Author's Notes:- Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
Daniel wrote down his latest observations rolling his shoulders to loosen them out a bit. The SG team with him were young, so young but full of enthusiasm for the discoveries they'd made.
Sitting back from his work his mind drifted to his daughter. He loved her so much and was constantly surprised by her. Jack often remarked that she was unlike any other kid her age and Daniel supposed he was right. Ari had never been a sulky rebellious teenager; she was happy and well adjusted taking everything in her stride something Daniel had been very thankful for. It did help that she had the rest of the original SG1, Sara, Janet, Cassie and Nick there for her whenever she needed to talk.
Her gifts had been hard for her to understand and had originally scared her, especially when she realised none of her friends could do the things she could. Daniel would do anything for her and once he finished here he had to explain what had really happened to her mother.
One good point of Ari's gift was she could sense him and his well being no matter where he was. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him while he was off world.
x
Jack found Ari sitting in Daniel's office. What had once been her play area had been turned into a small study area for her so she could work where Daniel could keep an eye on her.
"Hey, you hungry?" he asked making her jump slightly.
"Yeah," Ari replied trying to hide what she'd been looking at.
"What is that?" Jack pulled Daniel's chair over to Ari's desk.
Ari nervously produced the picture of Sha're that usually sat on Daniel's desk, "I was just wondering…"
"Wondering what?" Jack looked at her concerned, Ari was never this nervous around them.
"What she was really like?" Ari sighed, "Dad doesn't talk about her. Though he tried to a few nights ago, I know how much it hurts him so I've never asked him any more than he told me."
"Well, I never knew Sha're as well as I would have liked to," Jack told his best friend's daughter, "But I can tell you what I noticed about her."
"Would you?"
Seeing the light in Ari's eyes made Jack smile, she was so like Daniel it was sometimes unnerving, "Well she was very sweet, very kind and very protective of your dad. When we were hiding from Ra she made sure he drank the water and her hand was never far from his arm. She was the one who organised the rebellion after Ra had kidnapped us, " Jack laughed, "You did not mess with your mother."
"What else?"
"She loved him," Jack gently squeezed Ari's hand, "She loved him so much and I know she loved you."
A small tear escaped Ari's eyes but she was smiling, "Thank you."
Jack placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "No problem kiddo. Now come and eat."
Daniel shifted Ari in his arms as he walked towards the gravestone. Steven had seen him already and made a comment though the look on his face at seeing Ari made Daniel want to laugh.
"Look who's back," Steven said walking over to him.
"Hello Steven," Daniel replied blandly, "Nice to see you again."
"Who's this?" Steven asked.
"This is my daughter Arianna," Daniel explained, "And before you ask her mother is dead."
"I'm sorry," Steven's voice was hoarse but he couldn't help smiling as Ari caught his hand and started shaking it.
"She likes you," Daniel felt a smile tug at his lips, "Be honoured."
Steven couldn't help but smile back, "I am."
"Daniel?" the voice he'd been really dreading called to him.
"Hi Sarah," Daniel turned to her starting at how little she had changed.
"You look good," Sarah smiled turning her attention to Ari, "Though you seem to have a surprise for us."
"Sarah this is my daughter Ari," Daniel introduced them not being able to help feeling smug at the amazed look on her face.
"Hello Ari," Sarah smiled moving to touch the child.
Ari started to squirm trying to get away from Sarah.
"She doesn't seem to like me," Sarah sighed.
"Guess not," Daniel shrugged trying to soothe his daughter, "It's alright baby. Sarah's an old friend. It's alright."
At his words of comfort Ari calmed resting her head on her father's shoulder her thumb stuck in her mouth but her eyes watched Sarah warily the whole time.
x
Daniel grimaced as he opened his eyes to Janet's penlight.
"Ari?" he whispered.
"She's with Sara O'Neill," Janet assured him, "She's fine."
"Ari knew."
Janet frowned in confusion, "Knew what?"
Daniel rubbed his eyes trying to get his focus, "She knew Sarah was a Gould."
"Are you sure?" Janet asked, "Ari doesn't have any Naquada in her blood. I've checked."
"She knew anyway," Daniel smiled as he fell asleep again, "She knew."
Daniel checked his second watch set to the planet's time, he hadn't realised it was so late. With a sigh he closed his notebook and placed it inside his pack.
It was strange after all these years sleeping on the ground was not his favourite thing any more, he preferred his bed and knowing his daughter was in the next room safe. He knew he didn't have to worry about her, Ari stayed at Jack and Sara's so often she actually had her own room. Daniel frowned as he remembered the reason Ari did have a room with them.
Trying to protect her had caused her more pain than he had ever wanted his baby girl to know.
Daniel blew out the candle settling down to sleep not seeing the shadow cross behind him. Daniel fell asleep quickly not feeling the drug being administered into him.
x
Ari sat cross-legged on her bed in her second bedroom reading one of her father's books.
"Isn't that a bit out of your league?" Jack asked leaning against the doorframe.
"Nope," came the reply.
Jack rolled his eyes, "You've got a phone call. It's Nick."
Ari dropped the book and scrambled into the hall to get the phone, "Nick?"
"Hi sweetheart," the vampire greeted her, "Where's your Dad?"
"Off world," Ari answered, "Where are you?"
"At the moment I'm in Iceland," Nick told her, "A friend of mine asked for my help."
"When will you be coming to see us?" Ari demanded, "I haven't seen you since my birthday."
"As soon as I'm finished here," Nick promised, "I will be there and stay as long as you want me to."
Ari grinned, "Good."
"Tell me what you've been up to," Nick demanded.
x
Jack smiled seeing Ari walk into the kitchen to join him and Sara.
"How's Nick?"
"Good," she smiled, "Has Dad called in yet?"
"I checked in with the base before Nick called," Jack told her, "They haven't checked in yet but they're not due to for another three hours."
"Your father won't miss the deadline," Sara assured her, "He can't remember when he's meant to eat but if it's contacting you he's never late."
Ari grinned, "So I can come to the base?"
Jack rolled his eyes, "How can I stop you?"
"Good, cause Captain Walker has promised to show me the latest additions to the artefacts," Ari grinned.
Jack groaned, "You're as bad as Daniel."
"I know," Ari smiled leaning her head against his arm looking up to him with large innocent eyes, "But you love me anyway."
x
"General," the technician at the controls greeted him when he and Ari entered the control room.
"Any word from Dr Jackson?" Jack asked.
"Not yet," the tech replied, "He still has an hour."
"Guess these scribbles are more interesting than we thought," Jack teased.
Ari smiled slightly, "Can I go see Captain Walker then? She is expecting me."
Jack smiled, "Go and I'll have you called when your Dad checks in."
Ari flashed him a brilliant smile before disappearing making Jack laugh as he went up to his office to start his own work.
Daniel walked into the Gateroom wondering why he was here. Looking over to the ramp he saw his daughter standing facing the open wormhole.
"Ari?" he called walking towards her.
She turned to him and Daniel gasped in horror seeing the staff blast burn covering her chest, similar to the one that had killed her mother.
"Daddy," she whispered before she collapsed into his arms.
"Ari!!!!!!" Daniel cried, "No Ari!!" he tried desperately to find her pulse but he couldn't, she was gone.
Tears started to stream along Daniel's cheeks as he held her body rocking her gently.
"It's okay baby," he whispered to her, "You're with your Mom now. She'll look after you."
"Daniel," Jack's voice called.
"Go away," Daniel whispered.
"Daniel, we just want to help," Sara said.
"Go away," Daniel snarled.
"Daniel," Jack said softly.
"I said GO AWAY," as Daniel snapped everyone standing nearby was thrown backwards as Daniel continued to grieve.
Watching from a safe distance Osiris smiled.
x
Captain Michelle Walker smiled as she looked over at the teenager sitting engrossed in a book far in advanced for her age. Michelle had been surprised when she'd arrived in the SGC that this kid had free run of the base but like everyone else she'd fallen under the spell of Arianna Jackson.
"I'm just going to lab 5," she told Ari, "I'll be back soon."
"Sure," the absent reply came.
Michelle laughed as she left the room; Ari was so like her father sometimes. She started slightly seeing General O'Neill walk towards her.
"Captain," Jack greeted her.
"Good morning General," she smiled.
"Is Ari still in your office?"
Before Michelle could answer Ari's scream echoed through the hall.
x
"Jack!!!!!!"
Hearing his surrogate daughter scream his name Jack ran to the lab to find her on the floor her arms wrapped around her knees tears streaming along her cheeks.
"Ari?" Jack knelt beside her suddenly finding her holding onto him tightly.
"Some…some…something's happened," she choked out, "Dad...he…he…his mind…it screamed," her breath was coming in gulps, "Tell me…he…he…he won't leave me again? Please…Jack…"
"It's alright honey," Jack rocked her ignoring the stiffness in his knees, "Daniel would never leave you."
Ari's tear filled blue-eyes stared at him, "He…he…he did once."
Jack sighed, "You know why he did that Ari. You know he didn't want to hurt you but at the time he thought that was the best thing to do."
"But he…he left," Ari cuddled into Jack's protection further.
"Okay honey," Jack soothed, "Here's what I'm going to do. After I manage to struggle to my feet, I'm going to get them to dial up the planet he's on and find out what's going on."
"Okay," Ari whispered.
x
"What do you mean he's missing?" Jack yelled.
"Sir, he went to his tent to work on some of our findings and then sleep," Major Kent reported, "We assumed he was still sleeping."
"Is there ANYTHING that could tell us what happened?" Jack yelled, "His daughter is in a state here."
"General," Kent told him, "Give me a few hours."
"You have two," Jack snapped motioning the tech to shut down the Gate, "Son of a…Sergeant, dial up the Tok'ra."
"Yes sir."
Jack fumed waiting as the Gate dialled; he'd left Ari in the infirmary with Cassie hoping she could calm the teenager down. Ari was terrified of Daniel leaving her after the last time; though Jack was amazed she could even remember it.
"Chevron Seven is locked," the tech told him.
"General Jack O'Neill to Sam Carter," Jack called, "Sam you there?"
"Jack?" Sam Carter's voice came over the speaker just before her face appeared on the screen, "What's going on?"
Jack took a deep breath, "Daniel's missing."
"Teal'c and I will be there in a few minutes," Sam said, "Shut down the Gate."
Jack nodded to the technician, "Send them straight up to my office."
"Yes sir."
x
Daniel groaned as he woke up. Looking around he frowned, this wasn't right. How had he ended up in a cell? How had he gotten here?
It didn't matter to him; the only thing that had truly mattered in his life was gone. His daughter, his baby had been taken from him just like her mother, his wonderful wife had been. Curling up in the cell Daniel felt tears slide along his cheeks. Not since Sha're had died had he felt this empty.
"I'm so sorry Ari," he whispered curling into a ball mourning his adored daughter, "I'm so sorry."
x
Nick dug into his pocket trying to find his phone as it continued to ring.
"Hello?"
"Nick, it's Jack."
"Jack?" Nick asked getting a sinking feeling, "What's happened?"
"I'm not sure," Jack replied, "Just get here as fast as possible."
"Is Ari alright?"
"Still working on that one," Jack said, "Get here as soon as you can."
"I will," Nick promised hanging up.
Daniel had to be in trouble otherwise Jack wouldn't have called.
"Keep calm," he murmured to himself, getting worried over his friend was not going to get him to Colorado any faster.
As he got ready to leave he quickly found the number he wanted and let it dial.
"Yes?" the annoyed answer came.
"LaCroix," Nick said, "Ranon was right. I think it might have started."
Without waiting for an answer Nick hung up before heading to Colorado.