SG-13
By Xodarap
Disclaimer: Joss and co. own all things Buffy, and SFC owns Stargate. No copyright infringement is intended, so please don't sue. I don't have any money anyway.
Dedication: To Jordan and Jessica, my angels. May they rest in peace.
Summary: Three years after the end of the series (BtVS), a group of former Scoobies have a new mission. Kicking interplanetary undead ass.
Author's Note: Special thanks to DaBear, Sirius, Miss Kayl, Big G, Rob Clark, Darklight, Eykar, S.M., charmedfanatic3000, Alexandra, slbwhitewolf, Mytryk, Calia, WBH21C, RickW22, lmichelle1, Jwolf, Enjael, lmichelle1, Jen007, and Thundertb for the feedback. It's much appreciated.
(BtVS/SG1, W/X)
(3/?)March 11, 2005
New York, NY
Kennedy sat at the foot of the bed staring at the wall with a frown on her face. Behind her, Willow was packing a suitcase. The sound of the hangers scraping against the metal rod as Willow moved another handful of clothes from the closet echoed through the room, a testimony to how quiet it was.
"I still can't believe you're leaving," Kennedy said softly, breaking the silence.
"Xander needs me," Willow said
"And what about what you need? What about finishing college, what about having that normal life we talked about?"
"People like us don't get normal lives."
"That's a cop out and you know it. There's always a choice, nobody is forcing you to go."
Willow stared down at her suitcase for a moment. Kennedy was right, there always was a choice. Something Xander once said suddenly struck her. "We're all chosen, chosen to know the truth. What we do after that is up to us." She paused. "Xander said that, back in high school when we first got caught up in…all this. I don't think I really understood what he meant at the time. Years later when we graduated, I had a choice. I could go off to some Ivy League school and leave the Hellmouth behind, or I could stay and fight. I chose to fight, and it's a choice I've made a thousand times since then, and one I'll make a thousand times more. I can't just ignore what is happening in the world. Not when I can so something about it. So you're right, it is my choice."
"That's not the only choice you're making," Kennedy said.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're choosing him over me."
"This isn't about you, and it isn't about him!" Willow insisted. "It's about the fight."
"You don't know what this is about because Xander won't tell you!"
"He told me that he found a new mission, that it's important, and that he needs my help. That's all I need to know."
"See, that's exactly my point. All he has to do is crook his finger and you come running. How am I not supposed to see that as you choosing him over me?"
Willow just shook her head as she headed back to the closet for more clothes. "You're acting like a child, everything doesn't have to be a competition. You're free to come with me, Xander said. In fact his exact words were, the more the merrier. So don't act like I'm the only one making a choice here."
Kennedy sighed. "I just…I want a normal life again. Where the biggest problems I have are that I'm failing chemistry and I have a zit on my nose, not am I going to live to see the next day. I want to go to the movies, or for a walk in the park on a sunny day. And I want my girlfriend to live in the same state as me. Is that really so much to ask for?" Kennedy asked as she reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Willow sat down next to her on the bed. "No, it's not," she said. "Unfortunately being with me and having a normal life are pretty much mutually exclusive." She paused. "I'm sorry. I really am."
Kennedy turned and wrapped her arms around Willow, hugging her tightly. Willow hugged her back, smoothing down her hair. "I guess this is it then," Kennedy said into Willow's shoulder.
"I guess so," Willow said, her voice cracking a little. The hug was no different than a hundred others they had shared, but it felt different to her. It felt like goodbye, and Willow hated goodbyes.
She kissed Kennedy on top of the head and broke the hug. She walked back over to her suitcase and zipped it up, lifting it off the bed and setting it on the floor. She picked up her backpack from next to the bed and slung it over her shoulder. She locked eyes with Kennedy. So many things she wanted to say, but nothing sounded right.
"You'll get your happy ending some day, I promise," she said. "And I'll just be a fond memory you look back on now and then." She just couldn't bring herself to say goodbye, so instead she just leaned down and kissed her on the lips gently. One last kiss that would have to live in both their memories for a long time.
Then she stood, picked up her suitcase and walked out the door. Out of Kennedy's life forever.
Kennedy reached up and touched her lips. "Goodbye," she whispered, to the empty room.
August 13, 2006
PX-201V8
Xander shined his flashlight down into the hole they found in the ruins. "Big frickin' prairie dogs," he mumbled to himself. There was a rope tethered to a nearby pillar, which led down the hole, no doubt left behind by Riley and Faith, so he was sure they had the right hole. That and the decapitated corpse of a Chaos demon that laid a few yards away. Xander followed the rope down with his light and whistled.
Willow looked up from where she was examining the demon's body. "What?"
"Nothing," Xander said. "I'm just not big on heights, you know that."
"Want me to hold your hand?" Xander replied by subtly scratching his good eye with his middle finger. Willow just laughed.
"Find anything interesting?" he asked.
"Nothing I didn't already know," she said. "No clothes, a primitive. The hooves are more curved than usual, for digging. The pupils are large, compensating for the lack of light. It's definitely a tunnel dweller. It looks emaciated, which is to be expected. The UAV's still haven't picked up any large animals, and of course no people so there's not much around for them to eat."
"I guess these guys aren't big on salads."
"Not so much, no. My guess is a small population. With their natural prey gone, they're dying out."
"What a shame," Xander said mockingly. "What do you say we climb down and give them a hand with that."
Willow stood from where she was crouched next to the demon's body and dusted her hands off. "Lay on, McDuff," she said, motioning toward the hole.
"You better go first, I might need something to break my fall."
"Very funny," Willow said. Xander just smirked.
Willow took out her own flashlight and shined it down the hole. She then clipped it to her belt, leaving it turned on, and closed her eyes. A moment later she began to levitate off the ground. Slowly, she floated forward, and then down through the hole.
"Show off," Xander muttered under his breath. He walked around the hole to where the rope was. He hooked his own flashlight to his belt before picking up the rope and clipping it to the metal ring also attached to his belt. He pulled the rope behind him and held it with both hands before leaning back and testing the line with his weight. Slowly but surely, he started to repel down into the hole. A few minutes later, he reached the bottom.
Willow was already examining the tunnel walls with her flashlight while he unhooked himself from the line. "Took you long enough," she teased with a smile.
"We can't all be Superman, some of us have to be Jimmy Olsen," Xander said.
"I could have given you a lift."
"Thanks, but no. If I'm going to be dangled a hundred feet in the air, I'm at least going to have something to hang on to."
"Suit yourself."
"You find something?"
"Yeah, take a look at this," Willow said, leading him down the tunnel a few yards. She shined her light on an opening to an adjoining tunnel. Xander looked inside.
"It's another tunnel, so?"
"So, look at the size. It's much smaller than the one we're in."
Xander nodded. "Too small for a Chaos demon to fit through," he said, finishing Willow's thought.
"If there are still humans here, they could be using these tunnels to hide from the demons."
"It's worth checking out," Xander said. He reached for the radio mike on his shirt and pressed the button. "Riley."
A second later Riley's voice came through. "Go ahead."
"We're in the tunnel now. We found an adjacent tunnel that looks about human size, we're going to check it out. Any more action on your end?"
"Nothing so far," Riley said.
"Alright, stay sharp. I know how restless Faith can get."
A second later Faith's voice crackled over the radio. "Bite me, Harris."
Xander smiled. "Maybe some other time, I'm kind of busy right now. Keep in touch guys, and be careful."
"Copy that," Riley answered.
"I'll take point," Xander said. He snapped his flashlight into the top of his P-90 and stepped into the smaller tunnel. "Keep your eyes peeled." Willow nodded and followed behind.
March 11, 2005
Colorado Springs, CO
Xander walked past the guards standing outside what looked to be an elevator, flashing his ID badge at them. Willow followed behind, tentatively holding up her own badge. She looked at it again while they waited for the elevator. Special Visitor's Pass, it said next to her name. Clearance - Sierra Golf Charlie. She didn't know what it meant, but it sounded important.
The flight from New York had been long, filled with soul searching and introspection. She thought a lot about how her and Kennedy had parted ways, about the things they both said. She was sad about it, but in the end she realized that there was really no other way for it to end. They both just wanted different things, and there wasn't anything either of them could do about that. In a way, she felt relieved, like a weight had been lifted from her. The weight of pretending to be a normal college student, pretending that evil wasn't lurking in the shadows around her. She felt like she could be herself again, and she was excited about being able to sink her figurative teeth into a new supernatural problem.
Seeing Xander again was wonderful. He was there when she got off the plane with a hug and a smile, and for a moment it was like the two of them had never been apart. On the ride from the airport they talked and laughed and caught up. Xander asked her about college, and she happily babbled on from there about everything from her classes to what New York was like. He seemed reluctant to talk about what he had been up to when Willow asked, steering the conversation back to her. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.
She was about to ask him what this big secret mission was all about, when she noticed that they were pulling up to the entrance of Cheyenne Mountain. Xander wordlessly handed the guard an ID badge, and a minute later, the guard handed Xander back two. He passed the second to Willow as the barrier in front of them lifted and he pulled ahead.
Now they were standing in front of an elevator, waiting, and Xander still hadn't said a word as to what this was all about. The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Xander pressed the button and the doors slid shut. Willow was starting to get nervous, as images of the Initiative's last days flashed through her mind. "What's this all about Xander, what are we doing here?"
Xander blew out a long breath. It was clear that he wasn't looking forward to this moment. "First let me say, I know what you're thinking. And this is nothing like the Initiative. I've been here for almost a month now, and I've seen what they do. It's an important job, and it has nothing to do with demons. At least, it didn't used to. Well, it mostly still doesn't but…"
"Xander, you're babbling," Willow interrupted.
Xander let out another breath. "I know. I'm no good at explaining things. Okay, let me start again. You know that feeling you get when you're talking to somebody who doesn't know about demons or magic or anything, that feeling like you live in two different worlds. That if they knew what you knew, it would turn their world on its ear."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Okay, have you ever felt like maybe you could be in the same position? That there could be some really, really big secret out there that you don't know."
"I…guess," Willow answered tentatively, not really sure where this was going. "I never really thought about it before, but I guess there has to be. I mean, nobody knows everything, right?"
"Right," Xander agreed. "You see, these people, the SGC, they have a really big secret of their own. And recently they discovered that our secret and their secret…intersect. They discovered the truth about demons and vampires. And not only that, they discovered something about them that no one else knows. That's why they need our help, because we have more experience with this kind of thing than they do."
"But why us? If they need information, why not the Watchers?"
"This project is uber top secret, and they're very careful about who they trust with knowing about it. Somehow they gained access to the Initiative's files, including the files on us. They approached me first because…well, I'm still not really sure why. They say they trust me, but maybe it's just because I'm less of a threat than any of you guys."
"So if they don't trust any of us, why are they letting you bring me here?"
"They know how I feel about you, that I trust you more than anyone else in the universe. They know how powerful you are, they know about…what happened. But they're willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and trust you with the biggest secret they have. I think that says something about these guys. I know it probably still sounds a little fishy to you, but I swear, if you decide you don't want any part of it you can walk away at any time and that will be the end of it. All I'm asking is that you hear them out."
Willow paused as she considered what Xander had said. "Okay Xander. I trust you, and if you say these guys are on the up and up, that's all I need to know."
Xander smiled. "Great. We're almost there, then we can start the long part of the explanation. I'm sure you and Dr. Jackson will be talking for hours. He's the second smartest person I know," he said with another smile.
Willow didn't miss the compliment as she smiled back. It was only then that she realized that the elevator had been moving down throughout the whole conversation, and they had been on the ground level when they got on. "How far underground does this place go?" she asked.
"Don't worry," Xander said. "When we get close to the Earth's core the air conditioning will kick on."
Several hours later, Willow and Xander were still in the briefing room with General Hammond and SG-1. Just as Xander had thought, Willow and Daniel sparred like the mental giants they were. It wasn't long before Willow had the whole story, including a live demonstration of the gate opening as SG-11 came back from a mission.
"This is all just…incredible," she said, looking up from the laptop computer Sam had lent her for the briefing. She was looking through everything from technical schematics of Goa'uld technology, to mission reports, to actual video Death Gliders in action. "There's so much to absorb. But what does all of this have to do with demons? What do you need us for?"
All eyes turned to General Hammond. "Approximately three months ago, one of our SG teams came through the gate after being attacked by unidentified creatures. One of the team members had been bitten. He was dead by the time they came through the gate, blood loss. One of the other team members said he knew what the creatures were. He said they were vampires. Of course we didn't believe him, that is until the deceased team member sat up and attacked the doctor who had been treating him. Mendez, the man who knew what he was, attacked the vampire and saved the doctor's life."
Willow noticed how sullen the mood in the room suddenly became. "What happened?"
"He was thrown across the room," Hammond answered. "He later died from internal injuries."
"I'm sorry," Willow said. The General just nodded. "What happened to the vampire?"
"I killed it," Jack said.
"How?" Willow asked.
"Some kind of alien energy weapon," Xander answered when no one else did. "Turned him to dust in two shots."
Willow looked surprisingly at Xander, who just nodded in return. "I didn't think any modern weapon could do that."
"From what they've told me, these zat guns pack some serious firepower. One shot stuns, two kills. As to why they work on vamps, your guess is as good as mine. Actually, it's probably better than mine."
"Mr. Harris," General Hammond said. "That information is classified."
"You remember my terms, General," Xander said. "Anybody I put you in contact with gets the whole story, nothing left out. I'm not letting any of my friends decide whether or not they want to join this operation unless they have all the facts."
Hammond didn't look happy, but he nodded. "Fair enough."
"So what do you think Wills, interested?"
"Definitely," Willow said. "But there's something I still don't understand. Why us? Why me?"
"Easy, we need that giant brain of yours," Xander said. "We still have a lot of unanswered questions."
"Like what?"
"Well," Daniel piped in. "We know that humans were taken from Earth by the Goa'uld, as slave labor."
"The sixty-four billion dollar question," Xander said, "is how did the demons get off Earth?"
August 13, 2006
PX-201V8
Xander kept his light and gun pointed forward as he and Willow moved through the tunnel. Willow shined her light on the tunnel walls as they walked, looking for any markings or other evidence of who had dug the passage.
"Anything interesting?" Xander asked about ten minutes after they started.
"Just that this tunnel was definitely not dug by a Chaos demon, but we already knew that. The walls are too uniform to have been dug by hand, or hoof. And I've spotted a few what appear to be tool marks."
"So what direction do you think this tunnel was dug in?" Xander asked.
"It looks like we're heading toward the point of origin."
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Which makes me wonder, did they intersect the demon tunnels on purpose or by accident?"
"Why would they do it on purpose?"
"I don't know, but it seems like an awful big coincidence if they didn't. Have you noticed the incline, we're moving up."
"Yeah, I noticed. Could be they started in a natural cave, someplace to hide from the demons. Hey, do you see that?"
"What?"
"Kill your light for a second."
Xander put his hand over his light, plunging them into darkness. Up ahead though he saw a faint glow. He took his hand off the light and readjusted the weapon in his hands. "Stay close to me," he said, lowering his voice. "And keep your zat ready, just in case."
Willow nodded. She turned off her own flashlight and clipped it to her belt. She put one hand on Xander's shoulder and drew her zat with the other. Together they continued through the tunnel, their pace a little slower.
As they got closer to the light source, they began to hear sounds. Movement, and possibly voices, it was hard to tell. The tunnel started to widen, and the walls started to look less uniform and more natural. After a few minutes, they found themselves in a large cave. Roughly fifty yards ahead of them was the source of the light, the opening of the cave. And just inside the opening, there was a fire burning. But it was what stood between them and the fire that surprised Xander and Willow the most.
Scattered throughout the cavern, but mostly near the fire, were thirty or so humans. They were dirty, disheveled, and most appeared to be malnourished. Most were adults, but there were a few children as well. Their clothes were nothing more than rags, though several of the men appeared to be wearing pieces of armor. Nothing elaborate, a chest plate here, a shin guard there, all of it dented and tarnished. They also carried swords, and makeshift spears.
It wasn't long before Willow and Xander were spotted. The armed men put themselves between the pair and the others in seconds, approaching them slowly. One man in front appeared to be the leader. He carried a bulky long sword, and wore a chest plate with three diagonal claw marks gouged into it. Xander noticed something tied to bicep of his sword arm as makeshift armor. It was only when he was closer did he realize what it was, a piece of antler.
Xander resisted the urge to fire his gun into the air. He didn't know how stable this cave was, and he didn't want to hurt these people. He felt Willow nudging him from behind. "Say something!" she insisted in a hushed tone.
"Crap."
"Something else!"
"Um, hi," Xander said, putting on a smile as he addressed the men in front of him. They didn't respond, they just kept coming closer. "We come in peace?"