Charlie#4:
Demon Within
AUTHOR: Demon Faith
EMAIL: rosabeth@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Romance, a little drama, Series, loadsa angst
SPOILERS: Quite a few but I can't remember them! You'll need all
the 'Charlie' series though!
SEASON / SEQUEL: A few days after 'The Dream'; a week after
'Revelations' and about a month after 'Charlie'
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: Language (Jack at his finest!), a bit of
violence but no sauce
SUMMARY: Charlie isn't quite herself...
STATUS: Completed
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of
Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko
Productions. We have written this story for entertainment
purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No
copyright infringement is intended. The original characters,
situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be
archived without permission of the authors. Charlie is mine. If
you want her, please ask!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This one took a while. Here’s Number 4,
folks! Enjoy!
Stargate Command. The first line of
defence for Earth, though very few people were aware of it. And
SG1 was the best in the SGC. Quite surprising really, considering
SG1 wasn’t exactly your regular USAF team. Sure, it
had your typical Colonel in command and his 2IC was an Airforce
Major. But the other two members were…slightly unusual. Dr
Daniel Jackson, their rather accident-prone
archaeologist/anthropologist/linguist, who Jack thought was more
trouble then he was worth, and Teal’c, an alien to Earth
with an even stranger alien housed in his stomach, which just
happened to be Earth’s deadliest enemy. Not your
run-of-the-mill team but the best, none the less. The very best.
~
“Do you know how long it’s been? A
week! A whole week without a word! I can’t live with this,
Sam!”
Sam smiled. Daniel had been like this ever
since Charlie went off world, just seven days ago. He was fussing
like a mother hen!
“Daniel! Quit pacing, will ya?”
Daniel turned to her with a worried frown.
“But Sam…”
Sam stood up and gave him a hug.
“I know, Daniel. I know.”
“Incoming Traveller…”
“Daniel!”
But he was gone.
~
Charlie stepped down the ramp, struggling to
carry all the artefacts she had brought back. Her backpack was
loaded and SG8 had their arms full of inscribed tablets, moulded
pottery and intricate jewellery. Lieutenant Simmons rushed
forward.
“Here, let me help with that.”
“Oh thank you, Lieutenant.”
“Graham, please.”
Graham caught her eye and she blushed
appreciatively. Then a hurricane whirled through the doors.
“Where have you been?”
Charlie allowed herself a smile as Daniel
charged up to her and hugged her for all he was worth.
“Just digging, Dad. I brought back some
stuff for you.”
“Not more rocks! Haven’t we got
enough?”
Jack sauntered up, trying to look calm and
detached, but Charlie could see the faint worry lines and dark
shadows beneath his eyes.
“Shall we take this lot to your office,
Charlie?”
“Sure thing, Bryan. Shove it on my
desk.”
“Bryan?”
Sam’s voice came softly from her right.
Charlie hadn’t even noticed her.
“Hi Mum! Could you tell Dad to stop
fussing?”
Sam laughed. Daniel was still hovering
around, probing through all the artefacts on the pretence of
study. Poor transparent Daniel! Well, he wasn’t the only
one. Graham and Bryan were at the door, waiting for Charlie to
lead the way, although Sam was sure they’d memorised the
route long ago. Charlie excused herself with a smile before
diving off down the corridor. It was then that Sam noticed Jack.
He stood perfectly still, staring after Charlie, and Sam was sure
there were tears in his eyes. Slowly, he turned and walked away.
~
“I’d like to go back.”
“I’ll need to come too.
You’ll need my help.”
Both Sam and Charlie sighed. Daniel
should’ve been a bodyguard.
“How about we make it a field trip,
sir?”
“You mean all of SG1?”
“And maybe a few others. This culture
was quite advanced, sir. We may find something useful."
“With this many people off world, it
may be prudent to assign Doctor Frasier to such a mission.”
Everyone stared at Teal’c, who merely
raised an eyebrow. He should take up poker.
“Well, alright then.”
“What? To all of it?”
“I’m not sure about Doctor
Frasier, Teal’c.”
“It is your decision, General Hammond.
We will call her when Daniel Jackson does himself injury.”
The Briefing Room echoed with laughter.
Daniel shot Teal’c a withering look but the Jaffa just
ignored it.
“You leave tomorrow, people.”
~
“Guess who?”
Soft hands, light aftershave, casual voice:
Jack, of course!
“Um…Santa Claus?”
The hands moved gently down her body and she
caught them playfully in her fingers.
“Not now, Jack.”
Charlie turned slowly to face off her
colonel, who was giving her an innocent stare. Uh-oh; he wanted
something.
“What do you want?”
Jack lifted his hands in mock-denial, giving
his face that damn irresistible look of charm.
“Alright, I’ll knock off
early.”
Jack grinned like a schoolboy and took her
hand. They walked together until they came to the unofficial
‘SG1 room’. Jack strode in and then caught himself.
Janet and Teal’c were standing in the middle of the room,
locked in a passionate embrace. Sam and Daniel came up behind the
dumbstruck couple, blocking the doorway completely. Eventually,
everyone came to their senses and backed out of the room.
“You know, I really have to work.”
Daniel took off down the corridor and
Charlie shrugged, and followed him, leaving Sam and Jack standing
in the corridor.
“Goodnight Carter.”
“Goodnight sir.”
~
Sam strode down the corridor, determined to
find out where Daniel had got to. Jack met her outside the door.
“Chasing Charlie?”
“Nope, Daniel.”
They both knocked on the door. After waiting
a few minutes, they pushed it open. Both Daniel and Charlie were
slumped over archaeology texts, coffee cups still clutched in
their hands. With a sigh, Sam and Jack went over to their
respective partners and gently shook them awake. Daniel murmured
softly and Sam eased him into her arms until he was fully
‘with it’. Jack kissed Charlie lightly on her forehead.
“Come on, Sleeping Beauty!”
“Oh, go away Jack!”
Charlie pulled herself up and pushed her
glasses back up her nose. Daniel finally got his eyes open and
Sam rearranged his glasses for him.
“What did I tell you about doing
this?”
“You do it too!”
“Not as regularly as you do.
You’re gonna have a nervous breakdown one of these days.
Come on, we have a mission!”
Grumbling, Daniel stood up and promptly fell
back down.
“Oh Daniel; you’re in no state to
go anywhere!”
On the other side of the room, Charlie was
in much the same situation. Jack slung her across his shoulder
and Sam somehow managed to pick up Daniel. They headed for the
infirmary.
~
“Overdose.”
“What!”
Sam and Jack stared at Janet in
astonishment.
“Caffeine?”
At least Sam was being sensible. Janet shook
her head.
“Vallium.”
“But that’s a…”
“Sleeping tablet, I know. I’m just
wondering why.”
“Well, can we ask them?”
“Daniel’s flat out but
Charlie’s awake. I’m not sure if you’ll get much
sense out of her, though.”
Sam nodded and Jack was through those doors
in a second. Daniel was swamped in machinery, looking even paler
than usual. Sam was immediately by his side, lines of worry
creasing her smooth skin. Jack went to Charlie’s bedside,
clasping her hand in his.
“Hey Jack. What’s wrong with
us?”
Charlie looked pretty ‘with it’ to
him but her skin was tightly drawn across her face in pallor.
Jack tried to put on his most jaunty smile but it came out as a
weak grin.
“Sleeping tablet overdose. Now why
would you be taking those?”
Charlie’s eyes went wide in shock.
“I swear, Jack. We never took sleeping
tablets. We were trying to keep awake! Dad said…”
“What did Daniel say, Charlie?”
“The sugar! He suddenly found a bowl in
the cupboard. It didn’t quite taste right but I
just…fell asleep.”
“Doc! We have the solution!”
Janet sighed wearily. What did Jack want
now? She marched over, brandishing a syringe for effect.
“This had better be good,
Colonel…”
“Check the sugar bowl in Daniel’s
office. I think you’ll find your drugs.”
“Colonel, are you implying that they
were intentionally drugged?”
“Hey Charlie! How’s it
going?”
Graham strode into the infirmary, followed
closely by Bryan from SG8. They were both carrying huge bunches
of flowers. Jack stood up and moved over to Sam. She had her head
in her hands, hair filtering out of her clenched fingers.
“Carter…?”
Sam looked up with tear-stained eyes.
“Oh sir…if Daniel doesn’t
wake up soon, he might not wake up…”
Fresh tears riveted down her face and Jack
hugged her close to him. Charlie came over to see what all the
fuss was about. She heard the conversation and smiled knowingly.
“What’s the big deal? Are you guys
blind?”
Jack and Sam both looked up as Charlie
lifted her hand…and flicked Daniel on the nose!
“Ow!”
Daniel sat up; rubbing his nose, while the
others just stared in astonishment, with the exception of
Charlie, who had the biggest grin possible plastered across her
face.
“Daniel!”
Daniel refused to meet Sam’s eyes.
“Hey Sam.”
“What’s going on
here…Daniel!”
Janet dropped her tray of supplies and her
eyes widened in shock. Daniel tried to stand up; he made it to
the floor and then promptly fell into Sam. She grabbed his arm to
steady him and then guided him to a chair.
“So…um, Charlie? What did you
do?”
“Er…well, you see…Dad
was…well, pretending.”
“Pretending! That damned archaeologist
made us go into complete hysterics so he could get a laugh?”
Daniel stared at the floor as all eyes were
fixed on him.
“So…are we going on this dig
now?”
Everyone groaned.
~
“Special Envoy: you are cleared for
departure.”
Overall, there were ten people going: SG8
and Charlie already had the mission, Sg1 had invited themselves
along and Robert Rothman, the even-geekier-than-Daniel
archaeologist, insisted upon coming. SG8 went through the Gate
first, Daniel pushed Robert through and SG1 followed behind.
Charlie just made the horizon before the Gate closed.
She fell out of the other side. Jack helped
her up out of the dirt and she brushed off her long white coat.
“Okay folks; set up the tents and get
changed quickly. We have a lot of work to do.”
It was amazing to watch a fifteen-year-old
girl ordering around a bunch of fully-mature soldiers. Even more
amazing was the fact that they listened!
“Changed?”
“Oh yeah Jack. Didn’t you bring
anything?”
“Were we s’posed to?”
“Unofficially, yes. Sorry about that!
Didn’t Dad tell you?”
“No; he didn’t.”
Jack shot Daniel an evil glare. He just
laughed and handed Jack a bundle of gear. Muttering obscenities,
Jack went to set up a tent.
~
While the others got changed, Teal’c
and Jack scouted the terrain. It was nothing special,
Abydos-class planet (lots of desert, not much else). Yet it
possessed wonderful treasures, lost wonders of an ancient
culture. Although he was loath to admit it, Jack had grown to
like the whole “rocks” gig. Woe betide him if Daniel
ever found out! The archaeologist would have a field day! They
headed back to base camp, after finding nothing of interest. A
few metres from the dig, Jack stopped in his tracks.
Ye Gods! The trenches surrounding the
camp were already quite deep but that wasn’t what had caught
his eye. It was the clothes change. SG8 had swapped their
fatigues for shorts and T-shirts. Meanwhile, Daniel was in a
T-shirt and jeans and Sam had a simple red outfit, cut low and
high. Then there was Charlie. She was wearing white shorts that
came halfway up her thigh and a pale lilac top with a slit across
the top. Her abundant curls were tightly pulled back into a high
ponytail. No wonder SG8 were in awe of her and did exactly what
they were told! Jack and Teal’c slipped into the trench.
“Where’s Rothman?”
“He went back already! Couldn’t
stand the heat.”
Jack flinched at her words. Part of the
recurring nightmare he had experienced ever since she had left
for this desert world. He brought himself back to reality. Her
words made sense. Daniel was also looking a bit red but
Teal’c was positively lapping up the sun. Charlie called
across to the other trench.
“Found anything yet?”
Bryan hauled himself out of the trench and
slid skilfully into the other. Jack envied the younger man,
especially his ability to captivate Charlie.
“Only a few pottery shards. Could you
come over and translate?”
“Sure thing! I’ll just get my
book.”
Charlie vaulted out of the trench with ease,
ignoring Jack’s helping hand. She walked over to the tent,
with Bryan’s arm across her shoulder. Jack was smouldering
with rage.
“Easy Jack. Don’t spoil things
now.”
Daniel’s voice was a soft murmur,
barely audible but deafening against the silent background. Jack
smiled weakly and took up a shovel. Might as well be useful, he
thought. Charlie emerged from the tent, clutching her book. She
leapt into the pit with Bryan and they sat down with the pottery.
Jack watched jealously.
“Hmm…it looks like: This was laid
in tribute to_”
“Anymore?”
“That’s just it! There must be a
missing fragment. Keep digging guys!”
Charlie swung herself out of the trench and
tripped. She cried out and Jack and Bryan were beside her in a
second.
“I’m alright, I’m alright!
Get off me!”
She pushed the two men aside, rubbing at her
hand. She felt around on the ground and pulled a shiny gold disc
from the earth. It had a hieroglyphic stamped on it. Daniel had
joined them by now and snatched the piece of gold from her hand.
“It’s a hieroglyphic!”
“Yes, I know that Dad!”
“Looks like a pharaoh’s
seal…”
“This is the symbol of the Gourld you
call Ra.”
“Why, what do you call him?”
“The Feared One.”
“Ah.”
“Lighten up! We killed the bugger,
didn’t we?”
“Well, we did but Ra has lived for
thousands of years. Who knows what he did to these
people…”
“Well, why don’t we find
out?”
Everyone turned to Charlie, who just
shrugged.
“We can do some recon, find out if
there’s a threat, then get back to the digging.”
The soldiers amongst them looked doubtful
but Charlie had Jack’s support.
“Come on guys! It’ll be fun!”
~
Charlie quickly organised them into teams
of three.
“Right. Teal’c with Mum and Dad;
Jack with…”
“I’ll come with you,
Charlie.”
“Me too, ma’am.”
Jack glared at Bryan who glared right
back. Charlie sighed.
“Fine then; let’s ship
out!”
The teams all headed in different
directions. Charlie and her self-appointed guardians headed for
the mountain range, just south of base camp. Charlie was about to
crack. All Jack and Bryan could talk about was various battles
and engagements that they had prevailed in. Jealous fools! She
knew who she was…in love with? A man she had barely known
two seconds and she was in love? She had sworn she’d never
do that! Filled with dreaded realisation, she just burst.
“Right! I’m taking this cliff;
you go to the volcanoes. We’re gonna absail these cliffs and
get home for dinner! Now go!”
Charlie swung herself over the cliff edge
and began to scale down the jagged front. She was quite fast; she
had once been on an expedition to Nepal. You really learnt how to
climb when trained soldiers were chasing you through the
Himalayas. Charlie relied on her good co-ordination and lightning
reflexes to get her down safely. Then something caught her eye.
“What do we have here?”
Bones; dry and brittle, yet relatively
fresh. They looked…human. There were various ornaments and
jewellery in and around the skeleton. This was no simple body.
Then a symbol caught her eye. She leaned in for a closer
look…
“Noooo!”
Something shot out at her and Charlie fell
screaming from the cliff.
~
Charlie’s screams echoed all over the
plains. The soldiers ran for her location at a dead sprint. They
found Bryan standing at the cliff edge.
“Jack’s…gone after
her!”
He was shaking uncontrollably but Sam
would show him no mercy.
“What were you idiots
thinking? Absailling without ropes? You’re total fools!
Teal’c, run to the Gate and get Janet. We’ll need a
team. Daniel; you’re with me.”
“Where are we going?”
Sam clenched her jaw.
“Down the cliff.”
~
Jack practically ran down the cliff. He
could see the lone figure at the bottom of the cliff. Oh
please let her be alive! Jack’s only thoughts were for
Charlie, his damsel in distress. He soon reached the ground and
ran over to Charlie. His hand flew to her neck. She was alive!
Jack brushed her hair out of her eyes and clutched her hand
tightly.
“Hand in there Charlie. Please, just
hold on.”
~
Sam and Daniel made their way steadily
down the cliff, using spades to dig out secure handholds. Sam was
relieved when they made it safely to the bottom. Daniel drew in a
sharp breath.
“What is it?”
Daniel turned to her slowly, his eyes
wide.
“I’m…scared of
heights!”
Sam almost laughed. She rushed over to
Charlie and began to check her over.
“Possible spinal fracture, nerve
damage, concussion; lots of small cuts and bruises; quite a nasty
fall.”
Sam tried to maintain professional
attachment, but it was extremely difficult, especially with her
husband pacing around, squawking.
“Stop fretting, Daniel! They’ll
be here soon.”
“Actually, we’re here now.”
Janet rushed over, Teal’c following
closely behind. The safety ropes were still dangling from the
cliff.
“No spinal damage. Possible fractured
femur. Colonel, will you come here please?”
Jack stepped forward. Janet lifted Charlie
gently upright, leaning her against Jack so her head was resting
on his chest. Janet strapped Charlie securely into a harness and
then slipped it over Jack’s head. Janet tugged the rope
twice. While SG8 pulled them up, Jack held the unconscious
Charlie to him, whispering sweet reassurances unto deaf ears.
They reached the top in a matter of minutes. A medical team ran
up to them, unstrapping Charlie and lowering her onto a
stretcher. Sam and Daniel were hauled up next, Daniel still
squawking.
“Oh I hope she’s alright, Sam!
I’ll never forgive myself if…”
“If nothing! She’s going to be
fine, okay Daniel?”
Jack had taken charge of the mission; the
calm and logic of military command helped soothe his troubled
heart.
“To the Gate, people!”
SG8 picked up Charlie’s stretcher and
Sam placed an arm around Daniel’s shoulder. And Jack was
left alone with his thoughts.
~
“She’ll be fine. In fact,
there’s no serious damage whatsoever.”
They all sighed. Jack leaned against the
wall and Sam sat beside Daniel, grasping his hand tightly.
“Can we see her?”
“Sure.”
Janet smiled and backed away as the three
friends went into the room. Charlie lay unconscious on the bed,
various machines and tubes surrounding her. She looked so frail,
so helpless, as Jack took her hand and sat beside her. Sam and
Daniel also pulled up chairs.
“Hey Charlie. How’s
things?”
“Just fine. Now let me up!”
They nearly jumped into next week as
Charlie’s eyes flew open and she sat straight up.
“We thought we’d lost you there,
Charlie.”
“Well, you did not lose me. Can I
leave now?”
Janet nodded, knowing by now that
archaeologists did what they wanted whether she liked it or not.
Jack reached to steady her but she brushed him off. Jack backed
off, hurt in his eyes. Sam tried to pacify the situation.
“So, how did you fall?”
“The rock I was holding broke away. I
could not get another grip and I lost my balance. Now if you
over-protective chau’va will get out of my
way…”
Charlie pulled out her IV and went to get
changed, leaving the others staring after her.
~
You can’t win.
#But I can, sweet child, but I can#
They will notice. There’s nothing you
can do.
#But I can, sweet child, but I can#
You can’t control me forever.
#But I can, sweet child, but I can#
~
Jack stretched lazily. He had done the
unthinkable: sat in front of a computer for twelve hours
straight. He had a headache the size of Cheyenne Mountain and was
still no closer to the solution.
“Sir?”
Sam stood in the doorway, staring in
amazement at the coffee cups and computer printouts littering
Jack’s office.
“Have you been working here all
night? What on earth have you been doing?”
She rushed over as Jack started to fall
out of the chair.
“Just research, Carter. Nothing
important…”
“Sir, you never go near the
computer, let alone work through the night, especially on your
night off!”
Then she began reading the screen.
“American Adoption Files, Subject
history: you’ve been looking up Charlie!”
Jack nodded sleepily. Sam put a hand on
his shoulder.
“You should get some sleep, Colonel.
I’ll get Teal’c.”
Teal’c? Why did he need Teal’c?
The Jaffa strode through the door and gently picked Jack up. Oh,
he would never live this down!
~
“Charlie?”
Ah, her Beloved! Always a pleasure!
“Daniel.”
She stood up and leaned her head against
his chest. He stared at her in shock.
“Charlie, what are you doing?”
Suddenly, she came to her senses and
pulled away.
“I am sorry…Dad.”
“You will go and apologise to
everyone now! You had no right to talk like that.”
A simple Tau’ri telling HER what to
do. She took a step forward and slapped him across the face!
Daniel blinked in surprise. She strode out of the room, headed
for the firing range.
~
“She slapped me Sam!”
“Oh Daniel, surely not.”
“She did! Look, my face is going
red.”
“True.”
They were holding a conference. Well, not
quite. They were sitting in the canteen drinking coffee. Jack was
still fast asleep but Janet and Teal’c had joined the
couple. It seemed that Janet and Charlie had been hanging around
SG1 a lot recently. Now why could that be?
“What do you think has caused this
change?”
“I dunno, Teal’c. Maybe
PMT?”
“Oh grow up Daniel!”
“Sorry Sam.”
“What are you nattering about?”
Jack shuffled into the canteen, rubbing
his eyes. Sam passed him a cup of coffee.
“Thanks. So what’s up?”
“Charlie. She’s been acting
real…strange.”
“I’ll go find her.”
Jack gulped down his coffee and dived out
of the room.
“Sir!”
But he was gone. Sam groaned. Why did
everyone keep walking out on her?
~
She shot the target again, savouring the
satisfaction. The vibration, the shot, the clean-cut mark: a
perfect weapon! She fired another round. The target was mauled
beyond repair, as she had wished it.
“Hey Charlie!”
Oh great! Back to the
I’m-a-good-girl-really routine!
“Hello Jack; how are you today?”
“Nice target. Omigod…it’s
Daniel!”
What was left of it. She had shot it full
of bullets that you could only see the head. Pity. Oh no! Damned
host was trying to talk!
“Jack…please help…”
Jack’s eyes widened. Help with what?
She crashed to the floor and he skidded over, cupping her face in
his hands.
“She’s here. Oh Jack, she’s
here…”
~
Janet replaced the stethoscope around the
neck as she pushed her way through the double doors of the
infirmary. How could she tell them? She quickly ran the
conversation through in her head, dreading the response.
“How is she?”
Sam stood up and went straight up to
Janet. Daniel was right behind her but Jack kept his distance.
“I’m afraid…it’s a
Gourld.”
Sam gasped and clapped a hand to her
mouth. Daniel pulled her to him and she cried into his jacket.
Jack slid down the wall.
“Don’t worry; we can take her to
the Hammer.”
The Hammer was an interesting Gourld
removal device on Samaria, Thor’s world. The mood lightened
but the despairing clouds still hung overhead.
“But there’s…another
problem. There are two of them.”
“Two!”
“Two?”
Janet nodded and indicated her office.
They all trudged in and Janet shut the door. She swung the
monitor round and pointed to the screen.
“There’s the usual one around
the spine. But then there’s a second Gourld down behind
the spine. That one appears to be asleep.”
“Can we see her?”
“You can but I’ll warn you now;
you probably won’t get Charlie and this Gourld has a
particularly bad attitude.”
They all nodded and went in. Charlie was
strapped to the bed, writhing in her restraints. Jack turned away
and swallowed.
#Can’t face the truth? Your
girlfriend is dead, Colonel#
Jack walked straight out, followed closely
by Sam. Daniel held his ground.
#Help me, Beloved. Remember our sweet
times together?#
Daniel gasped. Hathor! The evil bitch!
“How…dare you!”
Daniel’s voice was trembling in rage
and his fists were clenched. She smiled.
#Oh I dare, Beloved. Forget your
acquisitions and join me in paradise#
Acquisitions? What on earth could that
mean?
#There is nothing here for you now,
Beloved. Your child has died, your wife is…dying: you have
failed them#
His wife? Oh no; Sam! Daniel ran out of
the door, just as Sam raised the mug to her lips.
“No!”
She started to choke, her body fighting
for every breath. Daniel tried to hold her, keep her with him but
she fell to the floor, hands clasped to her throat. Janet ran out
with a syringe and jabbed it in Sam’s arm. Her breathing
slowed and she lowered her hands.
“I don’t know…what
happened.”
Daniel knelt beside her and wrapped her up
in his arms. She hugged him back, leaning her head on his
shoulder.
“What are we going to do,
Daniel?”
Daniel hugged her tighter, tears rising to
his eyes.
“I don’t know, Sam. I don’t
know…”
~
“Allergic reaction: I recognised the
signs. Shot of antihistamines took it out.”
Sam sat on the edge of the bed, with
Daniel beside her. She was trembling almost uncontrollably, and
Daniel supported her completely, letting her rest against his
shoulder. They were both pointedly turned away from Charlie.
However, Jack stood over her, staring at her in disdain.
#I can cause this host great pain,
colonel. Would you wish that on your Beloved?#
Jack swallowed hard. He kept thinking
about his dream. Well, not a dream, more like a nightmare. And
all the horrifying images were falling into place. Janet came
over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. They
didn’t even suspect…
“Watch out!”
Hathor jumped up from the bed and threw
herself at Jack. Their flight carried them over to the other
beds. Hathor released Jack and made a grab for Daniel. She took a
fistful of hair and yanked him down to her level, quite a stretch
for the 6ft archaeologist. Somehow she had managed to get hold of
a scalpel and was waving it at Daniel’s throat.
“Move and I kill him!”
Charlie’s voice was hardened in fury
and her grip tightened on Daniel’s hair. He bit down on his
lip to stop himself from crying out, from giving HER the
satisfaction. With an evil ‘flash’ of her eyes, Hathor
backed out of the room, dragging Daniel with her.
“You can’t…win,
Hathor.”
#But I can, Beloved, but I can#
~
Sam leapt off the bed. Oh, this was too
much! Her daughter had just dragged Daniel out of the room at
knifepoint, while everyone just watched it happen! Sam moved to
the door but Jack stopped her.
“Not now, Carter. Let the cameras
track them.”
Sam swallowed hard. Tracking: she could
cope with tracking. Jack patted her back and drew his pistol,
making for the door.
“Sir?”
“I don’t care about cameras.
Daniel might just run out of luck, and I won’t let that
happen.”
Sam bent down…and slipped a tiny
knife from her boot. Jack raised an eyebrow but Sam just pressed
it into her palm, savouring the metallic chill of the blade. Jack
nodded, and they edged out of the room.
~
Teal’c couldn’t quite believe
his eyes. Charlene Jackson was dragging Daniel Jackson by
the hair along the unusually empty SGC corridors. She was
brandishing a scalpel. Charlene threw Daniel into his
office and followed him in, locking the door behind her. Even on
alien Earth, Teal’c sensed this was not ‘normal’
behaviour. He was just about to inform his CO, when the man
himself walked round the corner, followed closely by Major
Carter.
“Colonel O’Neill, Charlene has
been acting strangely.”
“She’s a Gourld, Teal’c. We
gotta get the thing outta her.”
Teal’c nodded, although he
didn’t fully comprehend. Sam bit down on her lip, eyeing the
door nervously. A scream punctuated the silent corridor, causing
Sam to wince. Teal’c drew his conclusion: Daniel Jackson was
in trouble. Without further ado, Teal’c charged down the
door. Daniel was frozen against the wall, the scalpel jutting out
of his arm. Hathor had a gun pointed straight at him and was
preparing to fire.
#Do not come closer; or your friend will
die#
“Aw, come on! You’re not going
to kill him now, not after all these glorious
opportunities!”
Sam eyes Jack carefully. What exactly was
he planning? Hathor turned at the scornful remark, eyes glowing
with venom.
#You will allow me safe passage through
the chapa’ai. Then I will let him go#
The goddess’ voice was a strained
whisper; Charlie was giving her grief.
“Safe passage? Okay, we can do safe
passage. Just give us Daniel first.”
#You think me a fool, Tau’ri? No, he
is mine until I step through the chapa’ai!#
Then something caught Sam’s
attention. Hathor’s fingers were snaking towards her belt
where a blur orb hung from a frayed gold rope, swinging
mystically at her hip. She passed her hand over it. A beam of
light hit SG1 and Hathor sending them to somewhere else…
~
The Briefing Room! A cold dread crept
through Jack. He had been here before. The dream was becoming a
reality and he knew he couldn’t stop it.
#Let me pass, Tau’ri!#
Hathor had the weakened Daniel by the
scruff of the neck, leaning against her legs on the floor. He
looked so helpless, especially with Hathor’s gun at his
neck. Hathor held out her palm and a ball of light appeared. A
ribbon device! Hathor flipped it over and into position in one
swift movement. She aimed it straight at Daniel and sent him
flying across the room. Surprisingly, he landed on his feet
beside the Briefing Room table. The rest of the room seemed to
fade, a ghostly echo of reality. Only Jack, Daniel and Hathor
remained in the scene, three constants in a shifting universe.
Hathor turned slowly to face Daniel. She cocked her pistol.
“No!”
The shot fired. Daniel clutched his chest
and fell backwards, melding into the backdrop. Hathor whirled to
face Jack. He drew his gun.
“Can you really shoot me, Jack? You
don’t have it in you.”
Jack cocked the pin and pointed the
gun straight at her.
“Don’t kill me Jack! Don’t
let her win!”
He knew it would come to this. Charlie
stared at him in innocence, his love who could kill him at any
moment. He pulled the trigger.
Charlie looked down at her chest in
horror. Jack cocked the pin again and fired off the round.
Charlie’s eyes widened and she fell into the abyss. Jack
sank to his knees, words echoing in his head.
You failed me.
You failed me.
You failed me.
~
“Hathor is dead.”
No one looked up at Janet’s
announcement. It had only been three hours since the
‘showdown’, yet it seemed like eternity.
“What about Charlie?”
You remember the other Gourld? It appears
to be acting very much like Junior. I’ve removed all the
bullets and the dead Gourld. Let’s hope it’s
enough.”
“Can we see her?”
Janet nodded silently. They stood up and
filed in, a slow, grave procession. The pale, thin child lying
beneath the sheets looked so frail and pitiful that a tear rolled
down Jack’s cheek. It couldn’t end like this. It just
couldn’t! Sam walked straight up to Charlie and placed a
hand on her arm. Sam’s eyes widened in shock and she quickly
withdrew her hand. Jack was beside her in a second, as was
Teal’c. They supported her trembling form as she made her
proclamation.
“It’s a Tok’ra!”
~
“A Tok’ra?”
“Don’t ask me how it got there,
but I definitely know that Gourld…as a friend.”
Sam quickly added, remembering the many
Gourld who wanted Jolinar dead. Well, she was but that
didn’t stop Sam fretting. Or, apparently, Jack.
“We have to contact the Tok’ra,
sir. They’ll know what to do. Jolinar offered to let Carter
go, remember? And they got Klorel outta Skarra! We gotta try,
sir.”
General Hammond looked from one report to
another, and then looked up at the anxious, exhausted faces
surrounding him.
“Well people, the Hammer option is
out. The Tok’ra may be…well, Gourld, but they are still
our allies. We’ll contact the Tok’ra with the Tollan
communicator. They’ll arrive soon. Meanwhile, that
Tok’ra is inhabiting a member of my base. Keep an eye on
her. Dismissed.”
The group dashed for the door, headed
towards the infirmary.
~
There was an aura of silence surrounding
the infirmary. Vases of flowers were scattered everywhere.
Charlie had made a lot of friends at the SGC. And broken a few
hearts, thought Jack, bitterly. He slipped through the door
first and Janet pulled him to one side.
“She’s very weak. The
Tok’ra is blending with her, but very slowly. Please,
don’t excite her.”
Jack smiled painfully. He drew up a chair
and took Charlie’s hand. The others stayed by the door,
unwilling to break the moment.
“Charlie? It’s Jack here.
We’re all here, Charlie. You’re gonna get you through
this, okay?”
“Okay Jack. I hear you.”
The low whisper was almost drowned by the
beeping monitors and buzzing scanner. Charlie’s eyes slitted
open before widening fully. One eye was a fierce blue, with ebony
spikes through the pupil. But Jack didn’t care. He ran a
gentle finger down the side of her face and her lips curved in a
half-smile. She closed her eyes again and Jack ran a hand through
her soft black hair, tumbling the curls over his fingers.
“What about…Hermione?”
It didn’t take a genius to work out
that that was the name of her Tok’ra. Jack allowed himself a
smile.
“We’ve contacted the
Tok’ra. They’re going to help.”
“Incoming Traveller…”
Sam slipped out of the room and Jack moved
to follow her. Charlie grabbed his fingers.
“Don’t…leave me.”
“Oh Charlie…”
Jack bent over her and kissed her lightly
on her forehead before brushing his lips against hers. Then he
moved for the door, as Charlie settled back into blissful
unconsciousness.
~
Martouf stepped through the Tau’ri
Gate, Selmak at his side. The Tau’ri rarely called the
Tok’ra and the message had seemed urgent. Sam and Jack raced
into the Gate room, panting from their run. Wordlessly, Sam
grabbed Martouf’s hand and dragged him towards the
infirmary. General Carter gave Jack a puzzled look but the
Colonel just gestured for him to follow.
“What’s going on, Colonel?”
“We have a Tok’ra that needs
removing.”
“A Tok’ra! How the hell did it
get here?”
“No idea, but it’s in
my…friend and I want it out!”
General Carter noted Jack’s
hesitation but Sam looked out of her mind.
“Sam? What’s wrong, kid?”
“It’s my daughter, Dad. First
she was possessed by Hathor…”
“The bitch!”
Jack always made his feelings clear.
“And then Hermione took over.”
“Hermione! Is that the name of the
Tok’ra?”
“Yes Dad; it is.”
Then the General realised exactly what
she’d said.
“Daughter?”
“I’ll explain later, Dad.”
“Do you know this Hermione,
sir?”
“Yes; she’s actually the leader
of the Tok’sokar, a powerful rebel faction.”
“There are more of you?”
“Oh yes, Colonel, one to a System
Lord. The most prominent is the Tok’ra but we help the other
groups now that Ra is dead.”
They all fell into silence as they
approached the infirmary. Sam gently pushed open the door and
guided the Tok’ra in. Charlie was still unconscious. Jack
moved silently beside her and took her hand. General Carter took
the other.
#Awake Hermione. It is Selmak#
Charlie’s eyes fluttered open, then
flashed with Gourld presence.
#You have a new host, Selmak. My vessel is already weak but li