Every Stray Child

Part: 1
Rating: PG, maybe be PG-13 later on
paring: ensemble cast
Summary: Several years later someone from Felix's past shows up. This is a sequel to Training Wheels, and another collaborative effort with Rap541.
Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica and its characters are creations of Glen Larson and copywrited by Universal Studios. Stargate and its characters are creations of MGM. We make no money off this.

Chapter 1

Felix Gaeta hated flying. He hated it back in the Colonial Academy, and he still hated it to this day. The only reason why he was now in a flight suit was that he was ordered back to the SGC ASAP. If it had been his druthers, he would have driven back.

When the base's CO had initially informed him that he had to head back immediately the first thing that popped into his mind was that something had gone dreadfully wrong. He took another deep calming breath; at least Janet was all right. He still hated flying, though, added to the fact that he felt like a complete fool while trying to answer the questions the engineers peppered him about the raptor. It stunned him that he had been able to draw up the plans to build the thing in the first place. At least it could fly, though no telling how long before a catastrophic failure happened with one or more of the systems. Because of the plans, the engineers at Area 51 seemed to think he was one of them. He wasn't, and that only added to the stress he was dealing with.

I hope I don't sneeze, he thought as he put the mask in place. The fighter he was going back in was just about to take off from Nellis. "Please don't do anything fancy," he mumbled into the mask.

"Not enough time to do that," the pilot answered in his ear with what sounded like regret. Felix didn't even bother to find out who was flying him back to the mountain, but he was glad that it was just going to be a straight flight.

"Here we go, Captain," the pilot said as they accelerated down the runway and literally leaped into the air. The g-forces that pushed him back into the seat reminded him of what the viper pilots went through when they launched out of the tubes.

The flight ended up being relatively smooth, but it still made Gaeta feel almost nauseous. He clamped down on the feeling for the majority of the two hours while in transit, but he knew he couldn't hold it forever.

The smoothness of the flight was completely opposite from the descent. The air currents in and around the mountains were strong enough to have the pilot fight the controls. It turned the flight into a living hell.

"Almost there, Captain," the pilot said. He seemed to understand that Felix wasn't a pilot. There wasn't enough Dramamine in the world to help him this time. The descent the pilot took easily rivaled what the space shuttle did when coming in for a landing. It also made them land very quickly. At the end of the runway was a nondescript car waiting to take him to the Cheyenne complex. The canopy popped open and Felix tore off the mask and released the belts that strapped him in. He couldn't get out of there fast enough because he could feel it coming.

Gaeta jumped down to the tarmac and doubled over. He hated flying and what was left of his dinner was now on the asphalt below him.

"You okay, sir?"

Felix wiped his mouth on his sleeve and looked up at the pilot kneeling to the side. "I will be eventually, Rivera," he grumbled as he was helped to his feet.

"I know it was rough and I tried to be as easy as possible, but General O'Neill really wants you back."

They were quiet the few minutes it took to reach the waiting car. "Take this," Daniel Jackson said as Gaeta slid into the front passenger seat. "You do look a little green around the gills." The archaeologist handed over several familiar looking pills.

"After a flight like that, who wouldn't be," Felix muttered as he leaned the seat back. At least he was on the ground. "So, what forced me to take a fighter back?"

"It's in the file." Daniel reached back to grasp the top folder.

"Do I look like I'm in any condition to read it?" Felix retorted sarcastically. His stomach was still giving him fits, and would be for some time to come.

In the end, Felix never did read the file. He remained in his flight suit. Those suits were the one thing he really missed about the Colonial Navy. They felt like a second skin, and the ones the Air Force used were incredibly bulky. At least his stomach had calmed down by the time they reached SGC.

Sam just happened to come around the corner as they were exiting the second elevator. "Yes!" she hissed. "You're just the person I want to talk to," she said as she pulled him into one of the smaller control rooms leaving Daniel by himself in the corridor.

"Can I at least take this off?" Felix indicated the flight suit.

"Oh, yes. Of course," she answered while waiving a hand in his direction. "I think you'll want to see this though."

Felix had no idea how to take her mood. He was still messing with the clips when he asked, "And where's Jack? I though he wanted me back here."

"He's in the cafeteria. See?" she said as she pointed to a black & white monitor.

Jack was easily discernable. He was holding a banana, but he wasn't expecting the children. He counted six in all and two adults. "No. . ." he whispered as he leaned in close. Is that? he asked himself.

"It can't be," he muttered as he sat down in a chair. "Do they know I'm here?" he asked lamely.

"No, not yet. All they know is that we have a specialist here to help them. The older man said they were running."

"Everyone be quiet!" Helo yelled. He hated shouting at the kids. They got enough of that from everyone else but the new ship was signaling and he needed to hear it. "Be quiet!"

There was a hush in the back of the Raptor, and he ignored the crying. "Krypter, Krypter, Krypter," he said again. "We are in distress. Please identify and assist."

Sharon looked at him worriedly. He ignored her as his earphones began to chime.

"This is the USS Prometheus of the United States Air Force. You may land on our ship but be aware we will take security precautions." Helo almost gasped in relief as the ship showed its landing deck.

"Thank you, Prometheus," he said as he steered the Raptor to the landing pad. To Sharon he added, "Don't worry. It's going to be ok." He wasn't positive of that at all, but he had to say it. Six long days running in a Raptor with six kids meant he was ready to embrace the devil from the prophecies if it meant the kids stopped crying.

It didn't take long. The Prometheus had a landing deck that was similar to the fleet and in seconds they were safely landed. He could see how human they looked through the Raptor's windshield, but they dressed differently. They might be from Earth or a colony of Earth and Helo was to the point where he didn't care if they were some sort of Cylon group. They were running out of food and the children shouldn't have to pay the price for his stupidity.

"I'll go out," he said to Sharon as the Raptor was surrounded by a variety of humans. He set down his side arm and Sharon looked worriedly at him. "Don't worry," he said quickly, "If it's good, we're fine. If it's bad…. We'll all be together soon." He looked at the children and wished he had a moment to hug them all. "Don't worry," he said more loudly. "It is all going to be ok."

He held up his hands as he stepped down the Raptor's small ramp. "Please," he said as he stepped onto the deck. "Do what you want with me, but there's children inside. Please don't harm them." He could feel the sweat forming on his brow as the bald older man who looked so angry stepped forward.

"I am General Hammond of the United States Air Force." He looked at Helo and then at the Raptor. "We don't intend to harm children. Are you of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol?"

"Yes," Helo said, feeling a sudden wave of relief. But…." My wife and children…. My wife is a Cylon… all of the children are part Cylon." If they were from the colonies, he knew what would happen next.

The bald man looked sharply at the men with guns. "We don't harm children. What's your name, son?" He gestured to the Raptor. "Bring the kids on out… I've got my own."

It was scary, but at the same time he sensed that the man was trying to reassure him. He looked into the Raptor and held out his hand. "It's ok," he said softly to the huddled children. "Who wants to say hello?"

He wasn't surprised when Felicia took his hand. Kara had rejected her child almost from the second she had been born but Felicia Lee Thrace was her mother's child all over. "I'm not afraid," she said as she looked through the Raptor's windows. "They lowered their guns as soon as you said we were kids, Dad."

It broke his heart to know that a six-year-old girl could know such a thing but he took her hand just the same.

"Don't worry," the ship captain said. Sharon wasn't even sure if she nodded, she was that frightened. She hugged little Felix close and gripped Jessica's hand as the captain, Hammond was his name, stepped forward. He smiled kindly enough. "I'm going to go with you, and you won't be mistreated." He looked at the children. "It's better for the kids, to get them to our base. It's safer, and we have specialists there."

He didn't say what sort of specialists, but she was almost to the point of not caring. The crew of the Prometheus had brought the children some ration bars and that had stopped the younger ones from crying during the brief medical scans, but she could see they were all close to their limits, if they hadn't reached them already. Little Felix was shaking and he hadn't hardly spoken in months. Jessica was close to tears, and so was Martha. Hera was holding her hand and the little bag of keepsakes they had packed, while Nick kept a firm grip on Felicia.

"Here," Karl said. He held out his arms. "Let me hold him. You shouldn't be lifting so much. Come here, Tiger." She had to admit, it was a relief to let Karl hold the boy. And Felix was quick to hide his face from the ship's commander, who seemed worried.

"Don't worry," the man, Hammond was his name, "This only takes a second." He made a gesture and then she saw the rings come down. Please gods, she whispered to herself, don't let this be a mistake. Karl said the gods favored the bold but it was a lot harder to make choices when the kids were involved.

They were suddenly in a different place. Similar looking to the ship they had left, with what appeared to be a glassed in observation deck. There were guards, in similar uniforms to Hammond, and a tall gray haired man in uniform stepped towards them, a wry grin on his face.

"General Hammond," the grey haired man said easily. He gestured to the family. "I thought you had a rule… a guideline…. Something about not dragging home every stray child… although these are very cute."

"Can it, Jack" Hammond said. He handed over a stack of files. "I don't have time for it, and you now have something to do." He looked around. "Where is our colonial expert?"

"Flying passenger in a fighter from Nellis," Jack retorted. "He was helping work out the bugs in the new wings. He'll be here. So what are we dealing with here?"

What worried her, more than she wanted to admit, was the odd, almost knowing look that Jack gave her and Karl.

Then Felicia stepped forward. "He!" and she pointed to Hammond, "said we would get something to eat! I'm hungry!"

Sharon was mortified, particularly at the rather pointed footstomp and glare Felicia gave the two men, and by how Karl was struggling not to smile.

Hammond looked at her and then at Jack. "I think you've been given orders, General O'Neill." To them, he said, "Don't worry, you're safe here."

She nodded and looked at Karl hopefully. She knew he wanted it to be true too.

Helo recognized the look in Jack O'Neill's eyes. The man had been very patient, taking the kids to their cafeteria and encouraging the younger ones to try the unfamiliar fresh food. It almost hurt, seeing the kids get to eat something, but it did help shake his fear that he'd made a horrific mistake taking the family and running. But O'Neill, and Stargate Command, was military and that meant that O'Neill was going to want to have a very long talk with him. And with Sharon, and they both knew it.

"Ok," he said to the kids who were tentatively touching the cots, pillows and bedding that had been stuffed into the rather bare looking room. "I want heads on pillows in ten. I need to talk with General O'Neill and your mom does not need you all running around, making trouble." He turned to O'Neill, mindful of the child he was still holding. "I know you have a lot of questions, but I'd really appreciate it if Sharon could stay here with the kids. We could… trade on and off. You've been very kind. I'm just worried that…."

"I thought as much," O'Neill said softly. He gestured to one of the men who was hovering in the hallway, holding a sack. O'Neill took the sack and stepped into the room. More loudly he said, "I'm going to take your dad to talk for a little bit, but your mom is going to stay here with you. Dr. Alghee and Sgt. Harris are going to check up on you all if you get hungry or if you need anything. Now I don't know how things are where you're from, but here, sometimes people like to have a little friend with them to sleep with." He reached into the bag and pulled out a stuffed animal that was wearing a uniform similar to some Helo had seen on the people in the hallways and cafeteria. He handed it to Martha, and then pulled out another. "I thought everyone might like one?"

Toys, Helo thought. Stuffed animal toys dressed like military soldiers, some with odd hats, or bright red crosses. None of the kids had ever had more than a doll or blocks, it all had to be shared, and they'd left everything behind anyway. If they were going to kill us, he thought with no small amount of relief, they wouldn't bring toys.

He glanced at Sharon, but she was already being gripped by Jessica and Felicia, who were yawning but ecstatic at the same time. "Nick," he said as he started to pry Felix from his body, "Can you take Felix?"

Felix clutched harder. "No no…" Helo felt his sudden buoyant mood shift back down. Felix had always been clingy but ever since the Gemonese takeover and the violence that had taken place, the cheerful little boy had become a frightened shadow who rarely spoke, and cried when he wasn't held.

Helo had almost killed the bastards who had thought it was funny to traumatize the boy, but Bill Adama had stopped him, pointing out that he had five other kids who needed their father. "It's all right, Tiger…. Nickie is right here, and you all are going to just take some naps and Mama will be here."

"And look," Nick said as he held out his arms, "You can sleep in my bed and we got these guys to play with…Yours is pretty cool… Look, it's like he's got a flight suit…" After a moment more, the cajoling worked and the boy was transferred to Nick, clutching his new toy. O'Neill waited patiently while he checked the rest and gave Sharon a hug and then led him into the hallway.

"You have nice kids," O'Neill said pleasantly. He looked at Helo intently. "Your little boy though… did something happen? I can see that the rest of them are scared, and I know it's going to take a while for them to realize they're safe…."

"It's one of the reasons I took my family and ran." That still hurt, abandoning the fleet but with Sharon pregnant, he couldn't risk it. "I assume this is a debriefing and you'll be recording my answers so I should wait to describe it."

"That is the plan," O'Neill said after a moment. "But if it helps at all, no one is going to hurt those kids. Not on my watch."

Helo nodded. There was a reassuring steel edge to the man's voice and it reminded him of Bill Adama.

"I couldn't risk it," Helo said as he walked into the interrogation room. "They… they executed the Cylon prisoners and allies and… Little Felix wandered off and some of the new Gemonese security people thought it would be funny to let him see how Cylons die….I'm not going to lie… I beat the shit out of the one who thought it was funny… Admiral Adama pulled me off him, but if I hadn't taken the kids and run, they would have been next." Helo looked nervously at Jack O'Neill. "The Gemonese contingent… they basically took over…"

TBC….