Disclaimers:

I own nothing and no one. Therefore, no profit has been or will ever be made from this story. 'Nuff said.

Spoilers: None, well maybe a little of if you haven't watch either show. If you have, then you'll recognize the episodes. If you haven't, then it won't matter anyway. Takes place after the collapse of Sunnydale (Buffy) and the battle over the Atlantis Outpost (SG-1). O'Neill is still in the sleeping chamber and Carter has been promoted to Colonel and given command of SG-1. Anubis is dead and his Lieutenants have taken control divided his armada and territories.

Rated: 18, possibly 21. Things are bound to happen in this story that are not for tender eyes. If this describes you, don't read it.

Anything I've missed (disclaimer related) I can't think of it at the moment, but it still applies.

Special Thanks to IceFlame55. He's not only the best beta-reader I've had the opportunity to work with, but he practically helped me write the story. At least half the credit goes to him.

Rise of the Phoenix

By Gypsy Druid

Prologue

'Something bad is coming.' Buffy thought, not for the first time, as she patrolled through Sunnydale. Every night she saw that more and more houses looked abandoned. Something bad was coming. So bad that even Sunnydale's uber-strong sense of denial wasn't, for lack of a better word, strong enough, and the people were hauling ass out of town at an ever growing rate. 'God, soon there's not going to be anybody left. Even the demons are running.'

Sighing, she made her way home. As she approached the gate, her sensitive hearing picked up the sound of unfamiliar voices, and one voice that was as familiar as her own. She hurried up the drive with a huge smile. "Giles."

She walked into the house, the backed out to make sure it was her house. Yep, it was her house. So why was it filled with teenagers?

"Giles?" Buffy shouted over the noise. "Dawn?"

"Buffy." Giles greeted, coming out of the kitchen. "Dawn went to the store with Willow."

Buffy could barely hear him. As soon as he appeared, the girls began bombarding him with questions, each trying to be heard over the others. "All right! Everyone SHUT UP!!!"

There was instant silence, then a brunette pushed herself to stand in front over Buffy, obviously trying to intimidate the shorter blonde. "Who are you, and what makes you think you can tell us what to do?"

Buffy was almost amused by the posturing. Almost. "I'm the owner of this house who's about to kick your ass out if you don't shut the fuck up."

"Kennedy, ladies, this is Buffy Summers, the Slayer." Giles introduced. "Buffy, this is Kennedy, Vi and Amanda. They're Potentials."

"Potential what?" Buffy asked.

"Slayers." Kennedy sneered. "We're the next generation."

"Something or someone is trying to kill them." Giles finally said when Buffy simply ignored Kennedy's presence.

"Gee, I can't imagine why." Buffy said sarcastically. "Cause she just inspires love and devotion wherever she goes."

"Kennedy, enough." Giles interjected when the girl opened her mouth to reply. "Buffy, can we speak in the kitchen. Privately." This last was said when the Kennedy moved to follow them. Vi and Amanda merely sat on the couch and turned on the television.

The Slayer and her Watcher walked into the kitchen, and out the back door after Buffy grabbed a bottle of water. "Giles, what is going on?"

"As I said, something or someone is trying to kill them. Something is trying to destroy both the Slayer line and the Watchers Council. The Council building in England was blown up a few days ago, as were several safehouses where Potentials lived and trained with their assigned Watchers. I've sent word through our channels for the remaining Watchers to track down what's left of the Slayer Potentials and send them here."

"Here? Why?"

"It was either send them to you or send them to Faith." Giles said reasonably. "And I don't think they really need to be introduced to the California Penal System just yet."

"This is a bad idea, Giles." Buffy told him, running a hand through her hair. "Something really, really bad is coming. Did you notice the empty houses around town? People are running, Giles, actually leaving Sunnydale. This is not a good place to bring people you're trying to keep safe."

"Maybe, but they will be safer here than anywhere else."

Buffy sighed. "What do you know?"

"Something has the Coven in Devon in an uproar. They were already looking into it when the Council Building blew up. It was they who warned me that the Slayer and Watcher lines were in danger. Alanna, the Head of the Coven, actually saved my life when someone tried to kill me in my apartment."

"Giles, we're back!" Dawn yelled before Buffy could respond. "We've got the basics, and Chinese."

Buffy smiled. "C'mon, Watcher-mine, let's get something to eat before it's all gone."

"Buffy, I got your favorite." Dawn greeted her sister. "You're too, Giles. There's extra fried rice and lo mien in those containers and egg rolls and fortune cookies in those." She told them, pointing to the indicated cartons. "Xander and Anya will be here in about an hour."

Everyone got their food and dug in. The Potentials, including Kennedy, wisely kept quiet. As Giles continued to fill Buffy in on what had been happening. When Xander and Anya arrived, Willow gave them the highlights.

"So, what do you want us to do, Buff?" Xander asked. "Sounds like you're about to have a full house."

"We need to make room for the people coming." Buffy began thoughtfully. "Dawn and I can clean out the attic. Willow and Anya can clear out the master bedroom, if you guys don't mind. Dawn and I will do our own rooms. You three get the basement. Xander, can you go to the mall and get some of sleeping bags?"

"Sure." Xander answered. "I've got an air mattress in my parents basement that Jesse used to use. I'll bring that too."

Buffy nodded. "We'll put everything in storage in LA except for the essentials. We don't know exactly how bad it's gonna get, but with people actually bailing on Sunnydale, I'd rather not take any chances. Will, Xander, you might want to think about cleaning out your places too, just in case. Giles, you call the Coven and see if they've found anything." Giles nodded, and Buffy finally turned her attention to the Potentials. "I'm telling you this now, and I'm telling it only once. I know what's in my basement, and what condition it's in. If anything is damaged or missing, you'll find yourselves waiting for whomever it is trying to kill you, in the ER. Got me?"

They nodded, even Kennedy after a small stare down where Buffy released her hold on the Slayer enough to make the girl swallow in fear.

- - - BtVS - - SG-1 - - -

"God, Buffy, when was the last time somebody was up here?" Dawn asked, waving a hand to dispel the dust that had exploded in her face when she yanked opened the top drawer of the file cabinet.

"Ice skates." Buffy answered, going through a trunk in the far corner.

"Oh, yeah." They had come up with their mother to pack away their ice skates when Hank had cancelled their trip to the Ice Show on Buffy's sixteenth birthday. When he also cancelled on Dawn's birthday and Christmas, the Summers women finally gave up on him. They accepted his apologies and rare phone calls, but no longer tried to make him a part of their lives. "Oh, my God, Buffy, look at this."

"What is it?" Buffy made her way over. Dawn didn't answer, instead handing her what looked like legal documents. Skimming over it, she looked up at her sister in shock. There were adoption papers for a newborn baby girl. Elizabeth Anne Carter. "I'm adopted?"

Dawn just stared, not knowing what to say. As Buffy sat on the floor reading through the forms, the silence became too much and Dawn turned back to the file cabinet to continued packing the papers. Finally, Buffy spoke. "Dawn, want to do me a favor?"

"Depends on the favor." Came Dawn's favorite response.

"Run this folder over to the Magic Box and make a copy of everything when you take that box down. I want to finish going through it, but I also want to get this stuff into storage."

"Actually, this is the last box of papers and small stuff, so can I just call it a day? We've been working all morning and it's almost four in the afternoon."

"I'm sorry, Dawnie." Buffy apologized, startled at the time. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late. How about this? We'll both call it and head out to the Magic Box with the others. I'll spring for pizzas and wings for dinner for everyone."

"I heard that." Xander's head popped up. "I was just coming to tell you that we were all quitting on grounds of inhumane working conditions. In other words, we're starving. Now, I'm going to give everyone the good news.

He was gone before either sister could respond. Hearing the cheers below, Dawn smirked at Buffy. "I guess that's our cue to get a move on, huh?"

"That would be a yes." Buffy smirked back.

- - - BtVS - - SG-1 - - -

At the pizza place, the separated into groups to accommodate the booths. The Scoobies, plus Anya, sat in one booth while Dawn and the Potentials sat a few booths away. From what Buffy could see and hear, Dawn was getting along well with Vi and Amanda, but Kennedy continued to hold herself aloof from the group.

"So, Giles, what's up with mini-Cordelia?" Buffy finally asked.

Xander snapped his fingers. "I knew she reminded me of someone."

Giles sighed and removed his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Ah, yes, well Kennedy has led a rather privileged life. She could not be removed from her parents because her family had the resources, connections and influence to successfully track her down. Instead, her Watcher was integrated into the family's work staff. When her parents were killed, her Watcher continued to treat her with the respect due to her family name, and I'm afraid that has given her a rather elitist opinion of herself. Her Watcher constantly told her that she would be the 'Greatest Slayer in History' and she has taken it to heart."

"Well, she's going to find herself thrown off that pedestal she's put herself on real fast if she doesn't check that attitude."

"What do you have there, Buffy?" Willow asked, pointing to the folder and changing the subject.

"It turns out that I'm adopted. Dawn found these in Mom's file cabinet in the attic. I had her make a copy so I could read through it." Buffy answered quietly, opening the folder with one hand and grabbing a slice of pizza with the other. "Hmm, let's see. Samantha Elizabeth Carter, Colorado Springs, Colorado. From these letters, it looks like she and mom were best friends in college."

"Are you going to contact her? You don't have to tell her about being the Slayer."

Buffy thought about it for a long few minutes, then sighed. "Maybe after we take care of whatever's coming. I don't think apocalypses and emotional drama mix all that well."

Willow continued to look through the papers. "Buffy, she had shared custody of you. Not that it means all that much now, but she's still legally your mother. Do you want me to look her up?"

"Thanks, Will, but like I said, after we get this taken care of." Buffy accepted, then turned to her Giles. "So, Watcher-mine, did the Coven find anything?"

"Unfortunately, they did." Giles answered. "We seem to have found ourselves in battle with the First Evil..."