Title: Road of Wisdom
Summary: Sam Carter has always tried to protect her younger brother Daniel from her work at the SGC, but when he's exposed to the jars of Osiris and Isis she has no choice but to involve him with the Stargate, or risk losing him.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Mainly Jack/Daniel, even if it's fairly mild. Sub pairings of Jack/Sam, Pete/Sam and Daniel/Sarah do show up randomly.
Author's Notes: This story begins in Stargate's fourth season, in the episode The Curse, however I reserve the right to change anything to suit my plot. Also, because I'm using a primitive form of Word, scene changes aren't showing up and will therefore be indicated by (Stargate SG-1) which isn't especially imaginative or original, but it suits the purpose.
Author's warnings: Not beta'd
Disclaimer: I'd sell my soul for those rights
Chapter Six: The Stargate and The Study
Daniel had been sitting on a cold slab of metal that, to the best of his knowledge, was supposed to pass as a sort of quarantine gurney for some time nearing forty minutes. The fact that he was wearing over-starched, military issue scrubs, that certainly weren't cotton despite whatever the nurses claimed, didn't help the situation. However, to be fair the gurney had some sort of thin mattress and sheets just a little too crisp. He really wanted a word with whoever was in charge of the laundry, should he need to stay much longer.
The fact of the matter was they were quarantining him on a crappy gurney, in an isolation room. They meaning some bigwig who sent a poor, unsuspecting Airman to relay the news. A bunch of fancy, military standard BS flew from the kid's mouth and suddenly he found himself having to give up his clothing, going through a particularly unfriendly cleansing process and sitting in a small room waiting for someone--anyone to fill him in.
Plague this, or virus that, whatever, Daniel decided. They were holding him in one place until they decided whether to let him into their little club of secrets or kill him. He had grown up in a military household, and he certainly knew how it worked. You didn't always get to join the special club.
He remembered Sam reassuring him everything would be alright, just as he was led away by particularly mean looking marines. She was heading off in a different direction, which of course was his first indication that things weren't just peachy.
Why, he wondered in the time he had to wait, was he being quarantined so long after his supposed exposure to whatever they were claiming? He had ridden back with his sister and her team without any indication that he was infected with something 'potentially dangerous' as the Airman told him. If he was a betting man, he'd surmise that neither Sam nor anyone else was being held in quarantine like he was. Even Steven was probably off at some high class, military hospital, but certainly not under lock and key.
His feet were cold, on top of everything else. They had taken his socks along with the rest of his clothing, most likely to burn.
He turned in the direction of the door when he heard it unlock. He tucked his feet up under him and balanced precariously on the gurney, genuinely curious.
"Hey," His eyebrows shot high. "Hey, Sam."
He swung his body completely around and slid off the gurney, taking a step towards her.
"Can I touch you?" He asked, a note of annoyance attached to the words. "I'm not going to be passing the black death or anything, right?"
"No, no," She said. "All clean."
Daniel embraced her, holding on for a moment longer than usual. Boy was he happy to feel her breathing against him. There had been so many times he was certain he'd never see her again, let along feel her heart beat against his.
"I should hope I'm clean, Sam. Actually, I feel like I've been sterilized." He frowned and gave her an accusing look, from which she laughed and shook her head. "Good, good, just thought I'd check, you know?"
The siblings both hopped up on the gurney, Daniel taking Sam's hand in his own.
"Procedure?"
"Yes, Daniel," Sam said, "Everything you went through, the rest of us have as well. It's standard procedure following first time exposure. Afterwards it gets better, not to say that a full examination every gets easy, or fun for that matter."
With a large gust of air Daniel buckled down. There wasn't any way he was leaving the room without some explanation.
"About that exposure, Sam."
"Yeah." She nodded, her free hand coming up to thread through her younger brother's hair. "About that." The hand came down Daniel's shoulder to rest over his heart. "Are you alright? Really, Daniel, I mean how are you holding up?"
Daniel shrugged. "I just experienced some really freaky things. Sam, I watched Sarah do some horrible things, but it really wasn't her, and I don't know how to explain that. And Steven was hurt, and there was the explosion in Doctor Jordan's lab. I want to know what's going on. I want to know what happen to Sarah and why I've been sitting in quarantine for half and hour. After what I've gone through, I think I deserve an explanation."
Daniel paused to jerk a thumb towards the large mirrors opposite the bed. "That is if your military buddies don't mind me knowing, or is this a whole conspiracy with little green aliens."
From behind the mirrors a small smile crept over Jack's face. The Colonel was sure Teal'c would have smiled, had it been in Jaffa tendencies, and Lou himself just seemed to find the whole situation hysterical.
"Military brat," Lou chuckled.
Meanwhile Sam allowed an uneasy look pass over her face. "Not so green," She told Daniel, thinking fondly of Thor and the Asguard. "Then again, the possibilities are endless."
"What?" Daniel blinked. He readjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Oh, come on, Sam." Daniel nearly snorted. "I understand your work is classified, but the little green, or in your case blue, alien line won't work. This is Colorado, not New Mexico."
"Hey, Carter!"
Jack's voice boomed into the room over an intercom.
"Sir?" Sam and Daniel looked towards the mirrors.
"Get the kid some clothes. I sense a field trip."
Just under twenty minutes later Daniel was decked out in the standard fatigues, being led through the Cheyenne Mountain Underground Complex by his sister, a Colonel Jack O'Neill (two l's), Teal'c, and Lou Ferretti.
"You look good, Lou," Daniel told the Major as they climbed into an elevator. "It's been a while since I saw you last."
"Good to see you, too. What can I say? I been out of town … a lot."
Daniel sent him a sly look. "How convenient. So has Sam."
His sister poked him in the ribs with her elbow. "As I recall, so have you, mister."
"So," Jack balanced on the balls of his feet, addressing Daniel as the numbers in the elevator clicked by. "You're an archeologist?"
"I'm to believe you haven't already read my file?"
Jack gave him a disapproving look. "Now what makes you think you're special enough to have a file?"
"I'm special enough to sit in scrubs for half an hour in a freezing cold room."
"No, that's called being a nuisance, not special."
"Are you the example?"
"The prototype."
"How fitting."
Daniel pushed up off the wall to mimic Jack's stance, and crossed his arms. Deep brown eyes met shoreline blue as the two men dug their heels in.
Then the elevator made a soft noise and the doors swung open.
The corners of Daniel's mouth tipped upward. "Archeologist, among other things." And he stepped out.
"I don't doubt that," Jack let him know, walking past him feeling oddly enough as if he'd lost the small verbal spat.
Daniel was silent as they marched down a long hallway, then up a flight of stairs into some sort of command center. He gave his sister a look of confusion, which she promptly ignored.
"What's going on?"
Jack settled a warm hand on Daniel's shoulder. "We're just firing the old girl up." Daniel stared blankly at him. "Open the blast shield and start dialing," The colonel told the man sitting closest to him.
Daniel's head tilted to the side as he got his first real look at the Stargate. He watched it spin, light up and finally gush a type of liquid to the side. In wonder and amazement he leaned forward, hoping to get a better look at the large ring.
"Do I even want to know what kind of clearance I needed to get a look at this?"
Behind him Teal'c answered, "One of a high degree."
"Wow," Daniel gasped, watching the gate shutdown and sit silent. "This wouldn't happen to be the Chappa'ai, would it?"
Jack grinned. "The one and only."
Sam held up a finger. "Actually, sir--"
"Carter," Jack warned, "You're spoiling Sprout's moment."
Daniel's eyes flew around the giant ring, his eyes taking in the symbols around it. "This is amazing. Any chance I could get a closer look?" He leaned closer to the thick glass. "What is its purpose?"
"Interstellar transporting device," Jack said, throwing his arm out furiously. "All the rage these days."
Daniel echoed Jack's words, letting them sink in.
Sam patted him lightly. "Don't worry. We'll brief you in a few minutes."
"Right, right," Daniel said, his attention still diverted to the Stargate. "Dad's friend General George Hammond runs the place here, right? Haven't seen him in years."
Blaring sirens and flashing red lights interrupted Daniel's daze and had him reeling back.
"Incoming wormhole!"
Daniel allowed Sam to maneuver him backwards and out of the way.
"IDC confirmed. It's SG-4 and they're coming in hot."
By the time the wormhole materialized General Hammond was surging into the room.
"It's SG-4, sir," Sam said, going easily from older sister into Air Force Major.
Explosions rocketed out from the Stargate, smashing into the room, and up at the glass protecting the command room.
Daniel, in all his curiosity, managed to rise high enough to see a man come tumbling through the blue liquid, and then was suddenly jerked down by Jack as another blast crashed near them.
"Damnit, close the blast shield," Jack ordered.
The shield slammed closed and Daniel stood slowly, his face pale. He listened carefully as a Major Davis reported the SG team through the gate, and an iris closed. With mounting relief he leaned quite a bit on Jack and said in a low voice, "I think I need to sit down."
Sam had promised for the both of them that they'd return the following day, after Daniel had a chance to process the previous events and move past them. Jack had offered to drive them the next morning, and Daniel was still trying to figure that move out. But currently he sat in the passenger seat of his sister's car as they drove home.
There was a dull, painful throbbing in Daniel's head, and he was looking forward to going home and sleeping. Despite the hour of the day, so many time changes and stress had taken its toll on his body. By the time they pulled into the house's driveway, Daniel was on autopilot.
He granted Sam a small goodnight hug before both siblings retired to their respective rooms.
It was dark outside when Daniel awoke from his troubled sleep. The clock in his room shined just after four in the morning. It was still much too early to do anything relatively productive, especially at the cost of waking his sister, but he wasn't tired enough to fall back asleep. Instead he settled for climbing from his bed, throwing a robe on and heading down to the kitchen. He made a quick cup of coffee and headed up to the Study.
Being in the dusty and rarely used room brought back moments of Daniel's childhood. Through the years the room had rarely been dusted and never changed, leaving it in a desperate condition, but one that Daniel recognized. With a silent promise to dust the room at his next chance, he slid into his father's old red leather chair in the corner.
In his first week in the Carter household Daniel had learned there were very few rules he had to abide by, aside from the obvious. One of the imposed rules happened to be that his father's Study was off limits to any and all of the members of the family. On one hand Daniel could count on his hand the amount of times he had been in the room, either to sit or merely to retrieve something.
After his father's supposed death he had avoided the room completely, finding it easy to carry on his father's strict rule. To him he supposed the room represented a firm structure he so desperately clung to. Daniel was the type of man that needed rules and structure to balance his hectic life. Yes, he was capable of spontaneity or improvising, but he much rather enjoyed guidelines.
Now as he settled into the plush chair he was assaulted with a feeling of betrayal. The feeling didn't quite sit right with him, but suddenly being exposed to so much that had been previously hidden from him was trying on his nerves. The structure he had so relied on and gained strength was nothing more than a lie. He had always known things between those in the military and civilians were kept separate, and for good reason, but something as big as the Stargate?
He sipped his coffee.
If he managed another look at the symbols on the Stargate he was sure to have months of work ahead of him. He had watched closely on the computer when the gate dialed and had attempted to categorized them in order and file them into his memory, but most had eluded him through the chaos. And had he not signed that all important confidentially agreement he would be attempting to extract the symbols and write them down. For now he only had the space in his mind, but it was enough.
Sam hadn't even been mildly attracted to their father's Study as a child, at least not as Daniel had. She hadn't wanted to see what their father kept locked in his desk, or his file cabinets. She certainly hadn't wanted to have a quick look at his impressive book collection. And to the day Daniel had yet to witness her show any real attention towards the room that had been so mysterious in childhood. At anytime after their father's supposed passing she could have come into the room, but the layers of dust proved the room held no desire for her to explore.
That said, Daniel rose from his seat and took a quick stroll around the impressive room. He looked over the books and certificates and metals and pictures. He ran his fingers across the sturdy desk and shuffled his feet against the carpet.
He wouldn't go snooping, because what his father hid in the room was obviously meant to stay that way. He wouldn't dig through the desk, or remove anything, but the room would be dusted. From the exact moment on, during the day the windows would be opened, along with the door so a nice breeze could filter through. He wouldn't air any of his father's business out into the open, but he refused to keep the Study locked away in a shadow. He had worked too hard over the years to keep the house a happy and healthy place to live, even with his father's departure, along with his brother's and Sam's overall disappearance. The Study was the one last part of the house that he allowed to stay tucked away, but not any longer. If something as big as the Stargate was going to come out, one little room wasn't going to stay away.
Deciding to open the Study gave Daniel a feeling of relief. Upon closer reflection it appeared to him that not only did the room represent structure, but also the feeling of distance. He remembered the times in his childhood when his father would be home for brief visits, merely to lock himself away in the study. His father hid in the room, like Daniel hid in his mind. With the room opening up, Daniel felt he was free to remember the unity of their family that preceded even death.
Daniel retired back to bed with good memories floating around in his mind, and slept calmly for the next three hours.
(Stargate SG-1)
Jack was sitting in his truck in front of the Carter residence at exactly seven thirty. Sam appreciated the promptness of her CO, while Daniel grumbled and climbed into the truck with his very large thermos.
At Jack's, "Lookie here at the Carter kids. Don't you both just look bright eyed and bushy tailed," Daniel was tempted to throw his coffee on the Colonel. Ultimately he deemed the substance too valuable to waste in such a way, but instead settled for glaring the entire way to Cheyenne Mountain.
Sam found the interaction between Jack and her younger brother more than entertaining, and while Daniel settled for glaring, she settled in for a show. She had known Jack for four strong and solid years, and knew his humor was an acquired tasted in which all were expected to adapt to. However Sam had known Daniel for most of his life, and she knew Daniel didn't quite enjoy loud, outspoken personalities, and he didn't back down either. The butting of heads promised to be one in a million.
"Now you run along, Carter," Jack told Sam in front of the first level's elevator. "I'll walk Danny here down to the conference room in a few minutes after we sign a couple more forms."
At her brother's pleading eyes Sam was tempted to put up some form of argument, but Jack's glare told her that wasn't an option. So instead she shook her head and stepped into the elevator, leaving Daniel and Jack to wait for the next one.
The elevator descended and she hoped they didn't kill each other. Oh, she wondered if they'd make it down to the conference room at all, let alone in one piece. She had a dozen or so daydreams including Jack O'Neill, and none of them included him missing any vital body parts.