Title: Rebuilding

Disclaimer: I still don't own Buffy or Stargate. All characters will be returned the their proper owners when I finish playing with them.

Xander watched JT follow Dr. Warner into the infirmary. "So, Dr. Jackson, care to show me the cafeteria?"

Xander and Daniel walked down the hallway discretely followed by an SF. Xander took note that two SFs remained at the doors to the infirmary.

Breakfast was being served when they arrived in the mess hall. Xander loaded his tray with scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, and toast. Daniel just picked up another cup of coffee.

"Caffeine junkie?"

"Umm, yeah. Got hooked in grad school." Daniel looked at Xander's plate with a combination of awe and horror. Even Teal'c would have had a problem with that quantity of food. "And you?"

Xander glanced at his plate. "I tend to overeat when I'm stressed. Anya claimed that I packed on thirty pounds after we announced our engagement."

"Should we be expecting her to show up too?"

"No, she didn't make it out of Sunnydale."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I've had nearly two years to come to terms with it. She went down fighting the good fight."

They walked over to Dr. Langford's table and sat down.

"Daniel, Xander," a rather sleepy Dr. Langford greeted the pair. "Where's everybody else?"

"Sam and Teal'c are with General Hammond, JT and Miss Summers are in the infirmary."

"Are they alright?"

"Zats and pregnancy don't mix well but Buffy's stable."

"A pregnant Slayer?"

"Yeah, it was a bit of shock when she told me. Buffy never thought she'd be able to have kids."

"Slayers can't have children?"

"They can Daniel, they just don't as a rule. The Council tried to prevent the Slayers from having anything resembling a normal life, family, friends, boyfriends. They all distract from the mission. Besides, most Slayers just don't live very long and a pregnant Slayer isn't going to be able to defend herself very well."

"And it's hard on any kids that they do have. Buffy's last boss in Sunnydale was the son of a Slayer. Most of his memories of his mother revolve around her being the Slayer. He was only five or six when Spike killed his mother. Lots of unresolved issues there."

"Spike, wasn't that the name of..."

Xander nodded but before he could say anything Carter and Teal'c rejoined the group.

"Catherine, General Hammond would like to speak with you."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say he is a little more receptive than before."

"Well in that case, if the rest of you will excuse me." Dr. Langford got up and headed out of the mess hall.

"I take it someone has dug a little deeper."

"Indeed. AgentBarrett contacted AgentFinn for information about Willow."

"Riley or Sam?" At the confused looks, Xander elaborated. "Riley and Samantha Finn are old 'friends' from Sunnydale. And before you ask, Riley was involved with the Initiative and is another of Buffy's ex-boyfriends. So, what do you think you know about Willow?"

"Computer geek that once skinned a man alive?"

"Damn, I was kinda hoping that no one knew about that incident."

"There were others?"

"She went through a bad patch a couple of years ago when she got hooked on magic. She was pretty much self trained and didn't realize how dangerous magic could be when used for selfish purposes."

"Selfish purposes?"

"It started with raising Buffy from the dead. We didn't realize that we were more concerned with our pain at missing Buffy than with what was best for Buffy. It was a complete fuck up. Not only did we pull her out of heaven and back into Sunnyhell, we forgot to dig her up first. She had to claw her way out of her grave. Buffy was pretty messed up for a while but we were too busy patting ourselves on the back to see it. We didn't realize that Willow had really gotten a taste for power either. Tara and I didn't know just how dark the magic she used was although Anya must have. Part of the pre-ritual ritual included animal sacrifice. After that, Willow began using magic for little things, to open the blinds instead of just walking over and opening them by hand. Her girlfriend tried to warn her but Willow didn't listen and Tara left her. Willow hooked up with another witch and got pulled deeper into the magic scene but mostly doing pranks, no real harm. An accident finally made her realize that she was in over her head and she went cold turkey. She and Tara started to work through their problems and were getting back together when Tara was shot by a stray bullet. The shooter nearly killed Buffy as well. After that, Willow went off the deep end for a bit. And yes, she did kill the shooter, and no, you don't want the details. But don't feel too sorry for the shooter, he was seriously warped. Tara wasn't the first girl he killed either. But killing him didn't make Willow feel any better and she nearly killed the rest of us before she finally calmed down. Afterwards, Giles placed her with a coven that was powerful enough to control her until she learned to control herself."

"If she's off the magic why should we be worried about her?"

"I didn't say she was off the magic, I said she learned to control herself. Big difference. Last year she was the one who activated all of the Potential Slayers. She didn't do it with her computer skills."

"So she's very powerful, just not homicidal?"

"I wouldn't recommend pushing her too hard but that's a fair assessment. She is capable of leveling this place but she won't do it if there is an alternative. You just need to make sure there is an acceptable alternative."

"In other words, we are just supposed to let you go."

"That would do it, but I'm guessing that Buffy isn't going anywhere for a bit."

"That is correct. DoctorWarner believes that she must remain in bed until the danger of miscarriage is past."

"Well, you could let me have my cell phone back and I could place a call or two."

A rather red-faced Carter spoke up. "Um, you might want to use another phone."

"Why?"

"Security attempted to trace the calls you made on your cell phone."

"And when it didn't work?"

"Felger took it apart. When he couldn't figure out why the calls were untraceable, he tried to put it back together but it doesn't work anymore."

Xander groaned.

"Care to explain why the calls couldn't be traced?"

"'It's a kind of magic?' No seriously, it really is. All calls, non-traceable. Very secure, maybe too secure in this case. And you've probably been checking the hotel phone as well."

"And those calls couldn't be traced either."

"What can I say? You guys aren't the only ones with a case of raging paranoia. Ever since Prof. Walsh tried to kill Buffy, we've been a bit edgy."

"You could use one of our phones," Carter suggested hopefully.

"I think I'll pass. How about sending me topside before she gets here?"

"General Hammond may have other ideas."

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"Hey Buff. You trying to give me grey hair?" JT dragged a chair next to her bed.

"I've been told that it makes you looked distinguished."

"I'm not ready to look like Jack just yet. So, how do you feel?"

"I've been worse."

"You've been dead, too."

"Not too bad really. The bleeding has stopped and the doctor says the baby's heartbeat is steady." Buffy looked into JT's eyes. "I'll be fine. I'm just tired."

"Then try to sleep."

"Join me?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't think that will go over to well with the guys with needles. I'll stay here while you sleep."

------------

Dr. Warner went into his office and placed a call to the general. "General Hammond?"

"How is she?"

"She is almost out of danger. Normally I'd suggest at least two weeks of bedrest but she is recovering much faster than I would have thought. I think that she will be ready to get up and around within the next couple of days."

"And JT?"

"He's with her right now."

"How is he taking it?"

"Well they both made a couple of jokes before she went to sleep. He's watching over her."

"Good. Let me know if there are any changes."

-----------

"Agents Riley and Samantha Finn?"

"Yes, sir."

"Major Davis. I am the Pentagon liason for the base that we are heading to."

They walked towards a waiting car. The three of them get in and settle in for the drive to the base.

"You're the one with the missing contact."

"Yes, but my contact is no longer missing however. He was found dead in a park. Apparent suicide."

"His connection to Kinsey?"

"An intern."

"How's Buffy?"

"She's recovering. Our doctor believes that she is unlikely to miscarry at this point."

"Has Willow been spotted?"

"We traced her to the Calendar School for Girls in Cleveland but lost her again."

"She'll be here if she isn't already."

"We are watching the airports in the area."

"You won't find her unless she wants you to."

"Agent Barrett briefed me on your conversation with him earlier. Anything that you care to add?"

"Other than the obligatory 'your in over your head' comment? No." Riley shifted in his seat. "What's the base's commanding officer like?"

"He's a good man. His people trust him."

"How good is he in handling the unusual?"

"Very good. Although from the video clips, I'd say your idea of unusual is a bit different than his."

"Very likely. Can you tell me how Buffy got tangled up in another top secret military project?"

"She contacted a key member of the project with material that was related to the project. It was thought that perhaps we had a leak but the material was from an independent group. The background check on Miss Summers raised some red flags. We put a surveillance team on the project member as well as a former member that we thought she might contact. Mr. Harris and Mr. Thorsson incapacitated the second team. Afterward, we arranged to have them brought on to the base."

"And that's when everything went wrong. So, why bring potential security risks on base?"

"Mr. Thorsonn claimed a connection to the base's second in command. We didn't believe him but we thought that containment was better than having him on the outside."

"So why bring Buffy and Xander?"

"Miss Summers was fairly insistent that she would accompany him. Mr. Harris accompanied her."

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Willow had dissolved the glamour as soon as they rented a car at the airport. The dark haired slayer looked at the witch.

"So, where do we start?"

"Let's try Dr. Jackson's. If we need to do some intimidating, we might as well scare the guy that won't be joining the Council."

"And if he isn't there?"

"I'm betting that his place is still being watched. We'll just use the watchers to find Buffy."