Inheriting Family

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or worlds portrayed it this work of fan fiction. It is meant to be purely entertainment for anyone crazy enough to read it. The worlds and characters belong to their creators and corporations.

07/17/2010

By: Fire Wolfe

Beta: Genuka Who rocks as a beta.

A/N: I attempted Scooby speak and hope it came out ok. It can be seen in some of the grammar mistakes and words. I hope you like the chapter.

A/N: This is an Alternate Universe where both the SGC and the Super Natural World exist as one. As always in my stories the seasons will mix and match and may not follow what you would expect. Please keep this in mind when reading. Reviews are like chocolate kisses you can never have enough.

Part 10 Not Happy

To say that the secret service agents were not happy would be an understatement. However they allowed the gang to all aboard Air Force One with the president. The Senior Agent April Long was clearly not a happy camper. However she politely escorted the group to the waiting president. They slipped by the reporters who were on board to cover the trip.

"Mr. President, Dr. Giles and his family have arrived."

Henry Hayes rose and held out his hand to Giles. Giles took it and was surprised to be pulled into a strong hug. "I'm sorry about your cousin Janet. She was a good woman Rupert."

If the agents were surprised they said nothing. Buffy watched and had to hide a smile. Finally a watcher she could like besides Giles. Ok, maybe Wesley had grown on her and Robison was ok but still. Of course the fact that he was the president and removed from the politics of the council was a good thing too. Maybe just maybe this trip would not be so bad.

Giles pulled back and cleared his throat. "Thank you Mr. President." He said in an attempt to maintain his dignity.

Henry smiled broadly and said. "It was Henry back in school Rupert and it still is in private if you wish. I consider you a friend Rupert and I don't have many of those."

Despite his grief Rupert Giles smiled. Perhaps it would be wise to maintain friendly relations with this man. After all he still had to protect his children. His eyes drifted to Faith who was under a glamour. "Of course Mr... Henry. I appreciate that. It is hard to have true friends." He took the seat offered and Buffy sat on his right Faith on his left with the others finding their own chairs around the conference table.

The president smiled and looked over the people in the room. He knew one of them was Faith Lehane. Unlike many he was not a fool. He had been briefed on her and knew she could be dangerous. He also knew why she had turned out like she had. It made him extremely angry to think that the system had failed this child so badly. He knew she had turned herself in and had been prepared to spend her life in prison atoning for her crimes. He also knew that when the world was at risk and Buffy Summers needed an extra slayer she had come back to Sunnydale. She had left prison and faced down not only the hordes of hell but a pissed off Slayer and her friends. She had taken their anger and rage and still stayed to fight the good fight. The girl had then stayed to help Rupert and his group rebuild. While he knew many might argue that she deserved prison he was not so certain. He knew that the crimes she had done were real. He also knew that the first death had been an accident and that the child in Faith had been scared and unable to deal with the situation. He had the benefit of hindsight and was willing to admit that the adults in the situation had handled it badly. He could because of their youth almost excuse the Scooby Gang. They with the exception of Xander Harris had no idea what Faith's life had been like. Even he had it better then Faith because of his friends. The watchers should have helped Faith but like so many adults in her life they had failed to do so. The president leaned back and wondered how he should handle this. He was going to pardon Miss. Lehane in fact he already signed the papers and filed them. However, he was not certain she would accept it. In the end he had found he had to do it. The girl had done wrong but had stood up when needed. She could have escaped at anytime. Henry Hayes had no doubts about that one. However, he also knew she had come back to face the demons of hell with people who did not trust her. That took guts and he was willing to reward that. Plus he had a feeling deep down she would be needed. He cleared his throat and said. "Before we begin discussion on Cassandra there is something we must discuss. April, I need the room cleared. Hold your protests. You may remain. However, that being said anything we speak of is now classified. Do you understand?"

The agent glared at her boss but nodded. "Of course, Sir. However, I must ask that another agent be present as well. Kate is staying, sir. It is the minimum I can allow for your safety."

Henry glared at her. However he accepted she had a job to do. "Agreed, now everyone else who is not a member of Rupert's group out."

His aides began to protest but Henry was firm. "Get out now or you are fired."

The aides all froze then almost tripped over themselves to leave the room."

Dawn giggled at that and looked over at Buffy who was hiding a smirk. "Bet you wish you could do that Giles."

"What and deal with all the mini slayers alone? I'm not that crazy."

"Says you." Buffy said now laughing unable to keep it back. Who would have thought the president could be amusing?

Henry Hayes would have glared but he had to admit it was amusing. Instead he merely sat back and straightened his tie which of course started another round of giggles. It was a good thing he knew how good and special these people were or he would have a hard time taking them seriously. He pulled out a folder and passed it to the only person he did not recognize then another to Rupert and Buffy respectively. "Go ahead open it and read it. It is real."

Giles opened his folder and blinked. His glasses came off and he polished them. Buffy froze and Faith who was glamoured to look almost like Willow's twin froze.

"I know what Miss Lehane did was a crime. I also know the initial act was an accident that was handled poorly by the watchers and the council. As you know Rupert, I was a senior member of the council. I received their reports and learned of the hunter teams they sent in."

Buffy glared at him and stood up ready to leap across the room.

"Buffy let him finish." Giles ordered. She froze and sat down slowly. Faith was shocked to see Buffy step up to defend her.

"I ... ah, why?"

"Because it was an accident, Faith. I would call it a case of friendly fire if you were in the armed forces. They should never have attacked you. You had to run and hide making the mayor the only safe place for you to turn. It does not excuse what happened later. Those deaths were crimes. I however think that if the initial incident had been handled better then it could have been prevented." The president gave both Giles and Buffy a hard look. Both looked away ashamed of their failures. "The situation changed when you turned yourself in. You sought to pay for your crimes even when you did not get a fair or even legal trail."

Everyone looked at him now. "What do you mean?" Willow asked. It was clear none of them had really thought about the trail much.

"Faith was a minor, she should not have been tried as an adult." Henry said. "She also had poor or nonexistent legal representation. She should have only been tried for one murder at the most. I know the one man was self defense and Flinch was an accident. The third man was killed by Trick, you left him alive."

"He would have died sir." Faith said. "He was mortally wounded." She had tears in her eyes.

"Maybe, he would have and maybe not. Trick drained him dry so technically the vampire killed him. Oh and he was turned. Buffy staked him three days later. The point is you should never have been in an adult prison. Now, this pardon has conditions. The first is that you work with the council; which I know you are doing. The second is that you finish school."

Faith blushed and looked down."I ah... I did that in prison sir."

"Good, then. The third and last condition is that you help keep Cassandra Fraiser and Dawn Summers safe."

"I got that, I mean I was planning on it." She said. "I owe D and B a lot and I'm here for the long haul."

"Fair enough; then, the pardon is yours and I am asking that the record be expunged or sealed."

"Thank you, sir."Faith said. She had tears in her eyes. "I won't let you down."

"Ok, Faith is all good now." Buffy said."Willow could you?"

"Yeah, I got it." She said as the glamour faded leaving Faith sitting next to Buffy.

The president chuckled at the shocked look on Kate and April's faces. "Relax ladies I expected this. Now, on to business." The president pulled out more folders and handed them out. "This folder is about the SGC, it deals with things that might just give you a run for the money. The lead team SG-1 has saved the world almost as often as your group. Of course they have more resources and are a bit older so do not feel intimidated. Cassie Frasier's mother was a good friend to all of them as well as the SGC's commander General Hammond. Hammond thought of Janet as a daughter so this could get complicated."

"Naw, ya think." Xander snarked forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. Then he backed up."Ah, sorry Mr. President."

Henry smiled at this."It's refreshing to hear the truth Mr. Harris."

"It's just Xander sir. I ah...we can protect her."

"Yes, I know and I am counting on it. Janet was my friend too. Not that anyone there knows of our relationship."

Heads snapped up at this.

"We, a long time ago, we were good friends. I owe her and will repay that debt now. Cassandra needs to be safe and I feel Rupert is the best choice for that."

"Thank you Henry, I will do my best."

"Yes, you will. As you can see the SGC is a family too. SG-1 and Hammond want Cassie to be safe with them. Unfortunately Hammond's family has already been a target once. The others are also at risk. We need Cassie hidden and given the situation you are the best choice."

Buffy nodded getting it. "Yes, I can see that, because one more girl at our schools won't raise any red flags." She looked at Giles who looked resigned to the additional security Buffy would demand.

"What about this Jon O'Neill will he be coming along?" Xander asked. "He seems to be the big brother type and he won't let go. Maybe we should take him too; added protection, plus a friendly face."

Dawn piped in."Yeah, I like that idea. What? He's a hottie and wow only three years old. He will fit right in with me and Connor. Hey! We can be our own Gang."

The president did not know if he should laugh or cry at that idea. He looked over at Rupert who looked horrified and at the look of terror on Buffy's face. "Oh yeah, put you with more known trouble magnets. You are so being locked up on Tuesdays from now on."

"Jon can't be that bad." Dawn said. "Connor doesn't get kidnapped."

"No he just get ambushed D." Faith piped in. "Speaking of Connor does he know what's going on?"

"Yeah, I called him." Buffy said. "He's meeting us in Colorado. He had to finish his exams before he could come out. Then he is all ours."

Dawn smiled brightly at this. She and Connor were good friends. Buffy sighed and said a silent prayer that her sister would not fall for Angel's son. Because that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Damn I just jinxed myself Buffy thought.

TBC...