"That's not possible with current Earth technology." Carter stated emphatically.
"You're sitting next to an alien and you want to talk about Earth technology?" Elder Xander asked, definitely amused.
"Jack," Daniel said softly. "the President said that we'd probably find out the truth for ourselves while we're here. Let's try to keep an open mind." He advised.
"The President knows about this?" Faith asked.
"Doesn't surprise me." Elder Xander told her. "They know about it where I'm from."
"Where are you from?" Carter asked.
"Another reality." Elder Xander smirked at them."And I am going to be honest with you, you're right, current Earth technology can't rewrite DNA. But there are beings that can. How old do you think I am?"
"No more than twenty." Carter answered.
O'Neill eyed him and glanced at Teal'c, a Jaffa who was over a hundred years old, but looked to be in his mid thirties. "Are you going to tell us you're not human?"
"I was born human, I ceased to be human nearly twenty years old. And before you call out the catch the alien squad, they'd never catch me or any of my friends." He transformed into a mass of lights and then retook human form.
"You're an Ascended Ancient." Daniel exclaimed, awed. "We met another like you recently -."
"Daniel!" O'Neill snapped
"Oh, come on, Jack. They know Teal'c's an alien, they're talking about advanced technique's humans can't do and he's an Ancient! Just like Oma!"
"Yes and no." Elder Xander told him. "Ascended is one term that could be used to describe what I am, Elder is the term my people use. I'm not from this reality and I'm not staying, a way back to my reality is being arranged. My people are dead here, thousands of years dead. Another group declared war on them, in this reality my people lost. In my reality, we won. There's quite a few difference in our realities as a result, quite a few similarities too "
"Other groups of Ascended?" Daniel asked, astonished. "I suppose that makes sense, the Ancients can't be the only group of people who managed it."
"Did you rewrite her DNA?" O'Neill stared hard at Elder Xander.
"I asked the members of a different group to do it and they agreed "
"Why?" O'Neill demanded, his face fierce and his eyes burning.
"To protect her." Elder Xander answered. "The group that destroyed my people in this reality? They're still around. Faith nearly died because of them and they weren't going to stop, not until they got what they wanted. All I asked for was that they give her a mother that would love her and protect her, they chose you to be her father. To give you something that was stolen from you. Faith wasn't born because of that project, evidence was manufactured to make it look like she was part of the project, to explain her DNA. But you were included in the project, your chance to be a father was stolen by them and the child they created didn't survive. Human monsters stole your children's lives from you, your right to be their father, to love them. The beings I asked for help from, they told me, you were a good father. Faith is a gift to you from beings who believe you deserve to have back what was stolen from you. Charlie's death was not your fault, they told me who is responsible. I will tell you, what you choose to do with that information is your business."
"If this is a joke or some kind of stunt I'm going to forget I'm an officer in the Air Force and I will find a way to end you." He said flatly.
"It's not. What you choose to do, either with the knowledge of who is responsible for his death or about Faith is up to you, but it is the truth." Elder Xander walked closer to O'Neill. "It wasn't your fault, Colonel, I promise you. They wanted to hurt you because you dared to fight them, to fight evil."
"Who did it?! Prove you know what the Hell you're talking about."
"Only you, Colonel" O'Neill stood up and walked outside and Elder Xander followed him.
"Son of a bitch!" They heard and Elder Xander returned alone.
"Is he alright?" Carter demanded.
"He needs some time, he's going for a walk."
"What did you tell him?!" She was up and in his face and he didn't blink, just met her eyes.
"The truth, he can tell you if he wants, but it's his business." Elder Xander answered evenly. "What do you intend to do?"
"We need proof she's his daughter, however it came about, that means tests."
"You said the President thought you'd find out the truth for yourselves." Elder Xander commented.
"He's Classified what he found out about the project." She answered and then sighed. "He thought we'd find out the truth about Sunnydale while we're here, he said it's connected."
Elder Xander, Faith and Joyce went rigid as they understood, the project had included demons somehow.
"You want to know the truth about Sunnydale." Elder Xander looked at his companions. "You've come to the people that can show you the truth. But once you know, one of three things will happen."
"What things?" Daniel asked.
"One, you'll believe, two, you won't, three, it'll drive you insane."