"The White Lady of Gondor" [Part One]
This is the concluding story in the "White Lady" series, which started in "The White lady of i'Hísië".
*****
Author: Damia
Email: Damia_1@hotmail.com
Pairing: Sam/Jack. Other/Other
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own anything Stargate SG-1! Also, don't own anything Lord of the Rings!! (Sadly!).
Season: "The White Lady of i'Hísië" was introduced five years before the Council of Elrond. "Gondor" take off four years later, in the year 3018 TA.
Summery: When you find yourself in a world that is not your own, you realise you are duty bound to help new friends protect theirs.
Notes: To my calculations, Sam arrives in Middle-Earth in the year, 3013 of the Third Age, five years before Council of Elrond, which is in October, 3018.
Translation: The Elvish translation for "Gilly", the nickname Sam gives her daughter, is "Young". Rather appropriate, I reckon.
* * *
"And what of your companions? What about Legolas and me?" cried Gimli, unable to contain himself longer. "You rascals, you woolly-footed and wool- pated truants! A fine hunt you have led us! Two hundred leagues, through fen and forest, battle and death, to rescue you! And here we find you feasting and idling - and smoking! Smoking! Where did you come by the weed, you villains? Hammer and tongs! I am so torn between rage and joy, that if I do not burst, it will be a marvel!"
- "You speak for me, Gimli," laughed Legolas. "Though I would sooner learn how they came by the wine."
Gimli and Legolas, to the Hobbits, Merry and Pippin at the ruin gates of Isengard, [The Two Towers]
* * *
Four Years Passed...February, 3018 TA. Eight months prior to the Council of Elrond.
The little girl sat on the stool, her short legs dangling off the edge with every trace of obvious impatience. Her hands were folded on her lap under the table, but at the same time twisting themselves through the sunshine yellow material of her dress.
Across the other side of the table the little girl's mother sat silently, outwardly calm and serene but feeling a smile threaten to break out on her face as she discretely watched her daughter from under long dark lashes. Lifting the fork from her plate up to her mouth, she could feel the blue eyes on her, openly watching and studying her movements, filing them away for future reference.
Sam knew Gilrean was just about to burst with anticipation but she wondered idly how much more it would take for the proud little four year old to beg. Swallowing the last trace of her lunch, Sam slowly put her fork down and only then turned to her daughter, eyebrows raised.
Instantly, Gilrean's small shoulder's drooped as she read the reprimand in her mother's identical eyes. Lowering her head for a second, causing blonde curls to fall over her shoulders, it would have been obvious to anyone that she was regrouping. Sure enough, when Gilrean lifted her head, her eyes were wide and engaging, and remembering how often her family chastised her for it, she straightened her back slightly in her chair.
"I'm sorry, Ma. Truly I am." The young voice was never quite a whine, but it grated on Sam's nerves all the same. But Gilrean never seemed to notice this, for she leaned forward in her chair slightly and reached up to clutch the tablecloth in both tiny fists.
"I never meant to tell them anything, but you know what they're like! They just kept on asking and asking and I couldn't help myself! It just all came out!" If Sam hadn't been looking closely enough, she would have missed the fury that suddenly sprang up in Gilrean's eyes all together, but it was lucky that she had been watching for as she saw it, and gave a sigh, knowing that the girl had won her over once again.
"Gilly, I specifically remember Galadriel instructing you not to tell a single soul about mine and Gandalf's trip." Sam told her daughter in a gentle tone, sensing that the girl had beaten herself up enough over her slip and didn't need her mother adding to her misery.
Instantly, Gilrean jerked up straighter in her chair and a frown of indignation appeared on her fair face. "But I didn't tell anyone, Ma, I swear!" she cried. But when Sam cocked her head to the side and stared across at her, eyebrows still raised, the little girl slumped back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest with a thump.
"Rúmil and Orophin don't count. They were going to find out anyway." the blonde girl muttered to her chest, her head firmly lowered.
Grinning now, Sam too, leaned back in her chair, pushing the plate away from her in the process as she studied the pretty child across from her. Yes, she admitted, Haldir and his two brothers' would have learned of the planned journey her and Gandalf would be leaving on in little over a week, but the simple truth of it was that it hadn't been Gilrean's place to tell them about it. Galadriel and Celeborn, knowing the trouble the girl had with keeping anything she heard behind closed doors a secret, had firmly told her to tell no one, but it seemed that she had slipped up once again.
Personally, Sam wasn't to bothered with her daughter's mastake. She knew how close she was to the three elvish warriors, and thinking back to when she herself had been a child, she had to admit if she had heard such exciting news she would have wanted to run out and tell the first person she had laid eyes on.
"Can't I come to the Shire with you, Ma?" Gilrean asked, not for the first time, from across the table. Looking up, Sam saw her fair eyes were full of eager excitement, as if she found the thought of travelling over countryside on the back of a horse for two weeks the most exciting thing she had ever heard. Although, Sam had to admit that even if the means of travel might not have been her cup of tea, the actual idea of the journey itself sent shivers of excitement down her back every time she thought about it.
It would be her first time to the Shire, and even with all Gandalf and Aragorn had told her over the past four years, she still failed the imagine what it would be like. Even now, she still unconsciously imagined pictures she had seen in Daniel's books back on Earth of mythological dwarfs whenever the Hobbits were mentioned, even though she had been told over and over again that they looked completely human, only smaller. And with lots of furry feet and curly hair, apparently.
But to be honest, it was the thought of finally meeting Gandalf's little friend, the infamous Frodo Baggins, that was making her look forward to this journey more than anything. She had heard much about the young Hobbit from a great many different sources, some obviously more reliable than others. Not only was Gandalf happy to share many a tale of his little friend's adventures and would probably be quite willing to sit and praise his virtues from dusk till dawn, Sam had found that Frodo's fame had spread far beyond that of the old wizard. It seemed that most if not all of the elves of Lothlórien knew of Frodo in some way, even thought Sam knew for sure that the Hobbit had never ventured as far as Lothlórien, or even Rivendell.
But it wasn't until Sam had tried to settle her curiosity of the matter by asking Arwen, when her elvish friend had made one of her many journey's to Lorien to see her grandparents, Sam and Gilrean, that she had found that Frodo did in fact have one very vital link to the elvish world in the form of his uncle, Bilbo.
As Sam had listened, fascinated, Arwen had explained to the young human that Bilbo in fact lived in her father's house and was treated and held with great esteem and respect by Elrond and his household, not just for his adventures and friendship with Gandalf, but for his long and trusted relationship with the elves.
Sam found it ironic that even though matters of adventure and danger had now passed Bilbo by, and he was now able to live out the remainder of his long life in the comforts of Rivendell, it was through him that his nephew would soon be thrust into the most dangerous situation of his life, if what Gandalf suspected was true.
And it was that thought that brought Sam back to the present and she blinked across at the table at her young daughter, who was staring back at her, waiting for her answer.
Sighing deeply, Sam gracefully reached down for the napkin on her lap and placed it on the table next to her now empty plate. Cocking her head to the side, she smiled over at Gilrean's impatient little face, and was struck not for the first time by her resemblance to Jack. While she might be as fair as a dove in complexion, and her blonde hair was obviously from the Carter side of the family, there were times, usually when she was upset or angry, that Sam would have sworn Jack O'Neill was staring back at her, instead of the daughter he had not set eyes on for four years.
Feeling the familiar shiver snake down her back at the thought, Sam brought her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in her hands, a casual gesture that made the side of Gilrean's mouth twitch. "You know you can't, hen," she told the little girl gently, not wanting to upset her. "Gandalf was right when he told you the journey would be much to dangerous for little girls."
But this only caused Gilrean's mouth to tighten and her little chin to stick out stubbornly. "But Ma, I've gone with you and Mithrandir on your trips before, so why not now?"
Sam's answer stuck in her throat as it always did at hearing her daughter refer to the Grey Wanderer by his elvish name. Never, even as a baby who had just learned to talk, had she called the wizard by his most common name, even though Gandalf was much easier for a little girl to pronounce than Mithrandir. Instead, she had stubbornly refused to call him anything at all until she could properly say the elvish name with no faults.
Sam had wisely never brought up the matter with her daughter, but hearing it always made her realise just how influential the elvish way of life was being on her upbringing. Sam, herself, had never called her dear friend anything but Gandalf, yet from listening to the elves around her, Gilrean had made her own mind up on the matter of how to refer to the wizard, who was by far the most prominent male figure in her life.
It would have been obvious to anyone that the little girl considered herself to be far more elvish than human, and to realise it always made her mother sad.
"I know you have, hen. But Minas Tirith and Rivendell are much safer at the moment than the Shire is.even though that hardly makes any sense," she added as an afterthought, flicking her eyebrows up with a shrug.
"You will be fine here in Lorien, Gilly, you know you will. And we'll be back before you even realise we're gone." Sam smiled across at Gilrean, trying to lift her spirits, but realising it was a wasted effort, she just sighed and dropped her hands.
Flicking a causal look in the direction of the window, she saw the position of the sun through the trees realised with a jolt that they had been sitting at the table for over an hour. Getting up, she skilfully manoeuvred the folds of her dress with one hand, came around the table and got down on her knees beside her daughter's chair, causing the little girl to turn to her in surprise.
"I know you were looking forward to meeting Frodo, hen, but it really is too dangerous for you to come with us, you must understand that." Reaching up, she lovingly brushed a curly lock of golden hair away from her daughter's fair face and cupped her cheek.
"And besides," she added teasingly, seeing the little girl's mouth begin to wobble as tears threatened. "If you come with us, who's going to stay here and look after the special Ranger who's going to arrive in a few days?"
Seeing she had struck the right cord by the way Gilrean's blue eyes flew open wide in excited surprise, Sam added in a mock-serious tone, "You know very well that when the said Ranger arrives in Lorien he always needs lots of attention and care, after travelling as much as he does."
Gilrean's eyes were daring to hope as she leaned forward so that their noses were touching and reached up to grab both her mother's ears in her small hands to keep her head still. Sam didn't blink as Gilrean's identical eyes peered into hers, even though the surge of love she felt for the little girl was so powerful that it threatened to bring tears to her eyes.
"Oh, Ma, really?" Gilrean breathed, all thought of the journey forgotten for the moment as she contemplated the arrival in Lothlórien of her most favourite person in Middle-Earth. "Is Aragorn really coming?" When Sam, grinning broadly, nodded her head in answer, Gilrean let out a shriek that sent Sam's ears ringing wildly in her head and jumped up from her chair, almost taking out her mother's chin in the process.
Blinking madly to get the ringing out of her head, Sam vaguely noticed Gilrean dash around the table and make a bolt for the door to their apartments as fast as her little legs could take her, golden hair and golden dress flying out behind her.
She had almost made it to the door when Sam, having finally got her bearings, managed to call out in curious bemusement, "And just where do you think your going?"
Gilrean skidded to a halt in the doorway, small chest rising and falling rapidly as she turned her head back in Sam's direction long enough to call out, "To find Rúmil and Orophin! I bet they don't know this!"
And with that, the little girl let out a pearl of laughter at the sight of Sam's eyebrows, which had flown up on her head like a bird and took off through the door like she had been exploded from a cannon, the sound of her feet echoing down the hallway long after she fled from sight, leaving Sam to stand in the middle of their lounge, arms at her sides, stunned.
The sudden and unexpected silence assaulted Sam's ears as she stood there, going over what had just happened. And after a minute, she found her shoulders begin to shake with mirth and as she laughed at the amazing mystery that was her daughter.
Shaking her head, still smiling broadly, she made her way slowly towards the table in order to clear the evidence of their meal. But when she got there, she instead turned towards the window and gazed out at the world that was now her home, but her mind filled with another.
Sighing with content, Sam felt an ironic smile touch her lips as she leaned back against the table, her arms across her chest, imaging that another stood next to her.
"By God, Jack," she said out loud, startling the silence. "That girl gets more like you every bloody day."
**** Meanwhile, in a place far away, in the middle of December.
"By God, Jack," said an amused female voice behind him. "That girl gets more like you every bloody day."
Flicking his head up, the Colonel shot Janet a grin before turning back to the television in front of him. The game was almost finished and he wasn't the only person in the cosy room who was loathed to be parted from it for even a second. At his side, Cassandra casually dived her hand into the bowl of popcorn, all the while sending him sly little glances out of the corner of her slanted cat eyes.
He could see her doing it, as could Daniel, who was sitting on the single sofa beside them and flicking his attention between the TV screen and the pair of them on the sofa, where he would frown at them both, silently telling Jack that he thought they were just as bad as each other and he would have been quite happy to be rid of them both.
Christmas day was well and truly over by this time, but like Jack, everyone in the room couldn't bring themselves to make any effort to move. They were all stuffed to the gills on Janet's cooking and floating happily away on Cassie's finest imported wine, and none of them could bear the thought of the day finally ending.
It was well after dark, and the living room of Janet's house was cosy and warm from the mixture of the fire and good old fashioned body-heat and Jack could feel his eyes growing heavy with the weight of it, even though he was telling himself firmly to keep them open.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Cassie start up again, and he forced himself to keep the smile from twitching on his mouth. Turning his head ever so slightly, he watched her covertly as she slowly withdrew her popcorn filled hand from the bowl in her lap, her eyes trained on the still figure sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of her.
Spying Daniel turn his head in their direction once again, with the permanent frown still in place, Jack ignored him completely while slowly moving his hand from his knee and inching it across the millimetres that separated him from the young woman sitting beside him on the couch, while keeping his face firmly trained on the TV in front of him. Feeling his hand bump into Cassie's, he opened his palm and felt the telltale sensation of warm, power-coated popcorn snake up his bones as she filled his palm with the light whiteness.
Bringing his hand slowly up to his chest, Cassie mirroring his gesture, they struck swiftly and deadly, the hail of popcorn bouncing off Teal'c bald head, which at the present moment, was covered with a warm, woollen hat that Jonas had given him for Christmas. The effect was instant, causing the dark man to jump off the mat like he'd been shot and gave Jonas, who was sitting beside Teal'c, such a fright that he gave an almighty yelp and fell sideways.
The look the Jaffa shot Cassie would have frightened anyone not closely acquainted with the big man, but he only caused the young woman to snort into her hand, and burrow into Jack's side with a shrieking laugh as Teal'c made a show of getting off the floor, his own hands filled with popcorn from his own bowl at his side.
"Oh no you don't, mister!" cried Janet, quickly getting up between the revenge-ridden Jaffa and the laughing pair on the couch. "I'm not having any more mess on this floor, unless you're willing to clean it up! By hand!"
"Oh, let him, Jan." drawled Daniel from his sofa, where he was watching the play with avid fascination. "They deserve far more than a hail of popcorn, believe me."
Cassie poked her tongue out at him in answer, which only caused a smile of his own to flash up on Daniel's face, as he asked her with raised eyebrows, "Oh, very mature, kiddo. And how old are you again?"
From her side, Jack noticed the only figure in the room who was still silent turning his head back and forth between the mock lashing the young woman and the archaeologist were giving each other. Cassie's boyfriend, Michael Cleaver, was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the leg of Janet's chair, his hands on his knees, a huge grin on his face as he watched the hidden side of his girlfriend that he had never seen before emerge before his eyes.
A senior at the University he and Cassie both attended, the pair had been together for just over a year now, but this was his first trip to Colorado Springs, and as such, the Christmas dinner had been a tad bit more important to both Janet and Cassie, who had outdone each other with the preparations. Lucky for them, everything had gone without a hitch and it was obvious to anyone that Michael had had the time of his life, even though he had to be slightly alarmed by the attention he received from the many males in the room.
Thinking back, Jack found himself grinning as he remembered how anxious Cassie had been when she made each and every one of them swear on their own lives that they weren't to give him any trouble. And so far so good, as far as Jack was concerned. All the boys on SG-1 had been nothing but polite when arriving at Janet's early this afternoon and introductions were made, even though Jack wasn't the only one to catch the flare of alarm that sprung up in the young man's eyes when he caught sight of Teal'c in the doorway.
And as the evening had progressed, and everyone found themselves relaxing with the uncomfortable surroundings at first, Jack had found himself drawn to sit next to Michael at the dinner table and ask him about himself. What he had found was no surprise; he could have guessed that he was from white middle-class stock at first glance. But what had come as a surprise was that his father, one Colonel James Cleaver, had been killed in the Gulf when Michael and his younger sister, Emily, were young children, and his mother had brought them up ever since.
Michael had been casual when telling this over the dinner table, but Jack was no fool, he could see the anger simmering in his brown eyes with his words. And it was then, even though Jack hardly knew anything about the young man, that he decided he rather liked Michael Cleaver, even though two major facts were standing in the way. The obvious first was that he was sleeping with Cassie, who was the only daughter Jack had on this side of the galaxy. And the other was the distressing fact that that was studying to be an Archaeologist, like his girlfriend.
So as if being cooped up in a house with one official Archaeologist wasn't bad enough, let alone an annoying Alien enthusiast, he now had two budding rock finders to put up with, all of who were driving him up the wall.
With that thought, a loud cheer went up in the Fraiser's living room, and Jack jerked straighter in the sofa, blinking madly at the TV to see what the final score was on the game. Seeing that his chosen team had been victorious once again, the Colonel finally began to listen to what his body was telling him and admitted to himself that he was bushed.
Pushing Cassie's head out from under his arm, he stretched both them above his head and made to stand up, trying to get the sensation to return to his legs.
Janet caught sight of his pitiful movements and laughed from her sofa. "Go upstairs, Jack. There's the spare room just waiting for you."
But Jack shook his head, trying to wiggle his toes at the same time. "Thanks, Jan, but I couldn't." he told her with a tired smile. "You've got enough extras, anyway."
But Janet wouldn't hear it. "Rubbish, Colonel," she said, waving her hand in the direction of the stairs. "You know Daniel and Jonas are going to fall asleep down here anyway, and Teal'c will be fine on the mat, won't you? Daniel's far too drunk to drive you back anyway." she told the big Jaffa with a regretful smile.
Teal'c blinked across at the small doctor and slowly nodded his head. "I am aware of that fact, Doctor Fraiser. Daniel Jackson has been for quite some time." He shot the Archaeologist a disapproving frown before turning back to Janet, ignoring Danny's sputter of outrage. "All I require is a blanket and I shall be fine on the floor, Doctor. I thank you."
Catching Michael's raised eyebrows at Teal'c strange wording, Jack felt it was time to go. Gently pushing the sleepy Cassie off his side, he leaned her back against the couch and pushed the blanket further up on her lap where it had fallen off sometime prior. Standing, he spied his jacket on the arm of the couch but decided to leave it there until morning, and stepping around bodies, walked around the back of the sofa.
"Right," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'll see you guys in the morning, then," he said to the room at large.
"Night, Jack." Daniel murmured absently, his eyes still glued on the TV.
"Yeah, goodnight, Jack," came from Jonas, who by now was lying on his stomach at Teal'c side, chin resting in his palms, eyes darting back and forth across the screen as he watched the highlights from the game.
"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c rumbled, but honouring him by actually looking up. "Sleep well."
"Thanks, guys." Jack muttered back. With a wave at Michael and Janet, and a quick kiss to the top of a sleeping Cassie's unmoving head, he turned and walked up the stairs, heading for the comfort of Janet's spare room. Finding it in the dark, he remembered managing to strip his uncomfortable jeans off before falling face first on the bed, his brain switching off even before his head hit the pillow.
****
Sometime during the night, Jack blinked his eyes open in the dark, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Silent as a ghost, he sat up in the bed and groped inside the neck of his shirt, his hand's desperately searching for the golden cord he knew would be there.
He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers found and clutched around the thin golden cord around his neck, and he felt his heart start to calm in his chest. Bringing the cord out of his neck, he let his fingers slide down the band until he found the smooth oval stone at the end, almost unconsciously caressing the smooth surface as he stared out in front of him into the darkness, feeling his body begin relax with the soothing motion.
With the arrival back into consciousness also came a fresh and familiar wave of longing, of guilt, and an overpowering sense of loss. Looking down in the dark, he could just make out the outline of the by-now warm stone in his hand, and not for the first time he swore he felt the pulsing of a heartbeat between his fingers.
"Oh, Sam." Jack whispered to the night, as he willed up the last image he had of her, standing on the hill outside the city of Lothlórien, the baby in her arms as she watched him disappear. He knew that however long he lived he would never forget her like that; her hair long and braided at the sides like the elves, Gilrean tucked up warmly in the folds of her foreign cloak.
Feeling the stone comforting pulsing in his hands, Jack brought it up to his face and peered out at it, inches from his eyes to see it better in the dark even as he felt the golden cord pull around his neck. But the feeling was familiar, soothing, having been around his neck every day for the part four years.
He remembered even now, years later, arriving back in his bedroom abruptly, with the sunshine pooling through his curtains and the sound of Cassie and Daniel clanking around downstairs as they fished around his nearly empty cupboards for some breakfast.
He remembered laying there, on his back on his bed, his heart slowly breaking in his chest as the notion that his lover and child were gone from him, were in a place he could not reach. But then, he felt the stone; still clutched in his palm, begin to throb and the warmth that snaked up his arms to his chest made the sense of loss more bearable.
And from then on, it never left his body. Never. No matter what mission he went on with SG-1, no matter where he was, Earth, Chulak, or some new, unexplored world, the cord and the stone never left his neck.
He knew the others had seen it, and wondered about it. But he hadn't told them its origins, or its true meaning. Daniel, at least, had been curious, and was forever trying to get Jack to take it off so he could take a look, but so far he hadn't been successful, and had been forced to buy the Colonel's story that it had been given to him by a family member. Jack dreaded the day that the Archaeologist got his hands on the thing and realised that the stone was no way Earth bound.
But now, heaving a great sigh, Jack knew there was no way in hell he was going to be able to get back to sleep so he silently got out of the bed, rubbing his face at the same time and wishing he was back in his own house with its constant supply of beer in the fridge for a midnight snack.
Finding the door in the dark, the tired Colonel padded silently down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen, wondering if Janet had any of that yummy Christmas cake left from dinner. Deciding that yes, that would make a delicious nibble this early in the morning, Jack had just about reached the kitchen door when he heard lowered voices from the lounge and he paused in mid-step, wondering who was up and talking this early.
Figuring it was probably Jonas and Teal'c, who often annoyed the hell out of Jack and Daniel on missions by having midnight chats in the middle of nowhere, Jack was just about to head off again when one of the voices came across more clearly, and with a start, he realised it was Cassie.
Curious, Jack left the kitchen and followed the voice to the bottom of the stairs, where he stopped just outside the lounge, now able to here the voices clearly. It was indeed Cass, and Michael with her, and Jack wondered with a frown where the three sleeping males had been put during the night as he remembered Janet saying they were probably going to crash in the lounge after the game.
Poking his head around the corner to make sure the two of them were indeed alone, he saw that Cassie was sitting on the sofa with her legs across the cushions, watching Michael with a small smile on her face as he examined the titles of the books in the large bookshelf in the dimmed lighting.
"God, Cass," Michael murmured without turning his head from the books. "You've got Harry Potter in here."
Hearing the answering snort from the sofa, the young man turned around and grinned across at his girlfriend. "Please tell me these are your mums."
"Hey!" Cassandra answered quietly, but her voice filled with laughter. "There is nothing wrong with Harry Potter, thank you very much. I happen to enjoy Sci-fi and fantasy, and you damn well know that!"
Now it was Michael's turn to snort as he went back to the shelf, running his long fingers up and down the spines of the books. "Yeah, I know. God knows where that came from, with your mum being a doctor."
"Mike, what's that got to do with anything?" Cassie laughed, shaking her head at his bizarre logic. But Michael only shrugged.
"Nothing, I guess. Only it sounded good at the time."
Having heard far enough to know that the two of them definitely wanted to be alone, Jack slowly began to turn around with the intention to go back to his room, not wanting to disturb the young couple with the search of the kitchen for the mysterious Christmas cake.
He was only half way down the hallway when Michael said something that made him freeze, the blood in his body going cold in seconds. Not knowing what made him do it, Jack found himself quickly padding back down the hallway to his spot buy the lounge door as he avidly listened for Cassie's answer.
"Seriously, Cass, who is she?" came Michael's curious second question, and Jack wished he could risk poking his head around the door to see what he was looking at.
Only hearing the silence from the sofa must have told Michael that something was wrong and he turned his head in Cassie's direction, only to see the laughter gone from his girlfriend's face as she sat there, staring at the carpet, her face white.
"Cass?" Michael whispered, concerned. Obviously the tone of his voice snapped the young woman out of her trance and she jerked her head up. Giving it a shake, she slowly got off the sofa and came to stand beside her tall boyfriend at the mantelpiece.
Staring down at the row of photographs displayed before her, Cassie's face was blank of emotion as she reached up slowly to touch the small faces grinning back at her.
"That's Sam," she whispered quietly, still not looking at him. Deeply concerned, Michael dragged his eyes off her face to stare down at the photograph she was gazing at with a look of utter sadness in her eyes.
It was of an obviously younger Cassie sitting in what he recognised instantly as a military mess hall, even though he hadn't been in one since he was a small boy. She was dressed in civilian clothes save for a green fatigue jacket that was about five sizes to big for her that had been thrown over her shoulders. At her side was an attractive blonde haired woman in similar fatigues. Both were grinning widely at the camera while Cassie had one arm thrown around the blonde woman's neck in am impromptu hug.
Behind them, Michael could just made out the faces of many men who were in the mess with them, not looking at the camera, just going about the business of eating their meals.
"That was taken about six years ago, I think." Cassie told him in a soft voice, still staring down at the photo. "It was the school holidays and I was bored to tears so Sam told me to come up to the base for lunch, even though I'm not really meant to be up there without good reason."
Looking at her face, Michael saw the sad expression had been replayed with one of tender affection, and he wondered just who this woman was.
"Is she a friend of your mums?" he asked delicately, realising it was a sore topic.
But Cassie only smiled at his question as she gently reached out to pick the photo up off the mantelpiece. "Yeah, she was a friend of mums," she answered, "They were best friends. But it was more than that." Looking up for the first time, she smiled softly into Michael's face, seeing the concerned expression on his face and wanting to reassure him.
"Sam was my special friend," she said carefully, trying to explain. "She saved my life when I was 12, and it was because of her that I came to live here with Janet." Looking down at the photo, she closed her eyes for a second, sighed, then opened them again.
"I owe everything to her."
Stunned, Michael looked quickly back at the mantelpiece and for the first time he realised just how many of the photo's there had the same blonde woman in them. Moving from Cassie's side, he looked intently into all the photos, one by one, really seeing them for the first time. Often or not, one or all of the four males asleep upstairs were with the blonde woman he now knew as Sam were in the photo with her. Most of the time it was the one with glasses; Daniel.
"Jesus." He muttered, wondering how he could not have known this about Cassie until now. But when a thought suddenly exploded in his head, he jerked his head back at her and asked quickly, "Where is she, Cass?" and instantly regretted it, knowing he sounded far to eager, to curious, when something bad had obviously happened to this woman.
But Cassie didn't start to cry, or turn on him in fury. She only continued to smile gently down in the photo, as if she hadn't even heard his question.
"She's gone now," she murmured after a time, and Michael furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Gone?" he repeated, wondering if he had heard it right.
But then Cassie was reaching out and placing the photo frame gently on the mantelpiece. Then she was turning in his direction and a bright smile was on her face as she reached out and grabbed hold of his hand.
"Come on, it's getting cold down here. Let's go upstairs." And Michael didn't have time to ever sputter out a reply before she was pulling him in the direction of the stairs that led up to her old bedroom.
Confused, frustrated and curious as to the sudden turn of events, Michael barely noticed Cassie pulling him up the stairs as his brain desperately tried to put all he had heard into order. And for the first time, he suddenly realised that there was more to Cassie than meets the eye, and he wondered what it was. Wondered why she considered four military personnel as her closest family members save her mum.
And that brought up a whole new set of questions. He had always known that Cassie was adopted, but for the first time he wondered at her birth parents, where they were or what had happened to them to make them give Cassie up. And where did this mysterious 'Sam' come into things? What did she have to do with bringing Cassandra to Janet?
So intent on his questions, Michael didn't even notice the black figure standing in the shadows of the hallway as he and Cassie quietly padded up the stairs. Neither did he notice the man that emerged from those shadows only seconds later, heading in the opposite direction, his fist enclosed tightly around an object hanging from a golden cord around his neck like a lifeline.
He was silent and the two young people paid him no heed as quietly, Jack O'Neill slipped back into the night. Only when he found himself on the back porch did his fumbling fingers bring the stone out into the night. And with one desperate look behind and around him to make sure he was alone, Jack gave a deep breath, and let the stone do its magic as he released its splendour, careful to hide the brightness from any curious eyes.
And as he felt the stone start to open the mirror he longed for, Jack let himself relax as he caught sight of what he had been searching for. There was a flash of blonde hair in the mirror and Jack knew he was once again paralysed, knew he could not move until the mirror released him.
But for now, he was content to use his gift, to use the mirror to help ease the ache in his soul.
This is the concluding story in the "White Lady" series, which started in "The White lady of i'Hísië".
*****
Author: Damia
Email: Damia_1@hotmail.com
Pairing: Sam/Jack. Other/Other
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own anything Stargate SG-1! Also, don't own anything Lord of the Rings!! (Sadly!).
Season: "The White Lady of i'Hísië" was introduced five years before the Council of Elrond. "Gondor" take off four years later, in the year 3018 TA.
Summery: When you find yourself in a world that is not your own, you realise you are duty bound to help new friends protect theirs.
Notes: To my calculations, Sam arrives in Middle-Earth in the year, 3013 of the Third Age, five years before Council of Elrond, which is in October, 3018.
Translation: The Elvish translation for "Gilly", the nickname Sam gives her daughter, is "Young". Rather appropriate, I reckon.
* * *
"And what of your companions? What about Legolas and me?" cried Gimli, unable to contain himself longer. "You rascals, you woolly-footed and wool- pated truants! A fine hunt you have led us! Two hundred leagues, through fen and forest, battle and death, to rescue you! And here we find you feasting and idling - and smoking! Smoking! Where did you come by the weed, you villains? Hammer and tongs! I am so torn between rage and joy, that if I do not burst, it will be a marvel!"
- "You speak for me, Gimli," laughed Legolas. "Though I would sooner learn how they came by the wine."
Gimli and Legolas, to the Hobbits, Merry and Pippin at the ruin gates of Isengard, [The Two Towers]
* * *
Four Years Passed...February, 3018 TA. Eight months prior to the Council of Elrond.
The little girl sat on the stool, her short legs dangling off the edge with every trace of obvious impatience. Her hands were folded on her lap under the table, but at the same time twisting themselves through the sunshine yellow material of her dress.
Across the other side of the table the little girl's mother sat silently, outwardly calm and serene but feeling a smile threaten to break out on her face as she discretely watched her daughter from under long dark lashes. Lifting the fork from her plate up to her mouth, she could feel the blue eyes on her, openly watching and studying her movements, filing them away for future reference.
Sam knew Gilrean was just about to burst with anticipation but she wondered idly how much more it would take for the proud little four year old to beg. Swallowing the last trace of her lunch, Sam slowly put her fork down and only then turned to her daughter, eyebrows raised.
Instantly, Gilrean's small shoulder's drooped as she read the reprimand in her mother's identical eyes. Lowering her head for a second, causing blonde curls to fall over her shoulders, it would have been obvious to anyone that she was regrouping. Sure enough, when Gilrean lifted her head, her eyes were wide and engaging, and remembering how often her family chastised her for it, she straightened her back slightly in her chair.
"I'm sorry, Ma. Truly I am." The young voice was never quite a whine, but it grated on Sam's nerves all the same. But Gilrean never seemed to notice this, for she leaned forward in her chair slightly and reached up to clutch the tablecloth in both tiny fists.
"I never meant to tell them anything, but you know what they're like! They just kept on asking and asking and I couldn't help myself! It just all came out!" If Sam hadn't been looking closely enough, she would have missed the fury that suddenly sprang up in Gilrean's eyes all together, but it was lucky that she had been watching for as she saw it, and gave a sigh, knowing that the girl had won her over once again.
"Gilly, I specifically remember Galadriel instructing you not to tell a single soul about mine and Gandalf's trip." Sam told her daughter in a gentle tone, sensing that the girl had beaten herself up enough over her slip and didn't need her mother adding to her misery.
Instantly, Gilrean jerked up straighter in her chair and a frown of indignation appeared on her fair face. "But I didn't tell anyone, Ma, I swear!" she cried. But when Sam cocked her head to the side and stared across at her, eyebrows still raised, the little girl slumped back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest with a thump.
"Rúmil and Orophin don't count. They were going to find out anyway." the blonde girl muttered to her chest, her head firmly lowered.
Grinning now, Sam too, leaned back in her chair, pushing the plate away from her in the process as she studied the pretty child across from her. Yes, she admitted, Haldir and his two brothers' would have learned of the planned journey her and Gandalf would be leaving on in little over a week, but the simple truth of it was that it hadn't been Gilrean's place to tell them about it. Galadriel and Celeborn, knowing the trouble the girl had with keeping anything she heard behind closed doors a secret, had firmly told her to tell no one, but it seemed that she had slipped up once again.
Personally, Sam wasn't to bothered with her daughter's mastake. She knew how close she was to the three elvish warriors, and thinking back to when she herself had been a child, she had to admit if she had heard such exciting news she would have wanted to run out and tell the first person she had laid eyes on.
"Can't I come to the Shire with you, Ma?" Gilrean asked, not for the first time, from across the table. Looking up, Sam saw her fair eyes were full of eager excitement, as if she found the thought of travelling over countryside on the back of a horse for two weeks the most exciting thing she had ever heard. Although, Sam had to admit that even if the means of travel might not have been her cup of tea, the actual idea of the journey itself sent shivers of excitement down her back every time she thought about it.
It would be her first time to the Shire, and even with all Gandalf and Aragorn had told her over the past four years, she still failed the imagine what it would be like. Even now, she still unconsciously imagined pictures she had seen in Daniel's books back on Earth of mythological dwarfs whenever the Hobbits were mentioned, even though she had been told over and over again that they looked completely human, only smaller. And with lots of furry feet and curly hair, apparently.
But to be honest, it was the thought of finally meeting Gandalf's little friend, the infamous Frodo Baggins, that was making her look forward to this journey more than anything. She had heard much about the young Hobbit from a great many different sources, some obviously more reliable than others. Not only was Gandalf happy to share many a tale of his little friend's adventures and would probably be quite willing to sit and praise his virtues from dusk till dawn, Sam had found that Frodo's fame had spread far beyond that of the old wizard. It seemed that most if not all of the elves of Lothlórien knew of Frodo in some way, even thought Sam knew for sure that the Hobbit had never ventured as far as Lothlórien, or even Rivendell.
But it wasn't until Sam had tried to settle her curiosity of the matter by asking Arwen, when her elvish friend had made one of her many journey's to Lorien to see her grandparents, Sam and Gilrean, that she had found that Frodo did in fact have one very vital link to the elvish world in the form of his uncle, Bilbo.
As Sam had listened, fascinated, Arwen had explained to the young human that Bilbo in fact lived in her father's house and was treated and held with great esteem and respect by Elrond and his household, not just for his adventures and friendship with Gandalf, but for his long and trusted relationship with the elves.
Sam found it ironic that even though matters of adventure and danger had now passed Bilbo by, and he was now able to live out the remainder of his long life in the comforts of Rivendell, it was through him that his nephew would soon be thrust into the most dangerous situation of his life, if what Gandalf suspected was true.
And it was that thought that brought Sam back to the present and she blinked across at the table at her young daughter, who was staring back at her, waiting for her answer.
Sighing deeply, Sam gracefully reached down for the napkin on her lap and placed it on the table next to her now empty plate. Cocking her head to the side, she smiled over at Gilrean's impatient little face, and was struck not for the first time by her resemblance to Jack. While she might be as fair as a dove in complexion, and her blonde hair was obviously from the Carter side of the family, there were times, usually when she was upset or angry, that Sam would have sworn Jack O'Neill was staring back at her, instead of the daughter he had not set eyes on for four years.
Feeling the familiar shiver snake down her back at the thought, Sam brought her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in her hands, a casual gesture that made the side of Gilrean's mouth twitch. "You know you can't, hen," she told the little girl gently, not wanting to upset her. "Gandalf was right when he told you the journey would be much to dangerous for little girls."
But this only caused Gilrean's mouth to tighten and her little chin to stick out stubbornly. "But Ma, I've gone with you and Mithrandir on your trips before, so why not now?"
Sam's answer stuck in her throat as it always did at hearing her daughter refer to the Grey Wanderer by his elvish name. Never, even as a baby who had just learned to talk, had she called the wizard by his most common name, even though Gandalf was much easier for a little girl to pronounce than Mithrandir. Instead, she had stubbornly refused to call him anything at all until she could properly say the elvish name with no faults.
Sam had wisely never brought up the matter with her daughter, but hearing it always made her realise just how influential the elvish way of life was being on her upbringing. Sam, herself, had never called her dear friend anything but Gandalf, yet from listening to the elves around her, Gilrean had made her own mind up on the matter of how to refer to the wizard, who was by far the most prominent male figure in her life.
It would have been obvious to anyone that the little girl considered herself to be far more elvish than human, and to realise it always made her mother sad.
"I know you have, hen. But Minas Tirith and Rivendell are much safer at the moment than the Shire is.even though that hardly makes any sense," she added as an afterthought, flicking her eyebrows up with a shrug.
"You will be fine here in Lorien, Gilly, you know you will. And we'll be back before you even realise we're gone." Sam smiled across at Gilrean, trying to lift her spirits, but realising it was a wasted effort, she just sighed and dropped her hands.
Flicking a causal look in the direction of the window, she saw the position of the sun through the trees realised with a jolt that they had been sitting at the table for over an hour. Getting up, she skilfully manoeuvred the folds of her dress with one hand, came around the table and got down on her knees beside her daughter's chair, causing the little girl to turn to her in surprise.
"I know you were looking forward to meeting Frodo, hen, but it really is too dangerous for you to come with us, you must understand that." Reaching up, she lovingly brushed a curly lock of golden hair away from her daughter's fair face and cupped her cheek.
"And besides," she added teasingly, seeing the little girl's mouth begin to wobble as tears threatened. "If you come with us, who's going to stay here and look after the special Ranger who's going to arrive in a few days?"
Seeing she had struck the right cord by the way Gilrean's blue eyes flew open wide in excited surprise, Sam added in a mock-serious tone, "You know very well that when the said Ranger arrives in Lorien he always needs lots of attention and care, after travelling as much as he does."
Gilrean's eyes were daring to hope as she leaned forward so that their noses were touching and reached up to grab both her mother's ears in her small hands to keep her head still. Sam didn't blink as Gilrean's identical eyes peered into hers, even though the surge of love she felt for the little girl was so powerful that it threatened to bring tears to her eyes.
"Oh, Ma, really?" Gilrean breathed, all thought of the journey forgotten for the moment as she contemplated the arrival in Lothlórien of her most favourite person in Middle-Earth. "Is Aragorn really coming?" When Sam, grinning broadly, nodded her head in answer, Gilrean let out a shriek that sent Sam's ears ringing wildly in her head and jumped up from her chair, almost taking out her mother's chin in the process.
Blinking madly to get the ringing out of her head, Sam vaguely noticed Gilrean dash around the table and make a bolt for the door to their apartments as fast as her little legs could take her, golden hair and golden dress flying out behind her.
She had almost made it to the door when Sam, having finally got her bearings, managed to call out in curious bemusement, "And just where do you think your going?"
Gilrean skidded to a halt in the doorway, small chest rising and falling rapidly as she turned her head back in Sam's direction long enough to call out, "To find Rúmil and Orophin! I bet they don't know this!"
And with that, the little girl let out a pearl of laughter at the sight of Sam's eyebrows, which had flown up on her head like a bird and took off through the door like she had been exploded from a cannon, the sound of her feet echoing down the hallway long after she fled from sight, leaving Sam to stand in the middle of their lounge, arms at her sides, stunned.
The sudden and unexpected silence assaulted Sam's ears as she stood there, going over what had just happened. And after a minute, she found her shoulders begin to shake with mirth and as she laughed at the amazing mystery that was her daughter.
Shaking her head, still smiling broadly, she made her way slowly towards the table in order to clear the evidence of their meal. But when she got there, she instead turned towards the window and gazed out at the world that was now her home, but her mind filled with another.
Sighing with content, Sam felt an ironic smile touch her lips as she leaned back against the table, her arms across her chest, imaging that another stood next to her.
"By God, Jack," she said out loud, startling the silence. "That girl gets more like you every bloody day."
**** Meanwhile, in a place far away, in the middle of December.
"By God, Jack," said an amused female voice behind him. "That girl gets more like you every bloody day."
Flicking his head up, the Colonel shot Janet a grin before turning back to the television in front of him. The game was almost finished and he wasn't the only person in the cosy room who was loathed to be parted from it for even a second. At his side, Cassandra casually dived her hand into the bowl of popcorn, all the while sending him sly little glances out of the corner of her slanted cat eyes.
He could see her doing it, as could Daniel, who was sitting on the single sofa beside them and flicking his attention between the TV screen and the pair of them on the sofa, where he would frown at them both, silently telling Jack that he thought they were just as bad as each other and he would have been quite happy to be rid of them both.
Christmas day was well and truly over by this time, but like Jack, everyone in the room couldn't bring themselves to make any effort to move. They were all stuffed to the gills on Janet's cooking and floating happily away on Cassie's finest imported wine, and none of them could bear the thought of the day finally ending.
It was well after dark, and the living room of Janet's house was cosy and warm from the mixture of the fire and good old fashioned body-heat and Jack could feel his eyes growing heavy with the weight of it, even though he was telling himself firmly to keep them open.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Cassie start up again, and he forced himself to keep the smile from twitching on his mouth. Turning his head ever so slightly, he watched her covertly as she slowly withdrew her popcorn filled hand from the bowl in her lap, her eyes trained on the still figure sitting cross-legged on the rug in front of her.
Spying Daniel turn his head in their direction once again, with the permanent frown still in place, Jack ignored him completely while slowly moving his hand from his knee and inching it across the millimetres that separated him from the young woman sitting beside him on the couch, while keeping his face firmly trained on the TV in front of him. Feeling his hand bump into Cassie's, he opened his palm and felt the telltale sensation of warm, power-coated popcorn snake up his bones as she filled his palm with the light whiteness.
Bringing his hand slowly up to his chest, Cassie mirroring his gesture, they struck swiftly and deadly, the hail of popcorn bouncing off Teal'c bald head, which at the present moment, was covered with a warm, woollen hat that Jonas had given him for Christmas. The effect was instant, causing the dark man to jump off the mat like he'd been shot and gave Jonas, who was sitting beside Teal'c, such a fright that he gave an almighty yelp and fell sideways.
The look the Jaffa shot Cassie would have frightened anyone not closely acquainted with the big man, but he only caused the young woman to snort into her hand, and burrow into Jack's side with a shrieking laugh as Teal'c made a show of getting off the floor, his own hands filled with popcorn from his own bowl at his side.
"Oh no you don't, mister!" cried Janet, quickly getting up between the revenge-ridden Jaffa and the laughing pair on the couch. "I'm not having any more mess on this floor, unless you're willing to clean it up! By hand!"
"Oh, let him, Jan." drawled Daniel from his sofa, where he was watching the play with avid fascination. "They deserve far more than a hail of popcorn, believe me."
Cassie poked her tongue out at him in answer, which only caused a smile of his own to flash up on Daniel's face, as he asked her with raised eyebrows, "Oh, very mature, kiddo. And how old are you again?"
From her side, Jack noticed the only figure in the room who was still silent turning his head back and forth between the mock lashing the young woman and the archaeologist were giving each other. Cassie's boyfriend, Michael Cleaver, was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the leg of Janet's chair, his hands on his knees, a huge grin on his face as he watched the hidden side of his girlfriend that he had never seen before emerge before his eyes.
A senior at the University he and Cassie both attended, the pair had been together for just over a year now, but this was his first trip to Colorado Springs, and as such, the Christmas dinner had been a tad bit more important to both Janet and Cassie, who had outdone each other with the preparations. Lucky for them, everything had gone without a hitch and it was obvious to anyone that Michael had had the time of his life, even though he had to be slightly alarmed by the attention he received from the many males in the room.
Thinking back, Jack found himself grinning as he remembered how anxious Cassie had been when she made each and every one of them swear on their own lives that they weren't to give him any trouble. And so far so good, as far as Jack was concerned. All the boys on SG-1 had been nothing but polite when arriving at Janet's early this afternoon and introductions were made, even though Jack wasn't the only one to catch the flare of alarm that sprung up in the young man's eyes when he caught sight of Teal'c in the doorway.
And as the evening had progressed, and everyone found themselves relaxing with the uncomfortable surroundings at first, Jack had found himself drawn to sit next to Michael at the dinner table and ask him about himself. What he had found was no surprise; he could have guessed that he was from white middle-class stock at first glance. But what had come as a surprise was that his father, one Colonel James Cleaver, had been killed in the Gulf when Michael and his younger sister, Emily, were young children, and his mother had brought them up ever since.
Michael had been casual when telling this over the dinner table, but Jack was no fool, he could see the anger simmering in his brown eyes with his words. And it was then, even though Jack hardly knew anything about the young man, that he decided he rather liked Michael Cleaver, even though two major facts were standing in the way. The obvious first was that he was sleeping with Cassie, who was the only daughter Jack had on this side of the galaxy. And the other was the distressing fact that that was studying to be an Archaeologist, like his girlfriend.
So as if being cooped up in a house with one official Archaeologist wasn't bad enough, let alone an annoying Alien enthusiast, he now had two budding rock finders to put up with, all of who were driving him up the wall.
With that thought, a loud cheer went up in the Fraiser's living room, and Jack jerked straighter in the sofa, blinking madly at the TV to see what the final score was on the game. Seeing that his chosen team had been victorious once again, the Colonel finally began to listen to what his body was telling him and admitted to himself that he was bushed.
Pushing Cassie's head out from under his arm, he stretched both them above his head and made to stand up, trying to get the sensation to return to his legs.
Janet caught sight of his pitiful movements and laughed from her sofa. "Go upstairs, Jack. There's the spare room just waiting for you."
But Jack shook his head, trying to wiggle his toes at the same time. "Thanks, Jan, but I couldn't." he told her with a tired smile. "You've got enough extras, anyway."
But Janet wouldn't hear it. "Rubbish, Colonel," she said, waving her hand in the direction of the stairs. "You know Daniel and Jonas are going to fall asleep down here anyway, and Teal'c will be fine on the mat, won't you? Daniel's far too drunk to drive you back anyway." she told the big Jaffa with a regretful smile.
Teal'c blinked across at the small doctor and slowly nodded his head. "I am aware of that fact, Doctor Fraiser. Daniel Jackson has been for quite some time." He shot the Archaeologist a disapproving frown before turning back to Janet, ignoring Danny's sputter of outrage. "All I require is a blanket and I shall be fine on the floor, Doctor. I thank you."
Catching Michael's raised eyebrows at Teal'c strange wording, Jack felt it was time to go. Gently pushing the sleepy Cassie off his side, he leaned her back against the couch and pushed the blanket further up on her lap where it had fallen off sometime prior. Standing, he spied his jacket on the arm of the couch but decided to leave it there until morning, and stepping around bodies, walked around the back of the sofa.
"Right," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'll see you guys in the morning, then," he said to the room at large.
"Night, Jack." Daniel murmured absently, his eyes still glued on the TV.
"Yeah, goodnight, Jack," came from Jonas, who by now was lying on his stomach at Teal'c side, chin resting in his palms, eyes darting back and forth across the screen as he watched the highlights from the game.
"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c rumbled, but honouring him by actually looking up. "Sleep well."
"Thanks, guys." Jack muttered back. With a wave at Michael and Janet, and a quick kiss to the top of a sleeping Cassie's unmoving head, he turned and walked up the stairs, heading for the comfort of Janet's spare room. Finding it in the dark, he remembered managing to strip his uncomfortable jeans off before falling face first on the bed, his brain switching off even before his head hit the pillow.
****
Sometime during the night, Jack blinked his eyes open in the dark, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Silent as a ghost, he sat up in the bed and groped inside the neck of his shirt, his hand's desperately searching for the golden cord he knew would be there.
He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers found and clutched around the thin golden cord around his neck, and he felt his heart start to calm in his chest. Bringing the cord out of his neck, he let his fingers slide down the band until he found the smooth oval stone at the end, almost unconsciously caressing the smooth surface as he stared out in front of him into the darkness, feeling his body begin relax with the soothing motion.
With the arrival back into consciousness also came a fresh and familiar wave of longing, of guilt, and an overpowering sense of loss. Looking down in the dark, he could just make out the outline of the by-now warm stone in his hand, and not for the first time he swore he felt the pulsing of a heartbeat between his fingers.
"Oh, Sam." Jack whispered to the night, as he willed up the last image he had of her, standing on the hill outside the city of Lothlórien, the baby in her arms as she watched him disappear. He knew that however long he lived he would never forget her like that; her hair long and braided at the sides like the elves, Gilrean tucked up warmly in the folds of her foreign cloak.
Feeling the stone comforting pulsing in his hands, Jack brought it up to his face and peered out at it, inches from his eyes to see it better in the dark even as he felt the golden cord pull around his neck. But the feeling was familiar, soothing, having been around his neck every day for the part four years.
He remembered even now, years later, arriving back in his bedroom abruptly, with the sunshine pooling through his curtains and the sound of Cassie and Daniel clanking around downstairs as they fished around his nearly empty cupboards for some breakfast.
He remembered laying there, on his back on his bed, his heart slowly breaking in his chest as the notion that his lover and child were gone from him, were in a place he could not reach. But then, he felt the stone; still clutched in his palm, begin to throb and the warmth that snaked up his arms to his chest made the sense of loss more bearable.
And from then on, it never left his body. Never. No matter what mission he went on with SG-1, no matter where he was, Earth, Chulak, or some new, unexplored world, the cord and the stone never left his neck.
He knew the others had seen it, and wondered about it. But he hadn't told them its origins, or its true meaning. Daniel, at least, had been curious, and was forever trying to get Jack to take it off so he could take a look, but so far he hadn't been successful, and had been forced to buy the Colonel's story that it had been given to him by a family member. Jack dreaded the day that the Archaeologist got his hands on the thing and realised that the stone was no way Earth bound.
But now, heaving a great sigh, Jack knew there was no way in hell he was going to be able to get back to sleep so he silently got out of the bed, rubbing his face at the same time and wishing he was back in his own house with its constant supply of beer in the fridge for a midnight snack.
Finding the door in the dark, the tired Colonel padded silently down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen, wondering if Janet had any of that yummy Christmas cake left from dinner. Deciding that yes, that would make a delicious nibble this early in the morning, Jack had just about reached the kitchen door when he heard lowered voices from the lounge and he paused in mid-step, wondering who was up and talking this early.
Figuring it was probably Jonas and Teal'c, who often annoyed the hell out of Jack and Daniel on missions by having midnight chats in the middle of nowhere, Jack was just about to head off again when one of the voices came across more clearly, and with a start, he realised it was Cassie.
Curious, Jack left the kitchen and followed the voice to the bottom of the stairs, where he stopped just outside the lounge, now able to here the voices clearly. It was indeed Cass, and Michael with her, and Jack wondered with a frown where the three sleeping males had been put during the night as he remembered Janet saying they were probably going to crash in the lounge after the game.
Poking his head around the corner to make sure the two of them were indeed alone, he saw that Cassie was sitting on the sofa with her legs across the cushions, watching Michael with a small smile on her face as he examined the titles of the books in the large bookshelf in the dimmed lighting.
"God, Cass," Michael murmured without turning his head from the books. "You've got Harry Potter in here."
Hearing the answering snort from the sofa, the young man turned around and grinned across at his girlfriend. "Please tell me these are your mums."
"Hey!" Cassandra answered quietly, but her voice filled with laughter. "There is nothing wrong with Harry Potter, thank you very much. I happen to enjoy Sci-fi and fantasy, and you damn well know that!"
Now it was Michael's turn to snort as he went back to the shelf, running his long fingers up and down the spines of the books. "Yeah, I know. God knows where that came from, with your mum being a doctor."
"Mike, what's that got to do with anything?" Cassie laughed, shaking her head at his bizarre logic. But Michael only shrugged.
"Nothing, I guess. Only it sounded good at the time."
Having heard far enough to know that the two of them definitely wanted to be alone, Jack slowly began to turn around with the intention to go back to his room, not wanting to disturb the young couple with the search of the kitchen for the mysterious Christmas cake.
He was only half way down the hallway when Michael said something that made him freeze, the blood in his body going cold in seconds. Not knowing what made him do it, Jack found himself quickly padding back down the hallway to his spot buy the lounge door as he avidly listened for Cassie's answer.
"Seriously, Cass, who is she?" came Michael's curious second question, and Jack wished he could risk poking his head around the door to see what he was looking at.
Only hearing the silence from the sofa must have told Michael that something was wrong and he turned his head in Cassie's direction, only to see the laughter gone from his girlfriend's face as she sat there, staring at the carpet, her face white.
"Cass?" Michael whispered, concerned. Obviously the tone of his voice snapped the young woman out of her trance and she jerked her head up. Giving it a shake, she slowly got off the sofa and came to stand beside her tall boyfriend at the mantelpiece.
Staring down at the row of photographs displayed before her, Cassie's face was blank of emotion as she reached up slowly to touch the small faces grinning back at her.
"That's Sam," she whispered quietly, still not looking at him. Deeply concerned, Michael dragged his eyes off her face to stare down at the photograph she was gazing at with a look of utter sadness in her eyes.
It was of an obviously younger Cassie sitting in what he recognised instantly as a military mess hall, even though he hadn't been in one since he was a small boy. She was dressed in civilian clothes save for a green fatigue jacket that was about five sizes to big for her that had been thrown over her shoulders. At her side was an attractive blonde haired woman in similar fatigues. Both were grinning widely at the camera while Cassie had one arm thrown around the blonde woman's neck in am impromptu hug.
Behind them, Michael could just made out the faces of many men who were in the mess with them, not looking at the camera, just going about the business of eating their meals.
"That was taken about six years ago, I think." Cassie told him in a soft voice, still staring down at the photo. "It was the school holidays and I was bored to tears so Sam told me to come up to the base for lunch, even though I'm not really meant to be up there without good reason."
Looking at her face, Michael saw the sad expression had been replayed with one of tender affection, and he wondered just who this woman was.
"Is she a friend of your mums?" he asked delicately, realising it was a sore topic.
But Cassie only smiled at his question as she gently reached out to pick the photo up off the mantelpiece. "Yeah, she was a friend of mums," she answered, "They were best friends. But it was more than that." Looking up for the first time, she smiled softly into Michael's face, seeing the concerned expression on his face and wanting to reassure him.
"Sam was my special friend," she said carefully, trying to explain. "She saved my life when I was 12, and it was because of her that I came to live here with Janet." Looking down at the photo, she closed her eyes for a second, sighed, then opened them again.
"I owe everything to her."
Stunned, Michael looked quickly back at the mantelpiece and for the first time he realised just how many of the photo's there had the same blonde woman in them. Moving from Cassie's side, he looked intently into all the photos, one by one, really seeing them for the first time. Often or not, one or all of the four males asleep upstairs were with the blonde woman he now knew as Sam were in the photo with her. Most of the time it was the one with glasses; Daniel.
"Jesus." He muttered, wondering how he could not have known this about Cassie until now. But when a thought suddenly exploded in his head, he jerked his head back at her and asked quickly, "Where is she, Cass?" and instantly regretted it, knowing he sounded far to eager, to curious, when something bad had obviously happened to this woman.
But Cassie didn't start to cry, or turn on him in fury. She only continued to smile gently down in the photo, as if she hadn't even heard his question.
"She's gone now," she murmured after a time, and Michael furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Gone?" he repeated, wondering if he had heard it right.
But then Cassie was reaching out and placing the photo frame gently on the mantelpiece. Then she was turning in his direction and a bright smile was on her face as she reached out and grabbed hold of his hand.
"Come on, it's getting cold down here. Let's go upstairs." And Michael didn't have time to ever sputter out a reply before she was pulling him in the direction of the stairs that led up to her old bedroom.
Confused, frustrated and curious as to the sudden turn of events, Michael barely noticed Cassie pulling him up the stairs as his brain desperately tried to put all he had heard into order. And for the first time, he suddenly realised that there was more to Cassie than meets the eye, and he wondered what it was. Wondered why she considered four military personnel as her closest family members save her mum.
And that brought up a whole new set of questions. He had always known that Cassie was adopted, but for the first time he wondered at her birth parents, where they were or what had happened to them to make them give Cassie up. And where did this mysterious 'Sam' come into things? What did she have to do with bringing Cassandra to Janet?
So intent on his questions, Michael didn't even notice the black figure standing in the shadows of the hallway as he and Cassie quietly padded up the stairs. Neither did he notice the man that emerged from those shadows only seconds later, heading in the opposite direction, his fist enclosed tightly around an object hanging from a golden cord around his neck like a lifeline.
He was silent and the two young people paid him no heed as quietly, Jack O'Neill slipped back into the night. Only when he found himself on the back porch did his fumbling fingers bring the stone out into the night. And with one desperate look behind and around him to make sure he was alone, Jack gave a deep breath, and let the stone do its magic as he released its splendour, careful to hide the brightness from any curious eyes.
And as he felt the stone start to open the mirror he longed for, Jack let himself relax as he caught sight of what he had been searching for. There was a flash of blonde hair in the mirror and Jack knew he was once again paralysed, knew he could not move until the mirror released him.
But for now, he was content to use his gift, to use the mirror to help ease the ache in his soul.