Authors Note: Give you a few more chapters, hope you are enjoying this.
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Eye of the Storm
Daniel woke up to pounding downstairs on the door; he leaned down and kissed Jack before leaving the bed. He grabbed a shirt and threw it on over his head as he moved down the stairs and across the living room to throw open the door, finding Adrian pressed against the frame shaking.
"Adrian, what is it?" he asked and pulled the teen inside.
"I need to talk to someone about what happened to me and it cannot be my sisters."
"Can I get Jack?" Daniel asked unsure of what was happening here.
Adrian shook his head, "There's no time, he won't understand and he'll think I am something to be feared. I will never get to be around the twins again."
"You're starting to scare me here Adrian and it won't help your case especially with my children."
"I know and I am sorry about that, let me just start." They both sat down on the couch, leaving a little space in the center and Adrian started again. "During one of my forays into the city, I was taken captive by ZarCorp and they have since updated their cells, I couldn't escape. They left me there alone with no food or water for several days, which may have desperately weakened a human but not a Vannas, especially one in such a strong line as the Sky line. Then about the fourth day, they dumped this beautiful girl in my room.
"She has long black hair all up in ringlets around her face. She was shaking and her eyes were bright blue, I know you have seen my eyes in such a way. I thought she was a Vannas in trouble so I moved closer to her and she attacked me, biting my neck and I felt the pull of my blood escaping and being drunk by her."
"What?" Daniel interrupted.
"I know of the human's stories about vampires and the problem was that this was not what she was doing, not that alone anyway. She was drinking my magic."
"Amada?" Daniel demanded in fear and wonder, remembering the creature who stole him and told him she was going to steal his memories and life force because he didn't have magic to drink. Of course she had done this with her hands against his chest.
"I do not know this Amada, was she the same?"
Daniel nodded.
"This woman finally was able to pull away from me and she immediately started to fix up my neck and she was apologizing the whole time. I didn't know what to make of her, and it was then that I could feel the cold feeling sucking me under. I could feel death calling out for me but then she grabbed my face and I could feel her warmth seep into my face and into the very cells of my blood and something changed my in the transfer. I do not think it was a complete transformation but now I can drink other people's magic for sustenance and I have a craving for it but I have learned to maintain a sense of normalcy."
Daniel glared at his young friend, "Please for your sake, if Jack finds out, have you been drinking from our twins?"
"Oh Zara, no I would never do that to you. I came here because with less Vannas around I do not feel the call to drink but it came upon me quickly and I almost attacked someone, I figured this was the safest place for me to be until I am once more in control of my desires. I actually cannot sense the Magis within your children, when my sister convinced the Awakened Magis to withdraw, they did so otherwise I would hunger for them as well."
"Did she tell you what made her the way she was?" Daniel asked, curiosity taking over especially since Zale and Zada were upstairs with Jack still.
"ZarCorp stole her from one of the birthing towns, took her to the city and tested her. They had somehow gotten a hold of a Magis and forced it down her throat. It killed her, then brought her back with this need for magic which for her is sated through drinking the blood of Vannas. She is a victim as I was."
"Is there anything you can do to help her?" Daniel asked, wondering what kind of people would continue to follow this Zarranth man who clearly did so many things that were once again everything moral code of conduct not to mention against the law. ZarCorp seemed as though it was above reproach. Daniel's need to protect and save swirled up in his mind and he wished there was some way he could find the girl and fix them both. Maybe Sam and the Vannas could come up with something.
"I do not know where she is to try, I also fear telling my sisters about this. It is hard for me to function around Akina who is too powerful, the Magis in her blood calls for me to thin it out just a little. I know she would breathe better if some of that pressure was released."
Daniel could hear the bargaining in his young friend's tone, "No, you cannot do that and you have to tell Zarkina, she could find a way to help you possibly."
Adrian shook his head vigorously and Daniel soothed him with a hand on the young man's arm, "I can barely discuss this with you!" he responded sharply.
"Look, sleep down here for a little while this morning until the house starts getting up. You can stay here till you figure out what you need to do but I know in my heart that your sister would do anything for you, give her a chance."
Adrian shrugged, Daniel moved out of the teen's way as he laid down and tucked a throw blanket around him before he wandered back up the stairs, tucked himself in his bed and let Jack wrap his arms around the younger man. Secrets from the Queen were not exactly the storm he was expecting but then when was Daniel ever prepared for anything that happened to them?
He was only going to get another couple hours of sleep before the twins woke them up with their early morning needs but as Jack was taking them today, he was supposed to be getting up with them to spend time before he had a whole day of classes.
Luckily Adrian had started following him to class so Daniel could keep an eye on him part of the day then he would need to sit the teenager down and have a talk with Jack about all this, but it was nice to know that the Magis were backing off and so they weren't in danger from their newest beloved Uncle Adrian.
"Stop thinking Danny, we will talk about it during a morning part of the day," Jack muttered as he snuggled in closer to Daniel and the scientist allowed his lover's closeness to subdue his mind and allowed himself to sleep once more.
Daniel woke again to the sounds of laughter downstairs as well as baby giggles. He groaned and turned towards the cribs to find them empty. He quickly got changed and shaved, brushed his teeth and his semi long hair before he wandered downstairs and found a breakfast waiting for him and a cup of what they were referring to as coffee. The taste was a little sweeter, as if the sugar was already added, and the caffeine was the same but it had a weird name that Daniel couldn't even remember most days.
"I love you Jack," Daniel muttered as he sipped his first brew of the day.
Jack leaned down and kissed Daniel on the cheek, surprising the younger man. "Glad to hear though I have been bringing you coffee for years, I had no idea you were in love with me so long and how easy you were."
"So funny I could die laughing," Daniel returned sarcastically.
"You know it baby," Jack replied.
Daniel rolled his eyes, "Why didn't you wake me?" he asked.
"Because you were with Adrian, who is hanging with the twins at the moment. Is he okay?"
"We need to talk about it later, he's not ready for his news to be known by everyone and I think he should talk to his sisters about it first."
"Are you or the kids in danger because of this mysterious talk?" he asked Daniel, dropping the comedy clown act immediately.
"No, actually that's why he came here, this is the safest place for him to be at the moment and we are safe because of that."
"You'll tell me later?" Jack asked again.
Daniel nodded, waiting for the angry demand for instant information.
"Okay, well I am going to make sure everyone is doing good," Jack said with a shrug before he leaned down and kissed Daniel's temple as he's prone to do when Daniel was worried about something.
Daniel watched him go, a gentle smile across his lips, "Goodness I love that man."
After he was done eating he walked into the living room where everyone was playing with the babies on the floor. Teal'c was preparing to leave so he was talking softly to Jacob before he shared a kiss with Sam. Daniel did the same with the twins and Jack before he walked out with the Jaffa warrior. His classroom was a part of the arena buildings so technically they were headed to the same place.
"Is Adrian Sky worried about something?" Teal'c asked.
Daniel nodded, "He shared some of his past with me and the worries that has brought up for him. I told him he could stay at our place until he feels he can speak to the Queen about his concern."
"Well as always, Daniel Jackson you are the wise man I would seek for guidance."
Daniel flushed and laughed, "Wow, why?"
"Daniel Jackson, as always you see too little in yourself. You see the world as a beautiful place and you only wish for the people around you to be happy and healthy, to do the right thing in your own life. It means that your advice to others is said in a completely selfless and loving manner."
"Thank you Teal'c," Daniel responded then moved onto a different topic. "How is the construction on the house coming along?"
"Well as you know my Samantha has given them strong opinions on how such things will be finished, they have almost completed the house because it was the smaller structure and Samantha would be able to make sure the lab was done to specifications, we should be moving into the house within twenty days."
Daniel smiled, "Congratulations Teal'c, you excited to have your own space for the first time in who knows how long?"
"Indeed Daniel Jackson, this will be a first since I was with the mother of Ry'ac, Samantha is looking forward to having enough space to think of having another child, she has told me her hope is to be pregnant again before Jacob is one."
Daniel looked at Teal'c in shock, Sam was thinking of having another, "Why so soon?"
"She believed that we should try to have another so we may focus on other pursuits as well as the children, if they go through the baby phase close together then we will be able to teach them at the same time and get to equal the time and energy we give to each child."
Daniel nodded, and then wondered if Jack and he should contact Desire and Lust and do the same. It would double their children in short order but they would have the space and with Adrian and several others around, they would have they help they would need for the babies. Daniel would have to think on it more, Jack might be thoroughly pleased with Zale and Zada and leaving it at that. Daniel couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have a large family and that all of their children would grow up together.
"I can see you are now thinking along the same logic of my beloved Samantha but I must proceed to the arena. I wish you a good day Daniel Jackson and I will leave you to it."
Daniel nodded and headed towards the classroom, left thinking about one more child with dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes that looked up at him with utter love and happiness wouldn't be so bad. Of course this wasn't just their decision either, Desire and Lust had only ever agreed to one pregnancy.
Daniel shook off the thoughts as he walked into his classroom and found a few of his students there already, awaiting his arrival to go over schoolwork and so on. Daniel smiled and delved into the history of earth with happy acceptance.