A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone. This chapter is based on the SG1 episode 'Citizen Joe' (SG1: s08e15). Thanks for continuing to read the story. Please review.
Sunnydale Memorial Hospital, Secure Wing, 1000 hours.
"Hey sleepyhead" said Willow as she looked down at a groggy Faith.
"Red?" said Faith as she turned towards Willow's voice with her eyes closed, "do you know what time it is?"
"Yeah" grinned Willow, "it's ten hundred."
"It's too soon for a wakeup call" said Faith as she turned and lay down on her side in her hospital bed.
"Come on" smiled Willow, "everyone's up just so you know. Buffy and Xander went down to get some breakfast. They're letting the both of you and Kennedy go home today while the others go back tomorrow."
"Good for them" mumbled Faith with her eyes closed.
"Come on" whispered Willow as she leaned into Faith's ear, "I thought you said you wanted to test the acoustics in the hotel room?"
"I do" said Faith as she turned onto her side again, this time to face her with her eyes open, "but I perform better after a good night's sleep."
"Since when?" said Willow.
"Since today" replied Faith who gave Willow a small smile.
"Well" said Willow, "the hospital is releasing you in a few hours, so we can go back to the hotel and you can sleep all you want."
"Yaaay" mumbled Faith as she looked at a grinning Willow, "you seem to be enjoying torturing me."
"This isn't torture" said Willow, "but what I have planned if you don't get up right this instant can be considered torture in some circles, although I do believe you'll enjoy it."
"Don't you dare do that again" said Faith as she quickly got up and sat on the bed.
"Awww shucks" said Willow with a smile, "If you lay down longer, I'd have had no choice but to do that."
"Why would you do that?" said Faith smirking while she got off the bed.
"If would have been fun to see you try and keep yourself from screaming too loud" grinned Willow, "especially with the other potentials and Kennedy in the room across the hall."
"You know" said Faith as she walked over to Willow, "let's go to the hotel before we do anything else, let's see who can make who scream the most."
"Yes ma'am" said Willow as she closed the privacy curtain around Faith's bed.
BPRI Headquarters, Sunnydale, 1300 hours.
"Agent Barret" said Willow as she walked towards the NID man, "how are you Malcolm?"
"Good" said Barret as he shook both Willow and Faith's hands, "sorry to have met the both of you again under such circumstances."
"True" said Willow.
"I hope that you're doing better now, Miss Lehane" said Barret.
"Oh, I'm doing great" grinned Faith as she glanced at Willow and remembered what happened in the privacy of their hotel room.
"That's good to know" said Barret as he motioned them to follow him inside the building.
"Any news on Agent Reed?" asked Willow as she and Faith followed him to Cordelia and Angel's office.
"Nothing yet" said Barret as he opened the door and the three of them walked into the office where Buffy and Kennedy were also seated alongside Angel and Cordelia.
"Please sit" said Barret as he motioned to Faith to take a seat next to Kennedy, "first of all, I'd like to apologize for what happened yesterday night. The Oversight Committee is under investigation as we speak by the NID's internal affairs department."
"Any news on Andy?" said Angel.
"As I was telling Captain Rosenberg, we haven't been able to determine his whereabouts or if he's even alive" said Barret.
"Did Travers say anything?" asked Buffy as she looked at Barret and then Willow.
"He was being interrogated the entire night" said Barret, "but all he told us is the same as what he told you and Miss Lehane, that he got these…. Demonic parasites….. from a contact who works for a rogue faction of the NID now known as the Trust."
"Any idea on who the contact is?" asked Willow.
"Oh yea" said Barret as he turned to look at Willow, "NORAD knows him pretty well."
"Really?" said Willow suspiciously.
"Willow?" asked Buffy.
"Oh no" said Willow as she came to a realization, "don't tell me it's that idiot."
"Unfortunately we still have been unable to find said idiot" replied Barret.
"Guys" said an exasperated Cordelia, "someone tried to implant these parasite things into my people and I, for one, would like to know whose ass Buffy and Kennedy would need to kick?"
"Malcolm?" said Willow.
"General Hammond and Woolsey said that they should know" replied Barret.
"Travers got it from Robert Kinsey" said Willow as Agent Barret nodded.
"Wait" said Angel and Kennedy, "Robert Kinsey? As in former vice president, Robert Kinsey?"
"Yes" said Willow.
"Unfortunately" continued Willow, "it's due to Kinsey that this just became an issue of national security. Not only did he try to implant Faith, Buffy and Kennedy with these parasites, it was just a precursor to introducing them into the general population."
"Willow" said Buffy, "please, not the whole national security thing again, I thought we had clearance for all of this."
"Buffy" said Willow, "I know you want to get this guy but trust me, you're going to be having your hands full with going after the Watcher's Council."
"According to Mr. Travers" said Barret as he looked at Buffy, "the Council members were fully complicit in what had almost happened to you. In fact, after Mr. Travers received the parasites, he approached the Council and got their permission to come to NID oversight and propose the plan on controlling you and artificially activating the Potential Slayers."
"I know you don't like this" said Willow as she sat next to Buffy, "but dealing with threats to national security is my job. You said you wanted to repair our relationship, let's start with this. Let me actually do my job. Trust me, I wish I could tell you everything but I can't. I just need for you to trust me…. Can you trust me?"
"Do I get first shot at him after you get him and after you're done with him?" said Buffy as she looked at Willow.
"Yes" said Willow.
"Alright" said Buffy, "I trust you."
"Thanks" said Willow as Buffy smiled at her.
"Red" said Faith, "Travers say anything else?"
"Malcolm?" said Willow as she looked at Agent Barret.
"Yeah" replied Barret, "he said he got those parasites over a week ago from Kinsey. But we're not sure how Agent Reed is involved or if he even knew about what was going on."
"Will we be handling the search for Andy?" asked Angel.
"Yes" said Barret, "the NID security detail is fully under your control as of this moment."
"Good" said Angel as he got on the phone to the head of security at the BPRI, "I'll get them started on scouring the city for him."
"Doesn't he have a transmitter on him?" asked Willow.
"We tried tracking it" said Barret, "but no luck. It's been silent."
"I see" said Willow.
"Cordy" said Buffy, "we'll join the search for Agent Reed."
"Buffy" said Cordelia, "I need you and Kennedy to take it easy."
"Come on" said Buffy, "we're fine, the doctors cleared us."
"I know" said Cordelia, "I know you're physically fine but you were taken hostage, beat up by super vampires and almost implanted by a parasite."
"I know" said Buffy, "I was there."
"I know" said Cordelia, "which is why I'm asking you and Kennedy to hold off doing anything work related for tonight."
"But…." Said Buffy.
"Buffy" said Cordelia as she looked at both Kennedy and Buffy, "spend time with Dawn; she's got a month left before she starts school again. And Kennedy, spend time with Tara; she was worried about you when you got injured."
"Buff" said Willow, "Cordy's right, you need to relax."
"Don't you have work?" said Buffy as she looked at Willow.
"Well" said Willow, "we don't have leads on Kinsey yet, plus I'm actually on vacation until tomorrow morning which is when Faith and I will be leaving for Colorado."
"Great" said Kennedy, "I wanna go up against the great Willow Rosenberg."
"Huh?" said Willow.
"Come on" said Kennedy, "none of us are doing anything."
"So, what you're saying is you won't stop bugging me until you prove how good you are?" said Willow as she noticed Buffy give herself a face palm.
Just then, Faith's phone started to ring.
"Yep" said Faith as she answered the phone, "Hey Big-G, what's…."
"Faith?" said Willow as she noticed the worried look on her face.
"Sure" said Faith, "give us ten minutes."
"Faith?" said Willow as she put the phone down after having disconnected the call.
"We need to go, now!" said Faith as she grabbed Willow's hand,
"Faith!" said Willow.
"Something happened to Big-G" said Faith, "heart attack."
"What!" said Willow as she looked back at Agent Barret and the others.
"Go" said Cordelia.
"We'll find that guy, Buffy" said Willow as she ran out the door with Faith.
"Faith" said Willow as they ran into the parking lot and got into the car.
"I'll tell you everything, Red" said Faith, "we just need to go to the hotel first."
"Alright" said a worried Willow as Faith started the car and drove towards the hotel like a mad woman.
It took Faith driving over the speed limit almost ten minutes to get to the hotel and then immediately check out from the room.
"Faith" said Willow quietly as the brunette Slayer pulled her into the women's rest room again and she took out her phone.
"Who are you calling?" asked Willow.
"Just wait" said Faith just when the call connected, "hey, we're here."
"Faith?" said Willow as she heard a buzzing sound and then the both of them were enveloped in a bright white light. Willow noticed the scenery change just as the light faded away to reveal the front of General O'Neill's house.
"What are we doing here?" said Willow as she looked at Faith, "we should be at the hospital."
"Big-G didn't have a heart attack" whispered Faith as she crept towards the door, "he said he had company."
Willow: "So?"
Faith: "You forgot didn't you? Simpson's marathon the whole day today. He asked that no one disturb him unless there was world endage involved. But even then…"
Willow: "The person who calls him has to stay a week at the Alpha Site. I remember; and?"
Faith: "Why did he say he has company when he expressly said that he didn't want to be disturbed."
Willow: "It could be a girlfriend."
Faith: "Really?"
Willow: "Ok, you're right."
Willow: "Wait a sec, why didn't he call Colonel Carter or Teal'c?"
Faith: "Don't know. He just said he needed you and me here on the double."
Willow: "Ok."
Willow and Faith cautiously walked towards the General's door, and knocked.
"Yea" said General O'Neill, "come in."
"Sir?" said Willow as she walked into the living room only to see a bald man standing in front of the General who looked at her and Faith with eyes wide open.
"Hey guys" said General O'Neill as he turned looked at the two women, "this is Joe… Joe Spencer and apparently he came to make me pay for ruining his life… or something."
"O…k" said Willow as she walked towards the General while Faith stood with her arms across her chest in the hallway, blocking the way to the front door should Joe decide to make a run for it.
"You… you're Willow Rosenberg" said Joe as he pointed at Willow which made her look at the General and then Faith in surprise.
"And you" said Joe as he looked at Faith, "you're the vampire Slayer, you can't believe how excited my boy was when I told him that vampire really existed. Well, my wife blamed me for his nightmares but I couldn't help it, he wanted more stories. Its all true isn't it?"
"Ummmm…" said Faith as Joe ran over to her and shook her hand, "I saw you getting a medal for what you did when Anubis possessed Willow. Thank you for saving the galaxy and this planet."
"Big-G?" said Faith confused as she looked at Joe and then at the General.
"He just popped in with a fake gun about twenty minutes ago" said the General as he gently pulled Joe away from Faith, "I just wanted Red here to see if he was telling the truth or if he is just a nutcase."
"Joe, right?" said Willow as she stepped forward, "you know me?"
"Just what I've seen through his eyes" said Joe.
"Huh?" said Faith, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"Apparently he saw all of our missions through the gate and other everyday stuff" said the General.
"Yes" said Joe as he nodded his head excitedly, "even feelings. I mean I know the feelings that the General has for….."
"Maybe we should stop now" said General O'Neill as he noticed Willow and Faith trying their best not to laugh.
"You feeling alright? Captain?" said the General as Willow's face turned bright red from her trying not to laugh.
"Ahem" said Willow as she gave a big grin, "yes Sir. Just had a thought, sir."
"Right" said General O'Neill, "can you make sure he's saying is the truth."
"Sure" said Willow as she approached Joe.
"So you really were a Witch?" said Joe, "but you found out that you have Ancient and Furling DNA. Then you were cloned after Anubis activated all the powers of the Ancients within you, leading to the death of your original body. When you came back, the General said that you were Willow 2.0."
"Yep" said a very confused Willow as she sat down across from Joe, "now, I want you to tell me everything you told the General."
"You're going to use your emphatic abilities to see if I'm lying right?" said Joe excitedly.
"Ummm… yeah" said Willow as she looked at the General and then at Faith, who just shrugged her shoulders.
After Joe excitedly told Willow everything that he saw, the red head turned to the General shocked.
"Sir" said Willow, "he's telling the truth. I don't know how but he saw everything through your eyes, there's no deception."
"OK" said the General as he picked up the keys to his truck, "everyone lets go."
"Where to?" asked Joe.
"You're gonna see a doctor" said the General.
"At the SGC?" said Joe excitedly.
"Ummm.. yea" said the General as Joe ran out to his truck.
"So, Big-G" said Faith, "he just broke in huh?"
"Yep" said the General.
"You didn't lock up, did you Sir?" smiled Willow.
"Let's go" said the General as he walked past a grinning Willow who telekinetically locked the General's door.
Briefing Room, SGC, four hours later.
"So" said Daniel as he looked at the General, "he broke into your house."
"Yes" said the General as he looked at Willow and Faith.
"Thought about an alarm?" said Daniel.
"Dog, maybe" said the General.
"Or you could just lock the door, Big-G" said Faith.
"Good point" said the General.
"Don't worry, Sir" said Willow, "I locked the door before coming here."
"Thanks" said the General.
"Yes, Jack" said Daniel, "that's what most people do."
"Very funny" said the General.
"I try" replied Daniel.
"And all of this coming from someone who couldn't get to Atlantis again, because the ship he was on was boarded by a space pirate" said General O'Neill.
"How is that the same?" said Daniel.
"Both are funny" said Faith as Daniel and the General looked at her, "come on, it's funny. Space Pirates, what's not funny about that?"
"Ha ha ha" said Daniel sarcastically just as Joe walked in.
"Done with your physical?" said the General as he stood up.
"Yes" said Joe before he looked at Daniel.
"Dr. Jackson" said Joe, "I read your book after I got the visions."
"Really?" said Daniel excitedly, "how did you like it?"
"Never finished it" said Joe, "sorry."
"Right" said Daniel as he looked at a grinning Willow.
"He thinks me and Faith are cool" said Willow as she looked at Daniel.
"Yaaay" replied Daniel as he sat back down and sulked.
Just then Colonel Carter and Teal'c had walked in with the Colonel carrying a laptop and she sat next to General O'Neill.
"Colonel Samantha Carter" said Joe as he approached her, "It an honour to finally meet you. I don't know how to thank you for all you've done for our planet. There are not enough words."
"Umm… nice to meet you too… ah" said The Colonel nervously.
"Joe"
'Ah" said the Colonel, "the General's house guest."
"Not my house guest" said the General as Colonel Carter smiled and sat down again and opened her laptop.
"Teal'c" said Joe as he approached the Jaffa and grasped his arm in the traditional Jaffa handshake, "Shel kek nem ron."
Teal'c looked bemused at the General and Willow before he bowed his head slightly at Joe who left go of his arm and stepped back.
"T" said the General, "meet Joe Spencer."
"Welcome to the SGC, Joe Spencer" said Teal'c.
"He's a barber" said the General.
"Yes" said Joe as he looked at Teal'c's hair, "to be honest with you, I liked it better when you had no hair. It was more stylish."
At that Teal'c looked curiously at Joe before looking at Willow and Faith who had their mouths covered with their hands as they tried to stifle their laughter. Teal'c then looked at Colonel Carter who sat back n her chair until the laptop screen covered her mouth with had a huge grin on it.
"I prefer my hair as it is currently" said Teal'c stoically.
"Of course" said Willow, "it's very cool."
"Indeed" said Teal'c.
"So" said General O'Neill as he looked at Colonel Carter, "whatcha looking at?"
"Sir" said the Colonel, "initial tests show that Joe possesses the Ancient gene."
"Really?" said Joe excitedly, "just like General O'Neill and Willow?"
"Yes" said the Colonel.
"Hey" said Joe as he turned to General O'Neill, "I just want you to know that if you ever need me to use the chair device in Antarctica in the defence of the planet, I'm there."
"Thanks" said the General as he patted Joe's arm.
"But" said the Colonel, "other than the gene, his physiology is completely normal."
"If people possess the Ancient gene" said Faith, "then how come he's the only one who sees what Big-G see's?"
"Joe" said Willow, "you said you got these visions after you bought a stone from a garage sale?"
"Yes" said Joe.
"Carter?" said the General.
"Unfortunately, our knowledge of Ancient physiology is fairly limited" said the Colonel, "I mean Willow's body has been genetically engineered to be similar to that of pre-ascended Ancients but we can't be sure if that's exactly how the Ancients were. But what we do know is that Joe has somehow managed to gain access to huge amounts of classified information, mainly in regard to SG-1. And that these visions are somehow connected to the stone he found."
"You claim to receive these visions only within proximity of the stone" said Teal'c as he looked at Joe, "perhaps there is a connection between the stone and your genetic predispositions."
"Wait a second" said Daniel as he stood up and ran, "I'll be back."
Willow: "Daniel?"
Daniel: "Tell Jack, I've seen that stone before. I think there's another one in storage. I'll be right back."
Willow: "Ok."
"Sir" said Willow, "Daniel said that he think we have another stone, just like the one Joe has, in storage. He's gone to retrieve it. He'll be right back."
"Alright Red" said the General.
"You just spoke to him telepathically, didn't you?" asked Joe.
"Yep" said Willow.
"That's just.. so cool" said Joe excitedly.
"I know right?" said Faith smiling.
"And you" said Joe, "a Slayer, wow. How many vampires have you dusted?"
"A few" said Faith.
"More than Buffy?" said Joe as he looked at the curious looks that Willow and Faith gave him, "yeah, I saw the time when the General rescued you from the Slayer Council."
"Oh" said Willow.
"Definitely more than Buffy" said Faith, "maybe…. I think… I never counted."
"You should" said Willow.
"Wanna help?" said Faith.
"Like a special project?" replied Willow.
"Yep" smiled Faith.
"Sure" said Willow.
"I knew I've seen it somewhere before!" exclaimed Daniel as he ran back into the briefing room and placed another stone next to Joe's.
"We had one?" asked the General as he looked at Daniel.
"Yea" said Daniel, "I brought this back from P3R-233, you know that planet with the Quantum Mirror I went through? I think these two are a set. They have the exact same markings."
"Oh" said the General as he picked up the one that Daniel had just brought in, "I think I touched this when I walked into you lab after that incident. I remember I came to tell you that we had intel that Apophis wasn't as dead as we hoped he'd be. It was on your table and I picked it up and rubbed it."
"Maybe that's when this stone activated itself?" said Willow as she shrugged her shoulders, "a subspace link that connected two minds?"
"Willow's right" said Daniel, "I think the stones are a kind of Ancient long range communication device, allowing people to see events over great distances through some sort of psychic connection. Now Jack must have activated the link between the stones by picking up the second stone. Now after that, all that would be required is a certain proximity to the stone, for the connection to be activated."
"And Joe activated the stone he bought from the garage sale" said Faith, "that completed the link, didn't it."
"Looks like it" said Colonel Carter, "but that still doesn't explain the proximity issue. I mean, if the stone General O'Neill touched was kept here in storage, how was Joe able to see everything that happened to the General off-world?
"Oh!" said Daniel as he made the connection, "I think Joe was getting most of it from when Jack was writing up his reports right here on the base. I mean the stone was being stored just a few levels above his office so that must have been close enough for it to activate."
"Cool" said Faith.
"Hold on" said Colonel Carter as she looked at Daniel, "If the stones worked the way you said, shouldn't General O'Neill have been able to see elements of Joe's life, as well?"
"Theoretically, yes" said Daniel.
"General?" said Willow as she looked at him.
"Bowling league, Thursday nights?" said the General as he looked at Joe, "you got game."
"You saw that?" said Joe in amazement.
"Jack" said Daniel, "you've been seeing parts of the life of a barber in Indiana for seven years, and you never mentioned it?"
"I did, I must have" said the General as he looked around the table.
"No Sir" said the Colonel.
"I concur" said Willow.
"Me too" said Faith.
"We have not been notified O'Neill" said Teal'c.
"You didn't find it the least bit odd?" asked Daniel.
"No" said the General, "I actually found it quite relaxing."
"General" said Joe, "I have a favour to ask you."
"I already know what you're going to say" said the General.
"Please?" said Joe, "Just one word from you to my wife and it would confirm everything I've been telling her for the past eight years was true."
"Sir" said Willow.
"We owe him Sir" said the Colonel.
"Yea, Jack" said Daniel.
"Oh all right" said the General, "get your wife to meet us somewhere and I'll tell her the truth."
"Thank you" said Joe.
"Alright" said Willow as she rubbed her hands together, "now that we're done with all of this, how about dinner at O'Malley's later tonight?"
"I still remember that time the three of you were banned from there" said Joe laughing as everyone stood up to leave, "that was hilarious."
"Yeah" said Colonel Carter, "wasn't that funny."
"Red" said the General, "I know it's your vacation day today so you and Faith go on home, we'll see you tonight."
"Yes, Sir" said Willow as she and Faith walked out of the briefing room but not before turning to Joe, "I wish you the best of luck with your wife Joe, hope everything works out."
"Thanks" said Joe, "see you tonight; I really would like to hear more about your adventures in Sunnydale."
"Sure" smiled Willow, "as long as you don't tell your son that the stories are true. No need to give him any more nightmares, don't you think."
"I agree" said Joe.
"Until tonight then" said Faith as the both of them walked away.
TBC