Title: Congenero

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: None. A few differences to both SG1 and Buffy Canon but they will be explained.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not either SG1 or Buffy.

Summary: Family is very important to the Scoobies. Family is very important to SG1. It just so happens that the Scoobies and SG1 are family.

A/N: I have changed the birthdates for both Sam Carter and Xander to make this story work, making Sam about a year older and Xander a few months younger. Title is Latin for 'binds by ties of kinship', at least that is what the online translator says.

General Hammond sat in the briefing room, listening to SG1's reports. George was always a good judge of the moods of the Officers and Enlisted under his command, knowing when they needed a friendly word, or a kick in the pants or military formality. It was like with Major Carter when she was in his office last week. He had known Sam Carter since she was nineteen, having been good friends with her father. During that meeting she had been nervous and had wanted to hide behind the military formality of the situation as she felt she was required to report it.

He was watching the interactions of SG1 as first Major Carter and then Doctor Jackson gave their follow up reports from the mission last week. Carter was professionally excited for the report that she was presenting, but there was an undertone that almost seemed like a mix of glee and fear. Doctor Jackson was his usual oblivious self, immersed in his work. Teal'c was… well Teal'c.

George always took a kind of perverse pleasure in watching Colonel O'Neill during the science briefings. As it was not a mission briefing or debriefing, Jack always started bored, and would try to find ways to amuse himself. While Carter was speaking, Jack was drawing on his pad while occasionally glancing at his second in command. While Doctor Jackson was speaking, Jack spent the entire time trying to hide the fact that he was staring at Carter. Normally she played the same game but today she had other things on her mind.

The non-relationship of Sam Carter and Jack O'Neill was the single biggest item in the unofficial SGC betting pool and a constant source of amusement between General Hammond, General Ryan and the President. Hammond had a Frat Regulations waiver in his desk draw that had been there from the first week that then Captain Carter had been on base. If only they knew that all they had to do was ask.

Once the briefing was over, General Hammond stood to leave when Major Carter spoke again.

"Sir. I will be needing that personal leave from the day after tomorrow for at least three days." She said.

"Of course, Major." Hammond said. "In fact, take a week. The rest of SG1 could use some time off as well. Good luck, Major."

"Thank you, Sir." Carter replied.

Sam sighed in relief as General Hammond left the briefing room. Sure, General Hammond had said she could have the time off but it did not seem real until just now, with the meeting with Xander, not Alexander he had informed her, had been set and he still let her go. Sam knew that Janet had spoken to General Hammond as well indicating that she wanted to be there with Sam, so in effect the General had just given his best team and his CMO a week off.

"You are asking for time off, Carter?" Jack said in surprise. "You usually don't even leave the base when they make us take time off."

Sam paused for a moment, realising that it was time she had to tell the guys the truth. They were family, after a fashion.

"Yes, Sir." She replied, and then bit the bullet. "I am flying to LA to meet my son."

"Wow, Sam. I never knew you had a son. What's he like?" Daniel said, with usual Daniel naivety.

"I'm not getting all of my memos." Jack said, with a confused frown.

"I don't really know." Sam replied sadly. "I gave him up for adoption at birth."

"Gave him up?" Jack said, a slightly hard note in his voice.

She knew it would hurt him, hearing that she had done that after he had lost his own son.

"Sir, not that it's any of your business, but I was fifteen and in no condition to raise a child." Sam replied, her own voice having a biting tone.

"Damn it, Carter." Jack replied. "You're right. Sorry."

"I am sure any child of yours will be both intelligent and a formidable warrior, Major Carter." Teal'c said.

"Thanks Teal'c. I hope so, all I really know is he has a long term girlfriend, lives in California, is doing a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and will be bringing the people he thinks of a family to the meeting." Sam said.

"Well, I guess you're just going to have to do the same." Jack said.

"Yes, Sir." Sam replied with a grin. "I already asked Janet to come."

"Oi!" Jack said in mock offence.

"It would be an honour to accompany you, Major Carter." Teal'c said.

"Yeah, Sam. We'll come for emotional support." Daniel said.

"We got the time off anyway." Jack added.

Sam just rolled her eyes at Jack's comment and smiled gratefully at Teal'c.

"Fine. But if you mess this up I will toss you through the gate to some System Lord held planet naked, without a GDO and with an insulting sign written on your back in Goa'uld." She threatened. "I'm going to see Janet."

Sam walked out of the room but could hear Daniel's comment to Jack and Teal'c.

"I'm more worried about what the Doc would do to us before Sam throws us through the Gate."

"Welcome to de Cassa Del Killing." Faith said with a smile as the Sccobies and Joyce arrived.

"That's why I never let you greet the clients." Cordelia said, smacking Faith on the shoulder.

Faith and Cordy were an odd pair. The Queen of Sunnydale High and the Down and Dirty Slayer, but after an incident that involved a pair of handcuffs, a dead Krel'Te'No Demon and them both somehow ending up in nothing but their underwear, they had bonded and became best, if unlikely, friends. Faith had blown into to town during their Senior year like a hurricane, but had eventually settled down with the warm welcome she had received and the open invitation of a bed at the Summer's Household. Like Xander and Willow, Faith had come to see Joyce as a surrogate Mother.

After the fiasco that was Graduation, with Faith holding off a pack of Vampires almost single handed to give Buffy time to deal with the Mayor, the raven haired Slayer was put in a quandary. Cordy, her best friend, was leaving Sunnydale for the bright lights of LA and while Faith wanted to go with her she felt a duty to protect the Hellmouth, especially with talk of Buffy going of to College. When Buffy, Xander and Willow had decided to go to UC Sunnydale, it left Faith free to go to LA with Cordy, and the blessing of the Scoobies and Joyce as well as a generous 'seed money' and a monthly allowance from the Council arranged by Giles.

Faith, with some local contacts that Giles had provided, had set up a supernatural detective and bodyguard service in an abandoned Hotel, with Cordy working alongside while trying to make it as an Actress. Wesley, who had shown up in Sunnydale to be Faith's Watcher, provided the background knowledge on which species were a threat and which were not. At first no one really got on with Wesley, until it had come out that he was the brother to one Lydia Price, Faith's first Watcher, and was only so uptight because he was still grieving for his sister. After that, and a long drinking session with Faith where they had exchanged stories about Lydia, he had mellowed quite a bit. Wesley was currently out on a research trip to some of the local occult stores.

"So what's got you all coming to visit little old me here in LA?" Faith continued.

"We needed neutral territory." Buffy said. "We have a meeting in a few days so we arranged for it to be in the City."

"Demon?" Faith asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I wish." Xander said. "It's with my birth mother and her friends."

"See why you didn't want to meet in Sunnyhell." Cordelia replied.

"Yeah. And her place is out. Military base, all hush hush." Willow added.

"Come on. I'll show you to your rooms." Faith said. "Giles, Mrs Summers, you've got rooms on the first floor, as does Wes. Wills, Xand, B, you're on second floor with me and C."

"Word of advice." Cordelia said. "Keep off the fourth floor. There's a Poltergeist up there and we are still working on evicting the little bugger."

What Faith neglected to mention, but everyone knew anyway, was that Xander and Buffy would be sharing a room. They let Joyce have her illusions about her little girl for a bit longer.

SG1 and Doctor Frasier were still tired after their flight from Colorado Springs to LA and were settling down in their rented Apartment. It was a nice, three bedroom apartment in one of the better hotels for normal guests, as opposed to the over the top and ridiculously expensive places for Celebrities with more money than sense.

Sam was paying for the room, mostly out of her Hazard pay from the last three and bit years on SG1. As soon as they entered the room, which had a full kitchen, a large living room and a decent sized balcony with ocean views and a barbeque, Sam and Janet had claimed the main bedroom, which had an ensuite bathroom that included a spa bath. Jack and Teal'c had taken the second bedroom and Daniel had gotten the third one all to himself.

As soon as Jack had seen the barbeque on the balcony he had declared that he was cooking stakes on it for dinner and had rounded up Daniel and Teal'c to go get supplies. This was partly because he wanted to use the grill and partly to give Sam and the Doc some time to 'girl talk'.

"I'm just so nervous, Janet." Sam said.

They were both sitting on their individual beds in the main bedroom, dressed in simple jeans and blouses that they had worn on the plane.

"Why? You told me you were getting along well on the phone. Or are you worried about the guys?"

"I don't know." Sam replied, running her hand through her short blond hair. "Maybe partly how the guys will react to him. Also, what about his friends. He said they are like family to him. Does he really need me? I just… the last time I saw him he was about four days old. He was so tiny and fragile and it just broke my heart to let him go, knowing he would call another woman mother."

Tears began to run down Sam's face. Janet moved across to Sam's bed and held her friend as she cried.

"Don't try to be his mother." Janet said. "Or more, don't try to act like an authoritative mother. You are his mother no matter what anybody says, but he is grown now. Let it be whatever it will be. I know the change can be overwhelming, like when I took Cassie in, but it will be a learning experience for both of you."

When Jack, Daniel and Teal'c returned half an hour latter, Janet was reading in the living room and Sam was in an exhausted sleep in the main bedroom. One look from Janet quashed any thoughts of waking Sam or firing up the grill. Sam woke on her own three hours latter, the tears dry on her cheeks and Jack finally got the chance to light up the barbeque.

TBC…