AUTHOR: Demon Faith
EMAIL: rosabeth@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Romance, Drama, Angst, Humour (It's kinda like one of those 'cry one
minute, laugh the next' things)
SPOILERS: This is the eighth story in the Charlie series, and won't make a lot
of sense if you haven't read the rest. Minor spoilers for: Shades of Grey,
Singularity, Fair Game, Forever in a Day, Family, Broca Divide, 100 Days,
Hathor, Torment of Tantalus and Tok'ra. There is also an idea from 'Crossroads'
but this series is not related to Season 4!
SEASON / SEQUEL: After Season 3, but not in Season 4 (if that makes any sense
whatsoever!)
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: Violence, language, torture, implications and character death
(this list just gets worse, doesn't it!)
SUMMARY: Pregnant, dragged from family and friends and trapped in NID; Charlie
finds her own way to survive, while protecting Jack from the truth itself.
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
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.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: : I warn thee now: this story is FIFTY pages long!!! It wasn't
supposed to be this long, but this one scene, which wasn't actually supposed to
be there, was about 20 pages long, which explains it. May I just say that I am
not American and I have no idea of how adoption, ages of consent or anything
else concerning government works in America. This means that all stuff relating
to adoption, SEs and the Pentagon are completely out of my imagination. Also,
though I might wish it, I can't speak Goa'uld. You may have noticed that I've
building up a little 'dictionary' of these words that I keep recycling. In the
#9, I will write them out to refresh your memories. And another thing; all
'superstition' is from a real rhyme I got from a book. You'll know when you
find it! This is especially for the two Stephs: my best friend in England who
is brilliant for support, reassurance and laughter, and my S/D friend in
America who is equally brilliant and lets me ramble on about Danny for as long
as I like! I couldn't do any of this without them, and I thank them very much
for that. :-)
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.
After being
kidnapped by Apophis, Charlie is brainwashed but finally rescued by Jack. When
her memories are regained, Charlie is thrown into shock, but this is only a
taster of things to come…
“What?”
The colour drained from
Charlie’s face, as she sank into her chair. Her hands were trembling in her
lap, as she bit down on her bottom lip. Janet laid the form down and knelt in
front of the girl, taking her hands in hers.
“It’s alright, Charlie,
really. I’m sure Jack would be…”
Charlie looked up at Janet
and the doctor fell silent. Charlie looked back down and her shoulders began to
shake, as sobs racked her chest.
“I…didn’t
sleep…with…J…jack!”
Charlie stood up and pulled
away from Janet, hugging herself as if to make it all go away. Janet was left
speechless but stood up and went behind the girl.
“You can tell me, Charlie.”
Charlie turned back to
Janet, with such a look of regret in her eyes.
“The
child…belongs…t…to…Apophis.”
Charlie collapsed into
Janet’s arms, letting her tears take over. Janet hugged Charlie to her, unable
to comprehend the despair and misery running through Charlie’s mind.
“W…what will Jack say?”
Janet held her at arms
length, taking in the sobbing wreck that was her best friend’s daughter.
Charlie collapsed to the floor, pulling herself into a foetal position and
rocking steadily. Janet crouched down and whispered reassuring comfort to
Charlie.
“Well, what a turn up for
the books!”
Both Charlie and Janet
looked up, at the shadow that hung over them.
“Maybourne!”
~
General Hammond was enjoying
a rare quiet morning in his office, when the airman brought the letter. The
General dismissed him with a salute and opened the letter. And what he read
filled him with horror. He read it through again and again before running to
the Control Room. As soon as he reached the room, the Stargate shut down. SG1
he thought bitterly. Ignoring everyone’s polite inquiries, George ran for
the lift.
~
It was twelve hours before
SG1 returned and Jack headed straight for the showers. Well, a detour by
Daniel’s office wouldn’t hurt. He opened the door slowly, to find a very
harried looking Charlie piling books into a box.
“Whatcha doing, Charlie?”
Charlie jumped and swung
round, eyes blazing with fire. Jack actually stepped back, as she stuffed the
last few things into the box and sealing the lid.
“Leaving. And, no, you can’t
change my mind because I have to do this. Now just go away and let me finish in
peace!”
Charlie heaved the box into
her arms and headed towards the door, effectively stopped by a huge wall of
Jack.
“Leaving? For where?”
“Absolutely none of your
business. Now, let me go!”
Jack pushed her back into
the room and took the box out of her hands. Charlie snatched it back, looking
quite vicious.
“Listen to me, Jack. Our
relationship is over. I’m leaving now and I am not coming back.”
Those words crumbled Jack’s
world but he held his ground.
“You’re…not making any
sense.”
Charlie looked at him
incredulously.
“Sense? What part don’t you
understand? We are over. O-V-E-R; over! I am going. You can’t stop me. This is
the END!”
Charlie stormed past Jack,
as he faltered against the wall.
Sam and Daniel were heading
for his office, when Charlie flew down the corridor without a word. They both
turned at her departing figure, as she careered into the lift and pressed the
control for the surface.
~
Charlie left the mountain in
a hurry, unwilling to even consider what she was leaving. She quickly found the
black Mercedes standing by the gate and placed her box in the back before
climbing into the front.
“Very punctual, Charlene.”
“That’s Miss Jackson to
you.”
Maybourne looked across to Charlie,
who was sitting taught and aware, taking careful note of where they were going.
“Actually, it isn’t. You can
call me father.”
Charlie turned quickly,
giving him a look of such rancour that he almost swerved into the car in front.
“Drop the act, Maybourne,”
she said, in a venomous whisper.
Maybourne sat back in the
driver’s seat, enjoying the power flowing through his veins.
“Just before we left, I
issued our little…notices to General Hammond. Now, my dear, let me tell you
what else I have done:
Of course, you know about
Stages 1 and 2; they are the reason you are here, but Stage 3 is far more
interesting…”
~
SG1 turned up for
de-briefing, looking very depressed. Jack had told them about Charlie’s
‘departure’ and they were all taking it quite badly. Sam was angry, Daniel was
worried, Teal’c was curious (as always!) and Jack was strangely quiet.
The General watched them all
enter; slightly surprised that Janet was already sitting at the table. The
General gestured for them to take a seat.
“At the moment, we have a
more pressing issue to address before your mission. I am sure you are all aware
that Charlene has left.”
SG1 exchanged startled
looks, while Janet closed her eyes in regret.
“What you don’t yet know is
why. Today I received three notices,” the General held up some sheaves of
paper, “and they may give you some insight.
The first is from the
Pentagon:
‘We regret to inform you
that members of the SGC are forbidden from adopting children and that current
adopted children will be removed, at the request of NID. This does not affect
SE108.’”
“What? Charlie has just been
removed? What is going on?”
“Where is she going to go?
This is her life!”
“This stinks of Harry
Maybourne?”
“What is SE108?”
The voices of SG1 filled the
room and George had to bang on the table three times to be heard.
“I think your questions will
all be answered very soon…”
“Not quite all, General.”
Janet interrupted, “Teal’c: SE108 means ‘Special Exception
One-hundred-and-eight’, which refers to Cassie. It means she won’t be affected
by this.”
“Which leaves only Charlie.
Sweet.”
Jack sat back in his chair,
fingers steepled in front of his face. George continued.
“The second letter is from
the Adoption Office. Apparently, Charlie was listed as one of their SEs,
attached to us. When they received note of her move, they informed us of her
whereabouts. It appears she’s now the daughter of one Harold Maybourne.”
“Bastard!”
Jack stood up and banged the
table, making all the water shake. Teal’c’s stare could melt plutonium and Sam
and Daniel both had their hands tightly clenched in their laps.
“Sit down, Colonel. There’s
more.”
Jack complied and George
continued.
“ We also received an
official order from NID:
‘Under the jurisdiction of
the United States Government, Charlene Maybourne is forbidden from associating
or fraternising with members of Area 52. Anyone from the aforementioned area
caught in the presence or vicinity of Charlene will be subject to instant
court-martial.”
“That is OUTRAGEOUS! I am
going to trounce his ass!”
Jack stormed out of the room
and everyone was too shocked to stop him. Sam started to cry and Daniel quickly
pulled her into his arms.
“W…why would he do this? Why
Charlie?”
The General nodded to Janet
and she stood up.
“I think I have a reason but
you’re not going to like it.
When Apophis took Charlie,
there was some…sexual interaction. Charlie is now carrying his child.”
Teal’c roared with anger and
thumped the table while Daniel gaped like a goldfish. Sam turned a ghastly
white and General Hammond looked very shocked.
“I will crush him like a
stone!”
“B…but why d…didn’t she tell
u…us?”
“So that’s why Maybourne
wanted her.”
Everyone turned to Sam who
had started to shake.
“He’s going to study the
child, isn’t he? At Area 51? Oh my, he’s going to experiment on her!”
~
Jack thundered towards his
office, as airmen and marines dived out of his way. I’m gonna make that
bastard pay. He is not gonna take my girl!
He burst into
his room, grabbing the phone and ringing through to the surface.
“Get me the Pentagon!”
Jack waited for ten minutes
before he got an answer.
“I want extension 4-9-6,
NID…Yes, I have clearance… Colonel Jack O’Neill, Area 52…Thank you.”
Jack hated working with
pencil-pushers but he just managed to keep his tone even and fairly polite.
“Hello? NID?… Yes, this is
about Charlene Jackson… Oh, Maybourne now, is she? What a surprise!… Yes, I
want to know how such a cracked order got through your supposed ‘elite’ system…
Hello? Hello? Oh damn!”
Jack slammed the phone down,
as the line went dead. So much for being polite! Without hesitation, Jack dialled another
number and got an answer straight away.
“Hello? Adoption Offices?…
Yes, this is about SE295…”
~
Charlie got out of the car
and slammed the door, just as Maybourne did the same. She was seething with
fury but kept a neutral expression that she had carefully learned from Teal’c.
She had persuaded him to teach her the technique before they went to rescue
Daniel from Dakatte, when she had known that emotion shown would equate to a
loss of face in front of an enemy, something Charlie would never allow.
Maybourne eyed her carefully
but couldn’t read a thing from her solemn expression. She looked like the SGC’s
Jaffa and Maybourne suspected that he was the one who had taught her to hold
that expression.
“So, here goes Charlie!
You’re going to be a model daughter, aren’t you?”
Charlie flashed him a bright
smile before heading for the door, calling behind her:
“In hell, Maybourne!”
Cursing, he followed her up.
He got them both signed in, giving stern looks to any guard who tried to eye
his daughter. My daughter. Maybourne smirked happily. Charlie, the girl
who commanded a huge following at the SGC, was now in his possession. Of
course, getting her to come was less than legal but he knew she wasn’t stupid.
All he had had to do, was show her where he had planted a bomb in Jack’s office
which he could blow at any moment. And, if she disobeyed him, the bomb would
blow; at which point, another would be planted in Daniel’s office. He had told
her all of this and it was all true. Maybourne was a harsh man and this was a
perfect scheme for him.
He steered Charlie into an
ominous grey room, with a variety of metallic machinery. Here she stopped but
he dragged her forward. She struggled desperately but one of the guards struck
her shoulder. She fell to the ground and the same guard picked her up and
placed her in a long vertical tube in the ground. Charlie couldn’t move an inch
as the tube was raised into full light. It was made of transparent naquadah and
Maybourne took great delight in her shocked expression. A few more guards
appeared and wheeled two vertical towers of metal into the room, with long,
protruding spikes. Charlie paled as they placed on either side of her.
“These are a few pieces of
Asgard technology, Charlie. They are very accurate monitors. Brutal; but
accurate. They also keep one’s body active with electricity so that it can
never shut down. And the spikes aren’t even the monitors.; only the implanters of
such an ingenious device. Are you ready, Charlie?”
Without waiting for a reply,
Maybourne flicked a switch and both devices began to hum. As they closed in on
her, Charlie settled her expression, trying to sink into Kel’no’reem, another
of Teal’c’s favourite pastimes. But she didn’t even get to the first stage, as
the stakes were driven sharply into her body. Charlie gasped briefly before
locking her teeth firmly around her bottom lip. Her body was beginning to
shudder as the metal prongs burrowed their way through her soft flesh. There
was an electric shock, as Charlie finally found her meditation peace.
~
Jack replaced the receiver
and sank back into his chair. He looked over the brief notes he had made and
began to make pencil notes beside them, unaware of Daniel and Sam in the
doorway behind him. Jack started to theorise out loud.
“So, if Charlie is under
Maybourne’s protection, he must have over-ruled the President. But that’s not
possible…”
“Unless the President
over-ruled himself.”
Jack turned to see his two
best friends standing in the doorway. Daniel placed a reassuring hand on his
shoulder, as Sam began to read through his notes.
“So, the President put
Cassie and Charlie under the ‘Area 52 act’. I never knew there was such a
thing.”
“Well, there obviously is.
It means that members of the SGC can’t be affected by outward officers. Which
means that General Hammond can only be over-ruled by the President on matters
concerning SGC personnel, and Cassie and Charlie.”
Jack sat back in his chair, trying
to work out how Charlie could possibly fall into NID’s hands. Daniel had his
usual puzzled frown on, meaning that he was several stages ahead of Jack but
was still stuck. Sam was re-reading the notes, when she suddenly picked up the
phone.
“White House.”
Jack and Daniel both looked
at her but she just shrugged.
“Hello, can I speak to the
President?… No, this is not a joke…. Major Samantha Carter, Area 52… Thank
you.”
Sam waited patiently on the
phone while Jack moved towards his computer, logging quickly onto the Internet.
“Whatcha doing, Jack?”
“I know Area 51’s URL. I’m
looking up some stuff.”
Daniel nodded, but his mind
was whirring. NID have a website? Isn’t that a bit stupid? Shrugging, he
turned his attention back to Sam’s phone call.
“Hello Mr President…Yes, it
is urgent…You know about the Area 52 act?…We think there may have been a
breach…Involving Charlene Jackson, sir…Yes, my daughter…Colonel Harry
Maybourne…Excuse me?…I see, sir…I think I understand…Goodbye sir.”
Sam slammed the phone down
and swore. Jack turned, eyebrows raised, but Sam just kicked the desk.
“He issued the order! He
said that she was a ‘threat’. Do you believe the ignorance of the man? I can’t
believe I voted for him!”
Sam continued to swear and
kick things around Jack’s office. The man merely smiled and turned back to his
computer.
Daniel was forced to duck as
a cup of coffee sailed over his head, smashing against the wall, drenching
Daniel in scalding liquid.
“Ow! Sam, can you quit with
the throwing already?”
Sam gasped in horror at the
sight of her soaked, burnt husband. She ran over and grabbed his shoulders,
letting go when he hissed in pain.
“Get Danny to the infirmary,
Carter.
“Yes, sir.”
Suddenly, she stopped and
turned around.
“Y’know, sir; it’s actually
‘Jackson’ now.”
~
Bruised, bloodied and
thoroughly annoyed, Charlie was roughly dumped on a bed before the door was
slammed. Hissing with pain, she hauled herself up and observed the room around
her. It was small with only a bed and a computer. A computer? Obviously
monitored, but Charlie could bypass every security system invented, due to Sam
and Lou. She went in and tapped into Harry Maybourne’s personal password, which
she was sure would be free of monitoring. Before she went further, she quickly
checked the room for surveillance devices, of which there were none. She went
back to work, sending an e-mail straight to the one person she trusted most…
~
As Jack sat working in his
office, a mail notice popped onto his screen. He opened it quickly, expecting a
routine report. It was Harry Maybourne’s address. He opened it cautiously,
wondering if you could send exploding e-mails. When the document finally
downloaded he sat back in surprise at the words on the screen:
Jack,
Be very careful! There is an NID spy at the SGC. I am fine
and you really mustn’t worry. Please don’t try to come after me because it will
just make things worse. Maybourne has it in for you, Jack.
Take care
Chaz
(PS There’s a bomb under
your desk)
Jack leapt
back from his desk and slammed the alarm. A team was in his room in seconds,
with Teal’c and Sam close on their heels.
“There could be a bomb under
my desk.”
“Could?”
Jack shrugged but just
gestured to the desk. Sam leant under it, then backed off, swearing.
“A C4 remote. How the hell
did that get there?”
Suddenly, one of the men in
the group pulled his gun and placed it to his head, firing immediately. Jack
yelled but it was too late. Sam was shocked but the other airmen quickly
disconnected the bomb before getting the shakes. Jack reached for the wall
phone
“Janet? Airman Phillips just
shot himself. I think he was NID.”
Jack replaced the phone and
went to his computer. He saved the e-mail before severing the Internet
connection. He asked the airmen to carry Phillips’ body to the morgue, before
Jack asked the others over.
“Charlie sent me an e-mail
from NID.”
He called up the document
and let Sam and Teal’c read it over. There was a moan from the door, followed
by a shocked gasp.
“How did you get blood on
your carpet? Are you alright?”
They all turned to Daniel,
who quickly picked his way around the mess on the floor. He squinted at the
computer screen and his eyebrows could’ve hit the roof.
“She’s at NID? And Maybourne
‘has it in for you’? Why, Jack?”
“I don’t know, Daniel.”
Jack sat back, worry
settling over his tired features.
“I honestly don’t know.”
~
Charlie had ripped her
sheets to pieces in a vague attempt to patch up the wounds currently soaking
blood over her clothes. She had been in Kel’no’reem for what seemed like
forever and she was feeling better but, apparently, you only heal if you
actually have a symbiot. Shame, that.
There was a knock on the
door and Charlie was mildly surprised. They actually knock in these places?
“Come in, ‘cause you will
anyway.”
Harry Maybourne strode in,
looking very pleased with himself.
“We have made a fascinating
discovery.”
“Good for you. You can tell
me after I’ve been rescued.”
“Rescued? Why, you’re not a
prisoner, Charlie. Anyway, who would
rescue you? If your precious Colonel came within an inch of you, he’d be
immediately subject to court martial.”
“May I remind you of the
Area 52 act?”
Harry’s eyes widened and
Charlie lay back on her bed, satisfied that she had shocked him.
“How do you know about that?”
“And doesn’t this whole
scheme of yours actually defy that act?”
Harry drew himself up
boldly, thinking of ways to make this disobedient girl conform.
“The President overruled it
in your case. You’re a threat, Charlie. We were told to ‘apprehend’ you as soon
as possible.”
“You will not call me,
Charlie. the privilege is no longer yours. You shall call me Charlene, like all
the other airmen.”
Harry was flabbergasted and
just walked out. Charlie leaned back and smiled to herself. One-nil to
Charlie!
~
“Okay, NID have some very
impressive files…”
“Colonel; have you been
hacking into classified files?”
The General tried to look
shocked, when really he was very pleased. Charlie Jackson was, as Jack had once
said, ‘one of the most valuable assets to this base’, and also a huge morale
booster to the whole base. More than that, the General wanted her around if she
was carrying a Goa’uld child, because the SGC were the experts and the General
trusted no one more than Janet, except perhaps SG1.
Jack flashed the General a
smile, before continuing.
“They have actually filed
some medical reports as well, and they refer to an experiment called ‘Operation
Larvae’. Now, I’m guessing that’s about Charlie, since we haven’t been informed
of such an experiment.”
“And the unit studying the Gourld is called ‘Operation Ra’,
officially a study of the sun,” Sam cut in, sounding slightly amused.
Jack continued, “It says
that monitors have been implanted in the subject and all legalities have been
taken care of, as well as ‘securing loose ends’. I’m guessing that means he’s
taken care of us.”
Jack’s mouth settled into a
hard line, as his military aura settled over his features. That expression
meant trouble was coming to whoever dared cross the man, and one Harry Maybourne
was top of the list.
“Well, Colonel, you’ve
certainly done your research, but you know I can’t authorise a mission that
contravenes Presidential orders.”
“I know, sir. But you know
we have some leave due.”
All of SG1 turned
expectantly to the General, who sighed. He knew this was a plea, an unofficial
sanction to retrieve Charlie. He nodded slowly and they all smiled, even
Teal’c. Janet walked in at that moment and came straight over to the general.
“I have leave due too, sir.”
The General was feeling
braver now and happy that he had done the right thing.
“Sure Doctor. How about you
go with SG1 here, for some quality downtime.”
Janet nodded and the five
left the room, chattering among themselves. The General headed for his office,
pleased in himself.
~
Charlie was roused from her
meditation by someone shaking her shoulders. She opened one eye, looking over
the shocked airman.
“You wanted something?”
He looked very embarrassed
and Charlie realised that there were several blood-stained bandages obviously
placed on her bare arms. Charlie quickly took in the tray of food and medical
kit standing by the door. She got up slowly, careful not to aggravate any
injuries.
“Um…I’ve brought you some
dinner…and…medical stuff. The Colonel doesn’t want you to get ill.”
“So considerate of him.
What’s in the medical kit?”
“Some morphine, a few other
painkillers; nothing much.”
“Get me some Vallium,
Disprol and Ibuleve and we can be friends.”
The airman saluted and left.
Charlie picked up the tray and observed the contents. There was a cheese salad,
followed by chocolate gateaux and topped with strong, hot coffee. Oh damn;
all my favourites! Charlie was about to give up on her refusal, when she
caught sight of something else on the tray. She picked up the red rose and
crushed it her palm. No one played on her affections and roses were Jack’s
gift. The airman returned with the drugs and she snatched them off him, before
turning her back on him and settling back into Kel’no’reem.
~
After the General’s dispensation,
Jack headed back to his office. His team were all looking to him for guidance
and he hadn’t got a clue. What could they do anyway? And, when they had
Charlie, what would they do then? Jack wasn’t usually so considerate but, when
the future was concerned, Charlie figured pretty largely in his equation.
So, they would just have to
work together. Everyone had a connection to Charlie, however small, and Jack
knew that there would be loads of ‘volunteers’.
Sam and Daniel were her
parents, trying desperately to keep up with Charlie, who almost equalled Daniel
with her enthusiasm. Charlie had been very closed in when they adopted her, but
with such caring parents, she was quick to adapt. Sam and Daniel had brought
out the best in Charlie, and they would never let her go.
Teal’c had a special
relationship with Charlie, which Jack hadn’t quite worked out. They seemed to
share a bond of sorts, smiling secret smiles and knowing something that no one
else could possibly know. Sure, they had little ‘untranslatable’ titles,
‘kar’ec’ and ‘to’var’, and that carried some pretty heavy meaning. Jack wasn’t
sure whether Daniel really didn’t understand what they were saying, or whether
he thought it was better left untold. It was obviously something private and no
one had ever asked what either word meant, just accepted that it was there.
Janet, Lou and the General
had all just fallen victim to Charlie’s charm. She was like Daniel in her ways,
very moralistic and genuinely kind. But she had begun to pick up Jack’s sarcastic
streak, making her even more appealing to the people of SGC.
And then there was Jack.
There had always been attraction between them but the age gap had made the
relationship seem off-limits. Somehow, they had let it slip past their defences
and had ended up in each others arms. Literally. Strange, how it had
taken a base emergency to get them together, when they were so obviously in
love. Even though they had hardly met in the ten months they had known each
other, they had built up an ultimate trust and understanding, something Jack
would never allow to be taken away.
They finally arrived in his
office, where the team all sat down.
“So, what do we do now? We
have the information, the location, but no plan as of yet. Suggestions,
people?”
Everyone thought to
themselves, and, unsurprisingly, Daniel was the first to the conclusion.
“Brian!”
~
Charlie was dragged to the
machine room again, where she was greeted by a grinning Harry Maybourne.
“Hello Charli…Charlene. I
have some news for you.”
Charlie, tired and starving
hungry, did little to protest as she was forced into a threatening-looking
chair. A glass globe was lowered over her head and a white light swept the
room.
“This will simply read your
mind, Charlene. Because, my dear, we believe that the SGC has lied. Your child
is, in fact, three months old.”
Charlie’s eyebrows rose in
surprise. Three months old? But that was impossible! Her mind flooded with
possible reasons, as lasers fixed on the sides of her head.
Screams echoed through the
hallways, and Brian covered his ears. He knew who was in that room and he
didn’t want to hear her suffer. After leaving the SGC, he had joined NID but
was beginning to regret it. When Charlie had ‘disappeared’, he had thought
things couldn’t get worse. They just had.
Suddenly, one of the
‘messengers’ ran up to him, carrying a mobile phone.
“A present for you, sir. One
of the Area 52 airmen gave it to me: a Major Ferretti. He said it was for
‘Hermione’. That make sense, sir?”
Brian’s throat constricted
but he managed to nod. The man smiled and ran off again. Brian stared at the
phone. He knew Lou was a good friend of Colonel O’Neill’s and Hermione was the
name of that Tok’sokar Gourld that had taken Charlie meaning…Brian didn’t shy
away from the responsibility. He waited for Charlie to be taken back to her
room and then walked straight in.
The girl was lying weakly on
her side, one arm draped over the side of the bed. There was a deep frown on
her forehead, as she laid a hand over her slightly swollen stomach. She looked
up at Brian and smiled.
“So, you’re here now, are
you?”
Her voice was low and soft,
and Brian was straining to hear her. He kneeled beside her and slipped the
phone into her free hand.
“It’s from Lou.”
She inclined her head
slightly but he just left. Summoning her strength, Charlie pulled herself
against the wall, relaxing her head against the solid surface. She switched on
the phone, surprised at it’s content. There were several numbers in the Phone
Book: Irish Devil, Astro Girl and Clumsy Klutz. Charlie smiled to herself, as
she read the numbers. Suddenly, a text message alert came up. She clicked on
the button and a little message scrolled across the screen. Charlie replied
quickly, changed the codes on the phone and turned down the volume. She
switched the phone off, the words running through her mind.
The ruined statue. Tuesday
at 11am.
~
Tuesday dawned with
radiance, as Jack slipped on his denim jacket. Sam and Daniel had stayed at his
house, and Teal’c had already taken up residence for their ‘holiday’. Jack was
like a cat on hot bricks, nervously wringing his hands until the others woke
up.
Sam rubbed her eyes sleepily
and looked up at the clock.
“Okay, we have an hour to
get there. I’ll wake up Daniel and Teal’c.”
“I am awake, Major Carter.”
Teal’c walked in, looking
more alert than the rest of them. Sam scowled at him for no particular reason
and Jack winced.
“Okay. So, where’s Daniel?”
~
Charlie hammered on her door
steadily. Finally, an airmen came in.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I need to go to Colorado
Springs. I have some shopping to do.”
The airmen smiled, taking in
her blood-stained fatigues.
“Sure, ma’am. Would you like
some…other clothes?”
Charlie smiled kindly at the
man, who began to blush. He saluted and left. Charlie looked on her computer
clock nervously. 10:15. She sat down, took some tablets out of various bottles
and swallowed them down dry.
The airman returned, with
some clothes. Charlie smiled again
“The car will be ready at
half-ten, ma’am.”
Finally, she thought, someone who doesn’t use military time!
“Lieutenant
Rogers, ma’am.”
Charlie nodded
to him again, feeling an opportunity appearing.
“Thank you,
Lieutenant.”
He saluted and
left. Charlie sighed and began to get changed.
~
Jack sighed
heavily. After looking everywhere for Daniel, he had found him. The young man
was slumped over the computer keyboard, glasses askew and hair sticking up. Sam
came in behind Jack and smiled. She went over to Daniel , kneeled beside him
and blew softly on his face. He moaned softly and Sam took his face in her
hands and kissed him lightly. Jack went downstairs and started up the car.
Teal’c was already in the front seat and Sam and Daniel finally arrived, Daniel
looking decidedly tidier.
They drove off,
towards the ‘deserted’ end of Colorado Springs. Jack had arranged to meet
Charlie at a very distinctive place; where the statue had fallen on Daniel. Of
course, the local people didn’t know that it was actually an alien who thought
she was an Egyptian goddess masquerading as a terrorist group that had blown up
the bomb in Colorado Springs. Then again, they didn’t know half the things that
went on in their ‘quiet’ town. Why should aliens be any different?
The statue had
been too heavy to move, so it had just been left lying on its side. It had
become something of a landmark and there was now a small precinct of cafes and
shops around the area. Jack parked in a nearby car park and turned to his
friends.
“You stay
here. We’re more recognisable as a group and I’m not landing everyone in
trouble for the sake of some recon. Got it?”
They all
nodded solemnly, as Jack got out of the car. It was a beautiful day, but Jack
didn’t feel like smiling. He made his way to the statue and stopped a few
metres away. A very dejected, tired-looking figure sat on the upturned ‘base’
of the statue, dangling her legs over the edge. She wore a faded pair of jeans,
a white T-shirt and a long leather coat that came to her knees. She also had a
pair of sunglasses covering her pretty, brown eyes. She looked up as Jack
approached, and a slight smile played on her lips. Jack sat down beside her and
she leaned against him, wearily.
“Been a while,
hasn’t it?”
“Oh yeah.”
They sat in
silence for a few minutes before Jack got to his feet and pulled Charlie up.
“Come and have
something to eat. If Area 51’s food is bad as the SGC’s, then you’ll need
feeding up.”
“Actually, I
haven’t touched it. Looked a little…off.”
Jack looked at
her in concern, but couldn’t tell a thing while her eyes were hidden behind
those dark glasses. They sat down in a small café, and Jack ordered.
“Two coffees
and…”
“Two chocolate
sundaes with extra cream.”
The waitress
smiled and went off. Jack looked at her and smiled.
“Chocolate?
You trying to make me fat?”
Charlie
shrugged and then shivered, but Jack didn’t miss the little wince she gave. If
that bastard’s laid a finger on her…Charlie looked a little haggard but
Jack could tell little of her emotions while her dark, expressive eyes were
hidden. She had the look of someone who had lost a lot of weight in a very
short time.
The waitress
arrived with the sundaes. Charlie smiled at her and ate the ice cream slowly.
Her coat slipped slightly, revealing red sores on her lower arm. Jack reached
over and took her arm.
“How did this
happen?”
Charlie pulled
her arm away, gasping as she did. She didn’t know why she had agreed to this
meeting in the first place. She had just been so desperate to see him.
“I can’t tell
you.”
Jack arched
his eyebrows and a smile played on Charlie’s lips. She took another mouthful of
ice cream. A drip ran from the corner of her mouth and Jack leaned forward to
wipe it away, noticing a purple bruise at her neck. The anger boiled inside him
but he kept silent. Charlie finished her ice cream and Jack did likewise. She
looked straight at him.
“I have
something to tell you, Jack. I’m sure you’ve been told many reasons for my
leaving but I doubt you know this one.”
Jack was
curious. What hadn’t he been told?
“When I was
kidnapped by Apophis, there was an…incident. I don’t remember much but it
was…intense. But there is something that I know, something that Maybourne is
using against me. All I really want to say, Jack, is that…is that…”
Charlie
faltered, fatigue and lack of energy sinking deep into her gaunt frame. Jack
was giving her a very concerned look and Charlie didn’t want to hurt him, but
it had to be said. If Jack knew, Charlie was sure he’d give up on her. He had
to give up on her, for his own good.
“Tell me,
Charlie.”
Charlie licked
her lips, and spoke again.”
“I’m carrying
his child.”
Jack’s mouth fell slightly open, and fierce
electricity ran through his eyes. Charlie sat there, hoping she didn’t get
caught when he did explode. She stood to leave, unwilling to put him through
anymore torment. He came up behind her and grabbed her shoulder.
“That’s why
Maybourne wants you, isn’t it? Oh, Chaz…”
Chaz. The nickname only he could use for her, a
privilege for only him. He used it now, as a silent plea for her to stay with
him.
“I can’t stay,
Jack.”
Suddenly, a
waiter bumped into Charlie and her glasses clattered to the floor. She bent
quickly to pick them up, but Jack was quicker. He grabbed them and looked up.
He sucked in a horrified breath, as her face was finally revealed. Two burning
wounds lay beside her eyes and one eye was almost swollen shut. A tear slid
from Charlie’s eyes and she made for the door. Jack chased her into the street,
where it had started to rain. She turned to him.
“Don’t follow
me, Ja…”
Charlie gasped
and clutched her stomach. She swooned to the ground, rainwater puddling around
her. Jack bent over her, stroking her hair.
“You’re safe
now, Charlie.”
Sam and Daniel
ran over, having seen the incident. Jack carefully lifted her into his arms,
and Daniel moved to take off her coat.
“Not here,
Daniel.”
The young man
looked confused but Jack just hurried to the car. Sam and Daniel leapt back in
the car and Jack lay Charlie across Teal’c, who was looking very worried, and
angry. Jack started the car, not wanting to think of why she had collapsed. He
drove towards Cheyenne, wondering how he was going to explain this one to the
General.
~
Jack screeched
to halt outside the SGC. The guards knew something was up immediately and
opened the gates quickly. Teal’c got, out carrying Charlie and the members of
SG1 all ran into the SGC. The four soaked figures stormed through the SGC
halls, scattering airmen and marines as they went. Jack skidded into the
infirmary where Janet had already received word of their arrival. She indicated
a bed and Teal’c gently set the girl down. Janet gently removed the leather
coat and gasped. The nurses ushered SG1 out of the room, as Janet examined the
girl in shock.
“I want a full
MRI scan, minimum radiation. There’s something in these wounds that’s keeping
them fresh.”
The nurses
nodded and set to work. Charlie moaned softly and began to stir. Janet thought
Jack O’Neill must have the hearing of an owl, as he was in there like a shot.
“Chaz?”
The girl shook
off the last strands of unconsciousness and her eyelids flew open.
“You’re an
idiot, Jack O’Neill.”
“I was not
going to leave you in the road!”
“It would’ve
been better that way.”
Jack stepped
back, tears trickling down his cheeks. Janet moved in, not understanding but
also not wishing to pry.
“Charlie? How
are you feeling?”
Like I just
got tortured for a fortnight. What do you think? Charlie bit back that remark quickly.
“Better.”
Janet knew a
non-committal response when she saw one and that definitely qualified.
“So, are you
on any medication?”
Charlie closed
her eyes and began to recite.
“Disprol,
Vallium, Morphine and Ibuleve. I think that’s it.”
Janet’s
eyebrows could’ve reached the ceiling. Jack just grimaced.
“Okay, I’ll
put you on a morphine drip.”
Janet turned
to the nurse, instructing her to dilute it thoroughly. Janet tugged Jack out
for the room, into her office. He collapsed into a chair.
“What were all
those drug things?”
“Well, Disprol
is a variety of paracetamol, Vallium is a sleeping tablet, Morphine is a
painkiller and Ibuleve is a muscle relaxant. I’ve taken a blood sample but
that’s probably what made her collapse.”
Jack nodded
distantly. What had Maybourne done to his Charlie? What had Apophis done
to her? Jack turned to Janet, who was still watching him.
“You knew,
didn’t you? About the child.”
Janet did a
double-take. She told him? Janet nodded slightly, answering her own
question, as much as Jack’s. He fixed her coldly, silently communicating all
his fear, anger and hurt in that one expression. He got up and went back to
Charlie.
Teal’c stood
in the doorway, while Daniel paced the corridor outside. Sam had fled to her
lab, attempting to block Charlie’s image from her mind. Jack, however, needed
to talk. He waved Teal’c off and, when Janet approached, he looked at her,
accusation leaking from his eyes.
“We need a
moment alone please.”
Janet nodded
and left for her office. Jack sat on the edge of the bed, while, Charlie turned
her head pointedly away from him.
“Why didn’t
you tell me sooner, Chaz?”
“I was
afraid.”
Charlie slowly
turned her head, eyes locking intensely with his.
“I was afraid
of what you would think, what Maybourne would do, and what might happen if you
knew. I’m trying to keep you safe here, Jack. Please don’t fight me.”
Jack
swallowed, drinking in her words, and picking up the hidden meaning beneath her
words. I wanted to but it was too dangerous. Charlie let her eyes brim
but blinked before the tears could escape.
“You don’t
need to hide anymore, Chaz. I’m here for you, we’re all here for you. And no
one is going to stop that. We’re a family, we get through stuff together. And
no stupid NID colonels, nor System Lords, nor anyone else, will stand between
us. Got that, Charlie?”
Charlie opened
her eyes, gazing at Jack fondly. He squeezed her hand lightly and she shook her
head.
“What did I do
to deserve you?”
Jack grinned
at her and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
“Got sent from
above at NID.”
They laughed
together, recalling Charlie’s rather ungraceful descent from the ceiling at
Area 51. When the laughter had subsided, Jack frowned.
“What happened
to those cute little gloves of yours?”
Charlie closed
her eyes in thought but just shrugged.
“No idea.
Maybe I left them…”
Charlie gasped
and clutched her stomach, eyes wide. Jack leaned forward to support her,
calling for Janet.
“We need some
help here!”
Janet ran in
and took in the shaking girl, who was already hyper-ventilating. Jack held her
tightly but it was obvious the pain was getting worse. Charlie began to panic
and started spouting Goa’uld.
“Nee Marien!
Alpha Harseisus…Danielle…Ka’rec!”
Teal’c was in
there like a shot, followed closely by Daniel. Janet grabbed a syringe and
jabbed in Charlie’s arm. Her eyes rolled back and she fell into unconsciousness.
Jack gently lowered back onto the pillow, sending Janet worried glances. The
doctor shook her head and motioned for them all to go to her office. This was
something she wanted to tell them in private. Teal’c looked very distressed and
Daniel excused himself to quickly get Sam. He returned a few minutes later with
a concerned Sam in tow. Jack collapsed in a chair, looking older than his 45
years. Janet began her diagnosis.
“I just got
the MRI results. It seems that Charlie’s child is three months old.”
“But that’s
not possible! I mean, it was only six weeks ago!”
Sam started to
wave her hands around, only stopped when Daniel sandwiched them firmly between
his own.
“Getting
worked up won’t help, Sam.”
“He’s right,
Car…Sam. We’ve got to listen to Doc.”
Jack nodded to
Janet, struggling to keep a clear head himself.
“There must be
something causing the child to grow at double the normal rate. And I think
Charlie knows. Teal’c, Daniel; did you hear what she said?”
Daniel shook
his head but Teal’c nodded solemnly, a single tear spilling from his eyes.
Janet bit her lip, resisting the urge to wrap him up in her arms. He bowed his
head and began to speak.
“To translate
exactly, she said: ‘No symbiosis.’ I believe that is the word; in Goa’uld it is
represented by ‘marriage’. Then, she said : ‘ Alpha Harseisus’, meaning that a
Harseisus child is taking the place of a symbiot in a relationship. ‘Beta’ is
used to refer to a host. But, she also said the name ‘Danielle’, yet I do not
know to whom she refers. Then, she called for me.”
Damn, thought Jack, I’ve always wanted to
know what ‘Ka‘rec’ means!
“The Gourld
use the Greek alphabet?”
“Why’s she on
about the Harse-whatsit?”
“Who’s
Danielle?”
“The child’s a
Harseisus!”
Everyone
turned to Daniel, who, as usual, was two steps ahead of anyone else. Now, he
had to explain.
“That’s what
she was trying to tell us. She’s sharing her body with the child, like you
would with a symbiot. And the kid’s a Harseisus! And, maybe, she’s been talking
to it! Y’know, it could be possible.”
“It is, Daniel
Jackson. A…friend of mine thought she could communicate with her larval
Goa’uld. We did not believe her. Perhaps she was right.”
Teal’c’s voice
reflected a deep sadness that only Janet noticed. Sam and Jack were too caught
up in Daniel’s words.
“So, why’s she
keep collapsing?”
Daniel
shrugged, indicating that his expertise ended there. Janet cut in.
“Maybe there
was too much information, an overload of some sort. And maybe Harseisus
children grow faster than normal; we have no way of knowing.”
“Well, seeing
as this is just speculation, maybe we should ask the expert.”
~
Charlie’s eyes
flickered open, to be greeted with dozens of smiling faces. She blinked a few
times, and was glad to see the figure reduce to just five. Much better!
“Hey, Sleeping
Beauty!”
“Why do you
have to call me that?”
Jack thought
it over for a few seconds, before answering.
“Well, you
always seem to make the coffee. I figured you were just sleepier than the rest
of us.”
Charlie rolled
her eyes and met everyone’s concerned gazes with a ghost of a smile.
“So, what’s
going on?”
“We need to
ask you about…Danielle.”
Daniel knew he
was clutching at straws but the statement had the desired effect. Charlie’s
eyes widened and she mouthed a silent ‘oh’. She relaxed against the pillows and
closed her eyes, opening them again a few seconds later.
“How did you
know?”
“We were
talking to you and you suddenly started talking Gourld. Teal’c translated.
Seems you were talking about a Harseisus symbiot.”
Charlie
sighed. So, they knew loads. Should tell them the rest or they’ll worry.
“Before we
went to find Graham and Dad, I asked Ka’rec to teach me Kel’no’reem. When
I…found myself in Area 51, I started the discipline. But soon I couldn’t just
hear my own thoughts, but another’s as well. It’s my child.”
Charlie drew
her hand across her swollen stomach, closing her eyes as she did so.
“She sends me
images, of the Goa’uld, scenes a human child couldn’t possibly know. Which
means she’s a Harseisus. I named her Danielle.”
Charlie opened
her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. The others exchanged slightly startled
looks, but the base alarm suddenly began to trill.
Jack rung
through to the control room. He slammed the phone down after a minute.
“Maybourne’s come
for Charlie.”
Charlie’s eyes
went wide in fright, silently begging not to be taken. Jack nodded and motioned
to his team and doctor.
“Sam and
Daniel; grab everything we’ll need for a week’s stay in the Land of Light.
Janet; you prepare Chaz for the trip. Teal’c; you’re with me.”
Everyone
nodded and set about doing their tasks.
~
Jack and
Teal’c met General Hammond on his way up to the surface.
“Plan, Jack?”
“We’re working
on it, sir. You just keep him back.”
The General
nodded, as the pair detoured to the armoury. George continued to the surface,
meeting with Harry a few minutes later.
“Where is she,
General?”
George decided
to play dumb.
“Where’s who,
Colonel?”
“Charlene
Maybourne, my daughter. I know she’s here.”
Hurry Jack!
“I wasn’t aware
you had a daughter, Harry. And I doubt she could find her way into a secure
location if you had.”
“Damn you! You
know bloody well who I’m talking about!”
Harry was on
the verge of shaking George by his collar No one escaped from Harry
Maybourne!
“There is no
one by that name registered as entering my facility. But I’m sure the guards
will let you check.”
George smiled
politely and motioned to the computer. Scowling, Harry went to the computer.
Just then, George’s pager went off. The general lifted the device and read off
it.
See you in
a week, sir!
~
Charlie walked
into the Gate room, supported by Janet, as the final chevron locked. The
wormhole blasted open, and Jack scooped the exhausted girl into his arms.
“You’re safe
now, Chaz.”
“I know, Jack.”
SG1, Charlie
and Janet strode through the Gate to the peaceful Land of the Light, where they
were greeted by Drey’ac and Ry’ac.
“Colonel
O’Neill? What brings you here?”
The woman took
in the limp figure of Charlie, who had passed out again. Teal’c shook his head
slightly at Drey’ac and she gave the simplest of nods.
“Follow me.
I’m sure Tuplo will be happy to see you.”
Motioning to
Ry’ac, Drey’ac headed into the forest, that seemed a little lighter than
before. Sam and Daniel talked quietly to each other, while Teal’c stayed near
Ry’ac and Jack and Charlie. She woke up a few metres away from the Light side
of the planet.
“Where are we,
Jack?”
“Land of the
Light.”
“The Broca
place?”
“Uh-huh.”
Charlie nodded
slightly, unconsciously laying her hand across her stomach. Jack hardly noticed
as they neared the great city. He was too worried that she hadn’t protested his
carrying her. She dozed slightly, letting Danielle’s images run freely through
her mind.
Sam took
Daniel’s hand, glad that he was there with her. With her life being a torrent
roller coaster, she needed someone steady to be her rock.
Teal’c watched
Ry’ac proudly, glad that his son was happy. Drey’ac drifted to his side. How
could he tell her that he loved another? Janet’s image wafted into his mind,
bringing a sharp dash of cold reality to his heart that she didn’t really feel
the same. He had…how did O’Neill put it…carried a torch for her since the day
they had met. He had never met a female healer before and she came as quite a
shock. They had indulged their feelings for a while but they had fallen apart
when Teal’c had been more committed to his team. But it was now clear that she
did not feel the same at all.
SG1 walked in
with Charlie. Janet had kept her distance the whole way, unwilling to intrude
on Teal’c’s family reunion. They had grown distant recently, stopped the small
gestures and smiles that had hinted at affection. Janet let one tear slide down
her cheek and brushed it away quickly. But Daniel and Sam had seen, and they were
worried about their friend.
“It’s Teal’c,
isn’t it?”
“I should
think so.”
Sam smiled
sadly and cast another glance at her best friend. Daniel patted her arm gently
and Sam smiled. They followed Jack up to the banquet table, where Tuplo greeted
them.
“Colonel
O’Neill, how delightful it is to see you again?”
“Hello Tuplo .
Um…my…friend is ill but she can’t…stay on our world. Could we stay here a
while?”
Tuplo was sceptical. Sure, the gods
masquerading as humans had saved them before but now they brought an sick child
into their midst? He smiled brightly and indicated one of their private rooms;
away from anyone the girl could make ill.
Jack followed
Tuplo into a large, comfortable room, with a soft couch and silken drapes. Jack
set Charlie gently on the couch, as the others followed them in. Daniel
collapsed on a pile of pillows, looking exhausted. Sam sat down next to him,
slipping her arm around his shoulders. He smiled at her gratefully.
“How about you
get some sleep? You look tired.”
Daniel knew
how to take a hint. He gave her a sloppy salute before she knocked his hand
down. His eyelids were already beginning to droop and somehow she managed to
get him lying across her. He was asleep in minutes and Janet held her hands in
a clapping motion to Sam. She smiled and absently began to stroke the sleeping
archaeologist’s hair. Janet whispered to Teal’c:
“How can she
do that? I can’t even attempt it with sedatives!”
Teal’c flashed
her a rare smile and turned to her, looking concerned.
“You must rest,
Janet.”
She eyed him
sceptically and got up to look at Charlie. She checked her temperature and the
many bandages she had placed, under Jack’s watchful eye. He practically dragged
her out of the room, to talk.
“I want to
know how she is, Janet. What did…he do to her?”
Whatever
strong word was going to go there, was silenced when one of the Untouched came
round the corner, bringing some very tempting dishes. Jack smiled at her and
took the tray. She bowed and went back down the corridor.
“You really
want to know?”
Jack nodded
slightly and Janet sighed, preparing to grab the tray if he dropped it.
“There is some
kind of health monitor embedded in various parts of her body. It’s made of
naquadah and I don’t know if we can remove it. The burns by her eyes appear to
have been caused by some kind of…mind reader. Who knows what else has been
going on – we just can’t tell.”
Jack started
to shake and began to lift the tray, as if to throw it. Janet grabbed his
hands, stopping its ascent.
“You’ll wake
them,” she said simply.
Taking the
tray, Janet went back into the room, followed by Jack. He knelt beside the couch, ignoring the
protests from his knee. Janet set the tray down by the cushions and took a
sticky-looking cake. Teal’c eyed her carefully, as she leaned against him
almost unconsciously, sighing deeply.
“It’s not
fair, Teal’c.”
“Nothing ever
is, Janet.”
He slipped his
arms around her waist, and she placed her hand on top. Sam watched them
silently, smiling to herself. Why is it the crises that bring people
together? She stared lovingly down on her husband, taking in the peaceful
features. She ran her fingers over the fine frown lines on his forehead, barely
visible in sleep. He had been through so much, that even she couldn’t erase
those lines, of pain and heartache.
Jack entwined
his fingers in Charlie’s short-cropped hair, trying to ignore the white
bandages lining her closed eyes. Suddenly, she stirred with a cry, struggling
weakly against an invisible enemy. Jack laid a hand across her forehead, trying
to reassure her. Her eyes flew open in panic but relaxed as Jack’s face came
into focus.
“Nightmare?”
She nodded
slightly, pushing herself up against the couch. Her bump was much more
noticeable now. 13 weeks already! thought Jack, in amazement. Of course,
it had only been around six weeks, but the child was growing at double the
normal rate. Janet had brought some ultrasound equipment, in case they needed
to stay longer.
“You hungry?”
“Oh yeah.”
Jack smiled
and went to get some food from the tray. He noticed that Sam and Janet were now
asleep as well, and Teal’c appeared to be meditating.
“Looks look
they all fell asleep on us.”
“What am I
gonna do when Danielle is born?”
Straight to
the point, us usual, thought
Jack, wryly. He moved back to her and sat next to her on the couch and she
leaned into him.
“What we’re
gonna do, Charlie. You don’t have to do this alone, we’re right here; all
of us.”
“You can’t do
that, Jack. I mean, you’re out saving the universe. I can’t drag you from that.”
“Who’s
dragging? You’ve got volunteers.”
Jack wiped at
the tears that had sprung from her eyes, and she gave him a watery smile.
“You’re
brilliant, y’know that.”
“Flattery will
get you nowhere.”
Charlie
chuckled and sank deeply into Jack’s arms.
“I love you,
Jack.”
“I love you
too, Charlie.”
~
It had been
two weeks since Jack’s ‘special envoy’ had left for the Land of Light,
scattered with regular radio contact to the SGC. George had gotten rid of Harry
fairly quickly and the complex was doing remarkably well without them. SG2 was
enjoying playing ‘head division’ and Major Ferretti and no problem backing it
up.
The infirmary
was coping without Janet, seeing it was usually SG1 that provided the
excitement anyway. Graham and Louise were looking after Cassie, seeing as she
obviously couldn’t go through the Gate.
Another
wormhole opened and a radio signal came through.
“Hello sir! We
might just stay here a little longer. Seems there’s gonna by a pretty cool
comet display. And, don’t worry; this is not going to be another Edora! O’Neill
out!”
The wormhole
shut down and George sighed. Yes, his people deserved their off-time and he
couldn’t drag them from a bunch of natural fireworks. Another Edora. George
wondered if he meant the first part, or the second.
~
“Comets?”
“Oh yeah.
Lotsa comets.”
“But not
comets that are gonna crush us?”
Jack smiled,
as Charlie dragged herself from sleep. They had regained – trust and he had
placed them in three different rooms; Sam with Daniel, Jack with Charlie and
Janet with Teal’c. They hadn’t seen Drey’ac since their arrival but Ry’ac
brought fruit often and he seemed intrigued by Charlie. She was becoming very
tired and listless, and stayed on the couch or within the soft sheets of her
bed more and more often. Ry’ac would sit beside her and listen as she told him
Hindu stories about mischievous gods and innocent children. He loved to listen
to her talk, and sometimes Teal’c had to physically drag him away.
Some days Jack
had carried her into the well-kept gardens and they had talked about everything
they could think off. Today she had fallen asleep under the midday sun, and was
now waking up when the others had crashed down with a massive picnic.
“No, they’re
not going to crush us. Jack’s just being pessimistic.”
Daniel
shrugged and Jack threw a squashed fruit at him, but missed completely and hit
Sam. She turned slowly, wiping tomato-like paste from her hair. Charlie started
to giggle and put a hand to her mouth, eyes lighting up with laughter. Jack
looked horrified but everyone else had huge grins on their faces. Sam picked up
a cup of water and threw it at Jack, hitting him squarely in the face.
“Right, that
does it!”
The Colonel
got up and chased Sam around the garden. Daniel rolled his eyes and Charlie leaned
back on her hands. The sky was clear blue and the sun shone brightly. Teal’c
was feeding Janet grapes; they seemed to have forgotten that they even split up
in the first place. Daniel watched his wife tease Jack, wondering how he could
be so lucky.
Charlie
started humming to herself, feeling happier than she had been in ages. But her
mind drifted back to the obvious bump in her stomach, draining her of all her
energy. Why was she going through with this? What would she do when Danielle
was born? Sure, Jack would be there but she couldn’t expect him to care for a
child that was not his own. And marriage: Charlie knew he wanted that
commitment and under any other circumstances she would’ve said yes. But how
could she tie him down to a single mum with an unwanted child.
The humming
stopped and she lay down against the grass, and easily slipping into
meditation. Suddenly, Drey’ac came over the horizon, dragging Ry’ac behind her.
She overshadowed Charlie, looking very angry. Sam and Jack stopped their joking
and Teal’c put down the bunch of grapes. Charlie opened her eyes, reading a
whole series of emotions in the woman’s face.
“You teach my
son of False Gods. I shall not allow it. You will die here, girl.”
“Hang on a
second, Drey’ac. What was that?”
Jack came over
and helped Charlie to her feet. Drey’ac’s eyes were blazing now and she shoved
Ry’ac out of the day. He ran to Janet and hid behind her back.
“You serve the
False Gods. You carry one of the vile Harseisus spawn in your womb and commune
with it. And now you try and convert my son to your evil ways.”
Drey’ac struck
out at Charlie, and hit her across the face. Jack moved to stop her but Charlie
knocked his hand away.
“They are
stories, Drey’ac. I don’t believe them, and neither does Ry’ac. I serve no
False Gods and my child is not vile. And how come you know so much of the
kal’ma marien?”
Drey’ac
stuttered and Jack and Sam turned to Daniel for a translation.
“It means
‘child marriage’ Y’know, like the symbiosis thing Teal’c was talking about.”
They nodded
and watched the woman splutter. Abruptly, she pulled out a Zat-like weapon and
shot herself.
“Drey’ac!”
“Mother!”
Teal’c and
Janet rushed to Drey’ac’s side and Sam bundled Ry’ac up in her arms, unwilling
to let him see his mother die.
“Why did you
do this, Drey’ac?”
“I…serve…Hathor.”
Drey’ac let
out one last, shuddering breath and died. Teal’c sat back, thoroughly shocked.
Janet felt for a pulse and shook her head. Tuplo ran out and gasped.
“She killed
herself, Tuplo . There was nothing we could do.”
“I saw it all,
Colonel. We will bury the body.”
“Wait!”
Charlie knelt
down beside Drey’ac and lifted her collar. She pulled out an amulet, engraved
with the Eye of Ra. She pulled the necklace gently and it broke. Jack helped
her back to her feet, and she gave the amulet to Daniel. – signalled to two men
and they carried Drey’ac’s body away.
Wondering when
things got this complicated, Charlie sat back on the grass instinctively laying
her hand over her stomach. Janet took Ry’ac from Sam, attempting to comfort the
stricken child. Teal’c was sombre and silent, sitting on the grass in such a
way as if to protect them all. Jack knelt beside Daniel, as the young man
attempted to make the device work. Sam and Charlie joined them, unwilling to concentrate
on anything else.
“Well, it’s
Egyptian.”
“I think that
much is obvious, Daniel.”
Charlie took
the amulet and pressed it to her forehead.
“Kal’ma
marien…kal’ma marien…kal’ma marien!”
The amulet
glowed and the light surged towards Danielle, throwing Charlie into an eerie
half-light. Then the glow subsided and the amulet burst open. Charlie gave it
back to Daniel, while Jack stared in amazement.
“How did you
know?”
Charlie turned
to Teal’c with an apologetic look.”
“The only way
for Drey’ac to know of kal’ma marien is if she performed it herself.”
It was Daniel
who broke the awkward silence.
“With a
Harseisus?”
Teal’c stood
up and walked away. Janet held Ry’ac tightly, knowing that Teal’c just wanted
to be alone. She sat Ry’ac up and brushed away his tears.
“Could you
tell me something, Ry’ac?”
The boy
nodded, as everyone else examined the amulet.
“What did
your…mother use the necklace for?”
Ry’ac didn’t
even hesitate.
“To commune
with the Love of Ra. Mother served Her for
sometime, before She took Son’ak away.”
Charlie picked
up the last few words and turned around.
“Ry’ac, did
your mother have a child here?”
The boy nodded
again and Charlie and Janet exchanged looks. They brought Ry’ac into the great
‘circle’ that had built around the amulet. Everyone looked up and Charlie began
to explain.
“The ‘Love of
Ra’ is an ancient reference to Hathor. And I’m guessing Son’ak is a Harseisus,
Drey’ac’s kal’ma.”
Daniel looked
over the amulet again, before putting it in his pocket. The matter is
closed, apparently, thought Sam.
“Charlie; you
up for a bit of story telling?”
“Ya betcha!
Come on Ry’ac; I have some stories to tell you.”
Charlie led
Ry’ac into a sheltered glade of the garden and started to tell him classical
fairytales, anything to draw his mind away from the day’s events.
Teal’c
wandered back into the garden and nobody mentioned the slightly tear-stained
cheeks or red eyes.
“What will
become of Ry’ac?”
“That was just
what we were about to discuss. I don’t think it’s safe for him here.”
“I agree,
Daniel. Hathor could come back, and we don’t want trouble for Ry’ac or the
Untouched.”
Jack thought
it over carefully while the others discussed it over him. Suddenly, he sat up
and clicked his fingers.
“Why don’t
Janet and Teal’c have him? I mean, he is Teal’c’s son and I’m sure Cassie and
him will get on just fine, being the only alien kids on the planet.”
Teal’c nodded
his agreement and Janet just shrugged.
“Count me in.”
As if reading
their minds, Charlie brought Ry’ac back. Dusk was beginning to fall and they
had mere hours before the comets started.
“Hello again.
I take it you’ve reached a decision.”
They nodded
and Ry’ac sat on Janet’s lap, a good omen of things to come.
“Would you
mind coming back to Earth with us, Ry’ac? And living with your father and
Janet?”
The boy’s eyes
went as wide as saucers and his whole face lit up.
“You mean it?
I can live on the First World?”
Of all the
reactions they had expected, that hadn’t been one of them. Ry’ac turned around
and hugged Janet and the doctor was moved to tears.
“Can I call
you Mother, Janet?”
“Sure you can,
sweetheart.”
~
The Gate
started up again, seemingly spinning as slowly as it could. George drummed his
fingers impatiently, until the radio signal came through.
“General,
there’s been a slight…incident. We’re all fine, but Drey’ac has…er… committed
suicide. We’re bringing Ry’ac back with us, sir. O’Neill out.”
Silence echoed
in the Control Room, as the news sunk in. The wormhole shut down and the
General shook his head. Another tragedy? What else can go wrong?
~
It was pitch
black outside, and the Untouched had brought round several fur cloaks and
homespun clothing for the sharp, biting night. Charlie was feeling sick as a
parrot but didn’t say anything to Jack, as she knew he would only worry.
“So, you want
the grey fur or the brown?”
Jack held up
two cloaks, and Charlie saw that one was obviously bigger and intended for
Jack.
“I’ll take
grey. I don’t think it would fit you.”
Jack grinned.
“Just checking
your eyesight.”
In the next
room, Sam was already in her grey coat and muffler, and Daniel was just putting
on his brown fur. Sam did up the catches for him, kissing him passionately.
“Now, that
should keep me warm.”
Sam grinned
and led him onto the lawn, where Janet, Teal’c and Ry’ac were already waiting.
Janet was fussing over him as if he was Cassie and Teal’c was smiling again.
Jack and Charlie were out next, and everyone pretended they hadn’t noticed how
much she was leaning on him.
The Untouched
were afraid of the comets and would only watch from their windows. However,
Jack had been scouting around and led them to a cliff-side. They weaved towards
the cliff, a snake-like procession of lights. When they were there, Janet and
Sam rolled out the spare furs and blankets and they all sat down. Ry’ac sat on
Janet’s lap, while Teal’c kneeled behind them, protecting his precious
‘family’. Daniel was sitting behind Sam, who was kneeling up but still leaning
on her husband’s steady shoulder. Jack was straddled on the ground, with
Charlie resting between his legs. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and
she folded hers on top.
As the first
streaks of fire hit the sky, Charlie, Janet and Ry’ac gasped, caught up in the
spectacle. SG1 had seen it all before but that didn’t diminish the vista in the
slightest. Jack leaned down to Charlie.
“You okay?”
“It’s so
beautiful, “ she breathed in wonder.
Jack smiled
and turned back, as one swept overhead, leaving a glittering trail of sparks in
its wake.
“So, will you
marry me?”
“You sure know
how to pick your moments.”
Jack smiled,
as she relaxed into his warm embrace. The last comet flew above them and
Charlie turned, the comet’s fire glittering in her eyes.
“And, yes; I
will marry you.”
She leaned in
to kiss him and the others turned politely away, except for Ry’ac who just
gawped until Janet covered his eyes.
“Why can’t I
see?”
“Because…you’re
not old enough.”
Ry’ac pouted
but didn’t struggle until Janet released her grip. Jack was helping Charlie to
her feet and caught her on the way up. She stumbled into him and he just
smiled. Janet pushed Ry’ac gently up and Teal’c steadied her. Daniel lifted Sam
straight into the air and she screamed.
“Daniel! Put
me down!”
He swung her
into his arms and started to carry her back, as she pounded on his chest.
“Put me down
this instant, Daniel Jackson! Colonel; help! Teal’c, Janet; anyone!”
Ry’ac ran over
to Sam and tugged on Daniel’s sleeve.
“‘Scuse me,
Daniel. Could you put Sam down, please?”
Daniel smiled
at Ry’ac and swung Sam to the ground. She glared at him before shaking Ry’ac’s
hand.
“Thank you
very much, Ry’ac. You saved me from the evil monster.”
“Hey! I resent
that!”
Daniel came up
behind Sam and began to tickle her. She yelled and turned around, fingers
diving for him. Soon, they were rolling around on the dewy grass, laughter
echoing around the small glen. Then, it began to snow.
“Am I
imagining things?”
Janet looked
around in disbelief and Charlie gazed in wonder.
“It happens
every year, Mother. The snow falls after the fire goes.”
“Uh…Jack? Hate to sound naïve here, but what
the hell is falling from the sky?”
Everyone
turned to Charlie, who promptly blushed.
“Haven’t heard
of it before, that’s all,” she said weakly.
There were a
few raised eyebrows and Jack looked totally non-plussed.
“Didn’t you
say you had been to the Himalayas?”
“Yes. But
there was nothing like this…”
Oh, they
all think I’m cracked! Charlie
looked at them all nervously, feeling the powdery white stuff settling in her
hair. It was very cold and icy, reminding her of the lace-like webs that had
haunted her when soldiers had tracked her in the Himalayas…
~
Sinaya
could see no way out. She knew she was surrounded but there was nothing she
could do. She had lost everything in a matter of days. Anja was gone and she
was being chased by the authorities. Her life had collapsed around her, leaving
a fragile, unprotected shadow of herself behind. Then, the dust had come. White
and frail, it settled all around, blowing across her face. She had pulled her
languid body higher up the precipice and found a small cove, slightly sheltered
from the storm. Crawling inside the opening, Sinaya curled up into a ball,
wishing she could disappear. Disappear? Slowly, she pulled herself from the rock-face
and stood up, her plain brown clothing hanging off her battered body. She
stepped slowly forward and peered over the edge, marvelling at the tailored,
jagged rocks below.
“Stop!”
A voice
called from the blanket, fighting to be heard.
“I can save
you. Don’t jump!”
Sinaya
ignored the voice and started to step over. A hand grabbed her from behind,
pulling her into the cushioning dust. She struggled slightly, but he held her
tightly.
“Don’t
fight me! Okay, my name is Daniel. You’re going to be okay, you hear me?”
Sinaya had
learnt English from an early age and knew the stranger’s words easily.
“No, I
won’t be. Leave me here. Let me die.”
“I won’t do
that. I can give you a new life, you hear? A whole new beginning.”
Sinaya gave
in to the tempting words, and the man picked her up and carried her back to a
vehicle. He laid her in the back and covered her with a blanket. It was warm
and comforting inside and Sinaya fell asleep.
~
The numbing
chill of the snow on her skin brought back that day in force, making her
shiver.
“Okay, I think
we should be getting back.”
Jack took her
hand and practically dragged her back through the snow. About half-way back,
Daniel detached her from her lover and pulled her to one side.
“Are you okay,
Charlie? Too many memories?”
Charlie looked
up at him, wondering how he knew what she was thinking.
“Just a little
too real.”
Daniel smiled
and led her back to Jack.
“I think this
one needs carrying. Come to think of it, so does mine.”
Daniel dived
for Sam, who looked dead on her feet.
“You gonna let
me carry you now?”
Sam sighed and
let Daniel swing her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, as
Jack did the same to Charlie.
“You’ve gained
a few pounds.”
“It’s called a
child.”
Teal’c,
uncertain as to what to do with two people to care for, kneeled down for Ry’ac
to climb on his back. Janet eyed him sceptically.
“You’re gonna
hurt your back.”
“Jaffa are
strong,” was his only reply.
Janet shook
her head as she climbed into his embrace. The small group were soon back in
their rooms, where the men finally put their ‘burdens’ down.
They all
congregated in Jack and Charlie’s room, where the exhausted and preoccupied
girl had collapsed on her bed.
“Can I sleep
through this one?”
“Give me a
moment, Chaz.”
Jack smiled
brightly at her but she only waved her hand weakly.
“Right, we’re
due back in about an hour but none of us are gonna trek back to the Gate in
this storm. I suggest we wait the storm out.”
Ry’ac squirmed
slightly in Janet’s arms and she looked down at him.
“You have
something to say, Ry’ac?”
Ry’ac’s solemn
eyes met Jack’s, and the older man felt the sorrow bite him through the boy’s
piercing eyes.
“O’Neill sir;
the snow will not stop for many days now. We would have to wait at least a
month, maybe two.”
“Two months?
That’s a long time, Ry’ac!”
The boy nodded
and Jack felt deflated. Two moths of constant snow? What a Winter! Charlie
pulled herself up, trying to join the conversation.
“Um…in two
months, Danielle will be eight months old. And that’s only if she keeps growing
at the current rate.”
Janet suddenly
clicked her fingers and dived for her medical case, which was pretty large. She
pulled out a piece of film and gave it too Charlie.
“That’s the
scan I took when we first arrived.”
The picture
showed a small, curled foetus, head still disproportionately large, and only
vague details of the tiny form visible.
“It shows a
child during what would normally be the fourteenth to fifteenth week of growth,
slightly more than three months. And this is the one I took today.”
Janet took out
a picture and gasped herself.
“Wait! This
isn’t possible…”
Sam took the
scan off Janet and her eyes widened.
“Janet; that
child is twenty weeks old.”
“What!”
Daniel’s
exclamation summed up the reaction perfectly. Charlie lay back on the bed, as
the rest of the room buzzed around her. Twenty weeks? I don’t believe it!
But that must mean…
“So, it’s now
three times normal. Why’d it go up?”
Janet
shrugged.
“It could be
the planet, or this could be perfectly normal for a Harseisus. Teal’c; do you
know anything?”
The Jaffa
solemnly shook his head but Ry’ac cut in.
“Yes, Mother.
Son’ak was born after three months in the Land of Light.”
Sam and Daniel
exchanged looks, before speaking in unison.
“So, it’s the
planet.”
Janet nodded.
“Essentially,
yes. Three months is three times faster than normal, and Danielle’s growth has
only increased while here. When we get her back, it will probably slow down
again.”
“So, how
long?”
Anything
involving the Goa’uld freaked Jack, but when the people he loved were involved,
things got tenser. He wished he could just get them out of there, anything to
give him more time to adjust. It had been eight and a half weeks: eight and a
half! But the child was now twenty weeks old; and if they stayed through the
storm, the child would be born here. Jack had to get Charlie back. We have
to do something!
“I think it’s
obvious we have to leave now. The snow if pretty deep, but we can get round
that. Ry’ac; do the Untouched have sledges?”
The boy nodded
and Jack frowned. Half-way there, O’Neill. Don’t give up now!
“Right. Daniel
and Car…Sam; what exactly did you bring?”
“Um…torches,
MREs, Janet’s equipment…er…that’s about it.”
Just my luck. Think, O’Neill, think! But
Jack drew a blank.
“Mum; could
you build a small motor using Janet’s scanner and Teal’c’s staff?”
Jack turned as
Charlie shifted herself up. Staff! Why didn’t I think of that? Sam
frowned, calculating what she could do. Then, she smiled.
“It might just
work.”
“How long,
Sam?”
“An hour tops,
sir.”
Jack smiled
with the rest of his team.
“Then get to
it, Major!”
Sam saluted.
“Yes sir!”
~
For the next
hour, the team worked especially hard. Jack, Teal’c and Ry’ac managed to
procure a sledge, partially due to the Untouched’s believe that they were
totally mad. Janet and Daniel packed up the last of the equipment, as well as
preparing some food for the journey. Sam and Charlie worked furiously on the
motor but Sam still wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“Well, we have
a power source and all the components of a motor, but this still won’t get us
anywhere.”
Charlie sat
back and thought, running through the possibilities. Suddenly, she clicked her
numbing fingers.
“ What if we
use the principle of a speedboat? Y’know, a propeller?”
Sam grinned
and grabbed a couple of primitive wooden swords off the wall, holding them up
to admire.
“It might just
work.”
At that
moment, Jack walked in, puffing out mist as he came and rubbing his hands
together.
“The sledge is
outside. You gals ready?”
“Sam’s just
adjusting the motor.”
Sam’s fingers
danced across the motor, quickly fixing the ‘propeller’ in place. She lifted it
into the air and walked outside with it, positively beaming with pride. Jack
helped Charlie to her feet, taking in the swollen stomach and ankles.
“You’re even
beginning to look the part.”
Charlie
scowled at him, as they made their way outside. Jack slipped a grey fur over
her, frowning slightly when it wouldn’t fit around her waist.
Teal’c was roughly chopping some wood for a
‘rudder’, while Ry’ac and Janet looked on in amusement as Daniel got himself
hopelessly tangled in a vine outside. Sam sighed, and went outside to untangle
him.
“Right; who’s
sitting where?”
Sam and Daniel
came back in, looking considerably warmer than when they went out. The sledge
was a big affair, about two metres square, with new protective bars around the
outside, thanks to Jack’s handiwork. Janet quickly lined it with
cushions and blankets, trying to make it as cosy as possible. The snow outside
was quite deep now and there was no doubt that they were using the sledge. It
was currently standing on the top step of the Untouched banquet hall and
everything beyond was a snowy wonderland. Jack got in first, through the gate
in the side. He sat along the right side, legs straddled, as Charlie got in and
sat between them. Daniel was next, pressed against the left side, with Sam
between his legs. And Teal’c, Janet and Ry’ac were last, Teal’c and Janet in a
similar position to the rest, while Ry’ac sat up front.
“Well, kids;
here goes nothing!”
Jack reached
for the motor and flicked it on. The sledge shot forward with a roar, everyone
clinging on to the sides or their partners. Jack struggled with the rudder, as
they quickly neared the wood’s edge.
“Everybody
duck!”
Heads flew
down, as Jack clumsily navigated
through the forest. Snow fell from all sides as the wide sledge grazed
trees and bushes. Ry’ac kept shouting directions and they just about made it to
the Gate. Jack skidded it to a halt a few metres away from the DHD.
“So, who’s
going to get out first?”
Daniel sighed,
and stepped through the gate. He immediately sunk up to his neck.
“Oh, this is
just brilliant!”
He clumsily
waded through, nearly falling flat on his face several times. Sam broke off one
of the swords and threw it to him. He smiled at her and began to unbury the
DHD. He quickly dialled up Earth, and the half-buried Stargate gushed out,
clearing a path to it, though the sledge was still a good way away from the clear
patch. Daniel staggered into the clear field, sending through the GDO signal.
“Teal’c! Use
your staff like a paddle. Pull them through!”
The Jaffa
nodded and took his almost-useless staff. He plunged it into the snow, and
using all his strength, shifted it into the clear patch, where more snow was
already falling. Everyone quickly got out, Charlie carried out by Jack. As a
group, they marched through the tempting Gate.
~
When SG1’s
signal code came through, George breathed a sigh of relief. Finally! It
had been a few hours since SG1’s last transmission and he had been getting
worried. The iris slid back and there were several tense minutes, before the
sergeant could declare an ‘incoming traveller’.
Sam came
through first, sliding down the ramp when her snowy shoes hit cold steel.
“Daniel!”
He followed
next and landed flat on his stomach, spinning on the ramp and taking Sam down
with him. Jack skidded through, completely tripping backwards, head brushing
against the event horizon. He shot towards the wall, stopped only by the
massive tangle of fur and flesh at the bottom. Teal’c and Charlie stepped
through together, and quickly descended downwards. However, their quick
reflexes made them grab the railings. And finally, Janet and Ry’ac stepped through,
surveying the muddled gate room, as the Stargate shut down.
General
Hammond walked into the confusion, wondering why the group he had sent were
covered in fur and snow. Jack, Sam and Daniel were untangling themselves,
giggling as they went. Teal’c slid steadily down the ramp, using his staff to
steady him. SG1’s packs had gone flying on landing and the contents were now
scattered across the Gate room. Charlie slid down the rest of the ramp, landing
in Jack’s arms as he stood up.
“Watch your
step there.”
Daniel got up
and promptly fell back down again, jolting his spine hard.
“Ow.”
Sam, still laughing, pulled him to his feet.
Janet took a cautious step, but lost her footing. She practically flew down the
ramp, and ran straight into Daniel, who fell over again. The entire Embarkation
and Control rooms had dissolved into laughter, and the SG3 marines were all
standing in the Briefing Room, loopy grins plastered over their faces. Ry’ac
just stood at the top of the ramp, unsure whether he should come down. Janet
noted his discomfort and held her arms wide.
“Come on,
Ry’ac. Don’t be scared.”
He nodded, closed his eyes and stepped
forward. He headed straight into Janet’s arms and she held him tightly. He
opened his eyes and sighed.
The others had
already headed for the showers, but Teal’c waited for Janet.
“Make haste,
ful’ma. We must de-brief in an hour.”
“Ful’ma?”
Teal’c smiled
at her, and led his family out of the Gate Room.
~
“So, sir, we
felt we should bring Ry’ac back with us.”
Teal’c glanced
across the table at Janet, catching her eye. She lowered her head and blushed,
as Sam took up the tale.
“Well, we
still wanted to see the comets, so we stayed for that. It started to snow
straight after. We couldn’t wait it out because it would’ve lasted two months,
so Charlie and I built a motor, and we attached it to one of the Untouched’s
sledges. And, as you can see, we’re back here. No thanks to Jack’s driving!”
Sam gave Jack
a large flashing smile and he scowled back. General let the few skipped ‘sirs’
and rank titles drop, and also chose to ‘ignore’ the glances certain members of
his team were sending each other. Though, he thought, the way they’ve
chosen wouldn’t affect regulations at all.
Charlie sat at
the table, absently playing with her pen. Jack’s words kept fleeting through
her mind, and the kiss…
Charlie sighed
quietly to herself. She had found someone to love, someone she was going to
marry. Sometime in this century, she thought bitterly, When on earth
would we have time to get married?
Jack noticed
Charlie’s distraction and decided now was the time to act.
“Um, sir?”
The General
looked up at his distinctly uncomfortable 2IC.
“Yes, Jack?”
“Well, I know
I have some leave due and I would kinda like to take it, sir.”
Charlie looked
up at Jack, eyes taking on a shining quality. He glanced over at her and
smiled. George figured he knew what was going on here.
“May I ask
why?”
All eyes
turned expectantly to Jack, wondering how he was going to explain this. But he
just turned back to the General, proud as can be.
“To marry my
fiancée, sir.”
The General
smiled at him, before an idea took form in his mind.
“Well, Jack, I
think I speak for all here when I say we would like nothing more. However, we
might feel slightly cheated if you don’t let us be there. And what better place
to hold it then our very own Gate Room.”
Jack’s eyes
widened like saucers, and Charlie gasped. Daniel was grinning like a Cheshire
cat, Sam was on Cloud 9, while Janet and Teal’c just thought over how they
would break their own news.
“Of course, we
should get it done as soon as possible. The less we break regulations the
better.”
“Regulations,
sir?”
Jack gave him
a questioning look, along with the rest of the table. Except for Charlie, who
shook her head in disbelief, laying a hand on Jack’s arm.
“Jack, if the
‘no association’ order is for a ‘Charlene Maybourne’ surely it won’t apply to
‘Charlie O’Neill’?”
He looked at
her for a second before nodding his agreement. But Charlie could tell he wasn’t
concentrating on her words. George, seeing that the Colonel was somewhat
incapacitated, carried on.
“So, I suggest
that Major Carter and Doctor Jackson take Charlene into town to find suitable
attire, while we prepare the Gate Room. If…the couple could arrange other technicalities…”
“Uh, yeah,
General Hammond,” Charlie answered, distractedly.
Sam smiled,
and led Daniel out of the room, Janet following suit. The General shook his
head before going towards his office.
“Jack?”
“Yeah
Charlie?”
Jack brushed
her hair absently out of her eyes, as she continued.
“You do know
that Dad can’t be your best man, don’t you?”
“What? Why?”
That woke
him up! thought Charlie.
“Cos he’s
giving me away! He can’t be in two places at once! And, y’know, I don’t think
we can have the wedding in the Gate Room.”
“Why not?”
Jack had lost
his dreamy look, in favour of the massive organisation before them.
“Because I
want Cassie to be there, and we can’t let her near the Stargate.”
Jack’s eyes
widened.
“Oops,” he
said, quietly.
“Well, the
wedding would certainly go off with a bang,” Charlie said lightly.
“That’s almost
as bad as some of mine,” Jack said, reproachfully.
“You better
believe it. Now, about this best man thing…”
“Teal’c, I
guess. And chief bridesmaid…”
“I think Mum can
do it. With Janet and Cassie of course. And Louise…?”
“If ya like.
Oh, page boy…”
“Ry’ac,
stupid! We should really invite Ernest and Katherine.”
“How the hell
do you know about them?”
Jack was
slightly indignant. Who else knew about my firebrand before me?
“Well, Mum and
Dad had them round for dinner once or twice. Just before the SGC found out.”
Jack rolled
his eyes and Charlie slapped him playfully.
“Don’t look at
me like that! What would you have done if you had found out, huh? Admit it; the
only reason I came along on that mission was cos Mum sprang it on you.”
“You got me,”
Jack muttered.
Charlie sat
back and crossed her arms, satisfied.
“Thank you.
Anyway, back to this…”
“What kind of
ceremony? Catholic…Anglican…short as possible?”
Charlie smiled
at Jack’s nervous humour. He can be real cute sometimes, she thought,
sweetly.
“Up to who’s
doing it. Which is a point actually…”
“The old
General?”
“Which one?
That reminds me; are we inviting Jacob?”
Sam and Daniel
stood in the doorway watching the two spat and argue their way through their
wedding plans. Sam decided to intervene before she heard Jack say something
unforgivable.
“Are you
ready, Charlie?”
They both
whirled round, frightened out of their lives.
“Give a guy a
heart-attack!”
Daniel
sauntered in behind her, absently holding a small leather book entitled
‘Wedding Customs and Traditions’. Charlie turned back to Jack.
“General
Hammond for the ceremony. I think someone better warn him. And if Jacob’s
coming…”
“Only if
Selmak keeps his mouth shut.”
Jack had taken
to mumbling recently. It was the only thing that stopped him getting abuse from
all sides. Charlie sighed at him and leaned into his shoulder.
“What am I
gonna do with you, Colonel Jack?”
“Shoot me and
throw away the gun,” Jack said, hands raised.
“Isn’t that
supposed to be…never mind,” finished Daniel, past caring about Jack’s misuse of
the English language.
“I think I’d
better contact the Tok’ra, call Katherine et cetera.”
“And I’ll
arrange a car for the town trip.”
Sam and Daniel
dived out of the room. Charlie kissed Jack on the cheek briefly.
“I’ll go tell
the General what’s going on and to stop the guys decorating the Gate Room.
You’d better brief Teal’c on how to be a model best man. See you later.”
“Bye Chaz.”
She blew him
another kiss, before following Sam and Daniel out. She soon reached Daniel’s
office, where Daniel was talking to Katherine.
“Hello
Katherine…it’s Daniel…we’re all fine…she’s good…Katherine; they found out about
her…no, nothing bad. Well, not really…anyway, Jack sorta…no, not too many
sparks.”
Daniel
laughed, and Sam came over, teasing him. She looped her arms over his
shoulders, pressing her face to his. Charlie almost burst out laughing as
Daniel desperately tried to concentrate on the conversation with Katherine.
“Well, they
fell in love…yes, it is romantic…they’re getting married. That’s why I
called…okay.”
Daniel put his
hand over the receiver, and turned to Sam.
“She’s just
gone to tell Ernest. She’s really pleased, Sam.”
“So she should
be. Charlie and Jack are.”
Daniel smiled
and removed his hand.
“When? Er…”
Charlie
decided to jump in, and snatched the receiver off Daniel.
“Hello
Katherine…Um, say four o’clock…yes, I just made it up…we’ll call you if it
changes…why? Um…”
Daniel glared
at her and snatched the phone back.
“Sorry about
that. No manners…”
Charlie
scowled at him and collapsed in one of the chairs, suddenly becoming very hot. Can’t
the damn child make up its mind? she thought, angrily, and was rewarded by
a solid kick, Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…Having to watch her every
thought was becoming a hassle.
She quickly
remembered what she was supposed to be doing and reached for the wall phone.
“General
Hammond?…it’s about the wedding…”
~
Teal’c was
deep in meditation when he sensed her come in the room. Immediately, his
concentration was broken and he smiled.
“Ful’ma, your
step is light.”
He opened his
eyes and Janet pouted.
“I thought you
hadn’t noticed.”
“How could one
fail to notice one of such purity enter a room?”
“Flatterer!”
Janet picked
her way through the candles and sat across his lap.
“Apparently,
you’re best man.”
“I am aware of
it. Janet.”
The steady
trill of the phone interrupted them. Janet got up and answered it.
“Hello? Okay,
I’m coming…”
~
Charlie got
out of the car and slammed the door. Sam and Daniel were already outside the
store, as Janet and Cassie pulled up. Cassie practically leapt out of the car
and ran over to Charlie, flinging her arms around her, or as far as they would
go.
“Hey Charlie!
I can’t believe you’re getting married to Uncle Jack; that is so cool!”
Charlie smiled
at her, and ruffled her hair.
“You gonna
help me pick a dress?”
Cassie grinned
and Charlie laughed, leading her over to the store. They all walked in together
and headed for the bridal gowns. Charlie immediately reached for a beautiful
emerald dress but Daniel knocked her hand away.
“Married in
green, she’ll be ashamed to be seen.”
Sam rolled her
eyes while Charlie just looked put out.
“This is my
wedding, remember?”
Daniel
shrugged and went to look at tuxedos. Charlie turned to the three women
surrounding her.
“Janet, Mum;
what colours did you get married in?”
Both women
began to look distinctly uncomfortable but Janet did answer.
“Well, it was
a pale pink one. Very fashionable.”
“Married in
pink, and her spirits will sink,” Daniel shouted across.
Janet sighed
and turned back to the rack, while Charlie switched to Sam.
“Uh…it was
white. Simple, formal thing.”
“Married in
white, she has chosen alright. I think that fitted well,” Daniel said.
“You have no
modesty, do you?” Sam sighed, in exasperation.
Daniel just
flashed her a smile and came back over.
“I would like
white, but it isn’t very fitting. Y’know, purity…and all.”
The group
became distinctly silent and uncomfortable and Charlie quickly changed the
subject.
“Anyway…um,
blue is good. A pale blue.”
“Married in
blue, her love will be true,” Daniel said, his eyes going misty.
Sam jolted him
with her elbow and his eyes soon cleared. Charlie smiled at him and he flashed
her a quick smile. Charlie turned back to the rack, scanning the dresses. The,
she backed off, gently touching her stomach.
“I’m never
going to get a size!”
Charlie
clapped a hand to her mouth, looking as if she was about to burst into tears.
Sam quickly took her arm and ushered her to the assistant. The woman looked
very prim, and wore small glasses balanced precariously on her nose, giving the
look of a hawk.
“Yes?”
“My daughter
needs a wedding dress.”
Looking over the
pair of them, the woman wrinkled up her nose before signalling towards a rack
of dresses.
“These are the
dresses for the…pregnant woman.”
She said the
sentence as if it had a bad flavour. Charlie’s eyes hardened, as she moved
towards the rack. She looked over the gowns before gasping quietly. She reached
out and removed a beautiful, blue dress. It was a full-length, with a white
lace hem and cuffs. Along the right side, below the waist, was an array of dark
blue flowers, sprawled like a creeper. Sam and Janet nodded their approval,
while Cassie clapped her hands in delight. Daniel offered a beaming smile, but
the assistant just snorted.
“You do
realise that blue was the favoured colour of the Virgin Mary?”
She
over-emphasised the word’ virgin’ so that Charlie couldn’t help but notice.
Those words crumbled what little remained of her self-control and she lashed
out.
“Do you find
something the matter? Is there something displeasing you? Because, at the
moment, you’re coming off as downright rude.”
The woman
looked at Charlie, as if speaking to a small child.
“My dear, you
are the coloured daughter of a white soldier and obviously pregnant before your
marriage. I’d say you should just forget it: what’s a witness to God worth
now?”
Charlie blew a
gasket. Her voice shaking with rage, she pointed at the woman.
“How dare you!
I was raped, goddammit! You think I asked for this? My fiancé has the good
grace to stand by me, when he could turn tail. I think that’s worth God’s
witness, don’t you?”
The woman was
shocked into complete silence. Charlie moved towards a fitting room, clutching
her precious dress. She went in and the stumped woman turned to Sam.
“I am so
sorry. I had no idea…”
“Well, next
time, think twice. You just ruined her wedding day.”
Sam stomped
off, as the woman received several angry glares from Janet, Cassie, Daniel and
most of the store.
Charlie
slipped the dress on, as Sam moved into the cubicle.
“Shall I zip
it up?”
“Please.”
Sam slid the
zip up Charlie’s back, as the girl placed the tiara on her head. She turned to
Sam, and looked down the dress.
“How do I
look?”
Sam shook her
head in disbelief.
“Amazing.”
She pulled
back the curtain, and everyone gaped.
“Wow Charlie!”
“I think a
certain Colonel’s in for a shock.”
“You look
great, Aunt Charlie.”
Charlie smiled
at them all, especially Cassie.
“Aunt Charlie,
huh? Stop it; you’re making me feel old!”
~
Storage Room
36B had just been renamed ‘Wedding Hall’, after its miraculous transformation.
The Bridal Procession had run off to get changed, while the rest of the SGC had
started to congregate in the Wedding Hall. Dress uniform codes had been
dropped, seeing as the entire affair was against regulations, and General
Hammond wasn’t about to tell Jack he had to get married in uniform.
SG8 had
recently formed a string band and they were playing soft tunes, as everyone
filed in. Katherine and Ernest had turned up at half-past four and Katherine
had tried to get the Colonel, unofficially dubbed ‘Jack-rabbit’, to calm down.
“Cool it,
Jack. The wedding’s gonna be fine.”
Jack gave her
a nervous smile and resumed his harried pacing. Katherine shook her head, as
the General stood up to tell everyone to take their seats. Jack made his was to
the make-shift ‘stage’ and Teal’c stepped in beside him.
“All will be
fine, O’Neill. There is nothing to fear.”
Jack
side-glanced Teal’c, who offered him a rare smile.
“Thanks
Teal’c. I know you’re right.”
The Jaffa
touched Jack’s arm and the Colonel smiled. Warrior to warrior, friend to friend.
Both finding love after such lives of pain.
The two stood
to the right, Jack nearest the ‘isle’. Everyone was there, even the
technicians. Jacob Carter sat in the front row, positively beaming, while
Katherine and Ernest sat a few rows back.
“Teal’c, do
you have the rings?” Jack said in blind panic.
“They are
here, O’Neill. Do not concern yourself.”
Jack nodded
curtly, his hands shaking slightly. Teal’c smiled; he had never seen Jack so
nervous, not even when facing Apophis in battle.
The General
took the podium, and everyone stood down. Jack felt spotlighted, just resisting
the urge to duck and cover. He was acutely aware of the looming presence of
Teal’c beside him and he was very grateful for it.
He heard the
door click open and the band started up the music. Jack turned round, and
gasped. Daniel was beaming with pride and Charlie…
The flowing
dress fell cleanly off her figure, face highlighted with just enough make-up.
She wore a beautiful silver tiara and carried a bouquet of deep blue roses. And
she wore blue-tinted crystal slippers. Cinderella, he thought, utterly
enchanted.
The train of bridesmaids were dressed in dark
blue, carrying posies of cerulean roses that looked as if they were made of
pure sapphire. Ry’ac wore a small dark blue suit, complete with rose buttonhole
and looked very frightened indeed.
The procession made its way steadily up the
isle, enthralling everyone present. Charlie smiled timidly at Jack, sure she
could see tears forming in his eyes. They finally reached the front, Daniel
breaking off from Charlie. She turned to Sam and handed her the flowers. Sam
smiled and touched her arm in reassurance. Charlie nodded slightly, and turned
back to the front. Jack’s hand found hers and she closed her fingers around his
sweaty palm. Teal’c took a step back, leaving Charlie and Jack in the
forefront. The congregation sat, and the General began to speak.
“We are
gathered here today to witness the marriage of Jonathan Kieran O’Neill to
Charlene Sinaya Jackson.
We all know
Jack and Charlie, and I feel that they are two of the most dedicated, loving
people I know and I can’t think of anyone who deserves the love they’ve found
more than they do.”
Charlie bit
her lip and bowed her head, tears pricking her eyes. Jack squeezed her hand
tightly and lightly touched her chin. She looked up at him and they both
smiled. The General continued.
“Marriage is a
union of the soul, a bond for forever between the hearts of two people who care
for each other very much.
And now, as
these two people stand on the threshold of marriage, is there any reason why
they can’t be joined in holy matrimony?”
The door was
thrown open, and it slammed back. The entire room turned back, and there was a
communal gasp.
“Yes, there
is.”
Maybourne
stood in all his glory, eyes glowering with venom.
“She’s my
daughter and I forbid this marriage!”
TO BE CONTINUED…