Disclaimer: I own the situation and Teal'la
Prodigal Son...er...Daughter
Chapter Eleven
Jack and Daniel paced like expecting fathers, glancing occasionally at the tomb within which they had placed the corpse of their entire team's friend, genetic offspring, and, as of three hours ago, savior.
Sam sat on the sarcophagus, thinking deep thoughts about the teenaged girl being extensively healed as they waited.
Teal'c simply stood by, eyes closed, contemplating the significance of befriending a host of a Goa'uld. Basically, she was still just a child, but her permanent symbiotic Goa'uld made her a formidable warrior. If she were to turn against them, he was doubtful that anyone but he would be able to take her down. And he wasn't even that certain about his abilities against her.
There was a rumbling sound and Sam jumped slightly, scooting off of the sarcophagus and backing up a couple steps. Daniel took a few steps forward, but kept his distance from the thing, staring at it with a wary hope.
Inside, Teal'la lay extremely still, hands laying across her stomach. She looked almost at peace.
"Is she---"
"She is alive, MajorCarter." Teal'c said, after a brief inspection of the girl. There was a collective sigh of relief from the three Taur'i. Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
In the sarcophagus, Teal'la's forehead creased and her eyelids fluttered as she blinked repeatedly. Looking around, she sat up, gripping the sides of the sarcophagus, opening her mouth as if gasping for breath and then releasing a shaky sigh as her shoulders sagged.
"Teal'la?" asked Jack, cautiously. She blinked a few more times and then looked at him, mouth slightly agape as she studied him for a brief moment. Drawing her knees up, she pushed herself up and then accepted Teal'c's assistance. When she was standing on her own two feet, she clasped her hands behind her back and lifted her eyes to Jack's.
He took a step back, a curl of fear seeping into his abdomen. There was no malice in her glowing eyes as she looked at all of them in turn. In fact, there was appreciation there. There was even a small amount of her own fear lurking behind her somewhat confident exterior.
"I wish to convey my sincerest regrets to you all." she said, and they all shared a confused and wary glance.
"Okay." Jack said...nervously. She gave a short, semi-amused smirk before composing herself. "Why?"
"For..." she thought for a moment and then tilted her head, a small smirk of irony appearing on her face. "...rearing my ugly head." she finished, one eyebrow perking. Jack looked her over, her non-threatening posture, her semi-casualness, and her familiarity with them. "Teal'la is not yet ready to accept that she is not...dead. Otherwise, I would not still be awake. I will accompany you to a holding cell until Teal'la is Teal'la again." she said, shivering suddenly. She looked at the floor for a moment and then took a deep breath. Teal'c raised an eyebrow. She looked up again, mask of calm back on her face.
"That won't be necessary." came a voice behind the group. Sam gave a small, barely noticeable huff as she started, and they all looked to see General Hammond. He looked at them all and then back at Teal'la...or rather, the Goa'uld who had taken her over. "I'm ordering you to the infirmary, miss...?"
"Daniel had long ago explained to Teal'la that the Goa'uld are fond of stealing the names of the gods from your Egyptian culture. I have therefore chosen the name of the Greek goddess Artemis as my designation." she said. Daniel looked at his team with confusion in his eyes. He had told her this? When? He looked at Hammond to deny it, but the General just nodded, as if he understood. Daniel's bewilderment elevated.
"I just got off the line with Doctor Jackson myself. He told me to have Teal'la call him back." Hammond continued. The entire team looked at each other, now extremely perplexed.
"It will be done." promised Artemis with a nod. She unclasped her hands and extended an arm to Teal'c, who raised an eyebrow, but wrapped his hand around her bicep, walking her towards the infirmary. As they walked, Artemis kept Teal'la's phosphorescent eyes faced front. "I wish also to extend my gratitude. I was not certain that you would assist when I requested. Without it...We would have expired." she said after a while.
"Have we erred?" asked Teal'c, his grip tightening on her arm. She seemed not to notice, but she tilted her head.
"No." she replied, and there was a noticeable relaxation amongst the group. "I have no desire for full control at this time. I am...content...merely to assist when required. Unfortunately..." she took a deep breath and heaved a sigh of irritation. "That is annoyingly more often than I am manipulated to handle."
"Manipulated?" asked Jack, eyebrow doing it's own little twitchy dance. Artemis gave a lazy smirk as they approached the infirmary.
"We were created. Daniel Jackson, our father figure and role model, was unable to separate me from Teal'c in the genetic cocktail that he constructed using the DNA of his team, including himself. That is how I came to be." she said, ignoring the looks of outright shock that she was receiving from the four members of SG1. "When I was discovered around her spinal column, attached permanently to her muscle and spinal tissue, 'father' used everything at his fingertips to genetically alter me to be as passive as I could be without killing Teal'la. Once he realized that we were integral to each other, he gave me a little more leeway, albeit very little."
They all looked at Daniel and he scratched at the back of his neck.
"Yeah, that sounds like something I'd do." he said, and Artemis gave a wry smile as she laid down on the gurney.
"I cannot tell you anything more without Teal'la's consent, as it requires me to employ her as a means of communication." Artemis said, in her richly distorted voice, closing her eyes. "But she will not understand that a Goa'uld would have helped her." she said, calmly. The others looked at each other.
"Why not?" asked Sam. Artemis opened Teal'la's eyes and the look that she gave Carter said that it should have been obvious. Then she looked at Teal'c, Daniel, and Jack before closing her eyes, meaning hidden in her actions. Jack and Teal'c shared a look as Sam looked at Daniel for an answer.
"You are the embodiment of everything that Teal'la is against." Teal'c said, recognition flashing in his eyes.
"Indeed." she said. "Teal'la has been fighting and killing my kind for as long as she has been able to wield a weapon. And now she knows that even if she kills all of the others, I will still live. I do not believe that she would willingly come to terms with this."
"Right. Well, why don't you let her be the judge of that." Daniel said, and Teal'la smirked.
"I already have."
And with that, she went to sleep, her breathing becoming regular, not distorted. The others looked at each other and settled down for a long wait.
Prodigal Son...er...Daughter
Chapter Eleven
Jack and Daniel paced like expecting fathers, glancing occasionally at the tomb within which they had placed the corpse of their entire team's friend, genetic offspring, and, as of three hours ago, savior.
Sam sat on the sarcophagus, thinking deep thoughts about the teenaged girl being extensively healed as they waited.
Teal'c simply stood by, eyes closed, contemplating the significance of befriending a host of a Goa'uld. Basically, she was still just a child, but her permanent symbiotic Goa'uld made her a formidable warrior. If she were to turn against them, he was doubtful that anyone but he would be able to take her down. And he wasn't even that certain about his abilities against her.
There was a rumbling sound and Sam jumped slightly, scooting off of the sarcophagus and backing up a couple steps. Daniel took a few steps forward, but kept his distance from the thing, staring at it with a wary hope.
Inside, Teal'la lay extremely still, hands laying across her stomach. She looked almost at peace.
"Is she---"
"She is alive, MajorCarter." Teal'c said, after a brief inspection of the girl. There was a collective sigh of relief from the three Taur'i. Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
In the sarcophagus, Teal'la's forehead creased and her eyelids fluttered as she blinked repeatedly. Looking around, she sat up, gripping the sides of the sarcophagus, opening her mouth as if gasping for breath and then releasing a shaky sigh as her shoulders sagged.
"Teal'la?" asked Jack, cautiously. She blinked a few more times and then looked at him, mouth slightly agape as she studied him for a brief moment. Drawing her knees up, she pushed herself up and then accepted Teal'c's assistance. When she was standing on her own two feet, she clasped her hands behind her back and lifted her eyes to Jack's.
He took a step back, a curl of fear seeping into his abdomen. There was no malice in her glowing eyes as she looked at all of them in turn. In fact, there was appreciation there. There was even a small amount of her own fear lurking behind her somewhat confident exterior.
"I wish to convey my sincerest regrets to you all." she said, and they all shared a confused and wary glance.
"Okay." Jack said...nervously. She gave a short, semi-amused smirk before composing herself. "Why?"
"For..." she thought for a moment and then tilted her head, a small smirk of irony appearing on her face. "...rearing my ugly head." she finished, one eyebrow perking. Jack looked her over, her non-threatening posture, her semi-casualness, and her familiarity with them. "Teal'la is not yet ready to accept that she is not...dead. Otherwise, I would not still be awake. I will accompany you to a holding cell until Teal'la is Teal'la again." she said, shivering suddenly. She looked at the floor for a moment and then took a deep breath. Teal'c raised an eyebrow. She looked up again, mask of calm back on her face.
"That won't be necessary." came a voice behind the group. Sam gave a small, barely noticeable huff as she started, and they all looked to see General Hammond. He looked at them all and then back at Teal'la...or rather, the Goa'uld who had taken her over. "I'm ordering you to the infirmary, miss...?"
"Daniel had long ago explained to Teal'la that the Goa'uld are fond of stealing the names of the gods from your Egyptian culture. I have therefore chosen the name of the Greek goddess Artemis as my designation." she said. Daniel looked at his team with confusion in his eyes. He had told her this? When? He looked at Hammond to deny it, but the General just nodded, as if he understood. Daniel's bewilderment elevated.
"I just got off the line with Doctor Jackson myself. He told me to have Teal'la call him back." Hammond continued. The entire team looked at each other, now extremely perplexed.
"It will be done." promised Artemis with a nod. She unclasped her hands and extended an arm to Teal'c, who raised an eyebrow, but wrapped his hand around her bicep, walking her towards the infirmary. As they walked, Artemis kept Teal'la's phosphorescent eyes faced front. "I wish also to extend my gratitude. I was not certain that you would assist when I requested. Without it...We would have expired." she said after a while.
"Have we erred?" asked Teal'c, his grip tightening on her arm. She seemed not to notice, but she tilted her head.
"No." she replied, and there was a noticeable relaxation amongst the group. "I have no desire for full control at this time. I am...content...merely to assist when required. Unfortunately..." she took a deep breath and heaved a sigh of irritation. "That is annoyingly more often than I am manipulated to handle."
"Manipulated?" asked Jack, eyebrow doing it's own little twitchy dance. Artemis gave a lazy smirk as they approached the infirmary.
"We were created. Daniel Jackson, our father figure and role model, was unable to separate me from Teal'c in the genetic cocktail that he constructed using the DNA of his team, including himself. That is how I came to be." she said, ignoring the looks of outright shock that she was receiving from the four members of SG1. "When I was discovered around her spinal column, attached permanently to her muscle and spinal tissue, 'father' used everything at his fingertips to genetically alter me to be as passive as I could be without killing Teal'la. Once he realized that we were integral to each other, he gave me a little more leeway, albeit very little."
They all looked at Daniel and he scratched at the back of his neck.
"Yeah, that sounds like something I'd do." he said, and Artemis gave a wry smile as she laid down on the gurney.
"I cannot tell you anything more without Teal'la's consent, as it requires me to employ her as a means of communication." Artemis said, in her richly distorted voice, closing her eyes. "But she will not understand that a Goa'uld would have helped her." she said, calmly. The others looked at each other.
"Why not?" asked Sam. Artemis opened Teal'la's eyes and the look that she gave Carter said that it should have been obvious. Then she looked at Teal'c, Daniel, and Jack before closing her eyes, meaning hidden in her actions. Jack and Teal'c shared a look as Sam looked at Daniel for an answer.
"You are the embodiment of everything that Teal'la is against." Teal'c said, recognition flashing in his eyes.
"Indeed." she said. "Teal'la has been fighting and killing my kind for as long as she has been able to wield a weapon. And now she knows that even if she kills all of the others, I will still live. I do not believe that she would willingly come to terms with this."
"Right. Well, why don't you let her be the judge of that." Daniel said, and Teal'la smirked.
"I already have."
And with that, she went to sleep, her breathing becoming regular, not distorted. The others looked at each other and settled down for a long wait.