This is dedicated to those of you who watch the shows. Sorry it's so short, I hope the next few pieces let us get moving again soon. I'm glad for your feedback, and simple reviews. Thank you all.
A month had passed and Xander had avoided emails to the Sunnydale folks that mentioned 'relationships' and similar subjects—he just couldn't think of a way that could be explained without breaking SGC security.
The Tok'ra were fascinated by the whole 'Alexander Hammond Experience' and his different effects. His increasing ability to sense Goa'uld from different lineage---Hathor, Egeria, Ammonet, while maintaining only the barest sense of the other types, such as that of the Ashrak and a couple others they'd captured and with full SGC permission attempted to sneak by the young man at different times.
Oz was fitting in well, one of the security officers calling him a dream OCS success as 'the boy just doesn't give anything away.' His testing and follow-ups were excellent, and the likelihood of his getting a commission in a few months a given. He fit in well, had found a few others within the Complex with whom to practice and jam with as a band filled most of the void left by his sudden departure from Sunnydale and Willow.
Xander had found the older youth occasionally looking at a picture of Willow in his wallet, and after a few minutes he'd be back on track again.
Kendra was coming along nicely as well—the regimentation of the SGC was something that reinforced comfort. She'd been used to limits, then striving to overcome them, and between her family life based at the Frasier homestead, she was almost always found with at least a slight smile on her face. And she liked keeping the Slayer secret—and even while training with Xander, Oz and Skaara effectively as apprentice warriors, she enjoyed concentrating on her skill and control at maximum expected human levels for her size and mass. The Jaffa complimented her often, and she began holding him in esteem not only as a mentor figure, but like an older kinsman or brother in spite of his true age.
Skaara split his time between helping with the family situation of the Jacksons, training with Teal'c and the SGC, and his security/Goa'uld-hunting duties, but unfortunately he would be leaving soon to act as a guide to establish a quiet SGC base and cache away from the Gate and Village on Abydos. It would take four or five weeks, but it would bring him prestige among his people, and perhaps establish him sufficiently as to negotiate a wife.
But what no one except Shau'ri and Xander knew, was that he had his eye very much on the smart and capable Kendra Frasier. But emulating O'Neill, he wasn't going to 'fraternize' while at Star Gate Command.
Xander of course always had the interesting new development, which amused and gladdened his companions as they didn't want his apparent fate as the galaxy's butt-monkey to befall them. They merely smiled and accepted the fact they'd probably be standing next to him when something happened.
Hathor was very slowly blending personalities, and they'd found he needed to spend at least a half-hour every twelve hours with her to keep her calm. At the current integration rate, it would be as long as two years before she could be considered whole. But it did mean that she needn't be kept restrained, and so like Shau'ru began to take care of the baby a ot more. They wouldn't allow breast-feeding for either mother, as the doctors and Tok'ra found the tiniest particles of naquada every so often and didn't want the children to simply become Goa'ulds in human form.
The godparents acted appropriately, and while still not ready to trust the new version of Hathor, at least didn't treat her badly. Xander was busy every minute of the day, every day, and it was finally starting to get to him when the Tok'ra came forward with a dozen tunneling crystals.
Hammond after consultation with Colonel Maybourne and Major Davis, allocated two crystals to create a small research station for NID scientists but no armed security; the SGC would provide that and logistical support. Maybourne himself would set up a small administrative-liaison presence he would lead—so that if anything did go wrong, he would share its fate. And no one in the SGC in spite of his rank, even the lowest recruit, would be considered under his command or authority beyond courtesy.
The archaeology and technology groups had expanded outward more to provide faster and more efficient processing of gathered artifacts and devices, while security increased through the use of two crystals, supply and logistics with one.
Xander was surprised when one of the crystals was allocated toward off-world guest quarters and mixed staff housing. Within would be established a small area the size of a small fraternity/group-living house, in which the Jackson Clan, Xander, Hathor, little G2, Oz and (should either need to stay on base) Kendra and Cassie Frasier would take up residence. To leave one would have to pass by a small Tok'ra research station dually concentrating on integrating Tauri and Goa'uld technology, as well as one common area to study and assist the new family units that blurred the lines between 'species' and polities.
Greater proximity and off-world collaboration made Maybourne and the NID extremely happy, while the supplies and other support that began reaching the Tok'ra made that tiring force feel better in their choice of alliance partners.
But a tired Xander Hammond soon found himself burning out, and admitted it to SG-1 and his grandfather at a backyard dinner at the Frasier house in early September to welcome Teal'c's wife and son before they returned to a safe place with Bra'tac in a week or so.
General Hammond, in his 'George' mode, looked over to his grandson at that admission.
"Do you need time off, Alexander?" he asked with concern.
"No, grandpa, well yeah, but what I really need is to somehow simplify my life—there's just so much of it I'm starting to slip. Not in the gate room, but in everything else."
""What can I do as either your grandfather or as commanding officer to help?"
The young officer sighed, "I'm tired. The Tok'ra keep asking me to consider knocking up their potential queens. I'm in a not-relationship with a split-personality grown up version of a Harsesis, my firstborn probably IS Harsesis even though he hasn't stood up and demanded we worship him as a god---though the smell in his diaper might be evidence of hidden evil."
The group chuckled lightly at the parental joke, and nodded—at one time or another they'd all been in a similar situation. Oz, just back from accelerated basic and OCS, but still awaiting results, spoke to the heart of the matter.
"Home…"
"Yeah."
"Me too."
"I know."
"Go."
"I—"
"Go."
"Maybe soon," Xander sighed, and turned back to his grandfather, "Maybe a trip to Sunnydale might lighten things up. I, I guess part of it, grandpa, General, is the need to keep two sets of secrets of equal importance, and keep them secret. And until I can talk about at least one to the other, not necessarily the other way around, it makes things harder."
"I know, Alexander. And I know that you took Skaara with you 'on patrol' a week ago."
"Oh."
"It's a good thing you didn't find anything, but did you explain it to him?"
"Not exactly, sir, we were doing recon, not search and destroy. If we'd seen anything recent, we'd have reported it to you and asked to form up a Scooby Unit here in Colorado Springs to keep the NID and SGC from infiltration."
Hammond tried to ignore the looks his premiere team gave him as Xander all but told them there was an outside threat potential unknown to them. Xander had the decency to wince and sigh.
"Sorry sir, I guess I better request time off to rest and get my act together. I honestly didn't think."
"Alexander, I understand, and I've been thinking we should let the Jacksons and SG-1 and the Frasiers in on the full set of secrets we share, for some time. But I don't want the rest of the SGC or especially the NID to know. And I also know how much you want your cousins and your Sunnydale High friends to know you're a father now."
Jack O'Neill cleared his throat, "General, is this to do with the weirdness we couldn't pin down about Halloween last year?"
"Yes, Colonel, it is. And the truth is most of the unbelievable stuff you heard about that night was true—except there aren't any leprechauns."
"Well, sir, except for Kusuf, and, um, Hathor, we're all here. And Teal'c's family aren't staying long enough to tell anybody. Anything you think the Sexy Snake Handler here needs to tell us, we'll keep to ourselves."
The two Hammonds looked at each other for a long minute, then both nodded. George Hammond sighed and nodded again.
"Alexander, I guess you should give them the speech, but let's leave out identities… they won't go looking for them, or any details on or in your hometown without permission from both of us. People, what he's about to tell you is the absolute truth as we know it. And please don't interrupt until he's done. Alexander…"
Xander got amused looks from both Oz and Kendra, both of whom nodded.
"Okay…it goes like this, 'This World is older than…"