Writers notes:Some Original Star trek characters make appearances in this chapter. The Federation and Romulens are also mentioned. Another important note is that the character of Sam Carter has been merged with my OC Slyvana Nicki. For the most part the characters personality remains intact, her history has just changed a little is all.
How many times had I lost, or nearly lost Daniel? Ever since we were children I knew that he was the one. The one I wanted to spend my whole life with, the one I wanted to fall in love with. In high school I marked him as mine,it was old fashioned and in retrospect against every thing I stood for. But I did it anyway, I claimed him and challenged every silly Elo*girl in that school who dared even look at him the wrong way. Daniel Jackson belonged to me and me alone.
I'm not dumb, I remember every time Daniel slipped from my grasp. I but really I only count that first time, mostly because in truth I never got him back after that. We were twenty-five and had only recenty officelized our engagement.
"What do you mean you can't do anything!" I remembered glaring at Prince-Commander Spock who looked back with the typical emotion void valcon stair.
"His memories has been completely wiped." Not a hint of sympathy in his voice. "If they were merely suppressed I could have preformed a mind meld to access them. Unfortunately that is not the case."
My jaw clenched instinctively tight until my weak right joint creaked in protest. "What about Dr. McCoy, can't he do anything!" I snapped. This took even me by suprise. In all the years that I had known Spock and the rest of the crew of the Victory I had never spoken to any of them with such rudeness. If Spock noticed he simply shrugged it off.
For that I was pleased, at the time I felt I was fully justified. After all I had just lost my best friend and new the love of my life less then three days apart. What I forgot to take into account then was the fact that my best friend was also Spocks only child. Just because he was not in the habit of forcing his emotions down the throuts of everyone near him did not mean he didn't have them.
"Even the federation does not have the technology to restructure the altered pathways. In time they may restore themselves but..."
"That could take years." I finished, my anger subsiding, giving way to geaf. For years the only thing I could see in my future beyond liberating the federation from the romulens and over throwing my uncles government in Germeca was spending the rest of it with Daniel. Now the romulens had taken that way. "How bad is the damage?"
"Uncertain," Spock answered "Since it is clear that he does not remember you, it is safe to assume that the memory lost extends well into his yearly childhood. But he seems to have retained much of the learned knowledge he gained though the years. Just not the experiences. This will make it easier for him to be integrated back into earth society."
"Integrated,Earth!" My anger returned in a flash. "Why Earth, Why..."
"Slyvana!" I stoped dead. Not only was I shocked to hear the volcan raise his voice but it had been a long time since I had heard the full sound of my old name. "The counsil has decided that he will be safest on earth. The romulens are bent on killing all of you, without his memories Daniel will be vulnrable to them. The council has arranged a new identity for him. Within the week he will be given new memories to cover his missing ones and returned to earth."
I let out a light growl. "The counsil doesn't believe that I can protect him? I helped lead the resistance to free Fedu from the Romulens, didn't I. After that I think I can protect one boy! He doesn't have to remember anything, I've known him almost before his memories started. I can remember for him."
Spock gave what might be a sigh. "Perhaps you could but it is more complex then that. For one thing there is your engagement that must be considered. Surly you can not expect that to hold? For you, you and Daniel have known each other since you were both young children. You remember that as the years went by your friendship grow into romance, then from there you swore your selfs to one another. For Daniel you are nothing more then a stranger now. He does not remember your years of freindship, nor does he recall his concent to be bonded to you."
I considered what he had just said for a moment. "Of course I know that this voids our engagement. That's what this is about isn't it, the council is afraid I'll force him into it without his concent. Or try to trick him into believing that he has feelings for me."
Spock nodded. "In part, yes."
"I would never do that!" I swore.
"I do not beleive that you would." He assured me. For the first time since Keira died, Spock closed the distance he had been continuestly leavening between us and placed his hands on my face. It was so rare for my volcan relative to show affection toward me that I could do nothing but let go of every once of resentment I harbered to him. In my surrender I rested my forehead on his narrow chest. "There is, of course, nothing stoping you from going to earth with him. Nothing except your own hatred of the planet."
I felt the first of my tears splash onto Spocks uniform. I could tell that this last part was off the record. Very likely the council would not condon Spock even hinting at this. However that did not change the fact that he was wrong. I still had a duty to the peaple of Earthens.
"I wish the World Lords had as much faith in me as you do." I chocked out at last. Spock had still not brocken his hold on me. It was a strange feeling and our relationship over the past few days only made it more so. I pulled away under the pretense that I had come to a decision. "I won't go back to Earth, not just yet any way. I'm still arch master I can't just leave Earthens because I feel like it. I'll give him chance to have a life without me. If our love is real and not just a fabrication of childhood memories, then when destiny places us to gather again it will blossom on its own."
Spock looked back down at me with the same volcan expression from earlier. "That is a logical conclusion. However love seldom follows logic."
I sighed lightly, Spock was helpless. Even after raising a half human daughter the prince of Volcan still failed to realizes that logic itself seldom followed logic.
Before ether of us could say another word the doors of the sickbay swooshed open to allow passage to the ships captain and doctor.
"Princess, you can come in and say goodby if you like." Dr. McCoy addressed me soberly. Though he made no other notice of my presence Captain Kirk gave me a sympathetic glance.
I needed no further invetation to enter sickbay. Daniel was in the furthest and most private of the beds. He had been kept subdated, no doubt so that he would not gain any memories that would conflict with the story the council had prepared for him.
At once I fell over him, and took his hand in mine. I longed to press my lips agianst his but I didn't dare test his forgotten love. So I settled for his palm. After all he would still my Daniel until he woke up. When he did wake up the Danny from my childhood, whome I had fallen in love with would be dead and a new Daniel Jackson would be born, an elo Daniel Jackson no less.
The thought of my beloved living as one of those closed minded, diversity hating thugs sent chills through my heart. But I did know that even without his memories part of my Daniel would still live within the other. I took comfort in the thought that he might retain his intently loving and unceasingly caring personality and that hopefully these traits would spread to any elos who's life's he might touch.
Currently I absentmindedly stroked his hand with one thumb. With my other hand I pushed back his light brown hair away from his closed eyes.
"I'm going to get you back," I promised "Somehow, your going to be mine again."
*The word Elo is an politically incorrect term used by federation citizens when refering to the humans naturally native to the planet Earth.
