Timeline: BtVS: Post-Chosen & SGA: post-03x17: Sunday.
Disclaimer: Nothing copyrighted belongs to yours truly.
Author's Note: Written for Day 27 of the 2021 August Fic-A-Day.

Buffy and General O'Neill were walking in the direction of the second cemetery as the first one had just been a peaceful resting place of the properly dead, and had no undead occupants. In between the IDC's safe house and the first boneyard and now on the way to the second, they had made small talk while mostly avoiding anything regarding their respective secret organizations.

As they saw the gates of the Fairview Cemetery come into view, the officer asked, "You mentioned something called Slayer Dreams several times, but you didn't explain what that is, or how it's related to you going to Atlantis."

"Slayers possess what's officially known as Prophetic Dreaming, or just commonly known as Slayer Dreams. It's the ability to perceive a message in the form of dreams. Often it's a jumbled mess of images and scenes from the future and doesn't always make sense until it has already happened. Other times its spoken words in the shape of riddles. It can be about an imminent threat or something that won't happen in years. In rare situations, they have shown the event itself. Other times we see Slayers who came before us."

"You saw Atlantis in a Dream and that's why your organization changed their minds about joining the Expedition." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, but Buffy decided to answer regardless.

"Yes. I only saw the City briefly though. Whatever I'm in Pegasus for isn't going to happen in Atlantis, but somewhere offworld and, I think, underground."

Buffy opened the gate to the cemetery and they walked through before she closed it behind them. She had been feeling the sense of newly risen vampires for a little while and knew the man beside her would finally get his show.

O'Neill looked at her in the semi-darkness, "You don't know where it is?" After considering for a moment, he added, "Or when?"

"Nope." She popped the 'p'. "That's part of the thing with Slayer Dreams, they're all about the shock factor and the vagueness. I'll know it when I see it." That part was more than just a little annoying, and although she had gotten much better at the whole interpretation thing it wasn't perfect.

"Have you considered it might be the Genii? I understand they enjoy underground accommodations."

"I have," Buffy gave the area a thorough look, making sure she paid attention to anywhere someone could hide, and then began walking towards where she saw a small group of vampires spying on them from partially behind some bushes. "I even went as far as reading anything and everything I could find on them. I spoke to Teyla and Ronon, asked Sheppard, Lorne and his team, and other people. None of it sounded or looked like it did in my Dream."

Of course, it hadn't, that would've been too easy, and whatever the PTB had sent her to another galaxy for, it seemed they wanted her to stay for some time. What had been strange was the sensation they wanted her to go by herself rather than bringing backup of some kind. No other Slayers, no Watchers, not even a Scooby to keep her company.

Willow in particular had really wanted to tag along and be all science-y with all the brilliant people, but especially with McKay. She had gotten all science-y with Carter on Earth instead and had developed an adorable crush on the woman, which Buffy had gotten to hear all about as soon as the two of them got some alone time to catch up. Maybe she could sneak her red-headed friend onto the Daedalus as a stowaway or something when whatever it was had finally gone down...

They casually walked not far from the vampires' hiding place when the undead prey jumped out from the bushes like a group of small children, all grr-face and trying to look scary. Beside her, O'Neill startled, more because of the suddenness than their demonic visages. Buffy gave him a few mental points.

She smiled, "Hello, boys. That wasn't very nice of you." The two younger ones in the group had only risen earlier that night, while the older two had been around for maybe five years or so. All of them frowned at her reaction before looking kind of confused at each other before the leader tried to attack her.

Buffy dodged him and when he returned and ran at her a second time, he was met by the pointy end of her stake. She quickly stepped back and then repeated the action with the two new ones. It left her with the leader of the little group.

She couldn't help but grin, "Hi!" she said brightly, "you're the lucky winner of a short-term unpaid job as my assistant!" Beside her, O'Neill snorted. The vampire rushed her and she side-stepped again. Amateur. The next few minutes was a fight, mainly for the General's benefit, but also her own. She would let her inner Slayer loose properly later when there were no witnesses to judge her.

When she deemed that he'd gotten a good enough sample of her fighting skills she caught the vamp and forced him to his knees in a convenient pool of light. He hissed at her as he struggled against her superior strength. Young vampires were powerful compared to your average homo sapiens, but weak in comparison to a young Slayer.

Buffy grabbed his hair and maneuvered his head so O'Neill could get a good look at the ridges and teeth of their natural appearance. He took his time studying the half-demonic creature, clearly enjoying something he didn't normally get to do when something new and humanoid came into his life.

"Huh," O'Neill said after a while. "He kind of reminds me of an Unas or the Serrakin, but I think they might've been insulted to be compared to these uncivilized things."

Buffy was surprised, but maybe she shouldn't have been. This man had been around the galaxy a few times, and ugly part-human or human-like species probably weren't something new to him. There had been too many reports for her to connect 'Unas' and 'Serrakin' to something, especially since she had been focussing on what had happened in Pegasus as opposed to the Milky Way, so she let it slide.

"Want to stake him?"

O'Neill's eyes went from her to the vampire and back again before he nodded. "Sure thing. Killing bad guys is kind of a speciality of mine, it would be bad form to only kill aliens and not something homegrown when given the opportunity."

Buffy let go of the vampires head and reach back for her stake and then tossed it to O'Neill so he wouldn't have to get too close. Forcing the creature back up again, she held him still. "It's easy enough, just aim the pointy end at his heart and then stab him with it."

He did and as soon as she could feel him turn to dust she let go and stepped back and out of the way of the dust cloud. It was a long time habit to do so. O'Neill on the other hand remained more or less where he had been, and accidentally inhaled some of the vampire dust and immediately began coughing.

Buffy grimaced a little, "Sorry about that, I should've told you to take a step back as soon as the stake was in."

"Is it harmful?"

"No, just disgusting."

O'Neill studied the rapidly disappearing dust on the ground as it conveniently just vanished as if it was self-cleaning. A few moments later there was no evidence left that there had been anyone there but the two of them.

He looked back up, "That was interesting." Clearly coming to a decision he went on, "I'll keep your secrets and I'll try to help when I can, but keep in mind I have my own people to protect and they are my priority."

"I know," she nodded. "A little re-direction or misdirection usually works. People don't want to know, not really. It's incredible what people will convince themselves that they really saw, rather than vampires or demons or whatnot."

"Right. Now that we've shared secrets and sacrificed the ritual bad guy, you can call me Jack."

"Only if you call me Buffy and don't make fun of my name." He laughed.