Oh gosh, I'm really sorry for the late update, I wish I could write on a more regular basis, but well, you all probably know how things can be...
Anyway, I'm so so very gratefull that you like the story! The follows/favs/reviews make me so happy!
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your grace will light our hearts
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Chapter 2
Stargate Centre || Briefing room || 00:25 AM
Daniel breathed heavily as he came to a stop in front of the staircase that led up to the briefing room.
Pushing his glasses back on his nose, he climbed the last remaining couple of stairs and sighed in relief as he spotted the familiar looking blonde hair that belonged to the woman he had been looking for for the last hour.
Of course, her lab had been the first obvious choice, but after searching almost every single room at the base, the archaeologist mentally slapped himself for not thinking about coming here sooner.
However, the sight that now greeted him almost broke his heart.
Sam sat on top of the round table, her knees ben and tightly pressed against her body; both her arms wrapped around her legs.
Her usually vibrant blue eyes were watery, but naturally the goody-two-shoes soldier inside of her didn't allow the tears to fall from her eyes. Not here at work, not surrounded by other military men that might take it as a sign of weakness.
It was moments like these that Daniel cursed the military and its god-damn rules and regulations. Even though he had to admit that the people working at the SGC were different from the experiences he had made so far. They all knew what it was like to go through the 'gate, the risks that came with it and the sacrifices that had to be made along the way for the greater good.
He watched his friend for a moment and followed her forlorn gaze that was fixed upon the inactive stargate that was standing untouched behind the thick glass wall.
"What can I do for you, Daniel?"
Sam's unexpected voice slightly startled him; truth to be told he hadn't expected her to notice his presence.
"I've been looking for you," he eventually replied and sat down next to her on the table.
He had to admit that it felt somehow calming to look down into the gate room, though he couldn't explain why. Probably because of the many things that had happened over the years. In a way, he connected the gate with the friends he now had; the first time they went through it together, and all the dangers they had already faced.
"Actually, I've been searching the entire base for you," the archaeologist continued with a small chuckle, "didn't really expect to find you here."
Sam didn't look at him; she just continued staring in the distance.
"I – I want to believe that this was all just a bad dream. That if I just keep staring at the 'gate long enough, he'll step through again, telling me that everything's alright."
Daniel sighed. "Sam – "
She shook her head forcefully. "I know, Daniel. I know he won't be coming back. It's just…"
His friends struggled to find the right words. "Hard to accept?"
"Yes."
For a moment, neither of them said a word; both probably lost in their own memories about Jacob.
"You know, we thought about having a Team-night…" he archaeologist finally said, out of the blue.
He didn't really know what else to say to break the silence, but he noticed relieved that this statement caused her to turn her head ever-so-slightly; her eyes gleaming with a mixture between hope and surprise and a little bit of hesitation.
"A Team-night?"
Daniel shrugged. "Well, not the usual one, of course… I … we… just don't want you to be alone tonight, that's all."
The hint of a smile flashed over her face. "We?"
He blushed a bright crimson – playing matchmaker between his two best friends was even more difficult than he had first anticipated. At least without either of them noticing. "Well, Teal'c, me and well, Jack… though I also think that…"
"That's very sweet of you, Daniel, but…" Sam mumbled and dropped her gaze to something she was holding in her hands.
Taking a closer look, the archaeologist noticed that it was a small, black velvet box. Immediately, the brown haired man knew that it was the exact same one Pete had given her, that had contained her engagement ring.
For what felt like the tenth time this night, he could have cursed himself for not thinking his plan through properly.
"Oh my, I mean of course you won't be along tonight… you have Pete… and you're about to — " he stumbled awkwardly, trying to get himself out of the mess he had created. "What I'm trying to say is that I guess you could very well bring him along…"'Assuming that Jack won't throw the door shut right into his face,' he added mentally.
The next thing out of Sam's mouth almost caused him to fall off the table.
"Pete and I… we… well… I broke up with him."
Daniel stared at the woman he had learned to love like the sister he never had, utterly dumbfounded. When the hell did that happen? I've only been ascended for a little bit and everything's turned upside down! Jack's dating Kerry — though he still hadn't figured that one out — and Sam broke up with Pete…
But before he could voice his confusion, he noticed the lack of rings on Sam's hand and that the box she had been playing with all this time was indeed empty.
"So, yes," Sam continued in nothing more than a whisper, "I would be glad to have you guys around tonight. Though of course I understand that if it's going to be too much trouble for you I can still — "
"Sam," Daniel interrupted her rambling and placed a comforting arm around his blonde friend; taking a mental note to remind himself to ask her about what exactly happened with Pete another time. "Listen. You'll never be a burden. You hear me? Never."
Ida Galaxy || Orilla || Asgard home planet || Room of the High Council || 00:41
The small Asgard kept his eyes fixed straight upon the floor. He was capable of hearing the whispering voices all around him, but he couldn't quite make out what exactly the ware talking about. The only thing he could tell was that they had to be speaking about him. The idiot. The coward. The failure.
The cold feeling from the stone floor he was currently kneeling on contributed even more to the terrifying feeling of loneliness that was already raging inside of him.
Soon, their high and supreme leader moved and immediately the voices in the court room silenced. It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
With a gesture of his hand, Thor got up from his throne-like chair and with him four of the highest ranking council members – Freyr, Penegall, Archon and Assir. All of them wore the distinguishing golden necklace, which was only worn whenever there were grave decisions to make.
"What do you have to say to your self-defense?" Freyr asked neutrally.
His throat tightened nonetheless.
The – without a doubt – outstanding work he had been performing over the last couple of decades had gifted him with a new position: Being a guard in the Asgard's prisoner ward.
And despite the odds, he had managed to butch his first given task on his very first day of work.
"It – it was not my intention, High leaders."
A cackle was heard from the other two.
"Archon, Assir, this is not the most suitable behaviour in a situation as severe as this one."
Both of them immediately straightened their backs, but their eyes still shot unkind looks towards him.
Again, the remaining Asgard in the crowded Council Room started to whisper.
"Silence," Thor demanded with an unusual force in his otherwise calm voice. His big eyes, however, also mirrored a sadness that the young guard had rarely seen in them.
With all his strength, he tried to hold the leader's glance, even though he knew how much he had disappointed the elder Asgard – who had given him the position in the first place.
"The crime has been committed. Loki has escaped the prison cell and you will receive your punishment for your incompetence."
The young guard nodded and looked down at his grey hands in shame. "I understand, Master Thor."
Thor nodded and waved his small hand; two other guards that had been standing in front of the great doors that led into the room came by, each grabbing the young Asgard's shoulder, dragging him to his feet and, without another word being said, out of the hall.
Once the doors were once again closed, Thor brought his attention back to the other members of the High Council.
"I am still not entirely convinced that informing the Tau'ri of the situation is a suitable idea," Assir stated and if he had an eyebrow he would have raised it in a very Teal'c way.
Thor exchanged a knowing look with Freyr, who has also taken quite the liking to the people form the milky way galaxy.
"Loki's most unfortunate escape cannot be kept a secret. Their people have signed the treaty and therefore belong to the nation of the protected planets; which includes informing them about possible threats."
Thor nodded, and held his hand up to stop Archon from speaking. "Loki's desired destination is yet to be assured completely. He has managed to in-active his positioning-tracker, which is indeed most unfortunate."
"But," Freyr added quickly, "the chances are most likely that he will be settling down on the Tau'ri home planet."
Assir and Archon exchanged looks of confusion. "How do your justify your assumption?"
Thor blinked; he always did that when he didn't want to answer a – in his opinion particularly irrelevant question. But a glance at Freyr told him to continue.
"Besides the fact that O'Neill has earned our complete honesty and should therefore be informed about Loki's situation – especially after the cloning incident – there has been a stone tablet with several theories been found in Loki's old laboratory."
Both critic's eyes widened. "You have not told us about that, Master Thor."
"He wanted to wait for the right moment," Freyr saved him.
"I will explain the necessary things, then," Thor continued and tossed the stone plate around for his two other high ranking members to see. "As you can see, the paper contains various symbols in a language yet unknown to us. Though Freyr and myself are certain that – considering Loki's earlier interest in his studies concerning the ancients' gene – these inscriptions are part of the — what we thought to be — long lost Orillia Prophecy."
Even though it was only said in a whisper, a lot more Asgard that had remained in the room had followed their conversation and therefore stared at the High Master with wide eyes. Thor ignored them and focused his attention of the most important members of the Council.
"What Prophecy do you speak of, Thor?" Assir asked suspiciously.
Once again, looks with Freyr got exchanged.
"The one that speaks of a possible salvation for the Asgard race and their cloning difficulties," he answered eventually. "Loki wants to continue his experiments where he had left them."
All he got were confused looks, so he clarified it a little more.
"In the wrong hands, the Prophecy and the power it contains can not only destroy the race of the Tau'ri, but also the entire galaxy."
To be continued :)