Willow's Quarters, SGC
Using the secure phone that Colonel O'Neill had given her, Willow finished making calls to her parents and had just gotten off the phone talking to her friends in Sunnydale. She told her parents that she had lived in Sunnydale her whole life and that she wanted a new start somewhere else. They figured that she was tired of staying in a high crime city like Sunnydale and just wanted a change. Willow was pleasantly surprised that they supported her move to Colorado, in particular the Air Force Academy.
Just after she finished talking to the Scoobies in Sunnydale, there was a knock on her door.
"Hi Willow, it's Sam. Mind if I come in?"
"Sure," replied Willow softly as she sat cross-legged on her bed.
The Major walked into the small room and closed the door behind her. She then noticed the slightly upset look on the redhead's face, and then she realized what the conversation with her friends was like. Shaking her head, the Major then sat on the bed adjacent to the redhead.
"I take it that your friends weren't too keen on you leaving?" the Major asked.
"Yep, they were quite sad that I was leaving," replied Willow with tears gathering in her eyes, tears that she wiped away wither fingers, "after that talk with them, and pretty much cutting myself off from Sunnydale, I feel kind of alone."
"I can understand this decision was extremely hard for you but I think you're making the right one. I've looked through your school records, especially the ones from UC Sunnydale and your grades were really top notch. I also saw your IQ and SAT scores and you scored more than me, you have no idea how jealous I am of that," said Sam smiling. "I think with training and a strict curriculum you'll be one of the best officers we have at the SGC. You really do have a lot of potential".
"You're just saying that, Sam," said Willow "But thanks. It's nice to be appreciated for something other than magic".
"I have to be honest with you, Willow," said the Major with a skeptical look on her face when she turned towards Willow, "I still don't understand how this magic of yours works so please don't be upset if I'm a bit skeptical".
"I understand," replied the redhead, "I'll try not to do any magic here, especially at the academy."
"That's a good idea, I'm not sure how you can explain a cadet disappearing from the Academy and reappearing in Las Vegas," said Sam jokingly.
"Anyway," continued Major Carter, "I also came by to ask if you wanted to get some things for yourself this weekend like some clothes, toiletries, stuff like that, at least until we can get some of your things from Sunnydale. Dr. Frasier, her daughter and I can take you shopping."
"I'd love to go shopping with you guys in the weekend. It would be nice to just be a normal girl, it's been a really long time," replied Willow.
"Umm... As far as my living situation, will I be staying here?" asked Willow suddenly thinking about where she will be staying in Colorado Springs.
"Well, you'll be staying in the Academy dorms," replied Major Carter, "Trust me; staying in the dorms is much better than being cooped up in here. Unless, that is, you want to stay in the facility where your social life would be next to nothing."
"I guess I would stay in the dorms then, I would love to be living a normal life again" replied Willow.
Just then Colonel O'Neill and Daniel had come to Willow's room to check up on her before they left for the night.
"Hey Willow, may we come in?" asked Daniel.
"Hey Kiddo, you doing alright? We just came by to check up on you" said Colonel O'Neill.
"Oh Carter," continued Colonel O'Neill who turned towards the Major, "the General wants to see you about the mission to P7X-867 tomorrow before you left"
"Alright then," said the Major who turned to Willow, "I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night Willow."
"Good night, Sam," said Willow as the Major got off the bed and nodded at Colonel O'Neill, and then at Daniel before bidding them good night.
"See you tomorrow Carter," replied Colonel O'Neil while Daniel nodded.
"Ummm… Colonel?" said Willow as she looked up at the older man from her bed.
"Red, until you start at the Academy, you can call me Jack. Of course, once you start you'd have to call me Colonel, or Sir," said Jack smiling
"OK... Jack. What I actually wanted to ask you was…. Can I see the Stargate?" Willow asked a bit apprehensively.
"That shouldn't be a problem," said Daniel as he looked at Willow and then turned to the Colonel who was leaning against the wall, "right Jack?"
"Well you do have security clearance and you did sign that Non-Disclosure form," said the Colonel shrugging his shoulders, "so I don't see why not. Come on."
After an elevator ride and a few minutes of walking through numerous corridors, Willow and the others were standing outside a huge metal door.
"Red, behind this door lies the world's most closely guarded secret," said the Colonel proudly as he took out a keycard before swiping it through a card reader, "only a handful of our allies know about its existence. So, be prepared to have your mind blown."
The metal door slid open and the three of them walked into a very large room that was empty except for two defensive placements at the end of a metal walkway leading up to the ancient artifact. Willow was stunned when she saw the Stargate.
"It's beautiful," she exclaimed as she saw the huge metallic ring.
"It is, isn't it," replied the Colonel with his hands folded over his chest, "maybe it'll look better in peridot."
"The symbols in the inner rings form parts of a gate address," said Daniel as he ignored the Colonel's comments on what the colour of the Stargate should have been. Instead he continued telling Willow about the basic mechanics of the device, "when the address is input into the computer, the inner ring spins until each chevron is locked onto each symbol. Once the correct symbol combination creates a valid gate address, an artificial wormhole can be established to that particular Stargate. Basically, we can go to anywhere in the galaxy nearly instantaneously."
"But if you want the detailed scientific stuff, you'd have to ask Carter," said the Colonel leaning into Willow.
"So will I be able to go through the gate?" asked Willow as she looked at Daniel with a wide grin on her face, and then to the Colonel.
"Sure," shrugged the Colonel, "but only after you graduate from the Academy. Remember, General Hammond said that you'd be assigned a SG team only after you have graduated. Tell you what, if you ace all your classes, I'll recommend to the General that you join SG1."
"In the meantime, I'm sure you'll be allowed to go on some scientific research trips through the gate during the breaks," said Daniel looking at the Colonel, "what do you say Jack?".
"Alright, but I'll have to talk to the General about that. I make no promises though" said the Colonel looking at a beaming Willow.
"This is so much cooler than fighting vampires every other day" said Willow, until she realized she said it out loud
Colonel O'Neill and Daniel looked at each other, and then at Willow with their eyebrows raised.
"Wait up!" exclaimed the Colonel, "did you just say vampires?"
"As in fangs, drinking blood, stakes through the heart, garlic, die in sunlight; that kind of vampire?" asked Daniel.
"Yes?" said Willow sheepishly.
"Young lady, you have some explaining to do," said the Colonel in his best Dezi Arnez impression.
"Could we please go somewhere private? I don't want to sound like a crazy person," asked Willow who was wishing she had kept her mouth shut.
"This is a military base, there is no private place," replied the Colonel
"Well, that's true unless you count the restrooms or anywhere off world," said Daniel.
Upon hearing the word "off world" Willow's eyes widened.
"And no, we won't be going off world just to have a private conversation," replied O'Neill when he saw her wide eyed expression.
"Alright, follow me. The commissary has cameras but no microphones, so that should be private enough. And we want to hear everything about this vampire stuff, is that understood?" continued Colonel O'Neill as he signaled to Willow and Daniel to follow him.
"Yes, Sir" said Willow in a quiet voice.
"Red, you're not at the Academy yet" replied the Colonel.
TBC.