Chapter Fourteen

Teal'c

I could not believe my eyes when I saw Daniel standing there. He was alive. Everyone crowded in to welcome him back, except me. I was happy to just stand back and watch. When everything calmed down I let him know I was just as happy to see him as well. "Welcome back DanielJackson."

"Thank you, Teal'c."

I noticed O'Neill's little girl standing near Daniel and pulling on his shirt to get his attention. He looked down at her and asked, "Yes Tilly, what is it you want?" Her little forehead was scrunched into a frown trying to form the question I am sure everyone wanted to ask, "Where is my Daddy?"

Daniel knelt down to look at Tilly eye to eye. "Sweetheart, your Daddy went to help Oma, the lady that was helping me fight against Anubis."

"He was that bad guy that took Sam and me, and tried to hurt us when we were trying to get back?"

"The one and the same."

"May I see?" she had asked.

I looked around and noticed a few brows had hiked up with that question. I was sure I knew what she was asking and I did not think it was wise. "That may not be wise TillyO'Neill."

"Tilly," Daniel soothed while placing his hands on her upper arms and using his thumbs to rub her shoulders. "There really is not much to see. Your father found me hurt and alone. He helped me to get back here before he went in search for Oma."

Then Jon came up to Daniel and Tilly, "It's all right Tilly I can still feel him. He is not hurt or in any trouble. He is fine."

"How can you feel him and I cannot?" she pouted.

Jon smiled and took one of Tilly's hands, "Maybe it is because I'm a little older and more mentally developed than you."

I thought that that was a good possibility, but I believed it is more than likely because Jon is O'Neill's clone, but I understood the reasoning behind his decision in not telling her that particular information. When I noticed Tilly's resignation about this situation, something else caught the corner of my eye. The Claviger is still sitting on a console to my right. There was a faint glow coming from a symbol on a corner of the top panel. I moved closer to get a better look. The symbol is made of a green crystal imbedded into the box. It had a faint glow emitting from within. "DanielJackson, is this not the symbol you touched earlier?"

At my call Daniel and all the others gathered around the box to look. "Yes it is."

I looked closer and was drawn to the red one to the right of the one Daniel touched. I reached out to trace it with a forefinger. As I did I saw a room devoid of furniture except for a platform bed which was occupied by a gentleman who appeared gravely ill.

Tilly

I hate it when they think I cannot handle certain information. I know I am six years old, but geez, I am smarter than the average. Give me a break.

Jon is good at blocking information that he does not want others to know, so I could not go further than just the surface thoughts without his permission, which I did not get. But...I did pick up some from the others in the room. A word that I do not know, 'clone'. I will find out later, when this is over, hopefully.

Right now Teal'c just touched something on the box that sent me to my Daddy earlier. Well, it was earlier in this time, but I was with Daddy for at least a couple of months. Anyways...Teal'c is in a trance and if someone would just lift me I could see what is going on. Being short has its shortcomings. (Ha, ha)

I hate being short, its no fun.

Teal'c was coming back out of his stupor and looked at Daniel when he asked him, "Did you see...Mercurio as well?"

"Yes, when he died." Teal'c bowed his head. He and Daniel turned as one and looked at Sam.

"What?" she asked.

"Sam, I think you need to touch your corner as well," Daniel informed.

Jon came over to Sam and encouraged her, "Sam, you need to touch your jewel, but you need to know that it is of a past that has all of us there. One where you and Jack were together and Jack dies." Jon placed a placating hand on her arm.

She looks at Jon and scowled. She is another that is hard to pick up any deep information but I got that word again, 'clone'.

Sam moved over to that thing, the box, and reached for a corner. How she knew which corner I do not know. I still cannot see!

After a moment had past, Sam became aware again. She had tears trickling down her cheeks. I reached her side and grabbed a hand in my two and squeezed. "It is alright. Do not cry."

She looked at me and smiled, lifting me up and held on for a hug. "Thank you, Tilly. Your right it will be alright."

"Jon? Who is the fourth person? At first I thought it was Oma but now..." Daniel inquired.

Jon just smiled and said, "You're right, it is not Oma." He turned and looked at us." Tilly, will you come here?"

"Me?" I stared at him like he was crazy. I am just a kid. (I know it's convenient when I need it to be.)

"Tilly?" exclaimed Sam, Daniel, and Jacob.

Teal'c just raised an eyebrow.

Sam's father came closer to her and asked, "This will not cause any problems for her will it? She is so young."

Let me tell you, if looks could kill he would have been fried where he stood. I have never been so up set about my age as I was at that moment. (I know it swings both ways with the convenience thing.)

"Hey! I just got back from being with Daddy and survived. I can handle this," I said indignity.

Jacob shocked face said it all, "Sorry. I did not mean to offend." There was a light chuckle all around, while everyone tried to hide his or her mouths.

"You need to touch your jewel on the Claviger," Jon encouraged me. He reached for me and lifted me out of Sam's arms and carried me to the box. I saw three of the corner jewels glowing faintly. I reached for the amber colored one and touched it lightly.

Daniel

OK, this was weird. According to the vision Pyrrhae was my wife and was the one that is responsible for the amber jewel, and we have Tilly touching it. It is hard to get my head around that logic. I know about reincarnation and the idea we come back as different gender and all. But I also knew about the part that one group tends to follow the same timeline. I did not, however, expected to see a six year old and know her to be my wife from another time. Weird.

Just as I finished that thought Tilly returned to conscious awareness. She tilted her head in my direction and raised an eyebrow and gave a patented O'Neill smirk.

"Yea, Yea, let's get on with it will ya." I said to the room at large.

Thor spoke up about that time to inform us that we have arrived to the center of the 'Milky Way' galaxy.

"Thanks buddy," Jon said and proceeded to reach out, "Now it is my turn," and placed his hand on the center crystal. The box started to vibrate and the crystal began to glow and then pulsed in a syncopated beat which caused the side panel crystals to answer in return, as the symphony increased the four symbol shaped jewels increased their emission of light which seemed to generate more power to the main crystals.

I could almost hear drums and a deep base in it. I felt the vibrations through my whole body. If you ever stand on a corner and hear a car radio five minutes before you see the car and wonder what it would feel like being inside that car. Well, I did not have to imagine any more. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Then quite suddenly a huge wave of light and sound exploded from the Claviger and lifted all of us off our feet and landing on our backside.

It took us a little bit of time to regain our senses. I noticed a slight residue in the air. Like a small electrical charge, not much but enough to make the hair on my arms stand up.

"Is everyone alright," Jacob asked as he was holding his head in his hand, "Sam? Tilly?"

"I'm fine," came from Sam.

"Yes, I am alright," said Tilly quietly.

I noticed Jacob still just sitting there and holding his head. "You alright there Jacob? Selmac also?"

"I don't know yet. Give me a minute."

I looked over to see if Teal'c was any better and was surprised to see him lying on the ground unconscious with an aura of blue light surrounding him.

"Teal'c!" I called and ran to check him.

"Don't touch him," yelled Jon. "Let him finish his transformation."

"What transformation? What is happening to him?" I asked.

"He will no long be Jaffa," explained Jon.

The light soon faded and all of us gathered around to help Teal'c. "Teal'c can you hear me?"

"Indeed," He mumbled and rose to a sitting position in one swift and fluid motion. Then something very amazing happened. His golden tattoo falls off and into his lap. He tilts his head to one side and lifts his eyebrows with an unusual surprised look on his face.

"What is it Teal'c?" I asked. He proceeded to lift his shirt to reveal his stomach. The telltale sign of the X of a Jaffa is no longer there.

"I am no longer Jaffa?"

"Yes T, you're not, but will still have an immune system strong enough to keep the life span of a normal Jaffa without the symbiot." Jon explained.

I looked over at Jon when he spoke and noticed Jon was not looking so well. "What is wrong Jon? You don't look so good."

He smiles at me and sat over by a bulkhead to lean against. "My job as a clone is over," he says.

Tilly came over to Jon and asked, "What is a clone?" Jon raised an arm to invite Tilly to sit with him. She sat next to him and he pulled her in for a hug.

Sam came over and asked, "Jon? What are you talking about?"

By then everyone else was gathering around and waited for Jon to give an answer. "Mercurio was unable to fix it completely." Jon intoned.

Sam squatted down and looked Jon in the eye, "What are you saying?"

"I'm dying Sam," Jon said simply.

"No!" yelled Tilly and scramble onto Jon's lap and took his face in her little hands, "You cannot. I will not let you!" And before any of us could do anything, her hands began to glow an amber color and Jon's head tilted back and he closed his eyes and then went totally limp. When she finished she slumped forward against Jon's chest. Sam reached for her and held her close to cradle her in a hug.

"Is she alright?" I asked.

"I think so. She is just exhausted."

A bright light around Jon formed to transport him to a medical pod that Thor had ready for him.

"Thor how is he?" Sam asked as she stood up with Tilly still in her arms.

"He is better for now. I do not know if this will continue or hold. Time will tell."

Tilly was starting to stir and Sam shifted her to get a better look at her. "Hey there kido, you back with us?"

"Yeah, I think so. What? ---- is Jon better?" She asked anxiously.

"We believe so," said Teal'c.

"That is good, right? Where is he?" she asked.

Jacob came over by that time and answered, "He is over there in a medical pod. Thor is tending to his needs." Jacob still looked a little green around the gills.

"Jacob, are you sure your OK?" I asked as I drew near him.

"I'm not sure. Selmac is feeling a bit under the weather, but not life threatening. He just not used to being sick."

"Thor, you want to check Jacob/Selmac out for us?" Sam asked.

Before the question was finished Thor began to transfer Jacob to another medical pod sitting near Jon. "Thank you. Now, Tilly if you're filling better, you mind if I put you down."

"That is fine. I would appreciate it." Tilly never did get her answer about clones, but I'm sure Jon or Jack will eventually tell her.

Sam started backing up from placing Tilly down when a body of a person started to materialize out of nowhere and slammed hard into the floor faced down. It was Jack! He was hurt badly I could see a greenish slimy goop smoldering and bubbling on his lower back. He gave a moan and looked up at Sam and Tilly screamed. I thought I heard Jack say something. It sounded like 'Ori', whatever that was.

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