A/N - I had planned on updating this over the weekend – but then I cleaned. I've finally recovered
Thanks to jammies2000, Anna Bade, Aliana Jessie, Alexa Wolf, Blake 5, DragonKatGirl, anovnova, Bob the Almighty, Maria, phillip, hambert for reviewing. This last chapter was really hard to write – I rewrote it four times before I got it right, but these reviews kept me motivated. So keep my motivated by REVIEWING
Now on with the story!
Chapter 4 – Memories
Jack O'Neill arrived in Sunnydale without incident, much too his surprise. The last few years of leading SG1 had Jack convinced that if something could possibly go wrong, it would.
He felt a little guilty for simply leaving a note behind for Hammond, but he didn't have much choice in the matter. O'Neill just wished he had had the time to secure a hidden camera so he could see the look on the General's face with he discovered Jack gone with no explanation.
After arriving in Los Angeles, the Colonel had claimed his rental car, and after parking it in a vacant area, went to another rental service. Knowing Carter, it wouldn't take her long to track down his original rental car, or any credit card transactions so Jack was carrying thousand in cash. It was a hassle carrying cash around, but Jack was secure in the knowledge he could take any would-be muggers.
The long drive to Sunnydale gave Jack time to think – too much time in his opinion. Black ops personnel had a motto, "If possible, remember nothing." For the most part, O'Neill followed the code. Shutting away memories of assassination, both tortures he committed and endured, and friends' deaths into his subconscious.
But Project Full Moon was different.
Jack was chosen for the project because of his experiences with successful and not so successful missions. The colonel suspected that it was his ordeal as a prisoner that appealed to the program director, rather than his combat experience. Either way, Jack became second-in-command of Project Full Moon. He had been with the project a year before it shut down; the longest he'd been with any project until the Stargate program.
And he was the one responsible for its failure.
Jack pulled into the Sunnydale High parking lot. The students were streaming out of the building and the colonel realized that it was the end of the school day. Scanning the campus, Jack noticed the students avoiding a small, balding toad-like man.
He must be a teacher, he thought wryly.
"Excuse me, do you think you could tell me where Buffy Summers is, Mr…?"
"Snyder, Principal Snyder. Is the little delinquent finally being arrested for that murder in the library?" the man asked.
Jack kept his face blank, while his mind raced. Murder? Has the seal failed? But even then, she wouldn't…
"No, I just need to speak with her."
"She's probably in the library with that liberal librarian." Jack's eyebrows raised at that. Buffy? In a library?
Jack thanked him and made a mental note to ask Thor to transport the toad-like man to another planet. As he wondered around looking for the library, Jack wondered what Buffy was like now. When he had first met the girl, he was struck by the discrepancies between her record and her personality. Her transcripts indicated that she was self-indulged and spoiled, acting out to receive attention from her busy parents. In reality, the blond girl was strong, self-assured, and uncompromising in what she believed.
After ten minutes, Jack finally found the library. Opening the doors, Jack was surprised by the amount of people present. He didn't remember the library being this popular in High School. There were three teenagers, and two adults – and given the tweed, Jack assumed the man was the librarian. The blond woman seemed familiar, but O'Neill couldn't place where he had met her before.
"Hi, I was told I could find Buffy Summers here," Jack stated, not being able to see her behind the dark hair girl.
"May I ask whom you are?" the man asked.
"I'm…," and before Jack could finish he heard his named called out, and felt Buffy's hug before he recognized her. The girl's hugs were unique -- a mixture of strength and vulnerability.
"It's good to see you again, short stuff."
The Scooby gang stared in shock as their friend hugged the stranger. Faith eyed the older man with suspicion, and a little jealousy. The suspicion grew as the dark slayer noticed the confused look on the other slayer's mother. Whoever this man is, he wasn't a friend of the family.
Buffy broke her fierce hug and looked at Jack with affection. Joyce's eyes narrowed as she recognized the look as one she and Hank used to receive from their daughter before … everything. It was a look of complete faith and love and trust. A look she no longer received from her daughter – though the love was still there, the faith and trust were gone.
Seeing the woman's growing aggravation, Giles cleared his throat.
"May we have an introduction, Buffy?"
The slayer turned to the others, looking sheepish.
"Oops, sorry guys. Everyone, this is Jack …" catching Jack's almost nonexistent head shake, continued, "O'Connor. Jack these are my friends Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Rupert Giles, and Faith …," Buffy cocked her head to the side. "Faith, you've never actually mentioned your last name," she said, looking at the younger girl inquiringly.
The dark slayer shrugged. "Sorry, B, but only those who know me intimately know my last name," she said with a dirty smirk, and slight invitation.
Buffy rolled her eyes, but a small smile played on her lips.
"Oh, and of course you know my mom, Joyce Summers."
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the slayer winced. Jack started as he placed the blond woman; then nodded curtly in acknowledgement of the introduction.
Joyce frowned in confusion.
"Honey, you must be mistaken. Mr. O'Connor and I have never met."
Jack's facial expression never changed, but his anger was rising. How could the woman not remember? Her own daughter…
"Right, mom, you know me, forgetful girl," Buffy agreed quickly.
"Since we're done here, me and Jack are going to go and catch up." Buffy grabbed Jack's arm and began to drag him out of the room. The others protested but were silenced by a glare from the older slayer.
"I said, we're done."
With that they left.
*******************************
Jack and Buffy stared at each other from across the table, each unsure on how to start.
"So," "So," They began in unision, and burst out laughing, the tension broken. They both made small talk until the sun set; Buffy telling stories about her friends, and Jack on his team. Finally, Buffy broached the subject they were both avoiding.
"Jack 'Forcryingoutloud' O'Neill, I need to know what's going on. I remember some of what happened but not everything, and not nearly enough. I barely know enough to recognize the others. I remember that I trust you, so trust me now and tell me what's going on."
Jack sighed.
"You aren't supposed to remember anything. That's what the seal on your was for, even if you met the others you shouldn't have remembered anything about them – least of all, about myself."
Buffy was quiet for a long time, staring out the window into the darkness.
"I began having dreams. At first I didn't recognize anyone, there are some I still don't. But I always recognized you." Buffy turned to stare Jack in the eyes.
"Whatever happened three years ago is happening again, isn't it? That's why I'm remembering. Now everyone, or almost everyone, is here. If I'm going to fight to protect them, I need to know what's going on."
Jack smiled. Even now, with much of her memory blocked, she still felt the need to protect everyone. The smile faded as he prepared to utter the words he had made a vow to never say.
"Project Full Moon has been reinitiated. May you hunt always under a blood moon with your pack."
Buffy closed her eyes as the words tore away the fog in her mind. And when they opened again, they were filled with a dark wildness.
"Welcome back, First One."
************************
General Hammond greeted the remaining members of SG1 as the huddled around the computer screen.
"Have you found the colonel, Major?"
"We've located the vehicle he reserved at the airport rental, but it was abandoned in a vacant lot. I haven't been able to find any trace of him since."
"ColonelONeill is a skilled warrior. If he does not wish to be found, I fear we will be unable to track him," Teal'c concluded.
"What if we asked Thor for help? I'm sure he would be willing to help find Jack, since he considers the Colonel a friend," suggested Daniel.
"Sir, unless the colonel uses his credit cards or security number, I don't think I'll be able to find him."
The general nodded. "Very well, Carter, contact Thor and notify him of the situation."
***************************
Joyce Summers sat in her kitchen, waiting. Ever since she'd learned her daughter was the Slayer, or rather a Slayer, it felt like all she ever did was wait. She had waited to confront her daughter about her unusual behaviour lately. Now, she waited for her daughter to come home from her…visit.
Joyce frowned as she remembered her daughter's earlier statement. Now that she thought about it, Mr. O'Connor did seem familiar.
Digging through her address book, Joyce reached for the cordless.
"Hank? It's Joyce, I needed to ask you a question. Do you know a Jack O'Connor?"
There was a pause on the other side of the line.
"Of course, Joyce, don't you remember? He was Dr. Hathaway's assistant."
"Dr. Hathaway?"
"Buffy's doctor."
"I don't remember her being in the hospital."
There was another silence.
"Her doctor at the, um…, mental hospital."
Memories flashed through Joyce's mind. Vaguely she heard Hank making excuses about being busy, and having to go.
"Thanks, bye," she said distantly, hanging up the phone, and slid to the floor.
"I had forgotten," she whispered. She placed her face in her hands and sobbed.
"I had forgotten."
TBC
A/N: Woah, deep. That turned out pretty good for all the trouble it was giving me.
For the stargate timeline, I don't think Jack and Thor were that close of friends yet, but I really wanted to bring in the Asguard so I'm straying abit from cannon. Who cares, im the writer!