FIC: My Imortal
RATING: T
Authors Notes: This fic taked place between Fallen and Homecoming.
Summary: Shelley's wish is finally about to come true.
Feedback: YES PLEASE
My Immortal
She practically flew out of her lab, dropping the phone onto the floor. It crashed into pieces, but she didn't stop to pick it up, she didn't care.
Several SF's passed her by on her way, knowing where she was going. The elevator trip seemed to take forever. She paced the confined space like a caged animal, desperately to be let out. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind, trying to work out what she as going to say. What could she say? It had been so long. Maybe she wouldn't need to say anything? That when she saw him, saw that he was really there this time and not some figment of her imagination, everything she wanted to say would just come pouring out.
Finally the doors let her free and she ran towards her destination. Everything seemed to pass by her in slow motion. Just like in those movies when the heroine is reunited with the love of her life. She saw the looks on everyone's faces as the moved passed her. Smiles, mixed with sadness in their eyes.
Jack stood at the entrance of the infirmary. He reached out, grabbing her arm as she tried to enter.
"Wait.."
"For what. I want to see him." Shelley said.
The redhead struggled in her brother's grip.
"Shelley please... just give it a little time."
"For what. He's okay isn't he? I want to see him Jack. Please don't make me wait."
The colonel let his sister go and followed her inside, ready for her pain to return.
Dr Fraiser stood in the corner, processing the last of the tests she'd run. Daniel sat a foot away from Shelley, sitting on the edge of the infirmary bed.
"Daniel."
Shelley held in her breath and let it out quickly as she gasped for air. His head began to turn slowly, seeing the redhead and the colonel standing next to each other in the doorway.
"I can't believe it's you."
She moved towards him slowly but stopped as his words shocked her.
"You know me too? What's your name?"
Shelley turned to look at her brother, seeking his guidance.
"That's what I was trying to tell you Shelley."
"He doesn't remember me?"
"Do I know you?" Daniel asked.
She began to feel the emotion rise in her throat, tears beginning to swell up in her eyes.
"Daniel this is... my sister." Jack finished.
"You have a sister."
His comment brought a smile to Jack's face.
"Yeah and you asked me that once before."
Shelley moved closer towards him. Wanting to wrap her arms around him and hold him again after being alone for so long.
"You don't remember anything about me?" She asked.
"I'm sorry," Daniel said, shaking his head. "I don't seem to remember much of anything."
The redhead turned, pushing past her brother and ran back down the corridor.
"Is your sister okay? She didn't seem very happy."
Jack's eyes followed Shelley all the way down the corridor.
"She's just had a bit of a shock."
Janet turned around to see the look on the colonel's face. How was he going to tell him that she was his wife?
"Maybe you should go after her?"
"Maybe your right."
Jack turned, leaving Daniel in the infirmary and went in search of his sister. Janet looked away, incase Daniel had a question for her. They all wanted him to remember his life before, including Shelley. Janet couldn't help but feel sorry for her. After all this time of waiting for him to come back, he'd come back and didn't know who she was.
Shelley paced the corridor near the elevator. Her mind racing, heart pounding in her chest.
"Shelley…"
"This is not happening. I can't believe this."
Her head turned, seeing Jack standing behind her.
"I know Shell and I'm sorry. I just don't know what else to say."
She looked up at her brother, seeing the sincerity on his face. He moved towards her, his arms out stretched.
"I just want to…"
"I know you do."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding his sister tightly. She fell into him and began sobbing softly. His arms tightened as she sobbed against his chest. Jack ran his hand down her hair, like he used to do when she was a little kid.
"It'll be okay Shell, it'll be okay."
It had been two days and she'd tried her best to stay away. What with all the things that were going on around her, the proposed plan... Shelley wasn't didn't want Daniel to go. She didn't want him to go anywhere, not until they'd talked. His memory was slowly returning to normal, but hadn't mentioned to anyone, anything about her.
Shelley wounded around the base, not knowing where she was going but subconsciously wanting to bump into Daniel. For well over a year now, she had been practicing what she would say when and if he ever came back. Now, she didn't know what to say. He didn't remember her, didn't remember their life together before he left. At least there was one event that neither of them remembered, when Mia had been conceived. Although, Shelley did remember him being in the room, what ever happened after that was a blur. However, one thing had to have happened otherwise there would have been no Mia.
Her feet finally stopped out side the v.i.p room where Daniel had been staying. The door was open slightly and she stepped inside slowly. She looked around the room, seeing most of his belongings, but one item stood out, a photograph. Not of her or even her daughter but of his dead wife. Shelley moved around the room and picked up the photograph and sat down on the edge of the bed. She held it in her hand, letting the tears from her face fall on to it. She felt sick inside, knowing that he was thinking about was Sha're and not her.
"Miss O'Neill!" a voice said behind her.
Shelley's head turned slowly, seeing the man who used to be her husband standing behind her in the doorway. The redhead stood quickly, moving towards him.
"Damn it, my name's not O'Neill."
She thrust the picture into his chest.
"Try and figure it out," she shouted as she left the room.
Daniel looked at her, confused as hell. But, there was something about her that was so familiar. It was just that no matter how hard he tried to remember, it was as though the memory was being moved further and further away from him. Like someone was purposely trying to deny him of her memory. He wanted to remember. He wanted to know why she acted so strangely around him and that every time she looked at him he got the feeling that all she wanted to do was burst in to tears. He had to try and remember or to get someone to refresh his memory.
Over the last day or so, he'd been hit with so much information about his past and not one person had mentioned whether or not Shelley was apart of that. It was clear that she knew him and deep down Daniel knew that there was more to it. A part of him was afraid of what he'd remember. But the feeling of not knowing seemed to be scarier to him at the moment. There didn't seem to be many people he could talk to about it. He couldn't really ask Jack, what with Shelley being his sister. It might even be something that Jack didn't know about.
He'd been looking for the one person who would tell him straight for the last few minutes. One of the sf's escorted him to her lab and left him alone. Sam turned around as she heard footsteps behind her.
"Daniel."
He smiled at her and entered the lab.
"What can I do for you? Is something wrong?" she asked
Daniel moved towards her, standing by the desk behind her.
"Tell me about Shelley." Daniel said.
Sam turned back and sighed.
"You still don't remember?"
Daniel shook his head as he pulled out the spare chair next to Sam.
"No. I've tried; I know it's in there. But I can't get to it."
"I don't think I should say anything. It's not my place too."
"Why not?"
"It's between the three of you."
That sentence swam around Daniel's head. The three of them. What the hell did that mean?
"I don't understand."
"I know. I just think you should talk to her."
"I want to. I have to know what I can't remember about her."
Shelley had gone home soon after, not wanting to stay on the base a moment longer than she had to. The exact same thing had happened on the day he left her. Having practically ran the whole way to her car. No one had even seen her leave. Now here she was, doing the same thing again, for totally opposite reasons. Shelley stood on the balcony, remembering the events of that day, how totally and utterly alone she felt. If she concentrated hard enough, she could still feel the rain on her skin as she stood outside in the rain, the tears falling down her face. She just wanted the pain to go away. For the rain to wash away her sadness and pain. But today was different; it was a gloriously sunny day. Her head turned as she heard a knock at the door. But she didn't want to move. Wanting own solitude to last for a few moments longer. But the knock was persistent.
"Okay, I'm coming."
Shelley made her way over to the front door, sliding the balcony doors shut behind her. Her hand reached out, opening the front door open slowly. She stared at her visitor, long enough for him to blink several times at her.
"Hi." Daniel said.
"Hi."
There was an eerie silence as Shelley struggled to find something to say. Her hands began to shake as she realized that she had nowhere to run too.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
Shelley smiled inside, finding it slightly amusing that he had to ask to come into his own home.
"Sure."
Shelley lead him into the apartment, trying to see if there was any tell-tale signs of the fact that they were married, were lying around. Daniel followed her in to the living room and sat down on the sofa.
"Can i get you something, coffee?" Shelley asked.
The smile appeared on her face again, remembering her husband's passion for the caffeinated beverage.
"No thank you."
"How did you know where we... where i lived. Did you remember?"
Daniel shook his head slowly.
"No. Sam brought me. She said to give the base a call and someone would pick me up, when i wanted to go back."
"Okay." Shelley said, slightly disheartened. "So, why are you here, if you haven't remembered anything?"
Daniel could feel his hands begin to shake a his mouth opened to make his response.
"I don't know. I just need to remember certain things?"
"Like what?"
"Like i should stop calling your brother Jim, cause i don't think he likes that."
Shelley smiled.
"No, he doesn't."
"And... what's going on between us, or what happened between us."
The redhead began to pace the room then stopped as her attention was drawn to the baby monitor on the table in the kitchen.
"Excuse me for a moment."
Shelley moved over to the table and picked it up before entering the bedroom of her daughter, the room that once was Daniel's study. Daniel watched her, curiosity getting the better of him. He'd heard the murmor's coming from the device too. Shelley peered down at the awoken Mia in her cot.
"Sssh little one, mommy's here."
Daniel stood in the door way, not being able to process what he was thinking in side his head. Shelley turned quickly, hearing his astonished sigh. Before she could answer Daniel walked away. He didn't know where the hell he was going and wondered into Shelley's bedroom. Daniel moved around it slowly, scanning the photograph's on the desk in the corner. Shelley appeared behind him.
"I didn't want you to find out like this. I wanted you to remember. I wanted you to remember us."
His head turned slowly.
"The baby?"
"Mia, our baby."
"How old is she?" Daniel asked.
Shelley smiled.
"She's four months."
Daniel shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"No, no, she can't be mine. I've been gone for."
Shelley moved toward the bed, sitting next to him.
"I know. But you came back to me, for one night. For one night we were together and you gave me the most prescious thing in my life."
"I don't remember."
A small smile appeared on Shelley's face.
"Well, that's good, cause neither do I."
"What?"
"All i remember is you being in the room, seeing you then after that, nothing. But i felt it."
Shelley reached out her hand, letting it hover above Daniel's for just a moment. Not exactly sure what she should do. He looked up at her and smiled. Daniel raised his arm and brushed away a stray hair that had fallen across Shelley's face. Then he noticed it, the scar above the hair line.
"Sha're did that to you. She attacked you on Abydos."
Shelley's smile got wider.
"That's right. She... er, didn't like me."
"I know.. she.."
Daniel's hand slipped along Shelley's face. The redhead smiled, melting at the touch she'd longed for, for so long. Her eyes closed, wanting to let the moment linger for as long as she could. Her eyes opened just as Daniel smiled at her.
"You've no idea how much i've missed that."
"What?"
"Your smile."
Shelley sighed softly.
"I wish i could remember more."
"You will, i know you will."
"I want to, for you." Daniel said.
Shelley stood, pulling away, shaking her head.
"No, not for me, not for our daughter. For you. I know somewhere inside you, you love me."
Daniel stood too, moving slowly towards her. He noticed the tears begin to fall down her face.
"I've just got you back and i feels as though i'm losing you all over again."
Daniel's hand reached up, wiping the tears from her cheek.
"Shelley," he whispered.
His fingers traced her cheek, softly, bringing a smile to Shelley's face.
"I've missed you."
A look of fear came across his face as he pulled away.
"What is it? Have you remembered something?"
He turned away for a moment.
"You were pregnant before?" He asked, managing to turn back.
The tears began to fall down Shelley's face again.
"Yes. We never talked about it afterwards. When we got married we decided to try again and we were, right up till when you..."
Daniel gasped, remembering...
"I never wanted to leave you. I wanted to stay but..."
"What?"
"I would have died Shell."
"You could have let Jacob try and heal you."
"I know."
"I just wanted you with me." Shelley said.
Shelley's voice was full of emotion and nearly broke as tears rolled down her face. She had practically shouted her last sentence. Daniel pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.
"You left me Daniel, you left me."
Shelley began to pound on his chest with her fist but he continued to hold her.
"I loved you and you left me."
The harder she pounded, the tighter he held on to her. Shelley fell into his arms as they fell back to a sitting position on the bed. She burried her face against his chest, running her fingers through the soft hair at the base of his neck. Her sobs filled the room, letting go of all the emotion that had poisoned her body for over a year. Shelley pulled back after one last sob left her. Daniel smiled at her, reaching up his hand to wipe away one last tear from her eyes.
"My sweet angel," he whispered.
Tear's began to fill in her eyes again. Not tears of sadness but tears of joy. She smiled back at him as she began to feel the two of them moving closer together.
"Daniel, just hold me."
He kissed her forhead softly and wrapped his arms around his wife. A sigh escaped her mouth, relishing being so close to him.
Daniel looked down at her, as she slept on top of the bed. For over two hours they had talked about nothing in particular. Just stuff that had happened over the last year or so. Not neccesarily to her or to the SGC but world wide. And not forgetting, his daughter. He was still finding it hard to come to terms with the face that he had a daughter. Daniel leaned down and kissed her on the cheek and pulled the blanket up over her body before moving into the other room.
After having Mia, Shelley had converted Daniel's study to a nursery. He didn't seem to mind. After all, how could he begrudge his daughter a place to sleep. Daniel's head peered over the crib at the sleeping baby within its wooden frame. Mia was fast asleep, her eyes screwed up tightly, dreaming of baby things that Daniel had no idea about. His hand reached in, wanting to touch her, wanting to make sure that she was real and really his. The smile on his face practically lit up the entire nursery as Mia opened her eyes to look up welcoming at her father. He'd seen pictures of Shelley as a kid and their daughter was the image of her mother as a baby. It was strange, he could even see himself, in her eyes. The baby began to open her mouth. Tiny cries of frustration at being woken up by the strange man at her bedside filled the room. Daniel leaned over, picking her up gently. He'd never been around to many babies, but he still knew how to handle them. As Daniel held her in his arms, the infant stopped crying.
"Sssh little one, daddy's home."