The Visit

by sammyjayne74

5 weeks after Daniel's ascension. Shelley is still at her father's, but doesn't want to be comforted by anyone. But she has an unexpected visitor. Set before S6 ep1.

Fic: The Visit
Author: Me :D
Pairing: Daniel/Shelley
Rating: M
Genre: Angst
Authors Notes: I wrote this fic just over 5 years ago.. Please be gentle
Feedback: Feed me ;)
Summary: Whilst retreating to her father's, Shelley has an unexpected visit

The Visit

She whispered his name in her sleep, calling out to him. Wanting him there with her, lying next to her as he used too. Now he was gone. Taken away from her. It had all seemed so unfair and nothing seemed to make sense anymore. Some days would be good and some would be bad. The good ones were when she hardly thought about him. But today had been one of the worst days. There was no grave for her to visit, there had been nothing. Just her, sitting alone in her fathers house. Going over in her mind what had happened.

She'd sat in her room all day going through it all in her head. They had been so happy together. It made her crazy to think that in such a short space of time she had been married and widowed. If you could call her a widow. The truth was, she didn't know what she was. All Shelley did know was that Daniel was gone and that she was alone. Not even being with her father had helped. Their relationship had been strained over the last few years and he wasn't getting any younger. Shelley had just wanted to be with someone who cared enough to listen to her. But there was just one problem. She couldn't tell anyone what had really happened. She had to lie to everyone. To make up some excuse as to what happened to Daniel. At times she wished she had never set foot on that base. Then she would have had a chance of a normal life. And her life over the last 14 months had been less than normal. She whispered his name again. Hoping that where ever he was, he would be able to hear her. To know how much it hurt her inside not being able to see him again. For her to hear his voice. Despite all the hope she had. Shelley knew that he wasn't coming back. That he had made his choice. To go, rather than to share what little time he had left with her. Or to even to let Jacob try and cure him. That's why she felt so bad; because she knew that it was him she was angry with. Even in her dreams he always chose to stay with her. That the time he had left had been spent with her. In her dream she had cried so much at the funeral that she thought she would never stop. When she awoke the next morning she would feel relieved, then she would remember that there had been no body to bury and no memorial service to attend. There had been nothing. That's why she had wanted to get away from everything that reminded her of Daniel. Shelley didn't know when she was going to go back to work, or even if she wanted too. It was something she could live without now. It didn't hold the excitement for her now as it used to. Her reason for being there had gone. Her whole life was gone and wasn't coming back.

It had been getting so loud lately that he couldn't ignore it any longer. Her cries had been deafening to only his ears. The 'others' around him had seemed oblivious, apart from one. The one who had brought him here and away from her. She smiled at him in her 'human' form. This is the way they had been for the last few hours. She was still trying to make him understand what had happened to him. But the last 2 days her crying, her voice calling out had distracted him. His head rose as he heard her voice again. She was so far away, but he could still sense her around him as he used to.

'Go.' His companion whispered, moving towards him.

But he still didn't understand what he was meant to do. To see her again, to see her smiling at him. Or to let her get on with her life. To give her a chance to be happy with someone else. But he couldn't do that. He wanted to be with her, to hold her again. His only regret had been that he never got a chance to say goodbye. That he was trying to protect her from the pain of seeing him like that. But it hadn't turned out the way he wanted. He could feel her pain from this far away. That all he wanted to do was to take the pain away from her,

'Go to her.' Oma said.
'How?'
'There is a way. You cannot stay long.'
'Tell me what to do and I'll do it.'

The others stared at them, disapproving of what she was about to do. This wasn't their way.

Shelley woke. The sun shining through her window. She turned, seeing the empty space next to her, remembering the first time she had awoke and saw him lying next to her. How peaceful she felt. At times she could almost feel his arms around her. Shelley pulled back the covers and stood up, rapping her robe around her, looking around the room. Some things never changed. Her room still looked exactly he same as when she had left for college. She had hardly brought anything with her when she arrived. Just her clothes and one single photograph. Because Shelley had never stepped back into the apartment since her 'incident' on the balcony. If Jack hadn't have stopped her, she knew that she would have let go of the rail. Shelley had just wanted the pain to go away. Even now it still caused through her veins like a disease making her weak and vulnerable. Nothing had seemed to make her feel any better. It was there all of the time, eating away at her. But there was nothing else to do but to carry on with her life as best as she could. Shelley looked down at the photograph by her bed taken on their wedding day and smiled, a memory of happier times. And they had been happy, so happy in fact that it made the others a little jealous. Well, that's what she thought. But no one could have not wanted them to be happy. She picked up the picture, holding it tightly in her hand, touching his face with her finger. The smile on her face disappearing as she remembered what she had lost. She missed him so much that at times she thought the pain would never stop. Her head jerked up as she heard the sound of her fathers voice coming from down stairs.

'Shelley. You're brother is on the phone. He wants to talk to you.'

But she didn't say anything. She lay back down on the bed, still clutching the photograph tightly. Shelley stared at it, not being able to take her eyes off him. It scared her to think that she would never see him again. Never to see those eyes staring back at her as he made love to her. Shelley loved his eyes. That was one of the things she had noticed about him. During that briefing, he had turned and looked at her, then she had noticed them staring back at her, even behind his glasses. She heard her father whispering down stairs. She looked up at the clock, not being able to believe that she had been asleep for nearly 10 hours. There had been nothing else to do. Her father had hardly spoken her her since her arrival, not really knowing what to say to her. All Shelley had wanted was for him to act like her father. Over the last 9 years he hadn't. In fact this had been the longest she had spent with him. The conversation over the last few days had stopped completely and the two of them had hardly spoke. Just nodding now and again, acknowledging each other. But not really talking. Shelley had felt sad about that too. That due to everything that had happened between them they weren't as close as she would have liked. Her mother had died when she was 5 years old and knew that if she had been alive she would have been here to comfort her. Instead she had no one. Her mother would have made it all better, like she used to as a kid. Some times, she wished she was again. That all the pains of adulthood would fall away. That she would be that wide eyed innocent child again. but she wasn't. She was nearly 29 and was alone in her room not wanting to face the world. Shelley turned back, placing the picture back on the desk next to her, taking one last look before turning away. She rose once again, moving across the room towards the window. A warm breeze blew into the room, bringing with it a faint scent of someone's aftershave.

'Daniel.' She whispered.

It had been the strangest feeling. Shelley smiled, breathing it in, feeling the warm breeze one her body. She closed her eyes. It almost felt as he was in the room with her. That if she turned, she would see him standing behind her, feeling his arms around her. Shelley's eyes opened slowly, not wanting to look. Her head turned, seeing an empty space next to her. She hadn't really expected to see him there. It had been her mind playing tricks on her. She leaned over, grabbing hold of the window, slamming it down shut. Her head turned for a moment a strange feeling coming over her. It hadn't been the first time she had felt like this. When she and Sg1 had visited PXK226, she had been given the 'gift' by the elder. She had been able to recognise certain people, or to sense them. Now she was having the same feeling she had when Daniel had come in to the room or when he was about too. She turned back from the window, looking around the room and seeing no one. Shelley walked across the room towards her closset opening the door. She didn't want to get dressed, she didn't want to do anything. It had been 6 weeks and Shelley didn't want to face people. She had left the sgc to get away from all the sympathetic looks and the 'i'm so sorry's.' Maybe she was being overly sensitive. But it seemed that every had expected her to be over it by now. But she couldn't. How could she be over it. How could she forget about him. Shelley had wanted to hold on to every memory for as long as she could. Shelley reached over, picking out anything, it didn't really matter.

'I'm going now.' Her father shouted. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'
'Ok. Bye.' She shouted back.

He tapped on the door.

'If there's anything you want. You know where i am.'

Shelley looked back at the door, surprised.

'I do. Thank you.'

She heard his foot steps receeding down the stairs, hearing the front door slam behind him. She picked up her clothes and headed into the bathroom, looking at her self in the mirror, not looking any different but feeling empty inside. Her reflection stared back at her. But this wasn't the Shelley Jackson she knew. That woman was gone. She had left the moment Daniel had. Every day she would do the same things as if she was functioning on auto pilot. Just staying in the house, hiding. Shelley picked up the brush in front of her, running it softly through her hair. She turned back, closing the bathroom door behind her.

Shelley emerged from the bathroom. As she stepped in to the room, she immediately felt it. The breeze coming from her window and that scent. She had been sure that she had closed it moment before coming into the bathroom. In fact, she knew she had.

'What the hell.' She said, moving towards it.

She slammed it shut again, turning back. As she turned, Shelley noticed that the door to her room was also open.

'What the hell is going on?'

She wrapped her self in a robe that was lying on her bed and moved down the hall towards the stairs.

'Dad.' She shouted. 'Are you down there?'

But there was no answer. She moved down the stairs, feeling colder with every step. She stood in the living room, looking around her. Every window had been opened, from the inside. The curtain blew inwards, making the air chilly. She moved around the room, closing every window in turn. Shelley stood in the middle of the room, a little scared. The desire to call for help seemed to pass she she made her way back up the stairs to the comfort of her room. But as she entered, she felt it again. The breeze filling the room again. She closed it again not fully understanding what was happening. Was she going crazy? Had missing Daniel so much began to make her forget things. She was beginning to doubt her self. Shelley stood in the front of her mirror, trying to work out what was wrong with her. She was scared that something was happenning to her. That she had no control over it. Her reflection looked back at her, but not just seeing her self this time. Daniel stood behind her, smiling at her. God, she had missed that smile. She began to turn slowly for fear that he wouldn't be there. As she turned she held her breath, waiting for the inevitable, that he wouldn't be there. He stood behind her, just like she remembered, this time without his glasses.

'Daniel.' She whispered.

He nodded, smiling back. Shelley shook her head, refusing to believe it.

'No.' She said.
'Shelley.'

Daniel reached out his hand for her.

'No. This isn't real. You can't be here.'
'It's me.'
'NO.' She shouted.

He moved forward towards her, wanting to hold her again. to feel her in his arms.

'How can i be sure. It could be some kind of trick.'
'Its not trick, Shelley, it's me. I'll prove it to you.'

Daniel moved closer to her, still with his arms reaching out. Shelley began to move closer to him, cautiously.

'How?' She asked.

He turned to her.

'Well. You hated you middle name so much that you had it legally changed with out telling anyone. In private i call you angel, because of the tattoo on you're shoulder. And you cringe every time someone calls me 'Danny.' You hate it.'

Shelley nodded.

'I do.'

Then Daniel smiled.

'But you only like it when you say it, on certain occasions.'

Shelley smiled back. There were certain times when she liked to say it. Something that only he would know.

'Daniel.' She said.
'Yes.'

She stood in front of him, not feeling the need to hold back any longer.

'I've missed you.' She said.
'I know.'

Daniel reached up, almost touching her. She closed her eyes in anticipation. But there was nothing. Her eyes opened again, half expecting him to see him gone. But he was was still there.

'I can't.' He said.

Tears began to flow down her face. She wanted to know he was really there with her. And that he wasn't a figment of her imagination.

'It's not fair. Why bring me back here if i can't touch you.' Daniel said. 'Why.' He shouted.

Shelley didn't know what was going on or who he was talking too.

'I don't care. Tell me.'

Daniel's head rose looking up at her finally understanding. He moved towards her slowly.

'You're gift.' He whispered. 'I understand now. you could sense me earlier.'

Shelley nodded.

'Yes. I could feel you.'

Daniel smiled at her.

'I know what to do.' He said. 'Just try to concentrate on what you felt.'

He stood in front of her.

'Close your eyes.'

Shelley didn't understand what was happening but she trusted Daniel. She closed her eyes, unsure of what was going to happen next or even if he would still be there when she re opened them. She tried to remember how she felt earlier when she had been standing next to the window. How everything she had wanted for the last six weeks was about to happen or that she wanted it to happen.

Her eyes opened quickly, hearing voices coming from down stairs. She turned to look at the clock besides her bed, it was 9.40am and it was Wednesday. She was sure that today was Tuesday, the day after what would have been Daniel's birthday. She couldn't remember anything about what happened yesterday. There was a vague feeling of peace, as though some great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember a thing. Had she slept through the whole day? She pulled back the sheets and sat on the edge of the bed. But there was some thing wrong. Her head turned towards the photo next to the clock, of their wedding. Usually, in the morning when she awoke, there would be this sick feeling in side her, but now, there was nothing. That wasn't actually true. She missed him like crazy, but, gone was her pain. Shelley couldn't understand it. What was going on?

As she entered the kitchen, the voices from in side became clearer. Jack turned to her and smiled.

'Hey.' He said.

He hadn't seen her for 6 weeks since she had left.

'How you doin?'
'I'm not sure. What day is it today?'
'Wednesday.' Jack said.
'Are you sure. I could have sworn it was Tuesday.'
'Nope. That was yesterday.'
'That's not possible.'
'It is. Yesterday was Tuesday.' Jack said.

Shelley sat down at the kitchen table, visibly shaking.

'Hey. Whats wrong.'
'I don't know. I think i'm going crazy.'
'I don't think so, Shell. You're the only sane one in this family.'

She smiled at his pathetic attempt to make her feel better. He knelt down in front of her.

'What is it?'
'I can't remember.'
'Remember what?'
'What happened yesterday, if yesterday was tuesday.'
'It was.'
'But i can't remember it, at all.' Shelley said, getting more and more anxious.
'Maybe you're just tired. You look exhausted.'
'I don't feel it. I feel fine. I feel...'
'What?'
'Like i did before.'
'Before what?'
'Before he was gone.' She whispered, looking up at her brother.

She stood from her chair, pacing the room.

'What the hell is going on. I went to bed on monday and woke up on wednesday?'
'Like i said. Maybe your just tired?'
'So tired that i slept for 24 hours?' She asked.

Jack didn't know what to say to her. If she was telling him the truth, he couldn't explain it either.

'What happened to me?'
'I don't know.' He said, reaching out his arms and holding her.

Neither of them knew what had happened and some how neither of them wanted to find out the truth. All Shelley knew was that the pain she felt about Daniel's ascension, was gone.