Blood Ties

Chapter 21: A Heart To Heart

Disclaimer: If I did would I be here writing this?

Daniel walked down the hall he paused a moment to allow some people to pass before continuing. Granted he could have continued with them there but he couldn't help but notice Janet's tone of voice when she had requested to talk to him. He pondered what on Earth she would wish to talk to him about but he was no closer to the answer than he was an hour and a half ago.  Just as he approached her office door a trio walked out. Andy, Cassandra and Rya'c walked out, they had been inseparable since Teal'c had brought Rya'c and Drey'auc to the SGC. General Hammond gave his ok to bring them to the SGC as Andy had formed a delicate friendship with the boy during her short stay and she needed friends to talk to that could understand where she had been and the immense secret that she now had to keep. They laughed as they walked together, the bond the three had formed in such a short time was amazing, and they greeted Daniel with a simple 'Hi Daniel!' from the girls and a 'Dr. Jackson' and a nod from the boy. He replied with a simple 'good morning' and continued on his way.

"Daniel?" Came the voice of Janet from within the room, he pushed the door open further so she could see him. "Come in and sit down." She motioned to a chair across the desk. He walked into the room but did not sit nor go further into the room. "Daniel, please close the door and sit down." She requested once again. He complied this time. As he sat down the cushion welcoming him he looked to Janet he couldn't help but to tense up

"What is it Janet?"

Janet fiddled with a pen placing it down she began to rearrange some papers that lay in an open file on her desk, Andy's file. Now that he was sitting right in front of her, her resolve wavered, after replacing the papers and closing the file she gathered up the courage she could find in herself. She looked at him, Daniel was now looking at the floor, "Daniel we need to talk…about you and…you and Andromeda." He looked up at her sharply and when he didn't see anything but compassion and understanding he relaxed.

"I know what you must be thinking but it's not like that I swear!" Janet sighed 'I guess De Nile is more than a river in Egypt' She thought.

"Listen Daniel anyone can see that you care about her more than as a friend…" She trailed off.

After a moment Daniel found the floor interesting and spoke "I do. No wait don't say anything not yet just… just let me say what I have to alright." Janet nodded and leaned back prepared to listen to whatever Daniel had to say. "When I first laid eyes on Andy I saw a beautiful woman and a frightened child I was drawn to her everything about her, her eyes, her smile, her intelligence everything. When things started to go bad I thought that those feelings wouldn't change but they did the feelings grew. I thought I loved her."

"Thought?" Janet pressed.

"I know from seeing her with Jack and Sam what I want from her…a family. I wanted that which I never had with Sha're a child: a son or daughter. He looked up at Janet "But she'll never be that child! I can't help but be jealous of Sam and Jack for what they'll have, husband and wife with a beautiful daughter!" Tears escaped from Daniel's eyes tears for everything he had lost everything that he had joined the SGC to reclaim a wife, a child, and a family. Janet understood, he had never cried for the lost life, he had joined SG-1 in an act of vengeance without mourning for that lost life. "Daniel," Janet leaned forward "It will never say it on paper but if you think that you're going to be any less of a parent to Andy than Sam or Jack you're a fool. Think about it SG-1 has become her family, you, Sam, Jack, even Teal'c have become her parents in a way if you think that a piece of paper will change that then you need to give your head a shake."

Daniel stared into Janet's eyes and came to the realization that she wanted him to come to; he was a father to her. Who else other than a father would have searched endlessly for a child, stayed with her every minute even when she wouldn't talk, brings books to read while stuck in the infirmary?

"Congratulations Daniel." Janet said as she stood up.

"What?"

"You're a father. Come on if I'm not mistaken you have some things to double check before the president comes and you're not even dressed and I have to find some teens and get them into formal wear. Which as Sam put it 'is harder than directing combat'." The two left the office never noticing the brown-eyed figure that waited their departure, his commander might have failed but he would not.

~    ~    ~

Janet walked towards Andy's door and knocked from within came a muffled "Come in!" She opened the door. The sight that met her eyes was an unusual one, Andy was half hidden in her closet obviously looking for something with a muffled "It has to be in here somewhere!" Could be heard. On the opposite side of the room Cass and Rya'c were playing chess it was hard to determine who exactly was winning.

"Hey Cass, Rya'c and ah Andy."

Andy pulled her head out hair messed up. "Heya Doc! How's it going? What brings you here?" She pulled out a deep red dress and threw it to the side.

"I came to find you and Cass. You need to get ready the president will be here in two hours. Rya'c your father and mother are waiting for you."

"Can we continue later Cass?"

"Sure thing Rya'c."

"Bye Andy!"

Andy looked up, holding a black dress "Bye Rya'c." Rya'c ran out in search of his father and mother. Andy tossed the black dress aside.

"I know it's in here," Janet sat down on the bed and looked over at Cass who now stood by Andy "Ah ha here it is!" She pulled out a dark blue dress that would match the blue of Sam and Jack's dress uniforms. She stepped behind a changing screen. She came out in the dress, with a form fitting top and loose bottom with thin straps that went over the shoulders and crossed in the back it was perfect.

"Andy you look breath taking." Janet commented.

"Wait till you see me!" Cass jumped up and walked behind the screen a moment later she returned with a duplicate dress only in a dark green.

"Cass you look absolutely beautiful!" Both the girls beamed, this day was very important for it determined the fate of the SGC and it was the official announcement of Sam and Jack's engagement. "Well I have to go get into my dress uniform, Cass why don't you meet me in my office after you girls do your hair?"

"Sure thing."

Janet left, Andy turned to the mirror as Cass pulled her hair back you could see the scar left by the bullet wound, the same bullet Jack had shot, it still seemed like some far off dream that she would wake from at any moment but never did.

"Cass?"

"Yeah?"

"Does it ever seem like you'll just wake up from the dream and they'll be there? Standing in the doorway greeting you to another new day and everything is alright?" Cass finished with putting half her hair up in a bun with the rest flowing down walked in front of her.

"Everyday. Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night thinking that Earth and the SGC was all some dream I made up and any minute my mother and father will come through the door, and everything will be all right. But then I wake and know the truth, they're not there but I couldn't have asked for a better family here. At least your mother is still alive."

"Alive but I can never see her again, it's worse than being dead."

"Hey it'll be alright after all you have Sam and Jack now."

Andy wiped away some tears that had formed "Yeah, it'll be ok."  She fixed Cass's hair into a bun with a few stray pieces hanging down. "Cass can you tell Sam and Jack that I'll be up top for a few minutes and to come find me there?"

"Sure thing." 

Andy left, making a note to clip her pass to her dress before leaving. She walked a few minutes into the forest. Officially to the rest of the world she and her father were dead, General Hammond had agreed to her wishes though and had her father buried in the forest outside the SGC. She stood there silently. After a moment she began to sing in a soft voice

"One day, one night, one moment
My dreams could be tomorrow
One step, one fall, one falter
East or West,
Over earth or by ocean
One way to be my journey
This way could be my
Book of Days

No day, no night, no moment
Can hold me back from trying
One flag, one fall, one falter
I'll find my day maybe
Far and Away
Far and Away

One day, one night one moment
With a dream to be leaving
One step, one fall, one falter
Find a new world across a wide ocean
This way became my journey
This day brings together
Far and Away

This day brings together
Far and Away
Far and Away."

(Book of Days by Enya)

She laid a flower on top of the placket. She turned to find Sam and Jack in their dress uniforms waiting for her. Without a word they turned and entered the SGC together.

General Hammond SG-1 plus Andy, Cass, Drey'auc and Rya'c along with a few members of the Tok'ra all awaited the presence of the president.

Only a couple more chapters to go before this is ended hope you liked this chapter. Who is the brown-eyed figure and what does he have planned? Man that sounded cheesy…oh well. Please make friends with that little button at the bottom of the screen.

~Avalon