TITLE: The Sought Ones
SEQUEL: to "The Lost Ones"
AUTHOR: Cyn(di)
EMAIL: custardpringle@yahoo.com
RATING: PG-13—language, sexual situations, adult themes. More coming later.
CATEGORY: supernatural, romance, drama, angst
SUMMARY: They were supposed to be gone forever. But "forever" is a very relative thing.
SPOILERS: I'm pretending "Heroes" and "Lost City" never happened, but anything else is fair game.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow: a plot. Who'd a thunk it. Well, Frisha and LE McMurray would've, but that's cuz they beta this and get to see everything first. Which reminds me: if anyone wants a beta, I'm willing to help out. Just email me. And use a really obvious subject line like "I worship the ground you tread on, please please beta me," so I'll know you're not a spammer.
I'm reloading this chapter because I accidentally left in a note to my betas last time. Normally I don't admit weakness in front of the rest of you.
--------------------------------------------------
"Father," Sha're said two nights later, "I am worried about Dan'yer."
"Why?" Kasuf responded. "I am quite certain that Dan'yer can take care of himself."
She stiffened. "Do you think I don't know that?"
The others said nothing.
"He has changed," Sha're continued hesitantly. "I cannot say how, precisely. I thought he would be different, of course—but not like this. He seems so distant at times."
"Dan'yer has been alone for four years," Skaara pointed out.
"And he has grown used to it," Shifu continued seamlessly. "Daniel is accustomed now to bottling himself up and excluding others, and the fight with Anubis only made that worse."
"What happened then?" Sha're wondered. "Dan'yer will not speak of it to me beyond the fact of Anubis' death."
Her brother smiled sourly. "We ourselves know next to nothing; it took place on a plane we could not see. Oma Desala has asked what Anubis did to him, but he refuses to say anything even to her."
"But what am I going to do?" she asked desperately. "Dan'yer is my husband. Should I simply leave someone I love so much in such terrible pain?"
"Give him time," Kasuf told her gravely. "Whatever happened with Anubis, he cannot keep it to himself forever."
Shifu sighed. "Daniel wants to protect you, Mother."
Sha're snorted. "From what? After the last two years, is there much left from which it would do any good to protect me?"
Her father nodded. "There is. And Dan'yer knows it far too well. His clearest memories of you, unfortunately, are as host to a Goa'uld, and he is doing his best to shield you from further pain."
"And I only want to help him with his," Sha're said somberly. "But he won't let me."
She turned to leave the tent, wanting to get some proper sleep, but Kasuf called after her. "Sha're—"
She stopped. "Yes, Father?"
"There is one thing we do know, the last thing Anubis did before his death. Jack managed to convince Dan'yer to tell him at least that much."
"And?" Sha're demanded in anxious expectation.
"Anubis convinced him that your abduction and death were his own fault."
"And we think that was only a small part of what happened," Skaara added unhelpfully.
Sha're was speechless.
"Do you see now?" Shifu said gently. "That is the kind of thing Daniel is trying to keep from you."
-----
Lying in bed next to Sha're, Daniel was also dreaming, and his dreams were scarcely more comforting than were his wife's.
He was in his office this time, seated behind his desk. Interestingly enough, Oma Desala was also sitting at a desk, one placed across the room in such a way that both places' occupants could easily communicate with one another. Daniel could only assume Oma had chosen to place it there for that reason, since such a desk did not exist in reality; his was the only one in the room.
No sooner had he resolved this relatively minor point than Oma began to speak—unusually brusquely, without even her customary polite greeting. "Daniel, we need to talk about Sha're."
As she had no doubt intended, Daniel snapped immediately to attention and turned to face her. "What about her?" he asked, sounding a little more defensive than he had meant to.
Oma leaned forward across her desk. "I believe you know to what I am referring," she said patiently. "Your wife's mysterious return from the dead has been most surprising for us."
"Surprising," Daniel repeated. Understatement of the century, most likely. "Somehow, I don't think it surprised you in quite the same way it surprised me."
Oma nodded. "You are correct; it did not. While you both are certainly to be congratulated—" Daniel half-smiled in acknowledgement—"there are other ramifications that must be taken into account."
"We're working on it," Daniel said promptly, anticipating what she was about to say. "I mean, there's no record I can find of people returning from the dead, barring the use of a sarcophagus or an Ancient taking human form. But there's got to be something about it somewhere, right?"
"To my knowledge," Oma admitted, "there is not."
"Oma, what are you not telling me?" Daniel stared at her in astonishment.
"Nothing of this sort has ever happened before," she clarified, "at least not in my memory. But I believe I can at least guess at what—or who—brought about the restoration of Sha're and of Charles O'Neill."
He spread his hands. "Open to suggestions here."
"I have reason to believe Aurel was responsible," Oma said simply. "Beyond that, I can tell you nothing."
"Now wait a second here." Daniel stabbed a finger at her. "I thought you said you would be able to deal with her—and I quote—'with little difficulty.' What happened?"
"Aurel has demonstrated an unanticipated degree of skill in evading us," she admitted reluctantly. "Her capture is proving far more difficult than we expected."
"She is good at hiding," he conceded. "So right now, you have no idea where Aurel is or what she's doing?"
Oma sighed. "None whatsoever."
Daniel stayed silent a minute, thinking, and finally asked, "So what do I do? I mean—"he hesitated— "well, does that mean Sha're and Charlie are dangerous?"
"Most likely not," Oma assured him. "Shifu, Kasuf, and Skaara have all spoken with your wife, and they are certain she is quite innocent. Whatever Aurel's purpose may have been in her restoration, Sha're is not aware of it."
"What about Charlie? You don't seem to be saying much about him." Daniel left the rest of the thought unspoken: I don't know what would happen to Jack if he lost his son again.
"You need not worry," Oma said, almost as if she had heard what he was thinking. "I am quite certain the boy is not a threat."
"And you were also certain that you could catch Aurel easily," Daniel snapped. "Believe me, I'd love to think that, but what makes you so sure?"
"When Aurel brought back your wife," Oma explained, "the shock from it was so powerful that we all felt it and knew what was happening—something she most likely did not intend. We think she misjudged the amount of power necessary. For some reason, the excess simply jumped from Sha're into someone else—who, by pure chance as far as I know, turned out to be Jack's son."
"So Charlie isn't supposed to exist?" Daniel repeated dubiously. "He's just an accident?"
"No," Oma said emphatically. "No one could just exist without a purpose. The boy has one; it simply is not one given to him by Aurel, while Sha're exists partially to fulfill Aurel's ends."
"Only partially?" Daniel grimaced. "That's a comforting thought, anyway."
Now how the hell was he going to go about explaining this to everyone else?
The usual way, in all likelihood: a nice long briefing, to make sure Jack caught up on his beauty sleep. Although, somehow, Daniel didn't think he'd be sleeping through this.
-----
He went to see General Hammond first thing next morning, worrying the whole time about how to phrase this. Hammond was already concerned by the fact that two long-dead people had inexplicably appeared, alive and whole, in his base; the revelation that Anubis' former second in command was responsible was most likely not going to improve his mood much.
Nevertheless, it had to be dealt with, and he walked right into the office. "General, can I have a minute?"
"Of course, Dr. Jackson," Hammond greeted him. "How's your wife doing?"
Daniel smiled briefly. "Sha're's fine . . . but I need to talk to you about her. I think I may have just found out why she and Charlie are here. And, General—" he bit his lip—"I don't think you're going to like it." He then repeated his entire conversation with Oma from the night before.
As the story progressed, Hammond's face darkened visibly. "Any recommendations, Doctor?" he asked when Daniel had finished.
"Not right now," Daniel told him. "I'd like to do some more research into this first. We've always assumed Aurel was simply a servant of Anubis, and it never occurred to me to look her up as an independent entity. If I can find more information about her, that might help clarify what's going on."
"Sounds good," Hammond decided. "Teal'c will be offworld visiting Ry'ac for another three days. At the end of that time, I want you to have a report ready for me and the rest of SG-1."
SEQUEL: to "The Lost Ones"
AUTHOR: Cyn(di)
EMAIL: custardpringle@yahoo.com
RATING: PG-13—language, sexual situations, adult themes. More coming later.
CATEGORY: supernatural, romance, drama, angst
SUMMARY: They were supposed to be gone forever. But "forever" is a very relative thing.
SPOILERS: I'm pretending "Heroes" and "Lost City" never happened, but anything else is fair game.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow: a plot. Who'd a thunk it. Well, Frisha and LE McMurray would've, but that's cuz they beta this and get to see everything first. Which reminds me: if anyone wants a beta, I'm willing to help out. Just email me. And use a really obvious subject line like "I worship the ground you tread on, please please beta me," so I'll know you're not a spammer.
I'm reloading this chapter because I accidentally left in a note to my betas last time. Normally I don't admit weakness in front of the rest of you.
--------------------------------------------------
"Father," Sha're said two nights later, "I am worried about Dan'yer."
"Why?" Kasuf responded. "I am quite certain that Dan'yer can take care of himself."
She stiffened. "Do you think I don't know that?"
The others said nothing.
"He has changed," Sha're continued hesitantly. "I cannot say how, precisely. I thought he would be different, of course—but not like this. He seems so distant at times."
"Dan'yer has been alone for four years," Skaara pointed out.
"And he has grown used to it," Shifu continued seamlessly. "Daniel is accustomed now to bottling himself up and excluding others, and the fight with Anubis only made that worse."
"What happened then?" Sha're wondered. "Dan'yer will not speak of it to me beyond the fact of Anubis' death."
Her brother smiled sourly. "We ourselves know next to nothing; it took place on a plane we could not see. Oma Desala has asked what Anubis did to him, but he refuses to say anything even to her."
"But what am I going to do?" she asked desperately. "Dan'yer is my husband. Should I simply leave someone I love so much in such terrible pain?"
"Give him time," Kasuf told her gravely. "Whatever happened with Anubis, he cannot keep it to himself forever."
Shifu sighed. "Daniel wants to protect you, Mother."
Sha're snorted. "From what? After the last two years, is there much left from which it would do any good to protect me?"
Her father nodded. "There is. And Dan'yer knows it far too well. His clearest memories of you, unfortunately, are as host to a Goa'uld, and he is doing his best to shield you from further pain."
"And I only want to help him with his," Sha're said somberly. "But he won't let me."
She turned to leave the tent, wanting to get some proper sleep, but Kasuf called after her. "Sha're—"
She stopped. "Yes, Father?"
"There is one thing we do know, the last thing Anubis did before his death. Jack managed to convince Dan'yer to tell him at least that much."
"And?" Sha're demanded in anxious expectation.
"Anubis convinced him that your abduction and death were his own fault."
"And we think that was only a small part of what happened," Skaara added unhelpfully.
Sha're was speechless.
"Do you see now?" Shifu said gently. "That is the kind of thing Daniel is trying to keep from you."
-----
Lying in bed next to Sha're, Daniel was also dreaming, and his dreams were scarcely more comforting than were his wife's.
He was in his office this time, seated behind his desk. Interestingly enough, Oma Desala was also sitting at a desk, one placed across the room in such a way that both places' occupants could easily communicate with one another. Daniel could only assume Oma had chosen to place it there for that reason, since such a desk did not exist in reality; his was the only one in the room.
No sooner had he resolved this relatively minor point than Oma began to speak—unusually brusquely, without even her customary polite greeting. "Daniel, we need to talk about Sha're."
As she had no doubt intended, Daniel snapped immediately to attention and turned to face her. "What about her?" he asked, sounding a little more defensive than he had meant to.
Oma leaned forward across her desk. "I believe you know to what I am referring," she said patiently. "Your wife's mysterious return from the dead has been most surprising for us."
"Surprising," Daniel repeated. Understatement of the century, most likely. "Somehow, I don't think it surprised you in quite the same way it surprised me."
Oma nodded. "You are correct; it did not. While you both are certainly to be congratulated—" Daniel half-smiled in acknowledgement—"there are other ramifications that must be taken into account."
"We're working on it," Daniel said promptly, anticipating what she was about to say. "I mean, there's no record I can find of people returning from the dead, barring the use of a sarcophagus or an Ancient taking human form. But there's got to be something about it somewhere, right?"
"To my knowledge," Oma admitted, "there is not."
"Oma, what are you not telling me?" Daniel stared at her in astonishment.
"Nothing of this sort has ever happened before," she clarified, "at least not in my memory. But I believe I can at least guess at what—or who—brought about the restoration of Sha're and of Charles O'Neill."
He spread his hands. "Open to suggestions here."
"I have reason to believe Aurel was responsible," Oma said simply. "Beyond that, I can tell you nothing."
"Now wait a second here." Daniel stabbed a finger at her. "I thought you said you would be able to deal with her—and I quote—'with little difficulty.' What happened?"
"Aurel has demonstrated an unanticipated degree of skill in evading us," she admitted reluctantly. "Her capture is proving far more difficult than we expected."
"She is good at hiding," he conceded. "So right now, you have no idea where Aurel is or what she's doing?"
Oma sighed. "None whatsoever."
Daniel stayed silent a minute, thinking, and finally asked, "So what do I do? I mean—"he hesitated— "well, does that mean Sha're and Charlie are dangerous?"
"Most likely not," Oma assured him. "Shifu, Kasuf, and Skaara have all spoken with your wife, and they are certain she is quite innocent. Whatever Aurel's purpose may have been in her restoration, Sha're is not aware of it."
"What about Charlie? You don't seem to be saying much about him." Daniel left the rest of the thought unspoken: I don't know what would happen to Jack if he lost his son again.
"You need not worry," Oma said, almost as if she had heard what he was thinking. "I am quite certain the boy is not a threat."
"And you were also certain that you could catch Aurel easily," Daniel snapped. "Believe me, I'd love to think that, but what makes you so sure?"
"When Aurel brought back your wife," Oma explained, "the shock from it was so powerful that we all felt it and knew what was happening—something she most likely did not intend. We think she misjudged the amount of power necessary. For some reason, the excess simply jumped from Sha're into someone else—who, by pure chance as far as I know, turned out to be Jack's son."
"So Charlie isn't supposed to exist?" Daniel repeated dubiously. "He's just an accident?"
"No," Oma said emphatically. "No one could just exist without a purpose. The boy has one; it simply is not one given to him by Aurel, while Sha're exists partially to fulfill Aurel's ends."
"Only partially?" Daniel grimaced. "That's a comforting thought, anyway."
Now how the hell was he going to go about explaining this to everyone else?
The usual way, in all likelihood: a nice long briefing, to make sure Jack caught up on his beauty sleep. Although, somehow, Daniel didn't think he'd be sleeping through this.
-----
He went to see General Hammond first thing next morning, worrying the whole time about how to phrase this. Hammond was already concerned by the fact that two long-dead people had inexplicably appeared, alive and whole, in his base; the revelation that Anubis' former second in command was responsible was most likely not going to improve his mood much.
Nevertheless, it had to be dealt with, and he walked right into the office. "General, can I have a minute?"
"Of course, Dr. Jackson," Hammond greeted him. "How's your wife doing?"
Daniel smiled briefly. "Sha're's fine . . . but I need to talk to you about her. I think I may have just found out why she and Charlie are here. And, General—" he bit his lip—"I don't think you're going to like it." He then repeated his entire conversation with Oma from the night before.
As the story progressed, Hammond's face darkened visibly. "Any recommendations, Doctor?" he asked when Daniel had finished.
"Not right now," Daniel told him. "I'd like to do some more research into this first. We've always assumed Aurel was simply a servant of Anubis, and it never occurred to me to look her up as an independent entity. If I can find more information about her, that might help clarify what's going on."
"Sounds good," Hammond decided. "Teal'c will be offworld visiting Ry'ac for another three days. At the end of that time, I want you to have a report ready for me and the rest of SG-1."