot with Daniel, who looked back at her confused, "John, your file doesn't say anything about having a sister. How can you be sure that…?"
"Look, I am" said Major Sheppard as he looked at Tara, "she's from my father's side. I just found out about her after we were rescued."
"I'm heading to the Sunnydale Army Base with a team sent by General O'Neill, along with Dr. Jackson and Major Davis. We'll talk about her then, and about the one who broke into your file."
"They're just kids, Elizabeth" said the Major as he looked at Tara, who in turn looked back at Willow and Buffy.
"What did you do?" asked Tara as she noticed Willow looking away from her and at Buffy.
"I… I asked her to…" said Buffy as Tara shook her head while Dawn looked at everyone confused.
"You didn't hack… you did, didn't you?" whispered Tara.
"Xander?" continued Tara as she whispered at the man standing next to Dawn, "Did you know?"
"Ummmmm… you know why we…" said Xander as Tara took a step back before she looked at Major Sheppard.
"Elizabeth" said the Major as he looked at a worried Tara, "just… just have Davis give these guys a warning. Plus I'm sure whoever designed the security system will want to know how it was done."
It was then that Willow and Buffy looked at each other as they received silent confirmation that the Major was actually talking about the hack into his files.
"I'll talk to General Landry and O'Neill" said Dr. Weir as she continued to walk with Daniel, "but we need to check on your sister's DNA with yours. See if there is any similarity on your father's side."
"I suggest that you bring along Carson, and Rodney" said the Major, "ask them to bring everything and set up at the Army base here. And I don't wanna spook these than they already are so I suggest that you, Dr. Jackson and Davis talk to these guys on why its not good to break into classified files at the Department of Defence."
"Willow" said Tara as the redhead looked back at Tara and apologized.
"Why do you need everyone?" asked Dr. Weir as she stopped, "are you injured?"
"Just get them to set up their stuff at the Army base" said Major Sheppard, "I'll explain everything once you get here."
"Right" said Dr. Weir before she disconnected the call and then dialled General Landry's number while she and Daniel walked out towards the man's car. They were going to Petersons before taking a flight to the Sunnydale Army Base.
"Alright" said the Major as he put his phone back into his pocket while looking at the group in front of him, "someone wanna explain why my file was being hacked into?"
TBC.