Willow and Faith's house, the next day, 0700 hours.
Willow woke up to the vanilla scent coming of off Faith's hair as she slept soundly. The redhead had her arm draped around Faith's waist with the Slayer's back to Willow. Willow's eyes were blurry as she looked at the grey tank top her wife had worn to bed, and gave a small smile before bringing her head off the pillow, and then leaning forward and kissing Faith's shoulder. Willow put her head on the pillow again as she looked at the back of Faith's head, and wished that they could remain this way forever.
With the team on stand-by for the next few days, Willow and Faith, along with Daniel, Dawn, and Jon were heading for Sunnydale with their flight from the Colorado Airport at ten in the morning. The President was touring the BPRI that day, with Willow and Faith meeting him and his Secret Service team at the Sunnydale Army base, just as they had spoken back when Faith was given a letter that indicated she was being given a full pardon. That was one of the most happiest times that Willow had ever seen Faith, it was second only to the day they had been married at General O'Neill's cabin. In addition to Willow and Faith, Daniel was invited by Anya as her date, with Dawn and Jon being asked to come by Buffy and Xander.
The plan was for Willow and Faith to meet with the advanced Secret Service team at the BPRI for a last minute check of the main buildings and the dorms, with Willow conducting a mental scan and using her empathic abilities to run an emotional scan of whoever they met. Her role was to check on the shields as well; shields which would be activated while the President was in the main building's meeting hall, which would be the primary gathering point for everyone so that the President can deliver his speech. In addition, the Prometheus Station would be maintaining a lock on the President and his team so that in the very unlikely event that something did happen, he and his team would be beamed out of the BPRI.
Sighing as she let go of Faith's waist, the redhead turned on the bed, shifting away from Faith by rolling to her right in her pink tank-top with rockets, and picked up her vibrating phone. The alarm was going off before she quickly turned it off, wiped her eyes, and then rolled back to her original position and once again draped her arm over Faith's waist again. Willow then kissed Faith's shoulder before whispering in her wife's ear.
"Faith," Willow whispered as Faith stirred, her hand grabbing onto Willow's arm, and pulling her close. Smiling Willow pulled Faith towards her, and whispered again that their flight was leaving in three hours, "we need to get up."
"Wake Dawn up first," mumbled Faith as she pressed Willow's hand into her abdomen while her eyes were still closed shut, "and then…."
"I just did," Willow replied as she mentally contacted the young brunette in the other room. Faith took in a deep breath, indicating to Willow that Faith was going to say something. However, Dawn beat her to it by pounding on the wall, and then groggily shouting that she was awake. Willow chuckled as Faith shifted her body until she was lying on her back, while opening her eyes slowly. At the same time, Faith was rubbing the cobwebs out of her eyes by rubbing with the back of her hand. As they heard the door to Dawn's room open, followed by footsteps going away from their room, Willow got on her elbow and looked down at a groggy Faith, her newly straight hair spread out on the pillow.
Willow smiled and then leaned forward and kissed Faith. The Slayer placed her hand on the back of Willow's new curled, short, red hair, and pushed her downwards. Kissing deeply for a few seconds, Willow pulled back and looked at Faith who gave a small yawn before smiling at the redhead. She mentally told Faith that they needed to take a shower before heading off to Sunnydale. The Slayer nodded her head wordlessly as Willow sat up, followed by Faith who pushed the blanket that was covering the both of them away. Getting out of bed, Faith said that she was going to set up the coffee, and would meet Willow in the shower.
The Slayer gave a small smile at the nodding redhead, and then got off the bed, and placed her bare feet onto the carpet. Walking to the door, she passed Willow who grabbed her arm, and kissed her once more before heading to the restroom door. As Faith placed a hand on the knob of the door to their room, she watched Willow who had her back to Faith, sway her hips before pushing down her shorts. The redhead looked over her shoulder at Faith, grinned and then took off her tank top, and threw it on the floor before turning around, walking backwards into the restroom. Faith smirked as Willow leaned forward and threw Faith a kiss, which the Slayer grabbed before bringing her fingers to her lips.
"Be right back, Red," said Faith as Willow smiled before heading into the rest room. Faith chuckled and opened the door, and then head out into the hallway where she passed Dawn's open door, and then the door leading to the second restroom where the shower was already on. It was as Faith entered the kitchen that Willow mentally asked her to contact Jon and Daniel, to make sure that they were awake.
Faith mentally acknowledged while she whistled and took out the coffee grounds, she 'told' the redhead that she'll make the call once the coffee had started to brew. Once the coffee machine was turned on, as promised, Faith called Daniel and Jon… both of whom picked up their phones with their eyes heavy, and their voices struggling to speak thanks to their grogginess. Once the coffee started dripping into the pot, Faith walked past the kitchen after she put down the living room phone, and headed to their room. She entered the restroom just as Willow started the shower. After freshening up, Faith joined the redhead a few minutes later in the shower after closing the glass pane behind her. The both of them were now fully awake thanks to the water that was flowing down both of their bodies from the shower head.
It was forty minutes of showering later, that the two of them walked out of the restroom, towels covering their bodies and hair. Willow headed to the closet and took out a hanger that contained her Dress Blues inside a grey collared cover, and then she took out another hanger that contained a dress that Faith had bought for this particular occasion. With those hanging on the closet door knobs, Willow turned and caught the underwear that Faith threw her way while at the same time she was mentally talking to Dawn, telling the young woman that they were nearly ready. As Willow and Faith put on their jeans and shirts, there was a knock on the door.
"Yea," Faith said as she was straitening up her T-Shirt.
The door opened and Dawn stepped inside, the young woman was carrying a covered hanger that contained a dress as well for later that night. In her other hand, there was a smaller travel bag that contained her extra clothes… and it was the same for Willow and Faith and the former took out the bags and placed them on the carpet. It was a few minutes later that the three of them walked down the hallway, had some coffee to wake them up, and then left the house after making sure that they had everything they needed and that the house was secure.
With Dawn locking the door behind her, the three women walked over to Willow's car, and then got in; Dawn being the one unlucky enough to be sitting in the back making sure that the dresses didn't get wrinkled.
"Alright," said Willow as she drove onto the main road, "first stop, Daniel… and then Jon, and then the airport where we're supposed to meet with Giles."
And that's what they did. First they picked up the yawning Daniel who placed his bags in the trunk. This was followed by Jon who, once getting into the car, placed his head on Dawn's shoulder and went back to sleep.
All the while, the others in the car were snickering at the young man; with Faith mumbling, "just like an old man."
It would be at the airport that Willow parked in the long term parking area, and then they retrieved their dresses, suits, and bags, before heading off for the terminal where they would eventually meet with Giles. They had already planned to meet the older man at the airport when Willow sent a message to him when he was on Eden last night. The man acknowledged the message before Faith asked Giles, through his radio, while lying next to Anna in his tent, to take a picture of the woman who he had been sending messages about to Buffy and the others Scoobies. Faith and Willow hadn't seen Giles' red face when he looked at the naked Anna who was chuckling next to him before answering dryly that he would ask Anna to record a message. Arriving an hour and a half ago from Eden, the older man walked through the Stargate with a digital camera in his bag containing pictures of Anna and himself. He was then debriefed, and the pictures checked to make sure that nothing confidential was visible… such as the Baseships, or the Centurions, or even the few Tok'ra crystal towers that had been already built, before he was given a ride to the airport.
"Giles!" yelled Willow as she hugged the older man, "good to see you back."
"Good to see you too, Willow," Giles replied before he hugged Faith and Dawn. He then nodded his head at Daniel, and then at Jon. Waiting for the boarding call to get on the flight, which was supposed to be in an hour, Willow and the others decided on getting some real breakfast before heading out to Sunnydale.
Caprica, 1100 hours.
In the meantime, while Willow and her friends were boarding the flight to Sunnydale following breakfast at the airport, Talia's day was just about to start once again. She was in the locker room of the former resistance headquarters putting on a vest, and then picking up a weapon that lightly resembled the weapons that the Earthers she had seen on New Kobol were using. She made sure that the weapon was loaded, and then grabbed some extra magazines before leaving the locker room to join her squad. It had been some time before various military facilities were destroyed by, what the Ori believed, Caprican terrorists who were intent on spreading darkness throughout the Twelve Colonies.
However, Talia knew that it was really the Earthers, those who had gone through the Stargate with a jumper when she had her memories temporarily altered, who sabotaged the various factories and refineries for both tylium, small arms, and heavy weapons and the new element that the Ori had introduced to the Colonies; Naquada. The destruction of those places set back the effort to build up an army and to resupply the Pegasus and Scorpion by a few months based on what Talia had heard from the resistance leadership, and from Lt. Cotto, who was the one who spoke up for the woman and had her placed on one of many squads of rebel hunters.
The truth was that the Earthers' only jobs were to sabotage the factories and the refineries, and they had said so to Talia when the Major in charge of the mission met up with her before they left Caprica. But he did assure the Colonial woman that another team would be sent to check on their progress, although he hadn't mentioned when that would occur. They had come up with a signal to indicate their return, and then the Earthers left in the middle of the night with the use of their cloaked ship. Back in the present day, Talia went through her mind of the few people she had managed to save, while others who were refusing to follow Origin were sent off to re-education camps.
She knew that it was the brainchild of one of the Pegasus officers, a woman by the name of Major Kendra Shaw. Talia had heard that Prior Cain initially wanted all the non-believers killed for not following the Ori's teachings, and that it was Major Shaw who convinced Cain… as well as a few other Priors, to send those rebels to camps instead. She told them that the captured rebels would be taught Origin while helping build the weapons and armour needed for the army. It was something that Cain agreed with, and after consulting with the Orici through a Stargate… Cain and the other Priors approved that plan. However, what Talia didn't know was that Major Shaw was saving as many as she could as well; by sending them to camps, she was helping them to survive. She knew that some of the Pegasus crew were uncomfortable with killing and imprisoning their own people, so she enlisted them in secret to assist rebels being kept in the camps to escape, a few at a time under the cover of darkness.
Those rebels would be led to an area in the nearby woods, or underground if the camp was located near a city, where some members of the Colonial military and the Resistance would train those who wanted to fight. Those who didn't, were given a quick training session on how to play tricks with their minds in case the Priors ever read their thoughts. It was Major Shaw who conducted this training based on her knowledge of Prior Cain, however the biggest problem was that Talia had no idea about this separate group operating out of most of the camps in many of the cities around Caprica. Ever since she started with her squad, she had created a small network of like minded individuals who saved who they could from the camps… but a majority of the rebels were still taken.
At times Talia and her secret compatriots, who knew about the other Colonials on New Kobol, who knew her stories about the Earthers…, were disillusioned at how little they seemed to be doing. But they still gently pushed on, and it wouldn't be until six months later… a few months before what the Priors had been referring to as 'The Great Storm' would strike the Milky way, that Talia's group finally met with Major Shaw's group.
Forming a new Resistance, this time against the Ori army and the Colonials who were collaborating with the Priors, the new groups were soon joined by scattered humanoid Cylons who offered their help to free Caprica from the combined strength of the Ori, and the combined Colonial and Resistance collaborators. While Major Shaw and Talia's teams distrusted the Cylons, they were aware that there was no other choice but to work together.
Back in the present day, all Talia could do was hope for the best as she lined up with her squad, and were then given their orders.
The Rosenberg Residence, Sunnydale, 1300 hours.
Willow opened the door to her childhood home, and smiled at the living room where all of the furniture had been taken out of storage and returned to where they were supposed to be after the lease with the BPRI expired. Ira and Sheila chose to keep the home within the family, so the Potentials staying there moved to another home down the street before a crew from the BPRI cleaned everything up and returned everything, including the books and pictures, to where they used to be.
Faith closed the door behind her, and took in the scent of the empty home.. a home she had never been inside, while Willow dropped her bag on the floor, and kept the hanger with her dress blues in her hand. She turned to Faith, and smiled before asking excitedly if she wanted to see her room.
Chuckling Faith said yes before Willow grabbed her hands and ran up the stairs. They made a left, and then ran into Willow's room. All the both of them saw was Willow's desk, her nightlight, table lamp, her bed, her empty shelves and empty closet.. since all her clothes and books were transferred to storage at the SGC a few days after she made her wish and appeared at Stargate Command.
Faith could help but whistle as she dropped her bag, and then Willow took the hanger with her dress, and then hung them on the closet door knobs. The redhead opened the curtain to the large window in her room that looked out to a small balcony, and then to the street below. While Willow looked out the window, Faith approached her from the back and wrapped her hands around her wife's hips and rested her chin on Willow's shoulder. She whispered that they needed to leave, that the advanced team should be waiting for them. Nodding her head and turning around, Willow placed her hand on Faith's left cheek, and smiled before resting her forehead against hers.
"You're a bit… I don't know the word…" said Faith as she stared into Willow's green eyes, "a bit nostalgic?"
"I guess it's just being back home, that's all," replied Willow puling her head back and looking around the room, "it's been years since I've been back here. I guess there's a lot of memories."
"Ira and Sheila have it again," said Faith while Willow nodded her head, "and it would be nice to have a place to stay when we come visit."
Willow smiled at Faith before leaning in for a kiss. The two of them then quickly left, and headed for the BPRI where they met with Buffy, Xander, Angel, Cordelia, and Kennedy… as well as two men from the advanced team. Willow shook their hands, followed by Faith.. and then the both of them hugged the others. Except for Kennedy, Willow just nodded at the young woman. It was as Willow and Faith talked to them about security, Buffy mentally talked with Willow and told her that they'll be talking to Tara about Apollo after the President leaves the BPRI.
The redhead mentally told Buffy that was a good idea while she was telling asking them if everything was set.
"We already have snipers on the roof, and.. well… everything else is classified, Major," said one of the Secret Service men. Willow nodded her head before Cordelia and Buffy accompanied them on a final tour of the dorms and the man building. In the meantime, Angel said that he was going to be in the sub-basement with Spike, who was talking to the still locked up Kathy.
"And Kathy's…."
"She's secured, Faith," said Xander, "the shields are already activated, and everything else checks out. Including the bomb in her neck."
"Just asking," said Faith while Angel told her that she wasn't getting out again. Xander then told Buffy and the others that he was heading for the control room to make sure that the grounds were secure, and that the security system and the shields were prepared to be activated.
"Tara and the other witches will be setting up a spell to prevent any form of violence by both humans and non-human from breaking out," said Buffy.
"Think of it as a redundancy, the spell helps with internal threats in the main building, and the shields deal with any external threats," added Cordelia as Willow and the others nodded their heads. The group then left Angel and Cordelia's office, and went their separate ways. While Giles was staying in Buffy's home, since his old apartment was being rented out to Wesley, Dawn and Jon were staying with Joyce and the kids… who were ecstatic about seeing their sister and her boyfriend again. As for Daniel and Anya, while Willow, Faith, and the others were walking through the dorms searching for any potential threats to the President, the two of them were catching up to weeks of not seeing one another.. with the only time Daniel would see Willow and Faith again was later that evening at the BPRI.
Sunnydale Army Base, 1700 hours.
It was going to be a problem with having Air Force One touching down at the Sunnydale Army base when anyone could look up in the sky and notice the aircraft heading towards the Sunnydale Army Base. With the true nature of the BPRI being a secret, along with the existence of vampires and demons - some of whom would be at the BPRI for this particular moment, the President wanted something that would not advertise that he was in town.
Especially since that knowledge would lead to a huge media presence, and question on why the President was visiting Sunnydale in the first place. So, the first thing that was settled on after the initial review of the BPRI's premises by the Secret Service was the use of a cloaked Puddle Jumper, temporarily carrying the Air Force One call sign, to pick up the President and his team from Andrews Air Force base. The Jumper would be cloaked once it took off while it was flanked at a distance by two F-302's; the vessels would follow a pre-selected flight plan so that there would be absolutely no errors or accidents… which were ensured after several test runs.
The plan was that the 302's would land, while the Puddle Jumper flew into one of the hangers containing the presidential motorcade. The motorcade, including the President's heavily armoured car, the outriders, and the other vehicles would be cloaked by a magic spell that would make it appear to others as if there were a few cars, and moving trucks behind them, driving down the street.
And then, once the President arrived at the BPRI, the shields would be raised and Tara's spell of 'non-violence' would be activated around the main building. As for the people taking part in the festivities, they were all told that the Sunnydale Mayor, a man by the name of Bradley Gent, a long time Sunnydale resident who was aware of what had been going on in the city, and was read into the existence of the BPRI, was coming to meet with them.
Back at the Army Base, Willow was in her Dress Blues while Faith was wearing a long overcoat over her dress. Willow couldn't help but occasionally glance at her wife, as she knew some of the other soldiers in the base were doing when they happened to pass by the hanger. With the vehicles and the outriders waiting behind them… all of whom were given background checks and made to sign Non-Disclosure Forms, Willow was notified by the control tower through her hidden earpiece that the 302's were en-route. Willow passed the message to everyone else as the Secret Service teams prepared for the President's arrival. Standing next to Faith, Willow recalled the dress her wife had put on.. and it made her gasp for air back in her room; Faith was wearing a simple black sequin long sleeved dress that ended just above her knees. The redhead recalled Faith smirking before turning around and showing off.
"You like?" asked Faith facing Willow after swaying her hips at the redhead.
"I like," was the reply as the redhead looked up and down her wife's body, which was hugged by the dress in all the right places. Willow shook her head before poutting as Faith put on the overcoat, and then nodded at Willow's room door.
"We need to go," said Faith as she held Willow's hand while wiping a bit of drool with the other hand from the side of the red head's mouth, "yeah, I still got it."
"It never went away," added Willow with a chuckle.
Back in the Army Base hanger, Willow and the others heard the 302's flying overhead just as there was a soft hum that emanated from the somewhere in the hanger. Recognizing the hum, and the thoughts of the person flying Jumper, Willow nodded at the Secret service personnel who stood next to the vehicles, while some surrounded a large empty space that lay behind a red carpet. The hanger doors where then closed, just as the secret service stood on pre-marked location so that they would not get hit by the Jumper.
Faith and Willow then looked at the Mayor, who was read into the existence of alien technology, as he gasped when the Jumper de-cloaked and the ramp lowered. Willow, Faith, the Mayor, the base Commander, the outriders, and a few Marines who would be riding with the motorcade stood on either side of the red carpet. The Commander gave the order to stand at attention as the ramp hit the floor just before the red carpet, and then two Marines walked out from inside the Jumper and stood at either side of the ramp, followed by the President. The Military personnel in the hanger saluted President Hayes, the man returning their salute before walking down the ramp as the Mayor met Hayes on the red carpet and shook his hand. The President nodded at the officers, and then spoke a little with the Base Commander while the officer holding the large bag containing the nuclear codes walked down the ramp, followed by a few more officers, and finally General O'Neill… the man who was flying the Jumper.
President Hayes was all smiles as he talked with all of the military personnel in the hanger, along with Willow and Faith, before they headed for the vehicles behind them. As they walked towards the cars with the Base Commander, General O'Neill told the man that the Jumper would remained cloaked.. and that the hanger had to remain off-limits.
"We already have a cover story in place, sir," replied the Base Commander as General O'Neill nodded his head. The General then took out a remote control-like device from inside his Dress Blues, and pressed a button that raised the ramp. As the President thanked the Base Commander once again before getting into his car, General O'Neill pressed another button to cloak the ship.
With the doors closed, and the outriders and Secret service ready to move out, Willow and Faith were seated across from President Hayes, General O'Neill, and the Mayor. Willow and Faith were now in constant contact with the Secret Service though their ear pieces; so when the agent in charge contacted Willow and Faith, he told them they were ready to move out. Willow relayed the message to the President as the convoy started to move while Faith reached into her overcoat's pockets, and took out a bag that Tara had given her earlier that day.
As the motorcade drove out of the base, Faith mumbled a spell and the bag started to glow… signifying the activation of the spell.
"Here we go," said General O'Neill.
TBC.