Janet sat in her office going over the reports from Carson, Jennifer and the rest of the medical staff. She was exceedingly pleased by how well they had managed to pull together both here and back on Earth, they were a team and Janet felt proud of all of them.
“Doc,” Jack’s voice interrupted her.
Looking up Janet was surprised to see her daughter and Jack walking towards her, “Hi, is something wrong?”
Jack placed his hand on Cassie’s shoulder, pushing her forward, “Not wrong but Cassandra has something she needs to tell you.”
Interested Janet looked at her daughter, surprised at the apprehension she could see in her eyes, “Cassie?”
“I’ll be outside,” Jack started to leave, stopping as Cassie grabbed his arm, “Then I’ll stand right here.”
He closed the door to Janet’s office and stood, essentially blocking the way out. Cassie pulled the spare seat over and sat across from her mother.
“Honey,” Janet reached out taking her daughter’s hand, “Whatever’s wrong you can tell me, I thought you knew that.”
“Some things you never forget,” Cassie smiled at Janet before becoming serious again and telling her everything she’d told Jack earlier.
Janet struggled to find something to say as her daughter revealed she was telekinetic, as she looked at Jack for confirmation he disappeared in a bright white light.
“Typical,” was all Janet could think to say.
Jack looked surprised as he stood side by side with Daniel facing Thor.
“Hey,” Jack greeted the diminutive alien in front of him, “You’ve got to learn how to call ahead.”
“Damn right,” Daniel muttered under his breath.
“Apologies,” Thor told them with a slight dip of his head, “I hope I did not interrupt anything important.”
Jack saw Daniel grimace but the younger man said nothing as Jack shook his head.
“Good,” Thor started away and after a second the two men followed him, “I apologise that it has taken me so long to return, I assume your people are doing well?”
“We’re doing fine,” Jack assured Thor, “Had a few problems recently but things have been smoothed out.”
“Why are you back?” Daniel asked.
Thor glanced at him quickly, “I have spoken with the council concerning what is happening on Earth.”
“And?” Daniel pushed.
Thor tilted his head in what Jack and Daniel thought might be annoyance before he turned and continued through the ship without saying anything else. The two men continued on behind the alien in silence, since neither knew what to say.
Finally they reached their destination and the two men stopped in the doorway as they saw another Asgard standing behind a console.
“New guy?” Jack asked Thor, “Or have we met before?”
“This is Hermiod,” Thor introduced them; “He has agreed to help me gather the evidence I need to persuade the council against the Andurians.”
“What kind of evidence?” Daniel leaned against the wall, “What aren’t you telling us about the Asgard Council?”
Thor grimaced, at least that’s what Jack and Daniel assumed, “The High Council do not believe the Andurians have invaded. Since Dr Carter was a member of SG1 and is their liaison they wish proof.”
“Proof?” the men asked in unison.
“As I said they will not believe me,” Thor continued, “With O’Neill being painted as a criminal by Carter I decided I required an impartial observer to record testimonies from the people within the city, those hurt most by the Andurians. Hermiod has agreed to do this.”
“What’s he owe you?” Jack smirked, grinning at Daniel as both aliens ignored him.
“If you agree Hermiod and I shall interview all the citizens of the city and record their stories,” Thor told them, “Both words and thoughts.”
“Like the Tok’ra memory device?” Daniel mused, “That’s a good idea but I warn you not everyone, myself included, will want to think of everything she did to us. But I’ll go first as soon as you’re ready and after we’ve told Sha’re.”
“I shall contact you tomorrow morning to begin our sessions,” Thor told them before the white light filled their vision again and they were standing in Sha’re’s office.
Sha’re, Peter, John and Jacob stared at them in surprise as the two men shrugged.
“We’ve got news,” Jack told them.
*********************************************
“Are you getting Déjà Vu too?” Rodney asked as Laura pushed him through the corridors of the city towards the conference room, “I could have used crutches you know.”
“Not with your arm,” Laura reminded him, she smiled to herself, “Besides I like pushing you around.”
“Don’t I know it,” Rodney muttered.
Laura stopped and tilted his head to her placing a quick kiss on his lips, “And you love it too.” As they started moving again Rodney smiled to himself, she was right.
He was extremely surprised that Carson was allowing him out of the infirmary for this meeting but considering Carson and Janet would be there it was probably a moot point. At least they let Laura bring him alone; he would have hated an entourage.
As they entered the room Rodney took note of who was in the room, considering the veil of secrecy on what this meeting was about he was interested in who had been invited. Sha’re had her usual seat at the head of the table, on her right sat her husband who looked disturbed and was murmuring to himself. On Sha’re’s left was Jack, then Jacob, Carson with Janet and Cassie. Next to Daniel sat John, Bra’tac, Teal’c and Jeannie with space for him and Laura. Finally Ferretti entered the room and the doors closed.
“Dan’iel,” Sha’re spoke up once the doors closed turning to her husband, “It is your meeting.”
He swallowed nervously and stood up, looking around the room at the people waiting for him to speak. His eyes settled on Jacob and Daniel sighed.
“While trawling through the database not long after we first got here,” Daniel started, “I accidentally entered into the search engine Andurian. I was shocked to discover an entry, actually a lot of entries on them.”
“The Ancients knew them?” Laura spoke up before anyone else could.
Daniel nodded, “They knew them alright. Back when we were SG1and Jack first met the Asgard he was told about an Alliance that existed a long time ago between the Asgard, Ancients, Nox and another group called the Furlings.”
“Are the Andurians the Furlings?” Ferretti demanded.
“Want to let me finish?” Daniel frowned at him, receiving a mouthed sorry before he continued, “Anyway, the Furlings controlled several planets with what they called primitive races. One of these was the Andurians; they were unusual because the Gould can’t take over them. In fact, from what I read, any symbiote will be trapped and the Andurian can even deflect pain of a...a zat onto the symbiote without any pain themselves.”
“That’s amazing,” Janet murmured before looking up at an annoyed Daniel, “Sorry.”
“You’re probably all wondering where I’m going with this,” Daniel sat down again, reaching out to take his wife’s hand, “Using what was in the database, I think I know what happened to turn Sam, our friend, into Carter, the enemy.”
Everyone at the table stared at him, all wanting to know but also every one of them didn’t know if they wanted to hear it. Finally a voice spoke up breaking the silence.
“Daniel,” Jacob said softly, “I want to hear, I need to know what happened. So, tell me.”
As Sha’re gently squeezed his hand, Daniel nodded, “Okay.”
“The Furlings left our galaxy to travel,” Daniel said after taking a long drink of water, “When they left the Andurians travelled to what had been the Furlings homeworld and raided it for as much technology as they could. The Ancients didn’t like this development and, before they left for Pegasus they somehow – I have no idea how but I’d love to ask, they made sure that the Andurians couldn’t use Ancient technology. As far as I can tell if an Andurian was looking for the Gate address for here they would never find it no matter how hard they searched.”
“Which is why she needed you,” Janet deduced, “If the Andurians couldn’t work out where Atlantis was then they needed someone who could. But what about Rodney? Sam...Carter was one of the top scientists on Earth, why couldn’t she discover how to increase the power to the Gate?”
Daniel dropped his head; he looked around the room but avoided Jacob’s eyes, “The Andurians don’t use the Gate because it’s Ancient technology so they can’t travel to other planets that way. From what I’ve read they like to conquer but in an unusual way,” he glanced quickly at Jacob, “They send out small ships throughout the galaxy, once at a populated planet they find a pregnant woman and...and...”
“Dan’iel,” Sha’re whispered, resting her hand on his as he couldn’t continue.
Jack pushed Daniel down into his seat, “Once they’ve got their subject the foetus is removed,” Jack had studied it with his friend and knew this part as he’d read it over and over again, “Think of a cuckoo, it lays its eggs in another birds nest for that bird to raise. The Andurians use the foetus as a template and implant the pregnant woman with an Andurian foetus with a few modifications. Then they return the woman back as though nothing happened and they wait.”
The silence in the room was heavy as they all took in what Jack’s words meant. Jacob was staring at the table as Selmak comforted him as best she could. No one moved, the only sound was soft breathing as everyone tried to think of something to say
“Was she ever...” Janet started, trailing off, “Was she ever our friend?”
“Yes,” Daniel answered softly, “As Jack said there are modifications to the baby. The Andurian DNA is like the centre of an onion, it builds up layers around itself using the DNA of the baby it replaced so that there is no way anyone could know. There is also a false personality, one that is used to integrate with the world it’s in until something triggers the real personality. Basically when they make contact with the Andurians.”
“So,” Jacob said, “My daughter was never really my daughter.”
“Part of her was,” Daniel told him, “But she was murdered. That’s the only way you can think of it, Jacob.”
*********************************************
Sha’re sat on their bed watching as Daniel stood on the balcony staring out across the horizon, he’d been there over an hour now and Sha’re was beginning to get worried. When she’d first married Daniel she discovered his tendency to keep his worries and fears to himself, it had taken her a long time before she brought his walls down so that he would include her, so that he knew she was there to help him. Deciding she’d left him alone long enough Sha’re stood but before she could join her husband the chime on their door sounded.
“Jacob?” Sha’re stared in surprise at the man standing there, after the meeting he’d walked out and headed into the city to be alone, “Are you alright?”
The older man gently squeezed her shoulder, “I am, sweetheart. I came here to talk to Daniel, is he here?”
“Yes,” Sha’re motioned him into the room and drew him to the balcony, “He is there.”
Jacob leaned over and placed a kiss on her temple, “You don’t have to worry about me.”
Sha’re shook her head and hugged him, “But I do,” pulling back Sha’re gave him a soft smile, “You came to talk to my husband. Go.”
Jacob left Sha’re and walked onto the balcony where Daniel was standing. He could understand why Daniel searched the galaxy for her, Sha’re was so sweet and brightened the room when she smiled. Jacob was just another of one in a line of people who would do anything for her.
As Daniel turned Jacob focussed on why he’d come here. Daniel stared at the older man, his blues eyes wide with sorrow and Jacob stepped forward. Without hesitation Jacob hugged Daniel, his fatherly instincts coming through with the young man he’d always felt paternal towards.
“I’d thought you’d hate me,” Daniel whispered as he moved back from Jacob.
“For telling me the truth?” Jacob frowned at him, “That’s pretty dumb.”
Daniel shrugged, “Guess so. But....”
“No buts, Daniel,” Jacob scolded him; “Yes, hearing it was hard, knowing that the daughter I loved and who saved my life by bringing me to the Tok’ra is gone forever hurts but I refuse to be a casualty of the Andurians. I have Selmak who is helping me through this and I might go knock out some of Jack’s recruits later.”
Daniel smiled slightly, his own sadness over what he’d revealed at the meeting still shone in his eyes though.
“Don’t you forget,” Jacob cuffed Daniel’s shoulder, “That you have someone in there waiting to know if you’re okay. Get in there and let her know.”
With that said, Jacob left the balcony – stopping briefly to say goodbye to Sha’re.
Daniel watched Jacob leave before he turned back to his contemplation of the clouds thinking over everything Jacob has told him, a few moments later he felt Sha’re’s arms slide around his waist.
“Jack once told me of a saying,” she murmured as she rested her cheek against his back, “When someone is thinking deeply you offer a penny for their thoughts. I do not have that but I will offer you a kiss.”
Daniel let out a quick laugh before he turned and gently kissed her, Sha’re fastened her arms around his waist again and leaned against his chest.
“I know how hard to reveal what you had found to everyone,” Sha’re told him, “Especially Jacob. But I know how hard it was for you because you wanted there to be some way to save her.”
Daniel pulled away, “After everything she did to us? You think I want...”
“Yes,” Sha’re cut him off, “Because she was your friend. I know there was a part of you that hoped she was under the influence of some outside force, that this was not her and I am sorry, my love.”
Daniel pulled her close and kissed her again, he moved them inside and sat on the bed with his wife gently tracing her face with his fingers for several minutes in silence as he stared into her dark brown eyes.
“When you were taken,” he finally started speaking again, “My world shattered and she...Sam was there pushing me to sleep, giving me things to take my mind off what had happened to you, helping me learn about the hierarchy of the base. If I’d been there I would have known something was wrong and I could have stopped this.”
Sha’re sighed, “That is why she found a way to keep you away.”
“I’m sorry,” Daniel cried, realising what he’d just forced her to remember, “Honey, I’m so sorry I wasn’t thinking.”
“I know,” Sha’re assured him, “Now you have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and focus. You are one of the leaders of the resistance; you need to start to fight because if you let this distract you she will take advantage of that weakness.”
Daniel let out a soft snort, “When did you become a military tactician?”
“I have spent a lot of time in Jack’s company,” she reminded him with a smile.
Daniel tilted her head up and pressed a kiss to her lips, “I love you.”
“Good,” Sha’re pushed him back against the bed, “because I love you too.”
As she slid onto him Daniel closed his eyes and kissed her, nothing else mattered but the fact they were together and had survived whatever the universe threw at them.
And now Daniel was ready to fight back.
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Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
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