Chapter 2

Dr. Helen Magnus had had better days.

Will was currently wiping antiseptic on a long scrape on her forearm where she had fallen when the stranger, whoever he was, had smashed her to the ground. Her leather jacket was bunched under Daniel Jackson's head, and she was wearing a tank top with a deep-V neckline and back and black leather pants.

The abnormal they had come to catch was lying trussed up in the corner – it had taken multiple tranquilizers to bring him down. Their unexpected human guest, whom Ashley was persisting in calling "Bait," was lying in another corner unconscious with a bandage on his head.

"Damnit Will, be careful," Magnus snapped as he pressed on a particularly tender spot. Not fazed, Will Zimmerman sat back on his heels and stared at her.

"Nothing broken, Magnus, but that's a nasty scrape," he said.

She smiled at him in apology, and he nodded, accepting it. They both looked over at the man who had led the abnormal straight to them.

"What about him?" Magnus asked.

"Not sure," Will said, brow furrowed. "I think he has a concussion."

"Yes, that would explain why he is still unconscious," she said mildly. Will flushed. "But who is he and what is he doing down here?"

Ashley shrugged. "Easy enough to find out the first question." She rolled him over and grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket, flipping it open before Helen could reprimand her. "Driver's license from Colorado, Daniel Jackson. Also a U.S. Air Force identification card for Daniel Jackson. Better than calling him 'Bait' I guess."

Helen rose, ignoring Will's outstretched hand. "Daniel Jackson the archeologist? I thought he was dead," she exclaimed, walking over to look more closely at their guest. He chose that moment to wake up, groaning and putting a hand to his head.

"Ow," he whispered to himself, touching the bandage. That seemed to remind him of something and he immediately sat up, eyes flying open and darting around. Ashley threw an arm around him and eased him back down onto Will's jacket before he collapsed. "You're not Sam," he said to her.

"She is Ashley Magnus, I am Dr. Helen Magnus, and this is Dr. Will Zimmerman," Helen announced, crouching down next to him.

"You aren't Sam either," Daniel said. He reached out one hand toward her hair, but stopped short of touching it. "You don't sound like Sam, but you sure look like Sam. But Sam is blonde."

Helen smiled, grabbing his hand and patting it as she returned it to his chest. "Well, I think we have established that whomever Sam is, I am not she. Nor are any of us. Dr. Jackson, what are you doing down here?"

Daniel immediately looked wary. "How do you know who I am?"

Ashley grinned and waved the pilfered wallet at him. "I can put it back if you like," she said suggestively.

"Ashley!" Helen snapped. "Go check on the abnormal," she said in a calmer tone. Huffing, Ashley tossed the wallet to her mother, rose and stalked off, her leather clad rear wiggling suggestively.

Helen turned back to Daniel, only to find him staring straight at her, still looking confused. "Your daughter?" he guessed, gesturing toward Ashley.

"Hmm…yes," she responded. Again, she caught his hand and returned it to his chest. But this time she didn't pat and let go, she left her hand there. The lines of confusion on Daniel's face smoothed a bit as he stared at her.

"Huh."

Will, standing off to the side, found his eyes glancing quickly from the clasped hands on Dr. Jackson's chest, to the locked eyes, to Helen's slightly parted lips. He turned away. It all added up to Helen being interested in this Daniel Jackson person, and that was something Will didn't want or need to witness.