Timeline: BtVS: Post-Chosen & Stargate Atlantis: Post 01x15 "Before I Sleep".
Disclaimer: Anything copyrighted belongs to its legal owners.
Author's Note: Written for Day 9 of the 2023 August Fic-A-Day.

It took Dr. Weir, Major Sheppard, and Dr. McKay two hours to decide and call her back to Sheppard's office. She would never tell them, but she was impressed it only took them a couple of hours to come to a decision. She had kind of expected them to use all 24 hours or close to it before agreeing on anything, which probably meant that either Weir or Sheppard had pulled rank. Possibly both.

"Have a seat," Sheppard half-smirked as he copied her order from earlier. She didn't comment, merely got settled on the only available chair.

"That was quick. I expected you to draw it out a lot longer."

Ever the diplomat, Dr. Weir replied, "We are on a deadline, so there's no time to argue. We have decided it would be the wisest to sink the City again, especially since you have already found and killed one Wraith in the City. They already know we're here, and they probably also know we found their spy. The most logical option would be to leave this planet since we know they're heading straight for Lantea."

"But," McKay interjected, "We'd like to keep the other two options open just in case we might need it and they catch on to our ruse."

Buffy nodded, it was a good choice. From what she'd been told by the Alterrans it was a hassle to move the City and find somewhere else suitable to settle. It was like the Earther's attempt to find somewhere temporary for their people to stay while the fate of Atlantis was hanging by a thread. Except, a new world to settle a giant city on was a much larger project that just dumping less than a hundred people somewhere for a shorter period of time.

"At least you're considering backup plans, and I'm guessing you have considered other plans in case I had been unwilling to hand over any of my Potentia. That means you're aware things can and will go badly, probably in the worst way just because Murphy hates us all."

Sheppard actually snorted at that while McKay only gave her an annoyed look. "I'm career military, Rodney and Elizabeth have both worked long enough for us to know that it isn't all smooth sailing. McKay's backup plans probably have their own set of backup plans, just in case."

"Good. Have the non-essential personnel left Atlantis?"

"Yes. The last ones left 20 minutes ago. We're good to go, or sink as the case may be."

She rose and the others followed her example. "Great, I'll meet you in the Potentia Room and we'll get this started."

Everyone agreed, and while the other three went straight for the base of the central tower, Buffy took a detour to fetch the power sources. They were kept in a special suitcase-like thing the Alterrans used to transport them in, and as she hadn't had anything else that's where she had chosen to keep them. It was pretty handy.

Not long after she joined Weir, Sheppard, and McKay down in the ZPM Room, as the Expedition called it.

McKay had already removed one of the ZPMs and was just waiting for her to arrive with the three full ones. She didn't argue, just handed the suitcase over to the scientist and let him exchange and place the power sources into the Hub. He kind of looked like he was having a religious experience or something along those lines.

The resulting technobabble went way over her head, but given that the rapturous look didn't leave McKay's face she assumed everything was working. The happy accented voice on the other end of McKay's earpiece helped as well.

"I trust that none of you will do anything stupid and that you won't argue when this is all over and I take them back?" She mainly looked at the military commander and the civilian commander since their head scientist had completely checked out of the conversation by that point and was speaking rapidly into his earpiece.

"We will not renege on our agreement," Dr. Weir conceded neutrally. Which wasn't as reassuring as she seemed to believe it was, but it was something she would have to worry about later.

"What Elizabeth said," Major Sheppard replied. When she gave him a look, he added. "We won't stop you from taking them back. We have more to gain by staying on your good side than making you angry."

"Good. Make sure that everyone else understands that as well."

"We do understand," Dr. Weir continued, "but when this is over we would like to negotiate for us to be allowed to use one or more of the ZPMs."

That wasn't surprising at all, she had been expecting it. "I assumed as much. If I permit it it would mean you would have to offer me something of equal value. And keep in mind, I know a lot more about this galaxy than you do. I also know what is available on Earth."

"We will keep that in mind."

Buffy left them to it. Now that the City was fully operational again there were things she wanted to do as well. But first, she wanted to get to one of the balconies before Atlantis began her descent down to the ocean floor again. It had been a spectacular view the first time and she was quite sorry she hadn't seen it when Atlantis rose to the surface again after 10,000 years at the bottom of Laneas ocean.

She made it to one of the balconies with only minutes to spare. The shield was already up, which meant she missed out on smelling the fresh air. Then she felt the City shudder a little before she began moving down into the waves. There was something foreboding about watching the water rise higher and higher around the outer edges of everything, while only held back by a semi-invisible forced field.

At the same time, it made her feel safe. It had held the Wraith back for centuries, and even after the Alterrans had given up their fight against the space vampires and retreated to Earth, it had protected Atlantis. It had also protected her and the alternate Elizabeth.

Buffy smiled sadly when Atlantis settled on the ocean floor. They had almost four days. It was a waiting game now.