Ch 3 - Beware the Little White Rabbit
Title: Beware the Little White Rabbit
Author: Lady FoxFire
Pairing(s): None
Rating: PG-13
Warning: None
Category(s): X-over
Setting: SG-1 - Season 4; Buffy - Season 5
Summary: #3 in the Blackmail series - Sometime you don’t have to jump down a rabbit hole. Sometimes you just need to ask a friend for help.
Several hours later and someplace in Nevada, the SUV slowed down and turned off the road their current road on to a dirt road that could be barely called a road.
“Are we there, already?” Joyce said in disbelief.
“No,” Pierce replied. “We’re almost at the meeting point of the team that will take you to your new home.”
“You’re not taking us there,” Joyce commented, her displeasure was evident in her voice.
Pierce shook his head. “Because of my duties there was concern about what would happen if I was turned or captured by some demon who would force me to review what I know. They were afraid I could jeopardize your security.”
“And the team you’re handing us off to?” Joyce asked.
“They’re a good team. Good people. They will get you there safely,” Pierce answered.
“That’s not what I mean,” Joyce replied. “What if they get turned?”
Pierce shook his head once again. “They’re not in the same field I’m in so the chances of running into a vamp is a lot less.”
“We’re here, sir,” the driver announced as the three SUV came to a stop in the middle of no-where.
“No one’s here,” Dawn stated as she looked out the windows of the SUV.
Pierce chuckled. “I wouldn’t bet on that,” he said as he opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle.
Shortly afterwards everyone followed Pierce’s actions.
“So where are they?” Dawn demanded as she looked around. “I thought you said they were here.”
With a smirk, Pierce nodded towards some approaching figures. “You mean them?”
Dawn’s jaw dropped open slightly. “Where did they come from? They weren’t there a moment ago.”
Pierce chuckled. “You learn to do things like that in the military.”
“O’Neill,” Pierce said as a greeting when the soldiers were close enough.
“Pierce,” The oldest of the four soldiers said returning the greeting before turning towards Joyce and Dawn. “Ladies,” he said with a nod of his head.
“O’Neill, allow me to introduce Joyce and Dawn Summers. Ladies, this is Colonel Jack O’Neill,” Pierce said.
O’Neill took his sunglasses off. “The Slayer’s mother?” he said in surprise.
“You know about my daughter?” Joyce inquired with a touch of steel in her voice.
“Xander told me,” Jack admitted ducked his head in a rather boyish manner.
“Xander? Xander Harris?” Joyce stammered in shock.
“You know Xander?” Dawn chimed in suddenly.
“Yeah… well, you could say that Xander knows me,” Jack admitted.
Joyce crossed her arms over her chest. “Really,” she said in a tone that every mother in the world used when they want their child to explain farther.
“Turns out he bought a pair of boots during an airport lost luggage sale,” O’Neill replied.
“And how would that allow you to know Xander?” Joyce demanded.
“If I remember right, Xander said it was the Troll’s fault along with some jackass who needs to be kicked in the balls repeatedly,” O’Neill explained.
“Ahhhh, the plague of Sunnydale,” Pierce said almost fondly. “He does make life interesting.”
Joyce’s brow furrowed as she looked at the two men. Suddenly her eyes widened, “Ethan. Halloween. Xander wore your boots, didn’t he?” she gasped.
“And received a complete download,” O’Neill commented as he rocked on the balls of his feet.
“But that doesn’t explain how you knew Xander,” Dawn pointed out.
“He kind of broke into my house, ate my pizza and then blackmailed me,” O’Neil replied. “Of course, he denied the blackmail part since he didn’t out right ask for money or anything.”
“Oh,” Dawn mumbled.
Joyce closed her eyes and exhaled slowing. Inhaling. She opened her eyes and looked directly at O’Neill. “And did you give Xander what he wanted?”
O’Neill shrugged his shoulders. “Pretty much. He wanted us to raise some red flags so this guy,” he nodded to Pierce, “would come snooping around.”
Joyce then directed her attention to Pierce with a look that commanded him to continue.
“He left his book with all the contact info with you,” Pierce answered quickly
Joyce pinched the bridge of her nose as if to ward off a headache. “And he couldn’t return because of Buffy and Willow,” she stated.
“Why couldn’t Xander return home?” Dawn demanded.
“Willow and your sister had some issues,” Pierce answered.
“Is this a ‘need a special jacket that ties in the back’ type of issue or the ‘they have their heads so far each other skirts that they’ve switch bodies’ type of issue,” Dawn offered.
“Dawn!” Joyce exclaimed as she looked down at her youngest.
“What? I already know Buffy had issues; after all, she said I wasn’t real,” Dawn protested. “Besides she slept with a corpse. I mean ewww… who would want to sleep with something that is room temperature unless it needs batteries.”
“Dawn!” Joyce screeched in outrage.
“What?” Dawn replied with a confused tone.
“I’m glad I don’t have kids,” Pierce mumbled.
“You shouldn’t talk about sex or someone’s sex life in public,” Joyce stated. “It’s very rude.”
“But Anya does. So does Buffy and Willow,” Dawn replied innocently.
“You know perfectly well that Anya is still recovering from being made human again. She doesn’t understand all the social rules of the modern world. As for your sister and Willow… I expect better from you!” Joyce exclaimed.
Dawn sighed. “Alright, but can you at least tell me what a stevedore is? Buffy couldn't figure it out.”
“It’s another name for a longshoreman,” one of the men who arrived with O’Neill answered; the name on his jacket said Jackson. The man continued on, not notice the color coming to Joyce’s cheeks. “The word origins from the Spanish word estibador.”
Dawn looked at Jackson in confusion. “But what would a longshoreman have to do with sex?”
“And it’s time to leave,” Pierce announce suddenly before starting to walk towards the SUV. “It’s been a long day. It’s time for a good steak and a couple of beers.”
Pierce turned around but continued to walk backwards towards the vehicle. “Have a good trip to your new homes, ladies. Jack, tell the kid I said hi.”
“Wait,” Joyce called out as she looked back and forth between Pierce and O’Neill. “Where are we going? How are we getting there?”
Pierce paused in his retreat. “Don’t know,” he admitted, “and honestly the less me and my team know the safer you and your daughter are. But I can tell you one thing… you can trust Jack,” he nodded towards O’Neill, “just as much as you trusted Xander when he was in your life.”
Joyce nodded her head as Pierce climbed into the SUV and drove off.
“Mom?” Dawn said as she gently touched her mother’s arm. “Mom, you ok?”
Joyce turned looked at her youngest as she wiped the tears from her eyes. With a small smile, she said, “I was thinking of Xander… before graduation. How he told me he would protect your sister.”
“Buffy’s an idiot,” Dawn commented as she hugged her mother. “All that hair dye has rotted her brain.”
“Dawn,” Joyce chastised gentle.
“It’s true,” Dawn said as she pulled away from her mother. “She takes after dad. He left a fox like you to play hide the salami with some bimbo who’s young enough to be his own daughter. Buffy’s just as blind and stupid as daddy is.”
Joyce smiled gently as she brushed Dawn’s hair out of her face and tucked it behind the young girl’s ears. “Thanks for the vote of confidence but your father and I had other issues than just that,” Joyce smiled.
“You mean beside his hair loss and the need for a little blue pill,” Dawn suggested.
“Dawn, that’s enough,” Joyce barked at Dawn again.
“It’s time for us to go,” O’Neill stated as he picked up some of the Summer’s luggage from where Pierce’s men had placed them.
“Where’s your car?” Dawn questioned as she looked around for it. “Do we have to walk far?”
“Nope. It’s not far at all,” O’Neill replied with a mischievous grin.
“So it’s over the hill then,” Dawn suggested as she pointed at one of the hills.
“Nope,” O’Neill teased as he gentle pushed Dawn so she was standing next to a blond female soldier. “It’s much closer than that.”
Dawn looked around once again but looking up into the blue sky. “It’s a helicopter, right? It’s going to come in and scoop us off to wherever.”
“Nope but you are getting closer,” O’Neill answered as he moved Mrs. Summers so she was with the group. “Carter.”
Carter fiddled with something and then suddenly five rings, one stacked on top of another appeared around them. There was suddenly a bright light and when the light cleared they found themselves in a military grey room.
Author: Lady FoxFire
Pairing(s): None
Rating: PG-13
Warning: None
Category(s): X-over
Setting: SG-1 - Season 4; Buffy - Season 5
Summary: #3 in the Blackmail series - Sometime you don’t have to jump down a rabbit hole. Sometimes you just need to ask a friend for help.
Several hours later and someplace in Nevada, the SUV slowed down and turned off the road their current road on to a dirt road that could be barely called a road.
“Are we there, already?” Joyce said in disbelief.
“No,” Pierce replied. “We’re almost at the meeting point of the team that will take you to your new home.”
“You’re not taking us there,” Joyce commented, her displeasure was evident in her voice.
Pierce shook his head. “Because of my duties there was concern about what would happen if I was turned or captured by some demon who would force me to review what I know. They were afraid I could jeopardize your security.”
“And the team you’re handing us off to?” Joyce asked.
“They’re a good team. Good people. They will get you there safely,” Pierce answered.
“That’s not what I mean,” Joyce replied. “What if they get turned?”
Pierce shook his head once again. “They’re not in the same field I’m in so the chances of running into a vamp is a lot less.”
“We’re here, sir,” the driver announced as the three SUV came to a stop in the middle of no-where.
“No one’s here,” Dawn stated as she looked out the windows of the SUV.
Pierce chuckled. “I wouldn’t bet on that,” he said as he opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle.
Shortly afterwards everyone followed Pierce’s actions.
“So where are they?” Dawn demanded as she looked around. “I thought you said they were here.”
With a smirk, Pierce nodded towards some approaching figures. “You mean them?”
Dawn’s jaw dropped open slightly. “Where did they come from? They weren’t there a moment ago.”
Pierce chuckled. “You learn to do things like that in the military.”
“O’Neill,” Pierce said as a greeting when the soldiers were close enough.
“Pierce,” The oldest of the four soldiers said returning the greeting before turning towards Joyce and Dawn. “Ladies,” he said with a nod of his head.
“O’Neill, allow me to introduce Joyce and Dawn Summers. Ladies, this is Colonel Jack O’Neill,” Pierce said.
O’Neill took his sunglasses off. “The Slayer’s mother?” he said in surprise.
“You know about my daughter?” Joyce inquired with a touch of steel in her voice.
“Xander told me,” Jack admitted ducked his head in a rather boyish manner.
“Xander? Xander Harris?” Joyce stammered in shock.
“You know Xander?” Dawn chimed in suddenly.
“Yeah… well, you could say that Xander knows me,” Jack admitted.
Joyce crossed her arms over her chest. “Really,” she said in a tone that every mother in the world used when they want their child to explain farther.
“Turns out he bought a pair of boots during an airport lost luggage sale,” O’Neill replied.
“And how would that allow you to know Xander?” Joyce demanded.
“If I remember right, Xander said it was the Troll’s fault along with some jackass who needs to be kicked in the balls repeatedly,” O’Neill explained.
“Ahhhh, the plague of Sunnydale,” Pierce said almost fondly. “He does make life interesting.”
Joyce’s brow furrowed as she looked at the two men. Suddenly her eyes widened, “Ethan. Halloween. Xander wore your boots, didn’t he?” she gasped.
“And received a complete download,” O’Neill commented as he rocked on the balls of his feet.
“But that doesn’t explain how you knew Xander,” Dawn pointed out.
“He kind of broke into my house, ate my pizza and then blackmailed me,” O’Neil replied. “Of course, he denied the blackmail part since he didn’t out right ask for money or anything.”
“Oh,” Dawn mumbled.
Joyce closed her eyes and exhaled slowing. Inhaling. She opened her eyes and looked directly at O’Neill. “And did you give Xander what he wanted?”
O’Neill shrugged his shoulders. “Pretty much. He wanted us to raise some red flags so this guy,” he nodded to Pierce, “would come snooping around.”
Joyce then directed her attention to Pierce with a look that commanded him to continue.
“He left his book with all the contact info with you,” Pierce answered quickly
Joyce pinched the bridge of her nose as if to ward off a headache. “And he couldn’t return because of Buffy and Willow,” she stated.
“Why couldn’t Xander return home?” Dawn demanded.
“Willow and your sister had some issues,” Pierce answered.
“Is this a ‘need a special jacket that ties in the back’ type of issue or the ‘they have their heads so far each other skirts that they’ve switch bodies’ type of issue,” Dawn offered.
“Dawn!” Joyce exclaimed as she looked down at her youngest.
“What? I already know Buffy had issues; after all, she said I wasn’t real,” Dawn protested. “Besides she slept with a corpse. I mean ewww… who would want to sleep with something that is room temperature unless it needs batteries.”
“Dawn!” Joyce screeched in outrage.
“What?” Dawn replied with a confused tone.
“I’m glad I don’t have kids,” Pierce mumbled.
“You shouldn’t talk about sex or someone’s sex life in public,” Joyce stated. “It’s very rude.”
“But Anya does. So does Buffy and Willow,” Dawn replied innocently.
“You know perfectly well that Anya is still recovering from being made human again. She doesn’t understand all the social rules of the modern world. As for your sister and Willow… I expect better from you!” Joyce exclaimed.
Dawn sighed. “Alright, but can you at least tell me what a stevedore is? Buffy couldn't figure it out.”
“It’s another name for a longshoreman,” one of the men who arrived with O’Neill answered; the name on his jacket said Jackson. The man continued on, not notice the color coming to Joyce’s cheeks. “The word origins from the Spanish word estibador.”
Dawn looked at Jackson in confusion. “But what would a longshoreman have to do with sex?”
“And it’s time to leave,” Pierce announce suddenly before starting to walk towards the SUV. “It’s been a long day. It’s time for a good steak and a couple of beers.”
Pierce turned around but continued to walk backwards towards the vehicle. “Have a good trip to your new homes, ladies. Jack, tell the kid I said hi.”
“Wait,” Joyce called out as she looked back and forth between Pierce and O’Neill. “Where are we going? How are we getting there?”
Pierce paused in his retreat. “Don’t know,” he admitted, “and honestly the less me and my team know the safer you and your daughter are. But I can tell you one thing… you can trust Jack,” he nodded towards O’Neill, “just as much as you trusted Xander when he was in your life.”
Joyce nodded her head as Pierce climbed into the SUV and drove off.
“Mom?” Dawn said as she gently touched her mother’s arm. “Mom, you ok?”
Joyce turned looked at her youngest as she wiped the tears from her eyes. With a small smile, she said, “I was thinking of Xander… before graduation. How he told me he would protect your sister.”
“Buffy’s an idiot,” Dawn commented as she hugged her mother. “All that hair dye has rotted her brain.”
“Dawn,” Joyce chastised gentle.
“It’s true,” Dawn said as she pulled away from her mother. “She takes after dad. He left a fox like you to play hide the salami with some bimbo who’s young enough to be his own daughter. Buffy’s just as blind and stupid as daddy is.”
Joyce smiled gently as she brushed Dawn’s hair out of her face and tucked it behind the young girl’s ears. “Thanks for the vote of confidence but your father and I had other issues than just that,” Joyce smiled.
“You mean beside his hair loss and the need for a little blue pill,” Dawn suggested.
“Dawn, that’s enough,” Joyce barked at Dawn again.
“It’s time for us to go,” O’Neill stated as he picked up some of the Summer’s luggage from where Pierce’s men had placed them.
“Where’s your car?” Dawn questioned as she looked around for it. “Do we have to walk far?”
“Nope. It’s not far at all,” O’Neill replied with a mischievous grin.
“So it’s over the hill then,” Dawn suggested as she pointed at one of the hills.
“Nope,” O’Neill teased as he gentle pushed Dawn so she was standing next to a blond female soldier. “It’s much closer than that.”
Dawn looked around once again but looking up into the blue sky. “It’s a helicopter, right? It’s going to come in and scoop us off to wherever.”
“Nope but you are getting closer,” O’Neill answered as he moved Mrs. Summers so she was with the group. “Carter.”
Carter fiddled with something and then suddenly five rings, one stacked on top of another appeared around them. There was suddenly a bright light and when the light cleared they found themselves in a military grey room.