— Thor's Slayers —
Chapter Eight
Truth and Reconciliation
the DragonBard: I believe she broke off the relationship prior to leaving with the expedition. She left that tape for him telling him what was going on. I know the man was seen/referenced again and if I recall correctly, had followed Weir's suggestion to find someone else and move on.
HowlnMadHowie: TV physics is my only explanation for the distance thing.
Dragonaut344Doomed: I never explicitly the fate of the Wraith, though one would assume a valuable resource like he would be kept alive for as long as possible.
Author's Notes: So here I am, continuing the grueling journey toward the finish line! As always, I'm doing my best to release well-written, enjoyable chapters in as timely as a manner as possible. I have a pretty good idea of how I want to finish the story so it's really just a matter of finding the best way to get there without turning the final chapters into a rush job. One of the ongoing complaints I receive is my portrayal of Buffy and I assure you, I am cognizant of my tendency to diminish her role and capabilities. I don't intend for her to take a larger role but I'll do my best to give her one that's stronger and less dependent on Faith.
Warning: Love scene incoming. Short and non-explicit.
#
April 2nd, 2006
Atlantis
"I'm telling you, it makes no bloody sense!" Doctor Beckett argued, sounding both exasperated and annoyed. "It's not that I'm not grateful that it saved Peterson but there's no medical reason for that substance to have cured anything!"
"I'm sure there's a rational explanation—" Elizabeth Weir tried to add before being interrupted by Doctor McKay's frantic hand waving.
"He's right! Whether it's Slayer weirdness or some other weirdness, that mixture was just a mix of organic matter, an unknown substance that we're pretty sure is nonhuman blood, and...other processed materials," McKay finished, crossing his arms and lifting his chin in a show of defiance.
Weir gazed at the men thoughtfully, smiling slightly as she flicked her eyes toward the doorway. "So, what, you want to interrogate them?"
"Of course not—" Beckett assured her, but was interrupted by McKay's disagreeable snort.
"Yes, we absolutely do!" McKay corrected the Scotsman.
"Well then, Meredith, here we are!" a voice purred into McKay's ear.
"Gah!" McKay yelped, twisting around and falling back until he hit Weir's desk when he discovered a smirking Faith and Buffy standing behind him.
Beckett twitched in surprise but otherwise maintained his composure.
"So whatcha wanna know?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow at Rodney.
"What was in that vial that you gave Doctor Peterson?" Rodney huffed, glowering at the blonde Slayer.
"The stuff that saved his life? Does it matter?" Buffy asked.
"Knowing might help us replicate the substance, lass. It could save lives," Beckett replied softly, giving Buffy a heart-clenching, guilt-inducing expression.
Buffy glanced at Faith and received an unhelpful shrug. Cringing, she searched for an answer that might put Rodney off. "Stuff," she answered brightly. Crap.
Faith snorted.
Rodney's frown grew into a scowl. "Well, let's start with this: why was there chocolate in it? And why did it smell so good?"
Buffy mumbled something.
"What was that, Miss Summers?" Weir asked,
"Willow, the one who made it...she—" Buffy stopped as Faith began laughing.
Taking a breath, Faith managed to choke out, "she accidentally dropped one of those peppermint patties into the mix while she was making it, you know, like those chocolates you get on the hotel beds?" Faith started laughing again.
Buffy bit her lip to prevent herself from joining in. Classic Willow, the blonde thought fondly.
"She...dropped a chocolate peppermint into the mix?" McKay asked, eyes wide. "Unintentionally?"
Buffy nodded, her smile growing.
"Medicine isn't exactly an approximate thing, Buffy, it has to be incredibly precise or it could cause more damage than good!" Beckett warned them gravely.
"You can trust whatever Red makes, Doc," Faith murmured, giving the man a 'stop being dense' look. "All of our friends are pretty special in one way or another. Red—Willow, she's got a magic touch whether its hacking the government or brewing up some homegrown Dimetapp."
"And the bloodlike substance?" Weir asked, tilting her head curiously.
"Blood," Buffy and Faith confirmed in unison.
"It's creepy when you two do that," Rodney muttered.
"Oh, grow a pair, Meredith," Faith smirked.
Weir turned her head away to hide a smile, meeting Beckett's amused expression when he did the same.
Rodney glared at the brunette. "One day you'll be in horrible danger and I'll be the only one able to save you. Let's see you call me Meredith then!"
Faith shrugged. "If or when that day comes, I'll get you a date with Illyria."
Rodney blinked and stood up straighter. "Really?"
Buffy sighed. "No, McKay, she won't because despite what she might say, she actually prefers you in one piece." Buffy shook her head and faced Weir. "It was blood, like we said, just not human blood."
"..."
"Tell me it wasn't Illyria's blood," McKay demanded flatly.
"Of course not," Faith snorted. "She wouldn't grace us muck with her 'essence'."
"It was...a certain monster from Earth, nasty bad guys whose blood is pretty good for healing. As far as I know, everything else was just random veggies, kinda like a stew. But with blood instead of broth," Buffy explained then furrowed her eyebrows. "What is broth?"
When everyone aside from Faith stared at her, Buffy sighed and shrugged, "we lead interesting lives."
"B and I came cause we wanted to borrow a Puddle Jumper to take to the main land. Wanted to sit Ford, Teyla, and Stackhouse and give them 'the talk'," Faith spoke up, glancing at Weir.
"As long as you don't have any other duties and they aren't in demand by our science forays, go ahead," Weir said with a nod.
"What "veggies" went into the...stew?" McKay asked, squinting at her in suspicion, "and how would that even cure technology. The Ancients' nanovirus, I'm fairly certain, goes a little beyond Tylenol and eating your spinach."
Buffy waved him off. "I don't know, it's not like I'm the science-y one, I don't think there's anything weird. Willow said they were all pretty common ingrediants. What were they Faith? I remember wolfsbane, white slugwee—"
"White snakeroot," Faith corrected and began counting off plants with her fingers, "nightshade, snakeweed—"
"Hemlock, larkspur," Buffy added, nodding as she joined Faith's count. "We're missing one."
Faith scrunched up her nose. "Pam oil seeds?"
"Oh! Not that, castor oil plant seeds!" Buffy jumped, grinning.
When nobody joined their triumphant recitation, Buffy and Faith settled down, looking into the horrified faces of Rodney, Beckett, and Weir.
"I'm not a botanist..." Weir whispered, face pale, "but even I know that every single one of those plants I've heard of is poisonous."
"Bloody hell, they use castor plants to make ricin you daft bird," Beckett shouted, his brogue thickening as his temper rose.
"Ah," Faith murmured intelligently. "Well, good thing everyone's okay now. Alright now, gotta jet, bye bye!"
Faith grabbed Buffy's hand and, together, hightailed it out of Weir's office even as questions and accusations continued to barrage them from behind.
"Good thing we didn't mention the poison frog's skin oil and the snake venom," Faith huffed out.
Buffy laughed.
Three hours later
Lantea mainland
Beckett drew his hand back and then snapped it forward, watching as the fishing line soared through air until it hit the water with a barely perceptible splash. Slowly, he began the arduous process of reeling it in all the while keeping an eye on his fishing companion. "How are you coping?"
"With Buffy and Faith?" Louis Stackhouse asked, offering the doctor a half smile.
"Aye," Beckett nodded, "and Illyria, too, for that matter."
Louis was quiet for a moment as he reeled his own line in and only replied after casting his line back out. "I'm more okay than I thought I'd be about it. I mean, anybody who has spent any amount of time with Buffy or Faith in the field know there's something strange about them. Chosen warriors of Ascended beings? I mean, that's pretty impressive but measured on the scale of the other things we've seen...?" The sergeant shrugged, watching the gently swaying lure on the water's surface with intense concentration.
"And Illyria?" Beckett pressed.
"That is pretty weird, even on our scale of weird. She's only ever been a help to me and mine though, so I'm not willing to throw her under the bus like Ford," Louis answered. "Even if the plant thing is weird."
"It was a bit too much for the lad, wasn't it?"
"It really was," Louis answered with a shake of his head. "Ford's the kind of guy who'll need more time to work it out on his head. Until then he'll keep his distance from her to avoid saying or doing something stupid. He seems okay with Faith and Buffy though. Like I said, the girls' circumstances aren't that weird when compared to the other things the Stargate program has come up with."
"Aye," Beckett nodded. "They're good girls, no matter what Faith would have you think."
Stackhouse chuckled. "They are. Good soldiers—or rather, outstanding warriors and okayish soldiers."
"Not so good at following orders, are they?"
"They aren't so terrible as that, so long as they don't disagree with the orders, at least."
Beckett laughed. Reeling the line back in, the Scotsman cast it back out. "We've been out here for three hours and haven't caught a single fish."
"Good company and good conversation make up for that," Louis returned.
"Aye, that it does," Beckett smiled.
"Teyla seems to be handling it though," the Marine sergeant murmured, glancing aside to meet Beckett's eyes. "She's hard to read but she seems more or less okay."
"When is Sheppard's team supposed to be back?" Carson wondered, looking at his watch.
"Anytime now, I think," Stackhouse shrugged.
Beckett's earpiece suddenly buzzed and the Scotsman nearly dropped his fishing pole in surprise. Pressing a finger into his ear, the doctor listened intently before smiling. "Alright then, I'll be there as soon as possible, Dr. Weir." Carson Beckett turned to Stackhouse and gave the man an even wider smile. "It appears that the words from your lips were heard on high, lad. Sheppard and his team just returned and it seems that Sheppard brought a rather attractive lady friend back with them and they'd like me to check her out, medically, that is."
"Dr. Weir did not say that," Louis snorted.
"Nay, that wee tidbit I gathered from Faith's shouting in the background," the doctor admitted.
Louis chuckled, turning a skeptical eye towards the Scottish doctor, "in rather different words, I imagine."
"Describing a woman as 'bootylicious' seems like something best left to the younger generation," Beckett lamented.
The marine chuckled and reeled in his fishing line. "Let's go, doc. We may have utterly failed at catching a single fish but I haven't counted the time as wasted."
"As you say, Sergeant, as you say," Beckett replied cheerfully.
Atlantis
"Human?" Buffy murmured at a near inaudible volume.
"Nope, but hot," Faith replied, not even bothering to hide her slow appraisal of the other woman. The brunette bit her lip to avoid yelping when an elbow struck her in her side.
Narrowed brown eyes met narrowed green ones.
"Am. I. Wrong?" Faith hissed, folding her arms.
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard John Sheppard's, "And this is Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane, two...warriors who joined us from our homeworld."
Faith and Buffy broke eye contact to stare at the woman who bowed her head gracefully in their direction.
The brown-haired woman had tanned skin and a beautiful, white, simple gown. Her smileawas warm, genuine, and inviting. She exuded an unnatural grace that only seemed to enhance her already alluring appearing. "It is a pleasure to meet you," she replied softly. "I am Chaya Sar."
"Not human," Faith declared flatly.
Buffy sighed. "Definitely not."
Nonplussed, Chaya Sar simply stared at them.
#
Standing on the upper tier of the Gate room, Illyria stared at the Alteran with a cocked head. Perhaps the Alteran was nothing like those she remembered from the long past days of glorious slaughter but there was no mistaking the being for what she was. Illyria could see the power lurking beneath the woman's skin, could feel the presence of a partial Ascended being grating against her senses. Why would the Alteran pretend or hide her nature? Surely these muck weren't capable of driving such fear into her, so why the farce?
Illyria considered her options, confronted by an eventuality which she wasn't prepared to face. The Old One knew she was powerful, knew that she was steadily regaining her strength but she was cognizant of her own limitations. She lacked the strength to face an Ascended being on any sort of equal footing and it would be centuries, likely millennia before she'd be capable of such a feat.
The Alteran wouldn't recognize an Old One upon a cursory inspection, hidden as she was in the pathetic shell, but it would require only a brief expenditure of power for the Alteran to know her for what she was. That would be...unfortunate.
Faced with such circumstances, it would be rational for her to hide away, to flee before the Alteran lest she be discovered.
Illyria mentally scoffed in derision.
Fear was a weakness reserved for lesser creatures. Though she'd been changed by her stay in the shell, she was nothing like one of the frightened muck that would bleat like sheep when confronted by things not understood or feared. A human would walk away from the Alteran, would leave until the being was no longer present. It was the rational thing to do. It was the prudent thing to do. It was the human thing to do.
Illyria straightened and began walking with slow, deliberate steps down the stairs toward the Alteran.
#
Chaya Sar stared at the two young girls who'd so brazenly revealed a truth, if a partial one, to those around. Including John, she thought worried, glancing at the handsome man who she'd discovered on Proculus. To her dismay, the emotion in his eyes no longer spoke of interest, but of suspicion. It had been so long since she'd had any meaningful contact and now...
"So...anything to share, Chaya?" Sheppard drawled.
"I..." she began then snapped her mouth shut when she was unsure of how to respond. Regaining her composure, she nodded to the two young women. "No, I am not exactly as you are but this is my natural appearance and I can assure you that I am no Wraith."
"Right..." Sheppard murmured slowly, tilting his head to the blonde and brown-haired ladies.
Chaya furrowed her eyebrows at John's behavior. Why would he trust their judgment so readily on the matter? Chaya examined the brunette first. She seemed like any of the other humans but her, and the blonde's, ability to sense her own otherness clearly set her apart. She was dressed and armed just as the others except...
The brown-haired Ancient narrowed her eyes at an odd dagger like weapon that hung from the girl's waist. It seemed to radiate the kind of power she'd only heard of in the stories and records of her kind and there seemed to be odd writing around the hilt of the blade. The Ancient focused on the writing intently and jerked upright when she read several of the words and glyphs. Chaya's heard seemed to cease beating entirely as she glanced at 'Faith' with wide eyes.
"Slayer!" she exclaimed, her voice barely above a whisper that was heavy with awe and disbelief.
#
Faith twitched at the woman's reverent exclamation. Either the stories of the two Slayers' deeds in Pegasus had been disseminated a lot faster across the galaxy than one would reasonably expect or this woman had known of her identity upon looking at the kris. The list of beings capable of knowing what she was merely by looking at the 'Essence Keeper' were few. In fact, being in the Pegasus galaxy meant that, as far as Faith was aware, there was only one race that might possess that awareness.
Buffy glanced at her and raised her eyebrows.
Faith saw the unasked question and knew Buffy had arrived at the same conclusion. The brunette gave her a half-shrug.
"She's cool," Buffy declared, then grabbed Faith's hand in added in her ditsy "cheerleader" voice, "c'mon, this is boring! Let's go spar!"
The Dark Slayer grinned and allowed herself to be dragged away.
#
"Huh," Lieutenant Ford murmured, watching the two girls flounce away. "Guess they like you."
"I believe it obvious that your mutual awareness plays some part in this?" Teyla added the words as much question as a statement.
"Why is she here?" Chaya all but hissed. "She should not be here, she should be on Earth! How could you have taken her away from where she is most needed!?"
"Much has changed since your kind last walked the Earth, Chaya Sar. Come, you and I must talk," a cold voice said from behind.
The hairs on the nape of Chaya Sar's neck stood up and goosebumps prickled on the skin of her arms. Every muscle seemed to tense and though she didn't know why, the Ancient found it difficult to face the owner of that voice.
In front of her stood a young brunette wearing clothing much like the other, non-military, personnel in the 'Atlantis Expedition'. Brown empty eyes and a flat expression greeted Chaya and the Ancient knew that something was wrong with the other woman. Something fundamentally, intrinsically wrong in every way. Something not human.
Chaya wanted to know what it was, to find out if John and the others were in danger, to find out whether she needed to kill it or run from it. But the Slayer lived here and must've surely felt its presence, so if it remained here than there must be some sort of...truce? Or perhaps that's why the Slayer was here, to make sure it stayed in line with some agreement, perhaps?
The Ancient made herself look into old, old eyes that inspired a sort of fear that not even the Wraith had managed to engender. There were few creatures in the entire universe that could cause such an instinctive reaction in one such as she and Chaya found herself afraid of finding out exactly which one this might be.
Gathering her courage, she heard herself ask in a breathy voice, "what are you?"
The woman's mouth curled into the slightest of smiles. "Come, this is not something to discuss in the open."
Sheppard seemed to wake at the moment and raised a hand to bar Chaya's way. "Wait a moment, if—"
"Move the hand, Sheppard, or lose it," the creature interrupted, still offering the faint smile to Chaya.
"Major...perhaps we should let those two speak for a moment. We might have better luck with Faith and Buffy," Dr. Weir suggested quietly.
"But Doctor—" Sheppard balked.
"You heard what the Slayers said, John, I believe it is clear that they do not believe us to be in danger," Teyla stated, gently placing a hand on the Air Force officer's arm.
The Ancient stared, a wide-eyed gaze affixed upon Teyla. "Slayers? That...that's not possible!"
Chaya yelped when a slim hand clamped onto her shoulder with bruising strength. The sensation of the hand touching her exposed skin made her whole body want to jerk away in revulsion and fear but she made herself face the inhuman woman who stared at her with a disapproving frown. "Come. Now."
Swallowing hard, the Ancient bowed her head and followed after the creature had removed its hand to lead the way. She cast one glance behind her shoulder to see Sheppard watching her with...worry? At least it wasn't the dark suspicion that it was earlier. It was a small comfort, but a comfort that she'd need to face...whatever it was.
#
"She looked about ready to piss herself," Ford muttered, giving Illyria a dark glance as she led Chaya away.
A throat cleared itself from above and they all looked up to see Colonel Sumner staring back down at them.
Ford paled. "Excuse me, sir," then glancing at Weir, "ma'am."
Elizabeth Weir waved it off.
Sumner just nodded. "Sheppard, I'd like to see you and AR-1 in my office when you finishing speaking to Buffy and Faith. It looks like their input might prove necessary in this situation. Because you requested Beckett's services, he's still waiting in the infirmary whenever Miss Sar is ready for an examination."
"Yes sir," Sheppard acknowledged firmly, offering a salute.
"Is it possible that she knew what Illyria is?" McKay wondered, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, Chaya obviously knew what Faith was and Illyria seems to have a good idea what Chaya is..." Sheppard trailed off, thoughts whirling in his mind.
"She's an Ancient!" Ford and McKay crowed simultaneously.
"An Ancestor!?" Teyla murmured in wonder, "could it be possible?"
"Meaning the weapon we found might be Ancient in origin," McKay pointed out excitedly.
"Didn't the Ancients come to Pegasus because they got their butts kicked by the other Old Ones?" Sheppard suddenly asked.
Every member of the group looked the way Chaya Sar and Illyria had departed before meeting each other's eyes.
"Let's give them a few minutes, I don't believe Illyria intends her any harm," Weir postulated, "I'm more curious about why she's the only Ancient we've found in Pegasus and what she was doing on that planet in the first place."
"Ford, go ahead and check out with Buffy and Faith and see if they've come to the same conclusions that we did and if they have anything else to add," Sheppard ordered the dark-skinned lieutenant.
"Got it, Major."
Turning to the others, John held up a hand with five splayed fingers. "Five minutes. We give them five minutes before we check on them."
Weir nodded. "Agreed."
"Where are we going?" Chaya asked quietly, trailing in the other being's footsteps.
"Away from the humans and to a place where we may speak undisturbed," the cold, flat voice replied.
Everything about this other being was wrong. Chaya didn't understand it. She'd seen many terrible things in her life, had seen the Wraith at their worst, had even seen the cruelties that the Lantean's descendants could inflict upon one another, but neither the Wraith nor the worst of men had ever stirred the sort of fear she felt now.
The Ancient followed the creature in silence for several long minutes, going down several flights of stairs before she finally found herself breathing in the crisp, cool air of Lantea. "The South-West pier," she murmured, recognizing their surroundings. There weren't many uses of this particular location beyond that of a drone deployment platform and a convenient lookout position. In truth, the pier was more often a place her people had used to appreciate the aesthetic wonder that was their home.
Finally the other being came to a stop in a small scenic overlook. Resting her arms on a nearby railing, it kept its back exposed to Chaya as it stared across the vast ocean. "I had believed your kind to have perished or to have Ascended," it eventually murmured. "You are neither but I can feel the power within you Chaya Sar. How is it that you're able to interact with this plane? Such things are forbidden by my understanding."
Chaya took a steady breath. "You know a great deal of the Ascended then?"
The creature laughed, a laugh that felt wrong to Chaya, as if it were merely an echo of something greater or something terrible. "Yes, I know much of your kind, Alteran. When I told you that it had been a long time since your kind walked the Earth, I said that out of personal knowledge."
Still looking at the other being's back, Chaya narrowed her eyes. "What does that—" the Ancient cut off abruptly as the creature's name for her registered. An alarm thrummed through Chaya's mind, one not born of instinct but that of long-forgotten knowledge. "Very few people and races remember that name; we abandoned it not long after arriving in the galaxy that was Earth's."
"I remember that, too, and you failed to answer my question."
"I do not have to explain myself to you. My past is my own to share," Chaya declared.
"I will tell you why there are two Slayers here in return for your answer," the other being replied after a moment of careful consideration.
Chaya shifted uncomfortably, dropping her head in sorrow as she remembered the choices she'd made. Sorrow yes, but never regret, she thought fiercely.
"As you said, the Ascended were not to interfere. I saw the horrors the Wraith visited upon the peoples of this galaxy and when I saw that horror being made ready to unleash itself upon my own people, I used my own power to avert it."
"Ah, so you are one of the interesting ones. You are not of Atlantis then?"
"No," Chaya answered. "I am familiar with it, but I am not of it." The Ancient waited for a beat before asking, "and of the Slayers?"
"The blonde one, Buffy, is the elder of the two. It is my understanding that she drowned while fighting one of the elder vampires but was later revived by one of her friends. It is in that time in-between that Faith was called."
Chaya was silent. "I've seen the records of my people's time on Earth and heard the stories told of the Slayers and that which they faced. That they still hold firm against the darkness—"
"Speaks volumes about the ineptitude of their foes," the creature replied dryly.
The Ancient narrowed her eyes. "I would say it speaks of their strength and courage instead."
The other creature lifted a shoulder. "If you like."
"Why did you call me one of the interesting ones?" Chaya asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. Meeting someone, or something, that knew so much of her kind wasn't exactly a common occurrence and though this creature might...disturb her, she was not without her own power.
"Those who Asscend possess great power, yet they squander it, content to watch over the mortal plane as if it were entertainment while they fawn over their own power and magnificence. They are as boring as they are pointless."
"And those who interfere are...interesting?"
For the first time since they emerged into the fresh air of the open pier, the other brown-haired woman turned to face her. It tilted its head, studying her. "Yes. Those who dwelt on the Earth before my kind arrived are akin to the Ascended in their existence but even they are willing to indulge themselves in the mortal realm from time to time."
"Your kind?" Chaya echoed. "Who are you? You remember the Alteran name and you know of the Slayers. You were able to recognize me for what I am and speak with such certitude of the Ascended. It is obvious you are no Asgard and unless the Nox have greatly changed in many, many years since our departure—"
The other woman made a face. "Comparing me to them is an insult I will overlook only for a short time. I am known as my Illyria."
Chaya looked at Illyria blankly.
Illyria sighed, "God-King of the Primordium."
The Ancient's brows furrowed for a long moment before her whole body stilled. Chaya's head snapped up to stare at the Old One, skin pale and eyes wide. "Old One," she whispered, backing up a step.
Illyria's lips tilted up as she inclined her head.
Chaya let her body dissolve into energy as she prepared to flee, to warn her kin that the Old Ones had come to their galaxy, to warn them that they were no longer safe. Before she could escape a hand of inhuman strength pulled her back into herself.
The hand of an Old One that bled shadow just as she cast light.
The juxtaposition might've been beautiful were it to be seen in different circumstances, now she just wanted to get away.
"I cannot hold you long, Alteran, it is not within my power anymore, but if you hope to spend anytime in this place then we must complete our conversation," Illyria growled, gritting her teeth at the pointless expenditure of energy. Holding an Ascended being in such a state had been simple long ago; she had been able to keep hundreds of Alterans in such a state for hundreds of years without feeling the waning of her power. Now, it took every scrap of strength just to keep her from leaving.
"Let me go!"
#
"Status update?" Sheppard barked out, jogging at a brisk pace with Teyla and Stackhouse by his side.
"Uh, well there's one life form-ish on the South-West pier. No one's supposed to be there so I'm guessing that's Chaya Sar," McKay answered testily.
"I find it interesting that Illyria doesn't register as a life form," Teyla commented idly.
Sheppard looked at her incredulously, "it's creepy!"
"She saved Weir," Louis pointed out.
"I could've made the shot!" John protested.
The other two said a very loud nothing.
"I could've!"
"We know that you are a very impressive marksman, John, I'm sure you would've made your best effort," Teyla assured him with possibly the most condescending tone Sheppard had ever heard her use.
Stackhouse made a low noise in his throat.
Sheppard whipped his head around to stare at the other man. "Not a word, Stackhouse, not a single damn word!"
The Marine sergeant gave him an innocent "who, me?" expression.
"Christ this place is big," Sheppard groused, changing the subject when Louis's quivering lips threatened to damage his sanity. "And Teyla, you're not allowed to spend time with Buffy anymore."
"Why do you think it's Buffy, Major?"
"They're both annoyingly sarcastic but Faith doesn't stoop to patronizing nearly as often," Sheppard replied smugly.
"Not bad, Major, not bad," Stackhouse stated approvingly. "Glad you're getting to know my girls."
"Buffy and Faith would harm you if they knew you addressed them as such," Teyla noted blandly.
"I know," Louis replied cheerfully, winking at the Athosian. "I like to live dangerously."
Teyla hummed noncommittally. "I will keep your term of endearment to myself, sergeant, but Faith and Buffy have impressive ways of drawing out secrets during our...'pajama parties' I believe they're called."
Sheppard came to an immediate halt, not even bothering to look at Stackhouse when the man stumbled into him.
"Did she say pajama parties," Sheppard gasped.
Stackhouse's eyes were wide as he shook his head disbelievingly. "She has to be kidding. There's no way that Faith and Buffy..."
There was a moment of careful consideration before both men declared in unison, "she's not kidding."
"Are you coming or do you require aid?" Teyla's voice shouted up at them from the next landing of the staircase.
"She really has gotten more sarcastic," Stackhouse murmured.
Sheppard huffed out a laugh and adjusted his P90. "Come on."
A few minutes later and they were on the pier, greeted by the sight of Illyria doing...something to a brilliant light.
"Let me go!"
#
Sheppard immediately raised his P90, sighting on Illyria without hesitation. "Illyria! Let—" he trailed off then as he took a closer examination of his surroundings. So intent on charging to Chaya's rescue, he hadn't really grasped the fact that, despite the clear sound of her voice, there was a distinct lack of people that in any way resembled her.
There was, however, one really, really bright light hovering in midair.
A bright light that Illyria was holding with...
John stepped forward, slowly as if hoping not to startle either Illyria or the bright light, coming to a stop less than ten feet away from the two, squinting at Illyria's...hand?
"Ah...Major, perhaps you should not aim your weapon at our friend?"
The sergeant's voice snapped him out of his examination. Hoping he didn't look too absurd, Sheppard called out to the bright light he assumed to be their new friend, hoping to calm her down, to prove their trustworthiness. "Uh...Chaya, you there?"
A great orator, he most certainly was not.
"John!"
Illyria suddenly stumbled back as the bright light reformed into the familiar form of Chaya Sar. She stumbled into John then pushed him behind her as if she were protecting him. "Stay back, John, I will—I will take care of that...that...demon!"
Sheppard's eyebrows drew up and he gave Illyria a look. She returned his look with one of her own and her look was one that made John feel like, well, muck.
"It's okay, Chaya. Look, demon's a bit strong, isn't it? So, she's a little different, aren't we all? You can become a big ol' light and she's a really scary person who can get even scarier when she gets mad. Not so different, right?"
There were times, entire days even, when it would've been better for the universe if he just kept his mouth shut.
On the other side of the pier, Illyria actually rolled her eyes. It was so unlike the Old One that he might've called her out on it had she not given him the death glare immediately after. He redeemed himself and his sense of wisdom by keeping his mouth shut.
Chaya turned large, furious, incredulous eyes upon him. "Do you even know what she is?" she hissed.
"Yeah, she's an Old One. Buffy and Faith, the Slayers, told us," Louis nodded.
"The Slayers...how can they tolerate this?" Chaya cried out.
"I told you, Alteran, much has changed on Earth," Illyria announced. "If you'd simply cease your effort to express your righteous indignation then you might understand more."
"She is a demon, John! I have to warn my people, they have to know about her presence!" Chaya exclaimed, sounding as if she were talking more to herself than to the others.
"And what will happen to John when you tell them?" Illyria murmured slyly.
Chaya's movements stopped and she turned to the Old One with a dark look on her face.
"The Ancients and the other Ascended beings would attack in an attempt to destroy me, Chaya Sar. They would fail to destroy me entirely though they would succeed in destroying the physical shell that houses my essence. But what would be the cost were they to attack? You know what they would do?"
The Ascended being stared at the Old One, mouth ajar. "They would destroy Atlantis."
"Atlantis," Illyria scoffed. "They would destroy this world and any other that I may have constructed places of power."
"They wouldn't," Chaya objected.
"My memory goes back farther than your race's existence, Chaya Sar. They have before, they wouldn't hesitate to do so again," Illryia answered, sounding almost...pitying.
The Ancient woman stood straighter. "And why should I believe you, demon? I've seen the things your ilk can do from the records of old. I've seen the images of creatures that were once my own people, friends and families whose souls were devoured while they transitioned into something foul and evil. The demons cannot be allowed to have a foothold in this galaxy, we will not let the Stargate become another Hellmouth!"
Illyria raised an eyebrow. "Are you finished or is there something else you wish to add to your rant?"
"Um...what's with the whole demon and soul bit?" Sheppard asked, stepping to side and waving a hand to get their attention.
"So," Chaya growled, crossing her arms. "They know you're an Old One but not what an Old One is? Do they even comprehend the purpose of the Slayer!?"
"We were informed the Slayers protect Earth from monsters," Teyla stated hesitantly.
The Ancient glared at Illyria. "Monster is one word for them, yes. Demon is another and while there are many types of demons with varying degrees of strength, only the Old Ones were capable of driving my people to this galaxy."
"The Hellmouth is not to be trifled with," Illyria replied mildly.
"When you mentioned people losing their souls and becoming—" Louis began slowly.
"Vampires," Chaya replied.
"Stunted half-breeds," Illyria answered simultaneously.
"Vampires?" Sheppard echoed swaying slightly as 'Slayer' suddenly took on a whole new meaning. "Demons?"
The latter wasn't a squeak, not by any means. No, Sheppard thought fiercely, it was a manly exhalation of surprise. Teyla's raised eyebrow seemed to indicate otherwise but she didn't understand what a "demon" meant back on Earth.
"Demons are not precisely what you'd think, Major," the Old One interrupted his thoughts.
Well, even if he didn't know what a demon was, he still hadn't squeaked.
"Look, why don't we all go inside and find Faith and Buffy and we—" Sgt. Stackhouse began before Illyria cut him off.
"You may do so, but the Alteran and I must finish our discussion. You fear needlessly, Major Sheppard, I do not intend harm to the Alteran and the air is losing its pleasant smell because of your desire to rut with her. Leave us."
Sheppard flushed and was ready to offer a witty reply when strong hands yanked him back.
"Now's not the time, Major, let them do their thing," Louis said quietly, dragging his superior officer back to entryway that led to the main island.
"Yes," Teyla added, a smile in her voice, "you can declare your honorable intentions to the lovely woman another time."
"It's not funny! We're leaving her with a demon!" Sheppard shouted, fighting against their tight holds.
"We talk to the Slayers and hear what they have to say," Louis stated firmly, grunting as he half-dragged Sheppard with him. "I want to know what Chaya meant just as much as you, sir."
Sheppard sagged and the two relaxed their grip. "Fine. You know what? Fine. Let's go see what they have to say for themselves!"
"Sheppard, it would be wise to calm yourself if you intend on confronting Buffy or Faith," Teyla advised calmly.
Stackhouse nodded. "Even if Chaya was being literal, Sheppard, neither Faith nor Buffy said anything that would be considered a lie. Nothing that I'm aware of, at least."
"What like a 'certain point of view'?" Sheppard demanded. "Give me a break, Kenobi!"
Teyla let out a loud breath as she jogged to keep pace with Sheppard and Stackhouse. "I don't understand."
"Don't worry about it," Louis muttered, "let's just go see if Buffy and Faith's "monster" are something else."
"Would it matter?" Teyla asked.
Stackhouse shrugged a shoulder, jostling the P90 that was slung across his chest. "Maybe, maybe not. From a practical standpoint, probably not, but it would be a bit of a shock from a theological standpoint."
"How so?" Teyla asked.
The Marine grimaced. "I'll give you a rundown on Earth religion and theology while we jog there. They're at the gym, Major?"
Taking his hand from his earpiece, Sheppard nodded, muttering a quiet, "God, I wish they had more transporters on the piers."
"So...you guys actually going to spar?" Ford wondered, watching as the two women leaned against the walls of the gym. The Slayers were stretching as if they were about to work out but they didn't seem inclined to move beyond that.
"Nah," Faith shook her head. "I'm predicting angry people coming by any moment now."
"It'd be best if we're not already keyed up," Buffy added, looking bashful at the admission.
"Who's going to be pissed?" the dark-skinned man asked in concern.
"Sheppard, no doubt about it. Dude's all hard up for Chaya and he's thinkin' he has to go all macho to protect her from the big bad Old One," Faith replied.
"I'm guessing there's a reason for that?" Ford prompted.
"We think she's one of the Ancients," Buffy explained. "She knew what we were and Illyria obviously knew what she was."
"Aren't a lot of things out in the black that can fit that bill," the brunette Slayer pointed out.
"An Ancient, huh? Well, it makes sense that Sheppard would be worried seeing as beating up on Ancients seemed to be the kind of thing the Old Ones liked to do, right?" the Marine asked.
"That would be a rational concern, yes," Buffy admitted.
"But only in different circumstances," Faith added quickly, then amended, "we think."
The lieutenant made a face at her.
"Sorry," Faith apologized. "We honestly don't know a whole lot more than you. But if she is an Ancient then Illyria did need to have a chat to get their shit straight."
At Ford's raised eyebrow, Buffy waved her hand about as if to clear the air of Faith's words. "Basically, it's like this, Ford; we don't know what Chaya's deal is, if she's Ascended or whatever. What we do know is that we don't want Chaya to make a celestial scene if we can avoid it. Attracting Ascended beings of any kind generally leads to badness."
"Speaking from experience?" Aiden Ford wondered.
"Far too much," Buffy groused.
Faith gave him a sour expression. "Celestial, Ascended, or any sort of beings not of the mortal plane tend to suck major ass."
#
The two Slayers and the Marine were standing in the gym talking quietly when the angry form of Major John Sheppard came storming into the room. The Air Force officer was followed shortly by the tense but apologetic-looking Sergeant Louis Stackhouse and Teyla Emmagan, whose expression was a mixture of bemusement and worry.
"Is Illyria a demon?" Sheppard growled.
Faith blinked. "Wow. You're just going to lead in with that, huh?"
Buffy elbowed Faith in the side. "Shut up, Faith, time and a place—"
The brunette turned her head and gave Buffy a bright smile. "B, you know I'm good for any time and any place."
Buffy blushed and took a breath before focusing on the angry countenance of John Sheppard. "Illyria is an Old One, whether they are demons or not is open to interpretation."
"And vampires?" Sheppard pressed.
Buffy shrugged and exchanged a look with Faith. "Demons," they replied in unison.
"Huh," Stackhouse murmured eloquently.
"Wait, hold on. Demons? What's all this now?" Ford inquired, eyebrows drawn up in confusion.
"The legendary creatures of your world that you refer to as demons and vampires are the monsters that Buffy and Faith frequently allude to as the monsters they fight," Teyla replied.
"And in all honesty, a demon isn't actually what you think it means. Not all the time, at least," Buffy replied hastily as Ford paled.
"Oh, really? And what does that mean?" Sheppard demanded.
"Clem," Buffy replied instantly.
"Lorne," Faith added. "Groo."
"Angel and Spike?" Buffy continued.
Faith tilted her head, "as long as Angel has one of those little asterisks that say in the end notes: 'do not sleep with blondes'."
Buffy glared at the brunette, who merely smiled innocently.
Sheppard snapped his fingers to catch their attention. "Explain!"
Buffy smiled. "Well, Clem's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Even saved my butt a few times. He's a loose-skinned demon and the worst thing he's ever done is play kitten poker."
"Loose-skinned demon?" Louis echoed, "and kitten poker?"
"Well, he looks exactly like the name implies. And yeah, kitten poker. They play for kittens," the blonde explained.
"Why?" Ford asked, curiosity overriding his earlier reaction.
Faith cringed and Buffy bit her lip before she shrugged. "Everyone needs to eat."
"Evil!" Sheppard declared, pointing an accusing finger at Buffy.
"Well, Lorne ain't evil. Green skin, horns, and red eyes—he's almost the exact image of 'demon'. The dude runs a bar in Colorado Springs where he hosts karaoke. Neutral ground nobody gets hurt, human, Slayer, or other," Faith replied on the heels of Sheppard's comment. "Doctor Jackson loves going there and he's far from the only SGC member I've brought by."
"Some of them are evil," Buffy admitted. "Vampires are soulless, literally, and are nothing but evil. But a lot of the 'demons' you're referring to aren't even from our dimension. Just like the Old Ones, they came from other dimensions or other worlds looking for something better. Sometimes those things that are 'better' include hurting humans, which is where the Slayers step in."
Sheppard quieted as the blonde spoke, still looking flushed but no longer quite so angry. Ford, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to bolt the moment he could. "And the 'Hellmouth'?"
"Earth is like swiss cheese," Faith explained. Realizing that everyone's look of confusion meant the explanation had sailed right past them, she tried again. "Look, the Earth is kinda like swiss cheese. You know, solid piece of cheese that makes up our reality except for those few holes? Those holes are like doorways from other dimensions into ours."
"I wear the cheese, it does not wear me," Buffy muttered, quietly enough that only Faith heard her. Faith chuckled and Buffy took the opportunity to begin where Faith left off. "From what I understand, the Earth is pretty unique in that...cheeseness. It's why all that stuff with the Old Ones and the Great Alliance and the Ancients, all of it, took place on Earth."
"Huh," Louis repeated.
"Did we break you?" Faith asked him worriedly.
"No, no. Just need a minute. Or a day or two," the sergeant assured her.
Teyla shrugged. "It is not a mythos that affects my people. I am not concerned by the slight omission."
Ford left the room.
"Guess he was," Faith muttered.
Sheppard let out a deep breath, following the lieutenant's retreating figure. "He's not gonna deal well with this."
"Why do you think we didn't go into that part from the get-go, stupid?" Faith demanded, hands on her hips.
John winced but didn't argue the point. "So what now?"
"Wait for Illyria and Chaya to end their play date and figure out what to do from there," Faith answered as if it were obvious. A sly mischievous smile stole across her face. "Don't worry too much, Sheppard, you still have a chance with Chaya."
Sheppard glared at her and huffed out a breath as Teyla laughed quietly from beside him. "I was going to take her to the South-East pier for a quiet dinner," he complained.
"Candles would've been good for the atmosphere," Louis suggested. "A midnight picnic, perhaps?"
"Pipe down, Sergeant," John ordered, though it was issued halfheartedly.
"Of course, sir."
"The Old Ones were defeated then?" Chaya Sar whispered, her face alighted with awe.
Illyria stared at the other woman.
"As defeated as Old Ones can be," the Ancient amended with a rueful shake of her head. "And so many Slayers now? It'd been thought impossible to duplicate the process in such a way."
The Old One hesitated before she slowly, reluctantly murmured, "many humans are the same mindless, fearful muck I remember from the days of old. There are some, however, that possess the ability to surprise me."
Chaya nodded her understanding. "I understand the value of being surprised when age no longer becomes a concern."
"What will you do?" Illyria asked when a moment of silence had passed. "Your brethren have either already been informed by the Powers that Be or will react with overwhelming force and destroy this world."
The Ascended Ancient gazed at Illyria for a long time. The Old One still made her want to draw away but the recently acquired understanding of the Old One's position had helped nullify the instinctive fear. Looking into the eyes of the Old One, Chaya no longer saw emptiness. Instead she saw...doubt, or worry, or maybe hope? None were emotions that should've been found in any Old One and the Ancient felt sure that the knowledge alone was enough to make her decision.
"I will keep the knowledge of your presence on Atlantis and in this galaxy to myself," the Ancient swore.
The Old One visibly struggled to express her gratitude, finally grating out a simple, "that is...appreciated."
Chaya lips tilted up in a faint smile. "I imagine the others are worrying about us, shall we return?"
"They worry only for one of us, Ancient," Illyria replied coldly, but was moving toward the central pad of the island as she did so.
"I disagree, Illyria. I do not possess a flawless of understanding of humanity but I believe both Slayers to hold you in high regard...and affection," she retorted.
Illyria didn't reply and the Old One stared straight ahead as they moved toward the city's center but Chaya Sar could've sworn she glimpsed the faintest hint of a smile on the Old One's face.
The next morning
Faith lay panting on their bed, back pressed against the sheets as she stared out of the window at the Lantean star just beginning its slow trek upward into the dawn sky. "Fuck, B."
A husky chuckle emerged from a mop of blonde hair that slowly made its way up her body, dropping kisses against her exposed skin as it did so. Faith closed her eyes tightly and let out a strangled noise as slim hands cupped and kneaded her breasts. When the hands moved away to press against the sides of her face and soft lips met hers, Faith opened her eyes to stare up at the green ones belonging to her lover.
Taking a breath of air, Faith smiled up at the blonde. "Fuck," she repeated.
Buffy grinned before dropping beside Faith onto the bed. "Yeah," Buffy murmured nonchalantly, making as if to buff her nails along her chest, "I'm pretty spectacular. Gotta admit, if practice makes perfect then being with you has given more more than enough practice to be a rock star."
Faith laughed quietly and pulled Buffy into her.
"The morning is pretty," Buffy observed quietly.
"Never saw anything prettier on Earth, that's for sure," Faith admitted. "Except for you, of course."
Buffy snorted and patted Faith's bare thigh. "Very good."
They both fell quiet.
"Things changed, didn't they?" Faith asked, almost whispering.
"Too early to tell but..." Buffy trailed off. "The demon thing didn't go over all that well."
"Not at all. It's not like there's a ton of people that know about us or Blue, but Ford and Sheppard are pretty wigged about the hole thing. McKay still wants to jump Illyria's bones and Weir and Sumner aren't sure what to do," Faith agreed.
"Teyla and Lou are pretty cool. Beckett's down with it, too," Buffy pointed out, "but I think something's going to happen soon?"
Faith rose upward slightly to stare down at her lover. "Slayer dream?"
Buffy spent a moment appreciating Faith's naked body, glistening with the sweat from their spontaneous predawn lovemaking session before shaking her head. "Just a feeling. Like we came here for something and we've done it."
Faith let herself fall back to the bed as she thought about that. "We'll just have to wait and see then, B."
They both continued staring out the window in silence, the beauty of the silver sheen of Atlantis's spires eclipsed by the rising sun taking their focus away from unhappy thoughts.
"Thank you, all of you, for having me," Chaya Sar told the assembled group warmly. "Despite the...trouble beginning of my stay here, I am glad I came. I regret that I cannot offer you sanctuary on my world if you ever have need of it, I wish that was something within my power."
"We understand," Dr. Weir nodded graciously. "We were pleased to have you, if for no other reason than to see what life might have been like for you on Earth."
"And perhaps what life might be like for you yourselves one day," Chaya murmured with a raised eyebrow.
"Thank you for taking the time to tell us more about your history and that of the Wraith's, we truly appreciate it," Dr. Grodin added.
"Of course. I'm afraid I really must leave. My people are in danger and I am needed if they are to survive," the Ancient stated, glancing behind her at the active Stargate.
"Will you be coming back?" a soft, male voice asked.
Chaya glanced back to see John Sheppard looking at her with a sad, wistful expression. "No, I must remain on Proculus to look over my people," she shook her head, "but there is something I would like to do." Nodding toward Dr. Weir and Colonel Sumner, she asked, "would you mind if I borrowed the major for a little while."
The colonel's eyebrows shot up but the older man just smiled and gave a short nod. Dr. Weir pressed her lips together in a vain effort to appear severe; Sheppard knew her too well though and she was obviously struggling not to smile.
Sheppard sighed, already dreading the ribbing he'd be receiving upon his return.
"Just be sure that he comes back in one piece, if you don't mind?" the expedition's leader finally replied.
Chaya smiled and took hold of John's hand. Before she turned, she glanced at Illyria and gave the Old One a slow nod. Illyria returned the gesture before turning on her heels to leave the Gate room. The Ancient glanced up and spotted the two Slayers on the upper floor and returned their hand waves.
Tugging gently on John's hand, she led them both through the Stargate where they might find the privacy to learn, to know all that was the other.
April 10th, 2006
"Colonel Sumner?"
The older Marine glanced up from his desk to see Peter Grodin and a Canadian member of the expedition, Chuck, enter the room. "Gentlemen, how can I help you?"
Grodin set the tablet on his desk and pushed it toward him. Marshall took hold of it and examined the display. "Doctor, I'm afraid you'll have to fill me in on what exactly I'm looking at."
"Sir, before the Lantean, Chaya Sar, left to help her people, she assisted us in activating several pieces of equipment that were previous inoperable. Among them included the long range sensor package that Atlantis boasts," Chuck replied. The technician made a vague hand movement toward the window and continued, "when that Dart came by a few days ago and scanned the city, Dr. Zelenka decided to activate the sensors to determine if anything might've intercepted a transmission."
"What you're looking at on the screen are three Hive Ships that are on their way here. The Wraith found us, Colonel," Peter announced quietly.
"We have two weeks until they get here," the Canadian sergeant finished.
Sumner looked at them for a long moment before he studied the display. "Have you notified anyone else yet?"
"No sir," Chuck replied.
Sumner nodded. "Thank you, gentlemen. If you don't mind, I'd like to hold on this for now," the colonel said, glancing at the datapad.
"Of course, sir," Chuck replied.
"Thank you, that will be all for now."
The Marine colonel waited until both men had left his office before he swore viciously. Taking a deep breath, he activated his earpiece. "Elizabeth," he said urgently, "I need to speak with you in my office now."
Author's Notes: For the Atlantis expedition, the revelation that the monsters Buffy and Faith fought were actually demons was something previously known only to Carson Beckett from his and Faith's earlier fishing trip. This chapter was mostly filler material but Illyria's nature (and that of the existence of vamps, etc) will be expanded in these last few chapters and will have an effect on the overall story conclusion. The big reveal was pretty much the point of this chapter and I hope I did a decent job leading in/out of it. Once the secret was out, I didn't feel the need to rehash it over and over with Sumner/Weir the others, so that's why the chapter might have felt like it ended abruptly.
I thought about how Chaya Sar and Illyria should meet for a long time, bouncing back and forth between ideas. So, at first I was skeptical about making Illyria all that big and bad when Chaya clearly was the more powerful being at that time. However, the Ancients did spent millions of years fighting the Old Ones before fleeing to the Pegasus galaxy and I figured that's more than enough time for some good ol' fashioned genetic memory to kick in.
Illyria's ability to "grab" Chaya when she was turning into that white energy...meh, I wanted Illyria to be able to do something. Getting plants to spear her didn't seem like it'd be enough to spook an Ascended being. So yeah, Chaya turned into a big, beautiful ray of light and the part of Illyria that touched Chaya turned into shadow. Might be lame but I liked it, too bad. That's basically it. Chaya Sar could kick Illyria's ass if she wanted. But the instinct to run stayed her hand long enough for them to talk it out.
Chaya will not be a recurring character and there will be no Chaya Sar/Sheppard 'ship. I know their interactions were a little fluffy but after rewatching "Sanctuary," I realized exactly how ridiculous their interactions were with one another. It was a very Captain Kirk/Pretty Alien Girl-esque episode.
