Chapter 13: Forgiveness
"Mollie, I'm sorry." Jonas apologized.
"For what?" The girl asked in confusion, her brow wrinkled to exaggerate the emotion.
"Everything, I'm sorry for snapping at you, I'm sorry for nearly killing you again, I'm sorry I wanted to go against your word, just, everything." Jonas replied
"For the last time, you didn't kill me. I forgave you a long time ago, so if you're looking for forgiveness, you got it."
Jonas's face relaxed, and he even managed a small smile.
"Now, can you help me to get out of here?" Jonas questioned the girl.
"You know, I think I can do that now." Mollie replied with a smile. Before, she hadn't been able to help him because he had put up a barrier to keep her out. A barrier that was fueled by his own guilt over losing her. Now, that barrier had fallen with the simple words that had just been exchanged between them as well as the memories that Jonas had been experiencing. Both aided in her ability to help her friend.
"Well now you know which way not to go at least." O'Neill smirked.
"Right, so which way is the right way?" Jonas asked, turning to Mollie.
"I can take you to the right road, but you have to finish the journey by yourself." The girl said.
"All right. Thank you." Jonas said, following Mollie as she walked off. He looked back to O'Neill who hadn't moved.
"Are you coming, Sir?" He asked.
Jack shook his head in the negative. "Nah. I think you learned your lesson. You won't be needing me anymore. Oh, but before I leave, one final piece of advice." He began.
"Yes Sir?" Jonas questioned.
"Stop searching for everyone's approval, stop trying to prove yourself to the team. To them, you're valuable enough already. They care about you Jonas. Don't take that for granted by always looking to gain their approval, you've already got it. You get my drift?" Jack replied.
"Yes sir, I understand. Thank you." Jonas replied, watching O'Neill's gentle gaze.
He replayed the last few words that Colonel O'Neill had said, and found something about them to be strange . . . what was it? Oh, if O'Neill was O'Neill, why did he present the conversation in third person? Why didn't he just use words like us, or we, or even I? Unless . . . no, it couldn't be.
"Don't mention it, just get yourself outta here." Jack replied, pulling Jonas from his thoughts and winking at him as though he'd heard everything that Jonas had just wondered to himself about.
Jonas turned away, but gave one final look back, to see if O'Neill was sure. For a moment, he thought he saw Jack's image falter and become that of Daniel Jackson, who nodded and vanished from sight, but he couldn't be sure.
Jonas stood in amazement for a few moments, surprised at the appearance of Daniel, if that had indeed been who he saw. He had known from the start that there was something about O'Neill that didn't quite fit, and now he knew what it was. He smiled, and followed after Mollie, who had stopped to wait for him.
Back in the clearing which Jonas had first been introduced to, Mollie stood at the entrance of a path.
There was another image flickering before him and he saw this time that General Hammond was standing over him.
"Your team's worried about you, son. Now, I know you've had a hard time fitting in around here, but whether you see it or not, you have held your own, or Colonel O'Neill would've asked me to pull you from his team a long time ago. All I can really say is: Keep fighting, and I hope to see you soon." Hammond replied and the image before Jonas ceased to exist.
Jonas was honored to have heard those words from General Hammond. He looked to where Mollie was standing and smiled.
"Is this the right path?" Jonas asked.
"No, but I want you to remember something before you leave." Mollie replied.
"This way." She said, and a puzzled Jonas followed her down the path she was standing at.
Slightly into the trail, Jonas stopped, hearing the sound of laughter from children. He stopped and looked around, searching for a source, and he found it.
As a scene from a movie, Jonas saw two children running around a large tree.
"I'm too quick for you!" One of the children called to the other.
"I'm just going easy on you." Said the second child, running after the first.
"Well don't! I can out run you any day Jonas Quinn!" The girl laughed, her blonde waves flowing behind her as she ran. At that moment, the girl tripped over one of the massive roots of the tree and went down. Yelling out in surprise as she did so.
The boy stopped, and hurried to her side when he saw her fall.
"Mollie! Are you all right?" He asked.
"I'm fine. It's just a little cut."
"I guess you're not that quick are you?" Jonas asked, sitting on the ground next to her.
"I just thought I'd make it easy for you to catch me." Mollie grinned.
"Sure." Jonas replied.
"Jonas?"
"Yeah?'
"When we grow up, we'll have to come back here. We'll still be friends then, right?" Mollie replied, looking into Jonas's eyes.
"We'll always be friends." Jonas confirmed.
The image flickered, and turned once again to darkness, leaving Jonas smiling widely at the memory.
"I remember that." Jonas mused to himself.
"Yeah, me too." Mollie smiled.
"Are you ready to leave now Jonas?" The girl questioned.
"Definitely." Jonas said.
"This way."
Mollie led Jonas to another path and stopped.
"This will lead you out." She said, her eyes glistening and a soft smile setting on her lips.
"Thank you, you've helped me through so much, how can I ever repay you?" Jonas wondered.
"Just don't forget me." Mollie said simply.
"I could never forget you, Mollie."
"Well, goodbye Jonas." Mollie said.
"I'll be seeing you." Jonas corrected.
"Not for a while." Mollie said and stepped aside so Jonas could start down the path.
When he turned back, Mollie was gone. Leaving him to travel the rest of the way alone.