DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

A Snake In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

Part thirty-seven

Clare was woken the following morning by Sam shaking her by the shoulder.

'Whassup?' Clare mumbled, sitting up and trying to shake the tiredness from her body.

'The Tollan representatives arrived this morning - Dr Fraiser didn't want to wake you and we thought we'd be able to handle the children.' Sam pulled a wry face. 'They were all fine when we gave them breakfast, but when we brought General Hammond and the Tollans into the room they became agitated and are sitting huddled together by one of the beds. We tried that thing you did yesterday but it just doesn't seem to be working.'

As Sam was talking, Clare had thrown back the covers and was starting to dress.

'Give me five minutes,' she said when Sam had finished. Sam could hear splashing coming from the bathroom and in less than five minutes, Clare re-emerged, dragging a brush through her hair.

'I'm ready,' Clare informed Sam as she tossed the brush on the table and grabbed a jacket.

They reached the converted storeroom and Clare realised the situation needed to be brought under control quickly. Glancing briefly at the others in the room, Clare moved towards the children and spoke firmly.

'Kosca, will you come here please?'

Kosca moved forward, understanding the gesture that Clare made as she spoke her name. She looked warily at the newcomers in the room, but came up to Clare and returned the hug she was given.

'Kosca, I know you're frightened, but these are good people. Watch.' Clare indicated that Kosca should bring the other children to stand with her while she spoke to the new people.

'I'm going to try something, General,' Clare addressed Hammond, 'but I need to know the names of these two,' she indicated the two Tollans standing with him.

'Of course. Collatan and Sarash, this is Clare Dawson who has been helping us with the children.'

The three exchanged brief greetings, then the attention of everyone in the room turned to the children and Clare.

'This is General Hammond, he wants to help you,' Clare smiled at him and shook his hand. The children hesitated for only a moment, then proceeded to greet him and shake his hand. The process was repeated for the two Tollans and soon the children were sitting down in their circle while Daniel tried to explain what was going to happen.

'These people are the Tollans,' Daniel spoke slowly and pointed at the people named. 'They are special, like you, and can give you new homes, new families.' He used gestures to emphasise his words, finding it frustrating that he could not really communicate with them as they had still not spoken, he was searching for other ways to express himself when Kosca passed him a picture she had been drawing while he was talking.

'Going home?' She asked, while Daniel realised she had drawn a picture of a house with a family standing outside. Looking around he realised that all the children had done something similar.

'Wait a minute,' Daniel spoke a little uncertainly. 'You can understand what I'm saying?'

Kosca nodded.

'Did you understand us when we first met?' A sense of awe came over Daniel's face as he received a negative response to this question.

'So…how did you learn our language?'

'We listened. The story Clare told us. You say lots of words. We hear well.' Kosca's words were spoken disjointedly, but spoken well enough to get her meaning across.

'This is remarkable,' Daniel mused, completely lost in this new discovery. 'I've never met anyone with the ability to learn so quickly. I'd love to…'

Clare placed a warning hand on Daniel's arm before he got too carried away. 'Daniel, I think you need to ease up. You're scaring them.'

Daniel looked a bit sheepish and apologised, moving back to stand with Jack at the side of the room out of the way.

Clare asked the children to wait where they were while she talked to their visitors.

'What happens now?' She asked General Hammond.

'The Tollans have agreed to take the children and find new homes for them. They'll be settled in communal quarters initially, then as they become used to their new surroundings they'll move in with their new families. You've done a very good job here, Clare, and I've assigned SG1 and yourself to go with them and see them settled in.' Hammond smiled to himself as he saw Clare's look of relief that she would be able to make sure the children were going to be well looked after. 'You'll be leaving in one hour.'

Hammond left the room after waving a goodbye to the children and was greeted with a chorus of 'Goodbye General Hammond' from the group he left behind.

Explaining to Kosca that she needed to get ready to take them to their new home, Clare left Kosca to settle the rest of the group down to play with a large box of brightly coloured construction blocks that someone had acquired for them.

XOXOXOX

Clare was sitting with the children in their new temporary home. They had all had a good look around and had met the people who would be looking after them, but throughout their time here the children had said very little, staring around with wide eyes, trying to take it all in and make sense of it.

'The Tollans will make you part of their families now,' Clare was explaining. 'They will help you remember who you are, but they will also help you to become good people and learn the things that they have to offer. I have to go but I will come to visit you.'

As Clare walked out of the room to return to the 'gate she heard a disturbance which tugged at her deepest emotions. A wail came from more than one of the children and she felt like she was abandoning them. She could hear the soft voices of the Tollans inside comforting them, trying to soothe them but nothing seemed to work. She waited, telling herself that she had to let them get used to their new surroundings and it would take time, but half an hour later she could take no more.

Turning her back on the room, Clare ran to where Jack was waiting to escort her back to the 'gate. Seeing the look on her face he became instantly alarmed.

'What's wrong? What's happened? ' He demanded, holding her arm.

'I…I…can't leave them,' she gasped out, fighting to keep control herself. 'I have to make sure that they'll be alright. I can stay, can't I?' She turned pleading eyes to Jack.

'You sure about this?'

'Yes. I feel kind of responsible after helping them through the early stages and it seems wrong to abandon them now.' Clare's voice grew in confidence as she realised that Jack would do what he could if he felt it was the right thing to do. 'They've already lost their parents, the people who had looked after them and I think they will find it hard to handle losing all their new friends. I want to do this, Jack, I need to this.' Clare finished emphatically, looking at Jack hopefully.

'Well, let's go talk to the Tollans and make sure they're ok with this, if they are, I'll square it with General Hammond.'

XOXOXOX

Three weeks later the incoming traveller alert sounded.

'It's the Tollan, sir,' General Hammond was informed.

'Open the iris,' Hammond ordered.

As the event horizon settled a solitary figure walked down the ramp and asked to speak to General Hammond.

Hammond escorted the new arrival to his office and welcomed her warmly.

'So, I hear things are going well,' Hammond began.

'Yes, General. The children are settling in well and are now living with their new families, except..' Clare paused before continuing. 'I'd like to ask your permission to remain on Tollana, sir. I…well…Kosca and I are getting on well and the family she was supposed to move in with have got a serious illness to deal with and weren't able to take her. They can find another family for her, but they said if I was willing to stay, Kosca could live with me.' Clare stared down at her hands as they twisted nervously in her lap, not sure whether she would be allowed to do what she so much wanted to.

'Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?' Hammond asked, concerned this had been a hasty decision. 'If you take this on, you're going to have to stay there until Kosca has grown up - you can't abandon her if you decide it's not what you want, you know.'

'I'm aware of that, General, and I've never been so sure in my life.' Clare's voice was firm and there was an air of confidence, an inner glow that had not been there before. 'The Tollans have made me feel welcome and I feel a part of them, even in this short time. This is something I need to do, it's what I want.'

'Very well. But remember,' Hammond spoke more sternly, before relenting slightly as he saw the worried expression on Clare's face. 'You can come back to visit us you know, Kosca too.'

The General stood up to shake her hand, Clare, without thinking stood up also and gave him a big hug, returned in kind after a brief hesitation on Hammond's part.

'Is this a private party or can anyone join in?' Jack's voice came through the partially open door.

'We heard our favourite writer came to visit and we couldn't wait any longer,' Daniel chimed in.

'Hey, guys,' Clare responded, 'It's good to see you - speaking through the MALP isn't quite the same as seeing you all.'

They all noticed the change in their friend, her air of confidence and happiness that had been lacking before. Something was going on here and they really wanted to know what it was.

'Is there something we need to know?' Jack asked cautiously.

'Why don't we adjourn to the briefing room and I'll let Clare tell you herself.' Hammond said.

They had barely settled into their seats before Jack was demanding an explanation.

'So? What's going on? Give.'

'General Hammond has agreed to me staying on Tollana while Kosca grows up. She's going to live with me.' Clare informed them, anxiously awaiting their response, feeling that she needed approval from these people who had become her friends.

'Wow,' Sam responded. 'That's some challenge.'

'Maybe,' Clare replied, 'But it's something I need to do and I want to do it more than I've ever wanted anything else in my life.'

'What about your writing?' Daniel queried.

'I can carry on with that if I want, the Tollans will be able to connect my lap top to a suitable power source and I can work on it there. When I've got something to send to my publisher, it'll give me a good reason to visit you.'

'You do not need a reason, Clare Dawson,' Teal'c spoke up. 'We are your friends and friends do not need a reason to see each other.'

'I know that Teal'c, but thanks, I appreciate what you're saying.' Clare became a little more serious. 'You know you'll have to come to see me sometimes as well, see how we're doing.' Clare blushed slightly as she said this.

'What aren't you telling us?' Daniel asked suspiciously.

'Well…I've made one particular friend, his name is Darien…' Clare needed to say no more, the happiness in her face and the way her whole bearing had changed told them what they needed to know.

Now, as she stood before the open wormhole, waiting to step through, Clare took one look back at the people watching her go, remembering their hugs and good wishes. Smiling through the tears, she waved and stepped through to her new life.

THE END?

Thanks for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it and thanks to everyone who left me feedback, it's much appreciated. This is as far as this story goes at the moment as I've run out of ideas for it but if anything comes to mind, I may continue it in the future so watch this space!