Author Notes: Thankies to everybody for their wonderful feedback; you all give me warm fuzzy glows :). Anyway, the next chapter!

Spoilers for Gamekeeper, but don't yell at me if any facts are wrong, because I haven't seen it.

Chapter 14: In Dreams

"Maria! Is Danny with you?" Claire called out down the corridors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art where a team of Egyptologists were setting up an exhibit.

A smiling, angelic face of a twelve year old girl poked her head round the corner, dark hair falling into her eyes, "Yes Claire! We're not gonna get squished or nothing, we're careful!"

Claire sighed and gave Maria and exasperated look, "You may think that, but exhibits are dangerous when being set up, and I highly doubt Luke would thank me if you did get 'squished'." Luke was Maria's father and a close friend and colleague of the Jacksons', shaking her head, she wandered off to find Amin.

Maria rolled her eyes and ran back to Daniel. The eight year old smiled absently as she approached, "Anything. Or anything."

"Huh?"

"You said or nothing, it should be or anything." Daniel stated matter-of-factly. Despite their age difference, Daniel was just as smart, perhaps smarter, on occasions, than Maria.

Maria and Daniel had been best friends since before Daniel could remember. Mel and Luke had gone to university together and it had been Luke that had introduced Mel to Claire. Luke, his wife Anna, and their daughter Maria were French, but, like the Jacksons, they had all spent so much time in Egypt and the surrounding area that they were practically local. It also meant that it was all but impossible to tell that Maria was French and Daniel, American.

However, the extended family of six also had a secret. They alone among the archaeological community knew the secret of Egypt, of the rebellion that rose up against the gods, stranding tens of thousands of Jaffa on Earth, hungry for revenge. But knowing this truth was dangerous for all involved. The underground society, based in the desert a few miles from Thebes consisted of over a thousand families, and more. It spread across the globe, consisting of all nationalities, quashing any threat to the human race. They were led by a great man, Amin.

Over time, the Jaffa set up tribes, each supporting their god, and, over time, many tribes were wiped out. The last to be destroyed had been in 1652 in the Alps, the last tribe that served the serpent god, Apophis. It was also the last sighting of a First Prime.

Maria plonked down next to Daniel, who was quite happily doing the homework Claire had set him, "Daannyy! I'm bored. Wanna fight?"

Danny glared at her good-naturedly, "You know full well my Dad doesn't like that, just because your parents want you to join the fight when you grow up."

"Your mum wants you to learn self-defence."

"You know I don't like fighting," Danny whined at Maria, turning his crystal eyes onto her.

Maria gave in, "You know, considering you've done that since you were born, you'd think I'd be immune to that look by now, but you're just so damn cute!" She ruffled Daniel's long hair.

Danny yanked his head away, sulking, "Geroff! I am not cute!"

"Are too!" Knowing she had snagged him, Maria stuck out her tongue for good measure, and leapt off down a corridor, giggling madly. Danny scrambled after her, the homework forgotten.

It was just after lunch when it happened. Maria and Daniel were sitting against the wall playing rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to help Juan, one of the workers from their 'people', with the small display cabinet near the entrance of the exhibit. Danny's parents, along with some others, were lowering a coverstone into its position, "Careful everyone! Slow and Steady!" Melburn's voice drifted over to the pair.

Daniel paused to watch them work. Everyone was completely oblivious to the man dressed in black skirting along the makeshift walkways, designed for the setup, which surrounded the room. No one noticed a long silver blade appear from the folds of his cloak. No one saw the man lower the blade to the rope holding the stone slab. A flash of reflected light on metal caught Maria's attention just in time, "Jaffa!"

That one word snapped everyone's attention, for no one was allowed to speak of the Jaffa amongst strangers. Mel looked up just quickly enough to see the arm and blade of the Jaffa to come down and easily slice through the rope. Mel leapt forwards, pushing his wife out of the way just as the other ropes gave out under the strain. Daniel watched in horror as his father was crushed to death with the coverstone.

Claire's head spun. The last thing she remembered was Maria yelling something, then a hard push to her side. Blinking, she tried to clear her head. Suddenly, one word penetrated her foggy mind, "Kree!"

Everything flooded back to her. Struggling shakily to her feet, she scrambled over to one of their bags. Mel had never known that she carried them, but Amin had trained her with them ever since they had joined. Rummaging around, Claire quickly unwrapped two dull, silver daggers, both about the length of her forearm, which she jammed under her belt. She them produced a fully loaded handgun and began shooting at the advancing Jaffa. Only twice did she spare a look for her son and husband; the first time, neither where in sight, so she fought harder.

Daniel made to scream, but had a hand hurriedly clamped over his mouth, "Ssshh! We gotta get out of sight."

Daniel really didn't comprehend; he just wanted to cry. Then he saw, emerging from the dust produced by the crash, ten Jaffa, all dressed in black. They were from the Anubis Tribe, the best fighters. A shout sounded through the air, a signal to attack. Briefly, Daniel saw his mother kick a Jaffa in the stomach and shooting it in the head, before Maria dragged him away.

Their hiding place, behind a statue of a pharaoh, kept them hidden, while allowing them to have a good view of what was going on. It was a blood bath, on both sides. Although there were more humans, there were only six who knew what on earth was going on, so the Jaffa easily finished the others off. Similarly, about half of the Jaffa were young, and did not understand the concept of bullets that you cannot see. In the end, it was down to the veteran Jaffa against the human warriors.

Through this, Daniel and Maria watched on, undiscovered. Both were crying, but dared not reveal themselves. Maria was shaking so hard she felt that she might be sick. There was so much blood, dust and screaming. Daniel's eyes never left his Mum who, after the bullets ran out, began to systematically fight, and kill the advancing Jaffa. It was like a doomed dance of a dragonfly, before it dropped down dead.

Claire spared a second look for her family, and almost lost her concentration when, in one glance, she saw her dead husband and her son, hiding, being advanced on by a Jaffa. Before she could think, Claire threw one of her daggers, which imbedded itself into the Jaffa's head. The next thing she felt was a sharp, numbing pain in her abdomen. Claire's eyes widened as they stared into the narrowed, sickly, chocolate colour eyes of the Jaffa facing her. Then darkness.
A Jaffa had seen them. Daniel felt Maria's hand tighten on his shoulder in fear. Then, without warning, the Jaffa fell, dead, with a knife sticking out of the back of its head. Daniel's eyes met his Mum's for one moment, before he watched in shock as the last Jaffa stabbed Claire Jackson in her stomach with a sword so long, that the tip could be seen sticking out of her back. Claire's face displayed shock, before her eyes rolled backwards as she collapsed; also dead. The Jaffa did not last long, as Amin deftly slit its throat from behind.

Shaking, the two children emerged. Maria tripped over the body of Juan, the crown of his skull smashed in. Not able to keep control any longer, she threw up. In all, six of them had survived the attack; Amin, Maria, Daniel, Ewan (a Scot from Anna's university) and one of the workers, Ben, who had no idea what was going on and had proceeded to faint in a corner.

Ewan staggered over to Amin, who was with the children, dragging his left leg slightly, "Why the hell did they attack? Here of all places? They're usually more subtle."

Amin did not take his eyes off the carnage, "They wanted revenge for the ambush in Brooklyn. They were careless," He looked up at Ewan who, though pale, was still keeping it together, "Collect the Jaffa bodies, we will burn them later tonight. The other bodies must be made to look as if they were crushed by the coverstone."

"What if someone heard us? And that guy's not going to keep quiet."

"We are the only ones in this wing, and Ben will have to come with us. I am sorry, Dan'yel, we cannot give your parents the proper burial, they will have to be buried in this country."

Danny didn't respond, Ewan however only just noticed the bodies of the Jacksons, "Bloody Hell! What-" He was cut off by Amin's warning glare.

The clean-up took three hours between the three men, although admittedly, Ben wasn't much help. Ewan came over with Ben to where Amin was muttering a prayer, "All of the proper authorities have been called, so we should get out of here."

Maria frowned, "What'll happen to Daniel now?"

Amin frowned, "Well, Claire's father-"

"I want to learn how to fight." Daniel spoke up for the first time since the attack.

Amin looked down at Daniel's small, determined face. The once compassionate blue eyes, so much like his father's, were replaced by ones of cold, hard ice. Amin sighed, sadly, "Yes, Dan'yel will return with us, and I shall teach him."

Forever, Amin would regret those words, for it would put the last echo of Claire and Melburn Jackson in great peril many times; the echo that had lost its innocence one grey day in New York.

Daniel Jackson jerked awake, breathing hard, in the darkened infirmary, images of dead and mutilated bodies flashing before his eyes. Turning over quickly, he threw up. Janet, who had just been getting ready to leave after finally finishing her paperwork, rushed in to help a clearly distressed Daniel.

"Daniel? I want you to breathe, okay? You're having a panic attack."

Daniel's breath came in short, hitched gasps, but he still managed to get his words out through his greying vision, "Find Hammond. I- I gotta get home," Daniel's eyes began to water but he gasped out one more word before he blacked out, "Egypt."

To Be Continued…

Author Notes: Yay! I did it! I would really like some feedback on this chapter, so review! I might update quicker!