"Let me get this straight, you're an intergalactic band of travelers who went out and pissed off the neighborhood bullies, these Goa'uld right? Now they've come after us time and time again, but you've also made friends out there, these Asgard and the Tollan. You go through this stargate and explore?" Xander said, still trying to absorb it all.
"Pretty much, I still don't understand where you got your flashy powers from though. You mentioned something about a Halloween costume but that was it, care to elaborate?" Daniel asked as he tidied up the papers on the table.
"No, that's not just my secret but others as well. I'll have to talk to them first, if they say yes, then I'll tell you all. What I still don't get is how you have kept all of this a secret, I mean, aliens, wow." Xander grinned as he looked at the faces around the table. These four people had been to other planets, faced off aliens. His dad had faced off aliens, how cool is that.
"I'm not going to lie to you son, it was tough going here and there. But we've pulled through, we have come to attention of a few of the major system lords though and now they want us out of the way. Especially after killing Ra and Apophis, not to mention a few other minor Goa'uld." Hammond explained.
"The point is, the secrets out. We are out there in the galaxy now; we can't put the genie back in the bottle. We could really use someone with your powers to even the playing field." Daniel smiled across the table at him.
"I get that, I do. But I'm involved in something here, and I should really finish high school first. I'm not saying no, I'll be here if you need me, but I'm not going to join up and fight these battles. Not that it wouldn't be cool going through that thing but I have other responsibilities." Xander tried to placate the team. He wanted to help, after the stories he had been told about the Goa'uld and how they enslaved thousands of worlds, he really wanted to help.
"I understand son, maybe when you have finished high school you'll rethink our offer. The SGC could really use your help with this." Hammond stood up and held his hand out.
"Thank you General, I mean it though. If you find something you can't deal with, dad… Jack knows where to find me." Xander took the hand and shook it.
"Colonel, would you like to accompany your son back to Sunnydale. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about, in fact SG1 you are now on stand down for two weeks. Use it well, dismissed." Hammond smiled at the team and walked out of the conference room.
"Well, fancy showing me some of your powers then?" Jack grinned at Xander.
"Sure, you ok with spending some time with me and my friends?" Xander grinned back.
"Is it just me or are those two acting too much alike for comfort?" Daniel smiled as he asked Sam.
"Nope, scary thought, two Jack's." she grinned as she gave an exaggerated shudder.
"Indeed." Teal'c's voice carried though the hall.
"So campers, what are you going to do with your two weeks off?" Jack asked as they made their way down to the locker rooms.
"I've got some old records I want to go through, see if I can find out any more about the Harsisis. There might be something in there to lead us to it." Daniel smiled as Jack and Xander rolled their eyes, definitely his son.
"What about you Carter? Anything planned?" He asked with an edge of hope in his voice.
"Actually sir I have a date on Friday, in case you had forgotten." Sam grinned as they all traipsed down the stairs.
"Oh yeah, that Adam, we met him last week right?" Jack said the edge in his voice gone now.
"Pierson, Adam Pierson. Yeah, we met at O'Malley's last week. He seems really interesting, asked me to join him for the pool competition this weekend." Sam smiled at the thought.
"What about you T? Anything planned?" he asked the last member of his team.
"Nothing O'Neill. I will attempt to find a reasonable sparring partner and Kelnoreem." Teal'c said, his voice completely emotionless as usual.
"No sparring for you here T?" Xander asked as they entered the changing rooms.
"Unfortunately not, Jaffa are far stronger than Tau'ri and as such I have been unable to find a good sparring partner to join with me. It has been quite difficult to keep my regime intact on this world."
"Come with us, I think I've got just the person who could spar with you." Xander smiled at the thought of Teal'c sparring with Faith.
"Yeah, come on T. nice holiday in the sun, Californian babes. It'll be a blast." O'Neill grinned, yeah a holiday with his son and his best friend. Just what the doctor ordered.
"I do not wish to intrude upon your time together O'Neill, but if you are certain…" Teal'c raised his eyebrow as Xander interrupted.
"We're certain, come on. I want to hear all about your adventures, and some embarrassing stories about my dad." He grinned as Teal'c eyebrow shot up even further.
"I believe I can help you there. O'Neill has proved to have many embarrassing stories follow his adventures. It will be satisfying to share them with one of his family."
"Settled then. T, you're with us, get packed and meet us… where?" Jack turned to Xander.
"Gate room? Fifteen minutes?" Xander suggested. It wasn't as if they needed to be topside for him to teleport.
"Sounds good. Meet you there boys, I'll go and clear it with the general." Jack said as he jogged out the door.
"I will go and pack. Thank you for allowing me to join you on this vacation XanderO'Neill." Teal'c bowed softly before leaving the room.
"Ok… now to figure out how to get from here to Sunnydale without going via orbit…" Xander muttered to himself as he walked back to the gate room.
"Ah!" Giles yelled as he fell back on his chair.
"Sorry G-man, didn't mean to scare you, just thought the library would be the best place to appear." Xander apologized, though his smirk said he was hardly sorry.
"Quite alright, we were looking for you anyway. May I assume everything went well with the military then?" Giles said as he picked himself up off the floor.
"Yeah, went great. Giles I want you to meet my dad, dad this is Giles. He's been like a father to me since Tony kicked me out."
"Nice to finally meet you, Xander's told me quite a lot about you." Jack said, holding out his hand and shaking Giles' thankfully.
"And this is Murry, a friend of dad's. He's going to be joining us for a couple of weeks with dad." Xander stepped back allowing Teal'c to bow at Giles.
"It is a great pleasure to meet the one who has taught XanderO'Neill so much about the world; it is a wise man who can teach those with power that they should not abuse it." Teal'c said, bowing low.
"Th… Thank you." Giles said, bowing in kind.
"Now, where is everyone? I want to introduce my dad to the rest of the gang." Xander said with a grin.
"Faith is out on patrol, Jenny is with her. Willow is still with Oz, they are dealing with the fact that he is… well… lunerly challenged shall we say. We still have heard no word of Buffy, where she is or what she is doing." Giles explained.
"Still nothing?" Xander said, worry seeping into his voice. "You don't think anything has happened to her do you?"
"No, since the incident with Angelus the nightlife has been quiet. Even Spike and his paramour Drusilla have been quiet, a little too quiet but none the less. We are taking this opportunity to help train Faith to her full potential; Jenny is helping her with strength and speed while I am helping willow with her… other activities." Giles smiled at the group. It was going to be quite difficult keeping this a secret while Xander's father and his friend were here. They may know about Xander and Jenny's secret but that didn't mean they knew about the rest of Sunnydale's inhabitants.
"Ok then. T, you up for a spot of violence?" Xander grinned as the man raised his eyebrow.
"Remember what I told you about vampires?" he smiled as Teal'c nodded slowly. "Well, let's go out on patrol, link up with Faith and Jenny and see if we can get you a decent sparring partner." He smirked as he saw Giles spluttering in the corner. "Chill, they both know about vampires and the other things that go bump in the night, I can't tell you a lot of it yet, but trust me. They are used to much weirder things than we are."
"Ok Campers, let's move out. Xander, you got any weapons we can use? We couldn't exactly bring a staff weapon off base." Jack smiled as Xander moved over to the weapons cabinet and retrieved a sword and a large four bladed axe.
"Think you can use this T?" Xander grinned as he passed the axe to him.
Teal'c just handled the axe carefully at first, taking a practice swing in the air to test its balance before swinging it full speed in a kata.
"This is a true warrior's weapon, perfect balance and a fierce head. It would do any warrior proud to use such a weapon." Teal'c said, the corners of his mouth twitching in a small smile.
"Whoa, what about you dad, you ok with the sword?" Xander asked, passing the sword over to Jack.
"Yeah, might not be able to do anything as fancy as T, but I'll get by with it." He said, taking a few practice swings in the air.
"Sounds good, if the girls get back here before us can you tell them to call me. I really want to introduce Faith to my dad." Xander smiled. It was a weird feeling, introducing someone to his dad and not being ashamed. That was a feeling he could get used to.
"As you wish, I take it you still have the key's with you?" Giles asked, looking at 'Murry' with caution. The guy was huge, and very intimidating with the axe. "Well, the sofa in the living room folds out into a double bed so your father and Murry can sleep there while they are staying with us."
"Are you sure? I mean we can get a motel or something. It's no trouble." Jack said, not wanting to impose on the man.
"No, quite sure, I believe you will want to spend as much time with Xander as possible. This way you can stay with him and Faith, we could actually have a cooked meal tomorrow." Giles said, holding up his hand to stop any further arguments. "Now, take care of them Xander. Remember what you were like you're first time on patrol."
Xander just laughed at the thought. "Giles, Dad is ex black ops, I doubt he'll need me to look after him. T… well does it look like he needs me to take care of him?"
Giles just looked at the man again; his bicep was larger than his own neck. With the force he could put behind the axe… he could probably decapitate a demon with one swing, vampires no problem. "I see your point; never the less I want you all to be careful."
"Don't worry; I'll see you back at the house ok?" Xander smiled, picking up his coat from the hook on the wall. Glad to see he'd left it there over three days ago and it was still there.
"Ok, try not to make as much noise when you come in, you do have school tomorrow as I'm sure I don't need to remind you." Giles smiled at the glower on Xander's face as they left the library.
"Dad, you ok?" Xander asked as he pulled Jack up from the floor.
"Yeah, just caught me off guard." He smiled as he picked up the sword from beside him.
"T, you doing ok over there?" Xander shouted over, where he could see Teal'c in battle with two vampires. He was swinging the axe one handed while using his other hand to keep the other vampire at bay.
"Indeed, these vampires are much more of a challenge that the officers at the base." He shouted as he swung and decapitated one vampire with ease.
"Glad someone's enjoying themselves." Jack muttered as he crept up behind the other vampire and swung the sword at its neck.
"Dad, look out!" Xander shouted as the vampire swung round at the last second and grabbed jack, forcing him to the ground with the vampire on top.
The vampire didn't stay that way for long however, a second later there was a soft 'poof' noise and jack was suddenly covered in dust with a beautiful brunette standing over him.
"So, this you're pops then Xan?" Faith grinned as she looked down at jack. "You ok there?" she smiled as she helped him up.
"Five by five, thanks. Faith I take it?" He smiled as he offered his hand.
"Xander been telling tales again?" She grinned, taking the hand and shaking it.
"Nothing but praise I assure you. I'm Jack and that's Murry over there with the axe."
"Whoa… wicked looking axe Murry." She said as he came over and bowed slightly to her.
"Enjoy yourself then T?" Jack asked, seeing the Jaffa's eyes glisten with enjoyment.
"Certainly O'Neill, these creatures are more resilient than any Jaffa I have come across. They would do well if they were organized and had training."
"T, better than Murry, well fortunately for us they don't, they're plenty lethal as they are." Faith grinned as she moved up to Xander, kissing him passionately.
"Good to see you faith, sorry it took so long. Dad had a bit of business to clear up first." Xander said, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Just glad you're back, been a bit quiet though, as if the demons are keeping off the street for a reason. Giles is trying to research it but nothing so far." Faith explained as Jenny landed besides them with a whoosh of air.
"Yeah, he said. Anything from the sky's Jenny?" Xander asked as Jack looked at her in amazement and Teal'c just raised his eyebrow at her.
"Nope, same as every night, quiet as far as the eye can see. And with my eyesight that's saying a lot." Jenny smiled, embracing Xander softly. "Glad you're back safe."
"Glad to be back." Xander smiled at her. "Why don't you go back to Giles, have some time together. We can handle things from here."
"Are you sure?" Jenny asked hesitantly.
"Go for it Ms C, we can handle anything that jumps up here. Go have some fun time with Giles." Faith said with a smirk.
"Ok, I'll see you both tomorrow in class ok?" she smiled at them both and grinned at Jack's amazed expression as she took to the skies again.
"Ok, Jenny. Computer science teacher turned Kryptonion. Again, don't ask because I won't tell you." Xander smiled as they headed on through the cemetery.
"So there I was, picking up the contents of Buffy's purse. She looks over at me and what do I say?" Xander paused in his tale for effect. "Can I have you?" he smiled as jack burst out laughing, Teal'c simply raised his eyebrow. "And that was the first time I met Buffy, after that it was all fighting and training, but that was our first meeting."
"Xan, it's getting late. I'm going to turn in ok?" Faith said, standing up and kissing him on the cheek before heading upstairs.
"Ok, I'll be up in a bit babe." Xander smiled at her.
"You two aren't…" Jack let the question drift off.
"No, it's not that I don't want to… but we decided to wait until we're ready. Just take it as it comes, we're not in any hurry." Xander smiled at the relieved expression on Jacks face. A concerned father, definitely a new experience.
"Good, you don't want to rush into anything. I mean, I'm sure you and Faith are great together but…" Jack trailed off, not quite sure how t finish the sentence off.
"Jack… Dad, don't worry. Me and Faith aren't going to rush off and have wild monkey sex, trust me. Giles has already had 'the talk' with me about it; we'll wait until we're ready." Xander smiled again as the relief flowed through Jacks body. "Look, it's coming on four am now; I'd better get some sleep before school. I'll see you both after ok?"
"Ok, Night." Jack said as he watched Xander climb the stairs.
"Goodnight XanderO'Neill." Teal'c's voice boomed up the stairs.
The next day at school passed painfully slowly. Still no word from Buffy, Giles was calling all his contacts, it had been a week now with no word.
"Nothing?" Willow asked as she looked up from her book.
"No sightings, even Willie doesn't know where she is." Giles said, exasperated.
"Mrs. Summers must be going out of her mind." Xander muttered.
"I'm sure, but I don't believe there is anything we can do. Buffy simply doesn't want to be found at the moment, if she did she would get in contact." Giles said, taking a seat at the table next to Willow.
"What if she can't Giles, what if she's hurt or something…" Willow trailed off, not wanting to think about what could have happened to her friend.
"I'm sure she's fine Will's. She'll be back any day now, just wait and see." Xander tried to keep the mood high, but with Buffy missing it was hard.
"Xander is right, I'm sure everything is fine, she just needed some time to think." Giles said, taking a sip of his tea.
"Thinking, right, is that what you did before or after you killed my boyfriend?" Buffy said from the doorway.
"Buffy!" Willow yelled, standing up.
"No, Xander, what did you think would happen? You kill Angel and everything would still be the same?" Buffy said, the anger clear in her voice.
"Buffy I didn't… if I hadn't he would have…" Xander tried to explain.
"I don't care about you're excuses. You killed Angel, you knew how much I loved him and you killed him." Buffy yelled through the library.
"Would you rather I let him kill Jenny, or Willow. Well? That's the choice I had to make because you wouldn't. Go on, tell me. Would you choose his life over theirs?" Xander shouted back, standing up suddenly, causing his chair to clutter to the floor. "What would you have done? Let him kill Jenny? Let him kill Willow? Tell me Buffy, what would the great slayer have done?"
"Leave them out of this!" Buffy screamed at him.
"No, I want to know. Is Angel's life more precious to you than your friends? That's the choice, him or them. What would it have been?" Xander said, storming over to Buffy and looking her in the eye.
"It was my choice to make; you took that from me when you killed him. We could have saved him, restored him soul, but you didn't give him that chance did you?" Buffy shouted at him, standing on her tiptoes to look eye to eye with him.
"Yes, I killed him. I made that choice because you wouldn't, you couldn't do it. Even after he threatened Willow and Jenny, you couldn't do it. Where was the slayer then?" Xander said, not backing down from her stare.
"Don't do this Xander." Buffy said softly.
"No, we are doing this. Tell me, what would your choice have been?" Xander said, stepping forwards into her space.
"You have no right to ask me that. No right!" she screamed the last as she punched Xander across the face. "No Right!" she screamed again as he fell to the floor unconscious. "No right." She said softly as she walked out of the library, leaving a Giles and Willow with shocked expressions on the faces.
"Xander!" Willow screamed as she rushed over to his side. "He's breathing, but it's shallow. Giles what do we do?"
"I don't know… I just don't know." Giles said softly as he walked over to Xander's side.
"I'll teach that boy, his slayer as well." Angelus shouted into the night from a window in the mansion. "Tries to kill me, he tried to kill me!"
"Daddy's angry, I can't hear the stars when he screams, something else is screaming as well, something wails in the night." Drusilla sang.
"What is it pet, what's wailing?" Spike asked.
"I don't care what's wailing, you know the pain I went through to get that blood out of my system? I had to tear a hole in my own stomach and let the blood pour out; I had to rip myself open because of that boy!" Angelus screamed, throwing a chair against the wall.
"Its wailing so much… it whispers on the night… Psss… Psss… Psss..." Drusilla said as she rocked about in her chair.
"What the bloody hell are you on about?" Angelus screamed at her.
"This… Psss… Psss… Psss…" Drusilla said as she passed the newspaper over to him.
"Oh yes, this will do, this will do nicely. Tell the boys we're going out, revenge will be mine, I swear it!" Angelus shouted as his features changed. "The slayer and her boy will die, everything will die."
"We all fall down." Drusilla rhymed with a smile on her face.
AN: hey hey, two chapters in one day :)
bonus cookie for anyone who spots today's guest mention lol
definitly back on the wagon lol
this ones for Tjin and Hawklan who were shamelessly had by me uploading a chapter apologising fo the lack of activity of late.
hope you enjoyed the last two chapters, hope they were worth the wait.
M
