Chapter 2

Sam was studying Buffy carefully as the girl crouched down next to the bringers she and Mac had killed.  She was skinnier than Sam had remembered and there were dark circles under her eyes.  Things must be worse than she let on.  Sam thought to herself as she held out her hand to help Buffy up.  The younger woman took it and as she rose they wrapped their arms around each other.

"Thankyou for coming" Buffy whispered into Sam's ear.

"A promise is a promise" Sam replied simply

"Yo B" Faith called as she rounded a corner brought over by the sound of gunshots.  "You were right, guns do work on these guys" she looked at the two Sunnydale new comers and smiled "So we found Sam, and Sam brought a friend"

Mac stepped forward "Mac, Sam said you guys needed a hand, I was a bit bored so I tagged along.  Hope you don't mind"

Faith looked her up and down "Can you fight?" 

"Kick boxing.  Something hits me I hit back" There was something in her voice that told Faith that Mac had hit back quite a bit.

"Good" Faith smiled "B we gotta jet.  Day patrol is around and Red is heading them up."

"Who's with her?" Buffy was worried, she had seen Dawn out on patrol with the others, the last thing Buffy wanted was for Dawn to get hurt out on patrol.  Truth be told she didn't give a damn about anyone else anymore, they could do what they wanted as long as her sister didn't get hurt.

"Four mini uses, Andrew and Dawn.  None of them top notch fighters but they can hold their own.  My guess is their using their best fighters at night.  I hope you two don't need a lot of sleep"

"Life long insomniac" Mac shrugged

"If it's not necessary I don't need it" Neither of the two Older women seemed to be worried about the lack of sleep they would be getting in the next days.

"Lets go" Buffy murmured as a flash of red hair in the distance caught her eye.

Bending over she righted the bike and started to push it towards the opposite end of town to where Revello Drive was located

Willow was worried, they hadn't been able to pin down Buffy and Faith's location, they we're moving to fast, add that to the motorbike she had seen going through town and the gunshots from less than 10 minutes ago.  It spelled trouble.

Willow knew they had been wrong the night before when Buffy and Faith had left, emotions had been running high, they had had a terrible loss and we're looking for someone to blame, unfortunately Buffy as their leader had taken all of it.  She always had.  The thing that really confused her was how quietly Buffy had gone, before she would have fought them until they gave in.  It was almost as though… almost as though she just didn't care anymore not about the potentials, or anyone else in that house, except Dawn.  It had been Dawn's words that had forced her to leave.  Willow knew that Buffy would do anything for her sister, had proven it time and time again.  Buffy had died for her.

Willow was pretty sure that Buffy and Faith were planning something big.  Unfortunately she was not privy to this particular plan so what would happen was anyone's guess.

She wondered where it had all gone wrong.  Sure they had had their share of fights and arguments over the years but they had always come back together.  It was different this time though.  This time she didn't think that Buffy would come back to them.

Cheyenne Mountain Complex

Colorado Springs,

Colorado

Jack was bored; things were oddly quiet at the SGC, for some reason they always were when Carter wasn't around.  He had finally caught up on his paper work and had nothing to do, he really wanted to call Carter again and find out what she was really doing but she sounded really cranky the last time he called, and Carter could be scary when she was pissed off, it was worse when the anger was directed at him.

Maybe he could convince Doc Fraiser to call Carter.

Sunnydale

"What do you think?" Buffy still wasn't sure that the plan would fly with Sam.

"It'd make The First pretty cranky.  If we go barging in there and take what it thinks we can't it might go on the full offensive." Mac had been silent, as Buffy and Faith had caught them up on the going ons of Sunnydale but now she spoke up as they were talking tactics. 

"First we have to get everyone else out of town.  If The First is going to strike out then it will go for them."

"Ok, we've got 2 hours till sundown, we'll get some sleep and then go on patrol.  We'll split up.  Two wandering, two watching the house.  Tomorrow we'll get Giles to take everyone in that house out of town."

Faith looked at her "How we gonna convince him to do that?  You have to get him alone first."

"If Sam and Mac are willing, I was thinking you guys could go and get him"

Sam grinned, "Can I hit him?" seeing the looks on the other three's faces she held her hands up "ok, ok I promise I won't hit him unless it is absolutely necessary"

For once it was fairly quiet at night in Sunnydale, Buffy and Sam sat in the dark watching the house they chatted quietly, catching up. Well Buffy was telling Sam what had really been going on and Sam was telling Buffy a watered down version of the last couple of years, when Buffy finally told her what was really on her mind.

"Sam, I'm leaving when this is over."

"Why?"

"After all these years I hoped they would finally get it, but they don't.  Willow, Xander, Dawn and Anya they don't understand why I make the decisions I do." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as though remembering something painful "When we were fighting Glory Giles said to me 'It's my job to say and sometimes do what other people can't, what they shouldn't have to'.  I get that, more than people think I do.  I have to do whatever it takes to make sure the world keep turning.  They don't know, they've never had to make those choices.  When I told Xander I would have to kill Anya he questioned it simply because he loved her, he looked at me as though I was a heartless bitch but he's never had to make that decision, never had to shove a sword through the heart of someone they love." Her words were harsh but Sam got the meaning behind them.

"Where you gonna go?"

"No idea.  Somewhere, anywhere, you got any ideas."

"Let me get back to you."

They continued sitting in companiable silence when all of a sudden the shrill sound of a mobile phone cut through the night air.

"Damn it.  I'm really not going to hesitate the next time I have to hold a gun on him" Sam muttered as she reached for her mobile phone.

"Yes Sir" Sam gritted her teeth as she answered the phone "What can I do for you now?"

"Sam, It's Janet."

"Let me guess, he's bored and bugged you until you gave in and called me.  My guess is he also has Jonas tracing my cell right now.  Save Jonas the trouble and tell the Colonel I'm in Sunnydale California."

Buffy sniggered in the background, Slayer hearing enabling her to listen to both sides of the conversation.

Janet laughed, "How did you guess?"

Shaking her head in exasperation "I knew that I couldn't take a couple of weeks off without him kicking up a stink about it.  After all those times he bugged me about actually taking leave, and when I do he questions it and annoys me and the others at the Base."

"Sam he wants me to give you a message" Janet said hesitatingly "The Colonel wants you to avoid a girl called Buffy Summers, apparently she's dangerous."

"Janet… just put the Colonel on please" Sam was really getting irritated now

Sam could hear muffled talking over the phone, finally the Colonels voice came over the speaker.

"Carter how ya doing?"

"Sir I really need you to stop calling me, I'm very busy…"

"Doing what?  What is so important that you willingly take leave to do it?"

"You want the truth Sir?  Ok then, right at this moment I'm sitting in Sunnydale California helping a friend trying to stop The First and Original Evil from taking over the World and sending it to hell.  So from here we have two options.  You can either stop calling me and let us get this done, or come out to Sunnydale and help.  Goodbye Sir."  As Sam went to hang up the phone a scream reverberated from the other side of the house. Dropping the phone she and Buffy got up and ran round the side of the house where the scream had come from.

"Carter… Carter, come on Carter pick up the damn phone.  That's an order Major" The now frantic voice of Colonel Jack O'Neil was nearly inaudible, as the fighting continued not far away.

Cheyenne Mountain Complex

Colorado Springs,

Colorado

Jack looked at the phone in his hand, his face pale as he heard gunshots ring out through the line, and the sound of screams accompanying it.

"Oh shit… Doc, grab a med kit, we're going to Sunnydale" Without further explanation Jack put the phone down and ran out of the infirmary.

1630 Revello Drive

Sunnydale California

There were bringers everywhere, the potentials fighting them off as much as they could but only just managing to stay alive, Buffy and Sam rounded the corner of the house at a run.

Sam surveyed the situation quickly "You go left, I'll go right.  You hit, I shoot"

Buffy nodded and joined the fray in a flurry of kicks and punches not bothering to find out who she was saving, all that mattered was that as many got out alive as possible.  Across the yard, Sam took a step back and raised her gun, looking for the easiest kill she ran well trained eye's over the fight, seeing a girl in trouble she immediately took aim and shot the Bringer straight through the back of the skull.  The potential that had been fending it off smiled at Sam gratefully.  Detaching herself from the battle around her Sam continued to find Bringers and picked them off one by one. 

Between Sam and Buffy within minutes the fight was over.  Silence descended over the group as everyone watched Buffy to see what she would do.  Without saying a word Buffy picked up her sword and walked off, knowing that the current residents of her home did not understand why she was still defending them, fighting for them.

Sam looked around, at the stunned faces; finally understanding what Buffy was up against.  Spying Giles standing on the back veranda she called him "Mr Giles, can I have a word with you please?" Her words were polite and respectful but her tone of voice brooked no argument. 

Eyeing the tall blond woman up and down he nodded his acquiesce.  When Xander and Willow made to join them she glared at them "I have nothing to say to you two, if and when I do, it will not be pleasant.  This is none of your business"

"You cone in here guns a blazing, no explanation, no name or anything, I don't think so buster" Willow put her hands on hips, indignant at being left out.

Looking the witch straight in the eye "You don't have a say in this Miss Rosenberg.  Back off and let me talk to the nice Watcher"

Seeing the determined look not to go anywhere in their faces Giles gently said "Go check on the girls while I speak with Miss…" he trailed off realising that the Woman had never introduced herself.

"Sam Carter" Sam filled in for him, while in the background Dawn's eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

'So this is Sam.  Funny I always thought it was a guy' the teenaged Summers thought to herself.

"I will speak with Miss Carter whilst the two of you see to everyone else" Giles insisted gently.

Once the two of them were out of hearing distance he turned to Sam all the gentleness of his voice was gone. "Now if you'd like to tell me what you and Buffy we're doing to so conveniently come to our aid tonight so quickly?"

"Do you really think that despite everything you said to her the other night she would let anything happen to you, if you do then you really don't know her."

Knowing the truth behind her words Giles managed to look ashamed "She never could let an innocent be harmed if she could help it"

"No she couldn't.  That's why tomorrow when I come and ask you to meet with Buffy and Faith you will agree.  If you want everyone living in this house to survive you will agree to do what we ask."

"I don't like being told what to do Miss Carter" Giles was astounded that this woman dared to walk into Sunnydale and start ordering people, especially him, around.

"You may not like being told what to do but if you want to keep those girls alive you'll listen to what we have to say.  I'll be round tomorrow" Without letting him, reply Sam turned around and walked off into the night.

Down the street Mac and Faith were running towards the house when they spied Buffy walking slowly away from it.  Looking up at the sound of pounding feet Buffy finally broke out of the stupor she had been in since seeing her friends face to face again, so soon after they had kicked her out. 

"What happened?" Mac asked breathlessly.

"Just a small scuffle at the house, only casualties of the robe kind.  I think Sam's back there, I just hope she doesn't hit anyone to hard." Buffy sighed deeply.

"I promise I didn't hit anyone, I just had a little chat with Mr Giles" Sam came up behind them.  "Do you guys want to take over watching the house?"

Mac and Faith nodded heading off to the Summers home.

Cheyenne Mountain Complex

Colorado Springs,

Colorado

Jack O'Neil was frantic as he ran through the SGC towards General Hammond's office.  Without bothering to knock he burst through the door breathless

"Sir, Carter… trouble… gun shots…" he gulped in a breath of air "taking Doc Fraiser and boys to California… need chopper and weapons, thanks"

Without waiting for a reply he left the office leaving a very confused General Hammond behind.

Next he stopped in his office long enough to bark an order down the phone for a helicopter to be ready within the hour, he was just locking up his office when the General finally caught up with him

"Jack, could you please tell me what in the hell is going on.  Major Carter is on holiday"

Jack shook his head "No she's not Sir.  Have you ever heard of a group called The Initiative? They used to have their base of Operations out of Sunnydale California"

General Hammond narrowed his eye's at Jack "I know what you're talking about, I had some minor dealings with them when they closed down, we considered recruiting some of their men.  What does that have to do with Major Carter"?

"Carter is there right now, with Buffy Summers" Jack watched the General carefully to see if there was any kind of reaction.

"Go, take what you need and get out there.  Tell Miss Summers if she ever needs a job to come and talk to me"

Jack simply gaped at the General not sure how to react "Listen to Miss Summers Jack, if your up against what she fights then you do what your told, she's the expert and she knows what she's doing"

Understanding the seriousness of The General's words Jack nodded his agreement, came to attention and at the General's nod of dismissal he ran to make sure everything else was ready.

Sunnydale, California

Giles stood there and watched the retreating back of one Sam Carter.  His mind trying ti fit her into the Sunnydale picture; she was to old to have gone to school with Buffy in either LA or Sunnydale.  That and the fact that neither Willow nor Xander had known who she was.  There was definatly something going on, he just didn't know what.  Turning back towards the house he saw Dawn still standing there a contemplative look on her face

"Dawn?" he attempted to get her attention

"Huh" She looked about her startled

Giles regarded her gently "Are you alright?"

"Yeah" she said absently "I always wondered who Sam was"

"Do you know who she is?"

"Nope, never met her.  I don't even know when Buffy met her, but I think it was the summer she ran away, cause it was after she got home that the letters started coming."  Dawn paused for a moment 

"They always made her smile" she finished wistfully