Tested

When Danni finally awoke the sun was pouring in through the stained windows of her new room. Her new home. Atlantis.

The light was anything but beautiful. Nothing is beautiful when you have a hangover. Her head pounded. So much for an inhumanly fast metabolism. It only produced what Danni assumed had to be the most intense pressure headache imaginable. She let out an involuntary moan.

"Of all the things to forget…" She muttered. Then she searched out a clock; some viable reference for time, and it was then that she realized all of the boxes that had accumulated in the once wide open space that was her room were bombarding her with a clutter that needed to be explored. Somewhere in there was an alarm clock. But she didn't need an alarm clock to remember the day. Or the night before…of course that was fuzzy at this point. Somewhere around the time her peripheral vision began to fail and a dark shadow replaced her eyelids like something out of a Tim Burton film her memories of the night began to go a bit askew.

The day. Today.

"Shi…" She sat up too soon. That was all it took. The room bowed down to her and her stomach rose. Amazingly when she leaned back over the side of the bed to avoid laundry, she lost the party remains in a wastepaper basket, expertly placed a few inches from the bed skirt. A small, but bitter tasting, smirk grew. Ten guesses as to who had left that there, but she only needed one.

Danni gave herself another moment to determine whether movement was acceptable, and then made it to her washroom to brush her teeth for ten minutes straight. If anything the mint flavor helped to calm her stomach. The pounding though, that was going to take a bit longer. Going to the infirmary to get something for a hangover was less than a professional start. She knew better. Besides she had an appointment.

"Well good morning sunshine. Long night? You know…I was wondering if you were going to show up…"

"Would you prefer I never left the office?" Danni replied rhetorically. Oh yeah, smart mouth Dad, he's leaving…forever…real nice, Genius. Danni bit her lip. "Long night. Sorry." Then she pointed to her head. "But don't worry, it's not a habit or anything."

Jack nodded slowly. "Hope not." Then he grinned. "So, ready for your first examination?"

"It helps to know what the test is in order to prepare for it." She reminded him. He had already refused to tell her for some time. "Although, seeing as we are in the commissary, I'm assuming breakfast is involved…please."

"No such luck." A voice flittered in. "And consider it a pop quiz."

"Mom?" Danni turned inquisitively. Sam had tested her math, science, and other technological skills already. Not that they needed much work. Flying colors were an understatement. Danni's glance turned towards Sam's belly. "So…how are you…we…doing?"

Sam patted her distention with both hands. "Good. Calm down sweetheart."

Danni just nodded. "Yes, ma'am." Somehow the sight of her mother pregnant was unsettling. She may have been Jack's second child, but she was Sam's only.

"Ready?" Jack was looking at his wife. Their daughter was looking at them both. Then a light took them.

"Oh…crap…" Danni's stomach flipped as soon as she rematerialized, and she pitched forward. Dry heaves followed.

"Good thing we skipped breakfast, huh?" Jack mocked, all the while happy that her stomach had been empty. Her aim would have made his shoes very unhappy had it been the other way around.

"Did I mention you go bald?" Danni replied casually. Jack's eyes reached a sufficient width before a grin cracked on her face.

"You play dirty." Sam giggled.

"Got it from you, my dear mother." Danni breathed in some fresh hanger air. "This looks…familiar…enough."

"Test number one. Flight. Puddle Jumper doesn't count, that's too easy, all you need is a gene and the brain. We want to see your technical maneuvering skills in something a bit more…rudimentary." Jack indicated the 302 behind him.

A cocky grin replied. "Who's my co-pilot?"

Jack smiled full force. "That would be your examiner." And with that he adjusted his jacket collar.

"This is gonna be good."

"Hurry up and get your flight suits on." Sam waved them away.

A few minutes later they were both back and being strapped in. "Watch those hands airman." Danni warned.

The young man had not meant to get so close, but tight spaces what they were, his fingers had lingered a little too long on Danni's leg for her liking. He rose quickly and looked away with an apologetic fumbling smile towards the elder O'Neill who was giving him the raised and un-amused brow.

"Don't look at him." Came a somewhat prissy tone. "I'm right here." She controlled a flash brewing in her eyes. She wasn't supposed to do that anymore, but the urge remained and she looked away before she could fail herself. "That will be all airman." She looked up. "Thank you." And she meant it. She was going to have to learn to control her temper; otherwise it could cause a hell of a lot of damage. It had been seen before, thousands of years in the past.

"Please tell me you talk to all the boys like that." Jack quipped as the canopy lowered.

Danni grinned to herself. "Probably not as much as you'd like, of course some seem to like it."

Jack let out a small cough. "Okay then." And with that he called in their readiness.

Half an hour later they were all beamed back to the Atlantis base. Jack's eyes had yet to readjust to the bright lighting and he scrubbed them over with his knuckles.

"Like riding a bike." Danni giggled.

"Some bike." Jack shook his head and turned towards Sam. "Flies just like her old man." Jack grinned with a hint of smugness.

Sam gave a tightlipped smile in return to his remark. "Can't say there's anything wrong with that."

Danni wrenched her head back. "Well I can." She looked a bit bewildered, but Jack and Sam were both beginning to learn her facial expressions. Just like when she had been the mute and lost girl, her face spoke volumes more than her voice ever would. "I fly way better than Dad." Danni rolled her eyes for emphasis. Sam snorted. Jack bit his tongue. They all laughed.

"I'm just not sure I want you guys to see this."

"Why not? You've been practicing since we found you…" There was a solemn pause. "Actually…you stopped, once you remembered…but still we've…"

Danni stood with staunch opposition in the semi-quiet training room. "You've seen Lizzie practice, and you've seen Lizzie in action. I don't want you to see me."

"Well, it's the same thing. That was still you."

"No it isn't, and no it never was. What you saw was reactions, kinesthetic reactions. That wasn't me fighting. That was a girl who didn't know where she had learned that stuff, and she didn't remember having used it. I know where it came from, and I will never forget using it. At least not again." Danni turned around to face another part of her family that she hadn't known nearly as long. "And for those of you who came for a show, you can leave."

Her friends looked at her strangely. She had never intentionally been rude towards them like that before. But this was a blatant coldness; a demeanor that struck them all the wrong way. What was it that she was holding back from? Teyla seemed to understand more than anyone that in the very least it would be best to respect her wishes, and she led Rodney out by his elbow. The others would surely follow, especially after the parting look she shot at them.

"Look, D, I don't know what this is about…and if you'd rather we talk later, that's fine." Jack gave a small smile, but one that still showed his confusion. "But you still have to pass the test, it's a requirement. I know, we know, everyone knows that you're capable, but if this is all going to get worked out, you have to jump through a few more hoops."

Danni huffed and sighed, then took a hagerred step forward, bowing her head in to close the distance of her whisper. "Do you have to be here for this one?" Her gaze was a silent plea.

"I…" Jack turned to Sam and shrugged. "Well a superior officer has to, I don't think that means me per say. If you want your mom to…"

"NO!" Danni gritted her teeth. "I don't want either of you to do it." She shifted her footing. "Please."

Two sets of wide eyes stared back.

It was another voice that cut in this time. One of two who hadn't gotten the hint to evacuate. "I don't mean to interrupt, but if you'd like, I can be the observer…on this one."

The O'Neill family turned towards the doorway where two brave souls had dared to linger. One only by lack of choice; Ronon stood silently waiting to play his part as Danni's spar partner. But John had stayed to see exactly what was causing the disturbance between the family members.

Jack sighed this time and Sam spoke up. "If you're sure, John. We'll want a full report. This is going to the highest ups. No bias, and don't leave anything out."

John shrugged it off as his gaze caught Danni's. There was a thank you in her eyes and he gave a slight nod to her as well. "Not a problem. This shouldn't take long anyway."

Danni gave a meager smile in return. "Thanks."

Jack and Sam exchanged one of their patented conversations via their eyes, and then nodded their way out.

Danni walked over to the bench to get herself put together, and pick out weapons. She slowed her progression with the tape around her fingers when she heard his footsteps approach.

"So, what was that about?" Sheppard was leaned in closer than he needed to be. Ronon was too far away and in his own state of mental preparation to be able to hear them.

Danni looked into his face for a brief second, then back to her hands which she began to tend to with great haste before she replied. "I don't want them to see me like I get…it's not always pretty."

"I've…we've seen you at work Danni, it's pretty amazing. I don't know why you suddenly feel self-conscious about it."

"I don't feel self-conscious. I just don't want them going home and be thinking about me growing up to be…this…"

Ronon strode in, a slight limp that hadn't been seen before. But it was the gash over his cheek that drew the most attention.

"Stop pouting. It wasn't exactly a fair fight." A female voice called from the hallway.

Jack was already up from his seat, the spar session had lasted far longer than anticipated. Sam had given up on quickly standing a few weeks before and chose to observe from a seated, albeit observant, position.

Ronon grunted and walked across the room. Danni and John entered rather simultaneously after him, almost getting stuck in the smaller doorway.

"Ronon, she warned you." Sheppard reminded him.

"Well she said she would be weaker." The large man pointed, and in doing so set off an indignant glare from Danni.

"I was." She growled.

Jack raised his hands and stepped between them. "Okay kids, play nice. Sheppard, what's going on?"

"Captain O'Neill passed…and then some. Ronon here's just a little upset at the 'then some'."

"I still say she cheated the second time." Ronon grunted.

Danni walked forward and around Jack's side. She pitched her head forward slightly and let lose the glowing fury within. "They say third time's a charm, wanna try?" She taunted.

"Ack!" Jack grabbed Danni's arm before she could take another step and she swung her gaze at him. "Don't you glow your eyes at me young lady." The blue faded to brown.

"Second time?" Sam asked before indicating that Danni should come sit by her.

"I broke his arm…" Danni shrugged.

"You what?" Sam replied wide-eyed.

Danni's voice went up an octave as she sat. "I fixed it!" She gestured over. "I did my thing, then took a power nap, which is why we took so long by the way, then Macho Man wanted another go and I kicked his ass. Again!" The last few words were directed at Ronon who rolled his eyes.

Sam shook her head and patted Danni on hers.

"Sounds like a pass plus to me." Jack smirked. Ronon left for the infirmary, Sheppard prodding him with ill timed humor the whole way.

"Are we done then?"

Sam turned to Danni. "You're done. All tests passed." She smiled sadly. "What do you say we spend what time we've got left doing something else?"

The young woman smiled and leaned forward to hold her mother.