Author's Note: So... yes. This story is about two separate incidents, before the Year that Never Was. This chapter finishes up the first incident, set in April of 2008. Next chapter, we'll get the second incident.
You've gotta love Alison for doing this. The sarcastic, slightly snarky, amazingly level-headed, ever-loyal Alison. Who insists on joining Torchwood even if that means giving up everything, just to protect her best friend.
Remember, at the end of this chapter, that... for Buffy, the world didn't end when the Master took over. For Buffy, the Master was instantly defeated by the Doctor and then shot by Lucy Saxon, and the whole thing was no big deal. Jack, of course, knows the full story.
(Anyone else notice that, in the Sound of Drums, it's May and Saxon's supposed to be talking to the President Elect of the United States? Which is impossible, since the US election happens in November, and the inauguration happens in January? Therefore, there can't be a President Elect in May. It is completely and utterly impossible.)
(I think the reason no one caught this is because US people don't have a clue when British elections are, so they didn't realize it was in May, and British people have no idea when US elections are, so they didn't realize the US election hadn't happened, yet. At least, that's my theory. Or maybe people just thought it was the President, not the President Elect.)
Anyways.
Enjoy!
The team had brought her down into the Hub. Talked the matter over with her. Talked it over at some length.
They'd established her qualifications, her credentials, assessed her computer skills and her ability to apply those skills to alien tech. Had even sent her out into the field, as a test run, and determined that… yes. Alison was just as capable up against aliens as she claimed she was.
Buffy had taught her well.
Now Alison had gone. And the team met, together, to talk the matter over.
"She's impressive," said Gwen. "Clever. Determined. Able to keep a level head in a crisis. And able to think through and work out a problem expertly. We have to give her that."
"Minimal training on our parts," Tosh added.
"And she already knows about Torchwood and what we do," said Ianto. "Having her be part of the group… would make that less of a problem."
Owen crossed his arms. "What I want to know is… why?" he asked them. "Why now? Why give up everything to work for us?"
No one said anything.
"She said it herself," said Owen. "Exceptional marks at school. Accepted to Oxford, for the fall. Only two months left before she gets her A-levels. And she's… just… dropping out. Giving up all of it."
"Well, maybe she wants to save the world," Gwen proposed. "Get paid to fight for…"
"And she couldn't wait two months?" Owen asked.
Everyone looked at everyone else. Not really sure what to say.
"If it were just about fighting aliens and saving the world," Owen said, "she'd stay in London, and do it there. No, I think she's up to something. Wants access to something we keep locked up here at Torchwood, that she can't get anywhere else."
"With her relationship with the Summers family, that doesn't seem terribly likely," Tosh put in.
"Unless…" Ianto hesitated. "She doesn't want them to know."
Once again, everyone looked at everyone else. Uneasily.
"I better… contact Buffy," Ianto offered, heading off for the phone. "Let her know about this."
Buffy knew why.
The moment she heard what had happened, the moment she heard from Torchwood about Alison's visit, Buffy knew exactly why Alison had done it.
"Jack's gone," Buffy explained to the Torchwood team. "And it's pretty clear he's not coming back. Even Seo's finally accepted that." She sighed. "That's why Alison's joining up now."
Torchwood didn't quite understand this explanation.
"Let me talk to her," Buffy said.
So she did.
Got Seo distracted with something else, and met up with Alison in private. Where they couldn't be overheard. And told Alison… what Torchwood had explained to her.
And that she knew why Alison was doing it.
"You don't have to do this," Buffy told her.
Alison shot Buffy a pointed look. "You know why I do."
Buffy didn't answer.
"Seo's right," said Alison. Her eyes drifting across the Summers' apartment, to Buffy's abandoned cell phone. "It's the way Torchwood thinks. The way they act. Alien equals bad in their book. They see an alien in pain, tortured, used, and abused by humans — and they honestly believe they're doing the right thing by killing it."
"I can stop that, when I'm around," said Buffy. "I can—"
"But you're not exactly a hundred percent human yourself," Alison pointed out. She shrugged. "Super strength. Super reflexes. If they're panicked enough to call Seo a threat, if they see how alien she actually is — what do you think they'll say about you?"
Buffy wasn't sure how to answer this.
"Jack's gone," said Alison. "The other Torchwood members — they like Seo, yes. But I don't think they… believe in her. Not like Jack did."
No. Probably not.
"Seo has been on surprisingly good behavior at Torchwood, since Jack left," Buffy muttered.
"Seo is… instinctive," said Alison. "Unable to explain why she does what she does. Sometimes not even able to explain what she's doing at all. She saves the world — saves it brilliantly, by breaking all the rules. Using a great big bunch of items she shouldn't be using. And making them do something they shouldn't be able to do."
Yes, that was basically how Seo worked.
"And when she knows it's right," Alison continued, "really knows, with every fiber of her being, that it will work — she doesn't offer an explanation. Not to anyone. Not even when it looks like what she's doing is super duper dangerous. Because she's acting on instinct, and just can't explain."
Buffy said nothing.
"It's inevitable," said Alison. "You know it. I know it. Seo knows it. One of these days, Seo's going to save the world. And Torchwood's going to shoot her for it."
"Shoot," said Buffy. "Not kill."
"And when that doesn't stop her?" said Alison.
Buffy said nothing. Knowing… Alison… was probably right.
"And… Seo told me what would happen," Alison added, softly, "if she actually died. The… face-changing thing."
Damn.
Buffy hadn't even thought about that.
Another alien trait that she and Seo had both decided it was probably best if only Jack ever knew about.
"Seo's right," said Alison. "With Jack gone, it's only a matter of time before she winds up in the freezers. Or they panic and kill her over and over again, until she's really dead. It's inevitable."
Buffy said nothing for a long moment. Just letting this all sink in.
Alison looked off into the distance. A thoughtful expression on her face.
"And the most amazing thing is… she still trusts them," said Alison. "And she still races off to help them. Still thinks they're the best people to defend the world. Some of the best people she knows." She shook her head. "How can they not see that that's something special?"
"They do," said Buffy. "Really, they do! And if she was ever in danger, they'd be the first to jump out and rescue her. It's… just…" She looked off into the distance. "People do things when they're scared. Things they later regret."
Remembering when she'd been fighting the First, had just figured out that there really was a super-weapon hidden around Sunnydale — and had wound up getting chewed out and then kicked out of the house by her own friends.
Remembering what Giles had so nearly let happen to Spike, just because of that fear and worry.
"It's bad enough with stakes and swords and things," said Buffy. "But with Torchwood guns…" She gave a little shrug. "Both she and I have decided. It's safer if Torchwood doesn't know how alien she really is."
It was why she and Seo had decided not to mention regeneration to Torchwood at all.
"How alien is she?" Alison asked.
"No one really knows," Buffy confessed. "Not Torchwood. Not me. Not Seo's father. Not even Seo, herself."
Alison looked down at the ground.
"She's part Slayer," Buffy said, "part human, part Time Lord, part inter-dimensional Key, and part Hell Goddess. She's alien, Alison. Really alien. Really powerful. And insanely dangerous."
Alison didn't answer.
"But that's not who she is," said Buffy. "You know that. The caring, the compassion, the empathy, the love and brilliance and concern for those around her — that's Seo. Her soul."
"And that's why," said Alison. Determination in her eyes. "Why I have to join Torchwood. Right now. Before it's too late. Because I have to be there, all the time. I have to make sure… there's someone on the team that knows her. Really knows her. And trusts her to do the right thing."
Buffy looked askance at Alison. "You do know the average Torchwood employee dies after about five years on the job?"
Alison nodded. "They told me."
"That means, even if you're trying to protect Seo," Buffy explained, "you'll only get five years to do it. Maybe less."
"A lot can happen in five years," said Alison. She shrugged. "Maybe I can make them… understand. Believe in Seo. Believe in the good stuff. Maybe… I can even show them not all aliens have to be killed."
"Or maybe not," Buffy said.
"I'll never know if I don't try."
Buffy felt her heart reach out to Alison. To brave, strong, noble Alison, who was willing to give up her A-levels, Oxford, the chance at normality, and even the entire rest of her life — just to make sure nothing happened to her best friend.
Buffy pat Alison on the back. "Make it an internship."
Alison glanced over at Buffy, frowning. "What?"
"You've got two months left before you finish high school," Buffy pointed out. "Nothing's going to happen in two months."
"You never know," said Alison.
Buffy shot Alison a stubborn look. "I know," she said. "Nothing's going to happen in two months. Even if that means I have to sleep in the Hub and be on-call every second of every day for the next sixty days — I'll make sure. Nothing is going to happen in the next two months."
Alison looked away, an involuntary laugh passing through her lips.
"Sign the papers, put yourself on their register, do everything you have to do," said Buffy. "But while you're in school — and later, when you're in college — just make it… an internship. A summer job." She smiled. "They'll like that. An extended training session. I'll talk to my contacts, make sure the paperwork is all spiffy and stuff. I can make this happen for you."
Alison looked like she couldn't quite believe what Buffy was saying. She glanced over at Buffy. "But… but Torchwood's willing to hire me without Oxford," she said. "Why…?"
"Because when I was your age, I made that choice," said Buffy. "To drop out of college so I could save the universe — and my sister. And now…" She gave a small laugh. "The best non-alien-fighting job I can get is flipping burgers at the Doublemeat Palace."
Alison raised her eyebrows at Buffy. "What, really?"
(Buffy was one of the cleverest people she knew.)
Buffy nodded. "Just… trust me," she said. "If you think you have to work at Torchwood, I can make sure you wind up working at Torchwood. But don't give up your education. Don't make that mistake."
"And what if something happens while I'm at university?" Alison said. "What if—"
"If you're part of the team, even just part-time, they'll listen to you," said Buffy. "And if I wind up dead, and Seo winds up frozen… you can still get her out. But this'll give you an extra four years before the whole five-year-survival-rate thing actually starts."
Alison absorbed this, thoughtfully. Then gave Buffy a sideways smile. "Why are you doing all this for me?"
"You're my daughter's Scooby," Buffy said, a little defensively. "It's my duty to look after you, right?"
Alison gave a little laugh, shaking her head. "You know," she said, leaning back on the couch, "sometimes, it feels like you're looking out for me more than my actual mum."
... xxx ...
After the Valiant, 2008.
"Maybe Alison was right," said Buffy, hands on her knees. "I mean, the President would probably still be alive, if she'd dropped out and joined Torchwood right away. If Alison had actually been in the Hub on election day, and not in school. But… she's got a bright future ahead of her, Jack. I couldn't just let her give that up."
Jack said nothing.
Remembering that — for him, only a week ago — the fatality count had been much more than just the President.
But that had all gotten reversed.
"You did the right thing," Jack assured Buffy. "Good for you." He paused, thinking it over. "Good for us, too. Getting her signed up on our team. Great catch."
Buffy met Jack's grin with her own. "You know… when I tell you the rest of this story," she said, "you're going to think Seo was all with the overreaction. But… I dunno. I think she honestly believed that if Saxon got elected, the world would end."
Jack said nothing.
"Just… remember," said Buffy. "This is what she's prepared to do. To save your team. To save her friends. To save the world."
Jack was silent for a long time. A long, long time.
Then, in a half-whisper, "Yes."