Title: Through the Raven's Eye
Author: Ravynsword
e-mail: ravynsword2000@yahoo.com
Archive: Please ask (other than fanfiction.net)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sequel to "Comes the Raven" What happens after Cassandra wakes up.
****
"All I'm saying is that the twins have settled in at my place, so why shouldn't she do the same," declared an exasperated Daniel Jackson. The linguist was pacing the waiting room at the Air Force base hospital in Colorado Springs.
Watching him from one of the couches, a blonde woman shrugged and replied, "It's just our way, Daniel. There is only one guest room at your place, and she'll need the space for the physical therapist the doctor insists on. You may as well give it up. Hell, she's making a major concession just by staying in town. Usually, we'd beeline it back for home turf and lick our wounds there. She's arranged for a tutor to keep the twins up to date with their schoolwork until we're ready to leave. Andi may have been injured, but she's far from helpless."
Two weeks earlier, Cassandra Centraice, Andi to those close to her, had been struck by a car outside a mall in Colorado Springs. She had a serious concussion as well as damage to her shoulder and a couple of cracked ribs. The most dangerous injury, though, had been the swelling on her brain. Until she had woken up lucid, the doctors had been unwilling to make a prognosis of a full recovery. Because she had custody papers in her pocket at the time, Daniel Jackson had current custody of the twins, Daniel and Arianrhod. Nikki just hoped he wasn't getting too used to having them around, because as soon as Andi was recovered enough for travel, they would probably be headed back to Canada and the family's home base. No one was ever raised by people outside of the clan, not if the clan knew about the children. Cassandra was going to have an uphill battle just to get the rest of the clan to accept that she intended to have Daniel involved in their upbringing at all. Sighing at Daniel's frustration, even though she understood it, Nikki got up from the couch and headed towards Andi's room. As soon as she was packed, they would be heading for the Mountain Eagle, a five-star hotel where they had rented out an entire floor for the duration.
****
"You know, Andi, it's going to be tough keeping him in the dark about what we do," said Nikki, as she helped pack the last of Andi's things in an overnight bag that Rosalee had picked up in town the day before.
"I know," replied Cassandra, wearily, "but I can't ask him to forget that he's a father. As long as O'Neill hasn't figured it out yet and told him, we should be okay for a while. How long do I have to put up with the therapist?"
"They're not sure, your hand-eye coordination is off due to the head injury. You're going to have to learn to compensate to some degree as well as get your shoulder back in working order. Oh, and he's still having fits about you and the twins staying at Mountain Eagle instead of with him." Nikki stopped and watched her friend closely.
Andi looked out the window for so long that Nikki began to wonder if she had heard, but the dark haired mercenary tilted her head up and spoke quietly, "I know, and he'll never know how hard it is for me to say no. There are times I think that this is some sort of sadistic dream and I'll wake up and he'll be dead and the twins will never know him. If I stay with him now, it will only be harder when we have to leave, and you know we will.
We're on borrowed time as it is. The heads of the families are allowing me to run things from here with a healthy dose of support from Serena and Edmund, but they'll expect me back home as soon as possible to fulfill my duties as the chieftain of our clan. I'm already expecting a fight on my hands when I tell them I'm going to use the Lair as my center of operations instead of the Centaria estate. How do I tell them that an outsider is going to have a say in how my heir is raised?"
With that, Andi sighed, turned around and headed for the nurse stationed outside of the room. As she was wheeled into the waiting area, she saw Daniel Jackson and their two children, Daniel and Arianrhod. Her breath caught in her chest as she deeply wished that this could be the way things would always be. Swiftly, the moment was over as they finished the process of getting her released from the hospital and transferred to the hotel. She didn't miss the close way Colonel Jack O'Neill kept an eye on her the entire time.
****
"Dad, can I try the shooting gallery?" Roddy asked her father. Daniel looked at his daughter and wondered about letting a ten-year-old girl try a shooting gallery.
Before he could answer, her brother broke in with, "Come on, how many stuffed animals can you fit in your room from those stupid things? I want to go try the haunted house."
Standing on the other side of his friend, Jack O'Neill just raised an eyebrow and shrugged when Daniel looked to him for help. "They're your kids, Danny boy, you get to call the shots."
"Okay, how about each of you gets a try at the shooting gallery and then we head for the haunted house?" Daniel offered as a compromise. He still didn't think the twins would be able to hit anything with the guns at the stand. The weapons were heavy, rapid-fire pellet guns and most of the other players were in their upper teens. Roddy jumped up and down with excitement, then grabbed one hand from each Daniel and Jack and began to drag them to the shooting gallery. Daniel could hear DJ grumbling something behind him about a 'show off'.
Ten minutes later, both Jack and Daniel looked at the twins with identical expressions of disbelief. Roddy was proudly holding onto a large stuffed Coca-Cola polar bear she had won by shooting out ten targets in a row. Next to her was her brother with a medium-sized stuffed wolf that he won by shooting out seven of the targets. If they hadn't been so shocked, the two men would have been grinning at the sight of the girl with her arms around a bear at least a foot taller than her and the boy with a wolf that came up to his shoulders. Even though he had been beaten by his sister, the boy looked to be in good spirits and was already looking towards the haunted house he had seen when they entered the carnival.
Shaking his head at this new facet of his children, Daniel handed the wolf to Jack, took the bear from his daughter, and began to herd them to the new destination. As they passed the end of 'game alley', Jack noticed someone in the shadow, watching them closely. When he tried to get closer, the shadow melted away into the crowd. He made a mental note the tell Nikki about it later.
****
Just before midnight, Daniel, Jack, and the twins arrived back at Daniel's apartment. Carrying the two children, the men made their way through the dimly lit living room to deposit their precious cargo into the twin beds that had been installed in Daniel's guest room just after their mother's accident. After they finished tucking the boy and girl into their respective beds, they headed into the kitchen where Daniel put on a pot of coffee. While the coffee brewed, the twins' father appeared lost in deep thought.
"Jack, what are the odds on a pair of ten year olds having that kind of accuracy with a pellet gun?" Daniel asked as he poured the coffee into the mugs he had retrieved from the cabinet.
"I don't know, Daniel. I do know that the sights on those things were off and the kids just compensated for it and shot them out anyway. It took DJ a couple of targets to really get in the swing of it, but then he was a match for Roddy."
"I wonder who taught them to shoot?" Daniel said, almost to himself.
"Well, their mom is a well paid security specialist, they may have learned from her. You can ask her when you take the kids back Sunday." Looking at his watch, Jack stood up, "Listen, I gotta get out of here. Hammond tagged me to give orientation to the new officer recruits in the morning. Said if I did it on Saturday, he could start assigning them out to teams for shakedown by Monday afternoon. Have a good weekend with the family." With that, he put his mug in the sink and headed out the door, leaving his best friend to wonder about his marksmen twins and himself wondering if he should tell Daniel what he knew about their mother's real profession.
****
"Serena, I want the books at the main estate audited by the end of next month. If Highgrove was up to something, I need to know. I still can't quite believe some of the crap he's done," Cassandra stated as she looked up from a report to her aunt. Over the last month or so, the young woman had been doing physical therapy daily to get over the shoulder injury and the difficulties with hand-eye coordination were lessening as the remaining pressure of fluid on her brain decreased along with the swelling. The therapist estimated that she had another month before she was ready to be given a clean bill of health. While they were here, the twins had a tutor who kept them up to date with the schoolwork sent from their school, and they saw their father as much as possible.
Today, they were with Daniel and his friends at a museum in town. If she didn't know better, Andi would swear they showed the same type of bond the Ravens had, a bond of people who had been through heavy combat together. It couldn't be. Daniel was a civilian consultant, and civilians didn't go into combat.
Andi looked up again as she heard voices near the office room of the suite she had rented. In a few moments, Diamonique Pappillon, Andi's second in command, entered the room with Doctor Janet Frasier as Serena left. Daniel had insisted on having Janet work on her case along with her own physician. Andi allowed it because she wasn't in the mood for a fight at the time. Doctor Frasier sat in the chair before the desk and waited for Cassandra to put the report down and turn her attention to the petite doctor.
"Yes, doctor, is there something I can do for you? My appointment isn't for another couple of days," asked Cassandra.
Looking up from the papers in her own lap, Janet responded, "Yes, I would like to ask a few questions for your medical history. You have what would normally be considered an unusually high number of scars. While they are minor, almost all of them appear to be from weapons of various types. Also, when I ran the blood work, there was an anomaly in the results."
"Anomaly?" asked Cassandra with arched eyebrows that reminded the doctor of Jack when he was trying to act innocent.
"Yes," replied Janet. She flipped through the file until she found what she was looking for. "In your blood, I found traces pointing to the aftereffects of a specific chemical compound. The problem is that this compound is very uncommon. As far as I have been able to find out, the only known instance when this substance was used occurred about six years ago in a small region of South America. It was used in conjunction with a joint operation to retrieve hostages taken by a group of what had believed to be rebels who turned out to be the scientists working for a drug cartel. The only other people I've come into contact with, personally, who have this marker are Colonel O'Neill and a Major Kowalski. As you have no record of being enlisted in either Canada, or the U.S., could you please explain the marker in your blood?"
Cassandra sighed and looked at Nikki, who just shrugged as if to say 'it's your call'. Turning back to the doctor, she said, "Doctor, I presume this falls under the auspice of doctor-patient confidentiality?" At Janet's nod she continued, "About six or seven years ago, I was in that region. We had been hired to assist in the hostage retrieval by the parents of one of the hostages. As he was very politically connected, the U.S. military assigned to the mission had no choice but to work with us."
"Us?" interjected Janet.
"Us," confirmed Andi, "I own Blackbird Security Consulting. You already know this, but what you don't know, and you can never reveal is the fact that I also run a group known as the White Ravens."
"The mercenary company," blurted Janet in surprise.
"Yes, the mercenary company. Colonel O'Neill apparently hasn't remembered any of us as he hasn't said anything." Because her attention was centered on the doctor, Andi almost missed Nikki stiffening up at her mention of the Ravens and the colonel. As it was, she put the reaction down to the report of Highgrove's activities that Nikki was currently reading.
"Well, when we went in to retrieve the hostages, the cartel's scientists released that compound. Made motor skills hell for a while. It was bad enough to let us get pinned down while trying to get back out. During a lull in the shooting, we were about to make a break back to friendly lines when this idiot named Maybourne," Andi looked up at Janet's derisive snort.
"Oh, you know him. Well, Maybourne made screw-ups, which basically told the hostiles where our team had taken cover. We were immediately pinned down. I lost almost a dozen of my people trying to protect the hostages we were in there for. Jack O'Neill went against direct orders and brought his team in to lay down cover fire. By doing that, he saved the remainder of my team as well as the hostages we had retrieved. Because of this, my team owes him a blood debt, we just haven't figured out how to pay it back. Does that answer your question?" Andi stated very matter-of-factly.
"Yes, it does," replied the doctor. "Do your children know what you do for a living?" she asked.
"Yes, but they know it isn't something to be discussed with outsiders. The only reason I've told you this information is to ensure that it doesn't go any further than this room. I'd like to remind you that you've given your word our conversation is under confidentiality. Now, if there is nothing further, I have work to do. Good day, doctor." At that Cassandra turned her attention back to the reports in front of her and trusted Nikki to show the doctor out.
****
"Doctor, I hope we can trust you not to say anything about this," Nikki said as she escorted Janet to the elevator. Nikki was being very careful to conceal her reaction to the fact that Cassandra had just informed a total outsider about the Ravens. It wasn't like her, security was always her primary concern because of the potential for rivals to use the children against her.
"This won't go any further. In her file, I will list the marker as a reaction to a substance encountered on a business trip. I'm not happy about keeping the information from Daniel, but it's Miss Centraice's decision to make, not mine," answered the doctor as they stood in hallway. When the elevator arrived, the doctor stepped in saying, "I'll see Cassandra at the base hospital the day after tomorrow for the follow-up screenings for the head injuries. Call me if there are any difficulties before then."
Nikki watched the doors closed and headed back towards the suite. She was more upset than she cared to admit. While Cassandra did give a reason for telling the doctor what she had, it still bothered her. If Cassandra was willing to tell a relative stranger about the company, what else might she say? For now, she decided to take a 'wait and see approach' toward the situation, but if things got worse, they might have to act.
//Now where was I on that report?//
****
"Nikki, is the doctor gone?" asked Andi as her friend walked back into the office they had set up.
"Yeah, she'll see you in a couple of days for the follow-up head scans."
Slipping back into the role of the Raven, Andi asked, "Why did you react that way to my conversation with her?" once Nikki sat down.
"React? I guess I did. It's just not like you to tell outsiders about us. You've always considered it too dangerous. I was taken by surprise, I suppose," answered the blonde woman.
She hoped her friend would give her a clue about her real motives. Andi had always treated everything in life as a chess match, keeping at least three moves ahead in mind at any given time. The only exception to that was her relationship with Daniel. In that, at least, Andi had let her heart call the shots. It had brought her greatest joys and deepest sorrows into her life, but Nikki thought it had been worth it. Instead, Andi just nodded and returned to her reports with a slight furrow on her brow. That, in itself, bothered Nikki. Normally, Andi would have pursued the issue until she got a complete answer. By dropping the issue, Andi caused her almost the same unease as talking to the doctor had, and that didn't even include the fact that she hadn't told Andi about Jack's comments at the hospital. He did realize who they were, but hadn't told anyone for some reason.
//So, how to distract Jack O'Neill from what we do for a living?// wondered Nikki as she began to form a plan.
****
//We don't get enough 'normal' days like this// thought Janet Frasier as she entered the Egyptian exhibit at the museum. She was still uneasy about her earlier conversation with Cassandra Centraice, but couldn't say anything about it due to her promise of confidentiality. Stopping briefly, she took in the scene before her.
At the far left stood Teal'c, stoic and tranquil as always. To his right was Janet's best friend, Sam Carter who was pointing something out to Janet's adopted daughter, Cassie. Next to Cassie were the twins. DJ and Arianrhod were listening raptly and firing rapid questions at the man standing behind them. Finally to the far right, was Jack O'Neill, trying not to look bored out of his skull. Standing behind the twins, Daniel Jackson was explaining the difference between the two sarcophagi in the display case.
//Will this day ever end?// wondered the colonel. He enjoyed having a day out when no one was shooting at his team, but why did they have to come to the museum? Couldn't they have gone to the zoo? Jack did his best not to fidget while Daniel went on about dynasties and styles of death masks, but it was hard. He eventually took to rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet to keep himself awake and he didn't care if Daniel glared at him for it. Jack almost fell over in relief when Janet walked up and greeted everyone.
"So, how's our field trip going?" asked the doctor.
"Great, Dad's pointing out the different styles of masks so we can tell how old a sarcophagus is," DJ spouted with the type of energy only the young have.
"We're going to see the Bast exhibit next, and maybe the Maya," added Arianrhod. At this, Jack quietly groaned and turned to bang his head softly against a case containing a statue of an Egyptian spear fisherman.
//This is NOT what I mean by guys with sticks!// he thought, while glaring at the statue. There was a hockey game on in a couple of hours, and he had hoped to be home to see it.
"How about going to the atrium and getting some ice cream?" Sam ventured, noticing her commanding officer's actions at the back of the group and trying not to laugh.
"I'll pay," he offered quickly. The kids jumped on the offer, and they all headed happily to the atrium.
//Sheesh, he's more of a little kid than the twins. If I didn't know better, I might believe he really is that dense// thought Daniel to himself, //It's just that I know he had to get at least a Bachelor's Degree to make commissioned officer. He fidgets worse than the kids, and I'll bet he's the one that really started the food fight at the cook out last weekend. Oh well, maybe he'll get the twins to loosen up some. They act way too grown up, and he acts as if the idea of 'grow up' has never entered his vocabulary.//
With a slight smile that got a puzzled look from his best friend, Daniel got in line with everyone else to get an ice cream cone. He was enjoying this time with his friends and children. The only thing that was a dark spot on the recent weeks was the fact that he didn't really get to spend much time with their mother. Her friend, Nikki, was always running interference. It was as if they were trying to keep Andi and him apart. //When I take the kids back, I'll talk to Andi and find out what's going on.// he decided. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he moved quickly to catch up to the others, who had headed on to the gift shop.
****
"Mom, we're back!" called out the twins as they stormed through the doors of the suite their mother had rented. They came to a sudden halt when they saw the boxes and bags in various states of packing around the main room.
Daniel, following directly behind the children also came to a shocked stop at the disarray in the room. "What's going on?" he called out when he heard sounds in the office room of the suite.
"We're packing up to return to Canada," replied Diamonique, as she came out of the bedroom with some suits for the luggage.
"Why didn't someone say something?" demanded Daniel. "Andi's supposed to have a check up the day after tomorrow, and she's not supposed to travel for at least another three weeks!"
"What can I say, something's come up and we have to return home to deal with it. You knew that her increased responsibilities to the family would have consequences, Daniel. This is one of them." Nikki stated as she moved around the room, packing various objects.
"But we just got here," chorused the twins. "We don't want to go back yet!"
"You don't have to," responded Andi, as she came out of the office. "If it's okay with your father, you can remain until school begins at the end of this month, but the rest of us have to return to take care of some business."
"What's so important that you have to run out of here?" argued Daniel.
"Business that isn't any of yours," retorted Cassandra. "I have my responsibilities. You knew that ten years ago. I doubt you really believe that's changed. What is, is, Daniel. You either learn to deal with it or you don't. I don't have time to worry either way. If the children are staying with you, I need to know. Otherwise they need to start packing. We'll be leaving in three hours."
Daniel stared at her, stunned. This wasn't the woman he thought he knew. The Cassandra that he knew, the Cassandra that woke up in the hospital wasn't this cold. He looked to Nikki, hoping for some clue as to what had happened. She avoided looking at him and kept packing.
"Daniel?" prompted Andi, "Are the twins staying here or do they return with me?" Cassandra's entire body language had altered from what he had seen the last few weeks since she had crashed back into his life. For most of that time, she had been tired, but still the woman he had grown to love a decade ago. Now, however, that was changed. If he didn't know better, he'd say it was the same body language that Jack used when he suspected a mission of going south. It bothered him, but he wasn't sure what to say, so he addressed the direct question first.
"Of course, I want them to stay," he started.
"Good," interrupted Andi, "their stuff is still at your apartment, so that's one less detail to remember. We leave shortly for home. There are two phone numbers to use to contact me on the table in the foyer. One is my office number and the other is to my cell. I'll check in on the kids every evening until they return to school. They'll be picked up by one of my people and taken back. If there are no other questions, I have a lot to do." With that, Cassandra seemed to dismiss them from her mind and concentrated on the packing. The children looked slightly upset, but what had just happened didn't seem to surprise them all that much.
//I think I need to have a talk with my children,// thought Daniel. "Kids, hug your mom and we'll go get something to eat and head home. You still have some homework to finish tonight." DJ and Arianrhod walked over, hugged their mom tightly, as if they weren't sure they would see her again and walked back to their father. As they left the suite, the twins looked over their shoulders at their mom. Daniel was concerned at the sadness he saw in their eyes.
Why were they acting as if this might be their last look at her? He had intended to get some answers from her, but all he had were more questions.
Author: Ravynsword
e-mail: ravynsword2000@yahoo.com
Archive: Please ask (other than fanfiction.net)
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Sequel to "Comes the Raven" What happens after Cassandra wakes up.
****
"All I'm saying is that the twins have settled in at my place, so why shouldn't she do the same," declared an exasperated Daniel Jackson. The linguist was pacing the waiting room at the Air Force base hospital in Colorado Springs.
Watching him from one of the couches, a blonde woman shrugged and replied, "It's just our way, Daniel. There is only one guest room at your place, and she'll need the space for the physical therapist the doctor insists on. You may as well give it up. Hell, she's making a major concession just by staying in town. Usually, we'd beeline it back for home turf and lick our wounds there. She's arranged for a tutor to keep the twins up to date with their schoolwork until we're ready to leave. Andi may have been injured, but she's far from helpless."
Two weeks earlier, Cassandra Centraice, Andi to those close to her, had been struck by a car outside a mall in Colorado Springs. She had a serious concussion as well as damage to her shoulder and a couple of cracked ribs. The most dangerous injury, though, had been the swelling on her brain. Until she had woken up lucid, the doctors had been unwilling to make a prognosis of a full recovery. Because she had custody papers in her pocket at the time, Daniel Jackson had current custody of the twins, Daniel and Arianrhod. Nikki just hoped he wasn't getting too used to having them around, because as soon as Andi was recovered enough for travel, they would probably be headed back to Canada and the family's home base. No one was ever raised by people outside of the clan, not if the clan knew about the children. Cassandra was going to have an uphill battle just to get the rest of the clan to accept that she intended to have Daniel involved in their upbringing at all. Sighing at Daniel's frustration, even though she understood it, Nikki got up from the couch and headed towards Andi's room. As soon as she was packed, they would be heading for the Mountain Eagle, a five-star hotel where they had rented out an entire floor for the duration.
****
"You know, Andi, it's going to be tough keeping him in the dark about what we do," said Nikki, as she helped pack the last of Andi's things in an overnight bag that Rosalee had picked up in town the day before.
"I know," replied Cassandra, wearily, "but I can't ask him to forget that he's a father. As long as O'Neill hasn't figured it out yet and told him, we should be okay for a while. How long do I have to put up with the therapist?"
"They're not sure, your hand-eye coordination is off due to the head injury. You're going to have to learn to compensate to some degree as well as get your shoulder back in working order. Oh, and he's still having fits about you and the twins staying at Mountain Eagle instead of with him." Nikki stopped and watched her friend closely.
Andi looked out the window for so long that Nikki began to wonder if she had heard, but the dark haired mercenary tilted her head up and spoke quietly, "I know, and he'll never know how hard it is for me to say no. There are times I think that this is some sort of sadistic dream and I'll wake up and he'll be dead and the twins will never know him. If I stay with him now, it will only be harder when we have to leave, and you know we will.
We're on borrowed time as it is. The heads of the families are allowing me to run things from here with a healthy dose of support from Serena and Edmund, but they'll expect me back home as soon as possible to fulfill my duties as the chieftain of our clan. I'm already expecting a fight on my hands when I tell them I'm going to use the Lair as my center of operations instead of the Centaria estate. How do I tell them that an outsider is going to have a say in how my heir is raised?"
With that, Andi sighed, turned around and headed for the nurse stationed outside of the room. As she was wheeled into the waiting area, she saw Daniel Jackson and their two children, Daniel and Arianrhod. Her breath caught in her chest as she deeply wished that this could be the way things would always be. Swiftly, the moment was over as they finished the process of getting her released from the hospital and transferred to the hotel. She didn't miss the close way Colonel Jack O'Neill kept an eye on her the entire time.
****
"Dad, can I try the shooting gallery?" Roddy asked her father. Daniel looked at his daughter and wondered about letting a ten-year-old girl try a shooting gallery.
Before he could answer, her brother broke in with, "Come on, how many stuffed animals can you fit in your room from those stupid things? I want to go try the haunted house."
Standing on the other side of his friend, Jack O'Neill just raised an eyebrow and shrugged when Daniel looked to him for help. "They're your kids, Danny boy, you get to call the shots."
"Okay, how about each of you gets a try at the shooting gallery and then we head for the haunted house?" Daniel offered as a compromise. He still didn't think the twins would be able to hit anything with the guns at the stand. The weapons were heavy, rapid-fire pellet guns and most of the other players were in their upper teens. Roddy jumped up and down with excitement, then grabbed one hand from each Daniel and Jack and began to drag them to the shooting gallery. Daniel could hear DJ grumbling something behind him about a 'show off'.
Ten minutes later, both Jack and Daniel looked at the twins with identical expressions of disbelief. Roddy was proudly holding onto a large stuffed Coca-Cola polar bear she had won by shooting out ten targets in a row. Next to her was her brother with a medium-sized stuffed wolf that he won by shooting out seven of the targets. If they hadn't been so shocked, the two men would have been grinning at the sight of the girl with her arms around a bear at least a foot taller than her and the boy with a wolf that came up to his shoulders. Even though he had been beaten by his sister, the boy looked to be in good spirits and was already looking towards the haunted house he had seen when they entered the carnival.
Shaking his head at this new facet of his children, Daniel handed the wolf to Jack, took the bear from his daughter, and began to herd them to the new destination. As they passed the end of 'game alley', Jack noticed someone in the shadow, watching them closely. When he tried to get closer, the shadow melted away into the crowd. He made a mental note the tell Nikki about it later.
****
Just before midnight, Daniel, Jack, and the twins arrived back at Daniel's apartment. Carrying the two children, the men made their way through the dimly lit living room to deposit their precious cargo into the twin beds that had been installed in Daniel's guest room just after their mother's accident. After they finished tucking the boy and girl into their respective beds, they headed into the kitchen where Daniel put on a pot of coffee. While the coffee brewed, the twins' father appeared lost in deep thought.
"Jack, what are the odds on a pair of ten year olds having that kind of accuracy with a pellet gun?" Daniel asked as he poured the coffee into the mugs he had retrieved from the cabinet.
"I don't know, Daniel. I do know that the sights on those things were off and the kids just compensated for it and shot them out anyway. It took DJ a couple of targets to really get in the swing of it, but then he was a match for Roddy."
"I wonder who taught them to shoot?" Daniel said, almost to himself.
"Well, their mom is a well paid security specialist, they may have learned from her. You can ask her when you take the kids back Sunday." Looking at his watch, Jack stood up, "Listen, I gotta get out of here. Hammond tagged me to give orientation to the new officer recruits in the morning. Said if I did it on Saturday, he could start assigning them out to teams for shakedown by Monday afternoon. Have a good weekend with the family." With that, he put his mug in the sink and headed out the door, leaving his best friend to wonder about his marksmen twins and himself wondering if he should tell Daniel what he knew about their mother's real profession.
****
"Serena, I want the books at the main estate audited by the end of next month. If Highgrove was up to something, I need to know. I still can't quite believe some of the crap he's done," Cassandra stated as she looked up from a report to her aunt. Over the last month or so, the young woman had been doing physical therapy daily to get over the shoulder injury and the difficulties with hand-eye coordination were lessening as the remaining pressure of fluid on her brain decreased along with the swelling. The therapist estimated that she had another month before she was ready to be given a clean bill of health. While they were here, the twins had a tutor who kept them up to date with the schoolwork sent from their school, and they saw their father as much as possible.
Today, they were with Daniel and his friends at a museum in town. If she didn't know better, Andi would swear they showed the same type of bond the Ravens had, a bond of people who had been through heavy combat together. It couldn't be. Daniel was a civilian consultant, and civilians didn't go into combat.
Andi looked up again as she heard voices near the office room of the suite she had rented. In a few moments, Diamonique Pappillon, Andi's second in command, entered the room with Doctor Janet Frasier as Serena left. Daniel had insisted on having Janet work on her case along with her own physician. Andi allowed it because she wasn't in the mood for a fight at the time. Doctor Frasier sat in the chair before the desk and waited for Cassandra to put the report down and turn her attention to the petite doctor.
"Yes, doctor, is there something I can do for you? My appointment isn't for another couple of days," asked Cassandra.
Looking up from the papers in her own lap, Janet responded, "Yes, I would like to ask a few questions for your medical history. You have what would normally be considered an unusually high number of scars. While they are minor, almost all of them appear to be from weapons of various types. Also, when I ran the blood work, there was an anomaly in the results."
"Anomaly?" asked Cassandra with arched eyebrows that reminded the doctor of Jack when he was trying to act innocent.
"Yes," replied Janet. She flipped through the file until she found what she was looking for. "In your blood, I found traces pointing to the aftereffects of a specific chemical compound. The problem is that this compound is very uncommon. As far as I have been able to find out, the only known instance when this substance was used occurred about six years ago in a small region of South America. It was used in conjunction with a joint operation to retrieve hostages taken by a group of what had believed to be rebels who turned out to be the scientists working for a drug cartel. The only other people I've come into contact with, personally, who have this marker are Colonel O'Neill and a Major Kowalski. As you have no record of being enlisted in either Canada, or the U.S., could you please explain the marker in your blood?"
Cassandra sighed and looked at Nikki, who just shrugged as if to say 'it's your call'. Turning back to the doctor, she said, "Doctor, I presume this falls under the auspice of doctor-patient confidentiality?" At Janet's nod she continued, "About six or seven years ago, I was in that region. We had been hired to assist in the hostage retrieval by the parents of one of the hostages. As he was very politically connected, the U.S. military assigned to the mission had no choice but to work with us."
"Us?" interjected Janet.
"Us," confirmed Andi, "I own Blackbird Security Consulting. You already know this, but what you don't know, and you can never reveal is the fact that I also run a group known as the White Ravens."
"The mercenary company," blurted Janet in surprise.
"Yes, the mercenary company. Colonel O'Neill apparently hasn't remembered any of us as he hasn't said anything." Because her attention was centered on the doctor, Andi almost missed Nikki stiffening up at her mention of the Ravens and the colonel. As it was, she put the reaction down to the report of Highgrove's activities that Nikki was currently reading.
"Well, when we went in to retrieve the hostages, the cartel's scientists released that compound. Made motor skills hell for a while. It was bad enough to let us get pinned down while trying to get back out. During a lull in the shooting, we were about to make a break back to friendly lines when this idiot named Maybourne," Andi looked up at Janet's derisive snort.
"Oh, you know him. Well, Maybourne made screw-ups, which basically told the hostiles where our team had taken cover. We were immediately pinned down. I lost almost a dozen of my people trying to protect the hostages we were in there for. Jack O'Neill went against direct orders and brought his team in to lay down cover fire. By doing that, he saved the remainder of my team as well as the hostages we had retrieved. Because of this, my team owes him a blood debt, we just haven't figured out how to pay it back. Does that answer your question?" Andi stated very matter-of-factly.
"Yes, it does," replied the doctor. "Do your children know what you do for a living?" she asked.
"Yes, but they know it isn't something to be discussed with outsiders. The only reason I've told you this information is to ensure that it doesn't go any further than this room. I'd like to remind you that you've given your word our conversation is under confidentiality. Now, if there is nothing further, I have work to do. Good day, doctor." At that Cassandra turned her attention back to the reports in front of her and trusted Nikki to show the doctor out.
****
"Doctor, I hope we can trust you not to say anything about this," Nikki said as she escorted Janet to the elevator. Nikki was being very careful to conceal her reaction to the fact that Cassandra had just informed a total outsider about the Ravens. It wasn't like her, security was always her primary concern because of the potential for rivals to use the children against her.
"This won't go any further. In her file, I will list the marker as a reaction to a substance encountered on a business trip. I'm not happy about keeping the information from Daniel, but it's Miss Centraice's decision to make, not mine," answered the doctor as they stood in hallway. When the elevator arrived, the doctor stepped in saying, "I'll see Cassandra at the base hospital the day after tomorrow for the follow-up screenings for the head injuries. Call me if there are any difficulties before then."
Nikki watched the doors closed and headed back towards the suite. She was more upset than she cared to admit. While Cassandra did give a reason for telling the doctor what she had, it still bothered her. If Cassandra was willing to tell a relative stranger about the company, what else might she say? For now, she decided to take a 'wait and see approach' toward the situation, but if things got worse, they might have to act.
//Now where was I on that report?//
****
"Nikki, is the doctor gone?" asked Andi as her friend walked back into the office they had set up.
"Yeah, she'll see you in a couple of days for the follow-up head scans."
Slipping back into the role of the Raven, Andi asked, "Why did you react that way to my conversation with her?" once Nikki sat down.
"React? I guess I did. It's just not like you to tell outsiders about us. You've always considered it too dangerous. I was taken by surprise, I suppose," answered the blonde woman.
She hoped her friend would give her a clue about her real motives. Andi had always treated everything in life as a chess match, keeping at least three moves ahead in mind at any given time. The only exception to that was her relationship with Daniel. In that, at least, Andi had let her heart call the shots. It had brought her greatest joys and deepest sorrows into her life, but Nikki thought it had been worth it. Instead, Andi just nodded and returned to her reports with a slight furrow on her brow. That, in itself, bothered Nikki. Normally, Andi would have pursued the issue until she got a complete answer. By dropping the issue, Andi caused her almost the same unease as talking to the doctor had, and that didn't even include the fact that she hadn't told Andi about Jack's comments at the hospital. He did realize who they were, but hadn't told anyone for some reason.
//So, how to distract Jack O'Neill from what we do for a living?// wondered Nikki as she began to form a plan.
****
//We don't get enough 'normal' days like this// thought Janet Frasier as she entered the Egyptian exhibit at the museum. She was still uneasy about her earlier conversation with Cassandra Centraice, but couldn't say anything about it due to her promise of confidentiality. Stopping briefly, she took in the scene before her.
At the far left stood Teal'c, stoic and tranquil as always. To his right was Janet's best friend, Sam Carter who was pointing something out to Janet's adopted daughter, Cassie. Next to Cassie were the twins. DJ and Arianrhod were listening raptly and firing rapid questions at the man standing behind them. Finally to the far right, was Jack O'Neill, trying not to look bored out of his skull. Standing behind the twins, Daniel Jackson was explaining the difference between the two sarcophagi in the display case.
//Will this day ever end?// wondered the colonel. He enjoyed having a day out when no one was shooting at his team, but why did they have to come to the museum? Couldn't they have gone to the zoo? Jack did his best not to fidget while Daniel went on about dynasties and styles of death masks, but it was hard. He eventually took to rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet to keep himself awake and he didn't care if Daniel glared at him for it. Jack almost fell over in relief when Janet walked up and greeted everyone.
"So, how's our field trip going?" asked the doctor.
"Great, Dad's pointing out the different styles of masks so we can tell how old a sarcophagus is," DJ spouted with the type of energy only the young have.
"We're going to see the Bast exhibit next, and maybe the Maya," added Arianrhod. At this, Jack quietly groaned and turned to bang his head softly against a case containing a statue of an Egyptian spear fisherman.
//This is NOT what I mean by guys with sticks!// he thought, while glaring at the statue. There was a hockey game on in a couple of hours, and he had hoped to be home to see it.
"How about going to the atrium and getting some ice cream?" Sam ventured, noticing her commanding officer's actions at the back of the group and trying not to laugh.
"I'll pay," he offered quickly. The kids jumped on the offer, and they all headed happily to the atrium.
//Sheesh, he's more of a little kid than the twins. If I didn't know better, I might believe he really is that dense// thought Daniel to himself, //It's just that I know he had to get at least a Bachelor's Degree to make commissioned officer. He fidgets worse than the kids, and I'll bet he's the one that really started the food fight at the cook out last weekend. Oh well, maybe he'll get the twins to loosen up some. They act way too grown up, and he acts as if the idea of 'grow up' has never entered his vocabulary.//
With a slight smile that got a puzzled look from his best friend, Daniel got in line with everyone else to get an ice cream cone. He was enjoying this time with his friends and children. The only thing that was a dark spot on the recent weeks was the fact that he didn't really get to spend much time with their mother. Her friend, Nikki, was always running interference. It was as if they were trying to keep Andi and him apart. //When I take the kids back, I'll talk to Andi and find out what's going on.// he decided. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he moved quickly to catch up to the others, who had headed on to the gift shop.
****
"Mom, we're back!" called out the twins as they stormed through the doors of the suite their mother had rented. They came to a sudden halt when they saw the boxes and bags in various states of packing around the main room.
Daniel, following directly behind the children also came to a shocked stop at the disarray in the room. "What's going on?" he called out when he heard sounds in the office room of the suite.
"We're packing up to return to Canada," replied Diamonique, as she came out of the bedroom with some suits for the luggage.
"Why didn't someone say something?" demanded Daniel. "Andi's supposed to have a check up the day after tomorrow, and she's not supposed to travel for at least another three weeks!"
"What can I say, something's come up and we have to return home to deal with it. You knew that her increased responsibilities to the family would have consequences, Daniel. This is one of them." Nikki stated as she moved around the room, packing various objects.
"But we just got here," chorused the twins. "We don't want to go back yet!"
"You don't have to," responded Andi, as she came out of the office. "If it's okay with your father, you can remain until school begins at the end of this month, but the rest of us have to return to take care of some business."
"What's so important that you have to run out of here?" argued Daniel.
"Business that isn't any of yours," retorted Cassandra. "I have my responsibilities. You knew that ten years ago. I doubt you really believe that's changed. What is, is, Daniel. You either learn to deal with it or you don't. I don't have time to worry either way. If the children are staying with you, I need to know. Otherwise they need to start packing. We'll be leaving in three hours."
Daniel stared at her, stunned. This wasn't the woman he thought he knew. The Cassandra that he knew, the Cassandra that woke up in the hospital wasn't this cold. He looked to Nikki, hoping for some clue as to what had happened. She avoided looking at him and kept packing.
"Daniel?" prompted Andi, "Are the twins staying here or do they return with me?" Cassandra's entire body language had altered from what he had seen the last few weeks since she had crashed back into his life. For most of that time, she had been tired, but still the woman he had grown to love a decade ago. Now, however, that was changed. If he didn't know better, he'd say it was the same body language that Jack used when he suspected a mission of going south. It bothered him, but he wasn't sure what to say, so he addressed the direct question first.
"Of course, I want them to stay," he started.
"Good," interrupted Andi, "their stuff is still at your apartment, so that's one less detail to remember. We leave shortly for home. There are two phone numbers to use to contact me on the table in the foyer. One is my office number and the other is to my cell. I'll check in on the kids every evening until they return to school. They'll be picked up by one of my people and taken back. If there are no other questions, I have a lot to do." With that, Cassandra seemed to dismiss them from her mind and concentrated on the packing. The children looked slightly upset, but what had just happened didn't seem to surprise them all that much.
//I think I need to have a talk with my children,// thought Daniel. "Kids, hug your mom and we'll go get something to eat and head home. You still have some homework to finish tonight." DJ and Arianrhod walked over, hugged their mom tightly, as if they weren't sure they would see her again and walked back to their father. As they left the suite, the twins looked over their shoulders at their mom. Daniel was concerned at the sadness he saw in their eyes.
Why were they acting as if this might be their last look at her? He had intended to get some answers from her, but all he had were more questions.