Third year, A.F Academy.

The third year of her time at the Academy was an eventful year for Willow. She went on missions with various SG teams while spending her semester breaks and weekends at the SGC. However, the only thing that she was not really happy about was the fact that none of the missions was with SG1, which frustrated her a little. After she had returned from a research mission one day did she asked Colonel O'Neill why she couldn't go with SG1 on missions.

"Red, you're still technically a cadet at the Academy. Although I agree that you are the most experienced cadet at the SGC, I don't want to put you in the firing line yet. You still have one more year to go. Trust me, you should enjoy it because once you hang with SG1, you'll keep on getting fired at. I mean literally fired at for almost every mission by some crazy snake" Explained the Colonel.

"Please let me go with SG1 next time, sir?" said Willow pouting.

"No, your pouting magic shall not work on me" said O'Neill as he raised an eyebrow at the redhead.

"Well I thought I'd try" said Willow smiling as she saluted the Colonel. He then turned and left for a briefing with General Hammond.

Willow didn't visit Sunnydale in her third year mainly because she felt that she wasn't ready to face Dawn after the outburst at her house last year. However, she did hear from Xander that the gang brought out a new and improved Buffybot that was designed to take over Buffy's slayer duties. In the meantime, Tara was trying to get Giles' help in performing a resurrection spell to bring Buffy back.

"Are you sure that's a wise thing to do?" asked Willow over the phone to Xander.

"Well Tara and Giles think it's possible. We need Buffy back Willow, the vamps are getting more and more thick skinned. I think they recently found out that Buffy's dead so they're trying to get rid of the Buffybot and then they'll be coming after us" Xander explained.

"I'm sorry I'm not able to do anything, it's been so long since I've done anything magical" Willow replied.

"It's ok. I think we can actually do it. Once Buffy's back, maybe we'll come for your graduation next year. That is if you'll have us" asked Xander

"Of course" said Willow smiling, "I'd love to tell you guys about my new job and meet my friends" she continued excitedly.

"That would be great Wills; I gotta go get some things that Tara needs for the spell to work. I'll keep you posted. Who knows, maybe Buffy will call you by the end of the week" said Xander.

SGC Off-World Base, Alpha Site

Two days later, Willow was at a training session with Teal'c and Daniel at the Alpha Site. They participated in various training sessions involving armed and unarmed combat with Teal'c and his former mentor, Master Bra'tac who she was very pleased to meet. She kept on asking many questions about the Jaffa and their home planet Chulak, and was excited about helping them fight for their freedom. Bra'tac even came up with a nickname for Willow; he started calling her 'Willow of the Flame Hair', and this made her feel proud. During the training sessions she learned new moves and techniques at an extremely rapid pace. Then during the final sparring session of the day using staffs, she and Teal'c faced off against one another.

The sparring session between Willow and Teal'c had been going on for a little less than five minutes with both combatants fighting each other with wooden staffs. After a while day of training. Willow was showing more fatigue than Teal'c, who seemed as if he could go on for several more hours. Willow was panting as she struggled to block one hit after another, but she still did her best not to show it. She followed the techniques that Teal'c and Bra'tac had shown her and fended off the former First Prime for the first minute. WIllow suspected Teal'c was taking it easy on her for a little while, and a part of her was glad. But there was another part that knew she would be able to get better if everyone took it easy on her. Using her smaller frame, Willow got a few hits in on the second minute, and then pulled back to blocking Teal'c hits. Willow saw that she had 'woken' Teal'c up upon glancing at a smiling Bra'tac as she blocked a hit from Teal'c. The former First Prime then quickened his attacks on Willow, caused the redhead to struggle in keeping up Teal'c's hits. She was hit on her side, her arms, her abodomen. The last hit was a 'poke' to her solar plexus after she blocked a swing with gritted teeth; and a body that was crying out in pain and fatigue.

Bra'tak watched Willow stumble down onto the floor and then, with pain she was trying to hide, get up to her feet. He looked on as Teal'c brought his staff down hard on Willow's staff, effectively breaking it in half which made the redhead stumbled back onto the floor once again before she dropped both halves of the broken staff. It was then that the Jaffa warrior stood up straight and walked towards Willow with an extended hand. Grabbing the hand, Teal'c pulled Willow back onto her feet before he stepped back and bowed at the redhead.

"You have done well, Willow Rosenberg" said Teal'c as he looked at the panting Willow, and the pained expression on her face, "however, you have failed to maintain your balance at the end. If I were an enemy Jaffa, you would have been dead. You have improved a great deal, Willow Rosenberg. However, there are still aspects in your techniques that have flaws."

Smiling while her body was screaming for an ice bath, Willow replied, "oh, one day I'll win."

Teal'c simply bowed his head before telling Willow it was time to return to the SGC so that she could get some medical attention, "the day has been long. I am surprised you have no called for a respite?"

"Yeah, I'm not really that tired," Willow said as she rubbed the back of her head while walking towards the Jaffa after picking up the two halves of the broken staff. As she bent down to pick them up, pain shot up her body, and it made her flinch before she stood back up with a pained smile on her face, "yeah, not painful at all. I could go on all day."

"Perhaps another time, Willow Rosenberg" said Teal'c with a nod of his head, "you should remember that it takes time for a warrior to learn from a defeat, or a draw."

"All a learning experience, I guess. Which is why one day, after more of this training," said Willow, "I'll win... somehow."

"Very well," the Jaffa said with a nod before they walked towards Bra'tac.

"That was indeed a good session Willow Rosenberg. Well done" said Bra'tac as he and Daniel were handed the wooden staff from Teal'c and Willow respectively.

"Shall we get back to the SGC now Daniel Jackson?" asked Teal'c.

"Yep, let's go. Willow, can you go ahead and dial up the gate?" asked Daniel before she jogged towards the DHD and started to dial the SGC.

"Daniel Jackson, I am most impressed at how fast she has improved in both weapons and hand to hand combat" said Teal'c quietly as they followed close behind Willow.

"Me too. So are Sam and Jack. I don't think anyone expected her to improve so much. However, she did say that she picks new things up very fast so maybe we shouldn't really be surprised" said Daniel as he approached the gate and input the iris code into the GDO before stepping into the gate.

Within a few seconds, the three of them found themselves at the SGC. As they were heading down the ramp, Willow felt something like a wave hit her and the next thing she knew, it looked as if all the lights had been turned off.

General Hammond, Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill were in the operations room when they saw Daniel, Teal'c and Willow appear from the Stargate. Then they looked on in shock when Willow simply stopped moving and fell forward onto the ramp.

"Medical personnel to the gate room" shouted the on-duty gate technician into the microphone while the senior officers standing behind him rushed to the gate room to check up on Willow.

As Daniel was kneeling over Willow, he turned her over and felt for a pulse. He was visibly relieved when he found one.

"What happened" asked General Hammond.

"I'm not sure, she just fell" replied Daniel as he shrugged his shoulders.

Just then the medical team arrived with a gurney. They picked Willow up and lay her down on the gurney before wheeling her to the infirmary. The other members of SG1 followed Willow back to the infirmary where they were asked to wait outside by Dr. Frasier.

45 Minutes later, SGC Infirmary

It was nearly forty-five minutes later that SG1 met with Dr. Fraiser outside the infirmary while Willow was lying down on one of the beds. All of them were worried about Willow's sudden tumble onto the ramp, and it was Colonel O'Neill who asked the first question.

"So how is she, Doc?" asked Colonel O'Neill.

"We were sparring for some time at the Alpha Site, maybe some of her injuries caused her to fall?" said Teal'c as he looked at both Dr. Fraiser and Colonel O'Neill.

"She's doing fine now, Colonel" replied Dr. Frasier before turning to look at the Jaffa, "Teal'c, I couldn't find anything injury related that would explain her black out."

"Can we talk to her?" asked Daniel.

"Yes, she's awake" she replied.

Dr. Fraiser then led SG1 through the double doors and into the infirmary where the saw Willow turning her head to look at them walking in before she slowly used her elbows to push herself into a sitting position.

"Hey kiddo, you gave us a scare again. You do know I'm getting old right?" said Colonel O'Neill.

"Are you feeling alright, Willow Rosenberg?" asked Teal'c.

"Yes, Teal'c, I'm feeling better. Sorry to scare you guys" said Willow sheepishly, "that never happened before… I mean I don't always fall down like that…. I mean I never just black out like that."

"Willow, do you know what happened?" asked Major Carter as she stood next to the redhead.

"I don't even remember falling, Major. After we reached the gate room, I felt a rush going through me. I can't really explain it" said Willow

"What kind of rush?" asked Major Carter

"It felt more like some kind of a wave of energy... maybe not energy but it was something, that just went through me" said Willow, "then I just saw everything get dark and then I woke up in the infirmary."

The truth was that Willow had a feeling about what had happened, but she needed confirmation. The next day Willow was able to go back to her room at the Academy dorm. Once she returned to her quarters at the SGC, she made a call to Xander.

"Xander, Tara and Giles succeeded in bringing Buffy back didn't they?" asked Willow.

"Yeah Willow" said Xander happily. "She's back with us. Wait a minute, how did you know that we succeeded. I was gonna have Buffy call you tomorrow after she spent time with Dawn" said Xander.

"I may not practice magic anymore Xander but whatever spell they used, it was powerful enough to cause a ripple effect. Even I felt it from Colorado. Although I'm so happy, you just can't imagine how happy, that you succeeded, I'm worried about the consequences of doing this spell. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" asked Willow.

"Yeah Wills, I understand. But no matter what the consequences are, I think we can handle it without too much trouble" said Xander.

"Alright Xander, oh oh oh, promise me you and the gang will show up for my graduation next year" said Willow excitedly.

"Of course we'll be there. Won't miss it for the world" said Xander.

"Sure, the more the merrier" relied Willow happily.

After talking to her oldest friend, she couldn't help but feel a certain amount of pride towards Tara as she was growing to be a good magic user. But Willow was still very worried about what may be coming in the future for her friends in Sunnydale. In the meantime, she was thinking about whether it would be a good idea to let her new friends know that Buffy was back or keep them in the dark about it, at least until graduation day.

"Oy, how the hell am I going to explain this one" thought Willow to herself.

Little did she know, however, that her participation in the Stargate program is where she would encounter one of the most emotionally difficult moments in her young life.