Dawn POV

I knew Buffy was upset about something- something she wouldn't tell me about. At first I thought it was a mixture of finding the Chappa'ai (Stargate, Astria Portia, whatever) and dealing with the Air Force, which our family was intimately connected to. It wasn't until dinner at O'Malley's that I was certain this was not the case.

We were all laughing and having a great time, teasing each other and enjoying great food. Then I noticed the wait staff were all looking fondly at one table in particular; Buffy was looking as well while Giles tried to be discreet while watching them. So I called over the nearest server and asked about them- if something was of the weird, I didn't want to wait to find out.

The woman was a gossiper and more than happy to oblige, telling us about their temporary ban and what had caused it. She also told us about how the "beautiful blonde" and the "silver fox" reminded her of Romeo and Juliet.

Oh, they don't talk about it, but it's obvious to anyone who sees them together. The group of Marines who sometimes come for drinks talked about them too. Brig. Gen. Jack O'Neill and Lt. Col. Samantha Carter were nice people and it was no wonder they had fallen in love, but-

That's where I tuned out. Sammy. That's what threw my impossible-to-surprise sister off. I couldn't really blame her either. The last time either of us saw her was before we left LA; she didn't even come to Mom's (technically Aunt Joyce's) funeral or get the KIA notice for Buffy, though the latter was probably for the best. Even without her now being very much alive, it had been issued by the President. Add in that she's a civilian not yet in her thirties and there would be lots of questions we'd rather not give out answers to. Thankfully Sam was the only immediate family we had listed, so our other siblings never found out either.

Now I took over watching them for Giles while he started ranting about our issues with our blood family. Again. It's not like we have issues with everyone. We get along with the boys, Lexi, and their kids just fine. Especially Thera and Zoe. Zoe's training to be a Doctor for the ICC, and Thera is on the Command track, like her half siblings (who are related to her on her father's side- all we know is that she has to be either Lexi or Sammy's kid). We only really have issues with Sammy and Jacob. And Hank, of course.

Of course I already knew the two were in love- Sammy and General Jack, I mean. I could see their Claim on each other- it was practically screaming in their essences. I was surprised to see a ring on her finger- didn't that waitress say they weren't together? So who was she engaged to?

I kept my body relaxed as I felt a flash coming- I get visions of things in other dimensions and realities, some of them even in the past or future. I have no control over them and can rarely understand them, so I tapped my fingers to tell my sister and let them come. This time, I saw the couple in question.

Staring at each other through a force field as a buildingship?was about to blow, desperation clinging to their every movement; admitting feelings to some kind of lie detector; talking on an empty ship- I can tell by the stars outside; Sammy and a cop kissing; Dad dying; Jack comforting her with a whisper of "Always"; cop gone; regulations not; can't be together;need to be together;a little girl, the name Grace echoing through my mind; a fighter jet crash landing; an Iranian prison camp; Thera, my little niece, training with her siblings and foster siblings; a giant, rotating ring; words, Sg-1, SGC, Tok'ra, Anubis, Asguard, Nirrti; more images, colliding, coming faster and faster and faster and-

I came back to myself when Buffy poked me, before introducing me to Major Paul Davis as "Dusk". He knew who we were (though not our original names, thank the Goddess), but we learned long ago not to take chances. We discussed the meeting tomorrow, which I would attend, when Hayes would arrive, and how much we should tell.

The door opened, and my blonde Slayer sister stiffened as the two vamps entered the steakhouse. I almost laughed when they fled from the "Summers glare" we sent their way. If they thought that was bad, they should see what she aimed at my potential boyfriends. Then again, she's the Slayer, so maybe the vamps do have more reason to be afraid… Whatever.

Then Buffy related the odd conversation that was occurring at the Air Force table. I wonder what mini-Giles meant by "gone"? Or how he sensed vamps without even knowing what they were, for that matter. I was surprised the Jaffa didn't know, but we could find out why some other time.

We left, taking the USAF table's confused looks as a last bit of dinner entertainment and leaving Davis alone with his coffee, and no little paranoia. As I thought about what the coming briefing would be like, one thought held center stage in my mind.

This is gonna be interesting.