A/N: Thanks for everyone who reviewed for the previous chapter. I was really fun to write. This one will be a bit quieter than the previous one. I hope I got Faith's characterisation right but if not, I apologize for mistakes. Anyway, hope everyone enjoys the chapter. Please read and review.
Stargate Command, 1800hrs
"Stargate Command?" said Faith as she walked alongside Willow through the maze of corridors
"Yep" said Willow
"Stargate?" repeated Faith
"Yep" smiled Willow
"Star… Gate?" said Faith disbelievingly
"Yep" said Willow, "Also known as the Doorway to Heaven"
"Captain Rosenberg to General O'Neill's office" said the voice of Walter through the P.A system, "Captain Rosenberg to General O'Neill's office"
"That's you I guess" said Faith as she alternated between staring at Willow and at the Airmen and women walking along the corridors and some guarding closed doors
"Yep" said Willow, "That includes you too"
"So what can you tell me about this place" asked Faith as she looked around
"It's the coolest place to work. There are labs, armouries, a gym, a commissary, offices, quarters for civilian and base personnel, fully stocked infirmary, locker rooms and other stuff" said Willow, "Water is taken in from a reservoir; air is drawn from the surface and put through chemical, biological and radiological filters to make sure that nothing harmful gets through"
"Ummm… fresh air huh?" said Faith
"Oh yeah" said Willow smiling
"Looks like most people are gone for the day" said Faith
"I'm not too sure about that" said Willow, "I bet Colonel Carter is testing some doohickey, Daniel is doing some translating and Teal'c is meditating or in the gym. And I wouldn't be surprised if most of the SG teams are off-world on missions"
"SG?" asked Faith
"Yeah, wrong there are maybe twenty five SG teams that go off world for anything from diplomatic missions, exploration, scientific purposes or just to check out the local ruins and meet people" said Willow
"I honestly never realized…" said Faith before she was interrupted by Willow
"Ah, here we are Faith" said Willow, "General O'Neill's office"
Willow knocked on the door but she could hear him talking on the phone. She couldn't exactly make out who it was to but it sounded quite animated. So Willow walked Faith over to the briefing room where she indicated to the General that they arrived.
Faith looked around at the room and noticed a large window at the end of the room that was covered by a huge slab of metal and in the middle of the room there was a red coloured conference table.
"This is where I appeared Faith" said Willow smiling, "smack down on on the middle of the table while these guys were having a meeting"
"I would have done anything to see their faces" said Faith as she walked towards the metal starway, "What's down there" she asked as she looked down from the briefing room level, "Wow, looks real busy" she said
"Yeah" said Willow, "that's the operations centre for everything we do. But that'll come later on. I think General O'Neill wants to talk to us first"
Just then the General finished talking on the phone and walked out of his office into the briefing room.
"Good evening Sir" said Willow as she stood straight
"Hiya" said Faith
"So did ya' enjoy yourself today?" said the General as he looked at Faith
"Oh yea" said Faith, "That was just awesome"
"Wasn't it, I don't get to fly much because of my duties here" said the General as he turned back to Willow, "Alright Red, you should get yourself and Faith here to the infirmary for a check-up. I think Dr. Brightman has your reports from the testing that Dr. Beckett did"
"Anything bad sir?" asked Willow
"You know she won't tell me before telling you Red" said the General, "All right kids, off you go to see the Doc, then I'll get SG1 and we all sit together here and start the briefing"
"Yes Sir" said Willow
"Why do I need to get a check-up?" asked Faith
"Its routine" said the General, "when we have visitors or new employees at the SGC, they always get a check-up first. Anyway, Red here is already over due for hers"
"Let's go Faith" said Willow as she guided Faith through the corridor they had come through and then took the elevator to level twenty one.
Infirmary, SGC
"Hi Doc" said Willow as she and Faith walked into the infirmary through the double doors.
"Good evening Captain" said Dr. Brightman as she looked at Faith, "and you must be Miss Lehane"
"Yea, but you can call me Faith"
"Alright then" said Dr. Brightman as she signalled to another doctor, "Faith, Dr. Miller here will be conducting your check-up while I handle Captain Rosenberg's"
"Alright" said Faith as she followed the young doctor to the next bed for her check-up. Once they reached the bed, Dr. Miller brought in a portble X-Ray machine and some other medical equipment before closing the curtain around the both of them for some privacy.
"You alright Faith?" said Willow
"Yep" replied Faith, "Just so you know, if anything embarrassing is done to me, you'll be paying for it later on"
"If you say so" smiled Willow as Dr. Brightman chuckled
"First of all Captain, how you feel?" asked Dr. Brightman, "I mean about your vocal chords. Colonel Carter told me what happened and that your voice returned after she used the hand device. Any feelings of scratchiness or pain in your throat?"
"No ma'am" replied Willow, "but my voice is still so 'Clint Eastwoody', it's kinda strange"
"I'll run a scan but it probably means that it would be months before your original voice returns, if it ever does" said the doctor, "but no matter what, you still have to be careful about how you use your voice. Try not to shout or scream, at least until your voice has completely improved"
"Can I still go off-world though?" asked Willow nervously
"I don't see a problem" said the Doctor, "but if you feel dizzy or you have any problems, you have to come see me immediately. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am" replied Willow
An hour had passed since Dr. Brightman had finished Willow's check-up; all Willow could do now was sit on the bed until Faith was done with hers.
"Captain" said Dr. Brightman as she came out of her office, "may I see you in my office please?"
"Sure Doc" said Willow as she followed Dr. Brightman to her office which was located right outside the infirmary
Willow entered the room as Dr. Brightman closed the door and motioned her to take a seat.
"What's up Doc?" said Willow nervously, "the General told me that you received the results from Dr. Beckett's analysis of my blood"
"Yes I have" said the doctor, "You know about Dr. Beckett's theory about the Ancient chair device in Antarctica being activated by a person who had the same genes as the Ancients?"
"Yea" said Willow nodding
"He calls it the ATA, or Ancient Technology Activation, gene" said Dr. Brightman, "it basically acts as a genetic key so that only Ancients or others of their kind can operate that technology. He believes that the gene is always on, and it instructs the cells in the body to release enzymes and proteins that interact with the skin, the nervous system and the brain. Thus allowing someone with the gene to operate the technology just by pure thought"
"OK" said Willow, "so I can guess that General O'Neill has the gene, since he sat on the chair and it activated"
"So do you" said Dr. Brightman as she handed Willow a piece of paper
As she looked through the paper, her eyes settled on one particular line, "ATA Gene: Positive"
"Woah" said Willow surprised, "That's cool. I guess that means that I can control the chair too, in an emergency"
"There's another thing Captain" said Dr. Brightman, "your blood work also shows the presence of an unidentified protein marker"
"What?" asked Willow nervously, "How's that possible?"
"I don't know" said the doctor, "I've sent the results back to Dr. Beckett so that he can go over them, but it's unlike the protein marker left over in Colonel Carter after the Tok'ra symbiote, Jolinar died while saving her life"
"Should I be worried about this?" asked Willow
"Well you've said that you haven't felt anything weird or exhibited any odd medical symptoms so I don't think it would be a problem in the immediate future. But I'd recommend running more tests on your blood" said Dr. Brightman
"Anytime doc" said Willow as she got up
"Very well" said the Doctor as she got up and led Willow back to the infirmary. As they went through the doors, Willow saw that Faith was sitting on the bed waiting for her.
"You're done?" asked Willow
"Yep" said Faith, "damn they like poking and prodding here don't they? And I swear that Dr. Miller used the largest needles I've ever seen to take my blood for testing"
"It's alright" smiled Willow, "It's standard procedure around here. You never know what you may bring back through the Gate or what you may bring off-world from Earth"
"SG1 report to the briefing room" said Walter's voice over the P.A system again, "SG1 report to the briefing room"
"Oh, that's us" said Willow as she turned to Dr. Brightman, "See you later Doc"
"Remember what I told you Captain" said the Doctor, "take it easy with your voice, and if there are any problems. You need to see me immediately"
"Yes ma'am" said Willow before she grabbed Faith and walked back to the briefing room.
"Willow" asked Faith as they exited the infirmary, "What's SG1?"
"SG1 is the premier front line team at the SGC" said Willow, "Which kinda means that we're the ones that get into the most trouble and the ones who get shot at more than the other teams"
"I never thought you'd be a troublemaker" smiled Faith, "you were always the good girl"
"Well, I try" said Willow as she smiled back at Faith
General O'Neill's Office, SGC
"Jack" said Daniel, "Are you sure about this?"
"Daniel" said the General, "Red trusts her and the President has given his permission for this. But if it makes you feel any better, he still shares your scepticism about Faith"
"Exactly" said Daniel, "Come on Jack, she was involved in kidnapping Willow and frankly, her joining the SGC is like saying 'you can do whatever bad stuff you want, but don't worry, you'll still be rewarded by joining up with humanity's greatest endeavour'. Anyway, why are you so relaxed about this?"
"Daniel, I trust Red's instincts about her" said the General as he looked at the Colonel, "Carter? Whatcha thinkin' about?"
"General" said Colonel Carter, "while I agree with you that this Faith character may be an asset to the SGC and SG1 if you decide to put her with us; Daniel's right too, it still sets a bad precedent. Sir you read her file, she's been in jail and has been in trouble since she was young"
"Carter, I just think that sometimes there's more to someone than just what's in their background checks" said the General, "I think we should hear her out with her own words about her history and then take it from there"
The General then looked at Teal'c who was simply standing next to the glass partition keeping a lookout for Willow and Faith.
"T?" asked the General as he looked at his desk and rubbed his forehead, "You wanna add anything?"
"I believe what you are doing is correct, O'Neill" said Teal'c which make Daniel and Colonel Carter turn around in surprise
Seeing the looks on their faces, Teal'c gave a small smile before continuing, "When I was the First Prime of Apophis, I committed many atrocities which were disclosed when I had sworn my allegiance to the Tau'ri" said Teal'c, "However, inspite of that, you have allowed me to join SG1 in the protection of this world. Do you not believe Faith Lehane deserves the same opportunity as I?"
"You've already proved yourself many times over Teal'c" said Daniel, "you earned our trust immediately after helping us escape during the first mission to Chulak"
"Do you not believe that Faith Lehane deserves the chance to earn our trust?" said Teal'c, "Willow Rosenberg trusts her, and I believe that we should do the same as well"
"Trust is earned Teal'c" said Daniel
"O'Neill" said Teal'c as he heard two female voices coming towards the briefing room, "they are coming"
Briefing Room, SGC
As they were walking towards the briefing room, Willow could already sense unease coming from both Colonel Carter and Daniel.
"Oh boy" she thought to herself as they passed General O'Neill's office and entered the briefing room proper where the General, Daniel, Colonel Carter and Teal'c were waiting.
"I don't think they like me much" whispered Faith when she looked at Colonel Carter and Daniel staring at her
Willow: "Give them time Faith"
"Hi guys" said Willow as she gave SG1 a small wave as Teal'c simply smiled and gave a small bow
"Willow" said Daniel said he gave the red head a hug, "welcome back'
"Welcome back Willow" said the Colonel
"Glad to be back Daniel… Colonel" said Willow as she turned to face Faith
"Faith Lehane meet SG1" said Willow as she turned back to her team, "SG1 meet Faith"
Faith looked on as a large muscular man with a golden emblem on his forehead stepped forward and slightly bowed his head at her, "Faith Lehane, I am Teal'c. It is a pleasure to meet another female warrior of the Tau'ri"
"Umm… Thanks, I guess" said Faith nervously
Faith then looked on as the guy wearing a pair glasses and the blonde woman stepped forward
"Hello, I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson"
"I'm Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, welcome to the SGC"
"Ah.. thanks" said Faith, "from what Willow told me, it's simply amazing what you people do here"
"Well, we try" said the General, "how about we all have a seat and start the briefing"
"Yes sir" said the Colonel and Willow together
After everyone had sat down at their usual places with the General at the head of the table and Daniel and the Colonel on one side of the side of the table, with Willow, Faith and Teal'c on the other side as the General started the briefing.
"Alright" said the General as he looked at Faith have her hand up, "Yes?"
"What's a Tau'ri?" asked Faith, "Teal'c here called me a warrior of the Tau'ri, so what's a Tau'ri?"
"I think it would be better if we started from the beginning" said the General, "but let's agree on something first"
"Ok" said Faith
"You're being given full disclosure here" said the General as he looked at Faith, "in return, we expect full disclosure from you"
"Huh?" said Faith confused
"Do you remember I told you that everyone who works here has a bond that goes deeper than family?" asked the General as Faith nodded her head, "well that's mainly due to the fact that we trust each other with everything; with our lives and our secrets" he said as he looked at Willow. "Red here knows what I'm talking about; so what we expect from you is full disclosure on your past as well Faith, and you have our guarantee that everything said in this room about your past, will stay in this room. Nothing will be recorded, no notes will be taken, no one will know outside of this group will know of this information and this information will never even leave this mountain. Plus if anyone overhears us, I'm sure Red here will be able to sense it. So are we agreed?"
"Full disclosure?" asked Faith nervously
"Yes" said the General
Willow sensing that Faith was getting very nervous glanced around making sure that no one could see her and slipped her hand under the table and squeezed Faith's hand lightly.
Willow: "You can trust them Faith"
"Alright" said Faith, "if Red trusts you then I guess I should as well but there are some parts that involve Buffy, and what I say shouldn't be used to further incriminate her"
"Alright, agreed" said the General, "How about you start first Faith?"
Faith started to tell her story from her alcoholic parents to meeting her first watcher, Professor Dormer who was killed before her eyes by the ancient vampire Kakistos and her arrival in Sunnydale.
"In between all that" said Faith as she focused at a spot on the table, "I did some really bad things that I would really not like to make public"
"Very well" said General O'Neill
Faith started to talk about meeting Buffy and the Scoobies, meeting her new watcher who then proceeded to gain and abuse her trust, what really happened in the run in with the Deputy Mayor which brought about his accidental death, her meeting her third watcher Wesley Wyndham Pryce who later arrested her under the authority of the Watcher's Council. Faith had told them that she escaped and fled into the arms of the Mayor of Sunnydale.
She said that she later just knew she had lost Buffy and the Scoobies as friends after they found out she was working for the Mayor, who just happened to be the big bad of Sunnydale, in secret.
As Faith was talking, Willow could feel the increasing sense of loneliness, isolation and anger from Faith as she recounted these memories. She started fidgeting as the air around her started to get cold and then hot and the cycle kept repeating. She looked around and she noticed that she was the only one who had this strange feeling.
"Red?" asked the General, "You alright?"
"Yes sir" said Willow softly
Faith: "You alright?"
Willow: "I can feel everything Faith, the memories of your loneliness, your anger, your isolation.. everything"
Faith: "Want me to stop?"
Willow: "No. You should continue. We should know more….. I want to know more"
Faith gave a quick glance and a small smile towards Willow before continuing her story. She told SG1 about how the evil mayor had become like a father figure to her, looked after and cared for her. She closed her eyes and talked about how she had killed two demons and a geology professor under orders from the Mayor, how she had also captured and kidnapped Willow when she was snooping around the Mayor's office; Faith said that she was going to kill her when she was working for the Mayor, that was until the Scoobies returned an important item that belonged to him. Upon hearing about her previous kidnapping, SG1 and the General had stared at Willow as she cringed slightly in her seat, while she felt an immense amount of sadness and regret from Faith as she recounted that memory.
"I remember" said Willow softly, "I said that you would always be alone, friendless and a big selfish worthless waste"
"Yeah" said Faith softly, "You stood up to me but I still assaulted you"
"You should continue, Faith" said Willow
Nodding at Willow, Faith then continued about how she used a poisoned arrow to try and kill Angel which lead to Buffy coming to her apartment to try and get her blood.
"Hold on" said Daniel as Willow looked at Faith in confusion, "Why your blood?"
"The only antidote for that poison is the blood of a Slayer, my blood" said Faith softly
"Why couldn't Buffy use her own blood?" asked Colonel Carter, "She's also this Slayer right?"
"She wanted to get all my blood" said Faith as she closed her eyes and sighed while the others immediately knew what she meant.
She told everyone how she and Buffy, the only two slayers on Earth had come to blows before Buffy stabbed her in the abdomen with the knife that the Mayor had given Faith as a gift, before jumping onto a moving van and had gotten into a coma due to some head injuries and blood loss.
"And you got out of your coma after I left Sunnydale" said Willow
"Yea, it was months later" said Faith, "and then I learn that Buffy was with another guy. The vampire boyfriend she almost killed me for was no longer in the picture. It's actually kinda funny when you think about it"
But in the quiet briefing room, there was no one laughing; the General had his eyes closed while he leaned back on his chair, Daniel and the Colonel were looking at the table in uncomfortable silence. Teal'c however, was looking at Faith with sorrow in his eyes at all this girl had endured through her life so far. Willow couldn't do anything but squeeze Faith's hand under the table as she stopped to breathe deeply.
Faith then went on to say that after she awoke from the coma, she tried to seek revenge on Buffy by switching bodies with her.
"Done that already" mumbled the General, "wasn't fun at all"
"Huh?" said Faith as she looked confused
"Long story" said Daniel, "please continue"
She continued her story by saying that while Buffy was in her body, she was kidnapped by the Watcher's Council Special operations team to be taken back to England.
"While I was in Buffy's body, I had flirted with another vampire"
"Spike?" asked Willow
"Yea" said Faith nodding, "and then I slept with her boyfriend in her body. I felt betrayed by everyone around me and all I could think of was revenge and how best to ruin Buffy's reputation"
She continued by talking about the group of churchgoers she had saved from the vampires that held them hostage and that she was almost killed until Buffy saved her.
"When I faced Buffy, who was in my original body, I just lunged at her. I beat her, I beat my own body savagely, I hated myself for everything I had become and everything I had lost. Eventually Tara managed to undo the spell and I got back into my own body which was already heavily injured and I just got out of Sunnydale and headed to LA, where Angel helped me. He believed in me, and never gave up on me finding the good in myself"
"Eventually, Buffy came to LA seeking revenge" said Faith as Willow looked on in surprise, "but she didn't succeed, obviously. I did however give myself up to the LAPD so that I could face the consequences of my actions. And the rest as they say is history"
Willow could sense that the hostility that she had felt from Daniel and Colonel Carter earlier had almost gone as Faith finished her story. Daniel had told Willow about his own troubled upbringing after losing his parents in an accident at the New York museum of Art and that his grandfather's refusal to adopt him meant that he was stuck in the foster care system. Colonel Carter had lost her mother when she was just a child and blamed her father for it; the General had lost his son which, in turn, led to him losing his marriage to Sara and Teal'c gave up everything to help the Tau'ri in the war against the Goa'uld and for the freedom of all Jaffa. Willow knew her own situation with her parents and her constant battle against the addiction that using magic provides.
Willow glanced at the General and the others; they looked like they were thinking the same thing she was. Everyone member of SG1 who was seated at the table was damaged in one way or another, and that's part of what made them a family.
"Where's the rest room" said Faith as her voice slightly broke
"Sir" said Willow, "may I…"
"Go ahead Red" said the General as he didn't wait for Willow to finish her sentence.
Everyone stood up as Willow guided Faith to the restroom that was on the other end of the corridor while the rest of SG1 sat back down on their chairs at the conference room.
"That was… I really don't know what to say….." said Daniel as he became lost for words
"Faith Lehane has endured much hardship for a young woman" said Teal'c
"Sir…" said the Colonel
"Carter?" replied the General
"I was wrong" said Colonel, "She needs a stable environment and people who can look after her wellbeing"
"The SGC can also provide her with the required counselling that she needs to get past any lingering issues too, right Jack?" said Daniel
"Yea" said the General as he was still in shock about what he had just heard. He was swinging emotionally between anger for the circumstances that led Faith to what happened to her and sorrow for what she had gone through while she was in Sunnydale.
A little more than ten minutes later, Willow and Faith got out of the rest room and walked towards the briefing room where everyone was seated in quiet contemplation.
Upon hearing their footprints, Teal'c had got up in respect for the two women who had re-entered the room and sat down once they had taken their seats.
"Faith" said the General, "Thanks for telling us about your history. Its given me a lot to think about in regards to what your duties would be on the base and which team you should be placed on if you decide to participate in any off world travel"
"Yes, I would like to go off-world" said Faith, "Willow said it's the coolest thing"
"Oh, it is!" said the General smiling, "and as I promised, we'll give you full disclosure of the Stargate Program"
"Daniel" said the General
"Jack?"
"You're the resident archaeologist here, so maybe you should start?" said the General
"Alright" said Daniel as he leaned forward, "In 1928, a group of Archaeologists discovered an ancient ring shaped device in the Giza Plateau, Egypt. In 1995, we had discovered that it was really a device capable of instantly transportation to other planets"
"What?" said Faith surprised, "how?"
"Through the use of a subspace wormhole that connects one Stargate to a similar one in this galaxy" said the Colonel
"So that means….." said Faith as she was interrupted by Willow
"We can go anywhere in the galaxy, as long as there is a Stargate on that planet" said Willow as Faith stared at her, "if there's no gate, then there's always the Prometheus"
"In 1995" said Daniel, "I was approached by the then head of the Program, Catherine Langford. I had written a few books on how aliens were the ones who had built the pyramids as landing pads for their spaceships and how the pyramids were really built about ten thousand years ago instead of the established four to five thousand year range."
"Hold up" said Faith, "you're THAT Daniel Jackson?"
"Yes" said Daniel nervously, "Why?"
"Red" said Faith as she looked at Willow, "Dawn read a book about that same subject by a Daniel Jackson"
"Really?" said Daniel as he gave a grin, "so what did she think about it?"
"Daniel" said the General
"Jack" replied Daniel before looking over at Faith, "c'mon I wanna know"
"She liked it, was pretty excited about the idea" said Faith, "although I thought the idea was a bit nutso, but what do I know"
That comment made everyone in the room chuckle
"So it really is true?" asked Faith
"Yes" said Daniel, "as I was saying, in 1995, after I was recruited I was taken to Creek Mountain. That was where the Stargate was stored previously. After a lot of research I discovered how to turn it on and we connected the wormhole to a planet ten thousand light years away called Abydos"
"That was the very first mission" said General O'Neill, "we had travelled to Abydos to determine if there was any threat to Earth"
"And boy did we end up in it" said Daniel
"What happened?" asked Faith
"We encountered Ra" replied the General
"Ra?" said Faith confused
"The Egyptian sun god" said Colonel Carter
"You fought a god?" asked Faith, "and survived?"
"Ra was not a god" said Teal'c, "he was a Goa'uld, a false god"
"A what?" asked Faith as she looked at Willow
"Remember I got you about that war we're fighting?" asked Willow as Faith nodded, "it's against a race of parasites that take human hosts known as the Goa'uld. They enslaved people by taking the names of the gods of many ancient civilizations such as the ones from ancient Egypt, the Mayans even the Sumerians"
"Anyway" said the General, "to make a long story short, we freed the people of Abydos who were at the time enslaved by Ra and we managed to transport an enhanced nuclear warhead into his big honkin' space ship which exploded in space and killed his slimy, snaky ass"
"I had met a woman on Abydos called Sha're and I stayed behind to stay with her and the other Abydonians" said Daniel
"So why did you come back?" asked Faith and immediately saw the look that Daniel gave her, it was the look of sorrow and loss
"In 1997, another Goa'uld known as Apophis came through the Stargate when it was held in this facility. He killed four Airmen and kidnapped another and took her back to a planet called Chulak" said the General, "and at first we thought that the attack came from Abydos, so we gathered a team and went to check it out"
"While we were there" said the Colonel, "We discovered that the Stargate could be used to travel to other worlds. We found a cartouche which we eventually used to make calculations about stellar drift so that we could visit those worlds"
"In the meantime, Apophis had come through the Abydos Gate while we were exploring and took some Abydodians including my wife, Sha're and her brother Skaa'ra" said Daniel, "and after we returned to Earth for a debrief, we left for Chulak to try and rescue them"
"But we were unsuccessful" said the Colonel
"Skaa'ra was taken as a host by Klo'rel, who was the son of Apophis and Sha're was taken as host by Amonet who was Apophis' queen" said Daniel, "eventually with the help of another ally we managed to free Skaa'ra from the Goa'uld which held him prisoner as a host but on another mission, my wife was killed"
"I'm sorry" said Faith
"But it was on Chulak that we met Teal'c" said the Colonel, "he saved us from a firing squad and helped us to escape"
"Indeed," said Teal'c, "since that time, I have been fighting alongside the Tau'ri to free the Jaffa from the Goa'uld"
"There's that word again" said Faith, "what's Tau'ri and what's a Jaffa?"
"Faith" said Willow, "We are the people of the Tau'ri; the word Tau'ri means 'the first world'. The Goa'uld took people from Earth thousands of years ago through the Stargate and brought them to many worlds to be used as slaves and hosts. Basically, the majority of the civilisations in this galaxy were originally from here, there are millions of people out there who are descended from the original slaves who were taken from this planet. But after thousands of years, many have developed their own cultures and traditions and they even have their own stories of how they ended up where they are"
"That's what you meant by you were helping million of people" said Faith as she looked at Willow in surprise
"Yes" said Willow
"Jaffa have been used by the Goa'uld to carry infant symbiotes until they reach the age where they can be implanted into a host" said Teal'c, "I used to be the first prime for Apophis and it was I who had lead the incursion into this facility through the Stargate all those years ago"
"So you were with the enemy" said Faith shocked
"Indeed" said Teal'c, "however, when I had met O'Neill, Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter, I felt that they were the ones who would be able to help me fight for my freedom and the freedom of all Jaffa"
"That's when he helped us to escape Chulak with the other prisoners" said the General, "and he's been an integral part of SG1 since then"
"I see" said Faith, "So did the Goa'uld create the Stargates?"
"No" said Daniel, "another race we call the Ancients created the entire Stargate network in this galaxy and possible other galaxies as well"
"We're actually still learning about the Ancients" said the Colonel
"They're also known as the Alterrans" said Willow, "they came here from another galaxy a little more than fifty million years ago, and first settled on a planet called Dakara and then Earth, which became the capital of their domain"
"You're serious?" asked Faith as she looked at Willow
"Out of this world isn't it?" she replied
"Earth had two Stargates" said the Colonel, "the very first one was located in Antarctica which we found by accident and the second one is the one that was found in Egypt"
"After running tests" said Daniel, "it was discovered that the Antarctic gate was nearly fifty million years old"
"Woah" said Faith as she held her head in her hands, "this is like… wow"
"How about we stop for today?" said the General as he got up, "I think we've told you everything there is to know about the Gate. How about we show it to you? Carter?"
"Yes sir" said the Colonel as she got up and walked over to the window at the end of the room and pressed a red button on the wall
Slowly everyone got up and walked over to the now unblocked window
"Come on Faith" said Willow, "you're gonna see the best view down here"
Faith walked slowly beside Willow to the window. As she approached the window she saw a large metallic ring shaped device just sitting there at the end of a ramp.
"So that's the Stargate" said Faith softly
"Looks amazing doesn't it?" said the General
"What's it like?" asked Faith, "going through it I mean"
"Like taking a step forward" said the Colonel, "but in reality, you travelled thousands of light years"
"Daniel was the one that discovered the glyphs along the inner tract are actually star constellations" said the General
"They form a coordinate system where you need six points of reference for the destination and the seventh as the point of origin" said the Colonel, "and if the address is correct, then an artificial subspace wormhole forms between the two Stargates"
"Now I get why you said you love your job Red" said Faith as she lightly punched her on the arm, "who'd want to leave all this behind"
"So can I go through?" asked Faith as she looked at the General
"Well you'd have to go through training first for about two weeks before you can even think about going through the Gate" said the General, "Although Red told me that you've already had hand to hand and weapons training, you'd still need to be further trained on hand-to-hand combat and on the Earth weapons we use off world and some of the alien weaponry we have here on base"
"As for the team you'll be placed on" said the General, "I was thinking SG1"
Willow couldn't help but smile slightly.
"In the meantime, maybe you should go home and rest up because tomorrow your training will start. You'll be scheduled with Teal'c for some hand to hand training and Earth weapons training with Colonels' Reynolds and Dixon at the firing range" said the General
"How about the Goa'uld weapons training sir?" asked Willow
"Teal'c will handle that as well" replied the General
"Cool" replied Faith
"Dismissed" said the General to the gathered members of SG1
As soon as the General said dismissed, Daniel and Colonel Carter had started to leave for their respective labs but not before speaking to Willow privately
"Willow" said Daniel, "I wish I could stay longer but there's an unique artefact that SG13 brought over and I need to complete the translations by tomorrow. Maybe we should all go to O'Malley's this weekend to welcome you back and welcome Faith to the SGC"
"Alright Daniel" said Willow smiling, "and thanks for being ok with this… I mean with Faith"
"I have to tell you that I wasn't too keen on the idea" he whispered, "but after hearing her story, I think that maybe we should give her a chance"
"Thanks Daniel" replied Willow
"I'll see you tomorrow" said Daniel before he turned around as ran towards his lab
"Willow" said the Colonel, "I'm glad you're alright"
"Thank you ma'am" said Willow, "also thank you for trusting me about Faith, I could sense your uneasiness about her when we first came into the briefing room"
"Well you can't blame me for feeling that way" said the Colonel smiling, "but we'll give her a chance, maybe she'll grow on us"
"Are you…" said the Colonel as she glanced at Faith
"Anything new with the shield ma'am?" asked Willow as she tried to change the subject
"We've gotten permission from Home World Security to install the arrays for the shield and the control boxes, and that'll start at the end of the month" said the Colonel
Willow looked past the Colonel and saw that Faith was talking with the General and Teal'c, so she decided to talk to Colonel Carter about the dream she had months back, when the General was still stuck in the stasis pod, about Atlantis.
"Ma'am, there's something else I'd like to talk to you" said Willow
"About?" asked the Colonel
"Well it was a dream I had months back while the General was stuck in the stasis pod at the Ancient outpost in Antarctica" said Willow, "I'm sorry I'm coming to you with this so late but with all that's happened, it slipped my mind until now"
"Another nightmare?" asked the Colonel
"No" said Willow, "Although I gotta say, that nightmare in D.C was just too real"
"What was your dream Willow?" said the Colonel smiling
"How far has Daniel gotten into discovering the location of Atlantis?" asked Willow
"So far he's stuck" said the Colonel, "We are searching everywhere on Earth but so far we've had no luck. I think he's going to the outpost next month to go through an Ancient database the science team found there"
"Colonel" said Willow, "what if I told you the legends were wrong?
"What do you mean?" asked the Colonel confused
"Atlantis didn't sink into the ocean" said Willow, "at least not on Earth"
"What do you mean?" asked the Colonel
"In my dream" said Willow, "I was at the outpost, except it looked different. It was more spacious and less ice covered the thing. As I was walking through the outpost past the Ancient chair, I looked out a window and saw Atlantis right outside. Then suddenly there was a lot of shaking and the entire city just started to rise, and the next thing I knew it exited Earth's atmosphere and was gone"
"Have you told Daniel yet?" asked the Colonel
"Not yet" said Willow, "its just a dream so…."
"Listen" said the Colonel as she interrupted Willow, "You should really talk to Daniel about your dream, but do it tomorrow. In the meantime, you should take Faith home. Faith needs to relax, it's going to be a real busy two weeks for her. And you should take a rest as well because you, Daniel and I are going to P8D-767 tomorrow to accompany Daniel to check out some sites SG8 found. He thinks there could be another Ancient colony or an outpost there"
"Alright ma'am" said Willow, "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, I almost forgot Colonel, I'm moving to a new three bedroom apartment.. I was hoping that you would be able to help me move this weekend?"
"Sure" said the Colonel, "I think Teal'c will be going to visit Ry'ac so it'll be just the General, Daniel and I who can help"
"That would be great ma'am" said Willow, "Thanks"
"We're a family Willow" said the Colonel as she started to turned and go back to her lab, "We'll be there for you always"
Willow smiled as the Colonel walked away. She turned towards Faith who was talking with the General now and could see that Teal'c was walking towards her.
"Willow Rosenberg" said the Jaffa as he bowed his head slightly towards her
"Thank you for trusting me about Faith, Teal'c" said Willow
"I believe that she would do well and most possibly thrive at the SGC, Willow Rosenberg" said Teal'c
"I have that same feeling too" said Willow, "You've read the file on her abilities right?"
"Indeed, I have" said Teal'c, "she seems to be a very formidable warrior"
"You have no idea" said Willow smiling, "just be careful tomorrow"
"Indeed I shall, Willow Rosenberg" said Teal'c, "I bid you good night"
"Good night Teal'c" said Willow as Teal'c turned and walked away
Willow then walked towards Faith just as the General turned to look at her.
"Hey Red" said the General, "I'm heading back home now, you need a lift back?"
"That would be great Sir" said Willow, "My car and motorcycle are still at home"
"Alright then, kids" said the General smiling, "let's go"
"Yes Sir" said Willow as she and Faith followed the General up to the parking garage and into his truck.
Willow's Apartment, 30 minutes later
"Thanks for the ride Sir" said Willow
"Yeah, thanks" said Faith
"No problems kids" said the General, "see you tomorrow"
"Bye Sir" said Willow as she waved at the General as he drove off
"Nice place you have here Red" said Faith as she looked at the outside of her apartment.
"Well the inside is much better" said Willow as she shivered from the cold weather, "and warmer"
"Shall we?" said Willow as she went up the stairs with Faith following her close behind.
Willow opened the door to her apartment and let Faith in before closing the door. She showed Faith to Cassie's old room which still held most of her things.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to stay here?" asked Faith
"Yea" said Willow "anyway, you hungry? I don't have anything in the fridge so I guess I could order in some pizza?"
"Sure" said Faith
"Oh!" said Willow, "in the meantime you can raid my closet for a change of clothes if you want until the BPRI sends your stuff to the base"
"Thanks" said Faith, "I'll go take a shower then and then you tell me everything about your adventures"
"Sure" said Willow smiling, "but when Dawn stays with us, remember you can't tell her anything. No matter how much she hates me, she can't know. At least not yet"
"Why don't you get clearance for her as well?" asked Faith
"Her charges were more serious than yours" said Willow, "she was fully complicit in holding me and breaking into government databases. Honestly, it was just plain luck that the President agreed to this deal, I actually thought he'd deny it and she would have to spend time in a prison"
"Are you absolutely sure?" said Faith
"Yea" replied Willow sadly, "do you know if she has practise in using any magic?"
"I think Tara thought her some spells" said Faith, "I'm not sure though since I used to spend more time with the potentials than with Dawn"
"I can bet you that she'll be complaining about me to you though" said Willow with a weak smile
"Give her some time Red" said Faith, "I have a feeling she'll understand eventually"
"Hope so" said Willow, "I mean without her knowing about the Stargate"
"Of course" replied Faith, "Anyway, I'll go get showered and then we'll eat while you tell me stories"
"Definitely" said Willow as Faith walked away to take her shower