Cleveland

Buffy was distracted the entire day, leaving the occasional message on Jay's machine. She kept her worries to herself, hoping it was just a stupid dream, but knowing it was more than that.

She ate a little of her dinner, silently helped clean up then went upstairs to sleep. Immediately she fell into dreams. She was inside a vaguely Egyptian looking building or something and found herself outside a room. Hearing someone groaning she walked into the room and saw someone tied up, blood on the floor in puddles. His head moved and she realized it was Jay. He was kneeling on the ground, bruises on his face, one eye swelled shut, his arms tied behind him, his shoulders plainly dislocated, blood all over his filthy uniform.

"Oh my god Jay!" Buffy gasped and rushed over to him, then jumped as his head came up and his good eye trained on her.

"Buffy?"

In shock that he could see her, she knelt before him, tears running down her cheeks. "Jay, oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." She gasped, her hand fluttering over his injuries.

"Buffy, you need to leave before they see you. You're in danger!" Jay gasped desperately.

"Jay, I'm not here, I'm having a dream. No one can see me except you apparently."

He grunted, "I must be dying then so I'll make this quick. I love you with everything I have Buffy Summers. I'll see you on the other side."

Gently, 'if he could see her, maybe he could feel her', she cupped his face and tilted his head up, "You are so not dying on me. You promise you'll hang in there. Promise me!" she demanded fiercely.

Jay's good eye spilled tears, "Promise. They're torturing Hayden, killing him in front of me then reviving him. They want me to tell them about the SGC, but I won't."

A rattle at the door made him jump and a great big white guy with a stylized gold lionhead on his forehead came in and dragged Jay off. Buffy leapt up and strode beside them, making sure Jay could see her.

In front of the goa'uld Ahkeru', (the ancient earth god of Egypt, his symbol was double lions that guarded the gate where dawn came from) Jay was dumped. He had to watch as a pale Major Hayden was brought out and systematically tortured, all the time Hayden kept saying, "Don't give up Boss."

Buffy knelt beside Jay, "I'm here, be strong for me and Hayden." She watched stoically, only jumping when they snapped the Majors neck and dragged him off.

As they turned to Jay and began to use some glowy thingy on him Buffy kept a hand on his cheek, her eyes on his and willing him her strength.

His good eye burned with love for her and then he passed out.

Buffy woke abruptly and scrambled out of bed, sick to her stomach. She made it into the bathroom, barely, to feel her small meal violently come back up. Rinsing her mouth quickly she walked back into her room, grabbed her cell phone and dialed shakily, so shakily she had to dial twice before it rang.

A sleepy voice answered, "Dr. Jackson."

"Daniel, it's Buffy. Jay's missing isn't he?"

Abruptly wide-awake Daniel hemmed and hawed, trying to will his brain into thinking.

"Don't give me crap Daniel. Willow and I will be at the gate at 6am. Get us a pass." Buffy hung up and got Willow up, hastily explaining what had happened and what she wanted Willow to do. At the commotion Giles woke up and asked what was going on.

As she and Willow packed Buffy explained to Giles what was happening and he went downstairs to make plane and rental car reservations.

When Buffy came out of the bathroom after a shower and a quick bout with nausea to see Dawn was wide-awake and sitting on her bed, "What's up?"

"Jay is being held prisoner. Will and I are going to go get him."

Dawn blinked, "Ok."

Buffy smiled wryly and closed her carryon and zipped up her small suitcase.

"I don't know when I'll be back, but listen to Giles, do your homework and blah blah."

Faith stood in the doorway, "Do you want me to come along for extra muscle?"

Buffy sat and let Dawn frenchbraid her hair, "No, but thanks for the offer. Can you hold down the fort?"

"Absolutely, you just get J back in one piece." Faith said firmly.

"I will." Buffy grimly vowed.

Buffy sat restlessly on the flight, desperately hoping that they wouldn't be too late. Willow held her hand, trying to soothe her best friend. She knew that the anxiety was killing Buffy.

SGC

Arriving in Colorado Springs at 0430 they rented a blue Sentra and drove directly to NORAD following the map that Willow had downloaded from the 'net. Pulling up to the gate Buffy smiled at the befuddled airman, "Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg for Colonel O'Neill or Dr. Jackson."

Jack was asleep on his desk when the phone rang, jerking him awake. He grumbled, rubbing his neck, "O'Neill!" He barked then listened, "Yeah, let them in airman, I'll meet them topside."

Escorted to the bank of elevators Buff was thrumming with energy. Willow could feel the magic in this place as well and was about to mention it when the elevators opened and Jack stepped out.

Buffy looked him over, "You look like shit Jack."

Jack bit back a laugh, "Lovely to see you as always Buffy." and looked at Willow in askance.

"Oh, Colonel Jack O'Neill, my best friend Willow Rosenberg. Listen, we need, and I mean really need to see General Hammond."

"Can you tell me?" Jack asked.

"Let's just wait for the General so I don't have to go into it twice." Buffy grimaced with remembered pain.

"He's on the road and won't be here for another half hour, how about breakfast?" Jack replied, and took them down to the cafeteria. Daniel was already there, intros were made and Jack and Buffy watched as Willow and Daniel dived into a discussion about witchcraft in history. Buffy rolled her eyes and flashed a wry smile as Jack who grinned back. Jack watched as Buffy picked over her breakfast, not eating a thing. Her anguished eyes met his and his heart fell. She knew something.

After breakfast Daniel headed back to his office while Jack, Buffy and Willow headed to General Hammond's office. They were chatting quietly when suddenly Buffy saw Simon Ireland in the hallway ahead of them and erupted into motion.

Faster than Jack could comprehend Buffy was on Ireland, her hand around his throat, lifting him up against the wall.

"You bastard! I know what you did to your team and let me tell you, you won't get away with it!" she growled.

"Help!" he squeaked in terror.

2 armed security guards pointed their weapons at Buffy and Jack came out of his shock to leap forward.

"Buffy! Let him go!"

"He's the reason why Jay and the others are missing." Her eyes were fierce as Simon tried to move and she shook him like a puppy, "Quit moving!" she snapped. "So Simon, do you want to tell everyone what a coward you were? Hmmm?"

She moved her face closer to his, "I was there Simon." She hissed, "I saw you take down your own team member in cold blood."

Ireland went pasty white and Jack was sick with the knowledge that he had been right. He gestured to the security. "Take his weapon and escort him to General Hammond's office." They moved up on either side of the very angry Buffy and she let go, letting Simon slump to his knees, rubbing his throat.

When General Hammond walked in and saw 5 people crowded into his office he knew his day had already gone to shit.

"Colonel? What the hell is going on? Who are these people?"

Everyone stood and Jack grimaced, "Remember our conversation Sir?"

Now the General grimaced, "Tell me what happened."

Jack looked at Buffy who said, "Can the security guys go outside?"

The General nodded, "You two are dismissed." and Jack went to stand beside Ireland as the security men departed.

"General Hammond, this is Buffy Summers, um, the Slayer, and her friend Willow Rosenberg." He turned to Buffy, "Go ahead."

"Do you know what the Slayer is?" she asked the General.

"Yes, I am familiar with the legends." He replied quietly, his blue eyes on hers.

Buffy leaned forward, a glance at the pale Ireland, "Along with my Slayers powers I can have dreams of the present and future."

Simon sat up in shock, but Jack held him to his seat.

Buffy voice hitched with emotion, "I watched as Jay and his team came through the big circle thingy with water and started hiking. I was there when they heard the army of guys with shiny armor and lion tattoos on their foreheads. And I was there when Simon watched Jay and Hayden get captured, then he gunned down Sgt. Walters in cold blood. He took something from Walters, dragged his body into the tall grass and went back through the circle thingy."

Buffy shakily stood and faced Ireland, "I was there Simon," she spat, "I saw a guy with a gold lion on his forehead torture Hayden to death in front of Jay. Hayden kept saying, "Don't tell them Boss."

Simon turned his head away and refused to look at anybody, keeping his eyes focused on the ground.

Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, "Do you want to know how I saw him last?"

She opened her eyes and bent down, grabbed his chin to face her, putting her face close to his. "Your CO was bleeding all over the floor, both shoulders dislocated, probably broken ribs," She grabbed his chin again as he looked away from her furious eyes, "Don't look away! His eye was swollen shut, but he didn't tell them anything, you should be proud!" she spat, then her fist swung out and punched him, making him slump out of his chair and onto the floor unconscious.