Disclaimer: Don't own it, wish I did, I just like to play with SG-1 once and a while. I'll put them back when I'm finished. I promise. (And if I owned it, Stargate SG-1 would run forever.)
Beta Reader(2013): Edited by Jon from stargatetwins dot com (Typo's are all mine.)
Reviews: Winjan: I have to admit, I just had to bring Jon into this, and I kinda like him. Nothing like a mini Jack around and your right, I think he and Kayla would be a little weird. As for Kayla and Cameron, well you never know. Scottiedog: Thanks, I'm glad you liked Jon's handling of Kayla insecurities; I thought he was the right person for the job. Col. Natalie Evens: Well we can't have you going through withdrawal. Enjoy. Pollyanna: thank you and yes I will take you up on the beta reading, I just hope you can put up with me. Black Rouge: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Nighshae: Hi, I'm happy you like this story, it has been with me for sometime, and I just needed to finish my other one before I could start it. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Tessa: I hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters.
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and is following along with this story. I'm not sure how long it's going to go for, but I'm having fun writing it at the moment.
DF
Chapter Three: Differences
SG-1 arrived back at the SGC under fire, and as soon as they were through the Stargate, the iris spun shut. It was then they realized something was wrong. The defense troops pointing weapons at them was their first clue. They immediately had their weapons and vests taken from them. Then they were escorted to the infirmary, where Dr. Lam checked them over, offering no explanation as to what was going on. After that, they were marched to the room they were now in, and an SF remained at the door.
"Theories?" Cameron asked once they were alone.
"It might sound crazy, sir, but I don't think we're at our SGC," Ryan informed.
"A parallel universe?" Kayla put forth and saw him nod. "We didn't encounter a Quantum mirror."
"No, but I can't think of any other explanation," the Major concluded.
Kayla sat down at the small table in the room and ran a finger under the collar of her t-shirt, snagging the ball chain around her neck.
The others took their seats too. Cameron sat next to her, seeing her fidgeting. "Jackson, stop it," he slapped her hand away.
"It's all right for you, you're use to these things," she pulled the dog tags free. "I still can't see why civilians have to wear them."
He put a hand on the back of her head, her hair was soft under his fingers, it was still short but no longer extreme. In fact it had gotten a little shaggy. "Those tags have saved your life, and only civilians who go off world wear them, Indiana."
She frowned at him. "Don't call me that."
He ruffled her hair. "Sure, Jackson," he said with a teasing grin and pulled his hand away before she slapped it.
Ryan and Teal'c smiled to themselves, they were used to their teammates bantering and the touching. Hearing footsteps, the Colonel and Major jumped to their feet as the General entered the room.
"At ease," General Landry ordered. "And sit down. I'm sure you've probably realized, this is not your SGC and I'm not your General Landry."
"No offence, sir, but we kind of figured that much out," Cameron remarked. "For one thing, in our world, universe, reality, whatever you want to call it, General Jack O'Neill is in command of the SGC."
"Well, you're definitely in a parallel universe then, Colonel, because I'm in command here," Landry clarified.
"How did we get here, sir?" Ryan inquired.
"At the moment, we're not entirely sure, Major, but Colonel Carter believes it has to do with the formation of a new black hole, and it's bringing in more SG-1 teams by the hour." the General answered him.
Ryan thought about the possibilities, nodding. "I see where she's coming from. If subspace was ruptured for a short period, creating a rift in the space-time continuum that would bring us here."
Hank Landry chuckled. "Major Michaels, right?"
"Yes sir."
He nodded and glanced at the young woman. "I happen to know Colonel Mitchell and Teal'c; however, I believe we haven't met."
Well, that explained whether or not I'm in their universe, Kayla though. "Dr. Kayla Jackson, General."
"I see. Any relation to Daniel Jackson?" He asked.
"Yes sir, he's my father."
That surprised him; as far as he knew his Daniel Jackson didn't have any children, but the resemblance was undeniable. "Excuse me a moment." He said and then walked out.
"Well, that was…" Kayla began.
And Cameron finished her sentence. "Disturbing?"
"Indeed." Teal'c agreed.
"Well, at least we know who's in this universe and who's not," she added.
"It could mean a number of things, Jackson," Cameron told her and glanced at his 2IC. "Right?"
"Yes, sir," Ryan agreed. "Their Dr. Jackson may not be aware he has a daughter."
"Or he and my mother never got together, thus I was never born here," she pointed out matter of fact.
"That too."
Kayla sighed and fiddled with the dog tags around her neck again. They weren't that bad, and she was getting use to them. Just as she was getting use to knowing she carried the locator chip she and everyone else had been implanted with. The chip and the tags she was sure had been Jack's idea. Well, she knew the tags were definitely his idea, especially after what had happened.
There was a knock, and General Landry, with his Dr. Lam, entered the room. "Dr. Lam has a few questions that I'd like to hear the answers to as well."
"Fire away, doc," Cameron insisted with a cheeky grin.
She smothered one. "How long have you all had locator chips?"
He glanced at his 2IC. "Two months?" He saw the man nod and looked back. "About that, they're a good thing, because my archaeologist has a habit of wandering off."
Carolyn Lam noted the person in question squirm and blush. She smiled, jotting the information down on her clipboard.
The General found it amusing, but then again, he had a Dr. Jackson too. "What was the deciding factor?"
Cameron thought carefully about what he was going to say. "Ba'al. He snatched Jackson during a mission and removed her locator beacon. It was all we got when we tried to beam her off his ship." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kayla wince a little and then adjust her glasses. "Anyway, with a little thinking outside the box, we got her back. On returning to the SGC, General O'Neill had orders to have us tagged; we were the first, now all SGC and Atlantis personnel have them."
"And the dog tags she and Teal'c wear?"
"They were General O'Neill's idea, sir," Ryan informed. "He wanted to make sure that mistakes wouldn't be made in the field by our medic's."
"And they've saved Jackson's life." Cameron added.
"Indeed." Teal'c clarified.
Carolyn looked up from her notes. "You have the ATA gene, Dr. Jackson."
"Yes, from my mother," she answered.
"One more question," the General stated. "How is your world faring with the Ori?"
They weren't expecting that question, glancing at each other; Kayla finally answered him. "Sir, we haven't encountered the Ori."
That surprised them. "You haven't been targeted by the Ori?" The doctor inquired.
"No. We found information on P5G-9987 that warned us about them."
"If I may doctor," Landry took the clipboard and pen from her, handing them to Kayla. "Do you know the Gate address."
She took both, wrote it down for him, and gave them back. "If I could talk to your Doctor Jackson, I could explain how we located the cavern where we found the information."
"I'll have you escorted to him, shortly. Excuse me," he said and ushered his daughter out.
"They were surprised that our world has not been targeted by the Ori." Teal'c noted.
"Yeah, I got that too," Cameron remarked and then turned to his 2IC. "Is it possible that our world is one of a few that wasn't?"
Ryan knew it was a possibility. "Yes, sir."
"Then I guess by their reaction, we're the lucky ones."
"Yes, sir, it looks like it."
Shortly turned into half an hour, and by the time the SF arrived to escort Kayla, she was ready to get out of the room. She felt Cameron's touch and gave him a reassuring smile, before leaving with the Airmen. They changed levels, arriving on 18, where she was taken to an office that, in her universe, was her own.
The Airman knocked on the open door. "Doctor Jackson."
Daniel Jackson looked up, and seeing who was there, he stood smiling, seeing a resemblance. "Thank you, Simon," he said as he stood, the Airman nodded and waited outside. "Come in," Daniel insisted, and held out his hand. "Doctor Daniel Jackson."
Kayla hesitated, reminding herself over and over this was not her father. She wasn't even in this universe. He was just someone who looked and acted like her father. When she saw him waiting, she mentally shook herself out of her daze and shook his hand. "Doctor Kayla Jackson."
"It's nice to meet you, please," he gestured for her to sit, giving her a curious smile.
She did, waiting until he had sat down. "This is a little, um…"
"Weird?" he offered.
She nodded, seeing the amusement in his blue eyes. "Yeah, I didn't expect to be doing this."
"I know the feeling," he agreed wholeheartedly. "So, in your universe, my doppelganger is your father?"
Kayla saw that made him a little uncomfortable. "My mother – Emily Marshall, met my dad in college, they were about eighteen, and from what I read in my mom's journal, it was both their first time." She felt her cheeks redden. "When she found out she was pregnant, she left without a word. He didn't find out until about five, nearly six months ago that I even existed."
"I knew an Emily Marshall, we did go to college together, but we were only friends," Daniel told her gently. "We never slept together."
She'd known that by General Landry's reaction to her, still there was one answer she needed to know. "Is she still alive, here in this universe?"
"She is. She's teaching at UCLA," he saw the sadness in her eyes. "You're mother died?"
Kayla nodded. "In a car accident when I was ten, I was in the car too," she saw the emotions that played out across his face. "I spent three months in a coma, and then I had to learn to walk again. After that, it was numerous foster families. My grandparents were dead and as far as everyone knew so was my dad."
He was stunned, frowning. "No one knew your dad was alive?"
"No."
"I'm sorry."
She smiled warmly; she could see he was. "You have nothing to be sorry for, it wasn't that bad."
He knew it was. "You don't lie well, Kayla," he told her. "I may not be your dad, but I can tell you had a rough time in foster care." Nodding, she managed to look everywhere but his face. He put a hand on her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze, letting her know he understood. "How about you fill me in on this planet where you found the information on the Ori?"
"Sure, um." She dug her PDA from the pocket on her trousers. "If I can use your computer, I can download the information."
"Sure." He got up and followed her over to the computer, watching as she made a connection with his computer and downloaded all the data recorded on P5G-9987. "That isn't a normal PDA." He noted.
"No, it's not; it was integrated with Asgard technology by Colonel Carter, who also added a naquadah power cell, as well as titanium alloy casing."
"Wow."
She smiled, and once the download was finished, put the PDA away. She proceeded to tell him how they came to be on 9987, and what had happened, watching his reaction to the story. "Cameron and I are close because of what occurred. I mean, I have strong friendships with Major Michaels and Teal'c too, but this is something different. Ryan – Major Michaels is like a big brother and Teal'c, well..."
"He's Teal'c," Daniel supplied with a smile.
"Yeah, but with Cameron, it's… different, he's become a close friend."
"He's a good guy, in any universe it seems."
She agreed with that. "Yeah he is."
"So, in your universe, do I still work at the SGC?" Daniel asked her, he'd been curious.
"No, you took an assignment to Atlantis. You'd already gone by the time Cameron arrived. He had to put SG-1 together from scratch. He offered Ryan the position of his second in command and managed to get Teal'c to come back, then went through seven archaeologists before I arrived," Kayla explained and then clarified. "I haven't actually met my dad yet."
"You haven't?"
She shook her head. "I found General O'Neill, and after he had a DNA test done, he spoke to the President. Who agreed because I had the ATA gene and every Goa'uld in the galaxy was after my dad and SG-1. They decided I was safer off-world, where no one knew who I was. So they packed me up and sent me to the Alpha Site. I was there for a little over a year, learning everything I could, then the General brought me back and I joined SG-1."
"Wow!" he exclaimed for a second time, trying to get his head round it all. "What about Vala, has she popped up in your universe."
"She did, and not very happy at not finding her Daniel," she saw him wince at that, smiling. "Anyway, she tried to slap a Kor-Mak bracelet on my wrist, but Teal'c stopped her. General O'Neill then kept her under guard until he could shove her through the Gate."
"Well, that explains how you guys never met the Ori," he remarked. "Vala managed to slap that bracelet on my wrist. We found the ancients treasure at Glastonbury Tor and the ancient communications device. Vala and I put the stones on and ended up in the bodies of two Ver Egen's in the Alteran home galaxy, thus encountering them and the Ori."
"Wow," she said, echoing his earlier sentiments. "We found the treasure at Glastonbury Tor as well; the communications device was sent to Area 51 and Colonel Carter."
"So Sam is still there, she's still head of R&D?" He asked her.
She nodded. "She stayed at the SGC when the Colonel and I were guests of the Sodan." She saw him smile at that. "We took Bra'tac with us, who was also captured, and between the two of us we managed to get a treaty. That and the fact both Cameron and I took a beating proving ourselves." She chuckled. "You should have seen the General's face when we arrived back. Cameron was a little loopy from the medicated tea that the Sodan healers gave him for the pain after he reopened his wound."
Daniel laughed. "In this world, Mitchell was the only one taken; we saved a Sodan warrior, who wasn't grateful at all. But in the end, Mitchell came back and Volnek returned to his people."
"I guess our worlds are a little different."
"It seems so," he reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "You are like your mother though."
"Everyone says I'm like my dad," she said softly, pushing up her glasses a little.
Daniel could see that. "I guess you are," he said warmly and then got down to business. "Let's go through this, and then head for the commissary for coffee." He saw her eyes light up at the mention of coffee. "Oh yes, you're a Jackson."
She laughed as they got to work.
DF
Two floors up on 16, Cameron Mitchell was having a conversation with the Cameron Mitchell of the world they were in. The two sat opposite each other, one in green BDUs, the other in green fatigues.
"So we're stuck here," Cameron clarified.
His counterpart nodded. "For the time being, why, got a hot date?"
He frowned at himself. "Yeah, with Ba'al. I still owe him for taking my archaeologist."
Green BDU Cameron chuckled a little. "You're pretty protective of her." He saw the reaction. "Don't worry, I understand."
"I don't think you do," Cameron retorted. "Kayla is my friend, we've saved each other's asses, and she's the best, along with her dad."
Hearing a lot more, green BDU Cameron stared at his doppelganger. "So Ba'al is a problem in your universe?"
"He's aligned himself with the Lucian Alliance; that, and he's got everything that Anubis left behind. He's cloned himself, so we have multiple sightings of him," Cameron explained. "He took Jackson because she understands Ancient, and with the ATA gene, she can use their stuff."
There was a lot more, his counterpart knew that. "You know, I've talked to a few of the other Mitchell's, most have a Kayla in their universe."
"And?" Cameron pushed.
"And in a few of them, she has a closer relationship than friendship with them."
"Really." He tried not to sound too eager for information.
"Really." Green BDU Cameron remarked calmly. "They're married to her." He saw the reaction to that piece of news. "Now, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Kayla, yet, but if she's anything like her dad, who I do know well, then she's a friend you don't want to lose."
Cameron sat back in his chair. "You have no idea, Mitchell."
"Enlighten me," the man challenged.
DF
In Daniel's office, he and Kayla worked through the information she'd downloaded for him. When they were done, he kept good on his promise, heading to the commissary with her, the SF tagging along. Getting coffee, they talked. Daniel had brought a notebook with him, taking notes about things she said.
"So your SGC is powered by a Naquadah generator?" He clarified.
Kayla nodded. "Designed by Sam, she's made it so the base is not relying on power from the outside, what-so-ever," she explained. "It also means the Pentagon can't complain about how much money goes into the program, we're self-sufficient. Our agriculture colonies supply fruit, grain, vegetables and meat; which is brought through the Stargate, thus keeping the base more secure, after an incident with attempted poisoning. The Air Force is actually making money by selling specialized medicinal crops that have been grown off world."
Daniel was stunned. "Wow, we haven't colonized other planets yet," he said and jotted that down.
"We have two agricultural planets, as well as science and research bases and military bases. The prime military base being the Alpha Site where I did my training, they have teams that train and work out of the base."
"And Atlantis, do they have a problem with the Wraith?"
"Um, yes, but with the extra ZPM's that were found, and the other advancements they've made, they're getting on top of the problem," Kayla informed.
"This is really amazing," Daniel exclaimed. "You've been spared the Ori, you've colonized planets for agriculture, science and research, your base is self-sufficient."
"And we're in a bloody battle against Ba'al and the Lucian Alliance," Kayla added. "They've formed a treaty and Ba'al is getting stronger every day. The remaining Goa'uld who survived the Replicators are showing their support to him, and if he manages to get a foothold on the Ancient technology Anubis left behind, we could be in trouble."
He nodded. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make it sound like your world didn't have any problems. I just meant that you've taken steps we haven't."
Kayla lent forward, cupping her mug of coffee. "Right now, I'd settle for a way home."
"We're doing what we can," Daniel told her. "I promise, if we can get you home we will; it just doesn't look good right now."
She had a feeling that was the case. "Well, with all the Sam Carter's you've got around at the moment, anything is possible," she stated, trying to be positive.
He gave her a smile. "And it usually is."
DF
Four days later Cameron and his team were heading home. They were given their vests and weapons back, and were escorted to the Gate Room.
The Colonel Carter of that universe had worked out how the rip had occurred that had brought them all there and developed a way to send everyone home. The team that had caused the rip had been the first to leave, they were the second to last.
General Landry stood with his own SG-1, greeting Kayla's team with a smile as they entered the Gate Room. He held out his hand to Cameron. "Colonel, look after your team."
"I will, sir," he said, shaking the General's hand.
Sam handed Ryan a small yellow case. "It's the antidote for the Priors plague, just in case you need it. Though we hope your world never does."
"Thank you." He took it.
Daniel stepped forward and gave Kayla a hug. "It was good to meet you; I hope you get a chance to meet your dad."
"Thank you. I gave your Sam the schematic for my PDA; don't lose too many of them."
"I'll try not to," he promised as he smiled. "Be careful out there."
"I will," she said, hesitating for a moment, then rose up on her toes and quickly kissed his cheek, before stepping up onto the ramp with her team. Half way up, Kayla stopped and turned back, her team waiting. "Daniel, give Emily a call."
He waved to her, "I will."
Cameron turned to Daniel, "Who's Emily?"
"In her universe, her mother, in ours, an old friend."
"Aha."
Kayla turned and walked with her team through the Stargate.
They arrived back in their own universe, on the planet they had visited. Cameron, Ryan and Teal'c took a defensive position as the Stargate closed down. Kayla grabbed the yellow medical case Ryan had set down, and headed for the DHD. She quickly dialed out, pushing the activation crystal. The Stargate lit up, and she sent through SG-1's IDC, tucking her GDO back into her vest pocket. "All set, Colonel."
"Let's go then," he urged. He turned and keyed open his radio. "SGC, this is SG-1 team leader, we're coming home," he informed.
"SG-1 team leader, this is the SGC, the door is wide open," the reply from the base commander came over his radio.
Cameron chuckled, and then signaled them to move out. Quickly they headed back through the Stargate, stepping back into the SGC, the iris shutting behind them after the Stargate closed down.
General O'Neill hurried into the Gate Room with Jon, the two happy to see everyone. "Colonel, what happened?" Jack asked.
"Well, sir," Cameron began as they walked down the ramp. "We had a nice visit to an alternate SGC, and met quite a few alternate SG-1's."
"You found a quantum mirror?" Jon asked them.
"Nope," he and the rest of his team handed over their P-90's to waiting SF's. "I'll let Michaels explain it. He spent quality time with what," he turned to his 2IC, "eighteen Colonel Carters?"
Ryan smiled. "And one Martouf."
"I stand corrected," Cam mused, and addressed his commanding officer. "Jackson here had equal time with roughly the same number of Daniel Jackson's. Teal'c with his mostly silent counterparts, and me, well I think I've had enough of talking to myself."
Jon had to bite his lip to stop from laughing, so did Jack, who gestured to the case Kayla carried. "And that?"
"In all the other universes, the Ori have targeted Earth, there was a plague, and this is the antidote; they thought we should have it, just in case," she explained.
"Give it to Dr. Lam when you get to the infirmary," he told her. "We'll debrief at," he glanced at his watch, "fifteen hundred."
"Yes, sir," Cameron acknowledged and guided his team out.
Jon sighed. "They have all the fun," he mumbled as he walked out.
Jack chuckled, turning when he heard Chief Harriman say his name over the PA. "Yes, Walter."
"Sir, the President is on the phone."
"Thank you, Walter!" He then recalled what he was supposed to have told Kayla, and yelled up at Walter, "Inform Dr. Jackson about the conference call with SG-17 as soon as she's available."
"Yes, sir."
Sighing again, Jack hurried out of the Gate Room, up to his office, and picked up the phone, "Yes, Mr. President."
By the time, Jack had finished his phone call he had a headache, bad enough to have him strolling into the infirmary.
Carolyn was a little surprised to see him. She'd found out quickly enough the infirmary wasn't his favorite place. "General?"
"Doc, got something for a headache?" he asked, wincing at the bright lights in the ward.
"This way, sir." She led him over to one of the beds. "Sit down, General."
"It's a headache, doc," he whined.
She frowned at the stubborn man. "Sit down, Jack," she ordered sternly. He did and she drew the curtain around the bed to give him some privacy. "Take off your shirt."
"Doc, it's my head that hurts, not my navel." He complied anyway, after another stern look.
Standing behind him, Carolyn checked around his neck and down his spine, even through his tee shirt she could feel the tension. "I'll be back in a moment, Jack."
"Not, going anywhere, doc," he told her, eyes closed.
She hurried out and returned with two white tablets and a cup. "Take these, boots off and on your stomach."
He opened his eyes. "It's a headache, doc, I'll take the tablets and go lay down in my quarters."
She held fast, arms crossed against her chest. "Do you want me to make it an order, General?"
He took the tablets, swallowed them down with the water, and handed her the cup back, removing his shoes while she disposed of the cup. Once they were off, he laid down on his stomach. "Now what?"
She crossed to his side. "Relax and let me do my job."
"Knock yourself out, doc," he said with a casual wave of his hand. He heard her chuckled and closed his eyes, deciding after a few minutes he was going to have to buy his CMO a bottle of whatever good stuff she liked. He almost moaned as her hands kneaded away the tension. Damn she was good.
"You've got to learn to relax more, Jack," Carolyn told him.
"Not easy with my job," he said unperturbed.
"There is a life outside the mountain," she reminded him. "How's Margo?"
"Good. Visiting her sister," he said with a sleepy voice.
She smiled; the tablets were working. "Drew too?"
"Mmm, bragging that his mother is sleeping with a two star General." He heard her chuckled again. "Damn kid knows too much."
"He's proud of you, Jack."
"I know."
Carolyn smiled as she continued to gently manipulate and massage knotted muscles, feeling him relax. "I've sent a sample of the antidote SG-1 brought back with them to the lab."
"Let me know what they find."
"I will." Out of the corner of her eye saw the curtain move, and Sam Carter came in. "You've a visitor, Jack."
"Hey Carter," he said, not attempting to move or look in her direction.
"How did you know it was me, sir?" She asked.
"Channel number 5; I bought it for you for Christmas last year."
She smiled at that. "Of course." She grabbed a stool and sat down. "Is everything all right, sir?"
"Headache," he mumbled. "She made me lay here."
Sam saw the doctor smile. "I'm sure Dr. Lam had to twist your arm too, sir."
He snorted and mumbled something unrecognizable before asking her. "So Carter, what are you doing back at the SGC?"
"I'm on leave. I put in a request to go to Atlantis, it was granted," she revealed.
Jack had already known that; the President had mentioned it in his phone call, along with the fact the Daedalus was on its way with a ZPM. He turned his head so he could look at her. "Going to spend some time with Daniel?" He saw her nod, he also saw a lot more, and he knew her well enough to know when she needed to talk. "Doc, the headache is easing; you want to give us a minute?"
Carolyn understood. "I'll see you're not disturbed, General," she said and walked out without argument, closing the curtains.
Jack hadn't been lying, his headache had eased, the tablets and Carolyn's magic hands had helped. "What's going on Sam?"
She looked briefly at her feet before looking up to see he was waiting for an answer. With the use of her first name, he'd removed rank. "I need to find myself, Jack, I feel lost."
He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. "How long?"
"I don't know, a few months, perhaps a little longer," she could see he was concerned. "After the mission to P9G-844, I took a long look at myself and my life, and I realized I wasn't happy. Even Cassie could see it; she told me I need to find myself, and I can't do that here."
"And going to Atlantis will help?"
Sam nodded, she'd thought long and hard about this, about what she wanted. "I feel like I don't have anything keeping me here anymore," she said softly, heart felled. "Everyone has moved on."
Jack sighed. "And we moved on?"
"There never was a we Jack," she admitted to him and herself. "I thought there was, I hoped there might have been, but rules and regulations got in our way and we became nothing more than close friends."
Getting up, Jack gestured for her to stand. "Come here," he urged, knowing she needed this. She stood and he drew her into his arms. The first of her tears fell; he just rubbed her back, comforting her. "You know Daniel is far better father and husband material then I am, and he's loved you for a long time."
She sniffed, pulling back a little, a little stunned by the confession. "How do you know?"
"Before he left, he told me to look after you, that he loved you," Jack revealed. "He said he had for a long time, but he felt you didn't feel the same way."
"Oh god, Jack, I've been such a fool," she exclaimed.
"No, you haven't, Sam," he assured her, smiling. "You just needed a kick in the six."
She chuckled and wiped her eyes. "I guess I did."
"Don't sweat it, Danny-boy deserves one too," he smirked. "So, do you mind if I give him one?"
"No," she smiled.
"Good," he released her. "So, you staying here until the Daedalus arrives?"
"I am, someone has to help Siler hook the ZPM up," she said happily.
"Aha, thought there was a reason," he patted her on the back after glancing at his watch, grabbing his shirt. "Come on, I have to debrief the kids, they went on a little parallel universe side trip on their way back from their last mission. Want to sit in on it?"
"Really, a parallel universe?" She was curious, and a little jealous.
"Yep, and I quote my son. They have all the fun," he smirked, slipping his shirt back on.
Sam laughed. "Yes sir, they do," she agreed, and waited until he'd put his boots back on before they left the infirmary together.
SG-1 was in the briefing room when Jack and Sam arrived, though one person was noticeably absent.
Jack frowned, "Colonel, where is your archaeologist?"
Cameron jabbed a thumb at the large window overlooking the Gate Room. The Stargate was active. "Conference call, sir, SG-17."
Sighing, Jack nodded. Major Alexander had been adamant about speaking with Kayla as soon as she returned. "All right." He took a seat. "We'll wait for Indiana."
Sam smiled and turned to Teal'c, who was at her side. "It's good to see you again, Teal'c."
"It is good to see you, Colonel Carter."
They took their seats, the one next to Cameron was left vacant.
"So, Sam, staying long this time, or is it a short visit?" Cameron asked her.
"No, I'm here for a while, well, until the Daedalus arrives," she explained. "I'm taking leave and going to Atlantis."
"Is everything all right, Colonel Carter?" Teal'c inquired, concerned.
"Everything is fine, I just want to visit Daniel for a while," Sam said sincerely.
The Stargate shut down, and a few seconds later Kayla jogged up the stairs carrying her computer notebook and a thick journal.
"Glad you could join us, Doctor Jackson," Jack remarked with a little sarcasm.
She took her normal seat next to Cameron, putting the computer tablet and journal on the desk. Ignoring the sarcasm, she gave Sam a tired smile. "Hi, Sam."
"Hi Kayla."
"Well," Jack got their attention, "before we begin, and I have to head back to the infirmary because my head is about to explode," he paused as they smiled and chuckled. "the Daedalus, as Colonel Carter revealed, is on her way, and she has a spare ZPM. They'll be here in a week. Colonel Carter will be at our disposal until then; she's overseeing the installation of the ZPM and will be accompanying us to Atlantis."
"Us, sir?" Cameron queried playfully.
"Us, Colonel. All of SG-1 is going, as am I," Jack said smugly. "General Landry will be in temporary command of the SGC while I'm away, aided by Colonel Reynolds and Walter."
"Are you sure the head of Homeworld Security is going to be able to handle Walter?" Kayla smirked.
"Oh, I think Walter will whip him into shape," he throw right back, grinning. "Now, let's get on with this debriefing."
By the end of it all, Jack was regretting saying those words. Michaels and Carter had put their heads together and started talking their own language of techno babble. Teal'c seemed to have zoned out, as had Mitchell. Kayla was subdued through it all, offering her own recount of what happened, but not getting as excited as Jack thought she would. Finally, he put a stop to it and dismissed them all, getting Kayla alone in his office. He perched on his desk. "You want to talk about it, kiddo?"
She remained standing, hugging the computer notebook and journal close to her chest. "He looked and sounded like dad, they all did. They weren't alike though, there were differences, not physical, but they were different."
"How so?"
"The Daniel that was from the universe we were in," she hesitated. "He was what I expected my dad would be like, as was one of the other Daniel's. He came through with Mitchell, Dr. Frasier, and Martouf."
"Frasier?" Jack was a little stunned.
"Yeah, Teal'c was surprise to see her too, so were those in the universe we were in. Like ours, their Dr. Frasier had been killed."
"So what was this Daniel like?"
She glanced at her feet, her fringe fell over her face, and for a moment, Jack felt it was like having Daniel standing before him. Well, Daniel when he first came to the program.
Finally she spoke, looking up. "He wasn't surprised to see me, but he was surprised that I was on SG-1. In his universe, I'm on SG-2." She took a breath, letting it out slowly before continuing. "He told me he found out about me not long after I was born, and after my mother was killed, he got full custody. Um," she hesitated, recalling what she'd been told. "He went to Abydos when his Kayla was in college."
"So did your dad," Jack noted.
She nodded slowly. "Except this Daniel thought his daughter would be better off without him, because of the way things were at the time. He gave custody of her to his Jack O'Neill and remained on Abydos. His Jack took that responsibility seriously, and when Jack returned from Abydos, he made sure their Kayla knew her dad was alive. He risked everything by telling her where her dad was, and she promised not to tell. A year later he reunited the two of them when Daniel returned."
She paused for a moment, letting it all sink in, seeing Jack wasn't going to push her, he just waited until she was ready.
"When she graduated from College they brought her into the program. Once she completed her training, she was made a member of SG-2, and after her dad ascended, she took his place on SG-1. When he returned, she went back to SG-2, and just as it happened here, their Jack got command of the SGC, and after Colonel Mitchell recovered, Jack brought him into the team." Kayla paused again; her cheeks became crimson as she blushed, the next part wasn't so easy to talk about, especially to Jack. "Apparently their Kayla and Cameron got together and are married."
"Married?" That surprised him.
She nodded. "It seems they were married not long after her dad remarried."
"Daniel remarried, to whom?" Jack asked curiously.
Kayla nibbled on her lip. "To Sam. The reason why Sam wasn't with the team was because she was on maternity leave. They'd just had a baby girl."
"Wow!" he declared, and saw her fidget. "What else, Indiana?"
She swallowed hard. "His Kayla was pregnant."
He saw that was bothering her. "I guess there were a lot of differences in his universe then," he said carefully. Wondering what Daniel would think if he'd heard all of this?
She nodded. "Yeah," she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Um, I'd also like permission to join SG-17, they could use the help."
Jack could see she needed to think things through. "Granted, but I want you to be careful, we're all going to Atlantis once the ZPM is installed. You're dad is eager to meet you."
Smiling that shy Jackson smile of hers, she nodded. "I will, Uncle Jack, thank you."
He smiled back. "Get going before I change my mind," he told her.
Nodding, Kayla hurried out of the office swearing she'd heard him muttering kids.
DF
A week later, Sam found the office she was looking for, and wondered in without knocking. "Nice digs, Cam."
He looked up from the report he was typing on his computer. "Went to the commissary looking for me, didn't ya?" He said with a smirk.
"Yep, so whatcha doing?" she asked as she sat down.
Cameron chuckled. "You've been hanging around the General too much."
She laughed too. "Yeah. So when is Kayla due back?"
"Today, O'Neill told her to pack it up and come home this morning."
"Bet she didn't like that."
"Nope, not one bit."
Sam sat back in her chair; she'd known Cameron Mitchell long enough to know he was a little anxious. "How are you doing?"
"Me? I'm good."
She smiled at that. "It's alright to miss her, you know."
He lent back in his chair. "Of course I miss her; she's my friend, Sam. Hell, I'd even go as far as saying she's my best friend."
"Little unusual, isn't it?" She questioned him.
Cameron nodded slowly. "I've never had a friend like her, Kayla is…" His voice faded, but his eyes said a thousand things.
"Unique?" Sam suggested.
"Yeah."
"Now you know what her dad is like, because I class Daniel as my best friend," she revealed, adding to herself, and a lot more.
Seeing the sparkle in Sam's eyes as she spoke of Daniel Jackson, gave him a hunch that Sam had some deep feeling towards the senior Jackson. Klaxon's going off stopped him from commenting about it. "That'll be my girl returning." He got to his feet.
Sam followed him out, smiling at his my girl comment. They arrived at the Gate Room the same time as Teal'c and Michaels, the Stargate was active, but the iris was still closed.
"Receiving SG-17's IDC," Harriman announced over the PA.
"Open the iris." General O'Neill ordered as he walked in.
It was then that Cameron realized the man was even in the room. "General."
"Mitchell."
The iris spun open, revealing the watery event horizon of the active wormhole.
Jack playfully nudged Sam, grinning. "Like old times, huh?"
It suddenly hit her that it was. They'd done this plenty of times when they'd been a team, and when they were waiting for Daniel to return. "Is she just as bad?"
"Oh yeah," he mused. "Just watch."
The puddle rippled as SG-17, plus Dr. Kayla Jackson, appeared. Two members of the team carried a large container, which the archaeologist had filled with artifacts from the planet. She broke ranks and hurried down the ramp, her fatigues dirty and dusty, as was the bandana around her head. In fact, they all looked a little worse for wear in the laundry department.
Kayla skidded off the ramp to stand before the General. "Jack, you've got to let me go back, I've only just scratched the surface," she said excitedly, handing the nearest SF her P-90. "The temples were dedicated to a Goa'uld, Atum, the self-engendered creator god, it was said he arose from the primordial waters of chaos, Nun, in order to form the primeval mound and to bring elements of the cosmos into being." She took a quick breath before continuing. "From what I've been able to translate, he ruled over the people of P6G-361 with love and compassion. Then about three thousand years ago, he just up and left them to fend for themselves."
"Aaacck," Jack stopped her, making her take a breath. "Atlantis, Indiana, any of this ringing a bell? We leave in the morning."
She frowned. "But I thought we had a few more days?"
Cameron chuckled at his archaeologist; it wasn't uncommon for her to lose herself in her work. "You've been on 361 for a week, Jackson."
"Oh?" She shuffled from foot to foot, hitting Jack with her pleading blue eyes. "Could you send Jon to continue what I've started, I could brief him and have him ready to go in a few hours."
Jack dropped his head to his chest; gods, she was like her father when she pleaded with those eyes of hers. He hadn't been able to say no to Daniel too many times when he did it either. He looked up. "All right, but you and the rest of SG-1 are to stay on base tonight; so give Jon the details and have him check your apartment. He can return in the morning with SG-13. We'll debrief at 1500."
"Thank you, Jack," she said gratefully, throwing her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek, before rushing out of the Gate Room. SG-17 smirking to themselves as they followed.
Jack groaned and turned. "Infirmary first, Indiana!" He called after her.
"Yes, Jack!" She yelled back.
He glanced at Sam, who was trying not to laugh, Mitchell and Michaels were smirking, even Teal'c was. "She did it to me again, didn't she?"
"Yep," Sam agreed smugly.
"Damn kids." He muttered and SG-1 chuckled. He frowned. "Don't you lot have packing to do?"
Mitchell and Michaels became somber quickly. "Yes, sir," both men said and hurried out.
Teal'c continued smiling, his hands behind his back. "I have already packed, O'Neill," he said with a casual ease, and strolled comfortably out of the Gate Room.
Sam shook her head. "Let's go and get some pie, sir."
He nodded. "Good idea, Colonel."
"Yes, sir," she smirked and they walked out together. "So when does General Landry arrive?"
He glanced at his watch before he answered her. "1700."
"Plenty of time for pie then, General," she said with a grin.
Jack chuckled. "There is always time for pie, Colonel."
"Yes, sir," she agreed happily.
DF
Teal'c stepped out of the elevator on 18 and proceeded to the archaeologist lab; he stood in the door for a moment and watched her. Kayla Jackson was seated at the workbench, hunched over an artifact from the planet she and SG-17 had just returned from. He guessed that, after being cleared from the infirmary, she had showered and changed, went to the debriefing, then briefed Jon O'Neill, and then went to her office to work.
Kayla glanced up from the statue, seeing who was standing in the doorway. "Hey, Teal'c."
"You did not join us for dinner, Kayla Jackson." He reported going further into the room.
She glanced quickly at her watch, realizing how late it was. "Um, I was going over the artifacts I brought back, I guess I lost track of time."
"Indeed."
Cameron breezed into the room before she could comment. "Hey Indiana, missed you at dinner."
"Kayla Jackson lost track of time," Teal'c replied in that calm voice of his.
The Colonel moved closer and looked at the artifacts that littered her desk. "Well I can see why." He picked up one of the statues, "Is this Atum?" and after she nodded, "and he was a Goa'uld?"
"Actually," she carefully took the statue from his hands, "I think he was Tok'ra." She saw that she had their full attention. "The evidence adds up. He took over the planet from a minor Goa'uld, and then he freed the people, and helped them rebuild their lives. That's not normal for a Goa'uld."
"It is not," Teal'c noted.
"So why did he leave them?" Cameron inquired.
"That, I'm not sure." Kayla answered and put the statue down. "The script just mentions that he was visited by five men, who journeyed through the Chappa'ai and spoke with him. The next day Atum and his ships were gone, as were the five visitors."
"Well, maybe Jon will be able to find out more," he offered.
"Perhaps."
"Well, come on Sunshine, let's get you some dinner, you need an early night too."
Kayla rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, dad."
"Funny, Jackson," he grumbled. "Real funny."
She smiled and followed him and Teal'c out of her office. "I try, Mitchell, I try."
"So, is Jon all set for tomorrow?" He asked her.
"Yeah, he's looking forward to it," she answered. "Of course, he wishes he was coming to Atlantis with us, he would have liked to have seen Dad again."
Cameron was curious. "He knows your dad?"
Nodding, Kayla let her little slipup work for her. "He was there the day Jon was introduced to Jack, they remained friends."
"He's not what I expected for the General's son," the Colonel admitted.
"He is much like his father," Teal'c stated.
"I agree," Cameron stated as they stepped into the elevator, he stood at the back with Kayla, his hand resting on her lower back, leaving the Jaffa to select the level. "I just thought he would have joined the military, like his dad, not be a…"
"Geek?" Kayla supplied with an amused grinning.
He shrugged. "I suppose so."
"Jack is a lot smarter then he makes everyone believe, Cam," she said calmly, feeling his thumb's gentle caress.
"I know."
At the commissary, Kayla got dinner and a cup of coffee, joining Teal'c and Cameron at the table, who also had gotten coffee.
"So, Jackson," Cameron said, peering at her over the rim of his coffee mug. "Excited about tomorrow?"
"Um, yeah," she agreed. "And a little nervous."
"Hey, you'll be fine," he assured.
"Colonel Mitchell is correct," Teal'c agreed. "You have already met alternate versions of Daniel Jackson."
"True, but none of them were my dad," she pointed out.
Cameron put his coffee mug down. "Do you think he has a thing for Sam, like some of the other Daniel Jackson's?"
Kayla arched an eyebrow. "A thing?" She saw him smirk. "I don't know," she looked to the one person who might. "Teal'c?"
"Daniel Jackson has loved Samantha Carter for many years, but did nothing."
"Really," she was stunned. "You know that for sure?"
"Indeed," he answered bluntly.
"Wow," she exclaimed, and then added. "In one of the universes he married Sam and they had a little girl. Of course in that same universe, my doppelganger married Cameron."
Cameron nearly spat out his coffee. He hadn't realized she'd known about that, playing it cool. "I was what?"
"I believe you were married to Kayla Jackson in several of the universes," Teal'c declared.
"Well, that explains why my doppelgangers were looking at me funny."
Kayla finished her sandwich. "What exactly did you talk about with your doppelgangers?"
He sat back in his chair, seeing the teasing smile that eased onto her lips. "The usual things that guys talk about; football, baseball, basketball, favorite video games, that sort of thing."
"Did you not compare your lives, Colonel Mitchell?" Teal'c asked him.
"Nope," he lied. Oh they'd compared alright, and she knew it, he could tell. He knew Kayla better than Teal'c and Michaels did, so he knew she knew he was lying.
Jon O'Neill came into the commissary, spotted them, and wondered over. "Hey guys."
"Hey Jon, take a seat," Cameron insisted.
He did, handing Kayla her mail. "Your apartment is fine; I had to clean out your fridge though; it smelt like something had died in there."
"Thanks," she bided gratefully. Taking the mail with her, she pushed her chair back and stood. "I'd better go and pack."
"Get an early night, Indiana," Cameron ordered.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Sure thing, Shaft," she jeered, walking out of the commissary.
Jon looked questioningly at him, "Shaft?"
"It was my call sign."
"Oh." He frowned and then smiled, "Oh, I get it, camshaft."
"Better than Junior," Cameron smirked and stood, seeing the younger man frowning. "See you in the morning Teal'c."
"Good night Colonel Mitchell."
Chuckling, Cameron left the commissary, heading for the elevator and level 25. He didn't mind the fact they'd been told to stay on base. His on-base quarters were quite comfortable, big double bed, and his own bathroom. After taking a shower, he dressed for bed, switching on the bed light; he turned the others off and climbed into bed. Getting comfortable, he grabbed the paperback from the bedside table and started reading, becoming lost in the murder mystery.
When he heard the knock on the door, he glanced at the clock and realized he'd been reading for over two hours. Marking his spot, he put the book down and got up. He opened the door to find Kayla standing outside. She wore sleep shorts and an oversized Air Force t-shirt – his t-shirt. She didn't have her glasses on, and her hair was a little rumbled. "What's up?" he asked, a little concerned.
"Um," she moved from foot to foot in her thick socks, then shook her head, hugging herself self-consciously. "I'm sorry, I'll just…"
He grabbed her arm, stopping her. "What's wrong, Kayla?" He saw her chew on her bottom lip. "Is this about tomorrow?"
She nodded, "Silly, isn't it?"
"No." He ushered her inside and shut the door. "At least I know where my t-shirt disappeared."
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Don't worry about it, sit down," he gestured to the bed and sat with her. She sat cross-legged; her fringe fell forward as she looked down. "Hey," he tilted her face up. "Talk to me."
She took his hand, running her fingers over it with as much care as she would an artifact. "What if he isn't like the Daniels I met?"
He forced himself not to pull his hand away. His back was to the security camera, so no one could see what she was doing, or how it made him feel. "I met your dad once. We didn't have a conversation of sorts, I was in and out of consciousness, but he came to see me, and he sat with me for a while."
"After you were shot down over Antarctica?"
"Yeah, he came to thank me for saving SG-1's collective asses," he said calmly. "There was something in his eyes though that I remember clearly. He wanted to be there; he wanted to thank me and was concerned about my well-being. He cared about who I was." He enclosed her hand in his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "According to the General, that's who Daniel Jackson is. He cares – sometimes a little more than he should."
"Jack told me that too," she said softly.
"You're the same, Kayla; you try so hard to help everyone around you. You put yourself in danger at times to do it."
She looked away, averting her eyes down to the bed once more. "Sorry."
"No, Kayla." He released her hand and moved to sit beside her, drawing her into his arms. "Don't ever be sorry; you keep doing what you do. You scare the hell out of me at times, doing what you do, but I'll survive." He heard her chuckle softly; he rather she laugh than cry. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he rubbed his hand over her hair, messing it a little. "Okay?"
"Okay," she pulled back, shyly. "Thanks, Cam."
He grinned cheekily, keeping his own emotions in place. "Hey, no problem, I like having a beautiful, young woman in my bed."
Kayla playfully thumbed his arm and got up, laughing. She stood next to the bed, seeing the silly grin on his face. "You'll keep, Mitchell."
"I'll be waiting, Jackson," he jeered.
Walking to the door, Kayla opened it and then turned. "Night, Cam."
"Night, Kayla."
In the morning, Cameron caught up with Teal'c. "Hey, brother, slow down."
Teal'c slowed his pace and let Mitchell walk with him. "Is there something you need, Colonel Mitchell?"
"Yeah, I want you to keep an eye on Jackson."
"For what reason?"
They stopped. "She's a little nervous about meeting her dad," Cameron revealed.
Teal'c nodded slowly, understanding. "Then I shall keep both eyes on her," he remarked, and continued down the corridor.
Cameron stared after him, realizing the Jaffa had made a joke. He chuckled and hurried to catch up. They found both Kayla and Ryan in the Major's lab, the two of them hunched over a device that to Mitchell resembled a Borg cube. "Hey, you two ready to go?" He asked them.
"Yes, sir," Ryan straightened. "Since we aren't due to depart until 09:30 hours, I asked Kayla to take a look at the device SG-15 brought back, I managed to connect it to a power source."
"Looks like a Borg cube," the Colonel remarked.
Kayla chuckled as she straightened. "Without the Borg?" She queried, smirking.
"Funny, Jackson," he grumbled, and noted that with her contacts in, Kayla looked younger and damn cute. He cleared his throat. "So, any writing or instructions?"
"Actually we think there is," she turned back to the device. She put her hand on the top, the device scanned her hand, the top opened, and a holographic display was projected, the writing in Ancient.
"Nice," Cameron exclaimed excitedly. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
Ryan chuckled. "We're still not sure how it works yet sir, but from what Kayla was able to translate, it's a multidimensional shield generator." He saw his CO looking confused. "It uses all four dimensions to form and produce a shield."
Teal'c saw Mitchell look from Ryan to him. "I am not familiar with this type of technology, Colonel Mitchell."
"That's because it's Alteran, not Goa'uld, Teal'c," Kayla informed, glancing over her shoulder, before looking back at the projection. "This is written in one of the oldest Ancient dialects. This here," she pointed to one part, "is technical data, referring to how the device works."
"Well, it's going to have to wait until we get back," Cameron stated. "Shut it down, Jackson, and let's get a move on."
Ryan moved around the bench to the cables that were running power to the device. He waited until the holographic display was shut down before disconnecting the power. "It'll probably still hold a charge, so be careful, Kayla."
She nodded and carefully pushed the top back into place. "Okay," she turned away from the device.
"Hey, is it supposed to do that?" Cameron asked from the doorway, where he and Teal'c stood, having noticed that the cube was glowing a little.
"I don't think so," Ryan hurried to the far side of the lab; he wanted to get a power reading.
Kayla turned back to the cube. She started to put her hand on it, but stopped before touching it. "Ryan, its producing heat, I can feel it without even touching it."
"Don't then," the Major advised. Before he could turn back, there was a loud clap that sounded like thunder, as well as a bright blinding flash of light as the device exploded.
The concussive force threw Kayla back, propelling her out of the lab and into Mitchell and Teal'c, taking both men down. Ryan was also knocked over by the air blast, though he was unhurt. Getting to his feet, he sounded the alarm and called for a medical team. Stumbling over the debris to Kayla, who was being cradled in Mitchell's arms, he saw that she was unconscious, burns around her eyes and forehead, but she was alive.
DF
Jack ran out of the elevator with Sam behind him, both of them getting to the infirmary as quickly as they could, finding Michaels sitting in the waiting area along with Mitchell, Teal'c and Jon O'Neill, who had arrived moments before.
"What the hell happened?" Jack demanded.
"The Borg cube exploded, sir," Cameron reported as they got to their feet. "Jackson was standing right in front of it. There was no shrapnel, just a bang flash, like the stun grenades we use."
Sam realized what he was talking about. "The device SG-15 brought back?"
Ryan nodded. "Kayla was helping me with it, translating the instructions. We were shutting it down when it accidentally exploded or self-destructed."
"Dr. Lam is with Kayla Jackson." Teal'c informed.
"I knew I should have locked the two of you out of your labs," Jack retorted angrily at the Major.
"General, it wasn't their fault," Cameron defended his teammates.
"Cameron is right, sir," Sam agreed. "This could have happened to whoever hooked the cube to power."
Jack ran his hands over his head and nodded, calming down. "I'll have a team take a look at what's left of the device. What did Dr. Lam say?"
"Kayla has flash burns to her retina as well as her face, she was lucky her contacts didn't shatter," was the answer from behind him. He turned and saw Carolyn Lam, who continued her report. "There is swelling around the optic nerves which is causing temporary blindness."
"She can't see?"
"No."
Cameron was stunned. "Are you sure it's temporary?"
Carolyn shoved her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "We'll know more when the swelling goes down in a day or two, the bandagers will have to stay on until it does." She then addressed O'Neill. "General, there's no need to postpone the Atlantis trip, I can send all the relevant information with you for Dr. Beckett; he can handle Kayla's injuries as well as I can. In addition, if he feels it's relevant at any time, you can dial the Gate and send her home. She will have to rest though, and I'll send through some of the Ancient healing gel. I've already placed the gel on the burns."
Jack found everyone looking at him, waiting for a decision. "All right, we go as planned," he agreed. "Doc, keep Kayla here until we're ready."
Carolyn nodded, "You can see her." She showed them through to the ward, where Kayla was the only patient. Propped up in the bed, dressed in scrubs, her eyes were covered with bandages. She heard their footsteps and turned towards them.
Cameron was the first at her side. "Hey, sunshine."
She made a grab for his hand. The blindness, which Carolyn assured her was temporary, made her feel a little off balance, so was the sedative. "Cam?"
He took her hand, not caring that the General was standing nearby. "I'm here."
"Ryan and Teal'c?" She asked worriedly.
"They're fine," he assured her, and felt the tension leave her grip.
"We are all here, Kayla Jackson. Major Michaels, General O'Neill, Colonel Carter and Jon O'Neill."
"I guess Atlantis is off, huh?" She said disheartened.
"Actually, it's not," Jack told her. "The doc says you can still go; she'll get Dr. Beckett to look after you."
"Really?"
He managed a smile in his voice, "Really."
Carolyn explained it to her, "You'll have to stay here until it's time to leave, but I see no reason why you can't go. Dr. Beckett is well equipped to handle this."
"And you never know, Kayla," Sam said cheerfully, "there might be something at Atlantis that can help."
She nodded. She really didn't want to think about it, as she relied on her sight. Temporary or not, not being able to see scared her. "Jon?"
"Yeah, Kayla," he tried to keep the concern from his voice, but failed.
"There are notes on my desk; you're going to need them. There's a layout of the temples, and don't let SG-13 trample over anything."
He managed a smile. "I'll make sure they behave themselves," he assured her, and glanced at his watch. "I'd better get going. Say hello to your dad for me."
"I will."
He nodded and hurried out of the room.
Cameron gave her hand a squeeze, "Are you all packed?"
"Yeah." She turned to where she'd heard Sam's voice. "Sam, can you get me some BDUs, I don't want to meet my dad in scrubs."
"I can do that. Anything else?"
"Um, can you make sure I packed my glasses, I'm going to need them once the bandages come off?"
"No contacts for a while," Carolyn advised, "at least until it's assessed there's no permanent damage."
Kayla winced. "I don't want to think about contacts for a while," she admitted.
"Well, we'll leave you to rest up," Jack told her. "See you in the Gate Room." He saw her nod, and left with Sam and Carolyn.
Ryan put his hand on Kayla's foot, covered by the bedding. "I better go and see what my lab is like. I'll see you later, Kayla."
She nodded. "Okay."
He patted her foot and hurried out.
"Do you wish me to remain with you, Kayla Jackson?" Teal'c inquired.
"Um," she felt Cameron squeeze her hand, "no, that's okay, Teal'c; but could you go to my office and get the journals on the workbench; they're in a box. I want to take them with me; they're my mom's. I thought my dad would like to read them."
"I shall do so," he agreed. He bowed his head, even though she couldn't see him, addressing Mitchell. "Colonel."
"See you in the Gate Room, T," he replied as the Jaffa left.
Cameron managed to pull a chair over and sit down without letting go of Kayla's hand. "I thought we agreed scaring the hell out of me wasn't a good thing."
She managed to look sheepish, even with the bandages. "Sorry."
"It's okay," he said softly, "You'd better get some rest."
Kayla yawned despite herself, "Stay awhile."
"I'm not going anywhere," he promised.
Carolyn came back a few minutes later, seeing Mitchell was still there. "Colonel."
"Hey." He released Kayla's hand and stood. "She's asleep," he said quietly, and moved away from the bed to talk with the doctor.
"I gave her a sedative before I went out to see you all. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," and then noticed the look he was being given. "I promise, Carolyn, I'm fine, not even a bruise."
She gave him the benefit of the doubt, seeing his concern was on his archaeologist, putting a friendly hand on his arm. "She's going to be all right, Cameron." When he only nodded, she gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "Come on, I've got some coffee in my office."
"Anything stronger?"
She chuckled softly as they left the ward. "Not this time, sorry." In her office, she shut the door and went over to the coffee machine on her filing cabinet, handing him a mug as he sat down. She took her own and sat behind her desk. "You've become close to Kayla."
He looked up quickly. "She's my friend, Carolyn, a member of my team," he said defensively.
"I'm not accusing you of anything, Cameron, I'm just saying you're close," she said calmly.
"Yeah, well, she has this way of getting under your skin and staying there," he revealed, smiling a little. "I've told Kayla things I've never told anyone else, and she never judges, she just listens."
"You've been through a lot together since she joined SG-1." Carolyn was tempted to mention that this new SG-1 was as bad as the previous team for visits and stays in the infirmary. "The nurses are thinking of naming the ward after SG-1."
He chuckled. "Don't you think The Jackson Ward would be more appropriate?"
Smiling, Carolyn agreed. "Possibly. I think they didn't want to single anyone out; besides, they've already named the ICU ward after Daniel Jackson."
Cameron couldn't help but laugh. "I can understand that; I've read all of SG-1's mission reports."
"He often stayed here during his time with SG-1," she admitted.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Kayla is getting just as bad."
"Nearly," Carolyn agreed, and without thinking, remarked. "At least she hasn't died on us."
"Not going to happen, not while I'm with SG-1," he said, determined. "There is no way I'm going to let her get herself killed."
She saw the sincerity in his eyes and heard it in his words. "Sometimes you can't stop it, Colonel."
"Yeah, well, I'm not losing Jackson, to death or ascension or whatever else," he said sternly.
Carolyn put her mug on her desk and sat forward. "Colonel, are you feelings towards Kayla more than just friendship?"
He put his own mug down and stood. "Kayla Jackson is my best friend, Doctor, and I care for her," he said bluntly. "I care for all my team. They're more than just people I work with, more than just friends. They're family," he declared, and walked out.
Carolyn sighed, and sat back in her chair. Oh yeah, that went well.
DF
At 09:30 hours, General O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Carter were in the control room with General Landry. The head of HWS had been thrust into the deep end since his arrival, having previously seen only a brief glimpse of what everyday life was like at the SGC.
"How do you do this every day?" he asked Jack quietly; having new respect for the man.
Jack chuckled just as quietly. "Lots of aspirin," he smirked. "And trust. Everyone knows what they're doing, so just let them do it," he advised.
"All right." Hank Landry held out his hand. "Safe trip, and have fun."
Jack shook his hand. "Have fun yourself, Hank; and don't worry, Reynolds and Walter will keep you from getting too far in over your head."
"I'm sure they will," Hank declared, and addressed Sam, "Colonel, enjoy your stay at Atlantis, and look after the General and SG -1."
"I will, Sir," Sam said with a smile, and followed Jack.
As they left, General Landry tapped Harriman on the shoulder. "Dial it up, Chief."
"Yes, sir!" Walter exclaimed as he began the dialing sequence.
Jack and Sam arrived in the Gate Room as the Stargate ring began spinning. Both were handed P-90's by two SF's, and like SG-1, they wore black BDUs and vests. Their duffle bags were on the FRED, which was loaded with supplies for Atlantis. Mitchell, Michaels, and Teal'c all carried P-90's and side arms, just as they did. Teal'c's P-90 was hooked too his belt and hung at his thigh. He held Kayla Jackson in his arms, the young Archaeologist's white bandagers stark against the black of her clothing and vest. Carolyn had kept her sedated, stating it would be better for Kayla. Teal'c held her comfortably in his arms, and had insisted on carrying her.
Jack knew it; he knew the Jaffa had included Kayla into the life debt he owed her father. He understood, and didn't try to change Teal'c's mind. "Well, we're off to see the Wizard," he sang, making everyone smile, breaking the tension.
All eight chevrons were locked, and the Stargate activated with its usual kawoosh, settling into the watery event horizon.
Jack smiled to himself. "That never get's old," he remarked, seeing Sam smile. Glancing back to the control room, he yelled gently, "Knock on the door for us, Hank."
In the control room, Hank Landry smiled, nodding to Harriman to open up a radio channel, "Atlantis base, this is SGC."
There was a pause, then, "SGC, this is Atlantis base, Dr. Weir speaking. General O'Neill and party are cleared to come through. Dr. Beckett is standing by."
"Thank you, doctor," Hank acknowledged, and then informed the travelers, "you're all clear, Jack, have a good trip."
In the Gate Room, Jack smiled and gave a two-fingered salute. "Keep my seat warm, Hank," he smirked, and then addressed those with him. "Alright, kids, let's go."
The FRED was sent through, then Mitchell and Michaels stepped up onto the ramp, taking point. Teal'c stepped up next, being careful not to jostle Kayla too much. Jack and Sam stepped up behind him. Samantha also carried a medical file and containment bag with the healing gel for Doctor Beckett. One by one, they walked through the Stargate.
When the gate shut off, and the iris closed, Hank turned to Walter and joked, "Now my nightmares begin."
DF
To be continued…