One month until Academy start.
Before starting at the Academy, Colonel O'Neill, Teal'C and Sam started giving Willow some basic training so that she would be ready for her period of Basic Combat Training when she enters the Academy. The Colonel conducted a crash course on weapons shooting and handling, which Willow picked up really fast. Teal'c and Sam trained her in basic hand to hand combat and self defense training respectively.
"Did your friends not teach you any fighting techniques?" asked Teal'c.
"No, and to be honest, at the time I didn't think I needed training since I had Buffy who would watch my back. I did pick up some things here and there when I would watch her fight though. But now, with me going to the Academy, I guess I have no choice but learn how to defend myself and fight for real" replied Willow.
"Indeed" said Teal'c, "Be prepared Willow Rosenberg, I will attack now."
After, each training session, Willow would meet up with Daniel who would her to get acclimated to the SGC and living in a military base including the whole chain of command thing. He felt as one of the non military personnel on the base, he was in the best place to know what she was going through.
Over the month long period, Willow became proficient in the use of the Zat guns, the P90 and hand to hand combat. Major Carter herself was surprised at how quickly Willow took to the training that she and the others were helping her with.
"Yep, I've always been able to pick anything up really fast. I'm been like that as long as I can remember" said Willow when Major Carter asked about it.
First year, Air Force Academy.
A month later, Willow started attending the Air force academy and she wasn't seen at the SGC except during her semesters off and during her breaks. Over time, she and Major Carter worked closely on science related matters and with Daniel on archeological and historical matters. As she had no one to help her with magic at the SGC, Willow asked Teal'c for advice on meditation techniques. She hoped that with meditation, maybe she would be able to develop some other abilities to compensate for her lack of magical training.
During her first year at the academy, she wrote a lot of letters to the Scooby Gang in Sunnydale and to her parents. Her parents were proud that their daughter was helping to protect the country; of course she couldn't tell them that she was training not just to protect the country but the entire planet, and maybe others out there in other planets.
The Scoobies, however, were more skeptical about the military especially after they told Willow about some military program in Sunnydale that involved demons, vampires and other monsters. Buffy told Willow that they tried creating some sort of a hybrid between various demons and humans, and was actually successful. The gang had trouble defeating it until Tara managed to find a spell that helped Buffy defeat the hybrid. Buffy ended the letter by saying that although she did not approve of Willow joining the air force, she was happy that she was making her own way. Still she warned Willow to be careful as the military might try to use her powers for their own purposes.
After reading the letter from Buffy, she smiled. All she could think about was how cool it would be to travel to other planets, meeting aliens and experiencing new things. Before she left the SGC, the Colonel had told her that anyone would kill to be in her position and that she should do her best; SG1 would be waiting for her. In the meantime she continued to write letters to the members of SG1, especially Daniel and Cassie Frasier; and she even reconnected with Angel and Cordelia in L.A.
Colonel O'Neill had managed to convince General Hammond to let her go off world on certain trips. So during her breaks, she was allowed to go off world through the Stargate on purely research trips where there was very little chance of actual combat. She would never forget the first time she saw the gate activate. She got into the gate room just as the seventh chevron had locked and suddenly the unstable vortex of the wormhole exploded into the gate room like a geyser and then settled back into what looked like a shimmering blue pond. Major Carter explained to Willow that the blue rippling effect was the event horizon of an artificial wormhole. She then stepped through the Gate for her first trip, of many.
Second Year, Air Force Academy.
In her second year, she started taking advanced level classes in the sciences, computer programming and even quantum mechanics under Major Carter who was one of the guest instructors at the Academy, at least when she wasn't needed off world.
One day Willow received some shocking news from Sunnydale, her best friend Buffy had died from, what she was told, an accident. As it was her break, she was off world on a two day archeological expedition to a planet where SG11 found some Minoan artifacts and ruins. She only received the news via a private radio communiqué from General Hammond twelve hours before they were due to return to Earth. She was given permission to return to the SGC earlier so that she could attend her friend's funeral at Sunnydale.
Not wanting her to go alone to her friends' funeral, Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill offered to go with her. Willow thanked them for their concern but decided to go by herself. Before she left for a week, Major Carter gave her a hug and told Willow to call them if she needs anything. Willow smiled and thanked her. After giving a hug to Colonel O'Neill, she left for Sunnydale.
Sunnydale, CA. The Summers' Residence.
Willow returned to Sunnydale on a Monday and drove up to Buffy's place where the whole Scooby Gang was due to be gathering before the funeral. She slowly walked up the driveway to the door and knocked.
"Hi Dawn" she said to the brown haired girl who opened the door, "I'm so sorry" she continued as she hugged Buffy's teen sister.
But Dawn remained expressionless and didn't return Willow's hug.
Sensing something was a bit off; Willow looked at Dawns face, "Dawn, what's wrong?"
"Where were you?" Dawn said quietly, her eyes full of anger and hate directed at Willow.
"You should have been there, you could have done something" screamed Dawn. Her scream brought out Tara, Xander and Giles from the kitchen. Just as they came into the living room, they saw Dawn slap Willow's face.
"I hate you, you could have saved her. Instead you left and now she's gone. Get out, I don't want you here or at the funeral" she screamed.
"Dawn!" exclaimed Xander
Xander and Giles walked towards Dawn and stopped behind her. Giles held onto Dawn by her shoulders and walked her back to her room upstairs.
"It's good to see you again, Willow. You look well, under the circumstances" said Giles softly, looking at her with eyes full of sadness.
As Dawn was being led upstairs, she stopped at the middle of the staircase. "Please leave, Willow" she said softly.
Stunned and hurt Willow turned around to leave, trying her best not to completely lose it in her grief.
"Wait Willow" called Tara and Xander who ran after her.
"She's just angry Willow, she didn't mean what she said" said Tara
"What happened really? That was not the reaction I would have expected if Buffy was killed in an accident" said Willow turning around to face her two friends.
"No it wasn't an accident. We just called it an accident so that the authorities wouldn't ask too many questions. It all started with someone called Glory" said Tara.
Xander and Tara then went on to explain what really happened. Glory, a hell goddess, was looking for an inter-dimensional Key, which happened to be Dawn, which would weaken the walls between dimensions until she reached her own hell dimension. It would have meant bringing hell to Earth as all dimensions would bleed into one another.
"I tried every single spell possible to beat Glory. We eventually succeeded in finishing her off. But there were some complications" said Tara
"What complications?" asked Willow.
"Glory succeeded, Willow. She managed to get to Dawn and used her blood to open a portal" said Tara.
"But what happened to Buffy, why is she dead?" asked Willow again.
"Buffy figured out that since Dawn was created from her blood; she could close the portal for good by giving it all of her own blood instead of Dawn's. So, that's what Buffy did, she jumped into the portal. Buffy died to save her sister; after we finished off Glory's minions we found her body on the floor at the bottom of a high platform" said Xander struggling not to cry.
"We wanted to contact you to help with Glory but Buffy refused. She said that you seemed truly happy in Colorado Springs and she didn't what to bring you back in" said Tara.
"I should go, please tell Dawn I'm sorry I wasn't there for her and for Buffy" said Willow softly, her shoulders trembling. She gave a rose to Xander, "Also please place this on Buffy's casket for me?" she asked.
"Of course, but you should come" pleaded Tara.
"I can't, Dawn doesn't want me to be here, so I'll stay away for now" she told the both of them.
"She was just angry Willow, she didn't really mean it. Please stay" pleaded Xander.
"I... I can't Xander" said Willow close to tears, "I have to go, and I love you guys very much. Please tell Giles and Dawn I love them too."
Then Willow turned around and got into the car and drove away. As she reversed her car, she looked up at Dawns window. She saw Dawn looking at her from the window with tears streaming down her eyes.
Willow stopped her car a few blocks away from Buffy's house and broke down crying. About ten minutes later, she placed a call to Major Carter.
"Major Carter? Sorry to bother you, but... could I... " said Willow trying her best not to breakdown again but ultimately failing. Major Carter sensed something was wrong and didn't wait for Willow to finish her sentence.
"Willow, I want you to stay with me when you get back instead of staying at the dorms or the SGC. Let us know when you'll be landing and either I or Daniel will pick you up" said Major Carter.
"Yes, ma'am" said Willow trying to smile.
A few minutes later Colonel O'Neill, Daniel and Teal'c called Willow to check up on her. She told them that they would talk about what happened later and that she was thankful that they called.
After talking to her new friends, Willow composed herself and left Sunnydale for a second time.