FIC: Daddy Dearest (6/?)

Jack listened with a sinking heart to his two team-mates' report, the details they filled in only adding to his pain and guilt. After a few seconds he grew vaguely aware of General Hammond berating Daniel for revealing the existence of the Stargate and Daniel defending himself. "How do you feel?"

He looked up at Sam's soft voice, smiling weakly at the concern he saw in her expressive eyes. "Like the biggest piece of scum in the world," he replied. "Which is funny considering I am."

"You can't blame yourself for what happened-."

"Did you hear the reports?" he hissed, angry, more angry than he could ever remember being. "Faith was physically, sexually, and emotionally abused from an early age. She was forced to watch as her adoptive mother was murdered. She accidentally killed a man and murdered another. The only reason she's still around is because of an ensoulled vampire for god's sake!" he looked down at the desk. "She blames me. And I blame me." Feeling a bone-chilling wind whistle around the underground chamber, he looked up. "What the-?"

"What do ya think of all this stuff they said?" Faith demanded. "Aliens? Gotta be bullshit, right?"

After a second he shook his head. "No." Faith's mouth opened. "Hold on. Remember Thor, he looked like a Roswell alien didn't he?"

"Well shit," Faith leapt to her feet, leaving an empty space between his arms where he'd been holding her. "Fuck me!"

"What again?" he winked at his girl-friend. "That'll make it five times in the past three hours. I'm sort of running on empty right about now."

"Asshole," Faith grinned the whole-hearted smile she seemed to reserve for him alone, the one that reminded him of the sweet, good-hearted girl that his love hid beneath her leather armour.

Swallowing slightly he asked the question that had been bugging for the past hour. "Faith, about your dad?"

The smile disappeared instantly. "Ain't my dad, just some sperm donor is all."

"Faith," Xander tried again. He was reasonably sure Faith wouldn't kill him. "He's made mistakes, but he's your father, the only famil-."

"You're the only family I've ever wanted or needed," his girlfriend dropped on the bed beside him. "Just drop it -," suddenly Faith smiled again, but this was the shit-eating one that always preceded trouble. "Oh, oh, Daddy's gonna get a spanking."

"Got it!"

Giles looked up at Willow's shout. Leaping to his feet, he hurried to the red-head's side. "You've cracked the code?"

Willow shot him an amused look. "The term Giles is hacked." The computer expert turned back to the computer, her eyes hardening. "He's an Air Force General in command of Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. See you later Giles."

"What?" His eyes widened as he realised what the silly bloody girl was going to do. "No! I," he lunged to grab her shoulder only for her to disappear in front of him, "forbid it. Oh bugger!" Sighing slightly, some days they didn't give him even the illusion of control, he reached for the phone. "Hello Kennedy? How many Slayers do we have in America? Twenty? And at the Hellmouth? Six? Get your passport, you and I are taking a flight to America. Yes, this is about Xander and Faith." He sighed at the Slayer's next question. "Yes I suppose if Faith is involved, she will have to come. Willow?" he glared at the empty chair. "She's chosen to take another method."

Jack's mouth dropped open as the red-head walked through the conference room wall, her eyes glowing black. He'd never seen the young woman before and yet she was more than a little familiar. He looked down at the papers scattered across the desk. Ah, there she was, Harris' childhood friend. "Uh -."

Suddenly he and the SG-1 were flung into the walls, leaving a suddenly very besieged-looking General Hammond standing on his own. The SGC commanding officer lunged for the alert button. The Witch laughed when the Texan pressed down on it. "Oops, disconnected." O'Neill tried to move but found himself frozen in place. The Wicca turned to him. He gulped, Darth Rosenberg was in the house. "You hurt her didn't you?" The Witch pointed at Hammond, freezing his commanding Officer even as he lunged at her, which probably wasn't the soundest tactical decision General Hammond had ever made. The red-head's snapped towards him, her eyes somehow growing darker. "You bastard, you're her father." His eyes widened, how did she know that? The Witch turned back to Hammond. "Take me to them," she commanded before grabbing Hammond's hand. "And they better be alright." Suddenly the two disappeared.

"Was that magic O'Neill?"

Jack glared at Teal'c, sometimes his friend asked the dumbest questions. "What do you think?" he snapped as he struggled to his feet. This was turning into a very bad day. He'd had more fun being Apophis' prisoner. "Shall we?"

"All those stairs," Daniel complained. "Why couldn't we take the same route General Hammond did?"

"Shut up Daniel."

"Hey red-haired girl!" Xander jumped off the bed when Willow appeared, dragging a bewildered looking Hammond behind her. He glanced at his smirking girl-friend. "You knew?" he accused.

"It's that Slayer – Slayer activating Wicca thing X," Faith explained. "Sensed her coming near."

"Cool," he embraced his best friend. "Good to see you Will."

His childhood friend hugged him back. "And you-."

"What is going on -."

The officer fell silent when Willow's head snapped round to him. "Yes," the Wicca stepped towards the Texan. "That's what I'd like to know-."

The cell door crashed open. "What's -."

"SILENTIUM!" Willow's voice crashed out. Instantly Jack and the other SG-1 members were pinned to the wall, their mouths moving but no sound coming out.

Hammond stared for a few seconds at his team before shaking his head. "I don't suppose you could teach me that, only sometimes Colonel -," the General coughed nervously at Willow's glare. "Never mind," after a second the SGC commanding officer stuck out a hand. "Miss Rosenberg I believe?"

Willow glanced at Faith and him. He shrugged. "He seems to be on the level."

"Yeah," Faith added. "Just don't be making nice with pops."

"Oh," Xander gulped when Willow's eyes turned black for a second. "I won't."

"So you're telling me that the ancient legends of the Norse and the Egyptians are based on aliens?" Willow blinked. This was all too amazing. She stared around the conference room, her, Xander, Faith, General Hammond, and SG-1 had retired to. On the way there, Major Carter had explained the science of Stargates. Fascinating, simply fascinating.

"You wanna meet Thor Red," Faith enthused. "Wicked cool!"

"The honour is all mine," Willow jumped as an alien teleported into the seat next to her and offered her his withered hand even as he stared intently at her, his eyes filled with what could only be interest. "Put it there." Giggling slightly, she shook the alien's hand.

"I told you not to lend him DVDs Jack," she heard Daniel mutter.

"Well he asked," Jack replied. "It's not like Teal'c ever paid any attention to our efforts to immerse him in pop culture."

"Yeah, but did you have to lend him 'The John Wayne Collection'?"

"American history, you above all people should recognise the importance of history," the Colonel replied, his tone smug.

"K!" Faith's head was hurting from listening to Sam, Red, and Thor talk about if magic was just another science. "Time out!" she glared at the trio. "My brain's about to explode with all this crap-."

"Would that not hurt Miss O'N-," she growled warningly. "Doolan?" Thor enquired.

"It's a saying Commander," General Hammond interjected. "And one that I would have to agree with."

"Thanks Shiny," she smiled at the SGC chief who sighed.

"Faith," Xander muttered.

"What?" Faith turned to her boyfriend, her eyes wide. "I'm being friendly, charming. You always say I'm charming."

"Never mind," Xander slumped back in his chair.

General Hammond looked from her to Xander before shaking his head. "Your Mr. Giles has my profound sympathy, I've only got to put up with -," the Texan glanced at O'Neill. "Anyway, can we get on with deciphering the prophecy?"

"Ah," Faith nodded sagely. "I can see why you're the leader. Obviously a master tactician." Xander groaned. "What's up honey?"

Hammond sighed. "And you have my profound sympathy too Mr. Harris. Dr. Jackson?"

"The first part refers to Faith and Xander," Daniel nodded at them. "The second part read 'Three Warriors Who Together Strive For Redemption. One who is soulled who should not be. One who was born who could not be. One who has power but not -."

"Oh crap," Xander groaned. "Redemption Inc. Deadboy, Liveboy, and Electro."

"Wicked cool!" Faith's enthused reaction was the opposite of Xander's. Fang was her hero, Connor's crush was wicked funny, especially when she teased Fang about taking him for a spin, and Gwen was like her soul-sister. "We know 'em. Who's next Joe 90?"

Daniel blinked at the nickname. "Okay, the black knife who was born of mortal and yet a vampire."

"Blade," Xander commented, Faith glanced at her boyfriend confused. "His mom was a mortal but he's a vampire because of Frost. Throw in his name and his colour."

"K," she kissed her boyfriend on the cheeks. "Brains as well as looks hon," she glanced at Daniel. "So get on with it Lara." Her father snorted. "You find something funny pops?"

"The one who defends God but is not a man of," Daniel intoned.

"Jack Crow," seeing the Military personnel's confused faces she explained. "The Vatican's number one hunter, he ain't what you'd call a believer but he's damn good."

"One with evil in his heart, but fights a greater evil."

"I know this one," Willow put in. Faith glanced at Xander's best friend, surprised at the disdain in her voice. "He's a prospective Watcher we rejected, an escaped bank robber who now hunts vampires in Mexico. He's good at what he does, but not a nice man, we wouldn't trust him with a girl."

"One with wisdom to lead. Fifteen with the power to follow. And one wounded inside but stronger than all."

Faith exchanged puzzled looks with Xander and Willow. "Sorry, that doesn't ring a bell," Willow answered for all of them.

"And finally," Daniel swallowed. "One of science, one of strength, one of knowledge, and one of experience. Which would be us."

Faith's heart dropped. "No fucking way. You are not coming! I've never needed that mother-fucker," she pointed a furious finger at her father, "my entire life! I'm not trusting my life to that prick!" She began to stand, ready to launch herself at the bastard.

"STAND DOWN DOOLAN!"

She jumped at Hammond's shout. Before she knew it she was sat down, staring disbelievingly at the commanding officer. Man, that bellow was inhuman. "Got banshee blood in ya Shiny?" she joked weakly.

She gulped at General Hammond's glare. Okay, so maybe the old guy was more scary than she thought. "We'll work out who the mystery line refers to later, tonight I want you three," the man's gaze took in her, Xand, and Red, "to take SG-1 out and introduce them to a vampire." She opened her mouth to protest. "Not. A. Word." She closed her mouth again.

"Hooray!" Willow exulted. "Patrol party!"

Faith stared with disgust at the Wicca. "Red, you get you're like the world's most powerful person right?"

Willow pouted. "What? I can't have fun?"