Fic: Undertow Rated NC-17 30/30
Nov. 1st, 2008 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
polgara_5Title: Undertow
By: Polgara
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to their respective creators and distributors.
Distribution: My site – Worlds of Possibilities, ff.net, Wormhole Crossing, and TtH.
Spoilers: Everything for Buffy is fair game. Everything up to and including season seven of Stargate SG-1. There will be very specific spoilers for season seven. You have been warned.
Setting: Takes place right after Homecoming of Stargate and three years after Chosen.
Summary: When someone close to Buffy dies, she finds herself on Jack’s doorstep. Before long, events and emotions pull them into something greater than they ever imagined.
A/N: My author notes are here for a reason, please read. If you still ask questions that are answered here, I will not answer them again. Do not beg for updates.
A/N2: I’ve only altered canon slightly. Ignore the whole Jack/Sam thing, it doesn’t exist here. And I’ve created a previous relationship between Buffy and Jack. It will get explained eventually, just be patient.
A/N: So the end... sort of. There will be an epilogue that will be posted next Sunday. Also, this chapter contains smut. Takes place during the first scene and it's obvious where it starts...
Chapter Thirty
The sound of the doors sliding shut barely registered to Buffy's ears as she concentrated solely on the man holding her tightly in his arms. Her mind and soul shone with sudden clarity as to why Jack had revealed that he loved her when he did. No regrets. Not wanting to leave the world knowing you had unfinished business. At the time she wasn't ready to understand. The information that he was about to die was too raw on her nerves.
But now, before he had healed her, all she had wanted was to let him know the truth about her feelings. She wasn't going to let another opportunity pass her by.
Her heart leapt into her throat as she pulled back to look him in the eye. “I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you at your house that day. I was just so scared of losing you. I don't think I've fully healed from losing Dawn and suddenly you were telling me that you were dying.”
Jack's eyes were sorrowful as he reached up to brush the tears off of her cheeks. He shook his head in an effort to argue with her, but the words in English wouldn't come to him.
“I love you,” she said firmly, her voice never wavering. “I've loved you for so long. And no matter what happens, I'm not allowing another second to pass without you knowing the truth. You -”
He closed the distance between them to cover her lips with his own. The pressure was light but enough to reconnect them. His lips were slightly dry from the time spent in the hazmat suit, but they felt like a little piece of heaven to Buffy.
Her eyes, that she didn't remember closing, fluttered open as he broke the kiss. Pure joy twinkled in his own as he smiled at her. “Egoo dilligo vus, quoka,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Despite it being in a foreign language, she understood the sentiment behind them. The unfamiliar words tumbled easily from his lips as if he had always spoken them causing her breath to catch and her heart to swell.
She slanted her mouth over his with more pressure than before and he leaned back to compensate for the sudden weight shift. His lips parted beneath hers and her tongue swooped in to explore the hot cavern of his mouth. Her tongue gently rolled over his own, flicking up to caress the roof of his mouth before pulling back. He tugged her body close to his own as his tongue followed hers.
Buffy felt more tears slip past her lashes because of the perfection she felt in that kiss. It was full of passion and love and a longing that had been abused by their month apart and her foolishness upon her return. She felt her stomach tighten in anticipation of things to come as her own need for him built.
She harshly broke the kiss with a pant as she fumbled with the belt of his hazmat suit. They were always tricky enough to deal with when she was wearing them, but trying to remove Jack's felt like an impossible task without her full attention. She heard the snap of the belt release and nearly giggled out of sudden giddiness.
Jack had already unzipped the top half of the suit and shrugged his arms and shoulders out of it. She slid off his lap as he placed his hands on the floor behind him and lifted his hips so she could shimmy the orange fabric past his hips only to stop once she reached his booted feet. She groaned in frustration at yet another obstacle and began to work feverishly at one knotted boot lace.
“Of all the times to be wearing multiple layers,” she grumbled. A soft chuckle could be heard and she looked up to glare at him. “It's not like we're on a time schedule or anything, but we do have a world to save. You could help,” she said in exasperation.
His playful smirk made her wary and he reached for one of her own feet. Long deft fingers easily worked the laces and slid the heavy black boot off. He tossed it negligently over his shoulder where it banged noisily on the floor and came to rest next to a storage container. He hitched his forefingers under her socks and quickly pulled it off to leave her foot bare to the cool air of the ship. His warm hands kneaded at the sole and she hummed in contentment.
Jack rocked his foot on its booted heel to tap her on the leg pulling her attention back to it. After what seemed an eternity she had freed him of both his footwear and the hideous suit.
As Buffy moved to straddle Jack's lap again and his hands reached out to cup her face, guiding her lips to his for a soft kiss. She let out a small sigh as they met each other halfway. The past month had been hard for her and now even the briefest moment apart seemed to be too much. Her hands grasped his shirt and tugged it out of his belted pants as the intensity of the kiss slowly increased.
Fingers skimmed over the newly exposed skin of his back before pushing the cotton tee up towards his chest. They broke the kiss only long enough to divest him of the shirt before coming back together.
Jack stopped feasting on her lips and his mouth traveled to the smooth skin of her neck. Her back arched to give him better access and as she did, the drying blood on her shirt tugged at the skin underneath.
Growling in frustration, she grasped the hem of her own shirt and yanked it off. Her nose crinkled at the bloody mess left on her stomach and she balled up her shirt to use it to try and wipe it off. The copper smell clung to the back of her throat and for a moment she confused the blood on her hands with Simon's.
Jack's larger hands reached out to cover her own and stilled her suddenly frantic movements. Her pain filled eyes looked into his sympathetic ones as he gently removed the bloody shirt from her hands and set it aside.
His fingers trailed over her toned stomach in a reassuring caress. Gripping her hips, he urged her higher up on her knees and he curved his back in order to place a soft kiss where she had been stabbed. Her eyes slid shut as his ministrations reaffirmed that she was alive and with him.
She was so lost in the sea of feeling from his lips on her body again that she didn't notice he had removed her bra until his teeth tugged at an exposed nipple causing her to gasp in surprise. Heat rushed through her veins as he pulled her back down so her hips were against his own. His mouth latched on to the junction of her neck and shoulders and bit just hard enough to lightly bruise the skin. Her hips jerked in response and her nails raked along the hard muscles of his back.
Buffy's need for him was growing so intense that the pace was too slow for her. Her hands squeezed between their pressed bodies and made short work of his belt and the fastenings on his pants. All the while, her mouth and teeth roved over his skin. She sinuously grounded her hips against his before sliding off his lap once again. With minimal help this time, she shoved the last of his clothing out of her way.
He physically followed her until he was also on his knees, their bodies flush together. Their arms enfolded each other again as their lips met in a bruising kiss. With the agility only a slayer could manage, she pressed off the floor enough to wrap her legs around his waist in one smooth motion.
Jack leaned forward to ease her to the ground, but as he settled over her, she broke the kiss with a hiss. “The rings,” she muttered.
His eyes shifted off of her to see that he had laid her directly onto the transport ring. The metal now digging into her bare back. He gave her an apologetic smile before picking her back up and laying her on the smooth metal surface of the floor.
To Buffy he seemed to be everywhere at once. Blunt teeth nipping at her skin only to be soothed with a kiss. Fingers left trails of heated skin behind as they skimmed over her. Her body tingled and she had never felt more alive.
He undid her cargo pants and slid them down her legs. A whimper of need escaped her lips as his tongue flicked out to tease her sex. He did it again causing her to let out a breathy moan. Her hands reached down and grasped his shoulders. She pulled him back up so their bodies lined up.
Time was running short and she needed him too much. Needed to feel him inside of her. It was doubtful that they would have any time after Jack did whatever it was he needed to do back on Earth. She wanted to be one and complete with him one more time.
Jack hesitated and his eyes looked at her, silently asking for permission. It never failed. Every time they were together he always took a moment to fully ensure she was ready. Whether he was scared of hurting her or if it was just the gentleman in him she never knew. But it made her feel precious and in control. It let her know that their coupling wasn't just about him, but them.
As he slid inside her with nothing between them, Buffy felt her soul come to rest. It didn't matter that they were lying on the floor in the cargo hold of a ship, this was home to her. Anywhere Jack was she would be able to find peace. She raised her head to kiss him fiercely, trying to convey everything she was feeling without words.
His hips began to roll, sliding him in and out of her hot channel. Hands clung to him as he drove deeper and deeper inside of her. Her mouth roved over the skin she could reach, the faint salty tang of sweat mixing with his normal masculine one. Tiny bruises now marred his neck and shoulders, marking him as hers.
One shapely leg wrapped around him and turned them over, causing them to bump into a nearby storage container. They snickered as they moved out of harms way again. While this definitely wouldn't go down as one of their smoothest times together, it was definitely real.
She sat over him, her muscles clenching and releasing around him. His eyes glazed over with passion and his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips. She set a hard, fast pace and his hips rose to meet every stroke.
He sat up and pressed their sweat slicked bodies together. Their cries echoed through the large chamber as the friction and heat between them built. Buffy lost her rhythm as her orgasm crashed through her. Blunt nails dug half-moons into Jack's back as she rode it out, only to have Jack follow along behind her.
Their bodies stilled as they tried to bring their breathing back to normal. She placed a sloppy kiss on his lips and said, “I love you. Don't ever forget.”
“Egoo dilligo vus,” he replied, pushing a lock of her blonde hair off of her forehead.
XXXXXXXX
Buffy frowned at the wires she was twisting together. This was not her forte, but like hell was she going to let Jack out of her sight anytime in the foreseeable future. So when he had started working on the rings she had offered to help. He had mimed every instruction since he had lost the ability to speak English. Even now he rarely spoke at all. She only hoped he knew what he was doing because this was all beyond her.
She tugged absently at Jack's t-shirt that she now wore. Hers was destroyed and the other shirt she had brought was already dirty. Jack had gallantly offered his and now wore his last button down green shirt. It may have seemed silly to others, but wearing the shirt holding his scent comforted her and reminded her that she hadn't screwed things up between them.
Footsteps drawing close caused her to look up to see Teal'c approaching Jack. He had been the only one who hadn't found time earlier to have a private conversation with his friend. Really, she knew she should give them some privacy, but she also knew every second counted with getting the rings ready for whatever Jack had in mind.
“O'Neill, are you preparing a weapon for battle?” Teal'c softly asked.
Jack shook his head and continued fusing circuits. For a moment she was distracted by how attractive he was working with his hands.
“Sensors have detected an armada of Goa'uld mother ships around Earth.” Teal'c's usually unexpressive face grew concerned as Jack continued on with his work. “Can you even understand what I am saying?”
Buffy surreptitiously watched them from the other side of the room. Jack was still able to understand English, but his priority now was saving Earth. The only one around them who understood Ancient was Daniel and he was on the flight deck. Jack had long since stopped talking when he wasn't around.
“O'Neill, I wish for you to know -”
Jack cut him off by turning to look at him and briefly placed a hand on his cheek before moving it to his shoulder. His eyes conveyed that he already knew and nothing needed to be said. Teal'c inclined his head in understanding before rising and leaving Jack to his work pausing only long enough to nod to Buffy before exiting the cargo hold.
A few minutes later, Sam entered and quietly studied Jack's handiwork. Her eyes lit up with sudden understanding. “You're modifying the matter stream transmitter of the rings. Is this how you're planning on breaking through the ice in Antarctica to reach Atlantis?”
Jack ignored her as he moved to another section of the rings.
“Sir?”
“It's useless, Sam,” Buffy spoke up. “He's only speaking Ancient now.”
Sam tilted her head and looked inquireingly at her. “Then how do you know what to do to help?” She asked, indication the wires Buffy was working on.
“He showed me,” she said with a shrug. “There was a lot of pointing, demonstrating, and frustrated sighs. This was the only thing he'd let me do, and personally I think it's really just busy work and has nothing to do with the rings. Your help he could probably use,” she hinted.
She fully understood that standing idly by while others worked was not one of Sam's traits and grinned to herself as she watched Sam try to talk Jack into letting her help.
XXXXXXXX
Buffy braced herself against the wall of the flight deck as the ship rocked while Teal'c did his best to decelerate quickly. It had been a risky move on their part, exiting out of hyperspace so close to the Earth, but it was the safest way to get passed Anubis's fleet in one piece. She eased the tension out of her muscles as the ship leveled off.
“Where now?” Teal'c asked as they flew over the icy wasteland of Antarctica.
“It has to be near the coordinates where we found the second stargate,” Daniel mused looking out the window.
Jack entered from the cargo hold and jogged over to Teal'c. He patted his shoulder a couple of times and Teal'c vacated the pilot's seat so he could sit down.
Buffy had never had the opportunity to watch Jack fly before. She knew that the man she loved had joined the Air Force for the specific purpose of flying. Even now with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, he seemed almost at ease in the chair as he skillfully piloted the cargo ship to their unknown destination.
He positioned the ship in a low hover over the surface before jumping up and running back to the cargo hold. He pressed several buttons on the control panel for the rings, and the ship shuddered as it began emitting a beam towards the surface.
“Sir, how long is this going to take?” Carter asked as she watched steam rise up from below. Jack didn't reply.
“Anubis could not have missed our arrival,” Teal'c said as Bra'tac sat down in the pilot's chair.
“You are correct,” Bra'tac said, checking the displays. “Al'kesh and gliders approach. They will be in firing range in thirty seconds.”
Buffy could feel her stomach twisting into knots. Getting into a firefight while aboard a ship was not something she was familiar with. Especially on a ship that didn't carry any weapons. So much for her being perfectly safe on this mission.
“More ships approaching from the opposite direction,” Bra'tac called out.
Sam turned to the cargo hold. “Sir, we're about to get our a-”
“They are not Goa'uld,” Bra'tac interrupted her with a grin.
Buffy ran forward with Sam to look out the window to see a large ship take position above them and a swarm of smaller ships swooping in to attack.
“It's Prometheus,” Sam explained, turning to grin at her.
A familiar voice came through the comm. “SG-1, this is Hammond on the Prometheus. Do you read?”
“Yes, sir. It's good to see you,” Sam replied.
Buffy turned to check on Jack and saw him in the cargo hold clearing off the transport rings and undoing whatever he had done to it. “I'd say it's almost time to go.” She and the rest of SG-1 went into the hold to gear up.
“How are we getting down there?” Buffy asked, snapping on her vest before reaching for one of the new guns that Sam and her father had designed a few months ago. It was a safe bet that Anubis was going to send his super warriors after them and these were the only thing that could stop them.
“The rings,” Teal'c said calmly as Jack moved the last piece of equipment.
“Makes sense,” Daniel replied with a nod. “The Ancients built the stargates so there must be a set of rings down there somewhere.”
“I guess the transmission beam just couldn't penetrate a mile of ice,” Sam theorized.
“Hence Jack's modifications,” Buffy finished in sudden understanding.
Jack stepped into the center of the rings to join them without a vest or weapon. Before Buffy could comment on it, the rings activated and they found themselves under the surface of ice.
They switched their flashlights on and flicked them around the dark structure. The shafts of light did little to penetrate the shadows but Jack moved easily forward.
“This looks vaguely familiar,” Sam said dryly. Buffy looked over at her in confusion and the Major clarified, “The outpost on the planet was laid out like this.”
“Ah,” Buffy said with a nod before returning to her study of the structure.
Jack led them over to an upright capsule. He reached out to touch it and said, “Dolmata.”
“Sleep,” Daniel translated for them.
A high pitched ringing noise assaulted their ears and they moved to investigate. They entered another chamber to find Anubis waiting in front of a slightly raised dais with a chair on it. All but Buffy raised their weapons, instead she shifted her posture so she'd be ready to move at a moments notice.
“You are too late,” Anubis' voice echoed hollowly. “The power of the Ancients is mine.”
Jack tilted his head slightly and took several easy steps forward to reach the figure. He paused to consider Anubis for a moment and then walked right through him causing the hologram to disappear. The team lowered their weapons once they realized there was no threat.
Still calm, but serious, he went to one side of the dais and knelt down. He waved his hand over the surface and a dark oblong object rose up. Sam stepped forward and took the bag she brought off of her shoulder. From it she pulled out a similar object only this one glowed faintly with a greenish-yellow light.
“Power supply,” she explained to Buffy as Jack traded them out. “Somehow he knew this one was depleted and that we'd have to retrieve a new one.”
The sound of the rings being activated in the other chamber could be heard and they moved to the doorway to see two of Anubis's super soldiers appear. Buffy gave Sam a slight push. “Go, I'll stay here with Jack in case they get through.”
Sam nodded and pulled out her weapon and went to return fire. SG-1 took up defensive positions and prepared to buy Jack the time he needed.
By the time Buffy turned back around, Jack had taken a seat in the large metal chair. The entire dais was suddenly illuminated with a pale blue light from underneath. He rested his hands at the end of the arms and it reclined on its own. Jack's eyes slid shut and his fingers manipulated what looked like a gel pad as a white light shone down on him from above.
The ground shook and cracked in the other chamber as SG-1 finished dispatching the last of the super soldiers. Buffy rushed to the doorway to see the floor cave in on one side of the room and a light began shining from it. Squid like figures flew up from the floor and the up the hole they had dug to use to the rings. They glowed yellow and there seemed to be an endless stream of them as SG-1 watched them fly past.
Eventually they stopped coming and Buffy turned back to Jack. He was still illuminated and his face was screwed up in concentration. Buffy could only guess that he was controlling whatever those things were and hopefully destroying Anubis's fleet. Otherwise this would have all been for nothing and Jack's sacrifice would have been in vain. Behind her the team returned to the chamber, but they kept a wary eye on the rings.
Her eyes never left Jack's face so she was the first to notice when the light died and his head lolled to the side. She ran to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “Hey, you. I think you did it.” When he didn't respond she gently patted his cheek to get his attention. “Jack? Come on, Jack. Don't leave me now.”
He wearily opened his eyes and his mouth moved several times before sound successfully came out. “Dolmata,” he whispered.
“That thing,” Daniel spoke up, referring to the capsule Jack had pointed out when they had first arrived.
“But what does it do?” Buffy tearfully asked, her gaze never leaving Jack.
“I don't know, but I'm positive he pointed it out for a reason.”
Teal'c came up to stand next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Buffy Summers, it may be his only chance.”
She nodded and placed a soft kiss on Jack's lips before stepping back so that the large man could pick Jack up in his arms. He carried him over to the capsule and stood him up inside of it. The technology lit up once Teal'c stepped out.
“Now what?” Sam asked as Buffy moved to stand in front of Jack as they stayed behind her.
“Aveo amacus,” Jack said softly.
“Goodbye,” Daniel translated.
Jack's eyes dropped to Buffy. “Egoo dilligo vus.” Then the capsule filled with what looked like ice. He was frozen in place, still gazing down at her.
“I love you,” Daniel nearly whispered.
Buffy rested her head against the cool, flat surface and whispered, “I love you, too.”
“We can't just leave him here like this,” Sam said, her voice choked with emotion. “There has to be someway to reverse the process. The answer has to be here somewhere.”
“I don't think this is it, Sam,” Daniel said sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“The place is too small. It's like Taonas. It's obviously not a city, just an outpost of some kind.”
“This isn't Atlantis?”
“I don't think so.”
“If this is not the Lost City then where is it?” Teal'c asked.
Daniel didn't answer as he watched Buffy slide to the ground leaning against the capsule. Her shoulders shook with her soft sobs and he only hoped that Jack's sacrifice was worth it.
By: Polgara
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own none of the recognizable characters. They belong to their respective creators and distributors.
Distribution: My site – Worlds of Possibilities, ff.net, Wormhole Crossing, and TtH.
Spoilers: Everything for Buffy is fair game. Everything up to and including season seven of Stargate SG-1. There will be very specific spoilers for season seven. You have been warned.
Setting: Takes place right after Homecoming of Stargate and three years after Chosen.
Summary: When someone close to Buffy dies, she finds herself on Jack’s doorstep. Before long, events and emotions pull them into something greater than they ever imagined.
A/N: My author notes are here for a reason, please read. If you still ask questions that are answered here, I will not answer them again. Do not beg for updates.
A/N2: I’ve only altered canon slightly. Ignore the whole Jack/Sam thing, it doesn’t exist here. And I’ve created a previous relationship between Buffy and Jack. It will get explained eventually, just be patient.
A/N: So the end... sort of. There will be an epilogue that will be posted next Sunday. Also, this chapter contains smut. Takes place during the first scene and it's obvious where it starts...
Chapter Thirty
The sound of the doors sliding shut barely registered to Buffy's ears as she concentrated solely on the man holding her tightly in his arms. Her mind and soul shone with sudden clarity as to why Jack had revealed that he loved her when he did. No regrets. Not wanting to leave the world knowing you had unfinished business. At the time she wasn't ready to understand. The information that he was about to die was too raw on her nerves.
But now, before he had healed her, all she had wanted was to let him know the truth about her feelings. She wasn't going to let another opportunity pass her by.
Her heart leapt into her throat as she pulled back to look him in the eye. “I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you at your house that day. I was just so scared of losing you. I don't think I've fully healed from losing Dawn and suddenly you were telling me that you were dying.”
Jack's eyes were sorrowful as he reached up to brush the tears off of her cheeks. He shook his head in an effort to argue with her, but the words in English wouldn't come to him.
“I love you,” she said firmly, her voice never wavering. “I've loved you for so long. And no matter what happens, I'm not allowing another second to pass without you knowing the truth. You -”
He closed the distance between them to cover her lips with his own. The pressure was light but enough to reconnect them. His lips were slightly dry from the time spent in the hazmat suit, but they felt like a little piece of heaven to Buffy.
Her eyes, that she didn't remember closing, fluttered open as he broke the kiss. Pure joy twinkled in his own as he smiled at her. “Egoo dilligo vus, quoka,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Despite it being in a foreign language, she understood the sentiment behind them. The unfamiliar words tumbled easily from his lips as if he had always spoken them causing her breath to catch and her heart to swell.
She slanted her mouth over his with more pressure than before and he leaned back to compensate for the sudden weight shift. His lips parted beneath hers and her tongue swooped in to explore the hot cavern of his mouth. Her tongue gently rolled over his own, flicking up to caress the roof of his mouth before pulling back. He tugged her body close to his own as his tongue followed hers.
Buffy felt more tears slip past her lashes because of the perfection she felt in that kiss. It was full of passion and love and a longing that had been abused by their month apart and her foolishness upon her return. She felt her stomach tighten in anticipation of things to come as her own need for him built.
She harshly broke the kiss with a pant as she fumbled with the belt of his hazmat suit. They were always tricky enough to deal with when she was wearing them, but trying to remove Jack's felt like an impossible task without her full attention. She heard the snap of the belt release and nearly giggled out of sudden giddiness.
Jack had already unzipped the top half of the suit and shrugged his arms and shoulders out of it. She slid off his lap as he placed his hands on the floor behind him and lifted his hips so she could shimmy the orange fabric past his hips only to stop once she reached his booted feet. She groaned in frustration at yet another obstacle and began to work feverishly at one knotted boot lace.
“Of all the times to be wearing multiple layers,” she grumbled. A soft chuckle could be heard and she looked up to glare at him. “It's not like we're on a time schedule or anything, but we do have a world to save. You could help,” she said in exasperation.
His playful smirk made her wary and he reached for one of her own feet. Long deft fingers easily worked the laces and slid the heavy black boot off. He tossed it negligently over his shoulder where it banged noisily on the floor and came to rest next to a storage container. He hitched his forefingers under her socks and quickly pulled it off to leave her foot bare to the cool air of the ship. His warm hands kneaded at the sole and she hummed in contentment.
Jack rocked his foot on its booted heel to tap her on the leg pulling her attention back to it. After what seemed an eternity she had freed him of both his footwear and the hideous suit.
As Buffy moved to straddle Jack's lap again and his hands reached out to cup her face, guiding her lips to his for a soft kiss. She let out a small sigh as they met each other halfway. The past month had been hard for her and now even the briefest moment apart seemed to be too much. Her hands grasped his shirt and tugged it out of his belted pants as the intensity of the kiss slowly increased.
Fingers skimmed over the newly exposed skin of his back before pushing the cotton tee up towards his chest. They broke the kiss only long enough to divest him of the shirt before coming back together.
Jack stopped feasting on her lips and his mouth traveled to the smooth skin of her neck. Her back arched to give him better access and as she did, the drying blood on her shirt tugged at the skin underneath.
Growling in frustration, she grasped the hem of her own shirt and yanked it off. Her nose crinkled at the bloody mess left on her stomach and she balled up her shirt to use it to try and wipe it off. The copper smell clung to the back of her throat and for a moment she confused the blood on her hands with Simon's.
Jack's larger hands reached out to cover her own and stilled her suddenly frantic movements. Her pain filled eyes looked into his sympathetic ones as he gently removed the bloody shirt from her hands and set it aside.
His fingers trailed over her toned stomach in a reassuring caress. Gripping her hips, he urged her higher up on her knees and he curved his back in order to place a soft kiss where she had been stabbed. Her eyes slid shut as his ministrations reaffirmed that she was alive and with him.
She was so lost in the sea of feeling from his lips on her body again that she didn't notice he had removed her bra until his teeth tugged at an exposed nipple causing her to gasp in surprise. Heat rushed through her veins as he pulled her back down so her hips were against his own. His mouth latched on to the junction of her neck and shoulders and bit just hard enough to lightly bruise the skin. Her hips jerked in response and her nails raked along the hard muscles of his back.
Buffy's need for him was growing so intense that the pace was too slow for her. Her hands squeezed between their pressed bodies and made short work of his belt and the fastenings on his pants. All the while, her mouth and teeth roved over his skin. She sinuously grounded her hips against his before sliding off his lap once again. With minimal help this time, she shoved the last of his clothing out of her way.
He physically followed her until he was also on his knees, their bodies flush together. Their arms enfolded each other again as their lips met in a bruising kiss. With the agility only a slayer could manage, she pressed off the floor enough to wrap her legs around his waist in one smooth motion.
Jack leaned forward to ease her to the ground, but as he settled over her, she broke the kiss with a hiss. “The rings,” she muttered.
His eyes shifted off of her to see that he had laid her directly onto the transport ring. The metal now digging into her bare back. He gave her an apologetic smile before picking her back up and laying her on the smooth metal surface of the floor.
To Buffy he seemed to be everywhere at once. Blunt teeth nipping at her skin only to be soothed with a kiss. Fingers left trails of heated skin behind as they skimmed over her. Her body tingled and she had never felt more alive.
He undid her cargo pants and slid them down her legs. A whimper of need escaped her lips as his tongue flicked out to tease her sex. He did it again causing her to let out a breathy moan. Her hands reached down and grasped his shoulders. She pulled him back up so their bodies lined up.
Time was running short and she needed him too much. Needed to feel him inside of her. It was doubtful that they would have any time after Jack did whatever it was he needed to do back on Earth. She wanted to be one and complete with him one more time.
Jack hesitated and his eyes looked at her, silently asking for permission. It never failed. Every time they were together he always took a moment to fully ensure she was ready. Whether he was scared of hurting her or if it was just the gentleman in him she never knew. But it made her feel precious and in control. It let her know that their coupling wasn't just about him, but them.
As he slid inside her with nothing between them, Buffy felt her soul come to rest. It didn't matter that they were lying on the floor in the cargo hold of a ship, this was home to her. Anywhere Jack was she would be able to find peace. She raised her head to kiss him fiercely, trying to convey everything she was feeling without words.
His hips began to roll, sliding him in and out of her hot channel. Hands clung to him as he drove deeper and deeper inside of her. Her mouth roved over the skin she could reach, the faint salty tang of sweat mixing with his normal masculine one. Tiny bruises now marred his neck and shoulders, marking him as hers.
One shapely leg wrapped around him and turned them over, causing them to bump into a nearby storage container. They snickered as they moved out of harms way again. While this definitely wouldn't go down as one of their smoothest times together, it was definitely real.
She sat over him, her muscles clenching and releasing around him. His eyes glazed over with passion and his fingers dug into the soft flesh of her hips. She set a hard, fast pace and his hips rose to meet every stroke.
He sat up and pressed their sweat slicked bodies together. Their cries echoed through the large chamber as the friction and heat between them built. Buffy lost her rhythm as her orgasm crashed through her. Blunt nails dug half-moons into Jack's back as she rode it out, only to have Jack follow along behind her.
Their bodies stilled as they tried to bring their breathing back to normal. She placed a sloppy kiss on his lips and said, “I love you. Don't ever forget.”
“Egoo dilligo vus,” he replied, pushing a lock of her blonde hair off of her forehead.
XXXXXXXX
Buffy frowned at the wires she was twisting together. This was not her forte, but like hell was she going to let Jack out of her sight anytime in the foreseeable future. So when he had started working on the rings she had offered to help. He had mimed every instruction since he had lost the ability to speak English. Even now he rarely spoke at all. She only hoped he knew what he was doing because this was all beyond her.
She tugged absently at Jack's t-shirt that she now wore. Hers was destroyed and the other shirt she had brought was already dirty. Jack had gallantly offered his and now wore his last button down green shirt. It may have seemed silly to others, but wearing the shirt holding his scent comforted her and reminded her that she hadn't screwed things up between them.
Footsteps drawing close caused her to look up to see Teal'c approaching Jack. He had been the only one who hadn't found time earlier to have a private conversation with his friend. Really, she knew she should give them some privacy, but she also knew every second counted with getting the rings ready for whatever Jack had in mind.
“O'Neill, are you preparing a weapon for battle?” Teal'c softly asked.
Jack shook his head and continued fusing circuits. For a moment she was distracted by how attractive he was working with his hands.
“Sensors have detected an armada of Goa'uld mother ships around Earth.” Teal'c's usually unexpressive face grew concerned as Jack continued on with his work. “Can you even understand what I am saying?”
Buffy surreptitiously watched them from the other side of the room. Jack was still able to understand English, but his priority now was saving Earth. The only one around them who understood Ancient was Daniel and he was on the flight deck. Jack had long since stopped talking when he wasn't around.
“O'Neill, I wish for you to know -”
Jack cut him off by turning to look at him and briefly placed a hand on his cheek before moving it to his shoulder. His eyes conveyed that he already knew and nothing needed to be said. Teal'c inclined his head in understanding before rising and leaving Jack to his work pausing only long enough to nod to Buffy before exiting the cargo hold.
A few minutes later, Sam entered and quietly studied Jack's handiwork. Her eyes lit up with sudden understanding. “You're modifying the matter stream transmitter of the rings. Is this how you're planning on breaking through the ice in Antarctica to reach Atlantis?”
Jack ignored her as he moved to another section of the rings.
“Sir?”
“It's useless, Sam,” Buffy spoke up. “He's only speaking Ancient now.”
Sam tilted her head and looked inquireingly at her. “Then how do you know what to do to help?” She asked, indication the wires Buffy was working on.
“He showed me,” she said with a shrug. “There was a lot of pointing, demonstrating, and frustrated sighs. This was the only thing he'd let me do, and personally I think it's really just busy work and has nothing to do with the rings. Your help he could probably use,” she hinted.
She fully understood that standing idly by while others worked was not one of Sam's traits and grinned to herself as she watched Sam try to talk Jack into letting her help.
XXXXXXXX
Buffy braced herself against the wall of the flight deck as the ship rocked while Teal'c did his best to decelerate quickly. It had been a risky move on their part, exiting out of hyperspace so close to the Earth, but it was the safest way to get passed Anubis's fleet in one piece. She eased the tension out of her muscles as the ship leveled off.
“Where now?” Teal'c asked as they flew over the icy wasteland of Antarctica.
“It has to be near the coordinates where we found the second stargate,” Daniel mused looking out the window.
Jack entered from the cargo hold and jogged over to Teal'c. He patted his shoulder a couple of times and Teal'c vacated the pilot's seat so he could sit down.
Buffy had never had the opportunity to watch Jack fly before. She knew that the man she loved had joined the Air Force for the specific purpose of flying. Even now with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, he seemed almost at ease in the chair as he skillfully piloted the cargo ship to their unknown destination.
He positioned the ship in a low hover over the surface before jumping up and running back to the cargo hold. He pressed several buttons on the control panel for the rings, and the ship shuddered as it began emitting a beam towards the surface.
“Sir, how long is this going to take?” Carter asked as she watched steam rise up from below. Jack didn't reply.
“Anubis could not have missed our arrival,” Teal'c said as Bra'tac sat down in the pilot's chair.
“You are correct,” Bra'tac said, checking the displays. “Al'kesh and gliders approach. They will be in firing range in thirty seconds.”
Buffy could feel her stomach twisting into knots. Getting into a firefight while aboard a ship was not something she was familiar with. Especially on a ship that didn't carry any weapons. So much for her being perfectly safe on this mission.
“More ships approaching from the opposite direction,” Bra'tac called out.
Sam turned to the cargo hold. “Sir, we're about to get our a-”
“They are not Goa'uld,” Bra'tac interrupted her with a grin.
Buffy ran forward with Sam to look out the window to see a large ship take position above them and a swarm of smaller ships swooping in to attack.
“It's Prometheus,” Sam explained, turning to grin at her.
A familiar voice came through the comm. “SG-1, this is Hammond on the Prometheus. Do you read?”
“Yes, sir. It's good to see you,” Sam replied.
Buffy turned to check on Jack and saw him in the cargo hold clearing off the transport rings and undoing whatever he had done to it. “I'd say it's almost time to go.” She and the rest of SG-1 went into the hold to gear up.
“How are we getting down there?” Buffy asked, snapping on her vest before reaching for one of the new guns that Sam and her father had designed a few months ago. It was a safe bet that Anubis was going to send his super warriors after them and these were the only thing that could stop them.
“The rings,” Teal'c said calmly as Jack moved the last piece of equipment.
“Makes sense,” Daniel replied with a nod. “The Ancients built the stargates so there must be a set of rings down there somewhere.”
“I guess the transmission beam just couldn't penetrate a mile of ice,” Sam theorized.
“Hence Jack's modifications,” Buffy finished in sudden understanding.
Jack stepped into the center of the rings to join them without a vest or weapon. Before Buffy could comment on it, the rings activated and they found themselves under the surface of ice.
They switched their flashlights on and flicked them around the dark structure. The shafts of light did little to penetrate the shadows but Jack moved easily forward.
“This looks vaguely familiar,” Sam said dryly. Buffy looked over at her in confusion and the Major clarified, “The outpost on the planet was laid out like this.”
“Ah,” Buffy said with a nod before returning to her study of the structure.
Jack led them over to an upright capsule. He reached out to touch it and said, “Dolmata.”
“Sleep,” Daniel translated for them.
A high pitched ringing noise assaulted their ears and they moved to investigate. They entered another chamber to find Anubis waiting in front of a slightly raised dais with a chair on it. All but Buffy raised their weapons, instead she shifted her posture so she'd be ready to move at a moments notice.
“You are too late,” Anubis' voice echoed hollowly. “The power of the Ancients is mine.”
Jack tilted his head slightly and took several easy steps forward to reach the figure. He paused to consider Anubis for a moment and then walked right through him causing the hologram to disappear. The team lowered their weapons once they realized there was no threat.
Still calm, but serious, he went to one side of the dais and knelt down. He waved his hand over the surface and a dark oblong object rose up. Sam stepped forward and took the bag she brought off of her shoulder. From it she pulled out a similar object only this one glowed faintly with a greenish-yellow light.
“Power supply,” she explained to Buffy as Jack traded them out. “Somehow he knew this one was depleted and that we'd have to retrieve a new one.”
The sound of the rings being activated in the other chamber could be heard and they moved to the doorway to see two of Anubis's super soldiers appear. Buffy gave Sam a slight push. “Go, I'll stay here with Jack in case they get through.”
Sam nodded and pulled out her weapon and went to return fire. SG-1 took up defensive positions and prepared to buy Jack the time he needed.
By the time Buffy turned back around, Jack had taken a seat in the large metal chair. The entire dais was suddenly illuminated with a pale blue light from underneath. He rested his hands at the end of the arms and it reclined on its own. Jack's eyes slid shut and his fingers manipulated what looked like a gel pad as a white light shone down on him from above.
The ground shook and cracked in the other chamber as SG-1 finished dispatching the last of the super soldiers. Buffy rushed to the doorway to see the floor cave in on one side of the room and a light began shining from it. Squid like figures flew up from the floor and the up the hole they had dug to use to the rings. They glowed yellow and there seemed to be an endless stream of them as SG-1 watched them fly past.
Eventually they stopped coming and Buffy turned back to Jack. He was still illuminated and his face was screwed up in concentration. Buffy could only guess that he was controlling whatever those things were and hopefully destroying Anubis's fleet. Otherwise this would have all been for nothing and Jack's sacrifice would have been in vain. Behind her the team returned to the chamber, but they kept a wary eye on the rings.
Her eyes never left Jack's face so she was the first to notice when the light died and his head lolled to the side. She ran to him and placed a hand on his cheek. “Hey, you. I think you did it.” When he didn't respond she gently patted his cheek to get his attention. “Jack? Come on, Jack. Don't leave me now.”
He wearily opened his eyes and his mouth moved several times before sound successfully came out. “Dolmata,” he whispered.
“That thing,” Daniel spoke up, referring to the capsule Jack had pointed out when they had first arrived.
“But what does it do?” Buffy tearfully asked, her gaze never leaving Jack.
“I don't know, but I'm positive he pointed it out for a reason.”
Teal'c came up to stand next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Buffy Summers, it may be his only chance.”
She nodded and placed a soft kiss on Jack's lips before stepping back so that the large man could pick Jack up in his arms. He carried him over to the capsule and stood him up inside of it. The technology lit up once Teal'c stepped out.
“Now what?” Sam asked as Buffy moved to stand in front of Jack as they stayed behind her.
“Aveo amacus,” Jack said softly.
“Goodbye,” Daniel translated.
Jack's eyes dropped to Buffy. “Egoo dilligo vus.” Then the capsule filled with what looked like ice. He was frozen in place, still gazing down at her.
“I love you,” Daniel nearly whispered.
Buffy rested her head against the cool, flat surface and whispered, “I love you, too.”
“We can't just leave him here like this,” Sam said, her voice choked with emotion. “There has to be someway to reverse the process. The answer has to be here somewhere.”
“I don't think this is it, Sam,” Daniel said sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“The place is too small. It's like Taonas. It's obviously not a city, just an outpost of some kind.”
“This isn't Atlantis?”
“I don't think so.”
“If this is not the Lost City then where is it?” Teal'c asked.
Daniel didn't answer as he watched Buffy slide to the ground leaning against the capsule. Her shoulders shook with her soft sobs and he only hoped that Jack's sacrifice was worth it.
