Jack winced as Dr. Frasier shined a penlight in his eyes at the same time as he heard Buffy say, "Hey, watch where you're sticking that needle."
"You say a hand device was used on both of you?" Frasier asked, pulling the light away for one glorious moment before directing it at his other eye.
"Yeah," Jack grunted, shying away from the light. "Me first, twice, then Summers once."
"I'm perfectly fine," Buffy said from behind him. "Seriously. No, you don't need to—owwwww."
"You're not fine," Frasier said, with professional exasperation. "The hand device doesn't cause long term damage—as far as we know—but in the short term if often gives its victims a concussion as well as lasting nausea and dizziness. Are you experiencing any of those symptoms?"
"No," Buffy said, at the same time as Jack insisted, "Barely!"
Frasier sighed and shook her head. She was used to having to put up with O'Neill, of course, but for Buffy to turn out to be just as bad…The Air Force didn't pay her enough.
"Well, anyway, I'm going to keep you both on base for a few hours under observation, just to make sure. If you're feeling all right, I'll let you go home then."
"Fine," they said simultaneously.
"Do you always have to put up with that?" Buffy asked once Frasier was gone.
"You think that was bad? Try coming in here with a bullet wound." He slid off of the cot, standing woozily and looking at his much shorter teammate. She really did look good, actually. He'd never have guessed that she'd been hit with the hand device less than an hour ago. "You don't have to pretend to be fine, Summers. Anyone would be weak after what happened to you. There's no shame in telling the Doc."
She rolled her eyes, sliding lithely off her own cot and bouncing on the balls of her feet as if testing the resiliency of her knees. "Right, because you weren't just pretending," she said, rolling her eyes. "And I am fine."
"In that case, feel up to having that little talk?"
She wrinkled her nose cutely. "Here?" She looked around the drab infirmary with distaste. "I hate hospitals."
"Feel like grabbing some grub?" he suggested. "I think if we work together we can make it to the mess hall."
At his words her stomach grumbled audibly. "Let's go," she said. "I could eat a horse. And a cow. And maybe even a pig, although that one I'd probably want cooked."
"There's pie," Jack said helpfully.
He could hear her stomach growl.
"So you're saying that somehow Ms. Summers disabled twelve Jaffa at once, then managed to take out two Jaffa and a Goa'uld?" Hammond asked, staring at Carter and Teal'c with the look that meant that he was doubting their sanity.
"That is correct, General Hammond," Teal'c said.
"We didn't see her take out the twelve Jaffa," Carter added. "What she did to Isis, though…It was pretty impressive, sir."
"Buffy Summers' tactics were also most excellent, General Hammond. She engineered a distraction to force Isis to weaken the defenses on the mothership to enable our escape."
Hammond sighed, rubbing at his bald head. "Well, Colonel O'Neill hasn't requested to have her removed from the team yet. That's a good sign."
"I do not think Colonel O'Neill will make such a request," Teal'c said. "Buffy Summers has proven herself a most capable warrior."
"She pretty much saved our bacon, sir," Carter said.
"All right. I'll have to wait to hear from Colonel O'Neill, but if his report is favorable, I'll tell the President. He'll be happy to hear that Ms. Summers is fitting in."
"Yeah, about that, sir. I did a little digging, and Buffy's background is, well, it's colorful. I don't suppose you could shed any light on it?"
Hammond looked at her evenly. "You'll have to ask her, Major." She couldn't tell whether he was hiding something, or whether he honestly didn't know.
"Yes, sir."
"Summers. Slow down. You're going to choke."
Buffy swallowed. "No I'm not," she said, shoveling in another mouthful of pie.
"Are too."
Swallow. "Am not."
"Are."
"Not."
"Summers, where do you put all that? Seriously. I'm asking. I gave up about twenty minutes ago, and I'm no slouch when it comes to pie."
She shot him a considering glance, probably contemplating whether to finally start telling him what he wanted to know. Apparently she decided in his favor.
"Yeah, well, you haven't been living off Doublemeat burgers for the past two months," she said.
He couldn't contain his grimace of revulsion. "Doublemeat? As in…the Doublemeat Palace, home of grease and heart attacks?"
She shrugged. "Money's been tight lately."
"And all you could afford was fast food?" He couldn't keep the disbelief from his voice. She was just a kid, after all. And wasn't she also the guardian for her sister?
She shook her head, shadows in her eyes. "I couldn't even afford that. I worked at Doublemeat, so I got free meals. It's been a rough few months."
Despite himself, Jack felt for her. "I'll say." He eyed the mess hall food, which he'd always found palatable enough, though unexceptional. "So all this is…"
She grinned around another forkful of pie. "Delicious," she finished for him. "Hey, look," she said. "It's Sam and Teal'c."
The other two members of their team joined them at the table.
"Did Janet let you go already?" Carter asked, surprised and accusing.
"Not exactly," Jack said shiftily. "We were hungry."
"Uh-huh. Well, our debrief with General Hammond went just fine, sir. He has some questions."
"As do I," Jack announced. "So, Summers—feel like giving us some answers?"
She swallowed a spoonful of jello. "What do you know about me?"
"Oh…enough to know that you somehow came back from the dead a few months ago, not enough to know how exactly you fight as well as you do."
"Right," Buffy said. "Well, when I was fifteen years old, this creepy old man from England approached me." She paused as if to make sure they understood.
"Creepy old man from England," Jack repeated.
"Yup," she said. "Anyway, so this creepy old man, he told me that I had a destiny. To fight vampires."
"Vampires." This from Carter.
"Yeah, well. Imagine how I felt. There I was, this empty headed cheerleader, and…Anyway, I thought he was crazy. Then he threw a knife at my head, and I caught it."
"You caught it." Jack and Carter both looked at Teal'c, who normally didn't sink to the level of repeating what other people said.
"Right. Surprised me too, let me tell ya! Well, after that, I agreed to go with him to a cemetery. And then I killed my first vampire."
"Of course you did," Jack said mockingly. "Listen, Summers, if you don't want to tell us—"
She shrugged. "Fine. Don't believe me." She forked another mouthful of pie into her mouth.
A long moment went by before it became obvious that she didn't intend to say more.
Jack groaned. "Come on, Summers," he said. "You can't expect us to believe that vampires exist. I mean, okay, yeah, you can kick butt, but so can Teal'c. Or anyone possessed by a Goa'uld, for that matter. And what you did on that planet, I mean sure, you're strong, but you didn't do anything that was inhuman. I've known some special operatives who could do what you did. Hell, twenty years ago I could have." Maybe, he added silently.
Buffy cocked her head. "Could you have taken out the twelve Jaffa guarding the ship, too? Because that would be impressive."
Jack frowned. "Maybe," he said mulishly. That wasn't humanly possible. Teal'c couldn't have done it. Hell, Bra'tac couldn't have done it. Not without using weapons. "It's more likely than you being a vampire, anyway."
She blinked at that, the corners of her lips curling up for a brief moment. She shrugged again. "Fine." Another forkful went in her mouth.
Jack opened his mouth to berate her again but Carter beat him to the punch. "I don't suppose you could offer some sort of proof about what you're saying?"
Buffy tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose I could take you patrolling with me. Colorado Springs isn't a hellmouth like Sunnydale was, but there must be a few vamps here I can take care of."
"Patrolling?" Teal'c said.
She shrugged, an elegant roll of her shoulders. "Sure. I used to go out every night, hunting for vampires. They were attracted to Sunnydale because it was the center of mystical energies, so there was a very high population there."
"So we have to wait to go patrolling with you to see more of your skills in action?" Jack said doubtfully. "You realize that you're making it really hard for us to trust you. How can I know you're not an NID plant?"
"Well, does it help that I don't know what the NID is?" Buffy hesitated. "Or," she said, looking suddenly at Teal'c, "we could go have a sparring session. Right now."
"No way," Jack said.
"Why not?" she said, her lower lip jutting out, arms crossed over her chest.
"The reason we're still on the base at 8 p.m., Summers, is because we might be injured," he pointed out. "Somehow I don't think letting Teal'c pummel you is going to help."
"The doctor didn't say no activity," Buffy pointed out. "She said to stay on base. We'd be staying on base."
"I think the 'no getting pummeled' bit was implied," Jack said, unimpressed.
"Jaaaaack," she whined.
He frowned. A small part of him was tempted. Okay, he was really tempted. What he'd seen her do on that planet was shocking, and her explanation was a joke if he'd ever heard one, but maybe if they could see her in a controlled environment…"If you can beat me in that arm wrestle you owe me, then maybe."
She smirked. He put his elbow on the table. She grabbed his hand. His arm hit the table.
"Geez, Summers," he said, shaking out his hand, which felt like it had been crushed. "You do eat your spinach, don't you?"
"Admit it Jack," she said, looking way too smug. "You're weaker."
"Hey! I got hit with the hand device twice," he protested.
"Uh-huh. So, Teal'c, let's do it."
"I have no wish to damage you, Buffy Summers," Teal'c said gravely.
She smiled at that. "I really don't think you will, Teal'c. And I promise you, Jack—I'm totally fine. I'm pretty durable." To prove her point, she bounced out of her seat. "C'mon, Teal'c," she cajoled. "I've been wanting to see what you're made of ever since I sensed little Roo in your pouch there."
Teal'c stood deliberately. "Roo?" he said, cocking an eyebrow.
She blinked. "Sure. You know, Winnie the Pooh?" At his uncomprehending expression she said, "It's a kid's story. Two of the characters are Kanga and Roo—the mother and baby kangaroos."
As they strolled out of the mess hall, Jack and Carter close on their heels, Teal'c said, "What is a kangaroo?"
"Okay," Jack said, leaning back against the wall and watching as Buffy and Teal'c took up positions on the mat. Buffy rolled her head on her neck, limbering up, as Teal'c stood passively at the corner. "Here's the rules: Summers, don't die. Teal'c, don't kill her."
Teal'c bowed his head in Jack's direction, but Buffy just rolled her eyes.
"So, Carter," Jack said. "Care to lay a small wager?"
"Sir," she said reluctantly, "I know that you think I'm all about the girl power, but really—I don't even think she should be outside the infirmary, let alone fighting Teal'c."
He mock frowned. "Carter, I appreciate your concern for our new teammate, but I'm the one betting on Buffy. You'd be betting on Teal'c."
"Really." There was laughter in her eyes.
"Oh, yeah. You should have felt that grip. Whew. So, shall we make it $20?"
"The $20 you owe me for losing the arm wrestling, sir?" Carter said.
"Right. That $20."
"You're on."
"Are you prepared, Buffy Summers?" Teal'c asked.
"I am," Buffy said with more solemnity than Jack expected. "Are you prepared, Teal'c?"
His eyes crinkled ever so slightly. "I am."
"Then begin," Jack said.
Instantly the two fell into fighting positions. Which for Buffy meant that she bent her knees slightly, and for Teal'c meant that the muscles in his shoulders tensed slightly.
For a long moment they simply regarded each other, neither moving. Then Buffy exploded forward, her fists flying almost too quickly to see. Teal'c took two blows to his chest, grunting from the force, before he began to dodge, bringing his arms up to block. He retaliated with several strikes of his own but caught only air, despite the surprising speed at which he moved. His foot struck out to swipe her legs out from under her and she fell to the mat, then did a backwards somersault to take up her position again at the corner of the mat.
Her grin was fierce. Jack realized that, for all of her apparent perkiness in the past day, this was the first time he'd really seen her smile.
"I don't think either of them knows what the word 'spar' means," Carter murmured.
"They've both been taught to fight to win," Jack replied. "Their fights are always going to be quick, with one going down when the other lands a strong enough blow."
This time it was Teal'c who attacked. He was not as effective in unarmed combat as he was with a staff or a staff weapon, but he was still more than formidable. He delivered a right hook to her chin that should have knocked her instantly unconscious but instead barely shook her, and she came back with a punch that knocked him several feet back. She took advantage of his momentary disorientation to smack him with a roundhouse kick to the chin that, astonishingly, sent Teal'c to the floor. Instead of pressing the advantage, Buffy stepped back and waited for Teal'c to push himself to his feet and retake his own corner.
"You are holding back, Buffy Summers," Teal'c said, rubbing his chin.
"As are you, Teal'c."
"Would you be willing to use the entirety of your strength?"
"Not today, Teal'c. Maybe another day."
Teal'c's face contorted into what, on Teal'c, passed for a grin.
"I shall look forward to it," he intoned.
Her lips twitched. "As will I."
Then Buffy's eyes rolled back in her head and she tilted face forward onto the mat.
Buffy heard voices.
"So, when I said that you were restricted to the base until I was certain you were all right, where in all that did you think I was giving either of you permission to spar with our resident Jaffa?"
"She said she was fine." That was Jack's voice. A man his age really shouldn't be allowed to sound that much like a five year old.
"And you haven't said the same thing every time you've been forced into my infirmary?"
"What's your point, Doc?"
"My point, Colonel, is that maybe you need to go through some more tests tonight, since you've obviously taken leave of your senses."
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"Uhhhhh." Who was that, Buffy wondered. The sound came again. "Uhhhhhhh." Oh. It's me.
"Ms. Summers? Can you hear me?"
"If I say, 'I'm fine,' will you let me go home?" she wondered aloud.
There was laughter in the doctor's voice. "I don't think so. Ms. Summers, you were already walking around with a potential head injury, and were then struck several times by Teal'c. Do you remember?"
Buffy opened her eyes, unsurprised to find herself back in the infirmary. "Of course I remember," she said.
"Yes, well," the petite doctor said, eyes narrowed, "who knows what damage you've done to yourself now. You fell unconscious after the fight was over."
"Well, it has been a long day," Buffy said, sitting up and feeling only faintly dizzy. "I mean, what with the jet lag, and the traveling to another planet—is there such a thing as 'gate lag?—and the fighting, and the torture, and then coming back, and then the torture in this infirmary, and then the fighting. Plus the extreme hunger from the past few months. And the fact that I've been…not myself for a while. Maybe I shouldn't have challenged Teal'c today. Maybe. But I'm fine now. So, can I go home?"
"Well, I can't find anything wrong with you," Frasier said, sounding unsure, "other than extreme malnourishment and signs of fatigue, as well as some bruising that's already begun to fade. I'd like you to stay the night in the infirmary, but if you are determined to go home, I won't stop you. Provided you get someone to drive you home."
"Oh, I don't drive," Buffy said, standing and forcing herself not to rub her temples at the sudden wave of dizziness.
"You don't drive?" Jack repeated in disbelief.
"Oh no. Buffy and cars are two unmixy things. Like Buffy and alcohol. Bad experiences all around."
"How do you get to work?"
She shrugged. "Taxis? It's only my second day, you know. I don't have everything figured out yet."
"Tell ya what, Doc. I'll give Summers a ride home, as well as a ride to work tomorrow. Two for the price of one."
"You don't have to do that, Jack," Buffy said, but he held up a hand to forestall her protestation.
"You're on my team, Summers."
Their eyes met and Buffy realized that, for Jack, that was all that mattered. And she realized in a flash of awe that being on Jack's team was a precious thing indeed. Though there was still a hint of mistrust in that guarded gaze of his.
She had never been on someone else's team before. It was always her team. Her with the responsibility.
"Well, okay then," she said. She flashed Frasier a smile. "So, are we good to go?"
Frasier sighed. "Get out of my infirmary. Come back if you experience any discomfort. Do you hear me? Anything at all!"
Unfortunately, her two victims couldn't hear her. They were long gone.
"Nice truck," Buffy said, slouching comfortably in the passenger's seat.
"Thanks," Jack replied, patting the dashboard lovingly.
"Is my place out of your way?"
"Actually, no. You're half a mile from my house."
"Ah. Convenient."
"Yeah."
They lapsed into silence, each more exhausted by the events of the day than they'd admit. He pulled up outside her house after a short while, impressed by its size.
"Sweet house," he said.
"Yeah. The President had someone at the SGC pick it out, I think. More incentive for me to join up."
"You and the President are good friends, are you?"
"I've spoken to him twice. He seems like a good man."
"Oh, I suppose," Jack said airily. "I'm not a big fan of those politician types. Hayes' running mate, Kinsey, was a real piece of work."
"Hmm."
They lapsed into silence again.
"You did good today, Summers. Thanks for saving our butts."
"Thanks for letting me onto your team."
Jack snorted. "I'll be honest with you. It was a choice between you or Jonas, the alien from Kelowna."
Buffy glanced at him sidelong. "So? Teal'c is an alien."
"Yeah. But this alien watches the Weather Channel."
"Ah."
"Yeah."
"Right, well, good night. Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow. Seven thirty work for you?"
"Sure."
She cracked open the door and flounced out.
"Oh, and Summers?" he called out his open window. "We're gonna have to have another talk about vampires sometime soon."
She waved him away. Jack waited until she'd gone inside the house before putting his truck back in gear and cruising away. He glanced at the clock and cursed. He'd be picking her up in just nine hours.