TITLE: The Lost Ones

AUTHOR: Cyn(di)

EMAIL: custardpringle@yahoo.com

RATING: PG-13 for weird evil happenings and general suffering/pain on the parts of all concerned. Also language, as always. And "thematic issues," whatever the hell they are.

CATEGORY: supernatural, drama

SUMMARY: Daniel is having terrible nightmares. And the worst thing is, they're not only in his head . . .

SPOILERS: I'm too lazy to keep track, so let's say anything up through "Chimera."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow . . . I seriously freaked myself out writing this. It's pretty weird. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Minor error in the last chapter: I said Teal'c was in kel-no-reem, which is no longer necessary since he no longer has a symbiote. That's been corrected to "meditating," which we know he still does on occasion. Thanks, pettygrew.

Don't worry, Frisha. I'm updating as fast as possible, and there should be at least one more good action scene coming up soon.

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"No," Daniel said finally. "Sorry, it's just not gonna happen."

*You could have your wife back,* Aurel reminded him insistently. *Would you rather not have her still alive?*

"Of course I would." He closed his eyes in pain. "But eventually she would have to find out what had happened."

*Why?* the Perius asked simply. *There would be no need to tell her.*

He gaped at his visitor in shock for a moment before realizing that she truly did not comprehend his reasoning. "How could I not? I don't know if you would even understand . . ." Daniel took a deep breath. "Sha're is my wife, and I don't think I could possibly stand not being honest with her. Sooner or later I'd have to tell her that I'd sacrificed her son's life so that we could be together. And neither of us could possibly live with that knowledge."

True to form, Aurel was hardly deterred by this argument. *You cannot know that we will kill Shifu, or indeed that we will harm the man at all.*

Man? Daniel wondered briefly at her choice of words, and then realized that, at the rate he'd been growing, Shifu would probably look about his age by now. "No, I can't know that for certain. But I know the Goa'ould pretty well-too well, in fact-and I'd say that's a reasonably good guess."

Aurel wisely chose not to argue with this, instead switching tactics again. *The Ancients have hidden Shifu well, but they are weakening, and we will have him eventually whether you help us or not. Your cooperation will simply make things very much less unpleasant for you and help to hasten the end of this war.*

"Well, if your side is going to win anyway-which, personally, I doubt- that's not exactly a great incentive, is it?"

*You are certain of your decision, then?*

"Quite certain," Daniel answered, ignoring the temptation that still tugged faintly at his heart.

*Very well.* To his surprise, she smiled slightly. *But I doubt that your resolve will stand.*

"What makes you think that?" Daniel asked, but he was already slipping out of the dream into a deeper sleep.

The last thing he heard before falling out of the desert into oblivion was Aurel's voice. *Oh, I have my ways of changing your mind, Daniel. You will see.*

-----

Once he had finally obtained his coveted case of beer, Jack's mood had taken a sharp upward swing. He began whistling a quietly unrecognizable tune as he and Carter left the store to walk over to Daniel's house. Sam winced slightly, but decided it would be best not to describe to her commanding officer just how off key he was. She figured one snide comment per evening was the most she could safely get away with.

As the pair crossed the parking lot, a woman neither of them recognized appeared noiselessly at Jack's shoulder and said, "Excuse me, would you mind not making that atrocious racket? It's really quite irritating."

Jack jumped about a foot in the air. "What the hell-Excuse me, madam," he corrected himself quickly, "but would you mind not sneaking up on people like that?"

"If you hadn't been busy torturing the eardrums of everyone in hearing range," the stranger retorted sourly, "you would have heard me coming."

"Come on." Jack looked at Sam for help. "Carter, was I being that loud?"

The woman swung around as well, and her jet-black eyes met Sam's blue ones for a moment. Sam felt a chill go through her; whoever this person was, there was something very wrong with her. "No," she said, and lied for good measure, "It was hardly audible."

"You see?" He turned back to the complainer. "I wasn't being loud. I'm sorry if it bothered you, but Carter here-" Jack jerked a thumb at her- "says I was being quiet, and what's more, she's right."

"Really," she said thoughtfully. "Funny thing, you know, that's what the other one said too. In fact, he said he wasn't singing at all, it was just a song stuck in his head. I could still hear it, though. Quite aggravating."

"What are you talking about?" Sam demanded angrily. "What 'other one?' And just who are you, anyway?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Aurel." The woman smiled sweetly. "And you, I know, are Colonel Jonathan O'Neill and Major Samantha Carter."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"The same way I could hear your friend Doctor Jackson singing, of course." Aurel tapped her temple meaningfully with one finger. "And if you want to know who-and what-I am, Colonel, you had better ask him."

He shrugged. "I really don't care who or what you are, so long as I never have to see you again. Carter and Daniel are the scientists, not me. What I do care about is how you know him, and why exactly you're wandering around in our brains."

"How I know him is currently unimportant," she said dismissively. "All you need to know is that we two are acquainted. As I said, you will be able to ask him yourself when you arrive at his house in a few minutes."

"Sir," Sam added, "you may not be interested in who this woman is, but I certainly am. She doesn't seem particularly friendly, and if she turns out to be an enemy of ours, we need to know as much as we possibly can."

Listening, Aurel smiled again. "You're right on one thing, Major: I most certainly am your enemy. But I think that's all you're going to find out about me for now."

Jack frowned. "What happened to us asking Daniel?"

"You can go right ahead and do that, Colonel. I believe you will find the conversation most informative. Major Carter, however, will not be accompanying you."

"Now wait just a second-" Jack started to say angrily, but discovered that he couldn't. In fact, he could barely move at all, and neither could Sam, judging by the expression on her face.

Aurel was beginning to blur, her human form dissipating into a thick, dark, swirling cloud of . . . something, which was rapidly engulfing Sam. Her voice laughed softly in Jack's head, mocking his inability to help his friend even as Carter herself began to dissolve, merging with the surrounding haze.

Just what the hell is going on here? Jack wondered.

Aurel heard. *You will learn soon enough,* she told him, even as she began to disappear, along with what had been Sam Carter a moment ago. *Daniel must know what has happened here. Tell him I am certain he will make the right decision now.*

-----

Daniel was sleeping peacefully when he was jarred awake by someone pounding on his door. He got up with a groan, walked over, and opened it to find a rather displeased-looking Jack on the other side, who walked in without a word of greeting.

No, not displeased. Frightened, almost. Which was not an expression one saw on Jack's face particularly often.

I have my ways of changing your mind, she had said.

I have my ways.

"Aurel," Daniel said simply. It was not a question.

Jack nodded.

Daniel sat back down on the sofa next to his friend. "We need to talk."

"My thoughts exactly."