Notes: Thank you for all the reviews, please keep them coming. :o) Here's the next installmet. So sorry for the extremely delayed part. Getting ready for my last year at University. Woo hoo. Anyway, enjoy.
Chapter Ten
Later that day, Jack was travelling the corridors of the Sanctuary when a young girl appeared out of no-where in his path. Seeing she was slightly wary of his presence, Jack crouched down on one knee so that she was his equal in height and spoke very softly.
"Hey there...what's your name?"
As beginnings of trust appeared to be forming, the little girl replied shyly.
"Megan...what's yours?"
Smiling warmly at her response, Jack retorted gently.
"I'm Jack O'Neill. Colonel Jack O'Neill." Wondering how to phrase his next question, Jack feigned innocence as he suspected she could transport herself much the same way he could and asked.
"How did you get here, if you don't mind me asking?"
Appearing to consider his enquiry for a few seconds, Megan held out her hand as she whispered whilst hooking her index finger and beckoning him to come over to her.
"I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret..."
Coming to crouch in front of her, Jack whispered back as he leant close to hear her.
"Okay, I promise to not tell anyone."
Gauging his sincerity, Megan looked into his eyes and saw the openness of his honesty. Satisfied that he would keep her secret, Megan leaned close to his ear and whispered enthusiastically.
"I can teleport."
Pulling back and matching her infectious grin, Jack leaned back in as he whispered.
"Can you keep a secret, Megan?" Seeing her nod readily, he continued. "Well, it just so happens...I can teleport too."
Watching her eye brows raise in surprise, he thought there wasn't much harm in adding for good measure. "And...I can fly."
Chuckling as Megan's eyes nearly popped out of her head in amazement, Jack held out a hand as he said cheekily.
"What do say, Megan...want to fly?"
Not needing any encouragement, Megan quickly slipped her smaller hand in his and nodded eagerly as she replied happily.
"Oh, yes please, Colonel Jack."
Smiling gleefully, Jack squeezed her hand gently before walking with her over to one of the windows opening onto the back of the building. Opening the catch, Jack proceeded to open the window carefully before picking up the little girl and holding her securely in his arms before whispering questioningly.
"Ready?"
Looking up at him with a cheerful smile, Megan retorted confidently.
"Ready."
Smirking at her response, Jack took a deep, calming breath before using the window ledge as a spring board and leapt from the structure with Megan letting out a squeal of delight.
Walking past one of the larger windows, Ashley cast a glance out at the window as a movement from the corner of her eye. Not believing her eyes, Ashley ran to the window as she watched Colonel O'Neill floating gracefully with Megan, one of their youngest abnormal in his arms. What astonished her was the fact that she was smiling, laughing even. Ashley had hardly seen her smile since she arrived a few weeks ago. Finding the child's laughter infectious, Ashley let out a chuckle as she watched them fly about, not worried for one second that they might be in danger as she suspected that the Colonel wouldn't let anything happen to her.
Just as she was about to open the window and say hello to them both, her mother appeared from the other end of the corridor and asked.
"Ashley, what are you doing here...weren't you about to head out?"
Hoping to distract her mother from the scene playing outside, Ashley purposely turned to answer her, partly blocking the window as she retorted cheerily.
"Oh I am...I was just about to...what I mean is-"
-"Ashley, you're babbling. What's going on?"
Panicking, Ashley unconsciously moved closer to the window in order to shield them from view as she replied hurriedly.
"Going on? Nothing's going on. Everything's fine, I mean normal...everything's perfectly normal."
Sensing she was lying through her teeth, Helen moved closer to her daughter as she noticed she was purposely standing in between herself and the window.
"Ashley, I'll ask once more, what's going on?"
Seeing no way out of her current predicament, Ashley sent up a silent apology as she proceeded to explain.
"Okay, now promise you won't over react."
Sighing silently in frustration, Helen injected warningly.
"Ashley..."
"Alright alright...okay, the thing is...Colonel O'Neill is flying around outside."
Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Helen huffed in response.
"Ashley, he is allowed, its part of his training."
Swallowing in nervousness, Ashley added quietly.
"Yes...but he's got Megan with him."
Watching her mum's eyes go wide with shock, Ashley injected quickly as Helen made her way past her to the window.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, they're only having fun."
Pausing at her daughter's words, Helen turned to her and repeated in surprise.
"Fun?"
Nodding in encouragement, Ashley added enthusiastically.
"Uh huh...look, see...she's smiling."
Taking a closer look, Helen found herself unable to contain her own smile at the girl's obvious happiness. Knowing full well that the Colonel would not let any harm come to her, Helen thought it best to leave them be. Turning back to Ashley, Helen smiled warmly before saying softly.
"It's so nice to hear her laughing..." looking at her watch, Helen was shocked to realise the time, as she added. "Well you better get going if want to catch that thing."
Checking her watch, Ashley retorted calmly.
"No sweat, mum. I'll make it there on time." Before winking and disappearing off down the corridor to meet up with her latest abnormal.
Casting one last look back at the window, Helen sighed contentedly before making her way back up to her office.
As she was going through yet another batch of paperwork, a batch of which Helen was convinced was breeding when she wasn't looking, Helen's thoughts were broken as she heard a sharp, confident knock at the door. Residing to the fact that she was never going to get the better of her paperwork, Helen let out a tired sigh before saying aloud.
"Come on in."
Opening the door slowly, Jack popped his head round the door as he smiled brightly before asking gently.
"Is now a bad time?"
Returning his smile warmly, Helen replied amusingly.
"Not at all, Jack. In fact I owe you a debt of gratitude; you've just saved me from a pile of paperwork which is threatening to overwhelm my desk."
Chuckling at her humour, Jack turned to close the door before walking slowly over to her desk, clenching his hands behind his back as he spoke nervously.
"I um...I have a confession to make...I, uh..."
Saving him from his awkwardness, Helen held her hand up as she injected kindly.
"It's alright, Jack. I know."
"You know?"
"Yes." Smiling at his slight unease, she added in an attempt to dissuade his discomfort as she said jokingly. "Ashley gallantly tried to spare you from my apparent wrath but pointed out rather importantly that Megan was enjoying herself."
Seeing him visibly relax, Helen informed him quietly.
"You know um...she's hardly smiled since she got here."
Raising an eye brow in surprise, Jack took a seat on her sofa as he retorted in bewilderment.
"Really, how come?"
Taking a sip of her tea, Helen placed the cup back down before replying.
"I think her family might have been wary of her. She was a single child so naturally, her parents doted on her. When they discovered her gift a few years ago, they started to treat her differently...they became afraid of her power. They shunned her" At his look of anger at the child's treatment, Helen added wisely. "People are always afraid of what they do not understand."
As his frown deepened, Jack injected in disgust.
"Doesn't excuse them. No child should be treated like that just because they're slightly different. Children are to be treasured not discarded at the first sign of trouble."
Closing her eyes at the realisation of the potentially sensitive topic they'd stumbled upon, Helen opened her eyes again as she spoke gently.
"I'm sorry, Jack. I realise this must be difficult for you...talking about children."
Smiling warmly at her thoughtfulness, Jack retorted softly.
"It's okay. I've reconciled myself to the fact that I'll never forgive myself for that day, but sometimes I can forget...sometimes."
Nodding her head in understanding; Helen smiled kindly as she rose from her seat at her desk, joining him on her sofa as she added softly.
"Well...you certainly made one little girl very happy today...that must count for something."
Returning her smile in kind as he could see what she was trying to do, Jack turned fully towards her and laid his hand on top of hers as he retorted tenderly.
"Thank you."
As he proceeded to brush her knuckles with his thumb, Helen closed her eyes briefly before opening them to find him staring intently at her as he continued his caress. Seeing the unspoken pain and torment lurking behind his eyes, Helen placed her free hand on top of his and returned the caress in kind. Smiling tenderly at her compassionate nature, Jack found himself realising for certain that there was no possible way he could see a future without her in it.
Unbeknownst to him, Helen's thoughts were running along similar lines as she added warmly.
"You're welcome."
TBC...