"Shouldn't we have been able to pick up a signal by now?" Sheppard asked.
It had been nearly a week since the children were stolen and they had only recovered Sam and Hope so far. Hope's beacon was the only one to have been activated in all this time, which did not bode well for the other children. The younger ones may not have correctly activated their beacons, due to their age and inexperience, but Torus should have been able to activate his. This was all assuming, of course, that the items containing the covert homing devices hadn't been taken from the children when they were abducted. Hope's hadn't, obviously, and Sam had forgotten to put his (located in the chain he wore around his neck) back on after bathing the night they were stolen, but what of the others? Had their teddy bears been taken away from them? Was that why they were unable to pick up any signal from their devices? Nik was far too young to understand the directive they gave to all of the Atlantis children, but Chelsea understood, as did David and Riley. The three of them were never without their Teddy Bears no matter where they went.
The search party stopped when Kitah suddenly gasped and nearly fell to the ground. Mitchell was closest to her and reached out to catch her before she could fall, easing her gently to the ground while Daniel made his way back to his wife.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I...there is a pain..." she winced.
Logan moved in to check her vital signs and examine her. "Where Kitah?"
"Here," she pointed to her lower abdomen. "I... already know..."
"Know what?" Daniel asked.
"I am sorry, Daniel... I wanted to wait for a happier time to tell you..."
Logan gasped in realization. "Kitah... Are you..."
"With child...yes..." she nodded.
Daniel's eyes widened. "What?!" he asked.
"Dr. Beckett confirmed it the day the children were taken..." she winced.
"Why didn't you tell me? You shouldn't be traipsing around out here in your condition!" Daniel scolded mildly, ecstatic and worried at the same time.
"That is why I did not tell you. I needed to find our son... I wanted you to be focused on him, not me," she explained.
"Kitah..." Daniel shook his head. He understood, but he was not happy that she'd put her life at risk, or their unborn baby's life at risk. "You have to go back."
"No...I will be fine..."
"NO!" Caldwell and Logan said in unison.
"Kitah, you aren't doing David or your unborn child any good if you put yourself at risk. Daniel won't be able to focus if he is worried about you - He can do that if he knows you're safe and in Dr. Beckett's capable hands." Logan informed her.
"I would feel better if you were there to look after Sam," added Lyta.
"And Hope," Teyla chimed in.
At first, Kitah looked like she would argue the point, but she sighed and then nodded her head. "Very well," she agreed.
"Dr. Jackson, make sure your wife gets back through the gate and then you can rejoin the search," Caldwell ordered.
They watched as Daniel lifted his wife off the ground and carried her back to the stargate, then continued on their way.
UNKNOWN PLANET
"David, we have decided to give you back your... Teddy... since it gives you comfort, but please, do not try to run away again. It is not safe out there... the Wraith could attack at any moment."
"Roddy!" David squealed. His eyes lit up as the man held out the bear he'd been given long before he could even remember. He didn't know why, exactly, but he knew all he had to do was give the bear a big squeeze in just the right place and his parents would come for him.
He grabbed the bear and ran for the room they had given him, squeezing as hard as he could. They exchanged curious glances, wondering what it was that so enamored him of the stuffed toy. He was so fond of the thing that he would do anything, obey any command they gave him as long as they did not take his toy away from him.
ELSEWHERE
"I've got something!" McKay declared.
"What?!" Caldwell said as they all crowded around McKay.
"It's faint, but it's definitely there..."
"Who?" Teal'c asked.
"It's uh... David's beacon..."
"David?" Daniel asked hopefully, having returned just as McKay made his announcement.
"It's David alright, see?" He held the screen up for Daniel to see.
"Have you got a fix?" Caldwell asked.
"It's coming from...Here?!" he looked perplexed.
They'd already covered most of the planet's villages and towns but had found no sign of the woman they were looking for or any of the children.
"Underground?" Sheppard speculated.
"Lock it in, McKay... Let's go get him!" Caldwell ordered.
Between themselves on the surface and the jumpers in the air, they were able to triangulate the location of David Jackson's beacon. A small home on the outskirts of a fairly large village. Within moments, they had the home surrounded and waited for Caldwell to give the order to storm the place. Once he had confirmation that there were only three people inside, including David, Caldwell gave the order.
Logan and Sheppard burst through the front door, while the others came in through every opening they could find. The woman rushed to another room and snatched the boy from his bed, holding him tightly against her in a protective stance.
"Who are you?"!" the man demanded.
"You first!" Sheppard shouted.
"I will tell you nothing. This is MY home!"
Daniel stepped forward and pointed to the boy. "And that, is my son."
Upon hearing his voice, David began to squirm, trying in vain to see his father. "Daddy!" he cried.
"It's alright son, we're here to take you home," Daniel smiled at him reassuringly.
"Daddy... I brave..." he cried.
"I know, David... Mama knows, too."
"Where Mama?" he asked.
"She is back home watching over Hope and Sam, and waiting for you," Daniel replied.
"Hope... Sam... Where Chessie and Riwey?" he asked.
Daniel looked into the eyes of the woman who still refused to let go of his son. "Please... Let him go..."
She stood her ground, shaking her head. "No... No... He is ours now."
"You heard him...*I* am his father."
"She say Daddy dead... Mama, too!" David said petulantly.
"You told my son we were dead?" Daniel's eyes darkened with anger.
"My God..." Logan murmured, horrified.
"That is unbelievably cruel," Teyla said.
The man took a step forward and held up a hand. "That is what we were told."
"I'll bet!" Caldwell said.
"Give me my son!" Daniel ordered.
"Give Daddy!" David echoed, twisting around and reaching out for his father.
The woman looked at her husband who nodded somberly. "But... we..."
She reluctantly set David down and he immediately rushed into Daniels' arms and burrowed his face in between Daniel's neck and shoulder. Daniel struggled to hold back tears as he clung to his son. He pulled back to look the boy over, just to make sure he was okay.
"Auntie Lolo!" David squealed as he caught sight of her behind Daniel.
"Hi squirt!" she smiled, holding her arms out to him. "Come, let me have a look at you."
"'Kay!" he agreed readily, knowing he was as safe with Logan as he was with his father.
Logan took him and walked outside, followed by Daniel, who held him while Logan checked him over to make sure he wasn't injured or ill.
"We were told he was... orphaned..." the woman cried. "We loved him... as we would have our own..."
Caldwell studied her intently. He believed she was telling the truth, but he was still angry. "If you are really victims, as we all were when the children were stolen from us, then you will help us find the person who did this - and the rest of our children."
"Children? There were more than one?" the man asked.
"Yes... There were several taken, my own included. Tell us where you got the boy."
Haru reluctantly told them everything he knew, while Kiyah softly wept in the corner. She kept stealing longing glances out the window at Daniel and David. Logan had come back inside, after thoroughly checking David over, and was now watching Kiyah to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. At her wits end, the woman suddenly snapped at Logan.
"You have no idea...You don't know what it's like to lose a child..."
Logans' eyes blazed angrily. "And you don't know what you're talking about!"
Mitchell moved to stand behind Logan, whispering in her ear in an effort to calm her.
"What would you know about it?"
"I have TWO children who were stolen by that woman and they are still out there somewhere, so don't speak of things YOU know nothing about!"
Kiyah looked somehwat mortified at what she'd been told, but she was still too grief-stricken to sympathize. "She probably took them for good reason! She knew they were going to loving homes and families..."
Logan wheeled angrily on her. "ALL of our children HAD good homes, with loving parents, you self-righteous b*tch!"
Mitchell wrapped his arm around her waist from behind and pulled her away, knowing that the two women would soon come to blows, and that Logan would wipe the floor with the other woman.
"Easy, Lo...Come on...That's it...Let's go find John..."
Teyla moved in to take Logan's place watching Kiyah, though she looked about as happy about it as Logan had been. Caldwell watched their exchange dispassionately. Had the woman continued to push things, Caldwell couldn't and wouldn't have blamed Logan for losing the tenuous control she had over her emotions already. He should, as her C.O. but he wanted to beat the truth out of these people just as much as she did.
"What?" Caldwell said, returning his attention to Haru.
"The woman you seek... She is here. Not three homes down the way."
"You're sure?" he asked.
"Very. We were planning on having her for evening meal to thank her, again, for bringing us the boy..." he said sadly.
"Show us." Caldwell ordered icily.
She stood at the window watching for an opportunity to make her escape. There were so many of them! Even when she agreed to help Vanu, she'd been afraid that something like this would happen, despite Vanu's assurances that it would not. She'd done this because of her devotion to Acastus Kolya. She'd been in love with him for as long as she could remember, and though he had never really returned her feelings, she remained devoted to him to this day.
The people whose children they'd taken were all responsible, in some way or another, for the death of Acastus and his brother. She agreed that they had to pay for what they'd done, and like Vanu, she agreed that taking their precious children would be the best, most painful way to exact vengeance. Acastus would approve, she believed, and that was what had made her follow through with the plan.
Now THEY were here, and she had no doubt that they now knew about her involvement. Haru and Kiyah would most certainly have told them where they got the boy and her life would be forfeit. At least Vanu had gotten away with the Sheppard children. No matter how much they tortured her, she would not, indeed COULD not tell them where to find Vanu. Sheppard and Devane would never get their children back, even if the others did. They, at least, would suffer for the rest of their lives.
There was no way she'd be able to escape from them. There were far too many, and they were angry. She let out a heavy sigh and accepted her fate. She was comforted by the fact that she would soon be with her beloved Acastus. She let the curtain fall back in place and went to sit in the bedroom and await her inevitable fate. She hoped that both Sheppard and Devane were with those at Haru's home. she wanted to see the pain in their eyes before she died. She wanted to be able to give Acastus at least some measure of peace in the next life. She didn't have long to wait. Soon enough there were bodies converging on her from every corner of the room. She simply sat there and waited for someone, preferably Sheppard or Devane, to speak first.
"You are the one called Fauni?" Caldwell demanded.
She regarded him icily. "I am."
"You are the one who helped Vanu steal our children?" he asked.
"I am."
"Where are the rest of them?"
"I will tell you nothing."
A man, who could only be Sheppard stepped forward and stared hatefully down at her. She knew he was Sheppard before he opened his mouth. His children bore a striking resemblance to him. "You WILL tell us where the children are, one way or another," he seethed.
She smirked up at him. "You are Sheppard."
"I am."
"And which is Devane?" she asked, looking at the two women behind him.
Logan stepped forward. "I am," she identified herself.
"You two... You will suffer the most."
"We aren't the only ones who have missing children," Sheppard said.
"No you are not, though I have no doubt that the others will be found more easily. But, I should tell you that no matter what form of torture you employ, I will not reveal the whereabouts of your son and daughter."
"Just ours?" Sheppard asked.
"That is correct."
"Why?" asked Caldwell.
"These two, more than any of you are responsible for the deaths of the Kolya brothers."
"What are you? Another sister? A cousin?" Logan asked coldly.
"Neither. But you will pay for what you did to them... To Acastus..." she trailed off sadly.
"Ah... You were in love with him," Logan deduced.
"Indeed. And now he has been avenged, as has his brother."
"So it would be news to you that Kolya was in love with my wife?" Sheppard taunted her.
Fauni's eyes flashed angrily. "Never! Not Acastus..."
"Oh yes. Very much so." Sheppard countered.
"And for this you killed him?!" she was outraged.
"Actually, that was me," McKay stepped forward.
"You?" she stared at him in disbelief.
"Yeah... He was about to kill Colonel Devane, among others, and someone had to stop him. Fortunately, I don't have any children for you to kidnap, but I happen to hold the missing children very dear."
"I will tell you nothing!" she screamed.
"We'll see about that," Caldwell reached out and pulled her roughly to her feet.
Fauni was taken to the kitchen and bound securely to a chair. They didn't have the time nor the inclination for niceties, and he knew that his superiors would be horrified at what they were planning to do, but he really didn't give a damn. When the woman was secure, he sent the others out of the room and called for Logan. He spoke with her in hushed tones, and the woman noticed that Devane's eyes sparkled just a bit at whatever he told her. She took a deep breath and waited for the torture to begin.
Logan rummaged around in her medical bag and pulled out a smaller bag. Inside the smaller bag was a dark blue plastic case containing hypodermic needles, syringes and a vial of some type of liquid. Fauni watched as Logan methodically filled the syringe and turned toward her. Caldwell took up a position directly behind her, pressing down on her shoulders to keep her from trying to stand. Since her arms and legs were already bound, it was easy for Logan to find a vein and she wasted no time injecting the drug into her system.
Outside, Mitchell was pacing back and forth with Sheppard, wanting desperately to go back inside. "Do you know what they're doing?" he asked Sheppard.
"I have a pretty good idea," he shrugged, wanting to be part of it as well.
"Sodium Pentothal?" Mitchell asked.
"Probably. Either that or Caldwell is letting Logan beat the shit out of her," Sheppard said grimly.
Mitchell studied his face. "I doubt that... I don't think that'd work on her, in fact I think she'd welcome it. Plus, I don't hear any screaming."
"I got that feeling, too. Like she can't wait to be with her beloved Kolya," he looked disgusted as he said it.
"We'll find them John. I promise, I'll never stop looking until we do."
Sheppard gave a half-hearted smile and shrugged. "Thanks Cam... I know you will."
"What is it man?" Mitchell asked.
"That woman, she made it sound like... I don't think she knows where Nic and Chelsea are," he admitted breathlessly.
"We WILL find them John... No matter what."
Inside the house, the drug was beginning to take effect. Fauni felt herself relaxing despite the immediate peril she was in. "What... What was that?" she asked blearily.
"A little something we call truth-serum," Caldwell answered icily.
"I won't help you," she persisted.
"Ah, but you will... Not intentionally of course, or willingly, but you will answer our questions."
Caldwell spent about fifteen minutes interrogating the woman who, despite her best efforts to fight the drug, could not seem to resist answering each and every one of his questions. She gave him the names and locations of every person who had taken in a Lantean child, seeming to revel in the fact that she had managed to cause them so much pain. The one thing she wouldn't tell them was the location of the Sheppard children.
Logan was rapidly losing control. "Tell me where my children are!" she shouted.
"I cannot... Even if I wanted to, I could not."
"Why is that?" Logan asked.
"We knew you would come looking for them. Vanu really didn't care whether or not you found the others, they were but a diversion, meant to cause you maximum pain, but..."
"But what?" Logan stared directly into her eyes.
"The only children she never wanted found were yours... She... WE wanted you to suffer for the rest of your lives wondering what happened to them. For this reason, Vanu never told me where she took them, or who she gave them to... Or even if she planned to keep them alive..."
Logan impulsively slapped her then kicked the chair over. Caldwell hurriedly grabbed her from behind to keep her from beating the life out of the hateful woman laughing up at her from the floor. Logan was screaming and flailing around, trying to break free from Caldwell's grasp. Mitchell and Sheppard charged into the room at the sound of Logan's screams.
"Take her!" Caldwell ordered.
Sheppard and Mitchell wrestled Logan out the door and away from prying eyes. For a few moments she fought them, trying to get back inside. Sheppard whispered and cooed to her, trying to soothe her anger. Eventually, she began to calm, or rather to stop fighting, and she slumped to the gound, dissolving into tears.
"What happened?" Sheppard asked.
"She... told us where the other children are..." Logan gasped.
"Nic? Chels?" Sheppard asked.
"Johnny... She doesn't KNOW where they are... or if they're even alive!" she wailed.
"What?!" he gasped.
"That was their intent all along. They never wanted us to know what happened to them... Just OURS..." she sobbed.
NEW LANTEA
Daniel escorted David back to New Lantea, along with a few S.O.'s who were bringing the woman called Fauni for further questioning. Daniel smiled as he entered the infirmary to find his wife resting safely under the care of Dr. Beckett. Kitah looked up when he entered and very nearly jumped right out of bed when she saw her son cradled in Daniels' arms.
"David!" she cried, holding out her arms to him.
"Mama!" David squealed, nearly launching himself onto the bed.
Daniel deposited the squirming child on the bed and leaned down to kiss his wife, then stood back to watch the joyful reunion. Beckett came over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"How are they?" he asked.
"Mum and bairn are both fine. Kitah was a bit dehydrated, but we've remedied that. I assume Logan examined young David before you came back?"
"Yeah, she checked him over," he said, an intense wave of sadness coming over him.
"What's wrong?" Beckett asked.
Daniel pulled him aside, out of earshot of Kitah and David. "The woman who came back with us, Fauni... She told them where to find the other children..."
"That's great!" Beckett exclaimed.
"EXCEPT... for Nic and Chelsea," he finished.
"What? Why?"
"She doesn't know where Vanu took them, or if she even kept them alive. She wanted John and Logan to suffer more than the rest of us, I guess."
"That's just... unspeakably cruel..." Beckett said angrily.
"Yeah..."
"How are they holding up?" Beckett asked.
"Not very well. They have each other, so that's some comfort, but... Logan started losing it when she found out what they planned for her kids. She's okay now. As okay as she can be under the circumstances but..." Daniel trailed off.
"Her military training will keep her from losing it completely... At least until they find the children."
"Daniel?" Kitah called to him.
"Yes?" he was instantly at her side.
"Where Chessie and Riwey?" David asked.
Kitah stiffened at the expression on Daniels' face.
"They're still away, son. Remember? Aunt Logan and Uncle John are still out looking for them."
David looked around the room again. "Where Nic?"
"He's with Chelsea, son."
"Lolo sad?" he asked.
"Yes David, she's very sad."
The boy appeared to be deep in thought, then he suddenly thrust his teddy bear into Daniels' hands. "Give Lolo," he said simply.
"That's very generous of you, son. But Aunt Logan wants you to hold onto this, so she knows that YOU are safe."
"Where Sam?" he asked.
At that moment, Sam burst into the room. "Hi!" he said cheerily.
David reached out his arms to the older boy. "Sam!"
Sam hugged the boy and turned to look up at Daniel. "The others?" he asked.
"Not yet, but your Dad knows where your brother and sister are and he's gone to get them," Daniel assured him.
"Good. What about Nic and Chelsea?" he asked warily.
"They're still looking, but they'll find them," he assured everyone present. "Speaking of which... I need to get back."
Kitah started a bit, but said nothing. Daniel looked down at her, determination in his brilliant blue eyes. "We have our son back, Kitah... But..."
Kitah held up a hand to stop him. "Go Daniel..." she said firmly.
"I'll be back," he promised.
He kissed David and Kitah, then gave Sam a reassuring hug and promised to tell his parents that he was fine. As he was leaving, Weir was coming in with Hope. He stopped long enough to hug the girl and told Weir that Beckett would fill her in.
UNKNOWN PLANET
Torus looked disbelievingly at the boy called Runer. Runer had wakened him after sneaking into his cell and held up the bracelet his parents had given him long ago. His bracelet! His salvation! He reached out tentatively and took it from Runer and quickly hit the tiny button that would activate the beacon. Then he turned to look into Runers' eyes. "Why did you do this?" he asked.
"I want to be free too... The master... he is..." Runer shuddered and almost gave in to tears.
Torus reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The others?" he asked.
"They are still sleeping. It is very late, the master will not be up for hours."
"He is no one's master anymore," Torus assured him.
"We will go now?"
"We go now," Torus said.
The two boys made their way silently to the cells containing their fellow conspirators. Only the ones he knew he could trust. He had every intention of freing the others, but not until he was sure he and his friends were safe. His father could free them, once all the Lantean children were safe and back home. He felt a tug at his heart at the mere thought of his brother, sister and friends all being subjected to what he'd been through. Yes, they were too young for the manual labor he'd been forced to do, but they could be being groomed for such work in the future.
Once all his friends were free, Torus led them away from the farm and toward town. He was unfamiliar with this world, but the other boys had drawn detailed maps of the area outside the farm and where the stargate was located. He knew his brother and sister were not brought to the same world as he, or rather he'd been told as much. He wanted to go off and search for them, but he knew his parents wouldn't want him to go off traipsing around the galaxy alone. As much as it pained him, he knew he had to go back to New Lantea.
As the group made their way silently into town, hiding behind the houses as they went, some movement caught his eye and he ordered the boys to flatten themselves against the ground. Torus waited and watched the house where he'd seen the curtains moving.
Caldwell raged inside the empty house where they'd been told they could find little Riley. The couple who was supposed to be living here were no where to be found. It looked like they had packed up in a hurry and left with only that which they could carry. He was further dismayed to find Riley's teddy bear on the floor by the door. They would have no way to track her now.
"Wait!" McKay cried out.
"What is it?" Caldwell demanded.
"I'm getting a signal..." he said jubilantly.
"Riley..." Caldwell said dejectedly, holding up the bear.
"No... besides that. It's Torus!" he declared.
"Where?"
"It looks like right where she said he'd be."
Neither Caldwell nor Lyta appeared able to move. Logan and Sheppard knew better than the others the agony they felt at having to choose between their two missing children. Logan stepped forward and took his hand in hers.
"Go... I'll keep a team here and we'll question everyone about where these people went. Someone has to know something."
"She's right, sir. You two need to go to where you KNOW Torus is. We'll keep looking here," Mitchell said.
"I...She..." Caldwell stammered.
"You can't be in two places at once, sir. Torus has managed to drop some breadcrumbs and you have to get to him before they move him too. We'll find Riley," Sheppard insisted.
Caldwell nodded reluctantly, clearly torn about what to do. Lorne and two other teams went with Caldwell and McKay, but before they could get very far, they were approached by a woman two houses down.
"You are looking for Tais and Eagin?" she asked.
"We are."
"What have they done?" she asked.
Caldwell studied her for a moment. "They have our daughter."
"I knew something was wrong," she muttered.
"What do you mean?" Lyta asked.
"They told everyone the child was an orphan they had taken in, but they seemed..."
"What?" Caldwell prodded.
"Afraid. Especially whenever a stranger stepped through the ring."
"As if they thought someone might come and take her from them?" Caldwell asked.
"Yes."
"Do you know where they went?" he asked.
"I do."
"Tell us," he demanded.
