Arriving in Dublin they stepped out of the small Lear jet and onto the tarmac. Willow swayed slightly and Daniel grabbed her arm for support, "Are you ok?"
"Wow, can you feel it?" she gasped, her eyes shining with excitement.
"What? All that I feel is concrete and all I smell is jet fuel." Jack said, his head swiveling around to pin her with a look.
Willow just smiled at him, "The magic! It's so strong here." She closed her eyes and let it flood her body, filling her up.
"Um Will, you're glowing." Xander hissed and her eyes popped open, "Oops, sorry." And she blushed slightly.
Daniel shook his head, "You are something else Willow." His voice was filled with admiration and she blushed even more.
Jack noticed this and nudged Carter who shook her head repressively at him. "Not now Sir." She murmured.
Jack finessed them through customs, a necessity since Xander and Buffy didn't have passports. There had been no time, though Jack had started the wheels rolling on getting Buffy one. They found their rentals and loaded their luggage.
"Giles, you drive one and I'll drive the other." Jack said.
Giles nodded, "You do realize that we drive on the left side here Colonel?"
"Since we're going seeing each other often, it's Jack, and yeah. I was stationed here, once or twice." He looked at the map then spoke, "N2 to Slane then to the Coney Island arms."
Daniel sighed, "Conyngham Arms, Jack."
"Yadda." Was Jack's reply, making the other's snicker.
SG-1 and Willow were in the first car, Jay, Buffy and Xander were in the second. It was a short 25 minute drive to the hotel and Buffy watched the scenery in amazement.
"Do you know I've never been out of the states, well, except for Canada." Her eyes took in the rolling green pastures with their long stone walls, the tidy villages and the blue, blue sky.
Jay wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss on her temple, rewarded by her blinding smile. "Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?" he asked.
"We're going somewhere?"
"Well yeah."
Buffy closed her eyes, "Don't tell me I want it to be a surprise." Her face was soft in the sunlight and Jay just looked.
Xander turned around and grinned, "You haven't got a clue yet have ya?"
Jay grinned back, "Nope."
Buffy laughed and pushed him, "I'm not worried."
At the hotel they all climbed out of the vehicles Buffy, Xander and Willow rubbernecking like the tourists they were. Jay smiled, realizing that none of them had probably been out of the states, though in Willow's case he was wrong. The stone hotel's fuschia painted door opened and a strapping, handsome Irish lad came out, "Will you be checking in this fine day?" He asked. His accent was musical and all of the women turned to smile at him, making the men frown.
Jack sighed, "It's the accent. Women are so easy." Daniel laughed softly, and Xander nodded in agreement.
Buffy flattened the young man under her charm, "Hi, I'm Buffy and yes, we are all checking in." They watched in amusement as the boy went pale, then flushed red and stammered, "I'll see t-to your luggage then if y-ye'd like to check in." Buffy smiled and opened the door, flashing Jay a glance that made his blood go south in one big hurry.
"Damn." He breathed and followed her inside.
Jack exchanged an amused glance with Giles and they went in as well. After they checked in Jack and Xander did a little reconnaissance, for pizza.
They ate the pizza in the deserted hotel dining room, then toured the small town on foot. The women bought souvenirs and the guys frowned at any men who tried to talk to their women. Jack watched with interest as Daniel appointed himself as Willow's escort, and wondered if Danny had remembered that Willow was a lesbian. He shrugged to himself, 'Danny's a big boy', but secretly he worried.
After dinner that night they met in Giles and Xander's room to discuss their plans for the next day. Buffy stood and stretched, "I have to patrol."
"What?" Jay asked in surprise.
"Angel's Irish, didn't you know? There are vamps here too." She replied a little testily.
"Sorry, I was just surprised. Can I tag along?" he asked.
Buffy's face softened, "Of course."
Daniel piped up, "Can I go to?"
Buffy shrugged, "Sure, go get a jacket, it gets a little chilly." She watched as Daniel dashed from the room and saw Jacks' frown.
"I won't bend him Jack."
Jay and Sam laughed, well aware of Jack's predilection for overprotecting the archeologist. Jack grumbled about supposed friends who thought they were funny and settled back in his chair.
Jay, Daniel and Buffy walked down the well lit streets, nodding to various townsfolk that were exiting pubs or walking home themselves.
"They don't seem to be nervous or frightened." Daniel observed.
Buffy nodded, "People don't necessarily believe, or just choose to ignore it." She paused as they took another road, "Or there may not be any here." She twirled her wooden stake expertly.
Daniel noticed Jay's eyes constantly in motion, threat assessing Jack called it. It was kind of fascinating to see someone other that Jack in the alpha male mode. As they turned down the road to the cemetery Buffy got a feral smile, "Oh yeah, almost showtime boys." She moved ahead of them into the cemetery, a decided bounce in her step.
"How does she know?" Daniel asked quietly as Jay led him to a gravestone they could rest on but keep all areas of approach under surveillance.
"Part of her gift. She can sense them." Jay replied quietly.
Buffy checked to see where they were and headed to a grave, leaning on the stone as a hand reached out of the dirt. The vamp pulled himself out and brushed himself off, reseating his cap more jauntily upon his bald head.
"Hi." Buffy said cheerfully and the vamp started in surprise.
"And who might you be?" he asked with a thick Irish accent.
"The Slayer."
"What?" the vamp yelped and Buffy sprang forward and dusted him. She took out 2 more fledgling vamps in quick succession and started to back track to the gate when another vamp sprang out from behind a tree and attacked. Buffy fell against a Celtic cross stone, rolled to the side as the vamp leaped for her. She planted both booted feet up into its chest and pushed, making it fly across the clearing to fall into a heap. It jumped up and yelled, "Why is there a Slayer here? 'Tis not fair!"
Buffy grinned, "Who said that death was fair?" and running swiftly she did a gymnast worthy cartwheel, ending it in a flip and dusted the last vamp. She was brushing herself off when she heard her audience clapping. "Thank you." She bowed and walked towards them, stiffening when she saw someone step out of the gloom.
Jay read her eyes and spun, then stopped as a small, wiry and very old priest walked towards them.
"And who might you lot be?" He demanded querulously.
Buffy pushed between the men and smiled, "I'm the Slayer, Father." she said respectfully.
The old priest eyed her thoughtfully, "Humph. And what of the lads?"
Buffy gestured, "My fiancé Jay Coburn, and my friend Dr. Daniel Jackson. I'm Buffy Summers."
He eyed them all sharply, then nodded, "Blessings on you all. I see that the vampires are gone."
"Yes Father."
"I'm Father O'Neill, please come with me to my cottage so that we can talk." And he turned and walked off.
"How do you know that he isn't a vamp?" Daniel asked, his voice low.
"I could sense if he was. It's really unlikely for priests to get changed, though it had happened." Buffy said.
He stopped at a stone cottage by the parish church and let them inside. He gestured to them to take a seat and pulled out a bottle of Irish whiskey and 4 glasses. He silently splashed a generous amount of whiskey into each one and passed them around.
"Slainte'." He said and tossed it back. Buffy and the men did too, Buffy wheezing slightly.
"Whew! That'll grow hair on my chest." She gasped.
The old priest chuckled, "Indeed it will dear. Now, what is a Slayer doing in this part of Ireland?"
Buffy rolled the glass thoughtfully between her palms, "I'm on a quest Father. Though I don't know how much I can say."
"Humph."
The old man's expression was so like Jack's that Daniel suppressed a snort, causing the man to look at him with a challenge in his eyes, "What lad?"
"You remind me of my friend, his name is Jack O'Neill."
The priest sat up, "He's here then?"
The three exchanged puzzled glances at the priest's obvious interest, "Yes, we're staying at the Conyngham Arms."
"Nice place, nice people." The priest confirmed. He was looking at Daniel when he saw the cross spill out of his shirt. Quick as a snake the priest snatched it, rubbing it between his fingers.
"This needs to be blessed." He frowned at Buffy. "Come tomorrow to the church before 8 o clock mass and I'll bless them for ye. Bring the O'Neill." And he stood and ushered them out.
On the doorstep Jay looked at Buffy and Daniel with wry smile, "Well, I guess we're done."
That night Daniel dreamt that Oma was in his room.
"What is the problem Daniel?" she asked.
He leaned on his arm, "I don't believe in God. I mean, after all of the goa'uld it makes me wonder if there is one."
Oma shook her head, "Daniel, after all of the wonders that you have seen, after being one of us cannot you say that there are things that you do not understand?"
"Well, yes. But one being that is the Creator?" His voice was skeptical.
"How do you explain miracles?"
Daniel thought about it for a moment, "Lucky happenings?"
Oma laughed, "Sometimes one does not need to see to believe." And she disappeared. Daniel sat up and gasped.
Jack heard and rolled over, "Danny?"
"Jack, do you believe in God?"
"Duh."
"But how do you know?"
Jack scrubbed his face, "Geez, you don't ask the easy questions, do ya?" He leaned up on one arm, "Even though it's '0' dark hundred I'll give you an answer. You sit on a chair and don't think about whether it's going to hold you right? That's faith. Faith is the belief in things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Now go to sleep Danny." And Jack rolled back over and fell asleep. Daniel looked at him for a moment, and realized that Jack's faith actually made sense to him. He smiled and lay back down to sleep.
The next morning the group arrived at the church and the old priest met them. His eyes went unerringly to Jack, "You'd be the O'Neill then?"
Jack blinked in surprise, "Yes Sir."
The priest looked up at him, as if searching for something, then nodded in satisfaction, "Aye, you're a good lad. Now everyone hand me their crosses."
Everyone pulled off their crosses except Willow who wore a Star of David, and handed them to the elderly priest. He blessed them, then lay them in holy water, before drying them off on his robe. He handed them back to everyone except Jay and Jack.
"Just a moment." He disappeared into an area behind the font and came back out with two very old crosses in his hands. He handed one to Jay, "You are the Slayer's champion. This cross is for you."
Jay looked at it. It was a beautiful object, etched silver with various Celtic symbols and a deep yellow stone in the middle. He looked at the priest, "Thank you." Daniel leaned over to finger it thoughtfully, reading the symbols on it with interest.
"'Tis nothing." He turned to Jack and handed him the other, "This was made for you O'Neill. Wear it or keep it with you constantly, understand lad?" the priest's voice was sharp and Jack nodded. His cross was heavily engraved and gave the impression of great age. It too had a stone, a deep green one and Jack felt his fingers vibrate as he held it.
"What does it do?"
The priest laughed, "No tricks lad, but you'll know when the time comes. Now all of you go, I've mass to say." and he ushered them out into the sunshine. "God Bless you all" and the priest went back inside.
Daniel walked over to Jack , "Can I see it?" Handing it to his friend Jack smiled, "What does it say?"
"It has ancient ogham symbols of protection, um, warrior-which makes sense, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity which makes the protection powerful according to legend. It puzzles me as the script was in use before the birth of Christ and…"Daniel was stopped by Jack's sigh, "We need to go Daniel."
Daniel grinned and handed back the cross, "I just wonder how and why it was made for you. It's quite old, older than you actually." He teased and Jack cuffed him gently.
"Be nice."
Buffy smiled at the two, "So what did Jay's say?" Jay was still looking at his and looked up at Daniel to hear the answer.
"More symbols of protection and the Holy Trinity, plus a reference of being a Champion. It means more than that of course, I'm not terribly familiar with the ancient Celtic writings."
Giles nodded respectfully at the younger man, "You do very well for not being 'very familiar'."
Jack looked at his team mate proudly, "He speaks, reads and writes over 24 languages."
Willow snickered, "You sound like a proud Jewish mama." Daniel rolled his eyes as the rest of them laughed, Sam nudging the Colonel. "She knows you already Sir." she said lightly, then skipped off before he could get her.
"C'mon, less gab and more movement." Xander said from the car.