Chapter 2: An Unexpected Family
Around ten the next morning, most of the team were already up and about, save for Teal'c, and unsurprisingly, Kara. Jackson had since gone outside to take photographs of the pod, finding the lid was back in place, which didn't surprise him at all. He rightly assumed that Jack was doing his best to keep Kara's discovery a secret the only way he could think of, and that was to make it look like they hadn't found anyone to begin with.
"Old, kinda morbid, buddy of mine became a small town ME after the first Gulf war. He, painstakingly I might add, walked me through how to properly cover up a murder. Destroying crime scene evidence 101. Never thought I'd find a use for that particular drunken lecture." O'Neill just shrugged as Daniel blinked at him in shock.
"Remind me never to make you mad enough to bury me in the woods Jack. I might want to be found later." Jackson finally said, shivering at the images that came to mind from O'Neill's admission. "I take it you removed anything useful or incriminating before you sealed it back up?"
"Found a few more doohickies that she can likely make use of while I was at it." O'Neill held up a large dark green crystal "These weird crystals too. Figure Carter will think it's Christmas in January."
Jackson crossed his arms and frowned, mildly irritated with his rather presumptuous friend. His mood wasn't much improved from being exiled to O'Neill's uncomfortable chair last night. "Uh huh. Or you could give it back to Kara first. It is hers after all."
"Hmm...alright, you got a point I suppose." Jack casually tossed the crystal into the small collection of items he had salvaged, stuffing the pile into a duffel bag. "Probably a paper weight for all I know."
"Or something to remember her family by." Daniel countered, shaking his head in annoyance as he turned back to the pod. He was determined to figure out the writing, one way or the other.
"Enough with the guilt trip Daniel." Jack waved his hand in defeat. It was about that time that Carter came out with Jack's cordless phone. "Hammond?" He asked, earning a nod from the woman before taking the phone from her. "General? I had the strangest feeling you'd call."
General Hammond of the SGC barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Jack's opening line. "I can't imagine why Colonel. I've received reports of a meteor shower in your area early this morning. Just wanted to ask if everything was alright, I'd hate to see you taken out by a piece of space junk after the close call you and Teal'c went through recently with the prototype."
Unable to help himself, Jack grinned as he walked back towards the house. "Everything's alright on this end sir. Have a couple of new holes in my backyard, but nothing major. Had one rock knock down my favorite tree though."
"I see. So long as everything's alright Colonel, I'll expect you and Teal'c back on active duty by Monday at 0600. But until then, I am hereby ordering you to relax Jack." The good General knew exactly how little time Jack usually took for himself and he damn well wasn't going to see O'Neill wasting any of his hard earned leave.
"Oh, I'm sure we can manage General." Carter rolled her eyes at Jack's perpetual grin before she disappeared into his cabin, having noticed Kara stirring on the couch. "Can't remember the last time I had such a stress free week. See you Monday morning sir."
"Good to hear Colonel." Hammond replied in an amused tone, before finally hanging up.
Jack quickly followed Carter in the house, intent on at least showing her what he'd found in the pod, before spotting a yawning Kara sitting on his couch. "Good morning sleepy head. You look bright eyed and bushy tailed."
Kara grinned and hesitantly returned his greeting, looking mildly embarrassed for some reason. "Good morning Jack. Where...is the um…"
"Second door on the left." When she cocked her head in mild confusion, he just pointed to the bathroom door. "Try not to use all the hot water would ya?" Jack's grin widened as the girl earnestly nodded at his joke.
"I will do my best" She grinned before standing to her feet.
"You're mastering the English language even faster than I thought. It's truly incredible." Daniel said, his voice filled with open astonishment and awe.
"Va'sh- thank you, Daniel." The young blonde replied earnestly to Jackson's astounded praise.
"If you need help Kara, just ask." Carter chimed in, having been the first to realize that if her society was so technologically advanced, chances were their facilities had followed a similar course.
"Um...maybe we should unplug anything electrical just to be safe?" Jack asked before throwing a pillow at Teal'c, who caught it out of the air without opening his eyes. "Just checkin' big fella. Nice catch."
"Already ahead of you sir." Carter said with a confident wink, taking a sip of her coffee as she watched the young blonde head out of the living room. Besides a few shouted curses in her native tongue when she no doubt turned on the cold water by accident, Kara didn't stick her head out of the bathroom to ask for any assistance.
"Huh. She reminds me of someone." Jack said, making it a point to look at Teal'c.
"I have no idea who you are referring to O'Neill." Teal'c calmly said, still as a statue as he continued his Kelno'reem.
"Hey, I know Kara's brilliant and all, but did someone unplug all the- what?" Jackson quizzically asked as his three friends stared at him.
"I handled it Daniel, no worries." Carter reassured her fellow scientist.
"Nice to see we have that creepy ESP thing still goin' for us Carter." Jack's ears perked up at a very familiar sound. "Anyone else hear that?" He knew what it was even before he finished asking his question. After his son had passed away, after he had all but pulled the trigger himself, he had heard his wife crying herself to sleep more times than he could count.
Teal'c rarely appeared anything but solemn and calm, but this was one of the few times it was easy for them to see the pained expression on his face. The only thing that came close was when he had first found out about his wife and son being labeled as traitors when he had discovered their home burned to the ground on Chulak. "I believe she is mourning the passing of her home world O'Neill. She must have assumed the sound of the running water would disguise her sobs."
"Do you think someone should go in there?" Daniel asked, looking to Carter as he said it. She was the only other woman in the house after all, and would probably be able to handle a delicate situation like this far better than the rest of them.
"I don't think so Daniel, she needs her space." Carter sighed as she glanced towards the bathroom door. "Right now, I don't think it will do any harm to let her believe that we believe the brave front she's putting up for us."
"In other words, act natural until she opens up to us." Daniel stated as he opened up his laptop before plugging his digital camera into the USB jack. He began the process of uploading the pictures for later.
"Hello." Jack waved his hand to get everyone's attention. "You guys do realize she probably just heard all of that right?" O'Neill paused in thought as if having a small epiphany in his living room. "Huh...so this is what it feels like to be the smartest person in the room. Weird."
To break the uncomfortable silence that had settled in after listening to Kara´s sobs, O'Neill gave the bag with the pod's contents to Carter. "Figured you would like to check this out." He added nonchalantly. "Any ideas what they are or do, besides the fancy healing thing she waved around?"
The Major immediatly started to look through the various items, including the fascinating device Kara had used to heal O'Neill only hours before. Even from across the room as she had been at the time, Carter had noticed a distinct difference between hers and a typical Goa'uld device. For one, the Goa'uld device had always felt slightly….malevolent for lack of a better word, but Kara's had felt anything but. "Well, I can only speculate, but if we assume that this is part of her people's technology based on the pod's design, then I would say that the crystals are most likely similar to the ones the Tok'ra use." She mumbled thoughtfully. "These two are damaged." She stated when she saw fine cracks in a long, thin red crystal, and the dangerously large cracks in a short, thick white crystal. "That's all I can say without further analyzing them. But I think we should ask her first before we decide what to do with something that belongs to her." Said Carter evenly while staring into the Colonel's eyes. "I won't betray her trust, sir."
"Whoa Carter, it's me, Colonel Jack O'Neill, not some shady NID agent who only cares about alien toys." O'Neill replied defending himself against the clear insinuation in Carter´s words.
"I'm sorry sir." Carter immediately apologized once she realized that she made a good impression of the Inquisition.
"Well, look at you Carter, you barely know her and you already act like a mother hen." Answered O'Neill with a grin.
"I always suspected that Major Carter was in the possession of a highly developed maternal instinct." Added Teal'c helpfully from his seat.
The sudden loud rapping on O'Neill's front door was enough to make anyone except Teal'c jump in surprise. "Oh great, Agents J and K are here even sooner than I expected." Just as he was getting up from his chair, Kara stuck her head out of the bathroom, a worried look on her face. "Don't worry kid, probably just a nosy neighbor."
"You are not a good liar Jack." Kara replied before disappearing into the bathroom again.
"I see someone was busy reading while we slept. How is she not exhausted? Okay, battlestations everyone..." O'Neill bared stopped himself from facepalming as their resident Jaffa warrior dropped into a fighting stance. "Teal'c, that was a joke. It's just the doc. Granted, she looks pissed, but I think we're safe... ish." Opening the door, he did his best not to grimace as Janet Fraiser glared up into his face with barely contained frustration. "Hey Doc, I was just meaning to catch up on our appoin-"
"Save it Colonel. I didn't fly all this way to hear your excuses. Besides, I brought someone that wanted to see you and the team. One of which snuck away in the night alongside Doctor Jackson and Major Carter before his next checkup." O'Neill hid his internal grimace well as Janet marched into the living room, followed closely by a beaming Cassandra.
"Hi Uncle Jack!" The young alien girl that they had rescued years earlier lightly hugged Jack, not noticing as Carter subtly handed a fresh set of clothes through the barely open bathroom door.
"Well hey there Cassandra!" Jack made a show of looking the young smiling teen up and down. "You got big sweetie, and amazingly beautiful to boot."
"I'm sixteen Jack. What'd you expect?" Cassandra blushed despite her sarcastic response.
"Ponytails?" Gently pulling away from the young woman, Jack met Janet's gaze, and he knew she had noticed Carter going to the bathroom door. "Again, sorry Doc. Whaddya say we just get this silly check up out of the way huh?"
"Fine Colonel...shall we use your bathroom?" Fraiser asked with a quirked eyebrow.
O'Neill already knew they were in trouble as he blurted out his response. "Bedroom's fine."
"Colonel….Jack, I already know you're harboring someone in your bathroom. Major Carter isn't as subtle as she thinks." Janet threw a brief smile to Sam, who only shook her head as she walked away from the door. "What's going on this time?"
Seeing no point in deceiving Fraiser, Teal'c was the first to answer the doctor's question. "We have welcomed another orphan to this world, much like Cassandra, Doctor Fraiser. Kara Zor-El. She is understandably frightened, but she seems to be adjusting to her new situation far better than expected."
"Va'shaun...Teal'c, but I can speak for myself." Kara said as she hesitantly stepped out of the bathroom. She was dressed in another of Jack's flannel shirts and a pair of gray sweat pants, but she didn't seem to notice as she wrapped her arms around herself for a moment before letting them fall to her side, turning to Jack. "And yes, I did hear everything you said out here."
"And what was that, if you don't mind my asking?" Janet asked with a mix of curiosity and deadly glare thrown Jack's way before turning to face Kara. "I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser by the way, and this..." Cassandra gave Kara a friendly wave as her mother motioned towards her. "...is my daughter, Cassandra. It's nice to meet you Kara."
Taking the same spot on the couch she had slept in last night, Kara looked towards the two new arrivals with interest, knowing that Jack wouldn't have let them stay around if he didn't trust them explicitly. Besides, behind his pained grimace, he looked genuinely happy to see them. "It is a pleasure to meet more of Jack's allies and friends. I'm supposed to tell you I'm from 'Canada'..." O'Neill facepalmed as Kara made massive air quotes. "...but I think we both know that's not true."
"Toronto was my cover story." Cassandra supplied, earning a nod from the newest member of their strange little family.
Finding Kara to be of far more immediate interest, Fraiser didn't have to ask Daniel to move out of the way as she sat down next to the young blonde. "I am honored that you're willing to trust me Kara. And that you respected my intelligence enough to tell me the truth." Casting a quick glance towards the rest of SG-1, Janet's frown instantly morphed into a smile the moment she focused on Kara again. "Did you come down during the meteor shower last night?"
"Yes. But I believe that the 'meteor shower' was debris from the engine section of my escape pod. I haven't gotten around to looking at my pod to be sure. It's been an...interesting first day so far on your world."
"Indeed." Teal'c said, an eyebrow raised in solemn agreement.
"I bet, especially if you wound up with Jack and his team." Janet said before her smile faltered slightly. "Kara, I understand you haven't been here long, but there are some tests, totally harmless I promise, that-"
"You need to make sure I'm not dangerous in some form or another. I understand. My...people would have also asked such tests performed for any first time visitors."
"Just don't stand in front of her if you're planning on testing her reflexes doc. Girl's got a mean right hook." Jack deadpanned, scratching the back of his neck before settling into his seat again.
"Right hook?" Kara asked, having not gotten as far into the dictionary as she would have liked before sleep had claimed her.
"That's just Jack's sense of humor at work." Daniel sighed, having built an immunity to said sense of humor over the years.
"She just threw me at a tree, minor misunderstanding is all. Speaking of which...I'd bet the Doc here would give anything to take a look at your little doohickey in action Kara. Makes a Goa'uld healing device look like a parlor trick." To her credit, Fraiser merely raised an eyebrow at Jack's comment, uncertain if she should take it at face value or not.
Carter quickly nodded in agreement. "I have to agree with his assessment, Janet. I've never been comfortable with using Goa'uld hand devices. Kara's however, is something else altogether. I actually felt warm and I wasn't even on the receiving end."
Seeing the intense curiosity on Janet's face, Teal'c asked the obvious question for her, knowing the kind hearted Doctor wouldn't be one to press the issue. "Perhaps you would allow it to be demonstrated for Doctor Fraiser at a later time?"
"I hope it won't be needed anytime soon." Kara worriedly said, taking the excitement out of the room with those simple words.
"Glad to see you're cautious for a girl your age Kara, unlike some people I could name." Cassandra stuck her tongue out at her mother's obvious verbal jab. "First things first, I'd like to give you a basic physical. I'd also prefer to take a blood sample for thorough analyses." Janet forestalled the many objections she could tell were coming from Jack and Carter any moment now. "There's a friend of mine I could send it to with no one back at base being any wiser. I trust him to give me, and only me, the results for a 'unique patient study.'"
"Of course Doctor, I just hope you won't need much." It was hard to miss the look of squeamishness on Kara's face, which she rapidly tried to hide from them.
"Afraid of needles Kara?" Cassandra asked, earning an annoyed glare from the blonde across from her. "It was only a question."
Janet glared at her grinning daughter before giving Kara a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'll only take a very small amount."
"Only this much." Jack held up his large coffee mug with a grin. Which vanished the nanosecond he caught Fraiser's furious gaze. "Kidding! Um...Doc, we can skip that check up right?"
"Nice try Jack. You're next. Teal'c, make sure he doesn't disappear please." Janet said as she stood from the couch and put a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Would you mind following me Kara? It shouldn't take long. I'm borrowing your bedroom Colonel. Please have a seat, I'll be with you shortly."
Janet smirked over her shoulder as Teal'c promptly pressed O'Neill into his La-z-boy and stood over him, the faintest hint of a smug look on his eternally stoic face. "Et tu, Teal'c? A bit overkill dontcha think?"
"I do not believe so O'Neill. Doctor Fraiser's considerable wrath is something I would wish to avoid if at all possible."
"He has you there Colonel." Sam chuckled into her own cup of coffee, the smirk on her face saying all she wanted to say even if she agreed with Teal'c's assessment. An angry Doctor Fraiser was the last thing you wanted directed at you.
"Why do I get the feeling today is going to be a lot more exciting than usual?" Cassandra asked the room in general.
Daniel grinned at Jack's new Jaffa babysitter before answering for him. "Cass, that is a massive understatement if I ever heard one."
A loud yelp of surprise instantly caught their collective attention, but Janet already had the door to Jack's bedroom open, holding out a calming hand towards them before anyone had moved more than a few paces. "We're fine but your ceiling might need some...work."
"Aw man...I just painted in there last summer!" Throwing his hands in the air, Jack's exasperation didn't last long as Teal'c calmly stared at him. He got the impression that if he'd tried to use the situation to his advantage, like he was thinking of doing right now, Teal'c would tie him to the chair next. "I guess it's not that big a deal...just some plaster probably."
"Indeed." O'Neill really had to wonder how Teal'c made such a simple, innocuous word sound like a threat.
"When you're done talking, I think you might want to know what I've learned so far. As you're no doubt aware, Kara is quite cooperative, maybe even a little too polite at times. As for her physical well being, she's the healthiest person I've ever come across. Even by your high standards Teal'c, she appears in perfect health and is much stronger than any species we've come across. I'd have to do a more thorough examination to be sure, but from what I've seen already, I highly doubt she can get sick. And blood work is out for the simple reason that the needle I tried to use broke on contact. Her skin is incredibly resilient."
"What happened before, Janet? You scared us there for a sec." Carter asked with a frown, more out of curiosity than concern at this point.
"Um...that was my fault." Kara said as she stood in the doorway, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she held out the reflex hammer she had kicked into the ceiling by accident. "She was testing my reflex response and well...after the fifth time she tapped my knee and I didn't feel anything...she started to look worried. So..." Kara glanced at the floor, not able to look Fraiser in the eye. "...I might have overreacted a little the next time, so that I didn't upset her further. I can only apologize for scaring you."
"So you decided to speed things along. Kara it's alright, you only startled me. As I said, she is overly polite, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing." Janet was quick to add as she pulled the young girl into a one armed hug.
"I break a lamp and get yelled at. She puts a hole in Jack's ceiling and gets a hug. Real fair mom." Cassandra playfully groused as she rolled her eyes at her highly compassionate mother.
"I know what we're doing, we're signing this kid up for baseball the first chance we get. On that note, if not for those lovely NID jackholes, we wouldn't have a pod to bury today." Jack realized too late that was a bad choice of words when Kara visibly flinched. "Ah crap. Too soon?"
"Yup." Daniel just shook his head at O'Neill's usual stunning lack of tact and common sense at times. "And sure Jack, let's let her show off in public. What's the worst that could happen? Right?"
Ignoring the barbs being thrown back and forth by Daniel and Jack, Carter watched Janet lead Kara back to the couch. "I think it might have been sir." When Janet looked her way, the quizzical expression on her face was answered by Carter a moment later. "Kara's world….we don't know the details, only that her people sent her away so she didn't die when it suffered some kind of catastrophe that destroyed her home."
Jack nodded with a sympathetic look towards Kara before heading for the back door. "Okay Carter, we'll just get it done quick. Kara, would ya keep Cass and her mother out of trouble for us for a little while?"
Kara had other ideas as she tried to get Jack's attention. "Actually...I know it's silly but...could I-"
"Come on. Pretty sure I got an extra shovel around here somewhere." Jack knew he had said the wrong thing yet again before he had even finished this time.
Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow as he held the door open for Kara. "I believe Kara Zor-El means that she simply wishes to see the pod one last time, O'Neill."
"Oh. Right." Remembering the message that the pod had delivered upon making sure its precious cargo would be safe, Jack's small smile faded altogether as he stood and waved the group to follow him outside. "Are you sure you don't mind kid?"
"You wish to protect me, and if this is the only way, then yes, I am fine with you burying my escape pod. However, my father would have left me a message….before he sent me away. I'd like to hear it first. I was...distracted when you first awakened me." Kara finally said, unable to meet Jack's sympathetic gaze.
"Can't imagine why." A hand fell on Kara's shoulder, and she was surprised to see Daniel on the other end. "Let's just say I know what it's like to be alone. Come on, hopefully you have a message waiting for you."
"Thank you, Daniel, everyone." Kara finally said, unable to stop a lone tear from falling from her deep blue eyes. Once they were back by the pod, the young Kryptonian hopped up on the pod and wasn't surprised when Jack handed her the key. A silent nod passed between them before she unlocked her pod. "I'm going to try and get the message back, it should not take me very long." Unsurprisingly, Kara seemed to know her way around the vehicle as she revealed a hidden compartment under where her head had once rested. A few seconds of fiddling with the inner workings, and the green light Jack seen earlier reappeared before the holographic image of Kara's father stood by the side of her pod once again.
"Universal translation is now back online. Kara, it is impossible for me to fully express my relief at your near miraculous survival. I….regret that I am only an AI representation of your father, but I still feel his joy at knowing you have found yourself among friends." Before Jack could ask the hologram what he meant, Kara's 'father' turned his gaze upon them next. "I have monitored you since you took my daughter in your home. Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Jaffa Teal'c. You have my eternal gratitude for what you've done for her thus far." As if sensing their growing unease at just how well informed the program was, he quickly explained himself. "You should never leave a computer terminal unguarded, though you are not to blame for your primitive digital security. I am a very advanced artificial intelligence, with the memories and emotions of the man I was based on. To put it in simple terms, you could say I am Zor-El, Kara's father, for all intents and purposes."
"Incredible. Are you saying that Zor-El allowed his mind to be scanned and turned into digital information?" Carter asked, but one look at a glaring Jack and an emotionally shaken up Kara silenced her growing curiosity.
Zor-El took a step closer to the small group, his face downcast at what he was about to say. "I will answer all of your questions when I can, and only the ones I believe you are ready to receive, but I wish to speak to my daughter first Samantha."
"Of course, I'm sorry sir." Carter automatically said, the fact she was addressing an artificial lifeform with far more respect than she'd usually give other computer systems of the same ilk only dawning on her a moment later.
"Do not apologize Samantha. Your natural curiosity is a strength, a trait that my people would have greatly benefited from had we not doomed ourselves. I truly hope that your race will preserve this curiosity in the generations to come." Zor-El stated with an equal mix of pride and concern.
Showing his usual way of handling delicate situations was as crude as ever, Jack spoke up. "So... Blew up the ol homestead eh?"
"While that blunt analogy is correct, it is rather lacking Colonel O'Neill. We were foolish enough to believe we had mastered our world. My brother and I, my creator I should say, tried to warn those in power of the impending cataclysm. As your quaint saying goes, 'It's not nice to fool with mother nature.' Our people payed the ultimate price for our arrogance in this regard. We were in the midst of an energy crisis, and as such, our 'elders' thought they could harvest our planet's core without consequence."
"My God." Janet said, having no idea what else she could say to what they had just been told. "How could such an advanced civilization do something so utterly destructive?"
Zor-El glanced at the singed ground at his feet for a moment before responding. "That is a question I and my brother asked our Council many times, although we were far more tactful about it."
"Why didn't you just stop them?" Cassandra asked, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.
"One of our number tried. A charismatic general by the name of Dru-Zod. The decision to tap into our world's core was the 'straw that broke the camel's back', but there had been many decisions before that had enraged and infuriated an otherwise noble and honorable man. General Zod tried to lead a rebellion against our leaders, but he was outmatched, outgunned, and outnumbered. His fate was to be exiled to the Phantom Zone for the rest of his days. There is….no escape from there."
"Father….please, can you save the history lesson for later?" As a whispered aside, Kara threw her following comment to the people behind her. "He always had a tendency to ramble."
"He and Daniel should get along famously then." Quipped O'Neill with a grin, while masterfully ignoring the glare that Daniel sent in his direction.
For a split second, the hologram seemed to look dumbfounded at them before glancing at Carter.
"Yes, they are always like this. You'll learn to ignore it in time, otherwise you go crazy." Confirmed the Air Force Major with a sigh. She'd never admit it, but she was secretly impressed by her teammates. It was an impressive achievement to leave an AI speechless simply by behaving as you normally did.
With a shake of his head, Zor-El turned his attention back to Kara. "I apologize for not contacting you sooner, but after the rather rough landing, my systems were impaired and I was forced to switch into core function mode. The holographic message that O'Neill witnessed was simply an automated response."
"Hang on! What message?" Daniel instantly demanded to know, since he and the rest hadn't seen the hologram that had appeared originally when Jack had first approached Kara's stasis pod.
"You didn't inform them of my initial automated message Colonel O'neill?" Asked the AI, surprise stamped on his face.
"Nope. There was also the tiny problem that it was in Kryptonian." Jack stated with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Oh. I see. You are a rather strange man Colonel. " That was apparently all Zor-El could think to say as he looked from one person to the next before focusing on Kara and Jack once more.
"I get that a lot." O'Neill replied, with a casual shrug of his shoulders.
"Jack, would you mind explaining what he means?" Asked Daniel with a degree of forced politeness as he tried to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand.
"Maybe later? And great, thrown under the bus by an alien AI." Grumbled Jack just loud enough to be heard by said AI.
"As fascinating as this conversation is, could we please return to the matter at hand?" Zor-El´s synthetic copy, for lack of a better term, requested politely but firmly.
"Right, right sorry, please continue!" Agreed Jack eagerly, happy to postpone the interrogation, far more begrudgingly Daniel agreed although with a look that said that this was not over.
"Thank you, as I was saying, I was unable to contact you. Many of my more advanced systems are still impaired and are in the need of repairs. It is my hope that with the crystals that were sent with you, you would be able to repair my systems." Zor-El calmly explained. "This way I would be able to assist you at a much higher functionality, as well as activating the more sophisticated functions of your crystals."
As painful as it was to say aloud, Kara had to let her 'father' know of what they had planned for the pod he was contained within. "Father….I can't keep the pod visible, not without fear of discovery."
"I have already completed a limited scan of the area and have found three separate locations I believe would be suitable for your needs. You obviously cannot allow this stasis unit to be found by the rather primitive authorities of this world. So I have uploaded myself to the 'command key' in your possession Kara. No matter what happens, I will always be with you." Turning to Jack, the solemn look on Zor-El's face seemed to deepen as he met the Colonel's gaze. "I realise this is no trivial request, but will you and your friends continue to care for her Colonel? I would be forever in your debt if you accept this crucial task."
"You have our word sir." Jack said without a moment's thought. "I might not be the best guy for the job, but we have a tendency of taking in orphans." Jack made it a point to look at Cassandra, and after Zor-El put two and two together, the small smile on his face returned.
"I see. Then fate has been far kinder than I could have ever hoped." Taking several steps closer to his little girl, Zor-El gazed down at his child lovingly before saying anything further. The rest of the group knew they needed some time alone, and on some unspoken command, hurried back to the cabin. "I'm not one for eloquent speeches like my brother Jor, Kara, but I will do whatever is in my power to ensure your happiness in this strange new world you find yourself a part of now. You have no doubt realized by now their yellow sun has enriched your cells, strengthening you considerably in every way. Their richer atmosphere and reduced gravity allows you advantages they can never hope to match, but you know what I would say to that."
"Do not underestimate another race's potential for greatness." Kara whispered, having never once considered herself superior to anyone, and that was unlikely to change.
"You might be alone, you might stumble, but you seem to have found yourself among some of the best this planet's dominant species has to offer my darling girl. Major Carter especially, seems accepting of your unique nature." As much as he wanted to, Zor-El could only mimic the action of wrapping his girl in a loving embrace as he leaned close to her ear. "Be safe, live well, and never stop expanding your horizons Kara. But now, perhaps it would be best to return to them my daughter. As I know you can plainly hear, they already worry for you, a quality most admirable in my humble opinion." And as quickly as he had appeared, Kara found herself alone once more. She hadn't realized she had fallen to her hands and knees as tears fell from her eyes until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she wasn't all that surprised to see Sam standing over her.
Without a word, Carter knelt and wrapped her arms around the emotional girl, once more letting Kara cry her heart out on her shoulder. Sam almost jumped when she saw Jack standing nearby, but what was more surprising was when Jack knelt down next to them and gently rubbed Kara's back. "Nice guy...your dad. He definitely deserves a damn medal for his ingenuity and determination alone." It was a lame conversation starter, but it was better than letting her suffer alone as far as Jack was concerned. "I don't know why he decided to send you here Kara, or why he thought it was a good idea to drop you off in my backyard, but I meant what I told him. Unless you say otherwise, no, scratch that, even if you say otherwise, you're stuck with me as far as I'm concerned." He grinned at the delicate smile that had managed to elicit from Kara and a mild glare from Samantha. "Oh, and Carter, and those other guys too."
"Thanks for that sir." Sam huffed with feigned annoyance as Kara slowly untangled herself from the brilliant scientist. "Sir if you don't mind, I think I'll take her home with me. Not right away of course, but perhaps after she has time to settle in? It's...up to you too though."
"Joint custody already huh? Well, I guess the spark in our relationship died a while ago Carter. I can deal with that. What do you say kid? Think you can handle being around the brains of our little group?" The grin on the older man's face was a mile wide, needless to say.
"I think I can handle it." Kara said softly as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Can I...take the dictionary with me? I only made it to the start of F before-"
"I ain't gonna need it for anything. Knock yourself out kid." Jack replied as he ruffled the young blonde's hair before standing to his feet again.
"Am not, sir. At least teach her proper grammar." Carter countered with a roll of her eyes as she and Kara stood up moments later.
Pointing an accusatory finger at Sam, Jack continued ranting good naturedly at his second. "Ya see! This is the type of stuff that led to our nasty little custody battle in the first place. Beware grammar nazis in all their cunning forms Kara. It ain't right for no person, even brilliant astrophysicists, to dictate how you talk."
Carter rolled her eyes in real annoyance this time. "Really? You had to go for the double negative too, Jack?"
"You two ought to be bonded, you certainly act like a couple of bondmates." Kara giggled at the dumbfounded expressions that comment got out of the pair of officers. The small smirk on her face disappeared however as she looked to Sam and Jack. "Thank you for taking such an extreme risk for someone you've only just met. I'll try not to cause too much trouble for all of you."
"Don't make promises ya can't keep kid. 'Sides, trouble seems to find us on a regular basis anyway." Kara had no idea just how true that statement was.
"Um...as touching as this little kodak moment is guys, I believe we still have the matter of the highly incriminating piece of tech right next to you to deal with." Daniel did his best not to squirm under O'Neill and Carter's scrutiny as he nervously pushed his glasses back up. "Just sayin'."
"Kara Zor-El, may we place your craft in a secure location for later retrieval?" Teal'c calmly gestured towards the alien pod.
"Yes. That'll be for the best anyway." Kara reluctantly agreed as she picked up the silvery tube as easily as if it was made of cardboard instead of nearly indestructible metallic alloys. "I'm sure one of the locations my father was nice enough to-" Kara slowly turned around with her minescule burden to several stunned expressions. Even Teal'c was slightly less stoic than usual. "Oh. I shouldn't have don't that, should I?"
"Well...that was a little unexpected..." Jack said, as he shrugged but nodded his head. "If we were in a populated city, then yeah, I'd be a bit more worried. But yeah….might want to keep the superisms to yourself kiddo."
"Indeed." Teal'c said with just a hint of astonishment in his voice.
"You. Are. AWESOME!" Cassandra gleefully told the now mildly embarrassed Kryptonian as she stared at her in a mix of pure joy and awe. "At least one of us gets cool powers and stuff. Say, there's a bully at my scho-"
"No." Kara and Fraiser said at the same time, much to the other's surprise. In an effort to soothe her bruised ego, Kara took a step closer to the annoyed youth before explaining herself. "My father would likely say with great power comes great responsibility. That can come in many forms, but the same idea applies. Abuse of strength, no matter the reason, is still wrong."
Jack tilted his head to the side with a wide grin on his face. "Kara...be honest now...you dug into my comic book collection last night didn't you?
Momentarily setting aside the good example she was trying to set for Cassandra, the young blonde cocked her head in confusion. "No, I honestly didn't. What's a comic book?"
Jack blinked owlishly in stunned surprise at Kara's innocent and naive admission. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. Otherwise my head might explode in shock. Carter, if she doesn't know at least a dozen Marvel character names by the time I let you bask in her awesome presence solo, the deal is off."
"I'll be sure to get right on that sir." Carter replied as she shook her head, amazed by how easily their new houseguest carried her pod away to a secure location. A large explosion was heard moments before an immense cloud of dirt and rock reached towards the sky. "Why do I get the feeling she just slammed her pod right into the ground?"
"Most likely because that is exactly what she did Major Carter. It was a most impressive feat of strength." Teal'c stated serenely, jogging back towards them after accompanying Kara, even if his facial expression said he wasn't as calm as he sounded.
"Okay...I'm officially going to start being nice to her twenty-four, seven. As a matter of fact, now might be a great time to apologize for being a little short with her last night." Daniel stated flatly, pushing his glasses up his nose, a nervous habit of his the others had noticed long ago.
"No need to apologize for your mental deficiencies Daniel." Kara said with a smirk, as she came back from her trip into the woods, sans pod. Dusting her dirt covered hands off, no one commented on the solemn expression that returned to her eyes. "I was joking Daniel. Besides….if anything, I'd rather be treated like anyone else. I have no desire to cause anyone harm, least of all any of you. And I definitely don't see myself as a superior being. My people doomed our own world, that should prove we….were just as arrogantly foolish as anyone else."
"Oh. Good. Because I figured running away wasn't going to help." Jackson was still tempted to run when Kara proceeded to glare at him.
"Dddaaannniiieeelll..." Kara crossed her arms in annoyance, glaring at the linguist expert and archaeologist with a mixture of humor and frustration.
"Right, Kkaarraa, point taken. Still not going out of my way to irk you though, but that's just because I'm a nice guy once you get to know me." Daniel replied, smirking as he walked next to Kara while the group quickly made their way back to Jack's cabin.
"Uh huh. So when does this 'nice guy' thing kick in Daniel?" Jack asked, an eyebrow raised as he once more opened the door for the group.
"Jack, shut up." Daniel snapped back, sighing heavily as he sat back down in the chair he had slept in last night.
"See. Now that wasn't nice at all. Kara, would you kindly kick his butt into the next state for me?" Kara didn't bite at Jack's bait, simply sighing and shaking her head at the grinning Colonel.
Shaking her head in amusement once again, Carter gestured to Janet for Jack's benefit. "From the look of it sir, Fraiser is ready to make you turn your head and cough." Janet emphasized that point by snapping a glove onto her right hand, which made O'Neill visibly flinch.
"You know, it's a beautiful day! Gonna take a walk and get some fresh air I think. ...Again." Having plunked himself down on his favorite chair, O'Neill didn't get a chance to even start getting to his feet again.
Janet merely raised an eyebrow. "Teal'c?"
Already having positioned himself behind Jack's chair, Teal'c nodded his head to the good doctor before turning to his old friend. "Do not make me restrain you O'Neill. I do not wish to damage your excessive pride."
In an effort get a smile out of O'Neill, Kara embraced the man that had, in her eyes at least, become her eccentric uncle figure. "Thank you for everything Jack. I hope to see you again soon."
"Smartass. Now go on, I'm sure Ddaanniieell and Carter would love to chat with you for a while." Jack said as he ruffled the blonde's hair again before letting her go. Less than ten minutes later, a sighing O'Neill and a relieved looking Fraiser walked out of his bedroom. "I just painted." One glare from Carter was enough for him to throw up his hands in defeat. "Not that the gaping hole bothers me or anything, always wanted a sunroof."
"Uh huh." Daniel's incredulous glance said it all.
Janet motioned for her next patient. Young alien orphan girl aside, she was pleasantly surprised at Jack's state of health. "Teal'c, you're next please."
Teal'c bowed slightly to the kind hearted doctor. "Of course Doctor Fraiser. But I believe you will find me in perfect health."
"I'll be the judge of that Teal'c." Janet wasn't about to take no for an answer, even if her current target was as healthy as a human could possibly get, the literal symbiotic relationship notwithstanding of course.
"Indeed." This time the word sounded decidedly more defeated and somber than usual.
Moments after Fraiser and Teal'c disappeared, Daniel looked up from his computer, a slightly concerned look on his face. "Um guys? I hate to interrupt, but did someone forget to mention Zor-El hacking my computer again?" Daniel asked as he turned his portable terminal towards the others. There was a series of web searches and information pages going at once, straining the computer's ability to keep up, but it showed no signs of slowing down. The only problem was that there was no viable network he could tap into from his current location.
The almost overly polite voice belonging to the artificial intelligence could be heard from the duffel bag between Jack's chair and the couch. "Kara, if you could kindly remove me from this piece of luggage? I will explain what it is I am doing Doctor Jackson."
"Of course." The blonde said with a grin as she removed her 'father' from Jack's old duffel bag. Putting the key on the table next to Daniel's computer, the hologram appeared in the cabin's living room, his hands folded behind his back.
Zor-El nodded with gratitude to his daughter before turning to face Daniel. "Thank you. Now, Doctor Jackson, would you please convey me to the closest data network terminal?"
If Daniel's hesitant speech didn't tell the rest of SG-1 that he thought that was a terrible idea, the look on his face certainly did. "You mean...get you on the net? Um...guys...maybe that's not such a great idea."
Sensing Doctor Jackson's uneasy, Zor-El was quick to lay the man's justified fears to rest as best as he could. "I can assure you I would not cause any harm. I simply wish to create an identity for my daughter, nothing more. Something that can survive some level of scrutiny by those in power on your world."
"Well...more like country, but I get your point." Daniel acquiesced, nervously pushing his glasses up yet again.
"Ah...you're a species that still uses primitive nationalistic borders? Fascinating. Krypton did away with those eons ago." Zor-El said with a note of humor that was hard to miss.
"Father, please don't antagonize the natives." Kara teased, getting an assortment of chuckles and eyerolls from the group around her.
Shaking her head in exasperation, Fraiser soon returned with Teal'c in tow. "Alright Teal'c, I grudgingly agree that you're in perfect health. But I still want both you and Colonel O'Neill on light duty for a few days when you come back from leave."
"Of course Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c replied before turning to see Zor-El in the living room. "I had not expect to see you again so soon Zor-El."
"And I am glad to see that this 'death glider' incident Doctor Fraiser was so concerned about clearly did not cause either Colonel O'Neill or yourself any permanent damage Teal'c." Zor-El replied, nodding his head to the Jaffa in his own respectful manner.
"Wait, 'death glider' incident?" Kara's smirk disappeared when she heard that as she jerked her head towards Teal'c and Jack. She had been trying to ignore anything that she shouldn't have otherwise been able to hear by human standards, and the one time she should have paid attention, she hadn't heard a thing.
Sensing the trap he had inadvertently stumbled into, Zor-El quickly vanished from sight right before excusing himself. "Perhaps now would be an excellent time to conserve power until an appropriate source of energy can be found to recharge my power cells."
"Wait, father!" Mildly frustrated at the small device in front of her, Kara lightly banged her hand against the table, which still caused a slight crack to appear. "You and I both know your power cells can outlast most of humanity!" When he didn't reappear, Kara flopped back onto the couch with a huff. "Of course. The one time I want him to talk, and he decides to go silent." Looking to Jack and Teal'c, Kara was about to ask the obvious question, but Carter beat her to it.
"Sir, we might as well tell her the truth." Besides the obvious fact that her father had spilled the beans to some degree anyway, Carter knew that any 'story' they would have normally told her most likely wouldn't be believed. She was too intelligent for the 'official' cover stories they were required to tell anyone that asked. Alien or not, not everyone was so easy to fool.
"And on that note, my buddy Zor and I are going to get Ms. Zor-El here a fresh new identity." Jackson's rapidly grasped 'Zor' off of the table, not exactly wanting to stick around for the wide eyed girl's irritation.
"Thank you Danniiiieeellll." Kara said with an annoyed roll of her eyes. Crossing her arms under her chest, she briefly considered taking the command key and putting it in a dark hole somewhere for being ignored.
"I believe it's pronounced Daniel, Kara." Zor-El corrected from the safety of Daniel's hand.
"I knew you were ignoring me!" Kara shouted back, glaring daggers at the key, and the archaeologist's hand in turn.
"Indeed." It was hard to tell if Teal'c was scowling at the small device, or giving it his usual stoic look.
"Daniel, I would be most grateful if you were to make haste." The small metallic object in Jackson's palm told him, not quite pleading with the archaeologist.
Daniel was already opening the front door a split second later. With the way Kara was glaring at the device in his hand, he wasn't about to stay around longer than he had to. "Already two steps ahead of you Z." Jackson paused before going to shut the door behind him. "I can't call you Z, can I?"
Zor-El's reply was immediate, and while his tone remained level and calm, Daniel still heard a note of irritation in his digitized voice. "I would prefer you didn't."
Jack loudly slapped his hands together before rubbing them together. "Okay...now that the Dave and Hal show has departed, who wants to play charades?!"
"I'd rather hear about that 'death glider' incident Jack. Just what are you people into? You mentioned you were a part of a team, now I'm starting to think you're part of a military organization with all this cloak and dagger you're trying to pull." Kara crossed her arms and stared at O'Neill with defiant blue eyes.
"Not flying with you eh, kid?" Jack asked, recognizing teenage angst when he saw it.
"I wouldn't believe it either." Cassandra replied from the other side of the living room. A pair of headphones attached to a portable CD player apparently didn't take away her ability to hear every word.
"We had our own military on Krypton, so no. It's not." Kara stated flatly, glaring at the two older men in the room, making it clear without saying a word she wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than the whole story.
Before Jack could protest or come up with another way to stall, Teal'c took matters into his own hands. "Colonel O'Neill and myself were testing a new space combat vehicle based on an enemy craft. The craft was sabotaged by a piece of technology that was missed while it was being retrofitted. A recall device, its sole purpose meant to return the craft to its point of origin, initiated a program that seized control away from us. The voyage would have taken several centuries at maximum speed. I have no doubt we would have asphyxiated long before reaching our destination." Teal'c had managed to completely ignore Jack's frantic facial gestures and arm waving to get him to stop talking during his entire detailed explanation. O'Neill had hung his head in defeat by the time the Jaffa had finished.
"Huh." It was all Kara could think to say. She blinked several times before she managed to find her voice once again. "Okay, that explains why Janet came down here to check you two over, but that still leaves me with far more questions than answers."
"You do realize that was supposed to be classified right?" Jack muttered before rubbing his temples in frustration.
"It was but one of many times we have faced death O'Neill. However, I believe you may 'court martial' me if you wish."
Kara's blue eyes widened as she looked at the two of them with outright concern. "One of many?!"
"Yup. And not really Teal'c. Besides, I don't think it matters now." The crack in Jack's table became slightly larger as he proceeded to sit down and bang his forehead against it repeatedly.
"Colonel, I still say that Kara's too smart for simple cover stories anyway. She picked up our language in a matter of hours. I strongly believe she'd find the answers on her own. Right Kara?"
"Even among my own people, I was considered a genius. Besides that, my father was one of the leading researchers at Krypton's science academy. So yes, you'd be right Sam." Kara's face fell as a sudden thought occurred to her. Before anyone could say a word, she lightly hugged O'Neill, for the first time truly realizing how fortunate she had been. "I'm glad both of you are alright, and not just only because who knows how long I might have been in stasis. Or if I would have been found by someone far less accepting than all of you have been towards me."
O'Neill had promptly ceased thunking his head on the table the moment he'd heard the cold shiver of fear in Kara's voice, or felt it in her small yet deceptively strong arms. Looking directly at her, Jack's grimace disappeared, replaced by a solemn look of understanding. "Since we're doing story time, might as well get this out in the open. There are plenty of people on our quaint little rock I wouldn't want within five hundred miles of you, or any of the other alien allies we've made. As for enemies, we have a few of those that have tried to study or enslave us, depending on the day of the week. So, I guess we have a unique understanding of what it's like to be on the table, so to speak." O'Neill couldn't count the number of times the System Lords had tried to pick their brains, if nothing else, in an effort to destroy all resistance. The SGC had held the line against them, and if Jack had any say about it, they would continue to do all that they could to defend their home world.
"Rest assured Kara Zor-El, no force in this galaxy will be allowed to harm you so long as I draw breath." Teal'c gently rested a hand on Kara's shoulder as she barely managed to avoid shaking, something the Jaffa had noticed immediately. He made a mental note to ask her if she would wish to practice Kelno'reem at a later date, but held his tongue for now. There would be a time for that later.
"Um Teal'c, Carter and I are right-" Jack could already feel Janet and Cassandra's glares from a mile away. "Oh, right, you guys too."
"Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it." Despite their well intentioned words, Kara couldn't keep her smile in place as she looked to the carpeted floor after she sat back down on the couch. "Before I went into that stasis pod and left my dying world behind, my father and his brother were fond of promising me a better Krypton. One free of the close mindedness and xenophobia that had gripped our race. They ultimately failed, and I was forced to flee before those loyal to our council of elders could take our entire House into custody. So please, don't….just don't." It was a summed up version of events, but it was close enough to the truth to make Kara regret bringing it up as she wiped at her misty eyes once again.
"Then we'll just have to prove it to you Kara." Sam said quietly as she went to rub the girl's back, but Daniel's return stopped her before all eyes fell on him.
"Okay, Ms. Kara Shepard..." Daniel sighed, still obviously to his surroundings as he glanced at the paperwork in his hands. "Fifty-two perfectly good suggestions and you end up using that, Zor."
"I had an instinctive feeling that it would become a name people would rally behind." Zor-El shrugged at the dubious glare Daniel shot his way, having reappeared the moment Daniel arrived.
"Okay Zor, whatever you...and I missed something important again didn't I?" Taking in the somber scene in front of him, Daniel just shook his head in annoyance and continued. "Anyway, I hate to inform you, Ms. Shepard, that when you were five years old, your adoptive parents died in a car crash in Ontario, Canada. The reason for your initial adoption was simple, your biological parents couldn't afford a child at the time, and were forced to give you up. You bounced around from foster home to foster home until you ran away and disappeared off the grid for a few years. During that time, you tracked down your biological parents, which led you here to Silver Creek, Minnesota. They had unfortunately passed away some time ago, and the rest of your family wanted nothing to do with you."
"Selfish bastards. Nice touch Daniel." Jack nodded his head in approval.
"Actually, that was Zor again. He apparently has a thing against people that abuse their religious beliefs for their own ends. He made it a point to give me an annoying lecture how 'primitive' such thinking was." Kara managed a small laugh at that even as she tried to suppress just how grateful she was for the immense undertaking these not quite strangers had started for her. Daniel meanwhile sat down before putting the command key and his computer back on the cracked table before he turned to O'Neill. "And Jack, you had an eventful vacation and found her half starved on the street and decided to take her in. Seeing as you are a fine upstanding member of the armed forces...and a former father, child services was more than happy to put the paperwork through, granting you legal guardianship."
"So I'm officially Odin, and you are my far less troublesome blonde version of Loki. I like it!" Jack emphatically stated with an over exaggerated nod before slightly narrowing his humor filled eyes. "I have much to teach you, my naive young apprentice."
Daniel sighed, knowing that he should have talked himself up more with Zor-El on the way into town. Now Kara would be stuck with a guy who thought comic books and Star Wars constituted works of fine art. "It's probably not too late to let your 'dad' work his digital magic again if you'd rather have Sam, or I don't know, a really smart, caring, and sensitive guy for your guardian. Or Jack. Your choice."
Kara tilted her head in mock thought as Daniel leaned in slightly closer to hear her. "So many amazing choices... I do like Teal'c, but Jack seems more fun." Kara turned to face the towering Jaffa. "No offense Teal'c. You can be my overprotective 'big brother' if you like." When Jackson just blinked at her with a mildly betrayed look, Kara quickly took pity on him. "I'll always need a really smart, caring, and sensitive 'uncle' too. And a brilliant 'aunt' who I can ask for advice and constantly impress." Carter smirked in approval, liking the sound of that already.
The Jaffa bowed lightly to the young Kryptonian, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "No offense was taken, and I am honored Kara Shepard. Since I am reminded on a daily basis of my stoic nature, I am also forced to agree with your assessment that I lack the capacity for 'fun'."
Having stayed silent long enough, Cassandra was quick to add her two cents into the conversation. "Hey, what about my mom? She's fun….ish."
"Thanks Cass." Janet drawled in feigned annoyance.
Kara could only shake her head in amusement before holding up a hand, silencing any further protests before they could begin. "I know I'm going to be saying this a lot, but I don't know how I'll be able to thank you for everything you've done."
Zor-El couldn't keep the smirk from his face even if he had tried. "Perhaps it would be wise for you to become a part of this SGC program I found mentioned on their so called 'secured' servers based in 'Washington D.C.'? Also, I can't help but notice I was not mentioned. I can sympathize with the disappointment Doctor Frasier is no doubt feeling right now."
"It would be possible if she got herself noticed as an up and coming expert in the field of her choice. "We're always looking for the best and brightest to help in our research of life beyond our own world." Fraiser helpfully told the AI's holographic form, before continuing. "And the fact that you are her father, even in another form, was clearly a given Zor. She has too many of your personality traits not to be related to you." Zor gave the physician a wry smile before nodding to her.
Jack could contain his glee no longer despite his earlier protests about revealing anything related to the Stargate Program. Slapping his hands on the side of his chair, he grinned over to the young blonde before opening his mouth. "Well, since you're now part of my crazy family, and your 'dad' probably knows half of this stuff already, I guess it's only fair if you 'overheard' us big damn heroes talking about a highly classified military operation or two. Your folks didn't happen to know anything about wormholes did they?"
"We know of six different types of them, why?" Kara asked with a dubious look on her face. She had a feeling Jack wasn't going to make it that easy.
"Oh no reason." Jack's less than subtle grin only served to annoy Kara further.
"Six?!" Carter gasped in surprise.
"Later Carter, you can geek out later." Jack was quick to interrupt before the nerds could start comparing notes, and he'd have to pretend he understood nothing of what they said instead of only half.
End Notes; Vergil1989; It begins. Kara's been 'adopted' by our favorite Colonel, and we might have dropped a hint or two of future events. I won't say one way or the other and you can't make me! Lol, joking aside, we hope you enjoy guys and gals. This little crazy idea from Nomad is shaping up quite nicely if I do say so myself.
Archer83; Nomad's ideas have to easily be the most heartwarming stuff Vergil and I have worked on yet. I'd just like to thank him again for constantly coming to us with his awesome ideas, not to mention great advice and thoughts on our own stories. As always, please send in those reviews and PMs! Going by your responses so far, it seems the three of us have really started something special with this story!
