Chapter 12: Reunited
******Atlantis******
Buffy couldn't believe it. Dawn was there with her, and she pulled her close for a long hug.
"Can't breathe, Buffy," Dawn said.
Buffy pulled back and looked at her, grinning. "I can't believe you did it! You are so amazing!" she exclaimed.
Dawn flushed with the rare praise from her big sister. "It's pretty cool," she agreed. "I just can't believe you're actually alive." She hugged her again.
"So this is the amazing Summer sister that can open portals to another galaxy?" John asked.
Dawn looked and saw several eyes on her. It was great to be admired, but it made her uncomfortable.
"I guess so," she said.
"This place is way cool, Dawnie," Xander said, high-fiving her.
"Did Dad say it was okay for you to be here?" Buffy asked as it occurred to her.
"Not exactly," Dawn admitted. "The General tried to tell me I had to wait, but I wasn't going to wait to see you. You're my sister!"
"Can you open the portal back up?" John asked.
"Yea," Dawn said. "I just need a drop of my blood."
"Oh come on!" Rodney said, his mind refusing to believe it.
"Excuse me?" Dawn asked, confused by his remark.
"Don't mind him," Buffy said, giving Rodney a look of warning. "That's Dr. Know-it-all. He doesn't believe in magic or the mystical, so you and me make his brain go kaplooey."
When Rodney opened his mouth to protest, Teyla nudged him. "Careful, Rodney. We don't want to alienate the young girl who can open portals," she said softly.
"I guess, he will have to break him in gently," Dawn said with a grin.
"Dawn, you remember Ronon?" Buffy asked, looking up at her large shadow.
Dawn tilted her head to greet the very hot guy towering over her and her sister. "Wow, Buffy. He's even taller up close! And he's gorgeous!" she said, grinning.
Ronon grinned down at her. "Thanks," he said.
Dawn flushed as she realized what she said. "Oh, well, I meant—" she stopped when Buffy snickered.
"It's okay, Dawnie. He is gorgeous," Buffy said in agreement. She winked at Ronon, who felt himself grow a bit taller at her approval.
"I'm going to go tell Elizabeth that you are here," John said. "Rodney, come with me."
"But—" he began before John dragged him away.
"You should show your sister around," Teyla said.
"Good idea," Xander said.
"Come on. We'll show you around," Buffy said. "Thanks, Teyla."
"Your welcome," she said. She held out her hand. "I'm Teyla."
"Nice to meet you," Dawn said, smiling.
"She's a native of this galaxy," Xander shared, his excitement obvious.
"So she's an alien like Ronon?" Dawn asked.
"They're like us, Dawn," Buffy said. "Just born somewhere far, far away."
The foursome walked around, chatting while Buffy showed Dawn her favorite places.
"Willow is so jealous that you're here, Xander," Dawn shared.
Xander grinned. "Yep, it's way cool!" he exclaimed.
Buffy took her to her fun room full of alien toys, and they spent a good hour looking and playing with the various weapons.
"I cannot believe you have your own lightsaber!" Dawn said in envy.
"I know, right?" Xander said in agreement. "So not fair!"
"Perks of dying, ascending, and being sent to another galaxy to fight space vampires!" Buffy said with a smug smile.
"So have you got to use any of this against those things?" Dawn asked.
"No," Buffy said. "I fought Wraith with Ronon, but it was before we came here. So far, he's been off world, but I haven't."
"Are they not going to let you?" Dawn asked, frowning.
Buffy shrugged. "It's not come up yet as I've been too busy learning what these weapons can do," she explained. "It seems that the Ancient gene is what operates most things in this city. John and Dr. Beckett have it the strongest. Rodney or Dr. Beckett created some type of gene therapy to give it to others like himself, but I can operate things that even John can't."
"Rodney hates that," Ronon added with a smirk.
"True," Buffy said, grinning.
"So what's the plan?" Xander asked.
"For what?" Buffy asked.
Xander gave Dawn a pointed look. "Your dad is probably freaking out right now," he said. "You need to open a portal and send me back and let him come over, especially if he is the only one approved.
"I don't want to leave yet," Dawn said with a stubborn tile of her jaw.
"Who said you had to?" Buffy said. "Just get to Dad, so he can join us."
"Fine. Do you have a knife?" she asked. "I need some blood."
Buffy looked disturbed. "No, but we can go see Dr. Beckett," she said. "He's a real sweetheart with this amazing Scottish accent."
Buffy and Ronon led the visiting pair to the medical room, and Dr. Beckett was there, smiling his normal friendly smile in greeting. "Hello, lass. I've heard you had a special visitor today," he said. He glanced at Dawn and Xander.
"Dr. Beckett, this is Xander and my sister Dawn. They're here for a visit," Dawn said.
"Hi," Xander said, giving him a wave. "So you're from Scotland? I've never met anyone from Scotland."
"Is sheep stomach really something people eat there?" Dawn asked.
Dr. Beckett chuckled. "Unfortunately, it is a beloved dish," he said. "Welcome to Atlantis. Has Buffy shown you around?"
They nodded. "Yep!" Dawn said. "This place is really cool."
"It is special," he agreed.
"Dr. Beckett, I don't know if you've heard or not, but Dawn's blood is a bit special. We need you to withdraw some blood, so she can open a portal to our dad," Buffy explained.
"Really?" he said. "I'd be happy to do so, but I will need to speak to Dr. Weir and make sure she is okay with it."
Dawn started to protest when Buffy gave her the look. "No problem," Buffy said. "We can wait."
While Dr. Beckett made his call, Buffy turned to Dawn. "Dawn, we are guests here, and they have lots of rules and protocol. They've been really nice to me and Ronon," Buffy said. "I don't think it's a big deal to keep the woman in charge in the loop."
"I guess," Dawn said.
Dr. Beckett returned and said, "Dr. Weir is happy to allow it, but she would like to witness it if you are okay with her being here?"
Dawn shrugged. "I don't mind. You probably should have Dr. Know-it-all come too," she said.
"That means Rodney," Buffy said with a grin.
Dr. Beckett laughed. "I figured," he said. "I'll let them know. My assistant will go ahead and draw your blood."
Several minutes later, her blood was drawn, and there were several people there to witness her portal opening skills besides Rodney and Elizabeth. John and Teyla came with them. John introduced Major Evan Lorne, and Rodney introduced Dr. Radek Zelenka.
"Radek is one of top scientists," Elizabeth said.
"Where are you from, Dr. Zelenka?" Buffy asked, smiling at the man.
"I am from the Czech Republic, formerly Czechoslovakia," he said. "I welcome a chance to view your astounding gift."
Rodney grumbled but said nothing.
"I hope you're more open minded that Dr. Know-It-All over there," Buffy said, giving Rodney a pointed look. "He is having a hard time accepting why I am so strong and gifted. Now when he sees my mystically empowered sister use her blood to open a portal, he'll try to rationalize it away. However, there are some things that cannot be explained by science. The sooner everyone accepts that, the less uncomfortable my presence will make them."
"I am always open to knew ideas," Dr. Zelenka said, giving Rodney a smirk.
Rodney opened his mouth to argue, but John elbowed him. "Not the time, Rodney," he said.
Rodney satisfied himself with a glare.
"So here's the blood," Dr. Beckett said, handing her the blood. "What else do you need?"
"Well, Dr. Carter and Dr. Lam used a dropper, so I can get just a drop," Dawn said.
"It really just takes a drop of your blood?" Dr. Zelenka asked, fascinated.
Dawn nodded. "Yep," she said.
"Do you have to click your heels three times and say, 'There's no place like home,' over and over, too?" John asked with a grin.
Teyla looked confused when the Scoobies laughed. "Why would clicking her heels help?" she asked.
"That's a reference to an American classic," Dr. Beckett explained. "I have a copy of the movie, and we can totally add it to the Friday night movie screening."
"Good idea!" John said.
Dawn and Buffy exchanged amused looks while Xander said, "I can see you fit in very well with these clowns, Buff."
"John is quite a master at the quip," she said, smiling at him.
John preened while Rodney gritted his teeth.
Dr. Beckett handed Dawn a dropper, and she put it into the small tube that contained her blood. "So besides your blood, what do you have to do?" Dr. Beckett asked.
"I just think where I want to go. I picture the person or place in my head," she said. She closed her eyes and thought of her father at SG-1, and then she released a drop of blood.
The onlookers watched as the blood stopped before it hit the ground and began to shimmer with a bright light. Then a window began to open—it was the best way to describe it. The group moved to get a better view as Dr. Daniel Jackson's face became visible.
"Dad," Dawn called.
Daniel was at his desk and looked up when he heard his name called. "Dawn?" he said with a grin. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Dad," Dawn said. "I'm going to widen the portal, so you can come over if you want."
"Let me notify my team and General Landry," he said. He picked up his phone and made a call.
"So we can just step through, and we'd be on Earth?" Rodney asked, fascinated in spite of himself.
Dawn nodded. "Yep," she said. "Do you wanna go through and see for yourself?"
"Can you make the portal bigger?" Rodney asked.
"Okay," Dawn said, and the portal became large enough for someone to walk through it.
"Is it okay, Elizabeth?" Rodney asked his leader.
"In the name of science, why not?" she asked with a smile.
"Bring back some more antibiotics," Dr. Beckett said.
"Coffee. We need more coffee," John said.
"How about I give you a list?" Elizabeth said. She picked up a tablet and accessed some things, and then handed it to Rodney. "There's a list of some critical supplies. See if General Landry can authorize some of them."
"You'll be able to let me come back, right?" Rodney asked.
"How about I give you an hour or two while my dad is over here visiting with Buffy?" Dawn suggested.
"That works," Rodney said. "I don't understand this at all, but if it works for me, I will have to concede that you have achieved a level of human development that no one else on Earth has ever achieved."
"I didn't achieve it, Rodney. I was magically created," Dawn tried to explain.
Rodney held up his hand. "No, it's okay. I can admit when another person has achieved a level of greatness that I will never obtain," he said.
John leaned closer to Dawn. "Let this one go and consider this a win," he advised.
Dawn laughed. "Okay," she said.
Daniel stood up. "All right, we have a go," she said.
"Dad, Rodney is going to step through, and he has a list of stuff they need here, okay?" she said.
"Come on over, Rodney. I'll tell Sam you're here," he said.
Rodney grinned and stepped through the portal, and just like that, he was back on Earth.
"Incredible!" he exclaimed as Dr. Jackson smiled.
"She is amazing, isn't she?" he asked.
"Very much so," Rodney said. Dr. Carter came to Dr. Jackson's office door.
"Rodney. Welcome home," she said.
"It's good to see you," he said, smiling at his long-time crush—the only woman he truly admired.
"I see you've gotten a ride on the Dawn Express," she said.
"Would you like to explain to me how her blood can do this?" he asked.
Samantha grinned, and said, "It's magic."
"Don't tell me that you are drinking the Kool-Aid, too!" he complained.
"Come to my office, Rodney, and I'll tell you what I've learned," she said.
Daniel watched them leave, and then he turned and stepped through the portal.
Buffy wasted no time throwing herself against her father, tears running down her face. "I can't believe you're here," she murmured against him.
"That's my line," he said as he looked down at her tear-streaked face. He wiped her face. "I can't believe my beautiful daughter is back with me again."
Buffy beamed up at him, so happy to see him. "I'm not so easy to get rid of!" she declared.
Daniel grinned and looked over at Dawn, who was standing next to her. He pulled her close, too. His life and never been very easy, but he'd been fulfilled—even happy at times. Now, though, he felt blessed beyond measure. Maybe one day Joyce would choose to be with them again. Until then, though, he'd treasure every moment with his girls.
"Dr. Jackson, welcome to Atlantis. We're so glad that you could finally join us," Dr. Weir said, smiling at him when he looked up again.
Daniel laughed.
*****Chapter End*****
