*****



"Who is this jerk?" Buffy ground out after Xander returned and tossed an ice pack to Crow.



Xander chuckled, "Buffy, meet Jack Crow. Vampire Hunter for the Vatican City."



Buffy snorted, "The jerk works for the church?"



"Go figure." Xander shrugged as he helped Crow to his feet. He then turned to the bruised vampire hunter, "Hey man, I'm gonna warn you now. The rest of the people in here are at least as dangerous as she is. Don't try that crap with any of them. I know at least one who would shoot you and leave you for dead without losing any sleep over it."



"Which one?" Crow asked as he glanced into the main room.



Xander grinned, "If I told you, then you could avoid that pitfall... I think you'll be safer if you just operate under the assumption that it could be any of them."



"Who the fuck are these people?"



Xander shrugged, "Some of the most powerful and dangerous people on the face of the Earth."



With that Xander returned to the party, showing Father Cranston around, and left a very confused Jack Crow in his wake.



In the main room Xander guided the old priest across the room. "Giles! I'd like you to meet Father Cranston."



Giles perked up in interest, "Father, It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person."



"Indeed." Cranston smiled, "You must tell me what it was Alexander did after he vanished that you wouldn't mention over the phone."



Xander raised his eyebrows, "You two have been in touch?"



"Ah..." Giles smiled, "Yes, we have. The Father here is a very interesting conversationalist."



"Please." Cranston said, "I've asked you before, call me Lamont."



Xander smiled and rolled his eyes, "I should have known. I'll leave you two to talk, Giles can fill you in on the semi-complete version of my summer adventures."



"Semi?" Lamont asked, curious.



Xander allowed a small smile, "Some secrets aren't mine to tell, and some would probably get me shot under the official secrets act."



Cranston's eyes widened, "I see."



Xander grinned and faded back into the party.



*****



SGC - Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado



"Off World Activation!"



"Close the iris." The no nonsense tone echoed through the room.



"General, we're getting a signal... It's SG1!"



"Open the iris!"



The metal iris retracted from the gate, revealing the shimmering colors of the wormhole beneath it. The liquid-like display shimmered and wavered as four people stepped through, then vanished behind them.



General Hammond leaned into the microphone and called down to the team, "debriefing in the conference room in fifteen."



The team nodded up at the control center and marched out of the Gate room.



*****



"Colonel, What did the Tok'ra have to say?"



O'Neill grimaced, "One of their spies found out that a Gua'uld by the name of Teru has decided to score some points with the System Lords by eliminating the Tua'ri. Just curious but did someone paint a target on our backs while we weren't looking?"



Hammond didn't bother to respond to O'Neill's last comment, instead focusing on the impending crisis. "Did they know how Teru was going o pull it off?"



"He has a scout transport. Stealth rigged, and can carry several thousand troops. The word is that he'll try to assault the Gate from this side. If he can hold it then he brings in reinforcements through the Gate."



Hammond was quiet for a long moment. "Damn it, Jack. I don't know if we can hold out against a determined assault from a Gua'uld force. Not with the people we have cleared for knowledge of this facility at least."



Daniel Jackson looked up from something he'd been staring at, "Um Sir? Maybe we could get some help that the Gua'uld already fear and respect?"



"What are you talking about, Dr. Jackson?"



Jack looked across the table at Daniel intently, "He means Harris, Sir. It's an interesting idea Daniel, but even if we trusted him, we can't find or contact him."



Daniel hesitated, then slid a card across the table. Jack picked it up and stared at what was written. "X-Harris at webmail dot org!? You have his email address!?"



"Dr. Jackson, why did you keep this from us?"



Daniel shrugged, "I kind of liked the guy."



*****



Xander and Jarod's Building - Sunnydale, California



The party had ended several hours earlier, leaving Xander and a few of his guests that remained to talk quietly in the living room. Even that however did last long, leaving Xander to fall asleep on the couch as the talking died out and people left or drifted off themselves.



As was becoming routine Xander was soon plunged into his own personal nightmare realm, complete with demons, vampires, and aliens from beyond.



*****



Xander stared across the barren landscape and waited. He knew that she was coming, she always did after she made the monsters go away. When the crunch of her boot on the rough gravel sounded behind him he didn't turn around.



"Hello, Elan."



"Hello, Alexander."



Xander sighed, staring at the horizon, and turned to look at her. She was, as always, dressed in her unique semi-armor that showed more skin then it actually covered. He smiled sadly at her as she approached, "Is it always going to be like this?"



Elan's features softened, "It will grow easier to deal with as time passes, but yes. The horrors you have seen can not be escaped through sleep. Here is the one place they can always find you."



Xander sank to the ground, his knees giving out as the will that kept him standing melted away. "I don't know if I can keep this up, Elan. I'm scared to close my eyes sometimes."



Elanthielle knelt beside him, pulling him into an embrace as she did. "There is a way, Alexander. But it is a difficult path."



"How?"



"Master this world, and the power you gain here will be reflected throughout your life. This is the dreaming, Alexander, it is a place where life and death hold no sway. If you can learn to control yourself here, you will be able to affect your environment. But it is no easy task."



Xander swallowed, "How do we start."



Elanthielle smiled, "First, you sleep."



*****



Phoebe shifted in her sleep, waking up from her awkward position on the sofa chair she had drifted off in. Her eyes cast about, looking for the source of sound that awakened her. She spotted Xander, draped half off the couch, moaning and occasionally whimpering in his sleep.



She got to her feet slowly, and made her way across. As she did, she could see Xander's sleep suddenly grew peaceful, a sad smile crossing his features. She stopped at his side and gently brushed away a lock of hair that had drifted across his face. As she turned away his eyes opened and he smiled at her.



"Stay?"



She smiled and laid down beside him, pushing against him as he draped an arm around her and hugged her tight. The two of them drifted off quickly despite the semi-awkward position they occupied on the couch.



*****



The Next Morning



Jarod looked up when the computer beeped urgently, he quietly moved over and sat down in front of it. Hmmm... Xander has an email.



He moved out of the room and made his way to Xander's room, and was mildly surprised to find it empty. He moved quickly through the house, eventually finding Xander sleeping peacefully on the couch in the living room, his arms wrapped tightly around Phoebe.



Smiling, Jarod decided that the Email could wait.



*****



SGC - Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado



Jack O'Neill flinched back as a shower of debris rained down on him and slapped a panel beside the heavy blast doors. They smoothly slid shut, sealing the SGC and NORAD off from the outside world.



Jack thumbed his radio transmitter, "That's the last of the doors shut, General."



"Good work, Colonel."



Jack didn't respond, and instead saved his breath for the long run back to the next blast door.



*****



"Damn it!" Hammond hit the surface of his desk as he examined the sketchy reports coming back to him. "They hit too fast! We don't have half of our off duty personnel back, and our reinforcements are still a day away."



Captain Carter looked over the reports herself. "It looks pretty bad, Sir. The blast doors won't hold them back for long, they weren't designed to deal with Gua'uld technology."



"How long, Captain?"



"A few hours at best, sir." Carter shook her head softly as she mentally crunched the numbers.



Hammond growled and dug back into the defense plans, looking for something he'd missed.



*****



Sunnydale, California



Xander woke up slowly, his eyes opening to the sight of Phoebe laying beside him and the smell of her hair in his nostrils. Slowly, and gently, he extricated himself from her and slipped over the back of the couch, letting her slide into a more comfortable position as he left.



Shaking his head and smiling happily he headed for the bathroom.



"Xander!"



"What is it, Jarod?"



"You have an email."



Xander raised an eyebrow. The only person who knew his email was sitting downstairs... except....



He raced for the computer, his previous destination forgotten. He opened the message and read it carefully. Three times.



"Shit!" He let out a loud curse that echoed through the building, waking up several of those who were still dozing.



Xander grabbed for the phone line, yelling to Jarod as he did. "Jarod! I need a secure line... one that can't be traced!"



Jarod rushed into the room, "Use that one, I'll run interference for you."



Xander dialed a number and waited. And waited. After the eighth ring a voice sounded over the line. "I'm sorry but the number you have dialed is currently unreachable. Please try again."



Xander dropped the phone, his face an ashen white. "This can NOT be good."



*****



"Giles place." Buffy answered as she set down a short sword.



"Buffy?" Xander's voice came over the phone. "Is Giles there?"



"Sure, he's in the bathroom. Be out in a minute."



"No time. Tell him that we're looking down the barrel of another Armageddon. Meet at my place, ASAP."



The line went dead and Buffy stared at the phone in shock.



Riley walked over, confused by the lack of response from Buffy. "Buffy? What is it?"



"I don't know." Buffy was silent for a moment, then she turned and screamed. "GILES!"



*****



"Phoebe," Xander gently nudged her, "Wake up."



"Wha?" Blearily she opened her eyes, "... going on?"



"I need you to call Leo."



Phoebe shook herself awake, "Why?"



"Something big is going down... and we're going to need his help to get to the problem on time."



Phoebe watched as Xander vanished out of the room. She looked around and, seeing noone, called out to the air. "Leo!"



*****



Xander descended into the basement, tapping a security code into the electronic lock that guarded the door and double timing down the stairs. He moved directly to the armory and started pulling things off the shelves.



Finally he arrived at the far wall. Xander stared at the heavy steel cabinet in front of him for a long moment, taking a deep breath. Finally he tapped in a new security code and waited as the wall sized steel doors slid open.



Inside was the constant reminder of his nightmares. The Yautja armor that he had buried here as soon as he could. Memories incarnate.



Coldly and methodically he began strapping the armor on. Piece by piece he felt himself being drawn back to the weeks he spent wearing this gear, running and hunting through the wilds of another place. Dealing with creatures that would forever haunt his dreams.



Finally he straightened, fully encased in the alien armor, his helmet tucked into the crook of his arm. He pivoted in one foot and strode away from the empty armory cabinet and slowly climbed the stairs.



*****



Phoebe and Leo were waiting in the living room when Xander walked in, full outfitted in his hunting armor. They had heard him and Jarod talk about it, but this was the first time they'd had a chance to see him actually wearing it.



"What's happening, Xander?"



Xander looked at Leo, "Can you get me into Cheyenne Mountain?"



"NORAD HQ? Why?"



"I got a call for help from some... friends. If things are as bad as I think they are, we've got a major situation on out hands."



"Demonic?"



"No. But it may as well be."



Leo listened to the tone in the young man's voice and nodded. "I can get you in. Any place in particular."



Xander smirked, "Yeah. Under NORAD. Physically."



"I'll scout it out. Be back in a second."



Leo vanished into a shimmer of lights and Phoebe turned to Xander, "What's going on?"



Xander hesitated, "You'll probably find out before this is over but for now I can just say that some nasties are trying to secure a... portal so they can establish an invasion foothold on earth."



Phoebe's eyes widened as she tried to absorb that, finally she nodded. "Not the weirdest thing I've ever heard."



"Me neither. How sad is that?" Xander quirked a grin and Phoebe started laughing.



*****



"Buffy?" Giles rushed out, still buttoning his pants as he did.



Buffy cringed at the mental image, but shook it off quickly, "Xander said something about Armageddon coming?"



"Good lord." Giles stared in shock.



"What!?" Riley asked, dumbfounded.



"He wants us over there fast. I'll call Willow, Riley maybe you should get back to the Initiative?"



"No." He said firmly, "Can he be trusted?"



The other two looked at him as if he'd grown an extra head. Riley sighed, "I mean to know a situation like that if he saw it. I need to know that he's serious and this isn't a false alarm."



Buffy suddenly looked uncertain, but Giles stepped in. "Absolutely."



"Right." Riley said, pulling a cell from his pocket. He hit an autodial button and put the phone to his ear. "This is Agent Finn. Priority access Blue. Pass code Remus. Call in all the troops, put them on alert. No, I'm not sure yet. Sounds bad. I'll check in later."



He hung up the phone and pocketed the small device. "They'll be on full alert in less then twenty minutes. We should go find out what Harris is talking about."



Buffy nodded, but Giles looked disturbed. He held his tongue though, and grabbed his own clothing as he followed the two out the door.



*****



It was only a few scant moments before Leo returned in his trademark shimmer of lights. He looked grim.



"Xander, that place is a fortress. And they've locked it down tight."



Xander nodded, he'd expected that and it confirmed his worst fears. "Can you get me in?"



"No problem. There is a conference room that a General is using as a war room. Will that do? Or do you want something more private?"



"That will do perfectly." Xander tightened his grip on the helmet and nodded.



"Then lets go."



Leo reached out and touched Xander's shoulder and was about to Orb out when Phoebe stepped in, "Oh not you don't. I'm coming too."



The two men looked at each other, and grinned slightly. Neither of them were going to try stopping her at this point. Leo touched Phoebe's shoulder and they three people were swept away in a shimmer of light.



*****



"They've taken out the top level camera's but they missed a few of the concealed ones along the main shaft. The Jaffa have started cutting through the blast doors."



Hammond nodded at O'Neill's report, frowning at the status reports in front of him. "Damn it. If we could get out a single message we could have reinforcements here within an hour."



"Yes Sir." Carter replied, "but they're blocking all communications, Sir. We still have twenty two hours before the first wave of reinforcements arrive from our earlier request."



"You think I don't know that, Captain? How long until they cut through."



"A few hours at best. I can't be more specific because they are using technology that is foreign to me."



"Have the Tok'ra responded to our request for aid?"



"Yes Sir." Carter looked marginally happier. "They've agreed to spare as many troops as they can. The first wave will be arriving in thirty minutes. But, sir? I don't think it will be enough."



"In that case, Captain Carter. We will retreat through the gate after I've set the demolitions charges to destroy this base."



Carter nodded. It was a last ditch defense, but they couldn't allow the Gate to fall into to Gua'uld hands.



"What about Harris?" Hammond growled.



Carter shook her head, "We don't even know if the message got out, and even if it did he has no way to get in contact with us."



An odd sound and a shimmer of lights snapped everyone's attention away from the table to three forms that had just materialized in one corner of the room.



"Oh I don't know about that." The, all too familiar, armored form stepped forward, grinning widely. "I can be pretty persistent when I need to be."



A shocked silence permeated the war room.



*****



Willow answered the phone on the third ring, slightly annoyed. "Hello? Buffy? What is it? Xander? Is he all right? What do you mean you don't know? What?......... Ok... ok! I'll stop talking for a second.... How would he know about that? Are you sure? Ok... I'll be there. No, I wasn't doing anything..."



Willow hung up the phone and turned to the other occupant of the room. "I'm sorry Tara, I have to go. A friend needs some help."



"O...ok." the shy blond said as she gathered up her books. "C...can we do this again sometime?"



Willow beamed, "Of course! I love talking wicca with someone who understands it..."



*****



Buffy, Riley, and Giles rushed into Xander and Jarod's place their eyes searching the place for any sign of the impending crisis or Xander. What they say was a group of people sitting about the room talking, but obviously on edge.



"Where's Xander?" Buffy asked.



"What is the crisis?" Giles said at the same time.



Jarod spoke quietly, "We're not entirely certain what is going on, and Xander has gone to check out the problem. He'll be back shortly."



"He went alone!?" Buffy practically screamed.



"No." Jarod responded, "He left with Phoebe and Leo."



Giles eyes widened, "Leo? Ah..."



Around the room a series of looks were shared by those who knew Leo.



"Who are they?" Buffy asked, "I mean, I've met them but can Xander trust them? Can they take care of themselves?"



Soft snickers came from several people in the room.



"I wouldn't worry about *that*." The brunette Jarod had introduced to her as Miss Parker said snidely from her seat.



Suddenly Buffy had the impression that a lot more was going on then even she had suspected.

All right. What is going on here?"



Several occupants, including Miss Parker, the Halliwells, and the older Priest laughed openly at the question. Others, like Mr. Broots and Sidney merely looked nervous.



*****