Title: Landed
Author: FreeWrite
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate: SG1 or JAG. I am simply borrowing them for a little while. I promise to put the back where I got them from and not to make any money from them in the meantime.
Authors’ note: This is the second part of ‘Falling’ and while it can stand on it’s own, this one cannot so it would be productive if you read ‘Falling’ first.
It’s not a shipper-based story; I don’t care what your particular ‘ship’ is. I’m not writing it. Ok, there’s Sam/Jack UST, but then, when is that not there.
Oh and for your information and reading comfort there is a character death.
Time lines: BTVS season 7 from Touched onwards. JAG between season 4 and 5 (mainly Mac but the Admiral also makes an appearance) and Stargate season 6 after Disclosure but before Full Circle.
Let’s just pretend that the thing with Jasmine had already been resolved so LA is already safe and Angel doesn’t come down to Sunnydale.
I’m frightened by what I see
But somehow I know there’s much more to come
Immobilised by my fear
And soon to be blinded by tears
I can stop the pain if I will it all away
This had to be the stupidest idea that they had ever come up with… Sam Carter and Jack O’Neill had come up with some pretty wacky notions in their time, it seemed that whenever they’d saved the world the way they did it had to be more outlandish every time. Buffy Summers herself had also had her share of ‘out there’ ideas. Put them together and well…
Wackiness ensues…
Mac was pretty sure that they were all going to die and take the rest of the world with them; she wasn’t going to say it though, that would be…
Stupid? Yes… No… pessimistic…? Apparently when you were in the business of saving the world the pessimist was always the first to die. So the answer was yes, it would be stupid and Mac wasn’t going to be the pessimist.
So there they were on the edge of the Hellmouth, Sunnydale High. Buffy Summers, Sam Carter, Faith… well Faith, Sarah Mackenzie, Janet Fraiser, Jack O’Neill, Teal’c, Jonas Quinn, Spike and Jacob Carter.
Three aliens, two slayers, a vampire, an astrophysicist, a doctor, an ageing colonel with bad knees and a lawyer, this was the crack squad that was going to save the world.
If they won then The First should be deeply shamed.
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale California
They had 20 minutes until the sun rose, but they just stood there in silence contemplating what they were about to do…
They stood in silence that is until Buffy spoke "I already blew it up once, so I don’t think it’d make a difference if I drove a truck through the halls" her shoulders rose in a slight shrug.
Buffy turned and grinned infectiously at everyone else, chuckling Faith headed to the chopper and started to pull out some of their gear "Damn you guys were destructive" she threw over her shoulder "I heard the cheerleader did that with Daddy’s beamer in Sophomore year?"
Buffy laughed outright at that particular memory "Yeah, Spring fling" she walked over next to Faith and went through the bags again to make sure everything that they needed was there.
"A whole bunch of vampires were after Will’s and Miss Calendar."
"The teacher G-man boned?" Faith crudely interrupted.
Closing her eyes against the thought of her Watcher being ‘boned’ Buffy took a deep breath and tried to continue but was interrupted by Faith again.
"B, you’re 22 and you still can’t handle the thought of Giles doin the nasty…"
Rolling her eyes at the younger woman Buffy simply talked over Faith before she could say anything else. "If Giles wants to have sex, he can have it with anyone he wants." Standing she turned to face Faith with hands on hips "Beside I don’t know if they ever… well you know… did the deed" She blushed slightly but kept talking "It’s just a bit…"
"Raise your hand if eww?" Faith quoted the blond standing in front of her.
"No" a thoughtful look came over Buffy’s face "Painful… I was going to say, but the eww factor does come in when I think of him, my Mom and the police car" She shuddered slightly before picking up the bag and walking back towards the rest of the group, leaving a speechless Faith behind her and continued the story she had started.
"Anyway, vamps chasing people, heading for the school. Willow and Miss Calendar are out in the car park with vamps surrounding them. All of a sudden there’s a screeching of tires and there’s Cordelia in Daddy’s new car. They hop in and Willow tells her they have to get to the library. Cordy being Cordy hits the accelerator and drives right through front doors of the school. When I got there, the car was still sitting right where she left it outside the library doors." Buffy allowed a wistful smile to grace her face "Willow told me she never thought she’d be involved in the destruction of school property"
Teal’c looked over at her, his head cocked to one side slightly "Buffy Summers, we are about to engage in battle. How can you be talking of such things?"
"Easy" She smiled "If the worlds gonna end, the least we can do is go out laughing"
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale, California
The air was still and murky inside, the building had been still and uninhabited for a number of weeks now, but on this particular May morning there was a disturbance outside. There was the loud rumbling of engines being started and revved, voices were calling out to each other and without warning the front doors fell in with a great crash.
Through the fallen bricks and mortar a large truck pushed its way through the school, continually knocking out parts of the walls and ceiling. Destroying what had only just been recently rebuilt.
Ironic really, the person to destroy it the first time around was once again here and wreaking havoc.
Finally the truck stopped outside the basement, quickly followed by another one, their brakes screeching slightly and the engines shuddering off.
The drivers doors opened at the same time, now the driver of the second would be what you expect, large, imposing, not the type of person you would like to run into in a light ally let alone a dark one. However, the driver of the first truck was the complete opposite. A tiny blond girl who looked like a soft breeze could flatten her jumped out of the drivers cabin and landed lightly on her feet.
The girl reached into one of the many pockets of her outfit and pulled out two things. The first was a small but deadly dagger, and the second a medallion. A shadow passed over her face as she stared at them. It was as though she had been given knowledge she didn’t want.
That no one would want.
Another woman approached calling out to her, asking if she was ready.
Without a word the girl slipped the medallion over her head so that it rested on her chest, she would do what had to be done.
Just like always.
They worked in silence. Each of them knowing what they had to do, they had covered every likelihood. They all knew that there was every possibility that not all of them would make it, but they accepted this. It was an ugly part of battle, but a part no less. They had all fought in battle before and knew the risks that they were taking.
But they still fought.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Angel stood at the front doors to the Hyperion Hotel, his home. The sun would be rising within minutes and he wondered what was happening down in Sunnydale. He knew that they were going down into the Hellmouth, taking the battle to The First this morning. That particular phone call had been hard, and keeping it from the other Sunnydale residents had been nearly impossible.
"I can be in Sunnydale in two hours"
"No, I need you to stay there"
"And do what? Baby-sit a bunch of potentials? And don’t give me that Sunnydale is my town crap, this isn’t some turf war that…"
"I need you to be our second line, if we fail it’s up to you to fight this…"
"Don’t talk like that. You’ve kept the world in tact, this long. Don’t talk like that now"
"Just… Be ready… Just in case"
He had ignored the girls for the most part, not wanting to answer their questions, or see the glances they cast his way. To these girls he wasn’t their friend.
Not that he cared what they thought.
He could smell her standing behind him. Her anger covering deeper fears that she was unwilling to show.
"I know you’re there!" it always amazed him that no matter how much of a brave façade they put out, the Slayers were for the most part in fact just little girls.
"Yeah well, just wondering how it went last night" Kennedy stood leaning up against the door frame, arms crossed over her chest, defiance written all over her features.
"Why do you want to know?" This girl wasn’t going to give up was she. Did she really want to know what the true life of a Slayer was?
"Well" Kennedy started "If I’m going to fight Demons" She walked towards him slowly "I need to know what it’s all about"
As he turned to face her she shrugged slightly.
Looking at the girl he wondered if she could really handle the cold hard truth of the life that she wanted to lead.
"You really want to know what it’s all about?" He asked her.
Looking directly into the Vampire’s eyes "Yes" she replied.
Summer’s Residence
Sunnydale, California
4hours earlier
"You’re trusting me with the flame thrower?" Faith looked at the weapon that was placed in her charge, an excited gleam in her eyes. "I mean seriously you’re letting me run around and kill things with this."
Jack shrugged and started putting it together for her "Buffy took off with the rocket launcher so I figured you could use this" He leaned around and checked the gas tanks "Besides, if there are as many as we think it doesn’t matter where you aim, you’ll hit something bad"
Faith grinned at him again "So how do I work this thing"
This world is never enough, and I’m not giving it up
My faith in love is like blood, I’d spill it freely for
some
My faith in love is like blood it flows in everyone
Don’t stop to look at the clock, forever won’t be long
enough
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale California
Just after Sunrise
One by one, hand over hand, they watched as their blood welled up in the cuts they had inflicted on their own palms, they watched mesmerized as the thick red liquid attempted to coagulate but was allowed to run free. Dripping slowly over their palms as they each extended the injured hand over the seal, none of them was willing to look at another, each wondering if they were truly doing the right thing.
They would soon know.
Wolfram and Heart
Los Angeles California
The elevator slowly made it’s way up from the basement, Kennedy wasn’t sure exactly how high they were going, or exactly where they were. They had traveled the entire way in silence, a silence that scared the teen more than she would ever admit.
Finally the elevator stopped and the doors opened as in slow motion. There in the middle of the room was a bed, and lying on the bed was a woman.
Laying a hand on the small of her back, Angel pushed the girl forward, closer and closer to the woman. Who she was, Kennedy didn’t know but she got the feeling she was about to find out.
The Hellmouth
Jonas stood there frozen; there in the cavern below them were hundreds upon thousands of creatures. From the paleness of both Buffy and Faith’s faces he knew that this couldn’t be good.
Looking at the people standing around her Buffy grinned and without a word hefted the rocket launcher onto her right shoulder and after only a moments hesitation she launched right into the crowd below them.
With a deafening roar but at the same time painful slowness Mac watched as the rocket arched out and across the impossibly large cavern. She saw each and every one of the creatures faces turn towards the object flying at them. It was a sight to behold as the projectile found its mark, the explosion causing her to shy away from the heat and the light. With a speed she had never seen before the many who had not been destroyed by the rocket saw what they had been waiting a millennia or more for.
Blood.
Wolfram and Heart
Los Angeles, California
Kennedy watched almost unwillingly as the brunette woman’s chest rhythmically rose and fell. She breathed in and out with such a peaceful easiness that Kennedy could not take her eyes away from the prone form.
"Why did you bring me here?" Her own words echoed painfully in her ears.
"To show you." Angel stood behind her and whispered and her ear, "You wanted to know what it’s all about." He moved around slightly so that he hovered over her other shoulder. "What the fight is all about."
He laid a hand on each of her shoulders to hold the girl where she was "To the majority your individual lives don’t mean that much, but every now and then a special one comes along. She’ll fight and she’ll live and it’s not until she dies that anyone really knew what had been done and sacrificed." He pushed her forward some more.
"But it’s not about life"
The Hellmouth
"Fuck" Faith swore as the flamethrower clicked indicating that the tank was empty. Looking around as she unhooked the Scythe from where it had been secured behind her back, she saw that Mac was still spraying Holy water over anything that wasn’t Spike. Buffy and Spike were fighting back to back a whirl of dust streaming around them as they disposed of one Turok-Han after another.
Jack was backed against a wall firing the phosphorescent traces, taking out an admirable number of his own, slightly to his left stood Jonas with his hose squirting out gasoline by the gallon.
Making a split second decision, Faith hurled herself into the largest group of Turok-Han in an attempt to quell their numbers. She had just about cleared the area when a cry from the left of the ledge caught her attention.
She watched helplessly as one got by Mac’s defenses and slashed her down the front, with a look of pain and shock the Marine fell to the ground unmoving.
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale, California
Janet had been in the field before but this… this was something totally different. There were Bringers swarming everywhere. No matter how many they took out, there was always two or three more to replace them.
Casting a quick glance round to her companions she could see that they were all tiring. Having to fight hand-to-hand in close combat for this length of time was not what they were used to. SG1 could run for days on end with Jaffa hot on their trail and intermittent fire fights but…
She didn’t know how much longer they could last up here. Let alone those below them.
Wolfram and Heart
Los Angeles California
Kennedy finally managed to tear her gaze away from the woman. Turning her head to face the Vampire she saw that he wasn’t focused on her but on the woman.
"It’s about death" His voice almost cracked
"It’s about the knowledge that one day, you will fight your last battle. Whether it’s human, or demon or something else that kills you, we all die at some point."
He pushed her forward a bit more.
"Can you live with that, accept that? Knowing that no matter how many people you save, no matter how many demons you kill, they’re all going to die anyway"
He pushed her forward even more
"One day every person that you love will be dead, and so will you. So why should you fight."
"Because…" Her voice was clogged with emotion "I don’t know… because I was told that was what I have to do"
He moved his head to speak into her other ear "Then you fight for the wrong reason." Two more steps forward and they were at the woman’s bedside. "We fight because we have to, because no one else will. That’s why Buffy fights, that’s why Willow and Xander fight, and that’s why she fought. Because if they didn’t no one else would"
Kennedy couldn’t stop the tears that welled up "Who is she"
"She is the fair Cordelia, and I will cry how forever more" He released her arms and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts and the Seer.
The Hellmouth
It started out as a low rumbling, a slight shaking of the ground, none of them really noticed. Fighting back to back with Spike Buffy felt a light pulling in her chest, not painful but disorienting. Ignoring it as she had been trained to do, she beheaded another Turok-Han, and kept fighting.
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale California,
The second rumble reached those up above this time, startling Sam enough so that her current opponent managed to embed his knife in her lower thigh, scraping along the bone and knee. With a cry of pain she fell to the ground.
Bringing her own knife up she shoved it up into the Bringers chest with all her might and rolled as it fell to the ground dead. Instinctively the others closed ranks around her, protecting their fallen comrade, friend and daughter.
The Hellmouth
None of those below the surface would ever forget what happened next. The earth moved with force, and the Turok-Han cowed with fear as Buffy was thrown high against the wall of the cavern.
It seemed as though she was held there by nothing, and a bright light engulfed her entire body. Mesmerized by the pure light swirling around the Slayer they stopped and watched, as the light seemed to be drawn inwards. After a few moments of painful waiting to see what would happen next, none of them would truly be able to explain it. To see it would be to understand. As the light had engulfed Buffy with such intensity it exploded out with just as much destroying what wasn’t meant to be. The force and the heat of the explosions were dropping those still standing to their knees in shock. Tears welled up in Faith’s eyes as her sister Slayer started to burn.
Her eyes were closed but the look of intensity on her face told them that she knew exactly what was happening.
She was saving the world again.
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale, California
Jacob reached down and pulled his daughter up into a standing position, wrapping an arm around her waist he started to pull her towards the doors. Looking behind them she saw what he had seen.
Jonas was running up first, Mac slung over his shoulders, blood dripping down off both of them. She couldn’t tell who’s. Behind him was Jack physically dragging Spike who looked as though he’d been through the wringer and lost.
Turning back round, Sam concentrated on getting to the chopper. Hauling herself inside she immediately grabbed the med kit and passed it off to Janet who was already attempting to treat the injured Marine.
It wasn’t until the chopper left the ground that Sam noticed neither Faith nor Buffy was with them.
Wolfram and Heart
Los Angeles, California
Kennedy had long since left the room that held Cordelia. Now she was wandering the halls of Wolfram and Heart looking for Angel. Wanting to go back to the Hyperion, back to Willow, to find out exactly who this Cordelia was.
To find out what it was really like for them. No more romanticizing, no more thinking it was a good life. She needed to know the truth; she needed to know if she could really do it.
Sunnydale, California
It was Jonas Quinn who finally noticed the dark figure running over the building tops of Sunnydale, trying to catch up with the Chopper and keep ahead of the sinking town. With a triumphant cry he pointed, at her and yelled at Jack to pick her up.
Veering towards where the brunette was running Jack got the chopper as close to her position as he dared.
With a flying leap Faith launched herself towards the chopper grabbing onto the leg and holding on for all she was worth.
Grunting with effort Jacob reached down and pulled her in, holding on as tight as he could.
Once safely inside Jack once again took off, away from the collapsing town.
So drive me out
Out to that open field
Turn the ignition off
And spin around
Your help is here
But I’m parked in this open space
Blockin’ the gates of love.
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.
Light
Warm
Soft
Protected
Loved
Peace
Perfection.
‘The choice is yours’
Choice? What choice? There’s never been a choice.
"What choice?"
"Where to go next. You have given much. We wish for you to choose"
"Choose what? What choices you want me to make now?"
Frustration
"You can go back, to where you were, continue to walk the path you are on. You could start again, with no destiny but what you make of it…"
Destiny? It all came down to a destiny that no one really wanted but someone had to get.
"And the third one?"
"Go back to the place your soul longs for"
Heaven…
"Hurry, you do not have long, you must decide now or we will have to do it for you, put you where you are needed most"
Finally the choice is mine..
No one in control of my destiny but me.
She chooses.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
"Dawn…"
Why did the voices sound so funny?
"Come on Dawn, this isn’t funny"
Yeah, sure it’s not funny, I feel like I’m gonna barf, sneeze and faint all at once. Just like when…
"Dawn, open the door"
Just like… No… not again… she wouldn’t…
Would she?
"Dawn?"
Great, just cause I’m feeling sick doesn’t mean it has to become a production
You know she would do it
It’s her job
That’s the way it is
"Would every one please just leave me alone? I feel like shit and want to suffer in peace"
Peace… there was that word again
"Dawn, please open the door"
Great, now Giles was here
Please don’t leave me again. Not like this…
"Dawn, we’re worried…"
So am I
Helicopter over California
Jack turned to face the back of the helicopter from his spot in the pilot’s chair. Now that they were off the ground in a fairly stable flight he could check on the rest of the team.
"Everyone ok?"
Janet was leaning over Mac, trying to stop the bleeding slash that ran the length of her midsection right hip to left shoulder. She looked up at Jack and grimaced.
"Not really. We need to get to a medical facility ASAP."
"Come on Faith…" Sam tried to keep the brunette conscious. She batted her face lightly while trying to fight dizziness herself. Hopefully it’d pass.
Damn her leg hurt.
Jonas eyed her worriedly as he wrapped gauze around the knife trying to slow what little bleeding there was.
"Slap me again, I flatten you" Faith finally muttered, and brought a hand to the bolt wound that had re opened during the battle.
"Carter?" Jack tried to get her attention.
"Carter?"
Sam finally looked up her eyes slightly glazed over.
"Yes Sir?"
Jack ran his eyes over her, trying to ascertain if she was injured anywhere other than her thigh where the Bringers knife was still sticking out of it.
"You ok?"
Sam shook her head slightly trying to clear it "A little banged up Sir, but I’ll live…"
"Carter" he called exasperated "You have a knife sticking out of your leg, for crying out loud. That does not mean you’re fine."
"Would you two cut that shit," Spike’s unmistakable British accent sounded from beneath a slightly smoking blanket. "Jack meet Sam, Sam meet Jack. Now the two of you go have a nice shag and put the rest of us out of our misery."
"Doc?" Jack ignored the Vampire "Will she make it to Colorado?" He looked concernedly at the bleeding Marine lying in the back of the chopper
"That depends on how long it will take us to get there."
"T" Jack spoke to the pilot "How long?"
"I believe the trip may take a little as two hours and thirty minutes, however we can divert to a closer medical facility if Major Mackenzie’s injuries are severe enough"
"Two thirty?" Jack relayed.
Janet looked over Mac again "She should hold out, the bleeding isn’t as bad as it could be, but if I say divert, we divert" She commanded, when there were injured concerned she was in charge.
"Jacob, keep as much pressure on the wound as possible" Janet turned to Sam who looked like she was going to pass out any second. "Sam let me check out your leg"
"No" Sam shook her head again trying to clear it "I’m good… check Faith’s shoulder" Sam’s lower lip trembled.
They had left her behind…
She had done the one thing she swore she would never do. Never leave a man behind. But if Faith was telling the truth then there was nothing to bring out.
Buffy was dead…
She had died to save the world…
Again.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles California
"Dawn"
Oh no, not the geek.
"Whenever I’m feeling bad, I like to sing a song"
No… please anything but that.
"Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens"
"If you can’t sing in key monkey boy"
Thank you Anya
"Don’t sing at all"
Silence.
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with string
These are a few of my favorite things…
Dawn sat in a corner curled in a tight little ball. Her sister was gone.
Again
No one had to tell her.
She knew
But she was going to be damned before she told the others.
Helicopter
Jacob hurt all over, those Uber-Vamps, well that was what Buffy called them, but Jacob was sure that that wasn’t their real name, packed a nasty punch.
Selmak told him that he had three cracked ribs, and a concussion. Jacob trusted her to heal him.
They all had some kind off injury… but it hurt more to know what had been willingly given only hours before.
She hadn’t flinched.
This young woman did what had to be done. Jacob looked over at his daughter, she was sitting there next to Faith one hand pressing against the wound in her own leg, the other holding Faith. The Brunette was just sitting there staring at nothing. Everything seemed to have faded away for her.
She knew that Buffy had died before.
You know what they say third times a charm, but what about fourth time…
Maybe she’d get to stay dead this time.
Good for her.
Bad for everyone else.
Jack turned in his seat again and signaled to Janet "We’re about 20 minutes out of Cheyenne. General Hammond has given us clearance to go straight to the mountain but Faith, Mac and Spike have to stay in the infirmary. There’ll be a med team waiting"
Janet nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She knew she should have mentioned her own injuries to someone, but she was more concerned about Mac.
She could wait.
JAG Headquarters
Falls Church, Virginia
"Tiner" Admiral AJ Chegwidden was not happy.
He had received an e-mail from Mac saying that she was going to California with a friend and that she would have her Cell Phone on in case of an emergency.
That had been three days ago.
They hadn’t been able to reach her.
Tiner had been trying for nearly 24 hours.
Even though he didn’t like the spook, AJ was nearly ready to call Webb.
"Yes Sir" The boy still got nervous around him; he was nearly as bad as Bud Roberts used to be.
"Any luck?" AJ pulled his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. Even on leave that woman could give him a headache.
"No Sir, but a General George Hammond called and needs to speak with you urgently"
"Hammond?" AJ frowned he knew that name.
"I believe he is the Commanding Officer of the Air Forces Deep Space Radar Telemetry Facility out at Cheyenne Mountain"
AJ sighed and glared up at his increasingly nervous Yeoman.
"Fine give me the number. I’ll call him"
Tiner turned and walked out of the office ‘Aye Ayeing’ AJ as he went. As soon as the door closed AJ’s head dropped down and thumped against the desk.
What the hell did CO of DeSRaT want with him?
Picking up the phone he dialed the number that Tiner had left with him, hoping to get the probably unpleasant call over with.
Tiner was trying Major Mackenzie’s cell phone again when the scream permeated through his office and into the bullpen making everyone freeze.
"What the hell do you mean she’s injured?"
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Springs, Colorado
General Hammond held the phone away from his ear. He’d heard that the Navy JAG could scream with the best of them but really… he didn’t like it when it was directed at him.
"She was holidaying in Sunnydale California with one of my Officers when it collapsed. Major Carter contacted me, and I’m having both of them transported to our Infirmary as we speak. ETA is 10 minutes"
"General, correct me if I’m wrong but Sunnydale only just collapsed 3 hours ago. You’re telling me that you’ve had time to send a transport locate our people and bring them back already?" AJ asked his voice lowering dangerously.
"That is exactly what I’m telling you Admiral" George hated dealing with other brass, it was harder to intimidate them and they mostly knew all of the divisional tricks, and how to not give out information but hide the fact that you were hiding something. "Now I have to get a med team ready, there is eight people coming in on that chopper and from what I’ve been told all of them are injured in one way or another. I will keep you appraised of the Major’s condition"
Before AJ could sputter out anything else the phone had been disconnected from the other end.
Helicopter over Colorado Springs.
It happened so suddenly that none of them knew exactly what had happened. One minute Faith had been sitting there staring at nothing, deadly still not even attempting to stem the flow of blood from her shoulder. When she sprang up and hurled herself at the cockpit.
"Let me out" She demanded, her eyes darting round the land below them.
Looking for something.
Or someone…
"What?" Jack managed to sputter out.
"Let me out… put me down." Jack could see the desperation in her eyes "or fly low enough for me to jump out. I don’t care… All I know is a gotta go"
She looked at him beseechingly, unbidden tears welling up in her eyes.
Closing his eyes in indecision he opened them again and brought them up to meet hers.
"I won’t land, if you want out you’ll have to jump" Jack didn’t really want her to jump, but hoping she would chicken out and knowing that they had to get Mac proper medical attention immediately he didn’t really have a choice.
Faith continued to stare wildly out of the helicopter. The images she had seen still flashing through her head. She didn’t know what to expect or whether it was real or not, but she did know that she had to check…
If there was any chance at all…
Faith had to know.
They had gone as low as Jack dared as they were in residential area, looking out over the area they were flying over he recognized the neighborhood as the one that Carter lived in. Thinking it ironic that she was so close to home but couldn’t go yet…
Without a word of warning Faith jumped out of the side of the helicopter and onto the roof of a house. Jacob stood and shared a look with Jack.
"Go, call me when you’ve found out whatever the hell it is she’s doing" Jack held the helicopter in a hover low enough for Jacob to follow Faith out onto the roof. Unfortunately Faith hadn’t waited for anything or anyone. Scanning the street he saw the brunette running towards a familiar house.
Sam’s house.
Whatever she was looking for was in there.
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Springs, Colorado
It was a day that Airman Peter Clements would never forget. It was very rare that the chopper pad was used and it was never a good thing when it was. Today was no exception. He heard the chopper before he saw it and when the med team appeared he got nervous.
It got worse when General Hammond appeared. The moment the chopper touched down the med team was running out towards it, he almost gasped in shock as the doors opened to reveal the base CMO Dr Janet Fraiser, bruises discoloring her face, along with a line of blood down one cheek. He didn’t recognize the woman they loaded onto the stretcher or the man who bolted for shade with a blanket over his head.
The next to get out was Teal’c; he immediately lifted out Major Carter, who was protesting being carried. As they passed him, Airman Clements could see the knife in her leg; he nearly cringed at the thought of how much pain she must have been in but still claimed she could walk.
Lastly came Jonas Quinn and Colonel O’Neill, neither sporting major injuries but both looking all the more worse for wear. Although exactly what condition they were in he couldn’t tell.
He expected to hear all about what happened to them eventually.
Private Residence
Colorado Springs, Colorado
This was the house, it had to be the one she had seen, it looked exactly like this, and everything matched perfectly. When she looked through the front window she would see Buffy sitting there waiting for her, Faith was sure of it.
Walking slowly, almost reverently across the immaculate front lawn, Faith held her breath in nervous anticipation. Taking the final step up to the window she peered through into the well-lit room, what she saw dropped her to her knees.
"Faith?"
A soft voice caused her to turn around, seeing Jacob standing there behind her she finally allowed the defeat to sink in.
What was that old saying, no one wins in a war, there are just degrees of losers.
SGC Infirmary
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Springs, Colorado
It had been three hours since landing, Mac and Sam had been taken straight into surgery nearly all the others had all been checked over and fixed up, so they sat in the waiting room, anxious to hear from either Jacob or the General.
As far as injuries went, they got out fairly lucky. Other than those two there was nothing else major, unless you counted Janet’s dislocated shoulder that she didn’t tell anyone about until the Doctor passed out when one of the medics had grabbed her by the arm as she tried to follow Mac into surgery.
Jack didn’t want any needles within spitting distance of Janet when she woke up. She would be one very unhappy camper.
"Any word?" Jack asked, as General Hammond walked into the waiting room. They still hadn’t heard from Jacob or Faith.
"Actually yes…" A frown marred the Colonel’s features as the General related the news.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
2 Weeks later
It was a warm early summer day in Los Angeles when Sam Carter limped into the Hyperion Hotel. Looking about her surroundings she couldn’t see anyone in the lobby, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t anyone there.
From behind her a soft Texan voice sounded, "Can I help you?" Turning she saw a slim young woman with long brown hair regarding her with curiosity and wariness.
"Ah, yes. I’m looking for Dawn Summers."
The girls’ eyes narrowed "And who’re you?"
Holding her head high and schooling her features Sam prepared for an inquisition "Sam…"
"Miss Carter." Rupert Giles’ soft English accent echoed through the lobby. "It’s alright Fred, she’s a friend…" he smiled at the young woman, "of sorts."
Leaning heavily on the cane she was forced to use Sam slowly walked towards him. "I’m glad you regard me so highly." Stopping a meter in front of him, she met his piercing gaze steadily. "Is Dawn around?"
"Why do you wish to see her?" He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, took his glasses off and proceeded to polish the lenses meticulously.
Sam shifted her weight off the injured leg slightly. "There are things she needs to know. I made a promise, and I always keep my promises."
"You promised me that you’d look after my Slayer…" Giles started but trailed off as Sam’s face darkened with anger.
"Tell me where she is," Sam threatened, her voice dropping dangerously. "Or do I have to call in Child Services and tell them, that you are refusing to let me see the minor who, is in fact by law, my charge." Seeing the shocked look on his face she continued, "I don’t think either of us wants it to come to that."
"You would forcibly take a 16 year old girl from the only family she has left?" Giles finally found his voice again, hoping he was calling a bluff he could call her on.
Sam had to keep herself from rolling her eyes. "No I wouldn’t." She shifted her weight again, finding it difficult to stand so long. "But don’t you think Dawn deserves to be able to choose what she wants to do."
Staring at the woman, he tried to work out if she was telling the truth or not. However her face was unreadable. Finally he nodded his assent; "Her room is up this way." He led her towards the back of the lobby, taking in the cane and her obvious limp he skipped the stairs and went straight to the elevator.
"What happened down there?" His curiosity got the better of him.
Turning to look at him as they waited for the elevator. "We beat the First’s Army."
A single eyebrow rose questioningly at her short succinct and uninformative answer.
"I’m not going to ask if everyone survived. I think I quite like the fact that I can live in denial and assume that she’s alive and well somewhere and cooling off that temper of hers."
Sam avoided looking at his face and didn’t respond. Dawn was the only one who needed to know the truth. If she wanted the others to know she could tell them.
In silence they got into the lift, neither comfortable with the situation they found themselves in.
As the elevator reached the third floor the doors opened and they found themselves face to face with Willow. She immediately scowled at the sight of Sam but didn’t say anything knowing the older blond didn’t like her.
Giles led her down a semi lit hall, to a room at the very end they stopped outside a closed door. He raised his hand to knock but stopped halfway. "I feel I must warn you that Dawn has been rather anti-social, these last weeks. I don’t know what kind of reception you’ll get."
"I’ll be fine, I’m somewhat familiar with teenage girl trauma." Sam’s eyes dared him to contradict her.
Giles nodded and rapped sharply on the wooden door twice. They didn’t have to wait long for a young voice to respond to the knock.
"Go Away"
Sam however was stubborn reaching around Giles she tried the door know only to find it was locked. Sighing she reached round into her backpack and after rummaging through it for a minute she pulled out a small black case. His curiosity peaked as the case was opened and he saw a lock picking kit.
"You’re a very interesting woman, Sam Carter." He commented, as she struggled to get onto her knees to pick the lock. Gently reaching down he took the tools out of her hands and pulled her back onto her feet.
She stood to the side and watched as he expertly worked the lock until it clicked softly, rising with little difficulty he gestured for her to enter.
"Thank you." She twisted the doorknob and entered the room without giving him a chance to say anything else.
"I thought I told you…" Dawn started to call until she saw Sam standing there. "What’re you doing here?" She was slightly taken aback by the Air Force Majors presence in her bedroom. Sam was the last person she expected to see.
"I came to see you."
Willow’s Room
Hyperion Hotel
Giles closed the door quietly behind him, and looked over to see the redhead sitting at her computer typing furiously and staring intently at the screen.
"Anything yet?"
"Nope." Willow spared him a glance. "They’re using a security system that I’ve never seen before. Every time I think I’m close all the protocols change, and I don’t think it’s even timed." The red headed witch slumped back into her chair. "It’s totally random, I’ve never seen anything like it…" She trailed off and smiled sheepishly at the Watcher.
"Is there anything you do know?" Giles pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.
"Just the stuff the Air Force lets everyone see. Major Samantha Carter PhD, current assignment is classified but she’s based out of NORAD."
Giles nodded thoughtfully. "Can you get into anything else, medical records etc?"
"Nothing recent, anything from the last 6 years is classified and buried so deeply that, I can’t get into it with normal means, but I did find out she has an eight year old daughter, Bethuen."
Dawn’s Room
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Dawn stood there and stared at Sam for a few moments before turning round and stalking back to her bed flopping onto it sullenly.
"If you’re here to tell me that my sister is dead, don’t worry about it. I already know."
Sam moved over to sit at the chair by the bed, grateful to get off her feet. "I guess that makes what I’m about to do slightly easier." She shuffled slightly, her leg still painful to move. "Buffy made some arrangements, before hand." Sam pulled a folder out of her backpack. "She said that she wanted you to have a normal life, if that’s what you wanted."
Dawn remained silent.
Flipping through the papers she stopped at a certain one and looked at it for a moment before pulling it out and held it out to Dawn. "Here’s the deal. If you want to, you can come and live with me in Colorado. Go to a school that’s not on the Hell Mouth, live in a town that’s not full a demons and pretty much be a normal teenager." Sam took a deep breath and continued, "but, if you don’t want to, I rip this up and things remain status quo. You remain with Mr Giles and spend your life either fighting or running away from the demons."
Dawn reached a hand out tentatively and fingered the edge of the document lightly. Her eyes scanning it quickly and her brain trying to process what Sam had just told her.
A normal life
What about the others?
No more monsters…
Looking up at Sam, she could see the blond was nervous, "tell me about yourself."
Letting out a relived sigh Sam sat back in her chair and started to speak with a smile. "Well, I’m a Major in the Air Force, currently based at NORAD in Colorado Springs…"
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Spring’s Colorado
Jack O’Neill was pissed off; Carter was still on down time so he didn’t have anyone to visit when he was on base and bored. That leg of hers was going to take a while to heal, he had a Vampire living in his basement and he had just been called up to the Mountain on his day off.
"What what what what what the hell do you want?" He barked at the nerds in the computer server room. "Don’t you normally call Carter for this kind of…" He waved a hand at all the equipment adorning the room "… stuff."
"Yeah we do," one of the men said, "but we thought you’d want to see this before we called her."
Jack leaned over and looked over his shoulder as the technician tried to explain what was going on.
Dawn’s Room
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California.
Conversation was kept light and easy as Dawn and Sam attempted to get to know each other.
"I got injured badly a couple of years back, it scared me lot. I had a four year old at home, and here I was gallivanting around the gal… world… but," Sam tried to keep the blush off her face at her near slip up. Luckily Dawn didn’t notice, "I had to make a choice, I chose to leave the field and work in the Lab." she sighed.
"Do you miss it?"
The ringing of her new cell phone cut off Sam’s answer. Rolling her eyes she muttered under her breath as she reached to answer it. "He knows where I am, he knows why I’m here, so why the hell is he calling me? Carter."
‘Hey Carter," the voice of her ex-CO floated over the phone, "listen, I know this is a bad time but we’ve got a little problem."
"Sir," Sam tried not to sound to exasperated with him, "I’m not the only person qualified to pull your files out of the recycle box when you accidentally delete them."
In the background, despite herself Dawn smirked.
"Not that kind of problem, someone’s attempting to break into the computer systems and they’re damn close. We’ve traced them to Los Angeles but that’s as close as it gets. Any ideas?"
Sam started to head out to the hallway to continue the conversation when a laptop in the corner caught her eye. "Are they looking for anything in particular?" She paused at the door waiting to hear the answer.
"Um." She could hear muffled voices in the background. "Yeah personal files… Yours in particular."
"Hold on a sec, Sir." Sam covered the mouthpiece hoping that Jack wouldn’t hear what she was about to say.
"Dawn?" The teen looked up startled. "Is there anyone you know of who is particularly good with computers, say a hacker?"
By the way Dawn’s face paled Sam knew that the girl knew exactly who it was "Because," Sam continued "There’s someone in California trying to get into the files at the base. Any ideas?"
Dawn finally crumbled under Sam’s intense gaze. "Willow…" The teen shrugged. "She’s probably trying to find out about you. If anyone can do it she can."
Uncovering the mouthpiece again, Sam brought the phone back up to her ear "Sir, tell the boys to wait 10 minutes and then send out a pulse that’ll literally stop them in their tracks… yes Sir… I have a fairly good idea… wait another 10 after that then call me back… thanks Sir."
She turned around and grinned at Dawn. "Can you show me where Willow’s room is?"
Willow’s Room
10 minutes later
Dawn looked at Sam curiously as they stood outside Willow’s room at the Hyperion hotel. Seeing her questioning gaze Sam simply shook her head, from inside they heard a cry of frustration pushing the door open they saw Willow sitting at her laptop typing furiously trying to save whatever it was she was doing.
From the door Sam smirked. "You know you shouldn’t try to hack into a classified military installation when the person who designed, implemented and updates the system is in the same building as you."
Willow turned a glared at her. "What the hell did you do to my computer?"
"Me? I didn’t do anything, it’s a security failsafe…"
Dawn stood in the background not really paying attention, her brain and heart trying to reconcile what she had been told and what she wanted.
No more monsters
A normal life
No more monsters
A home
No more monsters
A new start
No more monsters…
"Sam," a quiet voice came from the door way, startled out of what was about to become a full blown argument with Willow the blond Major turned to face the girl.
"I wanna go with you." The words were so quiet that Sam thought she may have heard wrong.
Limping over to her Sam looked Dawn in the eyes, "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
In the background Willow opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. She couldn’t stop it so why try…
"You take care Dawn." Anya wrapped her arms around Dawn awkwardly one last time as Sam loaded her things into the taxi. "Remember if a boy or girl try’s any naughty touching kick them in the no-no spot. It hurts no matter who you are, and Xander says no orgasm friends for another two years."
Dawn nodded seriously taking the ex-demons words to heart, and turned to face Xander, the young mans eye cast to the ground hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking up he saw Dawns tear stained face regarding him, head tilted to the side eyes open and emotional. How many times had he seen that particular look on Joyce and Buffy? How many times had he seen it directed at him?
She walked over to him and he enveloped her in a tight hug. The kind of hug that makes you feel as though nothing in the world can touch you.
"Be good Dawnie, remember to come and visit anytime." He let go and held her at arms length. "Not sure where you can visit us yet cause that sister of yours had to turn our town into a hole in the ground, and if you see her around somewhere tell her I said hi," although Dawn got the deeper meaning of the words uttered to her. Stooping slightly, he looked at her directly and seriously. "You go be normal. One of us has to… It’s what she would’ve wanted."
She nodded as her lower lip trembled. Looking up she saw Willow watching from her room; the Wiccan’s refusal to come down had hurt Dawn but she understood. They had spent the night before in Willow’s room; it hadn’t been easy, trying to convince Willow that it was what she wanted to do, but eventually… Willow understood.
And Dawn knew that she was making the right choice.
Xander tried to wander casually over to Sam, but the Major saw him coming and stepped out of earshot of the rest of the group before the young man could reach her. Looking at her his good eye filled with pain.
"I have just one more question" Sam didn’t reply but looked at him expectantly
"Why you guys and not us? I mean, why was she willing to listen and work with you guys and not us?"
Sam looked around at the group standing in front of the Hyperion Hotel, not entirely sure of how to answer that particular question.
"She didn’t have to be General Buffy with us." Seeing that Xander was about to protest she hurriedly continued "Who did you guys always look to, to solve the currant problem? Buffy! Maybe, just maybe that’s why she stopped listening. She got so used to being told that she was the one that had to do everything and make all the hard decisions, that she forgot that you guys were there to help and listen." Sam paused to once again gather her thoughts "I’m just guessing here but… we all know what it’s like, doing the right thing, not the easy thing the right one, maybe that’s it. To us she was just a kid who was thrown into a situation she shouldn’t have had to handle, to you she was The Slayer." Sam shrugged slightly "I don’t know for sure."
Looking anywhere but at Sam, Xander tried to hide the tear that leaked out of his eye "It just hurts so damn much"
Smiling wryly Sam laid a hand on his lower arm "I know"
"Look after Dawnie for us"
Without waiting for a response he headed back inside the hotel without looking back. It was time for country music. The music of pain.
Standing at the door to the cab Dawn’s eyes met Giles’, unshed tears glistening there, despite what she and the others said; they both knew this was it. The chances of Dawn coming back after getting a taste for normal were slim at best.
Colorado Springs
Five hours later
It was a weary pair that arrived at Colorado Springs airport. There hadn’t been much conversation but on the same token neither of them felt like talking. As they entered the luggage pick up area Dawn stopped abruptly causing Sam to run into her back.
"Whoa," was all she could say as she saw a giant of a man standing there looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Following her line of sight Sam had to hold back a chuckle at Dawn’s reaction to Teal’c.
"That’s our ride."
Dawn gulped visibly; this guy would have been less scary if he was sporting pointy teeth and wrinklies.
Sam’s Home
Colorado Springs, Colorado
As they stood outside the Sam’s house Dawn was suddenly gripped with fear. It had seemed so easy up until now. She could hear the music and smell the barbecue cooking in the back yard and wondered how many people were actually at the house. How many people she would have to see? Speak with? Be nice to?
"T can you take Dawn’s things up to the spare room." The Jaffa nodded and moved to start pulling things out of the back of Jack’s truck.
"Don’t worry." Sam wrapped an arm awkwardly around Dawn’s shoulders and led her round the back of the house; "none of them bite."
As they rounded the corner of the house she could see a group of about 10 people. None of them seemed phased at the new arrival. Sam took her around and introduced her to everyone, even a very pale Sarah Mackenzie who Janet had managed to spring from the Academy hospital for the evening.
Finally after the sun had set two familiar figures entered the backyard. Dawn’s face split into a grin as she recognized Spike and Faith.
Faith hung back for a moment taking in the sad stance of the 16-year-old. Her mind flashed back to those last moments in the cave, when Buffy had re-opened her eyes.
"Go on"
"I ain’t leaving you here B"
"I got the clean up, you go kick some Demon ass. It’s what you’re best at."
Taking the blonds words to heart the brunette turned to leave, but halted at her voice.
"Faith…"
"Yeah?"
"It’s not your fault."
As they were talking about what they were going to be doing now an eight year old blond whirlwind came running over, wanting to play hide and go seek. As Dawn looked into the bright hazel eyes she felt something she didn’t think she had ever felt before. Peace.
There was something familiar about the smile of the young girl; Spike and Faith sensed it too. They relaxed more when the girl, Bethuen Carter, Dawn was informed, was around. Dawn had seen the smile before, so many times, and it comforted her in a way that nothing else could.
Told her that everything was going to be okay, maybe not today, but one day soon.
For now, she was getting closer to fine.
AN: That’s it folks. The end of the story, I know I said I was going to do a sequel but currently I have no plans to do that. I do however have an idea boiling at the back of this disturbed brain of mine, itching to be written. That particular story was going to be the sequel but… the way it’s begging to be written just doesn’t fit in with how I ended this.
So if you have any questions or comments, good or bad shoot me off an email. I LOVE feedback