FIC: Daddy Dearest (9?)

"Uh, uh," Giles nodded vaguely as Major Carter explained how the Stargate worked. There was no doubt she was a striking and intelligent young lady, but listening to her talk science must be roughly to similar what it had been like for Xander when he'd lectured the youth on mythology. "And how do you intend to get the other people mentioned in the prophecy here?"

"That will be my duty."

"Gah!" Giles jumped into the air at the unexpected voice by his side.

"I love it when Thor does that."

He ignored Xander's mutter to turn to the alien. Faith's description of the alien as 'a shrivelled, bug-eyed dwarf' was unkind and politically incorrect, but ultimately accurate. "Thor, of the Asgard High Command I assume?" he offered the alien his hand.

The Asgard nodded and took his hand. "That is correct Mr. Rupert Giles," the alien appeared to smile. "It is a great honour to meet the head of the Watchers' Council." After releasing his hand, the alien was engulfed by a shimmering white light.

"Good lord."

"Told you G would say that." He ignored the sight of Faith taking a twenty dollar bill from Xander.

"So let me get this right?" Angel couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're the son of two vampires, our business partner is a woman who can generate enough electricity to power a city block-."

"And that's just with a smile."

Angel ignored Gwen in favour of continuing his rant. "And we run a supernatural detective agency. And what do you want to do on our night off? Go to a comic-book convention!"

His son did a typically teen-age shrug from the desk he was sat behind. "When Xander was here last -."

"XANDER!" Angel roared. "It's bad enough Faith hangs off his every word, don't you start!"

"If it helps I'm reasonably sure I'm not going to sleep with him."

Angel shuddered at the images that shot through him at Connor's mutterings. Taking a moment to shoot an unamused glance at a giggling Gwen, he continued in a calmer tone. "Connor if you want to go to the convention, we'll go," he grimaced at the thought of all those teenagers. Gwen definitely wasn't coming, it would be humiliating to be the first vampire killed in a hormonal stampede.

"I'm afraid your social engagement will have to wait."

Faith grinned at the bemused look on Fang's face when Thor teleported his team into the crowded briefing room. "Vampire!"

"Oh crap!" her eyes widened as Dana launched herself out of the seat beside her and onto the desk, charging towards Angel. Leaping forward, she grabbed hold of her sister Slayer's ankle and pulled her feet from beneath her. The younger girl fell but almost immediately began climbing to her feet. Muttering curses under her breath, Faith leapt onto the desk and grabbed her fellow Slayer's shoulders. "Listen to me little sis," she urged. "Angel is different-."

"Got that right."

Faith ignored Xander's comment as distinctly unhelpful, concentrating instead on restraining her protégé, something that was almost impossible given the younger Slayer's greater power. "Vampire," she snarled. "Kill vampire!"

"Listen to me little sis!" she implored. "You trust me?" After a second Dana nodded. "Good girl, now look into my memories, you can see Angel helping me right?" Again Dana nodded. "Now you gonna sit down?"

"Five by five."

"There's a good girl," she pulled the now unresisting Slayer off the table and back into her seat. "You okay now?" she smiled as Xander placed a hand on Dana's shoulder and whispered something into her sister's ear making her giggle.

"You're Dana?" Angel asked, an intent look on his face. "You look a lot better than the last time-."

Dana growled. "Dana," Faith warned. "Behave. If Angel hadn't helped us find you… Be polite."

Dana moved closer to her, her eyes confused as she looked at Angel. "Dana," she confirmed with a nod. "Faith's sister." Faith grinned when the younger girl ruffled her hair. "She calls you Fang."

"Amongst other things." Angel blinked as he looked around. "Just where are we anyway?"

After a second, General Hammond stepped forward and offered Angel a hand. Faith raised an eyebrow, Shiny had balls no doubt about it. "Hello Angel," the portly Texan began. "You're in a top-secret military installation-."

As the soldier before him talked, Angel cast the Slayer beside Faith a nervous glance. There'd never been a Slayer quite like Dana, he'd known that when they'd first captured her. Buffy and Faith were both powerful, far more powerful than the Slayers that had been called at the Battle Of Sunnydale, and as well as other Slayers he'd run into as Angelus. But Dana was far, far more formidable than either of them, like the Master was far stronger than him. Perhaps the stresses life had put her under gave the demon inside her a greater hold over her.

Angel resisted the temptation to swear curse and howl when he saw the look on his son's face when he looked at Dana. "Of course he likes her," he muttered, "she's tried to kill me. Practically a pre-requisite for a romantic interest." His son's lips quirked up in a smile, having obviously heard his mutterings.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Just thinking aloud," he evaded to the soldier before him. "So you want us to battle alien vampires? Do we have to import them?" Xander chuckled. Great, now Harris thought he was funny. Next they'd be friends. Or maybe not, that was about as likely as him putting on a Morris Dancer's costume and dancing a jig.

"Our scout ship estimates that they'll have the Stargate ready for operation in less than three months."

Angel glanced down at the Asgard. So the Norse gods weren't real, another shock. Although not as surprising as being teleported half-way across the country, that had been almost enough to re-start his heart. "And how do know that they'll come here? Or even be able to find the code to operate the gate to get here?"

"Actually," Xander blinked, "I can't believe I'm saying that but Deadboy's got a good point, how would they. I mean, the number of codes is pretty random."

"Around the stargate there are markings that give the code for this planet," the Asgard replied. "Once they understand how to operate the gate, the Tau'ri will be their first target."

"Great," Angel muttered. "Marvellous. Just wonderful. Champions of the Universe."

"Say!" Xander exclaimed, an enthusiastic look on his face. "One of my favourite programs – He-Man and the Mas-."

Faith groaned. "Shut up Xander, I feel my cool dying just by being associated with ya."

"I did warn you," Angel said lightly before turning to the SGC's commanding officer. "How do we get to the planet in question, through the Stargate?"

"No," General Hammond shook his bald head. "Thor has offered transport through his ship The Daniel Jackson."

"You've got a space ship named after you?" Xander stared at the archaeologist.

"His one before that was named after me," Colonel O'Neill put in. His expression turned mournful. "But Carter blew it up."

"Liking that," Faith commented.

"So cool!"

Angel decided to overlook Connor's shout. If he ignored it enough, maybe his son wouldn't turn out to be a sci-fi geek like Harris. "In a spaceship," he shook his head before continuing. "Great. I don't mean to insult anyone," he smiled at Xander, "well except him. But we're a little out-numbered, us against an army of vampires?"

"There are other champions Angel," Thor put in. "I will be collecting them myself."

"That went well didn't it Faith?" Dana commented as they left the now crowded briefing room after Thor had brought all the warriors into the briefing room. They'd all agreed to help, even the vampire. But she'd watch him, make sure he didn't hurt her sis and Xander.

"Yeah, it went pretty cool."

"Hi."

Dana backed away from the young man before her, as nervous as she always was around strange men. "It's cool little sis," Faith commented, giving her a squeeze on the elbow. "Connor's a good guy. I'm gonna go with X, you talk to Con, have a little fun. Conn won't hurt you," her fellow Slayer looked at the young man. "Will you?"

Connor gulped. "No." Faith squeezed her arm again and winked before walking off. After a second, Connor spoke again. "So you're a Slayer uh?" She nodded, the youth pulled out a packet of mints. "You slay mints by any chance?"

Dana giggled before nodding and taking a mint. She guessed if Faith said he was okay, he must be. Big sis wouldn't steer her wrong.

"Ah, our little girl's all grown-up. Makes me all tear-eyed."

Faith glanced from watching Connor and Dana down the corridor to her boyfriend. "She'll be okay?"

Xander smiled at her. "Don't worry, Connor's a good kid. Besides," her boyfriend's smile widened. "Who's going to mess with Dana when she's got you watching out for her?"

Faith grinned. "Yeah."

"You know how proud of you I am right?" Faith glanced up at her boyfriend, noting the unusually intense look on his face. "When you first hit Sunnydale all you cared about was you." Faith flinched, losing her first Watcher, the first person to ever care for her had shaken her to the extent she'd closed herself off from people, determined never to be hurt again. "Hey, not criticising," Xander kissed her forehead. "I understand why that was. But the way you put me back together after Ahn, and how you helped Dana is amazing, shows what a great heart you've got."

Faith grinned up at X through teary eyes, god she loved him so much. Leaning up, she pressed her body against Xander's muscular frame and whispered in his ear. "Our room now." She might not be able to say the words, but by the time she'd finished with him he'd have no doubt that she loved him.