AUTHOR: Demon Faith
CATEGORY: S/D, Trilogy, Missing
Scene/Epilogue: Past and Present, Drama, Angst
SPOILERS: Major ones for Past and Present
and Forever in a Day. Minor ones for In the Line of Duty,
SEASON/SEQUEL: Straight after Past
and Present. First in the ‘Jolinar Lives’ trilogy
RATING: PG-13
CONTENT WARNINGS: Implications, violence
and Goa’uld possession
SUMMARY: A lab accident has dire
consequences for Sam
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own them. I’m just playing. Will put back in
mint condition, but may keep Danny for a while…
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Was thinking about
that wonderful Dargol stuff and S/D (what’s new?) and this plot just appeared…
As the wormhole
disengaged, Daniel felt his smile fade. Oh wasn’t life brilliant! First his
wife dies; he gets sent through a recurring nightmare several times and then
the first women he falls for turns out to be a serial killer! He sighed heavily
and went towards the door.
“Daniel?”
He turned slowly, to meet Sam’s
worried frown.
“Y’alright?”
“Yeah, just peachy.”
He snapped at her, sarcasm masking
his pain. Daniel turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the Gate room.
Sam stared after him in disbelief. Janet put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry Sam. He’s just going
through a bad patch. I gather the Colonel wasn’t being too helpful either.”
Sam smiled awkwardly and went back
to her lab.
~
Daniel examined the letter
carefully and then took out the folded sheet. He smiled for a moment, then
pinned it to the wall. Taking out the darts, he sat back on his chair and
admired his target. Oh he would have to thank Siler for this! It seemed quite a
few of these had appeared in airman’s bunks and rec. rooms and it was becoming
quite a popular game. Daniel threw his three darts and they all hit the paper.
Daniel went up to stare at the target. Jack stared back. Wow, wouldn’t Siler be
for it if Jack found out! It was a simple idea: Jack’s military photo with
faint target rings superimposed on his face, with the bull’s eye as his nose!
Daniel’s darts had hit his cheek twice and his eye once.
There was a knock at the door.
Daniel pulled out the darts and collapsed in his chair.
“Come in!”
The door swung open and Jack
sauntered in, hands in pockets. Daniel didn’t realise who was there and just
threw the darts again, hitting ‘Jack’ squarely on the nose.
“Yes, Airman?”
He hadn’t even looked up but Jack
had noticed the paper on the wall. He walked over and Daniel finally looked up.
“It’s Colonel actually. What’s
this?”
Jack ripped the paper off the
wall, and the darts fell to the ground. Jack lifted the paper close to his face
and squinted. Daniel sighed. Janet had been nagging Jack to get some glasses
for the last three months but Jack was so damn stubborn that he refused flatly,
saying that it would undermine his authority.
Daniel studied Jack’s face
carefully. He had realised it was his photo but Siler had placed a caption underneath
in minuscule writing and Jack was still trying to read it. Daniel cringed in
memory of what it did say but with any luck, Jack wouldn’t be able to read it.
Daniel didn’t think ‘Colonel O’Neill -that stubborn bastard’ would sit
particularly well with Jack today.
Jack threw it down in frustration
and Daniel smiled. Jack turned on him, eyebrow raised.
“Explain Jackson!”
Uh-oh. Jack only called him
Jackson when he was in a very bad
mood.
“Um, well Jack, it…um…it…well, it
isn’t mine! I just…saw one in…the canteen and thought ‘why not?’”
Jack eyed him sceptically and Daniel squirmed. Then again, he
wasn’t feeling like arguing with Jack. Daniel sighed heavily and got up to make
coffee. The aroma hit him, bringing back memories of Abydos. They had found a
coffee plant one day and Daniel had brewed the beans. He recalled Sha’re’s face
when she had tasted it, that little grimace that had told him so much…
Daniel felt a tear roll down his
cheek and land with a splash on the table. Daniel brought his hand to his eye
and brushed at the sudden tears.
Jack leapt up quickly, all rage
forgotten. He moved beside Daniel and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“She’s gone, isn’t she?”
For a moment, Jack was confused as
to whom he was talking about but the next sentence confirmed his suspicions.
“I spent so long without her in
the ribbon-device’s vision that I thought I was over her. But with Kira and Sam
and…”
Tears submerged Daniel’s words and
Jack pulled him into a hug. All military boundaries of emotion and protocol
flew out of the window when Daniel was concerned. His sentence confused Jack;
where did Sam come into this? Up there with Sha’re and Kira? Unless…Jack
couldn’t quite believe what he was thinking. Sam and Daniel? Not the most
likely combination, but then most people on base thought that it was Sam and
Jack that belonged together, and Jack wasn’t about to correct them on that
point. Only because that would mean revealing who he really had an attraction
to, and that could get ‘deep’.
Daniel suddenly pulled away from
him, drawing his sleeve across his eyes. He turned away from Jack, obviously
embarrassed with himself. Jack was about to put a hand on his shoulder but
Daniel raised a hand.
“Why did you come?”
His voice was quieter now, more
controlled. Jack withdrew his hand.
“I was going to invite you to
dinner. Teal’c’s coming over to my place and I was going to invite Carter. Mind
telling her for me? I’ve got to go cook.”
Daniel turned around and nodded.
Jack smiled tightly and turned to go.
“Jack?”
He whirled round at his name.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime, Danny.”
Jack closed the door softly,
thinking over what Daniel had said. If he was being truthful, then he hoped it
would work out. If Daniel ever told her!
~
Daniel washed his face a few times
before going to find Sam. He figured she’d be in her lab but he couldn’t quite
be sure. There was also something else, something he needed to work out with a
friend.
He knocked on her office door and
a tussled brunette head popped round the door.
“Daniel! Come in!”
“Thanks Janet.”
He took a seat and Janet sat down
beside him, watching his face carefully. He looked back at her and then voiced
his question.
“Does Sam like me?
Janet’s eyes widened. Of all the
questions she had expected, that certainly wasn’t one of them.
“Uh…well…you’re her friend,
Daniel. Is that what you meant?”
Daniel’s head drooped and Janet
bit her lip. Did she break a promise to Sam or lie to Daniel? A hard choice but
she wasn’t the SGC’s head doctor for nothing.
“Not quite, Janet. I meant like like me.”
Janet took a deep breath and made
her decision. Sorry Sam…
“Well, let’s just say she wouldn’t
say no.”
Daniel looked up, his eyes shining
in delight.
“You’re serious? Thank you Janet!”
He leapt up and ran for the door.
Janet smiled. Hopefully her two friends would be happy tonight.
~
Sam didn’t hear him knock. She was
too busy cataloguing the exact effect
of the Dargol antidote. It seemed to open up any blocked passageways in the brain. She wondered how many
psychiatrists would love to get their hands on this. She loaded the vial back
into the delivery gun purely out of habit. She put it back on the table and
picked up her new book. It was a heavy hardback and contained the latest
theories of astrophysics. She flicked the first few pages and settled into
reading.
“Sam?”
In her shock, she dropped the
book. The book hit the delivery gun just as she turned to face Daniel. The gun
flew into the air, hitting her neck with a short hiss. Sam’s hand clapped to
her neck as she swooned to the floor. Daniel was beside her in a second,
holding her as the seizure gripped her.
“Stay with me, Sam. Hold on!”
Abruptly, she stopped shaking. She
sat straight up and looked about wildly. She stood up quickly and glared at
Daniel.
“Who the hell are you?”
Daniel looked at her, obviously
hurt.
“Don’t you know me, Sam? I’m
Daniel. Are you alright?”
Sam blinked and shook her head.
She stumbled forward and Daniel caught her.
“Yes, I’m fine. Sorry Daniel. Just
a little disorientated.”
“I’m going to take you to the
infirmary.”
Sam started to protest but her
body rippled with seizure. Daniel swept her into his arms and he carried her to
the infirmary.
~
“Have you any idea what she was
studying?”
“No idea. But with the seizure and
the memory…”
“Yes, of course. I see now.”
Jack, Teal’c and the General
rushed into the infirmary.
“What…happened?”
They were out of breath and had
obviously been running. Daniel glanced over at Sam’s still form, berating
himself over and over again. Why did he have to surprise her? If he hadn’t, she
wouldn’t be ill now. He tuned back into the conversation.
“…Dargol antidote. She didn’t
recognise Daniel at first.”
“But what trapped memories does
Sam have?”
Everyone stared at each other
blankly but Daniel’s mind had already reached the terrible conclusion.
“Jolinar.”
The whole room turned to him,
realisation hitting them. Janet shook her head, not wishing to believe it.
“But those aren’t Sam’s memories!
How could they…”
“She can remember stuff from when
Jolinar…was in her. Who’s to say the memories aren’t real to her?”
“But that’s essentially another
part of her…”
Daniel timed out again, the
sentence ringing in his head. Another part? A
different person?
“Kira!”
Everyone turned to him again, this
time, frowning. Daniel hurried to clarify.
“Kira said it felt like she was
two people inside her. What is that’s what’s happening to Sam? Two people
fighting for control of the same body!”
Sam stirred in her bed and
everyone crowded round, Daniel directly by her side. She cried out and sat up.
She looked around her wildly, shrieking foreign words.
“Gular mutikar! Ey Lantesh, ey
Lantesh! Discro mo chapa’ai, discro chapa’ai! Lantesh!”
Daniel backed off as Sam started
lashing out at everyone. She leapt off the bed and ran off down the corridor.
Everyone was speechless but Daniel ran after Sam, desperate to help her.
~
Jolinar was very confused. All her
memories were disorientated, especially those of her host. For some reason, she
remembered dying! But was she even alive? She seemed to be some kind of spirit,
a sum of her memories, if you will. But she felt alive! Her host was telling her this was wrong, that she wasn’t
real but Jolinar didn’t listen. She broke into a small room, cluttered with
books and artefacts. An archaeologist’s office. Jolinar had always been
interested in past cultures but the Goa’uld had stopped any chance of her
learning directly from the people. Tau’ri were famous and their cultures
diverse but Jolinar had always been busy assassinating System Lords. Despite
what Lantesh thought, she wasn't truly a Tok'ra. She was in it purely for the
thrill, the excitement. Lantesh had always protested but she had silenced him
with a kiss. She always silenced him with a kiss. She sensed that her host had
an attraction to Martouf, Lantesh’s present host. That would make things a lot
easier. But then she had a stronger attraction, for this Daniel Jackson. In
fact, this man had caused the host to hold on to part of her existence for much
longer than expected. If she could only force Lantesh into this Daniel, then
host and symbiot would work in harmony. That was what was required for a
perfect Tok’ra, but she wasn’t the perfect Tok’ra. She looked for a weapon in
this Daniel Jackson’s office. Her eyes settled on a sturdy dagger, its jewelled
hilt reflecting every single beam of light that was projected its way. Jolinar
picked up the weapon, rubbing her fingers over the smooth blade. It was funny;
she had a better symbiosis with her weapon than her host. She laughed to herself
as a shadow was cast into the room.
“Lucky I found you…”
“Not so for you, Daniel.”
Jolinar turned, willing her eyes
to glow. Light radiated from them, causing her host’s love to step back. She
could appreciate his human beauty. She recalled that Hathor had taken this man
as her chosen one. Hathor had good taste. She moved slowly, provocatively,
towards Daniel. She twisted her leg around his and drew him into a passionate
kiss. Oh yes; Lantesh would have to make this his new host!
Daniel tensed with her touch,
almost melting completely into her arms. Then he realised who he was kissing. Pulling away, he looked at her with venom.
“Jolinar! You have a husband,
don’t you?”
Jolinar pouted like a brat, making
Sam look cuter than ever. Daniel tried to keep himself in check, tried to
remember who was in his friend’s body now.
“You shall become his new host,
Daniel Jackson. We will be together and my host will be happy.”
Okay, that hit home! Daniel looked
at Jolinar in surprise. Was she just sprouting nonsense or did those words
actually mean something? He stepped forward.
“Never, you bitch.”
Jolinar roared in rage and struck
out with the dagger. She hit his arm and a bleeding gash appeared. He pressed
it to him and she pushed him against the wall, holding the knife to his throat.
Just then Teal’c, Jack, General
Hammond and Janet ran in, stopping as they saw Sam waving her knife dangerously
close to Daniel’s throat. She hadn’t even noticed them enter. Suddenly she
screamed and clutched her left hand to her head.
“Oh no…no…you’re not real…”
Daniel stepped forward and held
her lightly, realising Sam had regained control. Then she pushed him off.
“Your lover may be winning but I
am a part of her. We are one, Daniel. And you can you love what violated your wife?”
That stung! How dare this thing bring Sha’re into this? Daniel
backed towards the wall again, as Jolinar came at him with the knife.
“You’re not Jolinar. Sam is in
there and she can fight.”
Daniel was surprised to see a tear
roll down her face.
“Who am I, Daniel? Who am I?
I’m…trapped in my own body!”
“Sam?”
His voice held a cautious note,
testing his opponent. He had noticed his friends even if Jolinar/Sam hadn’t.
“No! I AM NOT Sam! Then, I’m not
Jolinar. Who the hell am I? Oh god, this is doing my head in!”
Sam paraded in front of him, every
word punctuated with a wave of her dagger.
“Do you know what this is like?
This is like schizophrenia! Two people in one body, two personalities, two
existences! I’m a mental case now, even worse than a Tok’ra!
Jolinar/Sam screamed with pain and
gripped her head. Daniel tried not to move, realising that that wasn’t his
friend any more than it was his enemy. Oh the paradox of paradoxes! A friend
and an enemy in the same body! Daniel
tried to wrap his mind around the implications but he was pushed abruptly out
of his reverie. Jolinar/Sam had noticed their guests. Tears were streaming down
her face now and the light danced across her face in an eerie glow. But the
thing that scared Daniel was Jack’s gun, levelled at Jolinar/Sam.
“What the hell are you doing Jack?
You could…”
He was cut off by Jolinar/Sam
pressing the knife to his neck, restricting his breath.
“Drop it, Jolinar. Or you die.”
Jolinar suddenly seemed to emerge
victorious, eyes glowing and voice taking on the echoey tones of a Goa’uld.
#I must leave here with Daniel.
The Tok’ra will help me!#
“I think you’ll find they won’t.”
At that moment, Teal’c lifted his
Zat and fired a blast at Jolinar. She screamed and turned at the last possible
second. Taking her knife, she thrust it into Daniel, as the electricity and
Dargol antidote carried her into unconsciousness. Daniel sank to the floor,
staring at the knife sticking out of his abdomen. Janet was soon beside him,
telling him to stay clam. Jack was on his other side, grasping his shoulder
tightly. Daniel leaned slightly towards Jack, biting his lip to stop himself
crying out. His eyes darted to the still form of Sam, hoping she wasn’t dead.
Jack’s eyes flitted the same way, taking in her damp hair and clothes. Her body
was tense even in slumber and she was shaking with every breath.
Was this their Sam
Carter? Would she ever be her again? Or would Jolinar win the fight?
TO BE CONTINUED…