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: I'm starting to be pretty certain that this won't be as long as "The Lost Ones." Sorry if this disappoints anyone, although from the number of reviews I'm getting I'm not sure whether anyone cares.
I'm not a linguist, but to my knowledge the etymologies referenced in this chapter are—if somewhat unorthodox—perfectly sound. The aur- root means gold in Latin and hearing in Greek, and is the future stem of the verb to have (avoir) in French.
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There were six at the table this time, rather than the usual five; Sha're had insisted on joining the briefing, pointing out that it was, after all, her fate that was under discussion. Charlie had been temporarily locked in his room, along with a television and a PlayStation to keep him from noticing.
"Well, Dr. Jackson," Hammond asked, "what have you been able to find out?"
"Not a heck of a lot," Daniel admitted, "at least not beyond what Oma Desala told me."
"You've been talking to Oma again?" Jack groaned. "Daniel, please, please tell me she isn't trying to yank you into another war. Once was bad enough."
"To our knowledge, there is no actual war this time," Sha're explained. "And it is Aurel who is doing the pulling, not Oma Desala."
Hammond glanced at her, then back at Daniel. "The two of you have been working together to research this?"
Repressing a smile of pleasure at having been able to work alongside her husband, Sha're nodded along with Daniel.
"Look," said Sam impatiently, "Teal'c, the colonel, and I are still in the dark here. Could you please just tell us what's going on?"
"Yeah, of course." Daniel began fidgeting with his pen, his free hand clasping Sha're's under the table as he repeated for the third time his conversation with Oma.
"Wow," said Jack when Daniel had finished. "Fun."
"I'll say," Sam agreed sardonically.
Teal'c said nothing. Sha're noticed that he was looking at her oddly, and made a mental note that she would have to speak to him soon; her reappearance was no doubt stirring up his old guilt over what had happened to her.
"So," Hammond repeated, breaking the momentary silence, "what else have you found out?"
Daniel made a face. "Like I said: not much. I looked up the meaning of the name 'Aurel,' though, and that produced something interesting."
"'Aurel' can have several meanings," Sha're picked up. "But the most commonly used is 'she who is golden.'"
Hammond squinted at them in disbelief. "You're joking, right?"
"Crap." Jack shook his head. "Her parents must've had really bad judgment."
"Perhaps," Teal'c offered thoughtfully, "Aurel gave herself that name by way of jest."
Jack gestured in the Jaffa's direction. "The resident master of humor has spoken."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement of the compliment.
"We are not joking," Sha're said regretfully, "although Aurel might have been, if Teal'c is correct."
"But, like Sha're said," Daniel continued, "'she who is golden' is only the most common translation. The name could also mean 'she who hears' or 'she who will have.'"
"And either could work," Sam interrupted.
"Right," Daniel confirmed. "But from our previous experiences with her, my guess would be that it means 'she who hears.' Of course, if Aurel is she who will have, then—" he nodded at Sha're—"we need to figure out what it is she's going to have."
"And make sure she doesn't get it," Jack finished, getting ready to stand up. "Sweet. When do we leave?"
"Colonel O'Neill, sit down," said Hammond sharply. "You don't even know whether you're going anywhere yet, let alone where."
"Sorry, sir." Jack plopped back into his seat. "So . . ." He looked expectantly down the table at Daniel and Sha're. "Where exactly are we going, then?"
"That is one thing we do know," Sha're said in relief, and named a gate address. "There is, or used to be, a temple on that world dedicated to a being called Avel—"she who has"—who was most likely another form of Aurel."
"There could be writings there that would help us," Daniel explained.
Hammond nodded in satisfaction. "This sounds good so far, but is there anything else you'd like to add? It sounds to me like your information is pretty sparse."
"It is," Daniel agreed. "No idea why, though. The best explanation I can think of is that Aurel, or Avel, was too minor to be worthy of record, which makes no sense."
"Or," Sam suggested, "it could mean that she was so horrible that people were afraid even to write about her." A bleak silence fell, and she hurriedly raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, it's just an idea."
Jack smiled sourly. "Thanks for the cheerful thought, Carter."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him. "Major Carter's suggestion is, if pessimistic, certainly valid."
"You know what, people?" Hammond interrupted sharply. "We don't know why there's so little record of this person. Which is why I'm sending the four of you to investigate this temple tomorrow morning. You may be able to learn something useful there. Dismissed, all of you."
Jack, Sam, and Teal'c got up and left. Daniel was about to follow them, but paused in the doorway upon noticing that Sha're had not left her seat.
Hammond noticed as well. "Sha're, is there a problem?"
"There is not." Sha're paused, then plowed on before she lost courage. "However, I would like to accompany SG-1 on their mission tomorrow." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel smiling slightly; he probably wasn't particularly surprised by her request.
Hammond, however, was, and it took him a minute to answer. "I'm not sure that's the best idea," he said finally. "No offense, but to my knowledge you have no combat training, and we have no way of knowing whether this world is Goa'uld-occupied or not."
Sha're met his eyes levelly. "It is true that I have no combat training. But there is nothing more important to me right now than finding out why Aurel restored me, and I think I should be able to accompany a mission with that purpose."
Hammond thought a little more, and then nodded. "Very well, you may go. But proceed with caution."
"Thank you." Sha're smiled and left with Daniel, who placed an arm around her waist as soon as they were out of the room.
"Dan'yer," Sha're said once they were out of earshot of anyone else, "I need to talk to you about this."
-----
Jack decided to make a brief stop to check on his son and was astonished to find Charlie sitting up in bed, wide awake. "Something wrong?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed."
"Nope." Charlie shook his head. "I was waiting for you to say good night, that's all."
"I was in a briefing," Jack apologized. "Won't happen again if I can help it."
"All right." Satisfied, Charlie gave his dad a brief hug. "What was the briefing on?"
Jack treated the boy to a mock glare. "That's classified." Upon further consideration, he added, "But it means I'm going to have to go somewhere tomorrow. So you get to spend the day in the infirmary so Janet can watch you."
Charlie pouted. "I can't come with you?"
"No," Jack said emphatically. "Definitely not."
"Is it dangerous?"
"Not dangerous. Classified, remember?"
"All right," Charlie said cheerfully. "'Night, Dad. Love you."
"Love you too," Jack said, and left the room, astonished that his son had acquiesced so easily to staying behind.
Charlie turned over in bed, mentally running through the myriad corridors he'd learned to navigate in the past week. Wherever his dad might be going, he was confident he'd be able to sneak after him. After all, it wasn't dangerous, so it probably wouldn't be too much of a problem.
-----
"I'm sorry, Dan'yer," Sha're was saying anxiously as they entered her room. "I would have told you, but she asked me not to . . . besides, I was so confused at the time I thought I might have imagined it."
Daniel wrapped his other arm comfortingly around her, pulling her to him. "At this point, it really doesn't make much of a difference. Honestly, Sha're, I don't think it's that big a deal."
"Good." She leaned backwards into him, and Daniel tightened his grip around her waist. "Dan'yer—" Sha're's voice was nearly a whisper. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid Aurel has brought me back only to kill me again. And I don't want you to have to lose me again."
"Don't worry," Daniel told her. "I'd never let that happen." But she could tell that, deep inside, he was afraid of the same thing.
"I know," Sha're answered simply.
Daniel said nothing in reply, but after a few seconds Sha're felt a series of light kisses on the back of her neck. Smiling again, she twisted around in his arms so he could kiss her properly. Within moments, they were totally engrossed in each other, and Aurel was—for the moment—all but forgotten.
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: I'm starting to be pretty certain that this won't be as long as "The Lost Ones." Sorry if this disappoints anyone, although from the number of reviews I'm getting I'm not sure whether anyone cares.
I'm not a linguist, but to my knowledge the etymologies referenced in this chapter are—if somewhat unorthodox—perfectly sound. The aur- root means gold in Latin and hearing in Greek, and is the future stem of the verb to have (avoir) in French.
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There were six at the table this time, rather than the usual five; Sha're had insisted on joining the briefing, pointing out that it was, after all, her fate that was under discussion. Charlie had been temporarily locked in his room, along with a television and a PlayStation to keep him from noticing.
"Well, Dr. Jackson," Hammond asked, "what have you been able to find out?"
"Not a heck of a lot," Daniel admitted, "at least not beyond what Oma Desala told me."
"You've been talking to Oma again?" Jack groaned. "Daniel, please, please tell me she isn't trying to yank you into another war. Once was bad enough."
"To our knowledge, there is no actual war this time," Sha're explained. "And it is Aurel who is doing the pulling, not Oma Desala."
Hammond glanced at her, then back at Daniel. "The two of you have been working together to research this?"
Repressing a smile of pleasure at having been able to work alongside her husband, Sha're nodded along with Daniel.
"Look," said Sam impatiently, "Teal'c, the colonel, and I are still in the dark here. Could you please just tell us what's going on?"
"Yeah, of course." Daniel began fidgeting with his pen, his free hand clasping Sha're's under the table as he repeated for the third time his conversation with Oma.
"Wow," said Jack when Daniel had finished. "Fun."
"I'll say," Sam agreed sardonically.
Teal'c said nothing. Sha're noticed that he was looking at her oddly, and made a mental note that she would have to speak to him soon; her reappearance was no doubt stirring up his old guilt over what had happened to her.
"So," Hammond repeated, breaking the momentary silence, "what else have you found out?"
Daniel made a face. "Like I said: not much. I looked up the meaning of the name 'Aurel,' though, and that produced something interesting."
"'Aurel' can have several meanings," Sha're picked up. "But the most commonly used is 'she who is golden.'"
Hammond squinted at them in disbelief. "You're joking, right?"
"Crap." Jack shook his head. "Her parents must've had really bad judgment."
"Perhaps," Teal'c offered thoughtfully, "Aurel gave herself that name by way of jest."
Jack gestured in the Jaffa's direction. "The resident master of humor has spoken."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement of the compliment.
"We are not joking," Sha're said regretfully, "although Aurel might have been, if Teal'c is correct."
"But, like Sha're said," Daniel continued, "'she who is golden' is only the most common translation. The name could also mean 'she who hears' or 'she who will have.'"
"And either could work," Sam interrupted.
"Right," Daniel confirmed. "But from our previous experiences with her, my guess would be that it means 'she who hears.' Of course, if Aurel is she who will have, then—" he nodded at Sha're—"we need to figure out what it is she's going to have."
"And make sure she doesn't get it," Jack finished, getting ready to stand up. "Sweet. When do we leave?"
"Colonel O'Neill, sit down," said Hammond sharply. "You don't even know whether you're going anywhere yet, let alone where."
"Sorry, sir." Jack plopped back into his seat. "So . . ." He looked expectantly down the table at Daniel and Sha're. "Where exactly are we going, then?"
"That is one thing we do know," Sha're said in relief, and named a gate address. "There is, or used to be, a temple on that world dedicated to a being called Avel—"she who has"—who was most likely another form of Aurel."
"There could be writings there that would help us," Daniel explained.
Hammond nodded in satisfaction. "This sounds good so far, but is there anything else you'd like to add? It sounds to me like your information is pretty sparse."
"It is," Daniel agreed. "No idea why, though. The best explanation I can think of is that Aurel, or Avel, was too minor to be worthy of record, which makes no sense."
"Or," Sam suggested, "it could mean that she was so horrible that people were afraid even to write about her." A bleak silence fell, and she hurriedly raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, it's just an idea."
Jack smiled sourly. "Thanks for the cheerful thought, Carter."
Teal'c raised an eyebrow at him. "Major Carter's suggestion is, if pessimistic, certainly valid."
"You know what, people?" Hammond interrupted sharply. "We don't know why there's so little record of this person. Which is why I'm sending the four of you to investigate this temple tomorrow morning. You may be able to learn something useful there. Dismissed, all of you."
Jack, Sam, and Teal'c got up and left. Daniel was about to follow them, but paused in the doorway upon noticing that Sha're had not left her seat.
Hammond noticed as well. "Sha're, is there a problem?"
"There is not." Sha're paused, then plowed on before she lost courage. "However, I would like to accompany SG-1 on their mission tomorrow." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel smiling slightly; he probably wasn't particularly surprised by her request.
Hammond, however, was, and it took him a minute to answer. "I'm not sure that's the best idea," he said finally. "No offense, but to my knowledge you have no combat training, and we have no way of knowing whether this world is Goa'uld-occupied or not."
Sha're met his eyes levelly. "It is true that I have no combat training. But there is nothing more important to me right now than finding out why Aurel restored me, and I think I should be able to accompany a mission with that purpose."
Hammond thought a little more, and then nodded. "Very well, you may go. But proceed with caution."
"Thank you." Sha're smiled and left with Daniel, who placed an arm around her waist as soon as they were out of the room.
"Dan'yer," Sha're said once they were out of earshot of anyone else, "I need to talk to you about this."
-----
Jack decided to make a brief stop to check on his son and was astonished to find Charlie sitting up in bed, wide awake. "Something wrong?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed."
"Nope." Charlie shook his head. "I was waiting for you to say good night, that's all."
"I was in a briefing," Jack apologized. "Won't happen again if I can help it."
"All right." Satisfied, Charlie gave his dad a brief hug. "What was the briefing on?"
Jack treated the boy to a mock glare. "That's classified." Upon further consideration, he added, "But it means I'm going to have to go somewhere tomorrow. So you get to spend the day in the infirmary so Janet can watch you."
Charlie pouted. "I can't come with you?"
"No," Jack said emphatically. "Definitely not."
"Is it dangerous?"
"Not dangerous. Classified, remember?"
"All right," Charlie said cheerfully. "'Night, Dad. Love you."
"Love you too," Jack said, and left the room, astonished that his son had acquiesced so easily to staying behind.
Charlie turned over in bed, mentally running through the myriad corridors he'd learned to navigate in the past week. Wherever his dad might be going, he was confident he'd be able to sneak after him. After all, it wasn't dangerous, so it probably wouldn't be too much of a problem.
-----
"I'm sorry, Dan'yer," Sha're was saying anxiously as they entered her room. "I would have told you, but she asked me not to . . . besides, I was so confused at the time I thought I might have imagined it."
Daniel wrapped his other arm comfortingly around her, pulling her to him. "At this point, it really doesn't make much of a difference. Honestly, Sha're, I don't think it's that big a deal."
"Good." She leaned backwards into him, and Daniel tightened his grip around her waist. "Dan'yer—" Sha're's voice was nearly a whisper. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid Aurel has brought me back only to kill me again. And I don't want you to have to lose me again."
"Don't worry," Daniel told her. "I'd never let that happen." But she could tell that, deep inside, he was afraid of the same thing.
"I know," Sha're answered simply.
Daniel said nothing in reply, but after a few seconds Sha're felt a series of light kisses on the back of her neck. Smiling again, she twisted around in his arms so he could kiss her properly. Within moments, they were totally engrossed in each other, and Aurel was—for the moment—all but forgotten.