chapter 3

Xander waved as the Bronco carrying Andrew and Dawn backed out of the driveway Sunday evening. Back to their apartment near the college campus, with clothes freshly laundered, canned and dry goods raided from Xander’s pantry, along with every scrap of cash Xander had had in the house. Xander had complained loudly that they both had generous spending allowances and he saw their rent and utilities paid, they didn’t need to rob him too. Dawn impishly insisted shaking down the parents for cash--or in their case Xander--was what they were supposed to do besides; they needed the extra money for Christmas shopping. Christmas was only three weeks away.

He hated to see them go, but they were safe. No demons. Just normal earth hazards that were unavoidable. Aliens at least were on another planet. Except for that one Sam Carter had told him about--the one out in LA that was involved with the TV show Wormhole X-treme, and of course Cassie Fraiser and Teal’c.

He headed back into the house and gave everything a last once over. Windows all locked, several had been opened due to Dawn’s attempt at making spaghetti. They had been lucky one of the neighbors hadn’t called the fire department with all the smoke that had been pouring out of the kitchen. Everything picked up and put away, plants watered--all three of them that Dawn insisted on--timers set on the lights. Once he was certain everything was in order for his planned four-day mission off world he headed for bed.

He stopped cold in his bedroom doorway with the utterly bizarre realization that he had just double-checked the house would be set--while he was going to be off the freaking planet!

"Soddin’ hell," Xander murmured, using one of Spike’s favorite sayings.

~~*~~~*~~

"Where’s Daniel?" Jack O’Neill demanded exasperated.

"He forgot his allergy pills in his office," Xander offered.

Jack rolled his eyes. For a genius who could remember massive amounts of languages and obscure facts and myths, there were days Daniel would forget his head if it wasn’t attached.

Xander began checking his gear. Zat. P90. K-bar knife. Extra clips.

"This is a milk run kid. Uninhabited planet. Rocks and more rocks--of the moldy cave drawing and the mineral bearing types." Jack said with a grin. "Relax."

Xander snorted. "Famous last words."

Jack gave him a worried look.

"Paranoia has kept me alive this long, it’s not the gate. This is just--normal," Xander offered with a shrug.

Jack’s worried look lessened slightly and Xander’s triple-check of his weaponry dismissed from his attention by Daniel rushing into the embarkation room with a file folder nearly walking into one of the SF’s on guard duty in the room.

"Daniel, fer cryin out loud!"

"There was something bugging me about that one pictogram--"

"Daniel," Jack glared warningly.

Daniel sighed and shoved the file folder into his pack. He could compare the translations on the planet.

"SG-1, you have a go." General Hammond announced.

~~*~~

"This is a milk run," Xander snorted. C’mon, Soldier, help out here. Xander griped silently at one of his ‘collection’ and aimed his zat yet again. This time he actually hit his target. The Jaffa went down.

Jack gave Xander a dirty look and zatted two more Jaffa. "Well, it was supposed to be!" Jack snapped at the younger man. "CARTER, TEAL’C, DANNY, ANSWER DAMMIT!!" Jack shouted into his walkie talkie.

"We’re under fire, Jack" crackled from the device. Daniel’s voice and the crackly woosh of zat fire, as well as some explosions. of zat hitting rocks or something

"So are we!" Jack bellowed back.

Xander pulled off three more shots. Two hit their mark. Four more shots got the last of the group they’d run into.

"XANDER!" Jack hissed loudly, as the younger man jumped from behind the trees they were using for cover and went to check the bodies. "XANDER!"

Crackle…crackle…"Jack?"….crackle.

"Where are you?" Jack asked.

"Near"…….crackle….crackle….explosion….crackle…"the ruins, about fifteen twenty"…..crackle crackle "from the gate"

"Which way from the gate, repeat, which way from the gate"

Crackle……hiss…crackle…..crackle….hiss-crackle-hiss.

"REPEAT WHICH WAY FROM THE GATE"

Crackle…… crackle "West"

"We’re going to head that way. Hang in there"

Crackle….crackle…..crackle….."Will do over"

"XANDER!!" Jack shouted. "Aw fer cryin out loud what the hell are you doin?"

Jack stared in disbelief at the quick work the younger man had made of the Jaffa A pile of staff weapons zatted into oblivion, save for two, one of which was tossed in Jack’s direction. Two of the Jaffa had carried supply packs. Those dumped. Anything that was not food thrown back into the bags with zats and knives.

"Here." Xander tossed one bag at Jack and got out his knife, slicing off each of the Jaffa’s boots and zatting them into nothingness when he was done.

Granted, unarmed and barefoot this particular bunch weren’t likely to be too much more of a problem--and probably wouldn’t live long after giving the report to whichever snake they answered too--but… "What possessed you to do that?"

"Habit" Xander said with a shrug.

"Let’s move" Jack ordered, no time to get into odd habits now.



Part 2
Part 4