After Sheppard returned from seeing his father, AG 1 gathered to talk, the Seer's revelations had made them all curious

"McKay, what did he mean by your conversation with Beckett?" Sheppard said.

"After Beckett died, he and I had a conversation. I apologized to him for not making time to see him, since he was my best friend. He told he was fine and we'd see each other again. I thought I was imagining it. Kate told me it was common for people to 'see' recently dead people and have conversations. It can be part of grieving. I guess your Ascended doubles made him one of them. I could see Carson joining up in a heartbeat. He's still helping people and that was the most important thing for him."

"It was for Melana too." Ronan offered. "She was my wife. When the Wraith attacked Sateda, she refused to leave. She was a nurse at the hospital. Not long after the Wraith made me a runner, I had what I thought was a dream. She told me, she loved me, she was happy and would watch over me. She also said, I'd eventually meet people I could trust, who would give me friendship and hunting allies. And I have."

"That's more then you've said in a month." McKay commented. "I wonder if we'll eventually get to see them and know it's real."

"I'd like to think so." Xander said.

"What about you, Xander? What was that about a lie?"

"My friend Buffy and yes, that really is her name, it's California, got involved with a very much older man when she was sixteen. He always struck me as creepy and stalkery. Anyway, her seventeenth birthday ended with them sleeping together for the first time and him dumping her and joining up with the gangs in our hometown. In fact, he ended up leading one. The girl our Ascended doubles named their daughter for? She was murdered by his new girlfriend. In front of me. I couldn't save her, I was busy dealing other gang members. Willow, another friend, found what she thought was a way to get him to leave the gang and come back to her. Willow wanted me to tell Buffy. I opted not to. Buffy was already trying to deal with him and he'd taken advantage of her desire to get him back several times already. I was sure it wouldn't end well if I told her. Thing is, a few months later, he came back, convinced her he was sorry and they got back together. He broke up with her near the end of the school year and moved to L.A. They've only seen each other a couple of times since then. Also, we don't have a way of proving it, but I'm sure he killed our mentor, Giles' girlfriend. She was found in Giles bed with a romantic setting, rose petals and such and hand drawn pictures, very life like. This guy could draw like that. He claims he's on the straight and narrow, has a detective agency and is helping people, trying to make up for it all. Maybe he is, maybe he's not. I hope I never see him again, one way or another."

"What a horror." Teyla said softly.

"Yeah, pretty much sums it up. About six or seven years ago, the President had a mixed base put in outside Sunnydale. The presence of so many military personnel sent the gangs running. Sunnydale is a much more peaceful little city, nowadays. "Xander said.

"Well, I got to say goodbye to my father before he died. We hadn't talk since my divorce. My ex didn't like the secrets I had to keep for my work and my dad didn't like the fact that I joined the Air Force. He had plans for my life that I didn't want a part of."

"What kind of plans?" Xander asked, curiously.

"The kind that involved Sheppard Industries."

Xander choked. "Seriously?! You're one of those Sheppard's?!"

"What? I don't recognize the name." McKay said.

"I'm surprised you do, Xander." Sheppard said.

"Cordy's fourth generation California Elite. Her grandfather is Randolph Chase. Business tycoon. He and your father probably did business together."

"Probably, considering they're both on the top fifty richest people in California list." Which had McKay also choking as he realized that meant Sheppard was rich, really rich. And so was Cordelia. 'Wow' was about the only way to sum that thought up.

"Well, we've got a mission tomorrow, so let's toddle off to our beds." Sheppard said, clapping his hands together. The others agreed and each headed off to their quarters. When Xander reached his and Cordelia's, he told her about Sheppard and Sheppard Industries, something that surprised her too.

"I would never have connected him with Sheppard Industries. He acts like he's just a guy working for a living. Wait, he has a brother. Sheppard Industries is run by a David Sheppard. He's a couple years younger then our Sheppard. Guess that separation included his brother. I hope they were able to reconcile, too."

"Me, too."