Take a Chance on Me - Chapter 23

"At least we know how it got into Rayne in the first place." Jonas said optimistically at the briefing table.

Jack sneered but said nothing to that. He sat, deep in thought with a malicious look on his face.

"Actually, we still don't know if the Goa'uld was transferred from Rayne's mother or if it was a separate symbiote. In fact it's possible that there never was a symbiote in her mother. She could have put the snake there for another reason." Sam interjected.

"What other reason? That woman," Jack spat out, "is pure evil."

"Actually, sir, that was the reason that I was thinking. She made Rayne a Goa'uld out of pure malice. But, consider this, it is possible that she didn't know what would happen and she really did think that she was helping her."

"Not possible." Jack said angrily.

General Hammond raised a placating hand. "That is what we are out to determine. I've requested that Emily O'Neill be brought in for questioning."

"You might have some trouble with that, sir." Jack said grudgingly. "Emily has her hands in some pretty powerful political rings in Europe. We don't want an international incident, now do we?"

A bit stunned at Jack's diplomatic considerations, no matter how abruptly they were presented, General Hammond assured him, "Don't worry about that, son. I already spoke to our diplomatic liaison over there. She'll work out all of the red tape."

"There's another problem, sir." Dr. Frasier began, somewhat reluctantly. "Rayne's behavior is. . . erratic."

Jack turned to her and was about to speak when the general cut him off. "Erratic in what way, Doctor?"

Janet sighed. "She doesn't remember anything beyond the day that she became a Goa'uld. Her emotional state is extremely erratic; she's acting as though she's bipolar and I have no way to tell that she isn't. She's extremely exhausted, but she won't sleep. Her blood work is unusual - I think the Goa'uld left something in her system that we didn't detect earlier. It doesn't appear to be toxic, but I don't want to give her any drugs until I can determine what it is. She's terrified of half of my staff, particularly the men. I've had to recall the female MP's that she had before. I hope I'm wrong, but she seems to be showing all the signs of someone who has been abused beyond the implantation of a Goa'uld and is suffering from PTSD."

Jack looked murderous. "Is there any way we can tell for sure?" He asked in a barely restrained voice.

"There aren't many signs of old injuries, but the symbiote could very well have healed those. Without physical evidence, there's no way I can be sure."

"The letters might say something." Jonas suggested.

Jack stared at him.

"What letters, Jonas?" Sam asked him.

Jonas looked back and forth between Sam and Jack. "She wrote letters to, um, to her cousin when she was a teenager. I know she kept all of the ones she got and I would guess that he kept hers somewhere too."

"How do you know all of this?" Jack asked quietly.

"It's part of what we talked about before we left for P5X-789." Jonas replied innocently. Looking around at the uncomfortable faces around him, "What?"

"I would recommend that Ms. O'Neill speak to Dr. Mackenzie, sir." Janet addressed both Jack and the General.

Jack silently nodded in agreement. "Go ahead, Doctor." The general ordered. "Is there anything else?"

A realization struck Jack. "We need to contact the Navy." He said urgently.

"Would you care to elaborate, son?"

"Rayne's brother is a Naval officer. If their mother put a snake in Rayne, she may have done the same to him."

"And we could be dealing with a Goa'uld in the military." Sam finished.

"What's his name?" The general asked.

"Jonathan Patrick O'Neill. He's stationed in Hawaii."

The general raised an eyebrow. "I'll get someone on it right away to have him tested. If there's nothing else, you're dismissed."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Jonas, stay here a minute." Jack called as everyone was gathering their things to go.

"Of course, Colonel. What can I do for you?" He replied solicitously.

"I need to know more about those letters. Where do you think I might find them?"

"Well, I know where the letters *to* her are and I can go and get them. As for the letters *from* her, I can only make a guess."

"Well, where are they?" Jack demanded.

"She went to visit her Aunt Sara before we left. I think they're there."

Jack exhaled heavily. "Why did she go to see her?" He asked carefully.

"Sara used to write to Rayne when she was in school. She didn't write as much as, as . . ."

"You can say his name."

"She didn't write as often as Charlie did, but she did write."

"Just how often did Charlie write?"

"Rayne had a stack of binders with his letters."

"A stack of letters." Jack said almost to himself. Lost in thought, he gave himself a small, tired smile. "A stack of letters written by my son."

"Jonas, go get Rayne's letters. I'll see about getting Charlie's."

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"Rayne." Jonas spoke softly.

Rayne, who had been writing intently on a notepad looked up at him and started, scooting back on the bed away from him.

Jonas took a step back and held up his hands placatingly. "Rayne, I won't hurt you. Do you remember what Dr. Frasier and Colonel O'Neill told you? It's 2002, not 1994. You had a parasitic infection that caused your amnesia. You're 26, not 17."

"What month is it?" Rayne snapped at him.

"It's October. October 4th."

"Well then, I'm not 26 anymore. I'm 27. You don't even know when my birthday is and I'm supposed to believe that you're my boyfriend?" She said defiantly.

"We just started seeing each other."

"Right, right. We met a week ago, and then you left the country for most of the week. However, I still chose to invite you into my bed, because that's just the kind of girl I am. Right? Am I right?" Rayne was seething. Jonas stepped forward with his hand outstretched. She cried out and pulled her knees to her chest, any outward pretense of defiance gone.

Jonas winced at the change. "Rayne, I won't hurt you and I won't let anyone else hurt you." Rayne closed her eyes. To Jonas she looked as though she were bracing herself for a blow. His voice caught in his throat. "Colonel O'Neill went to get your letters to Charlie from your Aunt Sara." Rayne opened her eyes but didn't look up at him. "I brought your letters from Charlie." He picked up the bag from the floor and placed it at the foot of her bed. "You let me read some of them last week, but I didn't read them all."

Rayne looked up at him in shock but looked down again just as quickly. Jonas backed away until he reached the wall, which he slid down to sit on the floor. Rayne stared at the bag. Jonas forced his eyes to close as he laid his head against the wall. Tears burned beneath his eyelids.

Glancing at Jonas she carefully approached the bag, wary of its contents. With shaking hands she pulled bag open and lifted out the first binder. Checking to make sure that Jonas was still where she left him and that no one else was around she opened took the binder and hid it under her pillow. She pulled out another one and opened it to the middle and began reading. She choked back a sob.

Hearing her, Jonas looked up at her and smiled. Engrossed in the letters she didn't notice that he was looking at her at first. When she finally glanced up to check on him and found him looking at her, she dropped the book and moved back into a protective position at the head of the bed. She turned her head away. "Take it."

"Rayne, they're yours. I won't take it."

"TAKE IT!" She screeched. "Just take it! Don't make promises that you can't keep." She drew in a shuddering breath and whispered, "Just take it."

Jonas stood and took the bag. He opened it and pulled out a binder. Setting the others on the floor, he opened it to the first page. Rayne looked away from him. "These letters were written after you graduated. I won't lie to you. Jack wants to see these letters, but he won't look at them without your permission. If you want to talk, send someone to find me or call my office and I'll come right up." Jonas opened his mouth to say more, but closed it again, not wanting to push her too far. He stood up to leave. "Good-bye, Rayne."

After he left she carefully approached the foot of the bed and, grabbing the book, she slid off of the bed, pulled the curtain closed and climbed under her bed. There was enough space under the high hospital bed to allow her to sit upright. She settled down with a pillow and some crackers that she had stolen and began to read.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jack drew a deep breath and knocked on the door to his ex-wife's house. "Hello Sara." He began as she opened the door.

"Hello Jack. Did Rayne ask you to come?" Sara responded flatly.

"No, she's not really able to right now. She's. . . sick."

Jack's eyes dropped as he spoke, so he missed seeing the color wash from her face. "Come in, Jack. How can I help?"

Jack gave her a small smile. It was so like Sara to want to help; he missed her for that. "I'm looking for some letters."

"Ah. I expected as much. Come with me." She led him up to Charlie's attic. He watched in amazement as she disappeared up the rope ladder. On reaching the top and looking around he breathed, "You knew about this?"

Sara shook her head. "No. Rayne showed it to me last week." Jack stared at her, then at the floor where open letters lay in piles. He looked up at her again. "I was organizing them."

"You read her letters? Her letters to Charlie?" He gasped, astonished at her invasion of privacy.

"I'm his mother."

"They were to him, not to you. Did you even ask her?"

"I - I wanted to know what she told him. I wanted to know what was going on in his life. I didn't know! I didn't know my own son!" She ranted, coming close to hysterics. "What she told him - I can't even understand how those things could happen. What her mother did to her, what she let happen to her, what she told Charlie! He couldn't have understood this. He was a child!"

"She was a child too." Jack said miserably. He pulled Sara towards himself. She fought against him but quieted as he held her. Jack fought back the urge to vomit. His fears were confirmed. He had failed to protect his own child and now he found that he had failed to protect his brother's child. He closed his eyes in shame. "I should have known. I should have been able to stop it." He whispered to himself. "I have to make it up to her now."

Once Sara's sobs quieted, he bent down to collect the letters. Sara stooped to help him. "He had a girlfriend, did you know?"

"No, but I suspected it." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'd like to come back and look around."

"You can stay now if you like."

"I can't. Rayne needs me."

"What's happening to her? She seemed fine last week."

"She had a parasitic infection." The lie came easily now. "The parasite left a chemical behind in her blood stream. The doctors aren't sure what it is yet. John may have been infected too."

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry. I guess I should have given these to her when she asked." Sara looked at Jack, expecting a reproach. When she didn't get it, she continued. "Tell her that I'm sorry. And tell her that she's welcome back any time."

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Safely back in his truck, Jack flipped open his mobile and called the general's private line. "General, I found proof that Emily abused Rayne." He said quickly, screwing his eyes shut. "We can bring her up on criminal charges and have her extradited. It could help us to clear up any political blockades that she may have put up to keep us from getting to her. We have her, General!"

"I'm sorry, son, but we don't." General Hammond informed him sadly. "I just got off the phone with our liaison. Emily O'Neill died a year ago."