Greetings and welcome to The Phoenix Ascending, part 3 of the Phoenix Trilogy. As this picks up immediately where part 2 left off, reading Death of the Phoenix and The Phoenix Reborn is necessary to understand where this came from.
Eve's refusal to set foot on another ship bar hers clashed with Landry's refusal to authorize a road trip. They compromised on air travel. SG-1 would be flown to McConnell Air Force Base and drive a few hours from there.
The night before the team departed for Smallville, Daniel sat on the couch and watched his daughter. A fair-skinned, blue-eyed, near-double of Adria at the same age, Eve's appearance a year ago had been the cause of much concern. Conceived during Daniel's days as a Prior, Eve was born three quarters Ori and possessed the powers to match. She was the last of the Ori, a beacon of hope for the followers of Origin and their war torn galaxy.
Feeling she would be safer on Earth, Daniel brought her back with him.
Her hybrid status guaranteed immunity to most diseases, but if she ever did succumb to a Tau'ri illness, Dr. Lam wasn't sure what treatments, if any, to administer. It was hard enough giving her a regular medical exam.
The powers came at unpredictable times. Eve arrived on Earth with active telepathy. Telekinesis kicked in at the physical age of four, followed by a small growth spurt. Pyrokinesis developed at physical eight, and then she awoke the next morning on the cusp of puberty. Something happened on Atlantis that aged her to sixteen, but there were no signs of a new power emerging; just a Wraith that tried to feed on her and walked away from the encounter with badly burned hands. That Eve had no memory of what happened honestly frightened Daniel.
Fast forward to the present day, and the mission beginning tomorrow. The overwhelming majority of Stargate personnel were humans and Smallville was in their backyard. There was no need for large weapons, no need for an exclusively offworld language. Any team was qualified to be sent to the small Midwestern town that had become a nexus of otherworldly activities. So why SG-1? The answer was simple and incredibly obvious: because Eve would have to come with them.
In summary, SG-1 was stuck with Adria's daughter, in an airplane, a vehicle and a motel room, for two weeks. Vala's sarcastic "Lovely!" spoke for them all.
Eve proved adept at thinking ahead, lining up pet sitters and books to read and otherwise staying out of the way.
A faint stirring in the back of her mind caught her attention. Eve glanced down at the sapphire pendant around her neck. The pendant's most recent owner was a Tau'ri ancestress, a Scot by the name of Aoife. She was a skilled witch, defying death and her own father by partially ascending and hiding within the jewel. It had taken several broken power crystals to revive her mind but she remained in a dormant state, aware of the world around her but unresponsive to it. In some of her more lucid moments she was able to convey she needed more energy to awaken entirely, but a steady amount would be preferable to a sudden influx. Eve smiled, brushing against Aoife's mind.
The witch returned her touch in kind, immediately going dormant once more.
Vala had waited until morning to pack, delaying them by an hour. The plane took off at ten and Eve immersed herself in Middle Earth.
Aoife's mind brushed against hers, an inquiry presenting itself in Eve's mind. Having no idea how fifteenth century Scots measured distance, she explained they would reach their destination sometime around sunset. This was not what the witch wanted to hear, but she lacked the energy to get angry.
Of the trip itself there was little to report; they landed an hour or so later, grabbed a bite to eat, and arrived in Metropolis around six. Eve ate nothing and went to bed early.
"Maybe I should call Carolyn."
"She's probably carsick Daniel," Sam replied, "She'll be fine in the morning."
A startled "YIPE!" from across the hall woke the male half of SG-1, and Daniel led the charge to see what had happened.
Sam had tried to awaken Eve, whose response was to throw her onto Vala. Vala's curse had turned into a wheeze at the sudden weight and one of Sam's hands smacked her in the temple. The two fell off the bed in a tangle of covers, which would have been funny if Eve hadn't chosen that moment to poke her head out from beneath the blanket.
The feeling of something being wrong intensified; this was not the face of his sixteen-year-old girl.
"Good morning to you too hideous." She growled, clearing her throat and raising a delicate eyebrow, "Now what the hell are you doing in here?"
"Samantha did it!" Vala piped up right away.
Blue eyes fixed on the voice's origin and narrowed. A hand rose beneath the blanket, thumb and forefinger pinched together. Sam was lifted from the floor by the back of her shirt and dropped on the bed.
Eve curled her index finger and Vala landed next to Sam. Both looked surprised at the face that greeted them. Eve looked twenty, maybe twenty-one, and a far cry from Adria at the same age. She didn't look like Daniel either, and the archeologist became confused when he realized who she did look like. She was a dead ringer for Lady Máire McCorrigan, whose portrait hung in St. Mary's Church in Haddington, East Lothian. The only difference was the eye color. Máire's were green. They had the same oval face, almond eyes, straight edged nose, and mostly straight dark hair.
How did Eve suddenly resemble a distant ancestor more than her own parents?
Eve's expression currently featured a wide smirk as she gleefully informed them, "I need a new wardrobe. Again."
"Nothing fits anymore?" Sam asked, sounded exasperated.
Eve shook her head.
"Are you serious?" Cam asked, "Again?"
"Again," Sam replied.
"Was there a trigger of some kind? A new power maybe?" Daniel inquired in a quiet voice.
"None that I could see. She did look pale last night, but I thought maybe she was still carsick. She's slimmer than Vala, so I let her borrow a belt."
"Unbelievable." Cam muttered, "Tell me this is the last time."
"Adria was in her mid-twenties when she started aging normally. Eve's in the same decade, so this should be it. It's fortunate that we're on Earth this time, instead of Pegasus or the Ori galaxy."
"Small favors."
"Indeed."
Vala had the grace to knock before walking in, announcing, "She's ready."
Three hours later the team arrived in Smallville, Eve with a low-maintenance wardrobe and yet more books.
A nervous glance in the rearview mirror revealed his daughter already halfway through one of her Warriors books. Fear, self-hatred and resignation hit him like a train wreck and he was grateful Sam was driving.
Eve was fully grown. He had hoped for more time, time to actually raise her, influence her, soften her opinion on the Tau'ri. Now he was out of time and the rest of the team knew it. Once this mission was over they'd have to decide what to do about Eve.
I believe the choice is mine.
Daniel flinched. How was he supposed to focus on the mission with this hanging over his head?
How did you focus during other crises? The Goa'uld? The Replicators? Whatever sustained you then, call it forth now.
So Daniel closed his eyes and tried to breathe evenly. Eve glanced up to confirm he was asleep before speeding through the rest of the book. Shutting it with a sort of finality, she was amused by Daniel's jolt back to the land of the living.
"Not funny."
"Yes it was."
Aoife twitched, sensing the remnants of a ritual. Eve assured her it was on her to-do list.
Eve's first stop was the library to fill in the missing branches on her family tree. Having traced Melburn's line back to the Clan McCorrigan, she now turned to Claire's. Claire's father Nicholas held little interest for Eve. She knew he was from the Netherlands, she knew he was an archeologist, and she knew he placed his career over his grandchild. He was on some distant planet communicating with giant aliens, or so that particular report read. No what interested her was Claire's mother Edith.
Born in Smallville, Edith McCallum skipped town at eighteen and dropped off the face of the earth. She never contacted her brother Dexter or sister Miriam again. The trio's surname suggested Celtic ancestry, and Eve was able to track the name back to Scotland. It was here she encountered new information. In 1605, Thomas McCallum married a woman named Pernelle. Pernelle's father Alain had fled France twenty years prior, settling in England and marrying an Englishwoman. Alain's mother was the only child of Countess Thoreaux, whose execution was ordered by a Duchess. The memories she had inherited from Isobel leaned heavily in the direction of payback.
Great Aunt Miriam remained in Smallville, eventually settling down with Arthur Potter. They had two daughters, Laura and Eleanor. Laura was the only Potter sibling to have children, and the child in question still lived here. According to numerous newspaper entries and an article in Time magazine, Lana Lang had been orphaned by the 1989 meteor shower and was raised by Eleanor.
So she did have living kin here. How should she respond to this?
In the end she decided to leave the issue alone unless she met the women. That decided, she left the library, grabbed two books and headed for the park. Three glorious hours later, she had almost completed the second when the sound of an argument reached her ears.
Skimming the same page to give the illusion of reading, she cocked her head to hear it better.
"We're just trying to protect you Kara-"
"From who? Lex? Lex has been more helpful than either of you Clark! What's so horrible about my past that nobody wants to tell me about it?" When Clark didn't answer, Kara said, "You're just like her. Won't tell me anything."
"Kara if you would just trust me-"
"But how am I supposed to trust you? You're lying to me!"
Eve shut the book and gave the argument her full attention. Kara was the blonde, her hair wavy and falling past her shoulders. Her blue eyes were narrowed in anger, but Eve sensed the beginnings of defeat. By contrast, the dark-haired Clark's posture was one of attempted reassurance, as if trying to soothe a skittish animal. His expression conveyed both pity and the beginnings of frustration. Clearly this was a subject they'd gone over multiple times, neither willing to concede ground to the other. They also had a lot of energy flowing through them. Kara's was slightly dimmer, as if held back.
Aoife tensed, feeling Clark was a threat and utter fury that she couldn't do anything about it. Eve calmly observed the pair's approach. Spotting her, Kara started for the bench.
"Kara don't bother her. She's reading."
Kara ignored him, sitting next to Eve and asking, "If you lost your memory what would you do?"
Mind moving like a wildfire, Eve quickly invented two scenarios. The first was that she wouldn't know she had amnesia at all, instead forging an identity from the conglomerate of memories she had. The second was less likely but would bother this Clark person.
"I would assume all parties are lying to me unless or until I had evidence to the contrary."
Clark's wince and Kara's look of triumph told Eve she'd said the right thing.
"I'm sorry if Kara bothered you Miss. Come on, let's go home."
Kara crossed her arms and huffed, "I'm not going!"
"Kara-"
"No!"
"You didn't hear any of that, did you?" Eve inquired, sliding the book into its bag and raising an eyebrow.
"Sure I did." Clark replied, but Eve cut him off, "I don't mean your ears detected sound, I mean your brain took in our words and the meaning behind them."
"I uh, I did get the meaning behind them. It's just that my cousin's ill and, I need to get her home."
"Bullshit." Eve replied, ignoring Kara's gasp, "Amnesia isn't crippling, she's not sick, she's not hurt, she's not an invalid, nor is she a child. Moreover she seems angry with you, and most people would give an angry person space and time to calm down before addressing the issue again. You seem more interested in treating her like a child throwing a tantrum than a rational adult, or so it seems to me . . ." she trailed off and glanced at Kara, who nodded rapidly.
"How long have you had amnesia?"
"A little over two months."
Eve nodded, "And Clark's treated you like glass ever since?"
"Pretty much yeah."
"Kara-"
"Go away Clark the grown-ups are talking." Eve cut him off. Her sudden rudeness surprised him, but he brushed it off quickly. She could see the indecision in his eyes. He knew how angry Kara was right now, but either he was convinced he was in the right or he didn't care, because he reached for Kara's arm anyway.
"We're going home now Kara," he began, "You can take a walk there and cool down."
Speed born of instinct gripped Eve and with a sharp, "The hell you are!" she seized his wrist and let her inner fire surge close to the surface. He didn't seem to feel her grip, but he did feel the heat.
"That. Is. Enough." Eve said coldly. "She doesn't want to go with you Clark, so leave her be."
"Look Miss, if you could just-"
"I said be gone!" Eve timed her words with Clark's rough yank, releasing him in time to watch him fall to the ground. She could see a handprint shaped burn on his wrist, cradled close to his body and already scarring over. That shouldn't be possible; if he had the accelerated healing of the Alteran DNA, why couldn't she read his mind?
Glaring at him, she silently challenged the young man to get up and try again. He didn't. Instead he stood up, wincing at the pain in his wrist, and tried once more to get Kara to come with him. She crossed her arms and turned away in a huff, eyes closed and nose in the air.
"Don't leave the park okay? I'll be back later to pick you up."
Kara remained silent. Her attempt at aloofness was adorable. Clark sighed and took his sweet time walking away.
"Bastard." Eve muttered before continuing audibly, "That was more fun than it had any right to be."
Kara smiled, "Thank you for sticking up for me."
"You're welcome. Are you okay?"
Her face fell, "No. I'm living with my cousin Clark and his girlfriend, but they're lying to me."
Eve raised both eyebrows as if surprised, "Do you have proof?"
"They won't tell me more about who I am. Then they tell me not to trust Lex and all he's done is help me."
I'm going to need more than that. Eve thought, and twenty minutes of gentle prodding later she got the full story. Kara woke up on a Detroit street with no memory. A waitress working at a small diner took pity on her, giving her a job and a place to sleep at night. A bald man who always wore nice clothing became a regular, introducing himself as Lex Luthor and offering to help her with her amnesia. One of the bus boys, a guy named Finley, went berserk at Lex's presence and tried to kidnap her. Something stopped him and he was arrested. Kara was brought back to Smallville, specifically the Kent's house.
Again her mind processed this at rapid speed, identifying a handful of problems that stemmed from Kara's amnesia. Amnesia meant freedom from expectations but left one vulnerable to potential enemies.
LuthorCorp's origins were rooted in agriculture, but recently had shifted into
biotechnology, defense contracting, and gods only knew what else. Lex's offer to help ran perpendicular to his often ruthless behavior in the business world; it was made even more unusual in that he seemed to have singled out Kara for reasons unknown.
The refusal on Clark's part to tell Kara the truth could be caused by anything from spite to a misguided belief that his silence was protecting Kara. That seemed the more likely of the two, as Clark continued to ask Kara to trust him without proving himself worthy of that trust. His attempt at protecting her was driving her into the arms of Lex Luthor, who was just enough of a chess master to take advantage of it.
"Would you like my perspective?"
The blonde glanced at her in confusion, "I guess so."
"I asked because I don't know you or anyone you're talking about personally, so my thoughts are free of influence."
A myriad of emotions flitted across Kara's face before finally settling on confusion, "Okay."
"The major players then are Lex Luthor and Clark correct?"
"And Clark's girlfriend Lana."
Oh hell no. Her cousin had gone from a one person pity party to a compulsive liar? Why were all her human relatives so stupid?
Eve considered the best angle of attack. As Lex befriended and offered to help her, Kara was biased in his favor. Bashing Lex would only drive her away. But perhaps hearing something similar from a neutral party would be enough to convince Kara.
The inconsistencies then.
"Lex is the head of successful business empire isn't he?"
Kara nodded.
"Running such a large corporation takes a lot of time and effort. It seems odd that he would suddenly leave that behind and go to Detroit, unless he was there on LuthorCorp business. Was there a convention of some sort going on?"
The blonde blinked and thought back, "I don't know."
"So he didn't have a reason to be there?"
"He said he liked the pie," Kara offered weakly.
"Most people don't hang around diners for the food alone."
Thankfully Kara was just innocent enough not to get the implications, "Well he offered to help me."
"You mentioned that. Why exactly, would he offer to help you?"
"Because he's a humanitarian."
Eve blinked, "I'm listening."
Kara brightened immediately, "He's built hospitals and funds scholarships and he helps a lot of people!"
Eve was unmoved, "Did you ever wonder why he did that? Have you researched his business? The things he's done to further the interests of his business?"
Kara's expression said she hadn't, that it hadn't even crossed her mind.
"You say he's built hospitals, and he has, but he merely supplies the money to see them built, stocked and staffed. Once a hospital is ready to admit patients, he steps back and never sees any of them. You say he funds scholarships, and he does, but he merely sets up a fund to be refilled and hands the responsibility of choosing the winners over to somebody else. He never sees the students his money is sending to college. I ask again, why you? What made you so different that Lex came to you personally, cultivated a relationship with you, and then offered his help?"
Kara opened her mouth to reply before closing it again, puzzled. Eventually she replied, "I don't know."
"If Lex knew you from before your amnesia, why didn't he tell you who you were? Better yet, why didn't he contact this cousin of yours?"
"I, I don't know."
"Do you know why most people do that? Single out the vulnerable, shower them with attention, affection, maybe gifts? First, because no one will notice you've disappeared. Second, because they want something from you. When they have no more use for you, you'll be discarded."
"Lex would never do that to me." Kara insisted, though she sounded unsure.
"How do you know?"
This time she didn't reply, but gave Eve the classic kicked puppy look.
"Don't cry."
"You sound just like Clark."
"Clark never told you why you couldn't trust Lex."
Kara sniffed.
"Speaking of Clark, let's talk about him."
Kara cheered up. Her anger toward her cousin and cousin's girlfriend meant she'd be more willing to hear Eve out, especially if she attacked the issue head-on.
"Neither of them are big Lex fans, neither will say why. Did you ask?"
"I did, but Clark still wouldn't tell me. Just said I had to trust him."
"Which led to your loud and justifiable outburst. Can Clark offer proof of kinship? Why wasn't he looking for you when you were in Detroit? What does Lex say about Clark?"
"Lex said he grew up."
"It sounds like Lex is using you to get to Clark." Before Kara could voice her opinion on that statement Eve continued, "Here are a few things I would suggest. Ask Lex why he's so focused on helping you, and try to analyze his response. Then I would confront Clark. Ask for proof of kinship, ask why he didn't look for you when you disappeared, ask again why he doesn't trust Lex. Try not to lash out or jump down his throat, even if he deserves it."
"Why shouldn't I lash out?"
"Because if he really is keeping something from you and you do lash out, you confirm all his reasons for keeping the secret in the first place."
"Okay. What did you say your name was?"
Eve smirked at her, "I didn't."
Kara asked anyway, "What's your name?"
"Eve."
"Nice to meet you."
I have changed.
This in itself was not profound, given her rapid aging and everything connected to it. She walked to the motel window and stared unseeingly outside.
Her rage toward the Tau'ri, SG-1 and Daniel in particular, had faded to burning resentment. The feeling had once been a mere thought away and as familiar as her own shadow, following her and whispering darkly in her ear, encouraging her to lash out, to spill blood, to kill, avenge her mother, her grandfather, and the rest of the Ori.
She was still angry at Daniel for his role in Mama's death, would probably carry that anger to her grave, but she no longer gave thought to killing him. Much.
So what had happened? After being so angry for so long, to suddenly lose it was unsettling. As she understood it, people did not change so abruptly overnight. Mama had started out semi reasonable and become more extreme as she aged. The reverse was also possible, but both required a span of years to implement. A person didn't just wake up and drop their prejudices.
Of course most people didn't go to bed sixteen and wake up twenty either. Perhaps it was a quirk of her DNA? Or were other forces at work?
A glance at her pendant, glittering despite being shrouded in darkness, revealed nothing. Aoife was dormant.
So I have changed. My sire is right; the time has come to decide my future. Do I abandon my children to their fate, or rule over them as the sovereign they need?
The decision was a difficult one. Abandoning them would be easy, but where would she go? The crusade had made her a galaxy's worth of enemies. Finding a safe planet was almost impossible given the Stargate and ships with faster-than-light travel.
Conversely, the Ori's empire now consisted of one galaxy and a third of another, leaving countless people at war with their neighbors. How much damage had the Priors done in her absence? How much deeper did the schism run due to their efforts? Without uncorrupted leadership they would destroy each other.
Her grip on the curtains tightened. The Ori's empire needed a leader. As the sole living Ori, it fell to her to take up her mother's mantle, to lead them out of their darkness and into her light.
That said, telling them the Ori weren't gods was impossible. They believed she herself was a goddess, and telling them their goddess wasn't a goddess created a paradox.
Then there was Kara.
Normally Eve stayed far away from human conflict. Their petty squabbles meant nothing to her, so why should she get involved? Such had been the pattern until Kara's vocal argument with Clark drew close enough for her to hear. Interacting with arguing humans was completely out of character for her, and the Orici was fully aware of this.
She had already decided such a drastic change was impossible, yet she'd had a civil conversation with another living being and nothing had been destroyed.
Her eyes narrowed as a possible solution occurred. All the humans she knew were decades older than she was, therefore few could imagine themselves in her place. Kara wasn't an adult. She was a peer. Eve hadn't met anyone her age since she was a toddler in Celestis. Kara could understand some of Eve's problems better than others could. And she was isolated from others.
Eve smirked. She could play chess too.
SG-1 had canvassed the town and asked people the same questions. Without fail, they came back with information they already knew.
"It seems like most the meteor mutants-" Sam began, only for Eve to cut her off, "Metahuman."
"Ooh I like that!"
"Vala!"
"Metahuman then. It seems like the metahumans were children or teenagers when the showers hit."
"Okay, why is that important?"
"The body finishes growing around the age of twenty and the brain isn't far behind. Present company excluded," she added with a glance back at Eve. The brunette didn't acknowledge her.
"My guess is the agent in the meteor rock that's responsible for the resulting mutations has a greater effect on those who haven't fully matured, with the actual mutation taking a few years to manifest. There's also a secondary effect that warps their minds. They either lose the ability to judge right from wrong or break with reality. A lot of them end up at Belle Reve."
"Should we pay it a visit?"
"Placing it under your direct control would serve you better." Was Eve's recommendation. "Their staff are corrupt, they abuse their power, and their patients don't get many visitors."
"Are you trying to help? I really can't tell."
"Let it go Mitchell."
"What, exactly, are you suggesting Eve?" Sam inquired, turning to face the young woman.
Eve was silent for a minute, organizing her thoughts. Then she spoke, "Metahumans don't have to be a threat, but some are too far gone. Keeping them imprisoned does nothing for them but provide an opportunity to escape and do more damage. Analyzing their DNA might provide the basis for understanding what causes mutations. It would be easier to seize the prison and modify it than say, try and come up with a plausible gene therapy to 'cure' them."
"Eve-" Daniel began, only for Sam to cut him off, "No Daniel she's right. We're years from understanding DNA enough to reverse diseases we already have trouble with. Not to mention the ethical implications of trying to alter a person's genetic code."
Vala glanced at Eve.
"I did find this website for the Isis Foundation. It's a charity meant to help metahumans."
Daniel got up to read the screen, "Says they do anything from emotional support to placement in foster homes."
"It is a difficult task. The one who created this foundation must accept every metahuman that comes to them for aid, no matter what past wrongs they committed."
"Doesn't sound doable."
"Especially since a lot of these metahumans are probably afraid of the public reaction." Cam replied.
"A government that cannot protect its own-"
"Thank you Eve. We're aware of our shortcomings." Daniel cut her off.
"What're we thinking for tomorrow?"
"I'll call Landry and see what we can do about the prison. Daniel and Vala can check out Isis. Eve can, do whatever she's been doing since we got here I guess."
Eve held up the fourth Warriors book and proceeded to ignore them.
She finished the Warriors arc within the second day, glancing up when Daniel asked, "Have you been outside at all today?"
"Says the pale as death archeologist?"
"Touché."
"You've got some color darling," Vala butted in, shouldering past Daniel with a grin. "Pity you didn't take more after me."
"Thank god." Daniel muttered.
Eve said nothing, merely closed the final book. Six books in two days was a record, and without anything else to read, or Kara to talk to, Eve had nothing to do. Aoife brushed insistently against her mind, the ritual featuring strongly. Eve ignored her.
"I'm going to the park."
"Be back by dinner." Daniel said, only to be overridden by Vala's, "Be back before midnight!"
"Midnight?"
"She's an adult Daniel, she can take care of herself. I don't pity whoever tries to hurt her."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
Kara sat next to Eve and sighed heavily. There was an aura of frustration and sadness about her.
"How'd it go?"
"Badly. I tried talking to Lex like you suggested, he told me that secrets destroyed the friendship he had with Clark. He doesn't want secrets to ruin our friendship."
Eve made a noncommittal sound in her throat before speaking, "Still sounds like he's using you to get to Clark."
"Would it kill you not to be so hard on him?"
Eve raised an eyebrow, "No, but I doubt his ability to keep work and personal life separate. A manipulative person in the boardroom is likely the same in the bedroom if you know what I mean."
She knew that wasn't always the case but Lex's track record actively worked against him. Kara didn't appear to understand.
"One day he'll have to answer for what he has done, and his money and power won't protect him."
This seemed to appease the blonde for the time being.
"I don't have dental or medical records, all Lex found was a birth certificate."
That was cause for concern.
"What about school?"
Kara showed her a few things Lex had also found, including a page from a yearbook.
"Modeling?"
"It just doesn't feel, right, you know?"
Eve gave her a noticeable once-over, "You've got the body for it."
Kara blushed, "Thank you. Have you ever been sick?"
Eve thought back. Her hybrid blood almost guaranteed her immunity from all but the strongest diseases. The only time she'd ever been sick was during infancy, when her digestive system was young and she frequently spit up.
"Not for a while."
"How long?"
"Little more than a year."
"What kind of person never gets sick?"
"An extremely sheltered person with no social life." Eve replied, pulling the Archive from the bag and searching for the documents herself. As expected, only the birth certificate appeared.
"This doesn't make any sense."
"That's what I said."
"Someone else created this. It's just good enough to pass casual inspection but not good enough to stand up to heavy scrutiny."
"What does that mean?"
"Either someone is trying to erase you from the system, or you were never in the system to begin with."
Kara stared at her in disbelief, "How does that happen?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe Lex can help."
"Lex would only use this as a way to make you beholden to him. He and his father are only capable of doing the right thing if it benefits them."
Kara said nothing for a long time, and Eve decided she was thinking about what she'd been told. She was not expecting to see the blonde hide her face in her hands, her shoulders start shaking, and hear crying.
Eve had long accepted her inability to comfort crying people, but really, what was she supposed to say? She couldn't tell Kara it would be alright, because it might not be. She couldn't really say she'd stick around, because SG-1 only had twelve days left before deciding their next course of action. So she said nothing at all, awkwardly rubbing Kara's back while the blonde cried on her shoulder.
She felt a rush of emotion, a protective, almost affectionate feeling. Lex was a bastard in both senses of the word, Clark had buried his head in the sand, and the less said about Lana the better. No one had Kara's best interests at heart.
I'm already involved. Kara seems to trust me and I have advantages others don't. Eve glanced at the Archive and made a decision. She wasn't leaving until Kara got her memory back.
"I can help you Kara. I can create the missing records, I can find information that's kept well hidden. Maybe I can help you get your memories back."
Kara looked up, "Really?"
"I'll try my best."
"618 3rd St." Vala read from the MapQuest sheet, "We're here. Hey, what was bothering Eve last night? She started glaring at Sam like she'd said something insulting."
"I guess it was something Sam was thinking."
"Thought you'd told her to stop that."
"Thought about it."
"That's not funny Daniel."
"Vala, by the time Eve met me her powers were already active and she was consciously using them. I couldn't tell her to stop and I seriously doubt she knows how. Dr. Lam said it's as natural for her as breathing."
"So blink, breathe, read people's minds?"
"Telepathy." A young woman corrected her.
"What?"
"The correct term for mind reading is called telepathy." The same woman replied, tucking a strand of brunette hair behind her ear, "Welcome to the Isis Foundation."
"Thank you." Vala said brightly.
The woman seemed surprised by the thief's exuberance, "You're welcome. My name is Lana Lang, founder and owner of Isis. Our main mission is to provide emotional support to the meteor infected, help them to adjust to their powers and lead a normal life. Is one of you telepathic?"
"Not us." Vala replied, waving her hand back and forth between herself and Daniel.
"Do you know a telepath?"
Lana watched the pair exchange a nervous look, as if unsure they should answer.
Vala's reply of yes wasn't able to cover Daniel's no, and after exchanging a few more facial expressions Daniel's shoulders slumped and he asked, "Is there a private place we can talk?"
Lana nodded and led them to her office.
"The telepath is my daughter. I didn't know about her until her mother died and I got a call from the state. She was three years old."
"How old is she now?"
"Twenty."
Lana ran the math in her head. The telepath would have been a toddler the year of the first meteor shower.
"When did her powers manifest?"
Another nervous glance. The woman ignored the man's stern look and shake of his head. He grimaced when the woman turned to Lana and said, "They were, already active."
The pen scratching paused. Already active? Most meteor infected didn't display active powers until adolescence.
"She had active telepathy at the age of three?"
"Yes."
"So she's been using this power for seventeen years?"
"Give or take a few months, but yes."
"Has she ever displayed signs of violence? Hatred, undirected aggression, physically lashing out?"
The nervous glance made a third appearance and Lana narrowed her eyes. Either the pair had been cruel to the telepath or they'd become used to concealing their powers. A third, more uncomfortable option, was that the telepath had become controlling and was monitoring the pair from a distance.
As for Daniel and Vala, they both knew the answer to that question was a resounding yes. Eve had inherited Adria's temper and was not shy about using her powers against others. Physical violence was rare, usually a last resort.
Daniel appeared lost in his own little world, so Vala began speaking, "She hated him, hated us all. I don't know if her bias against him was because of her mother or something she came to on her own, but she didn't like Daniel, didn't trust him. She never trusted him . . ."
When Daniel said nothing she continued, "She was so angry when he first brought her back. Blamed Daniel for her mother's death. Distanced herself from everyone. Eve carried that grudge with her for years. Never used it as a weapon, not that I know of-"
"Only when she was furious," Daniel cut in, "Otherwise she glared at me from across the room and listed what she felt were my moral failings."
It was as if a dam had broken in the woman, and Lana was subjected to twenty minutes of nonstop talking: Vala's anger with Daniel for sleeping with a younger and more attractive woman, her resentment of Eve, both for being born and for bearing a strong resemblance to her mother, Eve's detection of the aforementioned resentment, and her pointed and often blunt responses towards Vala.
Then Daniel put in his two cents: he admitted he probably wasn't the best person to raise a telepath, he didn't know how her powers worked, nor would she listen when he tried to tell her scanning people's thoughts was wrong. He said outright that there was no love in their relationship but he did care about her. His sentiments were not returned.
Lana listened and occasionally made a note on the legal pad. The overall picture being painted was one of a woman who needed serious counselling, a man who had tried his best to raise a meteor-infected person, and a telepath who harbored resentment toward everyone.
"Is it possible your daughter's powers were triggered by her mother's death?"
Daniel looked at Vala, whose expression was one of panic. Eve's telepathy was active before the Odyssey returned to Earth, but he wasn't sure when it had activated.
"I'm not sure."
Lana scribbled something down before speaking again, "As your daughter is an adult herself, she's probably getting ready to move out and move on. But maybe I can help her anyway. Here's my card. Have her call and make an appointment, maybe she'll listen to someone who understands."
"You what?" Cam asked, hoping he had misheard.
"Vala outed Eve as being superhuman." Daniel replied.
"That's what I thought you said. And why did you do that Vala?"
"Eve glared at Sam last night and I was asking Daniel why. He said it was probably something Sam was thinking, Eve's powers are as natural as breathing, blah blah blah-"
"The foundation's owner overheard and said the correct term for mind reading was telepathy. She asked us a few questions, how old Eve was, when her powers activated-"
"Powers plural?" Sam inquired, glancing up from her laptop.
"Just telepathy. She asked if Eve showed signs of violence, Vala went off on this tangent about how much she hates us, I mentioned the hardships of a normal person raising a telepath, and Miss Lang gave me her card. She said to have Eve make an appointment."
"I can see that not workin'."
"Landry might not be too thrilled either."
"Eve will not like the idea DanielJackson."
"I know. I'd like to think all Eve wants is another superhuman being to interact with, and through the Isis Foundation she can meet other, metahumans, maybe make some real friends."
"Or gather bloodthirsty allies and restart the crusade!" Vala countered, "If all these metahumans end up in prison and completely mad, Eve's got plenty of targets to point them at. And now she's old enough to do so."
"Well I doubt she'll walk off tonight Vala. She does have a curfew. Sort of."
"What time?"
"Well I said dinner and Vala said midnight, so hopefully she'll be home sometime in between."
But as the hours passed and Eve didn't come back, Daniel began to worry.
"I left her some money in case she got hungry. Maybe she went out to sample the local fare."
When the sun set and Eve still didn't appear, Cam started worrying too. Eve's powers were formidable, but if unleashed here they'd need a lot of help with damage control. At ten o'clock they crammed into the ladies' room to search for clues.
Eve's suitcase was still under the bed, her clothes in the chest of drawers she'd commandeered, and all her books were accounted for. Her toiletry bag was missing.
"Let's not panic yet." Sam suggested, watching Daniel pace the room.
"Eve's missing and you don't think we should panic?" Daniel asked, looking at Sam like she'd lost her mind.
"We know she wasn't abducted." Sam continued, "Someone would have heard it, the room would be a mess, and Eve probably would have killed them."
"'Probably'?" Vala repeated.
"That's a pretty strong accusation Sam," Cam began, "Would Eve really do that?"
"Eve aged too quickly for DanielJackson to truly raise her ColonelMitchell," Teal'c countered, "The memories of her Ori ancestors may be too strong to overcome."
"She may not want to." Vala added.
Sam tried to get the conversation back on track, "Her toiletry bag is missing, so if she went somewhere she went willingly. Does she have a cell phone?"
Daniel squeezed his eyes shut, "No she doesn't."
It was Vala who noticed the slip of paper on the bedside table, and picked it up to read it, "Spending the night at a friend's. Back tomorrow. Eve."
"She has a friend?" Cam asked in disbelief.
"We've been here a couple days. That's long enough to make a friend isn't it?" Vala replied.
"I don't know."
"Perhaps she is making an effort to fit in." Teal'c suggested.
"We can ask her when she gets back."
Several hours earlier
As creating the missing records required a lack of prying eyes and Kara didn't want to return to the Kent's, Eve took her back to the motel. Her sense of timing proved beneficial; SG-1's motel rooms were empty when the girls got there, and a note from Samantha was on the bedside table. They were in town all day, and wouldn't be back until evening. They'd left a twenty in the bedside table drawer if she got hungry before they returned.
"Remarkable show of trust in me Samantha." Eve murmured under her breath.
"Who?"
"A friend of my, father."
Kara nodded, and with Eve's assistance they fleshed out false medical records. It was kind of fun actually, choosing illnesses and missed days of school, but eventually it became repetitive. Eve thought the same, because she said, "Flu shot from the sixth grade on. Haven't had a cold in a while."
"Sure. Can we hurry this up? I'm getting hungry."
"Certainly. Cold, stomach virus, headache, done. Your dental records are flawless by the way."
"Thanks. What's going to happen to them?"
"The Archive will see them filed with the correct offices without being seen. Hopefully it's enough to throw people off."
Eve glanced at Kara, noticing her half-hearted smile.
"What's wrong?"
"I guess I should go back now."
"Don't want to?"
"Not really."
"Is anyone home right now?"
"I don't know."
"I'm not ready to part ways either . . ." she wasn't, but she wasn't ready to call what they had friendship either. "May I walk you home? Or should we eat first?"
Kara grinned at her.
"And I was looking for my cuff bracelet yesterday, and Lana told me off for going through Clark's things. I asked her a few questions, showed her these pictures, and said Lex gave them to me."
"Dare I ask how she responded?"
Kara took a minute to sip her soda before answering, "She said the same thing about Lex that you did, that he would use me and then discard me. I was pretty mad by then, so I asked her to prove Lex was lying. She just stared at me with pity in her eyes."
Eve watched calmly while Kara ranted, "Why would she do that? She had the answers I needed, she could at least start earning my trust back, but she didn't!"
"Fear and stupidity are linked. Lana is afraid that if she tells you the truth, you'll tell Lex. In keeping your secret she drives you closer to Lex, justifying her decision not to tell you in the first place. Refill?"
"Please," Kara replied, holding her cup out. Eve filled the plastic cup with a green soda the Tau'ri called Mello Yello. She poured herself some and grabbed another slice of pizza.
"Do you still have the file Lex gave you?"
"I left it in my room."
"Bring it down and we'll look through it."
The blonde retrieved the file, spreading pictures all over the table.
"Let's not get pizza on this. Assuming there's any left."
Kara glanced at the box, "Couple slices left."
Eve looked up in confusion, "How can that be? We ate like we were starving!"
Kara shrugged. Eve shook her head and glanced at the images, recognizing a few from some of Daniel's papers.
"Lex said some of them were burned into the fields and the Kents' barn. This one was a tattoo on Lana's back. For some reason she doesn't have it anymore."
Aoife's reaction was the strongest yet, fragments of curses, profanities and pure rage stampeding into Eve's mind. It registered as a minor headache, and one that her powers swiftly took care of.
"The only place some of these symbols are found are the Kawatche cave system. Which one was on your bracelet?"
"None of these, but this one is the closest match," Kara pointed to a figure eight enclosed in a pentagon.
"Okay. First thing tomorrow I think we should check out the caves." Eve glanced out the window and frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"It'll be dark soon. My father will panic if he gets back to the motel and finds it empty."
"Do you have a cell phone?"
"No."
"We've got a phone here. Why don't you call him?"
Because I don't want to. Eve thought. She replied, "I doubt he'll listen." Rising from the kitchen chair, she prepared to return to the motel. It would be easier to climb in through the window than get a ride, and a ride meant a lecture. On the other hand, she'd aged past her rebellious stage without any significant rebellion.
Kara looked ready to cry again too, her pleading stare more like a child's than a young adult's.
"Please don't go."
"Kara-"
"Clark doesn't understand and Lex is busy a lot. You understand and you made time for me. Please don't leave me here with them."
Eve would forever swear her choice was influenced by Mama's memories of motherhood.
"If I stay, I'll need a couple things first."
Kara gave her a watery smile.
Welcome to the crossover.