Chapter 9
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Xander spent the night trailing the soldiers of the SGC as they got their guided tour of Sunnydale. Like everyone else, he got distracted by Buffy putting on a show with the fledgling. He debated only a second before deciding to clear the way for the group back to the hotel. Buffy could take care of herself. SG-1 would be... helpless was the wrong word. Out of their depth might be better. They were all experienced soldiers, but facing a new enemy they were ill-equipped to handle.
Xander was able to take out another fledgling on the way. It wasn't easy, but after sparring with Angel the other night, it seemed easier. A quick jab of the stake finished the battle. None too soon either. The group was approaching. Much louder than a group of Special Ops soldiers should. The unfamiliar weapons they were carrying were making quite a racket.
They were almost back to the hotel when the sound of distant gunfire echoed through the small town. Xander calmed himself with the thought that there was no reason that those shots would be aimed at Buffy. It was also very likely that the shots came from the missing SG-2 members. Which meant that they were probably alive right now, but under attack. He hoped that everyone was alright. The sound of Colonel O'Neill calmly telling everyone that "It's a good sign. It means they're still alive." woke Xander from his thoughts. He watched from some nearby bushes as Giles and the SGC teams made it safely inside.
He was about to take off after they got back, but he heard a phone ring through SG-1's still open (and holey) window. He snuck close and heard enough to know that Buffy had taken the guys to the hospital before he took off.
% We are in need of more energy if you can acquire it. % Jolinar thought to him.
/ Any preferences? / Xander thought back.
% Liquefied energy is the easiest to process. Anything with sugar or alcohol in it will give me the calories I need. % Jolinar explained.
/ Alcohol is out. / Xander stated firmly. Then he concentrated hard on a few specific memories of Tony Harris.
% I apologize. I did not see those memories when I first browsed your mind. % Jolinar paused. % I'm not pushing, but you need not fear such a result yourself. As your symbiote, I can filter the alcohol from your system almost before it hits your brain. You would have to drink enough to kill a normal man before you felt a thing. %
/ Whatever. / Xander dismissed the idea. / Let's just stick to sugary drinks. They taste better and will be easier to get anyway. /
There was only one all-night fast food restaurant in Sunnydale. Local vamps never seemed to bother the place either. Xander figured they had made a deal with the owner. Either that or the vamps just didn't like the taste of those who frequented fast food restaurants.
A jr. cheeseburger and a small pop was almost $3.00 after CA sales tax. Xander shook his head at the small amount of change he received.
Jolinar was also displeased. % I don't mean to nag, but that doesn't seem like it will be enough for you, much less both of us. %
/ Jolinar, my friend, I'm about to introduce you to the wonders of 'unlimited refills'. / Xander smiled.
One cheese burger, 22 cups of soda, and one bathroom break later, both he and Jolinar left satisfied.
% I have to say. That is an incredible amount of sugar your people use in your soda pop. % Jolinar stated.
/ Thanks. I think. / Xander smirked.
% Well, I can't say it would be safe for a normal human to eat like that, but I found it incredibly useful. Would it be possible to consume that much soda pop everyday? % Jolinar wondered.
/ It's possible. But I would need more money first. / Xander replied glumly.
% I see. We have little to offer in trade? % Jolinar confirmed.
/ Yeah. No one wants to hire a 17 year old kid to do anything but mop floors. / Xander groused.
% There is nothing wrong with manual labor if it gets us the needed currency. % Jolinar insisted.
/ It's more about the time. I'm busy helping Buffy and training with Angel and now we're watching out for SG-1 too. There's no time for anything else right now. / Xander explained as they arrived home. He entered his basement room quietly and snuck up the stairs to check on his parents. They were not passed out in front of the TV this time. That could be good or bad, Xander decided not to risk it and went back to bed.
Xander woke early and left without breakfast. Jolinar wondered why, but Xander told him it was too risky without explaining more. They were both silent on the walk to the hospital.
They watched Giles lead the SGC teams across the parking lot and followed at a safe distance. Xander had a plan but the trick was going to be to get Dr. Jackson on his own. Luckily, Dr. Jackson was walking at the back of the pack. A dry erase marker in his back and a whispered word to keep walking and Xander guided him down a left hand turn before the rest of the team even realized he was gone. A few more turns and they arrived in an empty exam room.
Xander sat in the patient's chair in front of the door and let Dr. Jackson have the doctor's chair at the back of the room.
"Oh god! It's you. The kid from yesterday. The one who was scared of us." Daniel's eyes got wide as the wheels started turning. "You're the one that hacked the SGC computer."
Xander shook his head and laughed. "I've never hacked a thing in my life." It was true.
"Then why did you kidnap me?" Daniel asked.
"I just want to talk, then you're free to go" Xander stated.
"You're the one with the gun." Daniel offered.
Xander showed him his marker. "Not so much." He put it in his pocket and showed him his note. "This is the address for the current Tok'ra base. The note explains the rest."
Daniel read it quickly and looked up, "Why should I help you? You did kidnap me after all. And if I didn't know that Jolinar was already dead, I might think you were his host."
"Well, Nem kidnapped you. You helped him." Xander shrugged. Daniel wasn't going to help him? Nothing was going to plan.
"Who?"
"P8X-361. The fish guy! Omoroca? We thought you were dead." Xander waved his arms. That memory was very vivid in Carter's memories. "Besides, I don't want you to help me. I want to help you. The Tok'ra could be powerful allies. I just don't want to end up in NID custody for helping you."
Jackson looked away at the last statement. After a moment he said, "You might want to leave town then. The NID have claimed this town as their own. We've been ordered out as soon as Ferretti and Turner are well enough to walk. Jack said they're already building a base here."
The kid stiffened. Daniel watched as every fiber of the boy's body tensed. Veins stood out on his neck and the knuckles on his clenched fists turned white. He took a deep breath. Then another. Slowly the kid's body started to relax. One last deep breath and he looked at Daniel again.
"Have you submitted your reports about last night yet?" Xander asked.
Daniel shook his head slowly, "No."
"You're going to take Buffy out of your reports." Xander said evenly.
"Why?" Daniel asked. But the kid wasn't listening to him. Instead he was talking to himself.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid. I shouldn't have asked her to go. I should have let the SG teams twist. See what happens when you have divided loyalties? SG-1 is fine, but now they're going to hand Buffy over to the NID for dissection."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Nobody is dissecting anybody." Daniel tried to calm the clearly distraught young man.
"Sometimes I forget you're not military. They'll dissect her and sleep well that night. You would all be dead if it weren't for her." Xander shook his head then looked up at Daniel. "Did Carter survive?" Xander asked.
"What?" It was such a strange turn about from what he had just said that it caught Daniel off guard.
"Dr. Captain Samantha Carter. Did she survive when Jolinar died?" Xander's voice was edged with anger and a hint of panic now.
"Yes! Yes. She's okay. She just wasn't up to making the trip here." Daniel answered quickly.
"Good." Xander stood. "I have to go."
The boy's eye's were glassy. He was probably going into shock. Daniel tried to stop him. "How do you know all this?"
"Magic." came the answer and Daniel found himself staring down an empty hallway.
"Daniel!" Came a shout behind him. "There you are," O'Neill and Teal'c ran up. "We've been looking all over for you. What's up?"
"We need to talk." Daniel said.
"Let me see if I've got this straight." O'Neill paced in front of the healthy members of SG-1 and SG-2. "The scared kid we ran into in front of the high school, kidnapped you at marker point." Teal'c eye brow rose at that remark and O'Neill continued, "and handed you a note with the address to, and a message for, the Tok'ra." Daniel nodded before Jack continued. "You felt guilty about receiving intel from someone half your age so you decided to divulge that the NID is coming to town and already building a secret military base here." He paused for a moment. "At which point the kid, who's name we still don't know, turned green, said 'Hulk Smash', and left. Did that about sum it up?"
"You forgot the part where he asked us to lie in official reports and said that his knowledge came from magic." Daniel added helpfully. The line that used to be Jack O'Neill's lips told him he probably should have stayed quiet at that moment.
"Sir," a young sergeant from SG-2 spoke up, "What would the NID do to her if they found out about Buffy?"
"The NID is not an honorable organization." Teal'c answered, "I do not know specifics of what actions they might take. But I for one will not help them in acquiring information on Slayer Buffy."
The sergeant was quiet for a moment and shared a look with the other healthy member of his team. "I don't think any of us want anything to happen to Buffy."
"Sergeant?" Jack asked the other member of SG-2. "Falsifying mission reports is a serious offense."
The man just nodded. "You can count on me sir."
Jack turned to Daniel. "This was your idea. You're re-writing Ferretti's and Turner's mission reports. Once we're done, we'll head over to the high school and finish this god-forsaken mission."
Daniel nodded. Jack wasn't about to do any extra paperwork, he was lucky Jack didn't have him do his as well. "What about the magic?"
"I got to watch a guy with yellow eyes and fangs explode last night." Jack began, "Do I believe in magic? No. But it doesn't matter. It's not our investigation anymore. We're visiting that school and then this insane mission is over and we can go back to normal stuff like alien snakes that burrow into your head and make your eyes glow."
The new reports were full of holes. Dr. Giles arrived alone, explained demons, armed them, and took them hunting. Teal'c beat one up with his staff weapon and shot it. Turner went off alone and Ferretti followed. The sound of gunfire drew Teal'c, who saved the two men and carried them to the hospital. Ferretti signed off immediately. Turner signed under the glares of his remaining team members.
That onerous task done, it was time to head to the school. After some lively debate, the Colonel decided that Teal'c would remain behind and guard the two injured members of SG-2. Jack and Daniel would visit the school and try to flush out whoever was doing the hacking. Unless it really was that kid whose name they didn't know, it was hoped that who ever did it would recognize Jack and Daniel and try to escape. SG-2 was no longer large enough to cover all the exits, so they would back off and just widely cover the front and back. Observing if anyone came out and radioing in.
Not long after entering the school, Jack and Daniel were confronted by a rather angry, bald man claiming to be the principal of the school.
"Daniel, do you get the feeling we've met him before?" Jack asked as the angry man walked away.
"I'm pretty sure I'd remember meeting that guy, Jack." Daniel replied.
O'Neill snapped his fingers. "There's just something about him." He shook his head. It would probably come to him later.
The bell broke him out of his thoughts. Suddenly he and Daniel were surrounded by hundreds of kids.
"Dr. Jackson. Over here." A voice yelled to them. Dr. Giles was standing in a doorway, motioning to them. Carefully making their way through the sea of children, Jack and Daniel joined the other man. The press of children suddenly lifted, Jack and Daniel found themselves in a small library.
"It can get a bit hectic out there between classes, fortunately the library seems to magically repel children. We should be safe here. Can I interest you in some tea?" Giles motioned towards his office.
"Sure." Daniel accepted for them both.
"Hey Giles! This crossbow has a broken- Oh. Hey Dr. J! And Soldier guy! How are your friends?" Buffy came out of the book cage.
"They'll survive, thanks to you. And you can call me Jack."
"And you can call me Daniel. That's actually what we'd like to talk to you about."
"We wanted to ask you not to talk about what happened last night." Jack began. "If anyone ever asks you, only Dr. Giles came that night?"
"And just who killed the vamps?" Buffy questioned.
"Not that you'd know, but Murray did. He's also the only one strong enough to carry both men to the hospital." O'Neill explained. "Just trust me. There are some very bad people in the area and-"
"Oh, you mean those NID guys?" Buffy interrupted. "Yeah Xa-"
"Buffy." it was Giles' turn to interrupt. "There's some string in my desk, why don't you restring that crossbow?" Jack and Daniel exchanged a look. "Would you still like that tea?"
"I think we'll take a rain-check." Jack said.
"Well, thank you for your warning. We will certainly take it to heart. And I sincerely thank you for keeping Buffy out of this. She's a very... unique child." Giles thanked them.
Jack and Daniel turned to leave, but Buffy's voice turned them around. "Daniel, catch!" She threw him a marker. "It's a dangerous world out there. You have to be careful." she said with an ear to ear grin.
Giles groaned and rubbed his forehead, but Jack was doing his best not to break out laughing. "Let's go, buddy."
'Cleared for light duty.' What did that even mean? Samantha Carter wondered. Basically it meant that Jolinar was dead and her body had been reabsorbed by Sam's body. Brave Jolinar. Another tear dripped down her cheek. What 'cleared for duty' didn't mean was that she was well. She didn't know if she would ever be well again. Her thoughts on Jolinar were mixed and contradictory. On the one hand, she had saved Sam at the cost of her own life. On the other, she had invaded Samantha against the host's will, which to the Tok'ra and to Sam was akin to rape.
Jolinar had dug through her mind at will. Not painfully nor did she bring up hurtful things in her past on purpose. She simply wanted to live and was willing to use just about any means to do so. But when they were both dying and Jolinar had the power to save Samantha with the last of her own strength, she gave up her life willingly.
So now Captain Carter was fine, physically. Mentally and emotionally, she was not fine and didn't know if she ever would be again. They had her seeing the base shrink and probably wouldn't even be putting her on light duty if they didn't need her help to make sure their computer systems were okay and virus free.
So, she would soldier on. Because she was a soldier and that was what soldiers did. They followed orders and did their duty no matter how much it might tear them up inside.
A/N: 22 cups of soda. 12 oz small pop = a little over 2 gallons of pop. Around 3,000 calories depending on the kind of pop.
P8X-361 – I couldn't find the real address. Then next address an SG team was visiting was P8X-362.
Also, I don't know if anyone else noticed, but Armin Shimerman who played the principal in BtVS for 2 seasons also had a guest spot as one of the Nox on SG-1.
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Chapter 10. Road Trip.
I'm dedicating this chapter to all my regular reviewers. Reviews really are my inspiration and you guys keep me going. And in particular to VillageOrchid, who completely missed the point the general was trying to make when he originally suggested this road trip. I still laugh when I read your review. Thank you.
A/N: There are references to real places and other fictional characters that I do not own in this chapter, including Disneyland and other Disney characters.
The new mission reports had been faxed to General Hammond from Camp Roberts, the nearby official army base. O'Neill had tried to gain access to the NID base but had been shot down. The injured SG-2 members had been discharged from the hospital with strict order of no driving and no exertion for at least a week. Essentially, they would be along for the ride until they reached base and were cleared by Dr. Fraiser. It was, in short, the perfect time for the road trip the general had not quite ordered them to take. Taking Highway 1 back down the coast in daylight was spectacular. Teal'c spent a great deal of time just staring at the ocean whenever the road passed close to it.
But it was Disneyland where Teal'c looked like a kid in a candy shop. Neither Jack nor Daniel could remember ever seeing the big guy so happy. With a Mickey Mouse hat and an ear to ear grin it was hard for any one on either team not to respond in kind. Anyone except for Lt. Turner. The man seemed to positively wear a storm cloud. He and Major Ferretti ended up spending a lot of time together as neither one was allowed to go on any ride stronger than the Lazy River. Which Teal'c happily joined them on... twice. Looking around Teal'c exclaimed, "I must bring Rya'c to this place, O'Neill. There is nothing on Chulack to compare."
"That might not be possible for a while, Murray." O'Neill cautioned. "But I'll see what I can do."
"What is this food, O'Neill?" Murray asked later.
"We call it Cotton Candy." Jack explained.
"I understand. It is soft like cotton, yet sweet like candy. A good name." Teal'c stood. "Come O'Neill we have not yet ridden the roller coaster called Sudden Plunge."
You have to give it to the guy. He never does anything half way. O'Neill thought as he stood up.
The next morning, the giant Redwood forest had Teal'c gazing in awe though not with the glee he had the day before. Daniel got to be the tour guide as O'Neill was less than enthusiastic about seeing more trees.
"I can see them from here." Jack stated.
"You do not wish to see the forest O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
Jack shook his head. "They're trees. Really big trees, but I've seen trees before."
Jack got to play his gameboy while he babysat Lt Turner instead.
Daniel and the rest of the troops marched off into the forest. Daniel read from a travel guide, "giant sequoias grow only in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains toward the state's eastern border. The most massive living things on earth, they can reach 280 feet tall and 23 feet across. The largest rise a little over 300 feet and spread almost 30 feet across. The oldest have been around over 3,000 years."
After an early lunch they were on the road by 1100 and headed to Las Vegas. They arrived not long after sundown. Everyone was understandably a little nervous being out after dark after their experiences in Sunnydale and stuck close together. They caught a show, which Teal'c enjoyed in his own impassive way. O'Neill gave Teal'c $100 and taught him the rules of Blackjack. The Jaffa seemed an apt hand at the game and quickly amassed a little over $1,000. Jack and Daniel tore him away from the tables and had to explain to him that yes, the point was to win, but since he was supposed to be undercover, it would be better if he didn't draw attention to himself. Teal'c was still confused but complied. Earth was such a strange place.
They chose not to overnight in Las Vegas and to instead take the drive to the next location in shifts. Leaving around 0100, they arrived in plenty of time to watch the sun rise over the Grand Canyon. Even if Jack was less than impressed with the trees, it was hard not to be impressed by the Grand Canyon. Even Turner seemed to forget to mope for a while. Though he went right back to moping when he found out that everyone besides him and the Major were going whitewater rafting that day.
"Enjoyed that, did ya?" Jack asked when they were finished.
"It was most... exhilarating." Teal'c agreed. "We must do this again. O'Neill."
Jack nodded. "Tell you what. There's a river by my cabin in Minnesota. I promise you that one day we'll go up there and shoot the rapids."
"I do not wish to shoot them O'Neill," Teal'c replied. "I wish to take a boat through them. Much as we just did."
"No, Murray." Daniel explained. "What we just did is called shooting the rapids."
"I see."
After a fun-filled day in the Grand Canyon, they decided to split the trip to Texas and stopped in Albuquerque for the night. The next day they spent over 10 hours driving. They stopped in Roswell simply for the sake of irony. Everyone but Teal'c and Turner was having a hard time keeping a straight face over lunch. Every time they met each others' eyes, a new round of snickering started. Though the Colonel and the Major did a better job of disguising it than the others.
"Your friends okay?" the waitress asked Murray.
"I am unsure. They have been this way since O'Neill suggested that we stop here for lunch. If there is a joke, I have not been told the punchline." Murray answered. "Though it seems to increase every time a child walks by with one of those green toys."
"You mean the aliens?" she wondered.
"Aliens?" Murray quirked an eyebrow.
"Sure. Aliens crash landed here bout 50 years back. People coming, hoping to see them. It's what keeps this place on the map." Then she walked away.
"Why was I not told of this Colonel O'Neill?" the Jaffa said seriously.
Jack sighed. "It's just a story Murray. No aliens crashed here."
"I see. And this is the source of your amusement?" Murray wondered.
"Yes. No offense, but being here in Roswell with you... well you can almost taste the irony." Daniel explained.
"I believe that was called Blueberry Pie." Teal'c deadpanned.
They found a hotel in San Antonio that night and visited the Alamo the next morning. Daniel had picked this destination and was playing tour guide again. "On March 6, 1836; 250 American militia faced off against 1,500 trained Mexican soldiers."
"It was a great victory for your people?" Teal'c asked.
"No, actually. It was a crushing defeat. After withstanding a siege and repulsing two attacks, the fort finally fell. Everyone was killed. Including a number of men who were already famous heroes in their day. Davy Crockett and Sam Bowie were among those killed."
"Bowie." O'Neill interjected. "Any relation to...?"
"Yes, he designed the Bowie knife." Daniel answered. Jack looked impressed. Daniel continued, "Bowie was very sick, probably dying already. But they say that even from bed, he took 3 soldiers with him when he died."
"I understand. You honor the place where your heroes fell." Teal'c stated.
"Yes and no. The Alamo was of great strategic importance. Losing it almost cost us the war. But before the Alamo fell, the war hadn't been very popular. After the Alamo fell, men flocked to the cause and the new Texan army pushed the Mexicans back across the Rio Grand. 'Remember the Alamo' became a battle cry for our side."
"Your history is most fascinating Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said.
"I'm glad someone appreciates me. I have some books you can read when we get back if you want to learn more." Daniel replied.
"Indeed."
A taste of things to come:
A week later:
Colonel Maybourne sat across from his promising new recruit. "If the intelligence you have is as good as you claim. You just go ahead and consider yourself Captain Turner."
Weeks later:
Video footage of this Slayer Captain Turner brought to his attention confirmed that she was indeed a formidable opponent. It also showed the Phenotype of man she was attracted to. They might not be able to come up with a vampire with a soul (whatever that was), but they could certainly come up with some pretty boys with hero complexes. Such men were a dime a dozen in the army. A honey trap operation was in the works and they were already interviewing potential suitors. It would take time. She would be recruited or she would be a subject; but one way or another, she was joining the Initiative.
A/N: The trip through Roswell was entirely unplanned. I put the destinations into Google Maps and the leg to San Antonio just happened to go straight through there. I couldn't pass up the irony. I had a lot of fun writing that part.
The Alamo history is mostly from Wikipedia and my own imagination. Any differences from the facts are my own fault.