. . . Indicates telepathic communication.

Part 7

Giles and Daniel hadn't found anything yet on the Stargate in Giles' ancient texts. Willow had been searching the Internet ever since the gate was found but had come up with very little. Buffy and Spike had gone to the demon community but the demons weren't talking. Jack glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost time to send a message to Hammond. They weren't finding much here though this planet could become very useful if it was discovered that it was connected to the Ancients or the Furlings past. Hammond had sent messages to the Tok'ra and the Asgard to see what they knew of the Niurin planet. It was decided that if there were no answers from the Asgard or the Tok'ra they were going to return to SGC.

Jack caught Sam's eye and he gestured to his watch and that he was leaving. Willow watched the silent interaction and rose to follow Jack.

"Giles, I'm going with Jack." Willow whispered to Giles as she grabbed her coat and a stake.

Willow walked quickly to catch up with Jack, "You really shouldn't go out alone."

Jack looked over at Willow and gestured to his weapons, "They seem to work pretty well against your demons and vampires."

"Yes they do, but even Buffy usually takes someone with her when she goes patrolling." Willow cocked her head to the side as she looked at Jack, "Isn't it normal military practice to have someone guard you're back?"

Jack raised an eyebrow at her, "And what do you know about military practices?"

"Oh Xander was military Special Ops trained in high school." Willow grinned at him.

Jack's eyes widened, "They trained high school kids to be Special Ops? Is that so he can fight demons?"

Willow started giggling, "No. One year someone cast a spell on our Halloween costumes and we became what we were dressed as. It's the ultimate be careful what you wish for. Buffy was an 18th century lady, Xander was Special Ops and I was a ghost."

Jack scowled at Willow, "Magick? Now you're telling me that magick is real?"

Before Willow could answer Jack they had reached the Stargate. "Oh for crying out loud." Jack huffed as he saw the DHD had damage. He knelt down beside it to get a better look.

"Something wrong?"

"You could say that." Jack said as he took the panel off. The DHD podium was damaged but with luck the crystals inside it were still operational. Yes! It didn't look like any of the crystals were damaged.

Jack straightened and dialed home hoping that it worked.

Willow watched fascinated as Jack hit one symbol and then the others in a particular order. As Jack hit a symbol the Stargate began to turn and then the triangles locked in place.

Jack put his hand on Willow's elbow to draw her back as the Stargate activated and the wormhole tornadoed out.

Willow went a short distance away to give Jack privacy to speak to his CO but close enough that she could reach him in case anything attacked.

"Any news from the Tok'ra or Asgards, Sir?" Jack asked as the link with SGC opened.

"Negative, Colonel. Anything to report on your end?"

"Negative, Sir. Daniel and Carter seem to believe that this planet was once colonized by either the Ancients or the Fulings but haven't been able to find any documentation."

"Any reason you shouldn't return to SGC?"

"No, Sir. There are people here who are researching the origins and we wouldn't really be contributing anything. We've been able to confirm that there haven't been any Goa'uld here in over a millennia. It seems they did indeed abandon this place. I'll explain more in my debrief." There was no way he was going to tell Hammond about vampires and demons until he was face to face with him.

Jack motioned for Willow to join him by the DHD. "We're returning but I wanted to show you how this works in case you and the others find something on the origin of your gate."

Willow stood next to Jack and looked at the symbols. Jack pointed out the Niurin symbol. "This is the symbol for your planet, the point of origin. This is the last symbol that you hit. The six symbols are the address to a destination." Jack began to lightly touch the address to Earth. "I'll have Carter write down our address and how to use this."

Willow smiled wryly as she watched Jack touch the symbols, "I thought this was like a calendar and these were constellations."

"They are constellations." He showed her the Orion constellation that had been the breakthrough for Daniel when he figured out the symbols. "This is the constellation Orion."

Willow couldn't wait to tell Giles that she had been close when they had found the gate. Maybe if they cross-referenced star charts with their research they could find something on the builders of the gate. Angel and Wesley were looking for all information on the Amtuths. They hadn't told them yet why Giles and the others needed that information but maybe Angel's connection to the Powers that Be were related.

They hadn't told Jack or the others about the Powers that Be. Until it was discovered what, if any, connection the Powers had they weren't volunteering any information.

Willow tensed as she felt something watching them. Jack raised his zat as Willow tensed. "What is it?"

Willow cocked her head and listened. "Something's out there."

"Vampire?"

Willow shook her head no. She felt magick, powerful magick. Magick that she wasn't sure she could deflect alone and Jack's weapon would be useless against. She forced herself to relax and turn to Jack.

"Must have been nothing. I don't feel anything anymore."

Jack looked at her curiously. What did she mean she couldn't feel anything anymore? Wasn't Buffy the only one that felt things? Maybe it was just years of living on the Hellmouth. He knew that soldiers could sense danger.

Willow started walking back to the Magic Box. "So how many planets have you been to?" She hoped he would go with the change of subject. Willow thought that Jack was a lot like Buffy. He was smarter and noticed things more than it looked like.

Jack looked at Willow and then mentally shrugged. Unless she could sense a Goa'uld symbiote he really didn't care how or what she sensed. "I think I stopped counting after the first fifty."

Willow's eyes widened as she looked over at Jack, "Fifty?!"

"Give or take. So, you've been doing this since you were fifteen?"

"Yeah, my friend Jesse was killed by a vampire and I've been helping Buffy ever since. It must get frustrating to not be able to tell your family all about your adventures. I know how hard it was on Buffy to have to keep her parents in the dark about what she did." Willow grinned over at him.

Willow's smile faded as she noticed the brief flicker of pain in Jack's face. Crap what had she said?  Willow breathed a sigh of relief as she saw they had returned to the shop. When would she learn to quit putting her foot in her mouth?

Jack shook the memories of Charley and held open the door for Willow.

Sam looked up as Jack and Willow returned, "Any news, Sir."

"Negative. Hammond hasn't heard anything so it looks like we'll be returning." Jack went to his backpack and pulled out an object. He walked over to Willow and handed it to her. "I showed Willow how the DHD worked but Carter will write down exactly how it works."

Sam nodded and went to retrieve her laptop so she could transfer files over to Willow's computer.

Willow took the small box from Jack, "Umm, what's this for?"

"If you or Rupert find anything about the gate just slip a note in there, dial the gate and toss it through. We'll know it's from you and that you found something." Jack turned to Giles, "We really won't be much help with the research as you know more about what you're looking for."

"He's as good at getting out of research as you are, Buff." Xander joked with Buffy.

Giles held up a sample of Amtuth writings and handed it to Daniel, "For you. So you can compare with the other languages you've found."

Daniel smiled his thanks and began to rummage through his backpack. "Here. This is a sample of writing of the Ancients. Maybe this will help with your research."

Giles smiled his thanks as he took the sample from Daniel.

"Carter, you about finished?"

"Yes, sir. Just finishing the transfer now."

Willow caught Giles' eye and motioned for him to follow her to the back. She brought the box with her on the pretext of putting it away.

"Giles, while I was with Jack I felt a strong magickal presence around the gate. I didn't see anyone but I wanted to get him away so I didn't take the time to look around."

"Was it coming from the gate?"

Willow shook her head no. "At first I thought it might be vamps watching us but then I felt the magick."

Giles didn't like to bring him up but felt he should, "Rack?"

"Not sure. Could have been Amy or neither one."

"Right. I'll let Buffy and the others know so they can be on the look out when we go back to the gate."

When Willow and Giles emerged from the back, Teal'c, Daniel, Sam and Jack were ready by the door.

Sam turned to Willow, "I've transferred files that will allow you to fix the DHD if it gets damaged and the address to Earth."

Willow smiled her thanks as she followed them out the door.

Jack watched Willow as they approached the gate. She was watching the area without seeming to be watching the area. Something was definitely up but they weren't talking.

Guys, I still feel it. Can you feel it Giles?

It's very strong and a little familiar.

Sam indicated for Willow to follow her to the DHD. "Here you try dialing out."

Willow went to stand next to Sam. She looked the symbols over and concentrated on the order in which Jack had earlier touched them. Willow's hand hovered over the first symbol and she looked to Sam for confirmation.

Sam smiled encouragingly at Willow and nodded. Willow touched the first symbol and jumped a little when the gate began to move.

"Score one for Wills." Xander smiled at her.

Giles was torn between watching what Willow was doing and trying to place where he felt the magick before.

Willow grew more confident as the fifth chevron was locked. It wasn't so difficult to do if you knew the correct order. "Does anything happen if I randomly pick symbols but they aren't an address?"

"No, the Stargate only works if it reaches a destination. So if you pick symbols that go nowhere nothing happens."

Willow silently sighed in relief. She had visions of putting in the wrong address and stepping into oblivion. The seventh chevron locked and the wormhole was activated.

"Do you ever get tired of seeing that or going through it?" Willow asked.

Sam smiled at the curiosity Willow couldn't quite hide. "Not yet."

Jack punched the SG1 code and waited until he was sure that the iris on the other side had been deactivated.

"It was an honor to watch you battle, Buffy Summers." Teal'c said before he approached the gate.

Before Buffy could answer there was a noise to the left of the gate.

"Umm, I'm thinking no to Rack or Amy." Willow mumbled as she noticed a tall man wearing robes.

Jack pulled his gun and watched as the figure approached the gate.

An unnatural wind began to blow and an energy field crackled around the figure. Spike lunged but the man waved his arm sending Spike flying.

Jack fired but the bullets stop in mid-air before falling harmlessly to the ground. Teal'c powered up his staff weapon and aimed.

The robed man seemed to be focusing on Buffy. Spike recovered and starts to attack him from behind.

Willow nervously watched as the man rebuffs Spike again and comes closer. The energy around him crackled brighter the closer he got to the gate. She turned to Sam, "Go! We'll take care of this."

Teal'c fired his weapon but the energy around the man absorbed it. Willow saw the man turn his attention away from Buffy and toward Teal'c. Giles began mumbling some incantation that snaps the attention of the robed figure.

Jack motioned for the others to start to go through the gate.

The robed figure raised his hand and Giles rose off the ground. Buffy went on the attack when she saw Giles struggling in the air.

"Giles!" Willow yelled as she lowered her shields like Giles taught her.

Giles suddenly fell to the ground knocking into Buffy as he was released from the spell.

The figure turned his attention to Willow completely ignoring the Slayer and Giles.

"Uh oh." Willow mumbled as she noticed she finally got the man's attention.

A feral smile crossed the man's features as he released an energy bolt at Willow and toward the gate.

Willow saw movement out of the corner of her eye and yelled, "No! Go through the gate!"

Jack stopped mid lunge when he saw the bolt stop and scatter just in front of Willow. Her hands are palms out and she seemed to be concentrating.

The robed figure narrowed his eyes and unleashed a larger bolt toward Willow. Before Jack can do anything he felt a push behind him. He turned to see Xander.

"Go! You don't need this guy or any demons getting through the gate to your world."

Jack gave a curt nod before turning back to the gate.

Willow waited until the last moment before lowering her barrier and ducking out of the way of the bolt.

Xander watched in horror as the bolt struck the gate at the same time that Jack dove through it.

"Willow!" Buffy yelled as she saw her friend get caught in the backlash of the energy bolt.

Spike growled and grabbed a limb before he speared the robed figure through the back.

The man gave a howl of rage as the limb pierced his back. With a flick of his arm he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

The smoke finally cleared from the gate and Xander rushed closer as he saw Jack lying unconscious on the ground.

Giles rushed over to Willow who had crumpled when the energy hit her. Buffy knelt down next to Giles, "Is she going to be okay?"

Before Giles could answer Willow's eyes blinked open, "Oh my head. Remind me to not go up against that guy again."

"Speakin' of." Spike said as he stood by Buffy, "What was that thing and how do we kill it?"

"Giles!" Xander yelled. "We have a casualty over here."

Spike and Giles went over to Xander as Buffy helped Willow get to her feet.

"Should we take him to the hospital?"

"If he doesn't come round soon we will but in the mean time let's get him back. They seem like they'd have the same physiology as we do but we can't be too sure and I for one don't relish trying to explain to doctors why this seemingly human has two hearts or something."

Spike huffed as he put Jack over his shoulder. "Always has to use twenty words when five would be just fine."

Willow was leaning heavily on Buffy. "You think we should leave a note or something so Daniel and the others will know what happened?"

Giles shook his head no, "They'll know to come to us when they come back for their friend."