Take a Chance on Me – Chapter 30

Jack woke from his doze beside his niece's bed. Damn Tok'ra, he thought, can't even make decent furniture. He'd been sitting at her side for two days, the - joining having been completed. Jacob said that it had gone well, but Rayne had yet to wake up. He looked over at Jonas who was seated on the opposite side of the bed, lightly clutching Rayne's hand. He had fallen asleep reading and his head rested precariously on the edge of her bed, the book lying open on the floor. It was a book dealing with diplomatic relations – a painful reminder of the life that Rayne had.

Jack picked up the book and stared at it forlornly. She wanted to be a diplomat – she could have, perhaps, one day worked at the SGC. Not that he would have pushed the issue, but he could have offered.

A rustling noise issued from the bed. Rayne was pulling at the stiffly starched sheets they had brought from the infirmary – a comfort not thought of by their, no pun intended, hosts.

Hey eyes fluttered open and she looked around, settling her eyes on Jonas. She carefully lifted a hand to touch his head.

Dropping the book on the chair, Jack hurried to lift her free hand, pulling her attention to him. "Rayne." He said her name gently, a smile pulling at his lips, but not reaching his eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, and rasped out, "Jack? Where?..." She started to drift off again. An inexplicable fear crept over him. What if he had made the wrong decision? What if she didn't want to be a host again? He certainly wouldn't have wanted it. In his panic he squeezed Rayne's hand so hard the tips of her fingers turned purple.

Rayne's eyes opened with a flash of light and an eerie reverberating voice wearily spoke. "You will break our hand."

Jack dropped her hand as if it burnt him. "Let me speak to Rayne." He ordered. The noise finally registered with Jonas and he sat back in his chair blearily.

"She is not ready; she is confused. We are explaining what is happening." The Tok'ra replied patiently, closing her eyes to block him out.

Jack frowned. He didn't like the Tok'ra and a part of him wanted to explain things to his niece himself. The other part was relieved that he didn't have to.

Waking more fully, Jonas stood up and looked down on Rayne. He stuck his hand towards her. "I'm Jonas Quinn. It's nice to meet you."

"And I am Thalian," she replied after a moment, opening her eyes. She took his hand and shook it gently. Letting go, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her eyes closed again and she lowered her head.

As she lifted her head back up, Rayne once more took control of the body. She looked up at Jack, who was standing tentatively facing her. She took his hand shyly. "Thank you, Uncle Jack." She whispered.

Jack drew a controlling breath. "It doesn't have to be permanent, if you don't want it to be." He told her, biting his lip.

She looked at him sadly. "Actually, it does." His face fell before she continued. "But I don't mind. In... in fact I'm rather... glad. I was... alone... before." She tried to suppress the shudder, but didn't quite succeed. Jack bowed his head in sorrow, unable to meet her eyes.

Jonas came to stand beside Jack and took her other hand. "You'll be coming back to the SGC soon." He said brightly, attempting to lift the shadows that had fallen on the room.

Jack stood with a frown frozen on his face. Rayne took her hand from Jonas and touched his cheek, smiling. "Dear Jonas." She said fondly. "I can not come back." Her smile broke momentarily before returning. "As part of the treaty with Earth, I must remain here."

Anger flared across Jack's face and he shook with anger. Jonas looked stricken.

Rayne turned her attention back to Jack, her face exuding calm. "I wanted to be a diplomat, Jack. I wanted to work in the field. I'm going to do that now. It's what I've always wanted, what I've been working for." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Her smile spread. "And I'll get to see you. I'll be working with Jacob, as liaison to Earth." She paused a moment. "Thalian wants to say something."

Jack nodded and Rayne closed her eyes. Thalian spoke. "I have learned much about Rayne's former symbiote. It left behind many memories. I have also discovered that it was bio-engineered to have many of the characteristics of a Goa'uld, such as genetic memory, but not the ability to truly control the host. It reacts to other symbiotes and to Goa'uld technology, but it can be controlled through strict control. Do you know who could have bio-engineered a creature like this?"

Jack thought for a moment, before shaking his head. "The symbiote was implanted by Rayne's mother." He sneered. "But she's dead and I don't know where or how she got the snake."

Thalian nodded. "Pity." Her head dropped, eyes closing. Rayne returned. "That's going to take a while to get used to." She grinned at Jack. "John's not here, is he?"

Jonas interrupted before Jack could reply. "He doesn't have clearance to go through the gate, but we'll contact him and let him know what's happening and that you're all right."

"Thank you, Jonas." She replied kissing him on the cheek. She turned back to Jack. "Do you think I can see him? I want to tell him that I'm staying. I don't know when I'll get to see him again."

Jack looked sadly at her. "Rayne, we just don't know how he'll react to gate travel; his symbiote still has marginal control over him."

Rayne was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in concentration. "Thalian doesn't think it will be a problem. He may lose control for a few seconds, but the Tok'ra can send some instructions for exercises he can do to keep that from happening. With a properly prepared escort, it shouldn't be a problem."

"I'll talk to General Hammond. It may take a while."

"Well, in the mean time." Rayne slid off the bed. "I have to tell the others that I'm ready to get to work.


"Good-bye, Johnny." Rayne wrapped her arms around her brother's neck in a tight hug. They were standing at the stargate on the Tok'ra planet. John O'Neill had arrived two days earlier accompanied by two Tok'ra escorts and had spent his days with his sister, uncle, and Jonas on the planet. The engineer in him was jealous of his sister's new status – submarines would be dull after this, but the big brother was happy that she had found her niche.

"I'll be seeing you around, kid." He replied, returning the hug.

She turned next to Jack and pulled him into a similar hug. "Charlie would be so proud of you." She whispered into his ear. "Both of them." She laughed. Pulling away from the hug, she added, "I'll be seeing you soon too, yes?"

"You betcha." Jack held the back of her neck to look at her before letting her go. He walked over to the DHD with John to wait for Jonas.

Finally Rayne turned to say her last farewell of the day. "Jonas." She said to him, gently.

"Rayne." He replied shyly.

"You changed my life." She told him softly. Jonas looked uncomfortable. "That's a good thing." She clarified with a grin.

"I had hoped..." His voice broke off, not completing his thought.

She looked up at him through her lashes. "You never know what's going to happen." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a gentle kiss. "Take care of Jack for me." She whispered as she pulled away.

He nodded in reply and took a step toward the 'gate.

"And Jonas?" She asked with a grin.

"Yes?"

"Bring ice cream when you come next time. And bananas." She thought for a moment. She waggled her eyebrows before adding, "And maraschino cherries – with stems."

Jonas nodded, a confused grin on his lips as he walked to the gate.

Jack looked at him as walked towards the wormhole. "What?" He asked as Jonas paused.

"Why do you think Rayne wants maraschino cherry stems?" He asked.

Jack frowned at him and, rolling his eyes, pushed Jonas through the wormhole.


Epilogue:

"Sir, I'd like to formally request a return to my post." John asked standing at attention in front of General Hammond's desk.

"I'm afraid I can't let that happen, son." The general replied.

"Sir, I..." John protested.

"I wasn't finished, Sailor." General Hammond interrupted. John stopped and straightened his shoulders again.

"I can't let that happen because you've been reassigned. I need a reactor expert, and you happen to be one. You'll be reporting to Colonel Telulah in two weeks." He handed John a folder. "In the mean time I suggest you look over your orders on your way back to Hawaii to get your things in order. Dismissed."

General Hammond spun his chair away from the agape sailor. John slowly turned to go opening the folder as he went.

A smile spread across his face as he examined the contents of the folder.


"You're going where?" Jack asked his nephew, an amused grin on his face.

"To the delta site. It's the new off-world research facility. Take a look." John set a picture in front of his uncle. Low gray cliffs topped in brilliant greens set against the dark blue of an alien ocean and the bright blue cloudless sky. It was breathtakingly beautiful. "I'll be working on their naquadah reactor project. I've already got some ideas on how to improve efficiency."

"That's really... great." Jack replied. He wondered vaguely how he could possibly be related to this... scientist.

"I hear there's great fishing off the coast too. I'll have to make sure I get my gear when I get my stuff from the base." He spoke more to himself than to Jack.

Jack perked up. "Fishing? You like to fish?"

John looked up from his paperwork. "Yeah, do you?"

Jack just grinned.


Jonas leaned back in his chair, reading the transmission from the Tok'ra. He and Rayne had agreed to keep in touch and it seemed they both had the same idea. She kept a journal-letter for him, just as he was keeping one for her. Each wrote in it every day and sent it through every two weeks. It was like getting a dozen letters at once.

She was adjusting well, Jonas thought. The brashness of the Rayne he first met and the timid girl who he had gotten to know later melted together to just be... her.

Apparently she had been spending a lot of time at the Alpha site. He was scheduled to go there in a week – she would be there. He wondered how to go about taking a bucket of ice cream off world...

And he really wanted to see what kind of trick she could do with a cherry stem.

The End

(Finally)


Just a quick thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read and review. I really appreciate the feedback – I would never have finished without it. Thank you!

Also, I hope to, at some point, post this on Jonasfic, but I'd do some major revision before that happens. Anyone with a big pair of scissors and no mercy who would like to beta, just let me know.