Sunlight streamed in through the window of John’s quarters. John groaned slightly as he woke up feeling a weight against his arm and chest, his arm was numb but John didn’t want to wake the woman sleeping at his side.
When Jeannie shifted uncomfortably in her sleep John softly murmured to her trying to soothe the bad dreams that were attacking her. As she settled back against him John started to think about how good this felt and before he could stop his mind started going over what it would be like to wake up beside her every morning.
“John?” the sleepy question made him smile as Jeannie looked up at him.
“Morning,” he smiled down at her, “Sleep well?”
Jeannie closed her eyes wincing in embarrassment, “You should have woken me.”
John shrugged, “You looked too peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you.”
Jeannie blushed and pulled away from him managing to stand, she yawned and stretched before looking down at where he was still sitting.
“We should go get some breakfast,” John suggested as he stretched, wincing at the crack.
Jeannie pushed her hand through her hair, “I need a shower first and some clean clothes.”
“Fine,” John stood, “You go get freshened up and I’ll meet you in the commissary in about half an hour.”
Jeannie nodded; she turned to leave before turning back to him, “Thank you, John for looking after me last night. I...I...” she trailed off.
John stepped to her and gently stroked her cheek, “It was the least I could do.”
Without thinking John leaned in and brushed his lips to hers in a soft kiss, when they parted Jeannie looked at him with a smile.
“I’ll see you at breakfast,” she breathed before leaving him standing.
When the door closed John moaned and rested his head against the wall; he had no chance of stopping this now. He was in love with her and there was no way he could pretend he wasn’t.
“Rodney, are you sure this thing is safe?” Sha’re asked as she looked over the report.
“Of course it is,” Rodney rolled his eyes, “It’s a holographic imager, similar to the thing that gives us the history of this place. There’s nothing...” he paused before correcting himself, “It’s doubtful anything will go wrong with it.”
“Do you know how to work it?” Sha’re smiled as he rolled his eyes, “I have to ask these things, Rodney. That is why they gave me this office.”
“Programming it shouldn’t be too hard,” Rodney explained, he tapped his fingers against the table, “There are environmental basics already set in to the computer. You start with the type of place you’re trying to create, desert, ocean and then you work from there adding buildings or trees.”
Sha’re bit her bottom lip as she thought, “Could we recreate the Educational Complex?”
Rodney shrugged, “The bits we know, yes.”
“Alright,” Sha’re said, “Then we start getting together what people remember of it. Can you speak with one of your assistants and get them working on that?”
Rodney nodded, “I’ve started working on something to make sure it does do what I think it does.”
Sha’re laughed, “I will come by later if that is alright. I do not want to leave you alone too long.”
“I’m not going to blow anything up,” Rodney said affronted before shrugging, “Well not accidentally anyway.”
“We have the meeting just after lunch,” Sha’re reminded him with a smile, “Perhaps after that.”
Rodney nodded before sighing, “I haven’t even had breakfast yet. Can we go get that first?”
“You read my mind,” Sha’re smiled standing and taking his arm when he offered it, “I need to check on Mel anyway.”
Breakfast was nearing the end when Sha’re and Rodney arrived, Daniel and Laura were already there sitting talking as Mel rested happily in his father’s arms.
“Morning,” Laura greeted them, “That didn’t take as long as I thought it would.”
Sha’re chuckled, “Rodney has persuaded me that your find is worth looking into,” she turned to her husband, “Have you eaten?”
Daniel nodded, he gently kissed his son’s head before passing Mel to Sha’re, “And I have to go. Teal’c was noting how long it’s been since I’ve trained with him so I’m going to do an hour or so this morning.”
The other three laughed at his wry grimace.
“Thanks,” Daniel leaned over and kissed his wife, “I’ll see you at the meeting.”
Sha’re watched him go smiling as she saw Jeannie enter the room, she waved the other woman over to the table noting how she seemed more relaxed than she had when they’d spoken the day before.
“Morning,” Jeannie greeted them as she took her seat setting her breakfast down.
“Hey,” Laura beamed at her, laughing as Jeannie took a hold of her hand.
“Nice ring,” Jeannie told her, moving Laura’s hand so Sha’re could see the engagement ring now gracing Laura’s finger.
“That is beautiful,” Sha’re smiled at Laura before looking at Rodney, “You have wonderful taste.”
Rodney rolled his eyes, “It was our Mother’s ring.”
“That makes it all the more special,” Sha’re noted to them.
John walked into the mess spotting Jeannie instantly; he paused for a few seconds as he saw Rodney sitting at the same table as his sister. Unfortunately before John could get away Jeannie spotted him and waved him over.
“Hey,” John smiled at them.
Before anyone could answer Rodney was called over the P.A.
“I have to go,” Rodney grimaced; he checked his ear finding no radio, “Must have left it in the room. I’ll see you at the meeting,” he quickly kissed his fiancé before disappearing.
“At least I know it wasn’t something I said,” John noted as he took a seat, seeing Jeannie smile.
A cry from the side made them all turn to where Mel had decided he wasn’t happy, Sha’re tried to calm him but it wasn’t working for the moment.
“I am going to walk him for a while,” Sha’re said with a sigh, “I will see you all later.”
As she started out Laura decided to join the other woman leaving Jeannie and John alone again.
*********************************************
Sha’re looked around the table as everyone started to arrive for the meeting, it was time they stopped playing around and started planning how they were going to remove the Andurians from Earth.
She absently rocked from side to side as her son lay resting against her shoulder, just hanging happily as his mother murmured softly to him. Jack was sitting with Bra’tac and Ferretti deep in discussion whilst Laura, Janet and Cassie were laughing about something. Lorne wandered in, followed by Radek and Rodney. Next Daniel and Teal’c arrived in the middle of a conversation before Elizabeth and Steven were escorted in by Jacob, Carson and Martouf. Finally John and Jeannie arrived, they were talking quietly and Sha’re notice Rodney watching them intently but the pair separated at the door and took seats at opposite sides of the table. Now that everyone had arrived Sha’re settled her sleeping son into the small crib sitting in the corner of the room before she took her seat again.
“Thank you all for coming,” Sha’re started, “We are all settled here, this is now our home but earth is still under the rule of Carter and the Andurians. We now have the Star, it is close to being fully operational and we know the Asgard are due to visit earth in a few months so we need to start making plans.”
She paused and looked around the table, “What we need are ideas and a list of what we have that can help us stop the Andurians. So, the floor is open.”
“Well,” Janet started, “There is the device we found on the body we thought was Jeannie’s.”
Jeannie winced, giving Laura a grateful smile when she squeezed her arm.
“Your report stated that it appeared to only be able to create a still image?” Sha’re asked.
“True,” Carson said, “But we do have a few geniuses around us who may be able to upgrade it.”
“Rodney?”
Rodney tapped a pen against his lip, “Grodin is pretty good at reverse engineering, I’ll pass it to him.”
There were several nods around the table.
“Daniel,” Jack spoke up, “You’ve been studying the databases, is there anything in there that can help?”
Daniel rubbed his hand across his jaw in thought, “You do know there is a huge amount of information within the database. I’m getting my team to go through everything but it’s going to take time unless we have more specific searches.”
“What about the information I brought back?” Jeannie asked, rolling her eyes as several people looked at her worriedly, “It happened and I want something good to have come of it.”
Daniel shrugged, “There’s a lot in it and its taking time to go through.”
“Alright,” Sha’re interrupted, “We need to work on finding more specific searches. Rodney, what about your ‘holodeck’?”
Several chuckles rippled around the room and Rodney grinned, “As you know it can create any environment you want. We think it was either for research or training purposes.”
“We’re asking everyone who stepped inside the Educational Complex to give us what they remember of the layout,” Sha’re explained, “If we can create an accurate replica of it then we have a way to plan our attack against them.”
“Moving back to a previous topic, what about the Star?” Jacob spoke up, “What kind of capabilities does it have?”
“It has a hyperdrive,” Rodney told the older man, “Weapons system is extremely advanced, we’re still having some issues with the shielding capabilities and life support has a tendency to cut off when we power off the weapons so there are still a few things we need to fix but from what I know we can take on an Andurian vessel, maybe two at a time.”
“Unfortunately the earth is surrounded by ten of them,” Ferretti reminded them.
Rodney shrugged, “I know.”
“The Asgard want to know that Earth is being protected by the Andurians,” Elizabeth noted, she shrugged, “If what you’ve told me is correct they won’t recognise Dr Carter as anything but Andurian. Won’t that give the game away?”
“Assuming she doesn’t cloak herself again,” Daniel replied thoughtfully, “According to what we found the human version of Sam Carter that we knew was a disguise, it’s possible they have some way to recreate that.”
“So when the Asgard arrive, hey presto human in charge,” Jack said.
“Couldn’t we strip the disguise away?” Martouf asked speaking for the first time, “If it’s merely a disguise then surely there is a way to remove it.”
All heads turned to him and they all looked stunned.
“Why didn’t that occur to any of us?” Jack rolled his eyes before turning to his friend, “Daniel, how about that for a starting point for the students to research?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Daniel smiled thoughtfully.
“Well,” Sha’re interrupted, “Unfortunately we have no more time as we all have other duties. This is the first of what is going to become a weekly occurrence. Lisa has scheduled everyone in already so there is no way of getting out of it. Thank you for coming.”
As Sha’re finished most stood and started out of the room, Daniel moved to his son who was now awake and sucking on his hand. Lifting the boy into his arms Daniel turned to see Sha’re standing with Rodney, Jeannie and Laura.
“Rodney has something to show me,” Sha’re told her husband, “Do you want to come along?”
Daniel shrugged and handed Mel to his mother before resting his arm around his wife’s waist and following Rodney through the corridor.
“John.”
Wincing slightly John turned to see his father coming towards him, “Hi, Dad.”
“You’re still avoiding me,” Patrick noted, smiling slightly at the guilty look that covered his son’s face. It was the same look he used to get once every week when John was a teenager before the guilt turned into rebellion, “Do you feel like getting some dinner?”
John hesitated before nodding, “Sure,” he grinned, “Though before that how about I take you for a ride in the Jumper?”
Patrick smiled suddenly, “Now that sounds like fun.”
The two men walked along the corridors of the city in silence for a few moments before Patrick turned to his son.
“How’s Jeannie?” Patrick asked, “She seemed despondent when I saw her yesterday.”
John shrugged, “She seems to be settling back in. Jeannie is a fighter, Dad and she has a lot of support around her.”
“Like...”
Her brother, Laura,” John listed, “Janet, Sha’re, they’re all her friends.”
They reached the Jumper and John slid into the pilot’s seat, Patrick sat in the seat at his side and watched his son, waiting until the ship was skimming the clouds.
“What about you, John?” Patrick’s voice was soft.
John glanced over from the controls, “What about me?”
“You care for Jeannie,” Patrick broached seeing his son’s shoulders stiffen, “I can tell.”
John concentrated on the controls in front of him, “What makes you think that?” despite the drawl the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.
Patrick chuckled, “Because I know you, John. Your eyes gave you away when you arrived back on the ship.”
“Of course I care for her,” John replied, “She’s part of the ‘family’.”
Patrick frowned a little confused, “The what?”
John chuckled, “It’s what Sha’re calls the main group of us from when we were on Earth. We sort of bonded so she calls us the family. I’m kinda proud she includes me in it.”
“So you’re telling me you care for Jeannie like she’s your sister?” Patrick couldn’t get the disbelief out of his voice.
John sighed, “Dad.”
“John.
Setting the Jumper down on the beach John turned to his father, he let out a long breath, “I love her, Dad. I know it’s stupid but I can’t stop myself and she doesn’t feel the same way.”
“Are you sure about that?” Patrick asked, “Because I’ve talked to her and when I got her to tell me stories about you, the look in her eyes and the smile she had told me all I need to know.”
John paused as he stared off into the distance for a few minutes, “Things are more complicated than you know, Dad.”
Patrick noted, he rested his hand on his son’s shoulder, “Aren’t they always.”
Sha’re laughed as Rodney continued to describe some of his plans he’d come up with for the ‘Holodeck’. Her favourite was somewhere for him to teach Laura to ski which led to Jeannie and Rodney talking about when they were children learning to ice-skate. Sha’re liked to see Rodney like this when he was so relaxed and talking openly.
“Can you ice-skate?” Sha’re asked her husband.
Daniel let out an amused snort, “Honey, even when I lived in New York I never went anywhere near ice voluntarily. I hate the cold – like you.”
“I do not hate the cold,” Sha’re protested as the others laughed, “I just prefer to cuddled up with you under the covers.”
Daniel chuckled and kissed the top of her head, “Nice to know.”
“Come on,” Rodney told them, “We’re almost there. Put her down, Daniel.”
Laura theatrically sighed, “He’s such a romantic. I’m so lucky.”
Jeannie chuckled, “Maybe we can get Daniel to rub off on him.”
Laura gave Daniel a long look making him blush slightly before she shrugged, “We can only hope.”
“Ah, Sha’re,” Daniel moved his wife so she was blocking him from Laura.
Sha’re giggled and kissed his cheek, “I will protect you, my darling but you have to make it worth my while.”
Rodney stood outside what he had been calling a holodeck from the moment he found it fixing the program for the others following on.
“Are you ready?” Laura asked as she arrived.
Rodney nodded, “Just a few minutes. I want to make sure I’ve got this right for them.”
Laura chuckled, smiling as Jeannie arrived with the Jackson family. Mel was happily sucking on his hand gripping Daniel’s finger with his other hand.
“Okay,” Rodney told them as he opened the door, “Give me Mel.”
Sha’re looked at him shocked, “What?”
“Before I activate it I want you guys to close your eyes and I’d rather you not be holding a baby at the time,” Rodney explained, “Trust me.”
With a grimace Daniel managed to extract his finger from his son’s hand, Mel had a strong grip before Sha’re handed her little boy to the man standing there. Rodney held Mel against his shoulder before motioning everyone inside the room following them inside and closing the door behind them.
The room was empty, the walls and floor were white. The only part of the wall that wasn’t completely smooth was the control panel where Rodney was gently tapping the controls.
“Alright everyone,” Rodney said to them, “Close your eyes and don’t open until I say.”
“Are you able to hold Mel while you do this?” Sha’re asked worriedly.
Rodney rolled his eyes looking down at where Mel was gripping his jacket trying to get it into his mouth, “He’s fine. Just close your eyes.”
Nervously Sha’re shut her eyes feeling Daniel’s hand grip hers as he did the same. Laura and Jeannie at Rodney’s insistence both closed their eyes too and Rodney grinned at the little boy in his arms before he activated the room.
“Open your eyes,” Rodney told them watching the four stunned faces look around the bright desert landscape.
“Rodney,” Sha’re breathed as she looked around seeing the village to one side and the pyramid in the distance, “It is Abydos.”
Rodney grinned smugly as he handed Sha’re her son again, “I thought you might want to see it.”
“This is Mamma and Daddy’s home,” Sha’re cooed to her baby boy smiling as her husband wrapped his arm around them.
Laura moved to her fiancé and slid her arms around his waist, “Teddy bear,” she murmured to him before kissing his cheek.
Rodney smiled back at her before he looked at Sha’re, “What d you think?”
“I think,” Sha’re turned to him determination in her brown eyes, “That we have the perfect tool to plan our liberation.”
Heliopolis Main Archive
A Stargate: SG-1 Fanfiction Site
Cuckoo In The Nest
by LE McMurrayKapitel Bemerkung:
Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.Hey two chapters in quick succession, I’m on a roll. Just don’t expect the next so quickly.
Until then enjoy.
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