Chapter 2 – Message from TPTB (The Powers That Be)
LA, streets,
Joyce Summers smiled at her daughter before stepping forwards and hugged her tightly.
Buffy felt her worries slip away as she returned the hug and felt safe and warm in her mother's arms.
They stayed like that for a while, until Buffy pulled away and asked "Why? How? Who?"
"Dawn told the Powers that you deserved and needed to see me. They more or less had to agree with her. You should have heard your sister talk to them." Joyce told her daughter.
"Is she ok? They're not going to hurt her right?" Buffy asked concerned.
"She's fine Buffy. The Powers can't touch her because she's as strong as each of them. Don't worry." Joyce told her.
"I thought the Key was just supposed to be a big ball of mystical energy?" Xander asked.
Joyce looked at him "It was, it had no sentience. It was just power, but when the monks turned her into a human Dawn was. And therefore when the ball of mystical energy familiar presence that Dawn did not fear like Glory but instantly loved so much, that suppressed mystical energy was just released and ascended beyond the spell combining part of Dawn with the mystical energy and another part of her returned to you. And before you asked I don't know Dawn just said you were now better prepared for what is coming. She didn't know what was coming just that…well that you needed you fathers help."
Buffy who had declared her father dead in her mind long ago when he didn't even bother to call or show up at her mother's funeral instantly hardened herself from the emotions threatening to come to the surface. "I don't want to talk to Hank, mom. I don't even know where he is."
Joyce looked at her daughter with guilt and shame. "I know how hurt you were when your father and I divorced. I know how confused you were when he stopped coming around. Please believe that it had nothing to do you as a person. You see, Hank wasn't your real father." She then told her daughter. "Hank knew but he still loved you. To him you were his little girl no matter what a paternity test told."
Buffy stood there shocked, barely registering that Xander had put a hand on her shoulder. Buffy pulled away from Xander and started pacing while her mind raced to process this new information.
"Why?" Buffy then asked looking at her mother's concerned face.
"Hank and I were having problems; I caught him making out with another girl. I went to my car, drove miles before I stopped at a bar. Had some drinks, some cute guy began flirting with me. I wasn't drunk yet but I was upset so I let him. We went back to his place, the next morning I woke up there and left."
Buffy stared at her mother letting the story sink in, after a few seconds she asked "and you told da-Hank this?"
"Yes, I told him when I came home. He was angry, I was angry. But in the end we managed to just forgive and forget. When I found out I was pregnant and Hank wasn't your biological father he convinced me not to tell you and to move on with our lives and our daughter's life." Joyce said to her.
"Ok so what does my biological father have anything to do with whatever I have to be prepared about?" Buffy asked vaguely noticing Giles and Xander behind her while Kennedy was helping Willow up and move closer to the group.
"Your father is Colonel Jack O'Neill United State Air Force and Special Ops. He is currently working at a top secret government facility in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs. This facility is where they keep the Chappa'ai or Stargate as it is called nowadays. The Stargate allows travel between other worlds by means of a stable wormhole you can travel a long distance between Earth and another world with a Stargate in mere seconds. The US government has been using this Stargate and discovered an enemy. An alien race called the Goa'uld, a parasite that uses human hosts to control them and pass themselves off as Gods. You killed one of them that had managed to slip through the cracks when they were driven off Earth back into their own dimension. The ones passing themselves off as Gods are called System Lords, but they are false Gods. The device you found Giles will help you get the council involved with the Stargate program. Talk to the president about what I have said. Trust the President with information about slayers, vampires, etc. But not the Vice-President, he had ties to the Initiative. Also the Powers told me to tell you to leave the Asian Slayer called Azumi be for now." Joyce was silent for a moment before touching her daughters cheek "I love you Buffy, I'm sorry about this. Go to your father, he will help you heal. Stay near him until your gut tells you that you are needed elsewhere."
"Don't go mom." Buffy told her as she attempted to place her hand on Joyce's hand but her hand went straight through.
"I wish I could stay Buffy. But someone needs to save the Powers from your sister." Joyce said as her form went brighter until a bright light remained "Remember that Part of Dawn and the Key is now part of you."
As her mother's bright light shot upwards Buffy allowed herself to feel the pain of loss instead of the emptiness and numbness she had been feeling. As the oldest slayer in history cried Xander and Willow hugged her trying to comfort her while seeking comfort of their own.
Giles looked at the small group, and forced his tears back as he composed himself to call the President.
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3 days later,
As Joyce had said Giles along with Willow had visited the president. Who was more then shocked when Willow literally showed him as Giles told the story of Ancient demons roaming Earth, about a chosen girl, a slayer, vampires, werewolves, the Initiative and the Vice President's ties to it. They also told him that they had been informed by a messenger of TPTB (The Powers That Be) about the Stargate program and their problem with parasitic extraterrestrial aliens called Goa'uld and the assistance they were offering in defeating this threat to Earth.
Xander and Faith had been left in charge of the slayer younglings. Some had been flown back to England with Xander, others joined Faith to the Cleveland Hellmouth and a few went with Buffy to Colorado Springs to help Andrew with the New Council location there. Buffy had basically dumped the slayers to Andrews care; she was angry, hurt and nervous. She knew she had to meet her biological father eventually but she didn't want to right now. She just wanted to grieve and forget that Dawn, Angel and Spike were gone. Even though Dawn was fine, Buffy missed her, a lot. So she had spend some time in the black forest, the mountains and now she was watching a football game to try and get her mind off things.
Colorado, Colorado Springs, Falcon Stadium,
Buffy watched the cheerleaders cheer before the football game not even knowing who was playing who but willing to try watching it if it meant to feel better for a little while. Tickets hadn't been a problem since she took them off the ground after the vampire turned to dust by her stake. She had thrown the extra ticket away. Missing…
1 day ago, Colorado, Air Force Academy,
The blond 24 year old slayer looked at the two tickets in her hand before resuming her walk. She held one up to be blown away by the wind while she tucked the other in her jacket and continued walking.
"So when are you leaving for Iraq, Major Sheppard?" an military officer asked.
"Day after tomorrow at 6hondred hours. It sucks that there were no more tickets for tomorrow's game." Major Sheppard replied then something blew into his face and he pulled it off to see a ticket to the football game tomorrow.
"No way!?" the military officer said stunned.
"It sucks I don't have a million bucks." Major Sheppard said and looked around.
Nothing happened this time and Major Sheppard shrugged and smiled looking back at the ticket "It's a good seat too." He informed the military officer who looked at him now jealous.
"Have fun Sheppard, it will be the last bit of fun you'll be having for a while." The military officer told him.
The Major just smiled "Oh I will McCormick, I will."
Colorado, Colorado Springs, Falcon Stadium,
Major John Sheppard maneuvered through the crowd with his coke and popcorn heading towards his seat.
Buffy looked back down at the silver chain she had in her hand. It contained both her and Angel's Claddagh ring. Her head shot up as she sensed someone about to move past her and she pushed the grief back looking in the direction of a dark haired man in his mid or end twenties. 'Something is off about him' Buffy thought to herself as he moved past her and stared at her purse in his seat.
"Sorry." Buffy apologized removing her purse 'I should have thrown the ticket in the garbage instead of letting it blow away in the wind.' Buffy thought as John took the seat next to her and put his popcorn and coke down.
"That's alright." John told the girl with a smile "John." He introduced himself holding his hand out to shake.
"Buffy" Buffy replied shaking his hand.
"So are you with someone?" John asked.
"Nope, that would require someone to stick around me and not turn evil, die or ascend to a higher plane." Buffy replied.
John looked at her "Why would anyone ever want to leave someone as beautiful as you."
'Because I'm a slayer who has to save the world a lot.' "Trust me you do not want to get involved with me. More trouble then its worth." Buffy told him.
"Maybe I like trouble." John told her.
Buffy sighed and took her eyes off the game towards his face. As she looked him in the eyes she said "Trust me, you don't like my trouble. Even I hate my trouble. But I have to deal with my trouble."
John figured she wasn't interested and focused on the game "got it."
Buffy looked at him as she watch him sip his coke and starting eating popcorn as his mind began to be lost to the game. The silence between the two of them bothered her and although she was pleased it took her thoughts off her problems, but she didn't like that it bothered her.
When break came and cheerleaders appeared Buffy watched them as she said "I used to be a cheerleader."
When John looked at her she turned her head to meet his eyes "Then everything changed."
John couldn't get over how old, tired and pained her eyes looked; he's seen only a couple of military officers who had that look. "You lost you virginity to a football player." He quipped.
Buffy laughed at how that probably would have been true if she hadn't been called as slayer. "Not really, no. Just…something happened to me that forced me to take responsibility for some things. It changed me."
"You got pregnant?" he asked more serious now.
Buffy rolled her eyes "God no." she told him and shuddered at the thought of having children with Tyler.
John sensed she didn't want to talk about it so instead he asked "So what has you so sad now?"
"I don't want to talk about it." She told him, "some people I was close to died a few days ago." She looked at the chain with the two rings in her hand and closed her hand around them. 'Why am I telling him this? I don't know him, he is probably military, and I should just go. This football game isn't helping me anyways.' Buffy opened her hand again looking at the rings.
"I'm sorry." John told her and noticed the rings but didn't say anything.
Buffy noticed his eyes on the rings and took them off the chain before showing him them more closely. "There Clauddagh rings. Angel gave me one of them on my 17th birthday. We were so in love. See, the hands represent friendship, the crown loyalty and the heart love. When you wear it with the heart facing inwards it means you belong to someone. I haven't worn mine in years but he had his on a chain around his neck when he died. He was my first love, my soul mate." She put the rings back on the chain and put it back in her pocket. "A year ago he wanted to try again but I wasn't ready. I don't think I'd ever be, even if he was still alive. I love him but I'm not sure when it happened but I'm not in love with him anymore." She paused for a moment before looking at John "I don't know why I'm telling you this, I guess I needed to get this off my chest without getting judgment passed on me."
"Oh and here I thought you liked me." John said smirking playfully.
Buffy hit his shoulder "Ow" John said rubbing his shoulder "that's some strength you got there Buffy"
"Aww do you need me to kiss your shoulder and make it feel better." Buffy quipped.
"I'd prefer you'd kiss my lips." John said before leaning in and softly brushing his lips were hers.
Buffy closed her eyes and drew him closer and the kiss intensified then she suddenly broke away realizing what she was doing. "No." she told him "I'm not going down that road again."
"Buffy-" John started but the crowd cheered distracting him for a few seconds and when he looked back at the place she occupied a few seconds ago she was gone. He stood up trying to spot her but there was no sign of her.
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