Castaways 3: Reunion
by Torquelith and Mara-DragonMaster
Daniel drove home in grim silence.
Sam was in the living room when he came in.
"Hey, honey." She said, coming over. Then she saw his face, and froze. "What's the matter?"
Daniel put his keys down and took off his jacket without saying anything.
Sam felt her heart clench. He looked awful, the lines on his face harsh and drawn. "Daniel?"
He looked at her. And then in three swift strides he had her, wrapped in his arms and almost crushed, his face buried in her hair and shoulder. She held him, her eyes wide, wondering and fearing what had happened. She felt a tremor run through him, and heard a soft sound. He was crying.
"Daniel?" She whispered.
He still didn't answer, so she waited, tightening her arms and holding him as close as she could.
"Landry's taking the mirror."
The words were hoarse. Sam closed her eyes, understanding immediately all he left unsaid.
"I had to tell David. Sam… you should have seen him. What kind of brother am I?! I just left him there… all alone… I've ruined his life."
"Oh Daniel… I'm so sorry." Sam clung to him, her mind whirling with all of the things she could say, but it all sounded trite and wouldn't help. "I love you. I'm so sorry."
"He told me I was all he had left."
Sam's arms tightened.
Daniel took in a deep breath, and then he straightened, his face settling and his shoulders squaring. "Okay." He said, looking down at her. "What do we do?"
That was her Daniel. Sam nodded. "I'll make coffee."
They stayed up the whole night. At five am they called General Landry and presented their plan. They expected some resistance, but he surprised them.
"That might actually work." Landry said. "I'll get everything in order on my end. Daniel, you have 72 hours. Go talk to David, and report back to me."
"Yes, Sir!" Daniel said. He ended the call and stood up abruptly from the kitchen table. "Thank you, Sam." He said, bending down and kissing her. Then he hurried off, throwing on his coat.
As he left, Sam picked up the discarded phone and dialed their real estate agent.
Daniel stepped into David's living room. It was dark, but he could make out the shape of someone sitting on the floor, a guitar in their lap, head drooped and dozing. He stepped quietly over and crouched down. In the early morning light just starting to shine in he looked at his brother's face, and saw the haggard paleness and the faintly swollen, red eyelids.
"David." Daniel whispered.
David's eyes flew open as he startled awake, jerking upright. His gaze settled on Daniel, and immediately his face fell. He licked his lips. "Is it time already?" He whispered hoarsely.
Daniel gave him a small smile, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Sam and I came up with a plan." He said. "If you like it."
His eyes widened, and David sat up straight. "What?!"
"How would you like to come and live in my world?"
David gaped.
"It would be permanent." Daniel added, his voice dropping. "But my General approved it… if you want it."
David scrambled to his feet, his face lighting. "Yes!" he exclaimed.
Daniel blinked, "Don't you want to know any details?"
"Uh, what details? My life is in complete shambles, my career is down the tubes, and everyone in my life is dead except you." David paused and then shook his finger. "I'm bringing Rosa, if she'll come."
"Whoa! I don't know if we can do that." Daniel hedged.
"Why? She's elderly and she's got no one. I can't leave her."
Daniel sighed and rubbed his forehead, then slapped his knee. "Okay, how about this, I tell you our plan, and then we try and figure out how to make the rest work? But we've got to move fast… the General only gave me 72 hours."
David scrubbed his hair. He blinked, with the dazed look of someone whose life had changed directions too many times in a row, and then he nodded. "Okay, okay. I'll make coffee." He shook his finger distractedly and turned. "Coffee first."
Daniel followed him into the kitchen.
"So, what's the plan?" David asked, scooping grounds into a filter.
"You have to die." Daniel said, sitting down at the counter. He raised his hand when his brother shot him a confused look. "Here. I mean it has to seem like you've died here. Then you can come through to my world."
"Okay. Then what?"
"Well, the General can issue a new identity for you. Birth records, driver's license, social security number… all of it."
"Would I get to be your brother?" The question was quiet. The sound of coffee percolating filled the following silence.
"Of course." Daniel murmured. "He could make it so that you were an infant when Mom and Dad died, and grew up in foster care, just like me. And as far as anyone knows, we've finally found each other."
"Where would I live?"
"Sam is looking for a house right now."
David turned back, and his face was dry but his eyes were red again. He laughed and shook his head. "Man, this has been a crazy couple of weeks."
"We need to think of some ways that we could fake your death, so that no one here keeps looking for you. I mean, there can't be a body." Daniel said. "We also have to get rid of that mirror somehow… we can't just leave it for someone else to accidentally use." He accepted the cup of steaming, fresh coffee from David and wrapped his hands around the warm ceramic. "We could do some kind of car crash where everything burns, but then we'd need a body to burn and the mirror breaking in the crash sort of ruins any chance of us coming back. Um… we could fake a suicide."
David shook his head. "If I suicide, my life insurance and will gets completely screwed up."
"And?"
"I have most of the money going to places that could really use it. No way."
"Okay." Daniel pinched his nose, and then took a big drink of coffee. "That leaves some kind of accident." He pursed his lips and then looked up. "I don't suppose you have a crazy murdering stalker after you?"
David laughed, and then suddenly snapped his fingers. "I fish! Often! And I have a big ocean right outside! I could make it seem like I slipped and hit my head and drowned! And I could sink the mirror!"
The two of them bent over their coffees and talked and planned all the details. Then Daniel went back through the mirror and made a quick visit to the Stargate base. General Landry approved his request to have Rosa come through as well, after, of course, a thorough background check had shown that in Daniel's reality the old Rosa had died years earlier in Mexico and had no family. He also approved Daniel's requisition for a couple of small items, which Daniel brought back with him as fast as possible. It had been several hours. When he came back through the mirror he found David putting away his fishing poles and tackle box in the front closet.
"I went out and fished for a bit, talked to a neighbor of mine who also fishes, and I called and made an appointment to have my hair cut next week." David said. "I also called my agent and set up a meeting for tomorrow afternoon to go over signing on with a new studio. I told him not to worry about the insurance investigation. Then I called my lawyer and told him to put the papers together to approve an exhumation for you and Mom and Dad to prove my innocence."
"You've been busy." Daniel said.
"I want it to be obvious that it's an accident, not a suicide." David said, closing the closet door. "And Rosa's coming to make supper tonight. I'm going to ask her if she'll move to Colorado with me." He sat down on the couch.
"Speaking of that." Daniel sat down on the couch next to him and laid out the items he'd brought. "This is an underwater explosive." He said, showing David the small round object. "It's small, but enough to destroy the mirror, and it has a timer." He set it down and then lifted a small medicine vial with a clear liquid in it. "This is a mild sedative to put Rosa to sleep while we move her, like we planned. If she says yes."
David took the vial from Daniel and stared at it, and then at the explosive. "I never ever once thought I would be using a high explosive and sleeping drugs. Very James Bond."
Daniel chuckled. "By the way, what would you like to take with you? Obviously it can't be everything, but a few personal items…?"
David got up and grabbed the phone, shaking his finger. "Hang on." He said, dialing. "I've got to make a call."
Daniel leaned against the couch and draped his arms across the back.
There was muffled ringing, and then a girl's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Hey, Britney. It's David."
"David! Hiiii!"
"Yeah, hi. Listen, I was wondering… would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night? Say, around seven?"
"Oh my gosh… I'd love to! Are you asking me on a date?"
"Yeah. I was thinking I could make steaks, we could have a little champagne… maybe watch a movie, you know. Something casual."
"Yes… that sounds wonderful! Seven, you said?"
"Mm hm."
"I'll be there. I'll see you then! Bye!"
Her voice was glowing, even muffled as it was to Daniel's ears.
"Bye." David hung up, and grimaced. "She's a nice girl. Works at my old music studio." He tossed the phone on the couch. "It's going to be her worst first date ever. I am terrible." Then he took a deep breath and turned and began to move through his apartment, grabbing his favorite guitar, his most important notebook that he wrote most of his music in, a couple flash-drives of everything from his laptop, his family photo album, and his favorite sweatshirt. He looked longingly at his other guitars, but tore himself away and brought everything else over and put it on the coffee table. Then he went to his bedroom and opened his safe, and took out more than half of the money, and left the rest.
Daniel gaped at the amount he set on the coffee table.
"That's a lot of money."
"Only trust banks so far." David quipped, quoting their Dad.
"That's enough to buy a house."
"Well that's good, because I need a new one."
"Sam's looking for one."
"Yes, but you guys don't need to pay for it. Tell Sam I need a studio and enough room for Rosa to live there too."
"Okay. I will." Daniel promised, and he stood up from the couch, picking up the money. "Is this everything?"
"Yeah." David looked around, seeming to rethink, and then he closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, yeah, that's it. That's everything. No, wait, take my cowboy boots, I don't want them wet."
"Okay." Daniel looked askance at the pointed steel capped toes on the boots. "I'll see you later, then?"
David nodded. "I'll come through later and let you know what Rosa decided."
That night, after supper, David sat down at the table. "Rosa, there's something I need to talk to you about."
She sat down next to him, her eyes crinkling. "Si. What is it?"
"I've been looking for a house in Colorado for the last month. I just… I need a new start."
"Oh!" she covered her mouth with a hand, and then she shakily patted his arm. "Si, that is good. That is good, my Davey. Si, you move. You have a good, happy life." Her fingers tightened on his arm, and then she patted it again, her eyes shimmering but not spilling. "I will miss you. I will miss you very much. I will pray for only good things for you."
"No… you don't understand, Rosa. I want you to come with me." David said, grabbing her hand. He looked at the seventy-three-year old woman, her tiny paper-skinned hands, her tremulous smile crinkling soft cheeks. "I know it's late notice, but the house just closed today and I'm moving tomorrow. Please… please, Nana Rosa, come with me?"
"Oh!" She covered her mouth again, this time with both hands, and then she held his face and laughed, her cheeks growing wet. "Of course, I come with you! Who would cook for you?"
His eyes grew hot, and he hugged her quickly, her thin arms tight around him as she laughed in relief.
"I will come over to your boarding house tomorrow morning." He said. "And we'll put your things in my van and I'll drive you to the airport."
"Aren't you coming with me?" she said, her brows pulling together.
"I have a meeting with my agent in the afternoon, and then I'll fly out in the evening."
"Oh, si. I can get the house ready." She nodded.
"And… I have something else important to tell you."
She settled her hands in her lap.
"Daniel is alive."
"What! And your mother, your father?"
"No, Rosa… they're dead. But Daniel isn't. He lived. Actually, what I'm about to tell you is classified. You can't tell anyone."
She nodded, her eyes wide.
"He works for the government, a secret military base that studies ancient technology. No one here can know that he is alive, do you understand?"
She nodded again, her back straightening. "I understand. I would always protect my two boys."
"He has a family, Rosa. In Colorado. That's why I'm going. And he wants you to come, he can't wait to see you again. He got a private plane for you, and he will meet you there when you arrive."
She sucked in a breath and put a hand on her heart. "A family! Does his wife… know? About him and his secret military base?"
David grinned. "Yes. She works there too. They have four children… a girl, twin boys, and a little boy."
"Ay, dios mío!" she shrieked, and clapped her hands to her cheeks. "He never told me!"
David sent her out the door a short while later to pack her tiny boarding room. Then he headed out to shop.
The next morning dawned cloudy and gray. There was a brisk wind, blowing over the water and causing the waves to chop.
"Perfect." David rubbed his hands together. He grabbed his hoodie, his phone and his keys and headed out to pick up Rosa.
She was waiting for him with excited pink cheeks. He bundled her into his van with her two small suitcases, a box of pottery dishes, a rolled-up wall tapestry (her mother's) and two small painted kitchen chairs from Mexico (also her mother's). Then he handed her a small hot chocolate from Starbucks. It was her favorite.
"Oh, Davey, thank you." She sipped it carefully as he drove towards the airport, chatting about this and that. After a few minutes her eyes drifted shut, and her breathing evened out. David quickly turned around and drove back to his apartment. He parked in the private garage, and then lifted Rosa into his arms.
"Hey, David."
He spun around, his heart pounding, but it was Sam. She smiled and winked. "I'll distract the security guard for you." She whispered, and walked away. He realized that she was wearing a rather attractive black dress and red heels.
Following her a little, he watched her walk right up to the front desk. The guard behind it looked away from the video screens and away from the door. "Excuse me." She said, smiling and leaning on the desk. "I was wondering if you could help me."
"Sure, ma'am. What do you need?"
"Well, I am apartment shopping, and I was wondering if there were any available apartments here? What are they like? And how secure is it here?"
As the guard answered her questions, his shoulders squaring with pride, David quickly scooted through the lobby behind and into the elevator.
It was a bit of a trick to open his door while carrying Rosa, but he managed it, and then carried her in and to the mirror. He saw Daniel on the other side, waiting for him. Without any hesitation, he touched the mirror and was instantly in Daniel's office on the Stargate base.
"Is everything ready?" David asked breathlessly.
Daniel nodded, tucking her on his office couch. "Go get her stuff, quick."
David hurried back through the mirror, down the elevator, and peeked into the lobby. The security guard was still talking with Sam. Seeing him she went off on a new tangent, drawing the conversation deeper.
David ran. He stacked the two small wood chairs, careful not to scratch the paint, and grabbed the two suitcases. Back through the lobby he darted, sweat beginning to run down his face, chanting silently to the security guard Don't turn around, don't turn around, not yet not yet not yet…
The elevator doors closed. He made it to his apartment, and back through to Daniel's office.
"Anything else?" Daniel asked.
"A box of dishes. That's it."
"Okay. The private plane is ready for her; it will land at the Denver airport, and I'll meet her there and drive her to your new home."
"You managed to find one." David gasped, wiping his brow.
"Yes. General Landry pulled a few strings for us."
"Awesome. Okay, back I go. Last trip."
Daniel chuckled.
This time down, David walked nonchalantly out of the elevator, retrieved the box from his car, and then on his way back he waved at the security guard and said, "Hi, Joe!"
Joe waved back. "Good day, Mr. Jackson. How are you?"
"Pretty good. Got a date tonight!" He waved his hand, and made a show of the box slipping. The dishes rattled just a bit as he balanced it against the wall.
"Oh! Excuse me, ma'am." Joe nodded at Sam, and she said her goodbyes, and then Joe hurried over to help David. "Let me help you with that." Joe rebalanced the box on David's arms and pushed the elevator button.
"Thanks." David said, adjusting his hold on the large box. From the corner of his eye he saw Sam duck into the service elevator.
The doors dinged open in front of him.
"A date tonight, huh?"
"Yeah." He grinned, stepping into the elevator. "Her name's Britney. She real pretty, curly blond hair, brown eyes, freckles. When she shows up around seven would you let her up?"
"Sure." Joe said, smiling. "You have fun tonight."
"Thanks!" David called as the doors slid shut.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Sam was in his apartment when he got there, walking around slowly. "This is a nice place." She commented. Then she got down to business, showing him how to set the bomb after she attached it to the side of the mirror.
"You shouldn't set this until you're out on the water and ready to jump." She smiled. "Almost done!"
He grinned back. "Terrible accident about to happen!"
"You'll do fine," she kissed him on one cheek and turned, touching the mirror and going through to Daniel's office.
David bustled about the apartment, setting his cologne and clothes out in the bedroom for his date. Then getting the steaks out to defrost, he set them in the sink and the salad makings on the counter. He set the table, adding wine glasses and a candle in the center of the table. A few movies were laid on the coffee table. He looked around with satisfaction.
He checked his watch. Britney should be receiving the flowers, chocolates, and card he'd ordered to be delivered to her at the studio.
He texted his agent to make sure he was still on for later. Then he slid the mirror into his large duffle bag and added his fishing poles and picked up his tackle box. Sighing softly, he wished this world and life goodbye. His heart hammered, his hands shook a little. The pictures on the mantle he had to leave, and his throat constricted as he looked at each one in turn.
Then he walked out, and closed the door behind him.
Daniel waited in the airport, pacing a little, his hands in his pockets. He had seen pictures of Rosa, and David had told him all about her, and he had tucked her into his office couch when David had brought her through and then studied her for quite a while, until Stargate personnel had collected her and her things and taken her onto the small private plane General Landry had arranged. Then he had driven like mad to Denver, to be there when she arrived.
He fingered the short ends of his newly cut hair. There had been nothing for it, he and Sam had decided. The Daniel Rosa knew hadn't had long hair, and hadn't been missing long enough to grow it. So, Sam had cut it for him to match the pictures in David's photo album.
He'd promised her, before he left, that he would grow it back.
He looked at the door again, and hoped for the hundredth time that he would be able to pull this off. She had known Daniel for twenty years, and he was meeting her for the very first time.
He'd just have to blame any mistakes he made on the accident. Memory problems. That was it.
There was a bustling sound and two voices, a young man appearing pulling a cart with two chairs and two suitcases and a box on it, and a short gray haired, pink cheeked elderly woman following. Her eyes were scanning the room, and the moment she saw him she began to weep, throwing her arms out and rushing with small steps to him.
"My Danny! Oh, my Danny!"
She threw herself into his arms, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheeks and hug his neck. "My Danny, my Danny." She murmured, keeping her tearful voice quiet. "It is so good to see you. I missed you so much!"
Daniel was overwhelmed. He hugged her, and let his eyes close for a moment. So this is what it's like… to be hugged by a grandma.
She pulled back and looked at his face. "You look old." She said.
Daniel chuckled. "Yes, well… I feel like I've aged ten years."
Her expression grew soft. "I am so sorry. Grief is bad." She looked at him up and down. "You were not hurt?"
"I… hit my head." Daniel hedged. "I may not remember everything, Nana Rosa."
"I understand. It is okay." She rubbed his arm. "Whatever you do not know, I will tell you."
He grinned, and offered his arm. "Let's go home."
David waved at Joe on his way out, and said hello to his neighbor as he got his boat ready.
"Water's a little choppy today." His neighbor warned him.
"I'm not going to be out for long. Just out to the point for a bit." He said. "Want to clear my head before I meet with my agent this afternoon."
"Ahh." His neighbor nodded. "How is that mess?"
"I'm hoping it will work out. That's why I'm meeting him." David said, settling his duffel bag and tackle box into his boat.
"You seem awfully cheerful for a man trying to work it out."
"I have a date tonight."
"Ahh!" the neighbor nodded, grinning. "Good luck to you, man." He lifted his thumb and raised his eyebrows. "That explains it. That makes me cheerful, too!"
David laughed and pushed off.
The water was choppy. If he hadn't had ulterior motives, he'd have turned around immediately. As it was he pushed on, hoping and praying the waves wouldn't turn him over before he got out far enough. They kept hitting his boat sideways, which made it feel much worse than it was. He made it to the point and just past it, concealing him from the shore. He dropped an anchor, baited his lines, and sat down.
He pulled a baggy with a sandwich in it out of his duffel, ate two bites, and carefully put it back in the baggy. He didn't seal it, he just set it casually in the duffel, as if he had put it down for just a moment. Next he popped a can of soda, drank a bit, and set that in the cup holder. Then he pulled out one of his music magazines, set it on the floor of the boat, then turned in his seat, put his muddy shoe on it, and slid his foot forward quickly in a kicking motion. The magazine, wet and dirty and bent and slick hit the end of the boat and lay half open, his shoe print easily seen. His phone and wallet he put in a clear, watertight bag and set those in the duffel next to his sandwich.
This next part had him nervous.
Making it seem like he'd cracked his head open, while actually jumping overboard with the mirror and setting it to explode.
That just sounded crazy!
Sunlight began to peek out through the clouds, and the wind began to die down. It was half an hour till two, when his agent was going to stop by.
It was now or never.
He took out his pocket knife and with a quick motion and not any thought he cut his hand. He smeared the blood on the edge of the boat, and put the knife back into his pocket. Then he pulled out a couple of hairs and snagged them in the blood, on the rough edge of the boat.
There was nothing else to do.
David pulled the mirror out of the bag, checked that no one was around to see, and pushed the button on the explosive. A timer immediately began to count down.
He tumbled backwards into the water, clutching the mirror.
Daniel was now back at his office, after taking Rosa to the new house. Sam had met them there, along with Sara, and all of the kids. Daniel had returned to the base, and was waiting in his office with Jack. Both men rocked on their heels, hands in their pants pockets.
They watched the very interesting inside liner of a duffel bag crinkle with movement. Then it was still. Then it crinkled some more, and the corner of a Ziploc bag popped into view. Then it was still again.
"I'm enthralled." Jack said. "What do you think would happen if I went through right now? Think I could fit in a duffel bag?"
Daniel rolled his eyes, though he felt a laugh bubbling up at the thought.
The image suddenly changed to blue sky and clouds, and then David's face and the boat behind him.
"So that's him." Jack commented, tipping his head with interest. "Wow." His brows pulled together. "You look a lot alike."
David's hand did something on the edge, and then the image became a pressed-in view of David's shirt. Darkness and bubbles followed, and then the eerie view of David's face, warped by water. He looked directly at them, reached forward, and touched the glass.
A moment later he tumbled onto the floor along with a tub-full of sea water. He coughed and Daniel reached down and helped him up. "You okay?"
David wiped his face and nodded. "Yeah."
The three of them turned and looked at the mirror again. The seconds went by slowly, one minute, then two, and then suddenly there was a rush of light and boiling and frothing water and then… nothing.
David let out a slow, calming breath. "Well, that's that. No going back now."
"Aw, you don't want to go back anyway." Jack said. "We've got…" he paused, eyes rolling up as he tried to think of something. "Army rations. You don't want to miss out on that."
They laughed.
"Rosa get here alright?" David asked.
Daniel nodded. "She's at the house right now with Sam and Sara, getting to know her 'grandkids'. Now," he patted his brother's shoulder and flinched when water speckled his glasses. "Let's get you in some dry clothes."
"Hurry up." Jack encouraged, looking around at the flooded office floor. "We need to get out of here before they make us start mopping."
They stepped into the hall, Daniel closed his door behind them, and all three men froze. The squeak squeak of a janitorial cart echoed down the hall, drawing closer and closer. The cart came into view, and the man soon followed.
They all looked at each other, and then down at the water oozing out from under the door.
"Abandon ship!" Jack bellowed, and they all took off down the hall in the opposite direction, laughter drifting back.
The janitor looked at the water, shook his head, and lifted his mop.
The End