Part 20
Jack moaned and rolled on to his back, shaking his head gingerly as he tried to remember what happened.
"Unnnn Danny"
Carefully sitting up he reached a tentative hand to his head and felt the dried blood that had congealed in his hair. He got slowly to his feet and reached for his pants, unsteadily pulling them on while his eyes searched the room. The clothes he left for Daniel were gone and the window was open, he stood on the bed and looked out. The alley was empty and the sun had risen higher so he estimated that he must have been out for at least an hour maybe more.
He ran as fast as he could from the room, staggering slightly as he made it to the front of the shop.
"Daniels gone"
Surprised faces surrounded him and Sam managed to catch him before he could fall, he threw an arm around her and braced himself on her.
"But how sir"
Jack's face coloured a little and Sam's raised eyebrows were imitated around the group.
"He ummm seduced me….."
"Yeah right Jack"
Jack wryly acknowledged the slayers barb while Teal'c picked up a comunit and started checking with the patrols, he moved slowly away from the group.
"Ok it didn't take much, anyways back to the point here people, he whacked me over the head when I was distracted and hightailed it outa here through the window."
Jack let go of Sam and nearly fell over so he let her guide him to a chair. Tara fetched the first aid kit while Sam checked the wound on his head. He winced as she cleaned the blood away,
"It just seems to be a flesh wound sir, I don't think you have concussion, what did he hit you with?"
"A really big book"
Buffy mock glared at Giles, "And you said research wouldn't kill us"
Giles looked down his nose at Buffy while she smiled unrepentantly and dipped her head.
"Yes well, be that as it may, we still need to find out where Daniel went"
Jack rubbed a hand carefully over the bandage Sam had fixed on his head, his expression rueful.
"Well I think it's pretty obvious where he's gone"
Teal'c walked back over to the group, "The patrols have seen no sign of Daniel Jackson"
Buffy started to collect weapons, preparing to follow Daniel when suddenly the door of the magic shop was blown off its hinges. The scoobies and Sg1 scrambled for defensible positions as through the dust a Jaffa holding a staff weapon at the ready slowly entered the room. Teal'c was poised to return fire until a familiar voice cut through the dusty air.
"Hold your fire"
Jack signalled the team to hold tight and his heart lurched as Daniel strode into the room as if he owned it. His muscular body was attired in the traditional slave garb, showing off his body beautifully, his attitude was arrogant as he surveyed the shambles. Jack stumbled towards him but was brought up short by the business end of the Jaffa's staff weapons. The four Jaffa surrounded Daniel in a guard formation, at his command they moved behind him. Jack was confused but he drew himself up to his full height, heart breaking as he saw the contemptuous look in his lovers eyes. Those same icy blue eyes swept the room until they encountered equally blue eyes in a distressed face. Daniel smiled and William swallowed at the malice he sensed from the man. Still focused on William, Daniel began to speak.
"You are commanded by your God Nefu to surrender the Daywalker to me."
Shock coursed through Jack and he stepped closer, the Jaffa stepped forward but Daniel motioned them to stay where they were, allowing Jack to stand before him.
"Daniel what the matter with you, why are you doing this. For Christ's sake your one of the good guys."
Daniel smiled cruelly, his glance slid over Jack from his toes to the top of his head, then dismissed him.
"The Daniel Jackson you knew is dead. I have no name now other than Slave"
Jack searched Daniels eyes for some sign but saw nothing but disdain there. Jack's heart broke a little more at the sight of the whip and bite marks on Daniel's body. He reached out slowly to touch the man in front of him but Daniel stepped back away from Jack, his distaste evident. Jack's voice was soft and low with need as he addressed the stranger in his lover's body.
"Danny why…"
"Your lover is no more Tauri scum, I live to serve my master…..in all ways"
Dismissing Jack, Daniel moved back to stand between the Jaffa, his voice fell upon the shocked group.
From a pouch around his neck, Daniel brought out the necklace, dangling the glittering silver length in front of him. William gasped in shock as he recognised the chain, Daniel merely laughed and threw it at the daywalker's feet. William dropped to the ground in abject misery and picked it up gently, cradling it in his shaking hands.
"This belonged to one you hold dear. My master commands the Daywalker to come before him, fail to comply and your loved one will face a fate worse than mere death."
William bowed his head over the chain in his hands, a silent tear fell and his hands clenched. His shoulders shuddered for a moment and when he lifted his head to speak, Radic's voice is the one they all hear.
Steel cold and quiet Radic demands of his adversary "Is my mate unharmed?"
Daniel tilts his head and smiles amorally at the change in William, his own voice is mocking.
"He….serves my master"
"Oh god no"
Willow comes forward, rage on her face and in her eyes, she begins chanting, only a moment passes as power fills the room and Daniel and the Jaffa look around uncomfortably. The energy starts to peak and Willow gestures towards the cluster of men at the front of the shop. Shock hits them all as the expected attack fails, Willow wails as the power drains away, green fire sucking the energy away as she falls exhausted to the floor. Daniel's taunting voice floats through the despair to them.
"I will return for you before night falls daywalker, surrender or you lover will face an eternity of pain."
Jack stretched out a hand, then as Daniel walked away it dropped back to his side, forlornly he lets Sam take him in her arms. Teal'c is a steady presence behind them as SG1 takes comfort from each other. Giles and Tara help Willow to her feet, Buffy hugged William close as Radic releases control to the distressed man. For a moment the shocked silence hangs around them like a pall, then one by one they start to ask questions, throw ideas at each other, trying desperately to plan a defence. Sam got out her equipment and measured the energy level in the shop.
"The magical energy is depleting, it's much worse than before."
"That explains why I couldn't throw that spell"
Willow let Tara comfort her, the blonde girl hugging her gently
"I'm surprised that you could gather the amount of energy that you did Willow"
Giles sat heavily his elbows on the table as he slid his hands over his face tiredly.
Willow shrugged, dark circles still hung under her green eyes.
"I just wish it had worked."
William sat down beside Giles nervously running the chain through his fingers.
"Thank you for trying Willow, I wish I knew that Alexander was alright"
Jack came out of his introspection and squeezed Sam's hand moving away from her to stand alone.
"We need a plan"
"Yes quite right, obviously we can't let Nefu take Spike, umm William or Radic"
"Ya got that right"
"Our patrols followed the Jaffa but lost them in the woods"
"Ok we need to work with what we got."
Sam fiddled some more with her equipment then moved to her laptop to check her findings.
"We know that Nefu is pulling the magical energy from the Hellmouth into his crystal, right"
The group nodded at this statement, Giles started to chew thoughtfully on his glasses.
"Ok then, magical energy is not limited to the Hellmouth is it, I mean we've tried to throw spells at him and that didn't work right, no offence Willow"
Willow smiled at Sam,
"None taken, oh hey Giles do you think that the same thing would apply to magical objects"
"No I don't believe it would, not unless Nefu specifically calls for the objects energy"
Giles leaned back in his chair, before moving forward to touch the chain wound around William's fingers. Glancing at the man beside him for permission, Giles took the chain and regarded it thoughtfully.
"William did you give this to Xander?"
"Yes we did, Spike gave it to him just recently"
"But its special , right, not something taken or given lightly"
William cocked his head, his blue eyes bright as he remembered.
"That's right"
Giles smiled at William, and then at the group around him
"That's it"
Mystified looks were cast at him, and he stood up holding the chain before him.
"This is the answer, right here, this chain is our way to get Xander back and Daniel as well"
Jack sat back in his chair, disbelief evident on his face.
"Are you on something Giles, cause I could use something right about now"
Tara smiled and the shy girl as always cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"It's a focus"
Willow's head snapped around to regard her girlfriend an amazed smile on her face.
"Of course, oh Giles this is wonderful, but how will we get it to work."
Sam looked up from her computer, at once interested by the arcane.
"I don't think there's enough energy left to do any sort of large spell"
Giles started to pace,
"No you're right, we would need a large amount of energy to do this"
"Ok, ok, what the hell are we doing and what the hell do we need"
Sam smiled and Jack nearly stepped back, she had that look in her eye again, this did not bode well.
"Sir I believe that Giles and Willow want to use the necklace as a focus for a spell, as it belonged to Xander and was something important to him."
"Ok but what sort of spell are we talking about here"
Sam glanced at Giles for support, he moved to take a book from the shelf, turning to a particular page before handing the book to Willow.
"We need to tune this spell into Xander, specifically to break Nefu's hold on him, we can't send it back with William as a chain, we should meld it together with something else. A weapon perhaps, that way the spell could enable the weapon to pierce Nefu's shields."
Buffy rummaged in her weapons bag and pulled a silver dagger out, the bright metal glinted in the dim light.
"What about this, its big enough to do some damage without being to noticeable"
Giles took the dagger and turned it in his hands, the bare blade was razor sharp.
"I think this will be perfect, now we need to gather enough energy to perform the spell"
Sam smiled and Jack winced, this was not going to be good.
"I think I know where we can tap into that much energy"
"Sam…" Jack voice carried a warning, but Sam stopped him with a look.
"Sir, there's one place in the world where we could have access to such a large amount of energy'
"Oh the General's not gonna like this"
Jack shook his head in defeat, sighing and motioning at Sam to continue, she smiled delightedly at the assembled group.
"We need to use the Stargate"
tbc
!!!!!