The Gift of a Family Chapter 6. One Man's Heaven is another Woman's Hell.
A.N. Sorry it has been so long since I have updated. There are many reasons I won't bore you with the details. Let's just say that sometimes things get a little crazy and I have a hard time writing. It is taking a long time to get the beginning of my story done, yes the apocalypse is only the beginning. If I could only get to the end of the beginning, you would see what I mean!
OK so as I said before...I don't own Buffy or Stargate or any of the other shows or books that may be referenced herein. Just another FYI for anybody who missed it the first time around.
Thanks to AprilDuchess for beta reading this chapter for me. And thank you to my sister who wishes to be known as Blue Bird for her assistance as well.
Her eyes glinted brightly as Buffy walked into her home. She was a woman on a mission and intended to test how much pull she had in Washington with the help of her secret weapon a.k.a. the man who had been sleeping on her couch.
Paul Davis woke to the sound of a door and nearly jumped out of his skin. He had tried waiting up for the slayer but had failed miserably. He was very curious about what was going on in Sunnydale and couldn't help wondering if it wasn't a mistake to try and get Buffy away from the Hellmouth. She was the only thing keeping the monsters at bay. His superiors had been assured that another slayer was going to be arriving soon to take her place. But he had read the history of the only other living slayer and wasn't keen on the idea of Faith being the only thing between Hell and Earth.
"Hey," The petite blonde stated in greeting. "Sorry about pulling a Clark Kent on you last night and disappearing but I had to book." Buffy winced when she thought of what her mother would have said about how she had treated her 'guest.' She hadn't shown him to a guest room or gotten him anything to eat. She knew her mother would not have been pleased.
Why can't I save the world and be a good hostess that would make my mother proud? She thought miserably as she realized he didn't even have a blanket or sheets. "I brought donuts and coffee." She stated holding it out in a peace offering.
Paul gratefully took the coffee. "I'm glad you are still here." Buffy stated. "For more than one reason. There is a group of vamps looking for a blood sacrifice in town. Anybody who has ever survived a battle is fair game but they would love to get their claws on soldiers. Which brings up the other reason I am glad you are still here." Walking over to a book shelf she proceeded to pull out a number of books as she spoke.
"I don't understand." He hated admitting it, Buffy wasn't an easy woman to understand and she wasn't even speaking her interesting form of English at the moment.
"I ran into some military men last night. They weren't a part of the Initiative, but there was something very 'secret agent' about them. I got the feeling that vampires weren't the first odd thing that they have seen before even though they didn't have the first idea how to survive a meeting with a vamp."
Paul was silent waiting to hear what she wanted from him. "They caught some of the action and as you can imagine that brought up a lot of questions."
Buffy frowned as she went over Jack's responses in her mind. He seemed really calm about vampires and the forces of evil. It was the fact that they have been on the earth for ages unknown that really cooked his goose. She wasn't sure he completely believed that they were actual vampires and she would have chalked it up to the usual denial but his pointed questions brought little green men to her mind for some reason.
"I explained about vampires and tried to talk him out of calling his superior officer, but he insisted on it. I really don't want to clean up another Initiative. I am hoping you can keep all of his GI Joe backup out of my town and maybe get him to back off from trying to find out more about me?" It was the main thing that bothered her about her conversation with Jack. He was more interested in her than in the vampires. It didn't make sense, unless he was an evil scientist intent on cutting her open and seeing how she ticked. Except it seemed like that was the furthest thing from his mind.
"He seemed like a good guy but...he was way too interested in me. Normally the existence of vampires take center stage, not the slayer."
Looking at her petite frame, her long blond hair and green eyes, Paul was tempted to smirk. He couldn't help thinking, This guy must have more sense than the other losers she's has helped out in the past. What fool would be more interested in vampires than Buffy Summers? Yet, what she told him did have alarm bells ringing in his mind. What if this guy is with the rogue NID?
A scowl appeared on his forehead and Buffy couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. "I will look into it. The president has ordered Sunnydale as off limits to the military without his approval, but that doesn't mean certain elements wouldn't go around his order."
It was a surprise to her that he seemed so formidable in that moment. Buffy instantly felt a lot better. Up until now all she had thought about him was that he was a cutie who was a little too stiff and formal. He needed to loosen up...badly!
"I can't go right now but when I stop the latest big bad did you still want me to come check out this super secret thing you keep hinting around about?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, Ma'am...uh Buffy." He stammered seeing her glare at him for calling her Ma'am. "I would...that is, we, would love to brief you on what we have been dealing with."
"So, you are going to be there?" She asked, catching his Freudian slip.
Paul tried desperately to hide the darkening of his cheeks as he realized that she had caught what he had started to say. Noticing this, Buffy could only smile brighter and hold in her laughter.
Coughing lightly, he cleared his throat and nodded. "I'll be there."
"I'll tell you what, once I have stopped the ritual and the Dragon vamp cult, I'll come out, be briefed. I'll see what I can do. Later you can take me to the local equivalent of the Bronze."
She had been loveless and lonely for too long and felt the serious need to get her groove on. Not to mention all this talk about being briefed was making Buffy wonder if Paul and Daniel were a boxers or briefs kind of men. Yep, I have been cooped up way too long. If I don't get out soon I'll end up in another institution. She decided as the mental image of Paul and Daniel in boxers with happy faces on them flooded her mind. It was defiantly a yummy image but it was a bit much.
"Sure." Paul stated not entirely sure he knew what he was agreeing to. What is the bronze? He thought. "When do you think you will be able to get away?"
"I'm not sure, but I should be good by this weekend, I hope. Whatever is going to go down is coming soon." She knew she was running out of time and needed to get to work on her own personal torture. Research.
Maybe I should have accepted Daniel's help. She thought as she looked back at the pile of books on the table before her. She hated research with a passion but she didn't really feel like trusting the military men who were hanging out in a graveyard at night.
"I know you said that you wanted the military out of your town but I realize that you are kind of on your own and knowing that something big is happening I feel we should offer you some assistance. I am here on behalf of the Air Force as you know and we have a few teams that are use to dealing with the strange and unusual. As your usual assistance is...elsewhere I could have a team here in a few hours. I assure you that we would have them follow your lead."
"I thought Riley's team was somewhere in South America?"
"I'm not at liberty to say where Agent Finns team is, but I wasn't talking about Agent Riley's team. The people I am thinking about have no history with vampires but are the best in their field and I am sure that they could help you. They are with the thing that I can't tell you about until you sign the non disclosure statement."
"I need to get some of those forms and have you military types sign them." Buffy growled getting irritated. "If you talk you agree to be pummeled by the slayer. It has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"
He visibly flinched at the thought. "I'm sorry Buffy. I just don't really feel like being arrested for treason." He stated.
She sighed. "This uber secret military team, no offense but, how would they be any help? Most military teams rely too much on their guns. Getting shot only makes vamps pissy." Seeing him nod she sighed she could use some backup. "Let me see how the research goes and I will call you this afternoon with my answer."
Daniel shifted the bag of Chinese food in his arms and looked again at the address he had found in the phone book. After Jack's cryptic comment, that the cavalry had been cut off at the pass by an old order from the President, he had disappeared into the other room on yet another conference call with General Hammond and someone in Washington. The conversation did not seem to be going well. Jack was taking this latest upset from Washington very personally. Nobody who was intelligent wanted to be around Jack when he was this angry. (And Daniel was a very smart man.)
He wondered if Jack would go to see his daughter while Daniel was visiting Buffy. He had really hoped to get a chance to meet Jack's daughter. He imagined she would probably be a very unique young woman. Yes, he really wanted to meet the girl but the enticement of Buffy and books was too much.
After leaving a quick note for Jack he had decided to bring a bribe. Daniel had been intrigued by her last night. He wanted to discover the woman behind those enticing eyes. He wanted to get to know her...and let's face it he also wanted to get his hands on some of those books she was talking about. He was a little afraid she wouldn't let him in the door so he decided she would probably be getting hungry. Whenever he was buried in the books he would often forget to eat...or become so busy he didn't have time to stop and fix something.
He was very nervous and acting very bold for him. He was not use to this whole courting thing. He was totally out of his element, he had never actually been the one to initiate a romantic relationship. He found himself wanting to try with Buffy though. There was just something about her that stirred his heart and soul. He never thought he would ever feel this way again after he lost Sharae.
Forcing his nerves down, Daniel smiled as he thought about it...a beautiful woman and really old books in unusual languages with who knew what wisdom and secrets in their covers. It would be like heaven on Earth.
This is Hell! Buffy thought to herself. And Buffy knew Hell, having been there once. Granted it was one of the outer levels of Hell, but still it had the fire pits, slave labor and torture. Actually, Buffy amended the thought. This is worse than Hell.
She had been reading all morning and had discovered the first of her "new gifts." Some of the languages that once were strange squiggly lines she could now read. (Some better than others.) Some of the languages that were completely Greek to her before were now only partly Greek. Yet other languages were still squiggly lines, but she also knew which translation guides went with what squiggly lines so she couldn't just call Giles and tell him that she couldn't read it. She wished she could just call Giles and tell him that she would fax him all the pages she couldn't read and for him to have several reams of paper and a replacement ink cartridge ready. Of course, she still hadn't received his fax about the Dragon so she knew he was already busy. She wondered what was taking so long?
She had been working on a translation for 20 minutes now and was sure that she had done something wrong. She didn't think anyone would write a prophecy about the demon Grishnak going to the bathroom in Rohan. She had a feeling that she was looking in the wrong book but she couldn't be sure because nothing she had to translate on her own made any sense.
The worst thing was researching alone. It only proved to show her how lonely she had become. She kept reminding herself of Dawns promise and words. "If I can make it through this I won't be alone anymore." She kept reminding herself as she read. The words seemed so hollow. Everyone left her, wouldn't her new family just leave her too?
Research was never her favorite thing, but now it was pure torture. She needed Xanders witty jokes and Willows optimism. Giles' fatherly way of getting them back on task when they lost their focus.
Looking at the large pile of books she wished she had accepted Daniel's help. There was just too much to go over alone. Her stomach growled in hunger reminding her she hadn't eaten since the donuts and coffee several hours ago.
Sighing she decided that her empty house was far too oppressive and she could do with some sunshine. She could read outside as well as inside and maybe replenish her fading tan. She would just have a study picnic.
Buffy was just planning to go get on her bikini and to take her books into the backyard when the doorbell rang.
She blinked in confusion. Who could it be? She thought a smile coming to her face that was quickly gone as soon as she figured it must be some traveling sales person or someone else equally lost. (After all a traveling sales person must be totally lost if they thought she could afford to buy anything from them.)
Daniel paused on the front porch of a lovely home. He was about as nervous as the first time he went through the Stargate. For a moment the voice of reason almost talked him out of knocking.
What am I thinking? She will never be interested in me I am too old for her. Granted I'm not as old as I used to be but still with the generation gap between us what will we have to talk about?)
Daniel blinked as he realized what he was thinking. Jack had mentioned that without Buffy's help they might have ended up dead last night. If nothing else he really should thank her. So maybe I don't have a chance with her, I can still help her out and satisfy my curiosity a little. If nothing else then maybe we can be friends. That thought didn't sit as well with him as he would have liked. He wanted much more than friendship from Buffy Summers.
Forcing his nerves down he rang the doorbell and waited with bated breath to see what would come from his visit to the lovely young woman who had sat by his bedside until the light of day had filled his hospital room.
There will be more Jack soon I promise. I have been debating whether or not to bring the rest of SG1 to California but, I think I will let them meet Buffy later. I couldn't resist putting in some Buffy, Paul chemistry but it should still be mostly Buffy and Daniel.