Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
I know I'm meant to be writing other things but I've been writing this for a while and wanted to start posting.
Enjoy.
A full moon sat in the starlit sky illuminating the village in the dead of night, every house was in darkness as the inhabitants slept. Just outside the village, close to the forest was another house but it was completely different to the rest of the village. It was made of metal, with curved walls that reached what looked like a fin from above. There were no windows, and only those who knew where it was could find the door. Inside one inhabitant slept on a bed that looked completely out of place in the room with smooth walls and floor. The inside had been changed from a cold sterile ship into a home for one person.
The dark room was suddenly filled with white light and the young woman sleeping blinked as she woke up. As the light became brighter, she jumped off the bed and grabbed the weapon that sat on the small table nearby.
Shaking, she aimed the zat-nicketel at the light waiting for whatever was about to happen. The light continued to pulsate before it started to dim and a woman dressed completely in white stood in its place. She smiled gently at the frightened young woman across from her, "You have no need to fear me, Sha're."
Sha're gasped in confusion, "How do you know me?"
The woman in white smiled fondly at her, "You have heard of the Ancient Ones, those who became light to live amongst the stars?"
"It is a story told to children," Sha're nodded, her hand still gripping the zat tightly, "And I am not a child."
The woman laughed softly, "No, dear you're not. However it is no story. They are real."
"You are one of them?" Sha're asked suspiciously.
"Not originally," the woman laughed, "But I fell in love with one who was. He became human to be with me and we had a child. A child who grew up to be someone you know and love very well."
Confusion filled the younger woman's eyes as she stared at the woman, the resemblance hitting her finally.
"Dan'iel," she breathed, "You are Dan'iel's mother?"
The woman once known as Claire Jackson nodded, "Yes."
"Does he know?" Sha're placed the weapon back on its table and sat on the bed, "Does he know you were not killed?"
"No," Claire sighed sadly, "We were never allowed to tell him. Except for when he was with us for a short time. But he has since returned to his friends losing that knowledge."
Sha're sighed in relief, she had no idea whether her husband still lived and now she knew he was safe it made her feel slightly better. She turned to her mother-in-law.
"Why are you here?" Sha're asked, "There must be a reason or did you just wish to introduce yourself."
Claire smiled at the sharp sarcasm, "I am here because of something precious we need you to care for."
Sha're looked confused but didn't get a chance to ask as another being of light appeared, this time the being solidified into a man who smiled a familiar smile at her but Sha're's eyes were drawn to what he held. A small child was sleeping in his arms and Sha're unconsciously moved closer.
"The baby?" she whispered.
Claire smiled and took Sha're's hand leading her back to the bed and sitting her down, "The child Mel carries is, in a way, Daniel."
"He is Dan'iel's child?" Sha're whispered, knowing she shouldn't feel hurt that her husband had a child – she was thought dead for many years now.
"No," Claire assured her, "When Daniel became like us for a short time he tried to stop a being called Anubis. Daniel was trying to save Abydos and although the others stopped him fighting..." she trailed off, "Anubis somehow managed to capture part of Daniel and he made a copy."
"The child is a copy of my husband?" Sha're stared at Claire then at the child who Mel had shifted so he was cradled in his arms.
Claire nodded, "We managed to find the boy and took him with us. Now this is the hard part. Mel and I would keep him with us if we could but we are not allowed. The child is human and needs to be raised as such."
"You wish me to raise him?" Sha're asked, even more confused, "Why not send him to Earth?"
"Because Daniel is not ready to encounter a copy of himself until he knows who he is once more," Claire explained, "And the child has gifts that must be protected, they will not be able to do this from the others in his world. At least not yet. Sha're, I know we are asking a great deal of you but I also know that you will love this little boy as much as we do."
Sha're stood and walked to where Mel was holding the child, she nervously reached out for the little boy and smiled as he was placed within her arms.
"I promise I will take great care of him," Sha're whispered, kissing the child's head, "I will be his mother."
"Thank you," Mel spoke for the first time.
"What did you name him?" Sha're whispered, stroking the child's back as she settled him against her shoulder.
Claire and Mel shared a small smile and Claire squeezed Sha're's hand, "He is barely a few hours old and we believed that you should name him, he is your son."
Sha're looked at the little blond head and smiled sadly, "I would like to name him for my husband but..."
"You don't want that reminder every day," Claire sympathised, "Well, we named Daniel for both his grandparents. His full name is Daniel Nicholas."
Sha're smiled as she thought, "Nicholas Dan'iel sounds good."
"Try Nicky," Claire told her with a grin, "It's cuter."
"Nicky it is," Sha're told her, "Thank you both."
Claire quickly hugged her and kissed Nicky's head, Mel did the same before they stepped away and took each other's hands.
"I can tell you only one thing, Sha're," Claire told her, "One day Nicky will need to return to Earth so you will see Daniel again."
With a final smile they returned to light and left Sha're alone with her new charge.
Sha're turned the lights up slightly so she could see and gently rested the little boy on her bed so she could make a proper one for him. But as she looked at the child, now her child Sha're decided to fix everything in the morning. She lay beside him and closed her eyes to sleep.
x
Sha're sat on the porch a month later, happily feeding the child in her arms. The others from the village said very little about the fact she now had a child, her arrival was still something of a mystery to them but they did provide her with all she would require as gifts. She was a little disturbed but took it as a gift from Claire and Mel that she was able to produce milk for him herself and enjoyed the time she spent feeding him at her breast.
"Sha're," Irith, the mistress of the nearby farm greeted her with a smile, "How is young Nicholas today?"
"He is well," Sha're answered as her son finished eating, she expertly moved him onto her shoulder as she fixed her dress, "What do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"I was cleaning out my boy's room," Irith told her, smiling as Nicky burped before he yawned, "And found many things they no longer need."
Sha're tilted her head in surprise, "That is very kind of you."
Irith shook her head, "My boys are almost husbands themselves, toys and childish things are of no use to them now."
"Well we are grateful for the gift," Sha're told her, shifting Nicky to a more comfortable position as he settled down to sleep.
Irith shook her head, "You only have to ask if you need any help. Good day to you."
"And you," Sha're replied, waving goodbye to the older woman.
x
Once Irith was gone, Sha're stood and re-entered her home. She settled Nicky in his crib, cooing gently as he fussed for a few seconds before slipping into a deep sleep. Sure he was resting she walked to the curtained off area of the ship and entered the cockpit. Sha're checked, as she did every day, for activity in the surrounding space before checking that the Tok'ra signal was still sending at the low level, just as she had since the crash over a year ago.
Sha're sat in the pilot's seat and thought of Yiors, the man who had saved her from Apophis. He had posed as one of the Goa'uld's servants and rescued her moments before Apophis had been killed. Unfortunately the ship had been damaged and forced to crash land on this planet, a planet without a Stargate. Yiors and the symbiote he carried had been so badly injured in the crash he was only able to instruct Sha're in how to set the signal before they died. Sha're had buried them just outside the forest and planted a bush there in their honour.
The others in the village took her arrival as though it happened every day, welcoming her as one of them and helping her with the piece of land they agreed was hers so that it could provide her with the food she needed. Sha're had managed to grow enough for herself as well as to sell so she could buy a Caa, a small animal which ate the grass and gave her fresh milk each day. As she sat reminiscing, Sha're heard a shrill wail and smiled. Without hesitation she moved to Nicky's cradle and lifted him into her arms. Settling in her chair, she rocked him singing a lullaby her mother had sung to her until he slept once more.
Unseen by her Mel and Claire stood in the corner watching their daughter-in-law as she cared for the boy.
"We made the right decision," Mel whispered, "Danny would not be able to handle what will happen when they are brought together yet. Not until he has his memory and made peace with his choices."
"It will take them a long time before they are found," Claire reminded him, "And we do not know what will truly happen once they are brought together."
Mel held her tightly, "That is why we gave him to Sha're. She will ground them both when the time comes. She is the one thing that may save both our boys."
Claire sighed but remained silent as she continued to watch Sha're sing to the child.