AN: This is set during/after the S7 episode of 'Fallen' and beyond (minimal spoilers after and before that episode. The OC in this begins her journey in another currently ongoing story – "An Angel at NCIS" – but you don't need to read that to understand this one.

General Hammond sighed heavily as the wormhole closed with a resounding finality. Easy enough for Jack to say that he'd do it if he were there but he was luckily however many million light years away and this had to be done before he returned in an hour's time.

"Well." Sergeant Walter Harriman responded, carefully casual, from his position next to Hammond. "It's not like we all didn't half expect this."

"I don't suppose there's any way you…"

"No way, sir." Walter gave him a sympathetic look.

"I didn't think so." Hammond sighed again. "Why is it that in this job even good news tends to have a twist that gives you a kick in the teeth?"

"I don't know, sir." Walter sighed as well. "I really don't know."

Hammond had had to deliver a lot of bad news in his time. Informing relatives of their loved one's death had to be one of the most difficult things he had to do – especially when most of the time he was unable to explain how it had happened because everything was classified. It was always hard but it went with the territory.

This news he was about to deliver however was technically good news – but with some bad news included – and more than anything else it was shocking news. And the person he was delivering this shocking news to was someone who really, really didn't need any more shocks in her life.

Like pretty much everyone on this base, more than anything he had wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool, keep her safe and tell her that everything was going to be alright. And before now he hadn't been able to do that because for her everything was wrong and nothing could make it right again. Until now. Except that it could also just make everything much worse instead.

As much as he wanted to take his time getting to her office, he instead strode briskly and purposefully towards a situation that he knew was going to be extremely difficult. If she found out via gossip instead of from someone like himself – well, it wouldn't be pretty. There was no way this news was going to stay quiet for much longer so he couldn't delay.

Pausing in her doorway, he regarded her quietly for a moment. She was sitting at her desk opposite the one used nowadays by Jonas Quinn. It had been her idea to offer him that desk and Hammond had been grateful because at the time he had no idea quite what to do with the man. She'd welcomed Jonas without any problems and it turned out to be a blessing for everyone involved because not only did Jonas make good use of the valuable information contained in that office but he also smoothly took on the role of taking care of her. Something that she seemed unwilling to allow anyone else to do. Especially those closest to her.

It always struck him as strange that someone so powerful could be so fragile. Tragedy can do that to a person. She often told him that she was no longer entirely sane and sadly he often believed her. Oh, everyone here loved her but they also knew that nowadays she was slightly dangerous. It wasn't like she'd hurt anyone but it was wise to keep her calm and to be wary. Jonas was very good at keeping her calm and together.

Hammond supposed that Jonas had more luck than anyone else because as an empath she found it difficult to be around those who shared her pain. Especially in those first weeks after it happened. Jonas on the other hand understood enough without being entirely involved or magnifying her own pain with his.

It worked out well for everyone because those closest to her found it extremely difficult dealing with how much she'd changed. Even now after all this time had passed – over a year – Hammond still felt a pang for who she used to be. He missed that girl every day. She didn't even look the same any more.

Gone were the sun-streaked curls and warmth in her eyes. Now her hair was dark, longer and meticulously straightened. The warmth in her eyes was gone and her smile was non-existent. Hammond couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen her smile and that really hurt. Her skin was still as pale as it had always been but it had seemed to have lost its softness. Even her body seemed leaner and harder.

She was more beautiful than pretty now. In a cold, aloof kind of way. A dangerous, fragile beauty that could slip through their fingers and there would be nothing anyone could do. More than once, Hammond had been woken by a ringing telephone and immediately been afraid that they'd lost her. In some ways it had seemed like only a matter of time, but she was still here. Holding on. Barely. She'd told Jack that it was only because she knew there would be no relief for her even in death. Jack hadn't exactly been reassured by that.

Hammond hadn't missed the strange note in Jack's voice when he'd given the news to be passed on to her. All of SG-1 would be concerned about how she would react. Whether it would make things worse. They could hope all they wanted that it might just mean that everything would finally be alright again – for all of them – but what if this was the thing that finally broke her. Broke her beyond the ability of anyone – even Jonas and Jack – to even remotely put any of the pieces back together.

Even if they could ignore the twist enough to celebrate the good part of the news, no-one could ignore the impact this circumstance was going to have on her. It would colour everything about this situation until they all would probably wonder if they were going to wish it had never happened. Despite the fact that it was an amazing thing – a miracle. Not that unusual in their line of work – as Walter had said, in some ways they'd all been half expecting this.

As she looked up from her work to regard him with cool eyes, he reminded himself that she was a lot stronger than anyone gave her credit for – especially herself. He expected that she'd probably been aware of him standing there watching her for some time and he almost wished that she'd relax her self-imposed rules against reading people's thoughts so that he would be spared finding the words.

"General." Her voice was flat where it had once been melodic and expressive. "It's been a while." There was no reproach, he was a busy man and she tended to exist only between this office and her quarters. Once upon a time she used to visit him, brightening his day with her smile and laughter and jokes. Now she often suffered bouts of something not unlike agoraphobia if she left her little corner of the SGC.

Right now she was calm. Calm was much better than when she got angry or upset. Things got hairy then. Hammond wished Jonas or Jack were here. He felt unprepared and ill-equipped. At least he knew that Walter was letting Dr Frasier know and she'd be on her way soon. Just in case.

"What can I do for you?" She asked, as he hadn't yet spoken or moved into her office.

"Miss Daniels." Hammond nodded politely. "I have to tell you something. Something that might be difficult for you to hear."

"Is SG-1 alright?" She asked, her eyes suddenly slightly wild. "Is someone injured? Dead?"

Hammond shook his head. "Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c and Mr Quinn are all just fine."

"What about Reynolds and SG-3?" She pressed. She knew they had gone off-world with SG-1 on their latest mission.

"Everyone is fine." Hammond insisted. "No-one injured or dead."

"What about captured? God, is SG-13 back yet? If anyone's touched Dixon I'll kill them."

"Miss Daniels." He used his General's voice – especially since he knew that she was most likely completely serious about killing someone who hurt anyone she cared about. "It's nothing like that."

She sighed then and held out her hand. A chair from the other side of the room rolled over to her desk and she indicated that he should sit in it.

Hammond sat and cleared his throat. "While they were searching the planet known as Vis Uban, SG-3 discovered a man. The planet's inhabitants say that he simply appeared near their village two months ago with no memory of who he is or how he got there. While nothing can be confirmed until tests are conducted, it would seem apparent that this man is someone we know."

Her brow furrowed but she said nothing.

"Miss Daniels… Evangeline… the man is most likely Daniel Jackson."

She stared at him, eyes dark and unreadable. Her voice was quiet. "What? How?" She shook her head. "What?"

"Like I said, DNA tests will be required to prove it since he has complete amnesia but SG-1 are pretty convinced."

"I see."

"They're bringing him home in about an hour." He told her gently.

"Can I be there?"

"Of course."

"Not in the gate room. I don't want to talk to him. I just want to see him. From the control room." Her voice was sharp. Clipped. Controlled.

"Whatever you want." Hammond wasn't prepared to question why she didn't want to talk to Dr Jackson.

Dr Frasier entered then. Carefully just as he had done. When she saw Janet and the look in her eyes, Angel nearly cracked. Nearly.

"Hey." Janet said quietly. Meaningfully.

"Hey." Angel replied just as meaningfully. "I'm fine. You'd better go get ready."

"You sure."

"Yes." Angel turned to Hammond. "I would like to observe the tests as well. I don't want him to know I'm there. Can I watch from the observation window?"

Janet wasn't as shy as the General. "Why don't you want him to know you're there?"

"I don't want him to know anything about me." She told them bluntly. "For his own good."

"I don't understand… Angel…" Janet was mystified. "He'll need you."

"Where was he when I needed him?" She snapped back, then calmed immediately in a way that was slightly scary. "Look, for now I think it's best if he isn't told anything about me. He doesn't need to come back to all this stuff that he can't remember and be told on top of everything else about me. I'm not the same person that I was. If he remembers then he'll just be disappointed."

"Angel…"

"No." She stood and walked away from them. "This is the only way I can help him. I'm useless to him the way I am now. It would just complicate things for him and he doesn't need that."

Janet and Hammond sat in silence, miserable and most certainly not wanting to agree.

Angel turned back to them. "I mean it. Spread the word. If someone tells him about me and our past then I'll leave again and next time you'll never find me. I'm serious."

Hammond closed his eyes. SG-1 had nearly gone crazy that time she'd disappeared for a few months – thinking that distance might magically ease her pain. They'd found her eventually and brought her home. The time away had not eased her pain even a little but she did seem somewhat stronger psychologically on her return. Jack had mentioned that the people she'd been hanging out with there had given her a new perspective on things. Hammond hadn't asked for more details because he was just grateful that she was back.

He exchanged a long look with Janet, they both sighed and turned to Angel, nodding reluctantly.

"Agreed." Janet raised a stern eyebrow. "For now. And I think I speak for the General as well when I say that we're not entirely happy about it."

"I can't even begin to imagine what a shock this is for you." Hammond told her. "If there's anything you need…"

"I'm fine." She said. At first glance she did appear to be quite calm. However, if you looked closer – and Hammond did – there was the whiteness of her knuckles as she held onto the arm of her chair. The tight jaw. The stillness of her body compared to the almost frightening storm of emotion going on behind her deceptively steady gaze.

"I have to get back. Would you like to walk with me?" He asked.

"Yes." She nodded, her voice faltering only slightly. "That would be good."

The General stood and offered his hand to help her up. She stared into the middle distance for a moment before becoming aware of his hand. She took it and stood, Hammond steadying her with his other hand briefly.

"See you later, Janet." Angel nodded to Dr Frasier as she walked out the door, the General close by.