Ok, this took forever to be written and still feels like a filling chapter, which probably means it is. Hopefully, the next one will be better.
Enjoy.
M.
Chapter XXVI
March 26th, 2004
SGC.
Sam's POV
For some reason, Jack is late, which is weird; he never is. The guys are looking at me as if I know what the hell is going on, which I don't. Jack hasn't spoken to me since the day I asked him to accept the treatment. That's something I knew he would; Jack needs time to process what I've asked him to do against his will, once again, and the fact that he had agreed to it. Not that I've searched him either.
I look around, and Helen lips curve upwards slightly in a concealed smile and then, a wink. Probably she noticed no one watching our exchange, she nods towards her team with a smile and I must admit they look funny. While their things will get transported to the site, the protocol establishes they need to gear up as any other member or guest would.
Thus, they are all dressed in unmarked BDU's, and to be honest, the male part of the team looks way out of their comfort zone. The baggy clothes on my biological father make him look even gaunter than he is, super strength aside. Will and Henry fit almost decently on the uniforms but is their postures what tells all about being highly uncomfortable in them. I guess that the source of their unease is the too fitted shirt under the jacket.
I feel Ashley's eyes on me, and we exchange knowing grins before I look at her. She could pass as a soldier without issues; she feels comfortable in the uniform, and it is easily noticeable. Finally, there's my mother, and there's no denying on how alike we look when a brunette version of myself stares me back. I can tell she has done this mission thing enough times to feel at ease in whatever clothes she happens to wear, and definitively she's the live version of calmness.
Then, I turn around to watch the control room, I half expect General Hammond question me about Jack's whereabouts, but he doesn't. Jack is standing right next to him, and they are talking seriously, final orders, I believe. Probably a 'find whatever you can about them.' And truth to be told, I'm intrigued by the current events. The difference is that I know if I ask, any of them will explain it to me.
The ring starts to move, and it makes us all jump for it was unexpected to all. Usually, the connection attempt wouldn't begin until we are all in here, and General Hammond sends us. So, that they are starting to dial before Jack's down here is weird, although, nothing in the last week can fall into the "normal" tag.
I look around the gate room; I find the used faces of Daniel and Teal'c and the not surprised faces of my parents, followed by the look of awe in my sister. The amazement in Henry's expression, I must say is similar to what I felt the first time I saw this, and then the utter terror and acceptance mix on Will's face. Oh, I know that look, it's the same look Jack gives me when I ask him for things he doesn't want to do, but he does anyway. Oh, the lengths you'll go for someone you love.
Jack clears his throat behind me, and I turn around to scrutinize those brown eyes of him, which as usual, tell me nothing about the situation at hand. And everything about us.
"They were right," he whispers after a while when the ring is turning to engage the last chevron. "There's someone at the gate." Who? I want to ask, but the wormhole engages, and the moment is lost.
"I will contact you when you can return. SG-1 you have a go. Godspeed," General Hammond says before turning around and disappearing out of our line of sight. Jack nods and Teal'c moves Doctor Young follows him as it was previously stipulated.
Daniel grins and Ashley and Henry nod but when the time to cross come, Henry, stays behind. I can see my mother shaking her head in amusement before she walks towards him. And since she was my sole responsibility, I walk towards them. I nod Daniel to cross when Helen stops next to Henry.
"Henry, there's no time to analyze this," she says lovingly, and he nods.
"I know, doc," he grimaces." I can see he is somewhat frightened with the whole situation. "I've never teleported using a machine," he huffs.
"Do you trust me?" She asks him, and he nods. "Then, take this as a stroll with me," she grins and extends his hand. He takes it and then, they cross. I follow.
P3X-O72 is warm, and green and purple, while the sky is of a bright blue. The breeze is cool but not cold, and after taking a couple of steps away from the splash zone and making sure that 'my charge' is still with me, I close my eyes to enjoy the warmth.
"I can't believe you do this regularly," Henry says in awe, and I open my eyes only to watch him almost drooling at the view. I frown, I've been in their garden, and this is not even close to fantastic by comparison.
"It's the fact that he's actually on another planet, not the variety of the plants," my mother whispers and I nod. I guess that's what we all feel when we do this at the beginning. By now, we've been on enough Earth-like worlds that we fail to notice it any longer.
"Not another forest planet!" Well, most of us fail to notice.
"Where are we?" Ashley asks with a grin as she scans the space methodically around us as if she expects something to jump out of the nowhere. I notice Helen doing the same, and I smile, remembering her words about her and Jack being quite similar when he comes to stand closer to her and does the same check. And I wonder if mother and daughter do it from experience or training. And it hits me that's probably both.
"Well, welcome to P3X-O72," Daniel says. "There's an investigation facility in here."
"Wait, the one with Doctor White and Doctor Gordon?" I ask as we start walking.
"Yup, the same. Janet recommended it; she said she spoke with Doctor White a few weeks ago and the work here has stopped for now."
"That's weird."
"What's weird?" Ashley asks squinting to focus before she finds the FRED and her bag on top of it. She grabs it quickly and rummages through it before she finds her sunglasses with an 'aha!' Helen shakes her head amused.
"As far as I know, once finished, this facility will be our primary investigative force outworld. The plan is to bring experts in most fields to live here on yearly periods," Daniel explains, making Ashley roll her eyes. It seems to me that she was waiting for some action, not for a science thing. "For some reason, they stopped it, and that's why we can come here without carrying tents and other supplies."
"What we are yet to know," Jack interrupts Daniel, "Is why are we here in the first place."
"Oh, poor thing, you got orders, Colonel?" I see my mother turning around with a mischievous smile on her face. Then she winks at me, and I know for sure that she is torturing him just for the hell of it. "There are things you need to know, and there are things you ought to know. However, it's my call to explain them to you, and it might not happen in here."
"You will need to talk, Doctor Magnus. It doesn't matter if it is your prerogative or not. We will need some answers." Jack smirks, grinning Helen turns around and pretends she didn't listen to him. Ashley too has this sly grin on her face.
"Are you sure we are on another planet? I mean, my window sill has more plants variety than this," my sister adds amused.
"Well, if we consider that, to be able to sustain life as we know it, the planet must be oxygen-based. The construction of life must be quite similar to what we can see around Earth," Helen explains. "If conditions changed we couldn't visit without the due precaution. However, life could still be sustained and would produce life forms different from the ample variety that's known to us."
"So summing it up:" Ash rolls her eyes, "alien planets are as boring as the surface of the Earth." They both sigh, and I know it is for entirely different reasons. "Does anything cool happen around here? I mean not even the travel was surprisingly different."
"You are telling me you didn't feel weird after the travel?" Daniel asks in disbelief.
"No? Should I?" Ashley frowns. For someone who does what the Stargate does and by sheer will, I could bet that going through the Stargate wasn't that much of a thrill.
"Well, I remember my first trip… It was awful. I felt sick and cold and ended up on my back," Daniel said.
"The cold was the result of the compression the molecules undergo during the millisecond required for reconstitution," I explain quickly, and I see Jack grimace.
"Cold? For reconstitution, that's preposterous!" Ashley stopped to let me know that.
"Well, after the first travel, I added some protocols to improve the experience; that's why you didn't felt it anymore."
"Still, I'm yet to hear of someone who freezes by transport. Ridiculous." She mutters mostly for our ears only; then she frowns: "And you felt ill too?"
"Mine was awful. For my first trip, I took a second breakfast, and it kicked in the wrong way."
"Well, that explains why my coffee is doing summersaults then," Will huffs, he is looking a tad green.
"So how come you ended up on your back?" Ashley asks as if it doesn't make sense for her at all.
"I don't know," Daniel shrugs. "Come to think about there's been a long time since the last time we ended up upside down."
"Ah, I also added protocols for heaven-ground corrections." I grin
"That explains it… Oh, we are close," Daniel point towards the small mountain in the horizon. The facility wasn't the most beautiful construction of them all, but it was practical. For what I knew of it, they were planning on using the natural caves of the mountain to create the rooms and labs needed to allure the scientist.
"Oh well, it is hardly Barcelona's Casa Mila or Capri's Malaparte Villa. I loved that house. Too bad we lost it," Nikola adds
"We?" Helen snorts.
"Well, you," he raises his hands in defeat and sighs. "But I spend more days in it than you did. Curzio was an ass to take the credit and the house. Alas, I love your Villa; it's far more accommodating."
"What you love the wine cellar of my villa or any wine cellar you can access," Helen points.
"They can't avoid it, right?" I ask Will who is looking at them with amusement.
"Nope, too many years of knowing each other," he says with a shrug.
"How many years exactly?" Daniel asks, and I know it's a way to see if he can get more information. And if I notice it, Will's perception probably has hinted it too.
"I don't know for sure, I met Nikola a few years back, and he comes and goes. I only know they are old friends."
"That we are," Helen smiles.
We are about to reach the base of the building when the door opens widely. And a slender brunette comes out; I see both Helen and Will exchange a glance. While Ashley stops death on her track, Doctor Young rush towards her.
"Stella? Stella White? It's been ages! I've searched for you and never had a hint of your whereabouts."
"Francis! Yes, you are right. It's been a while," she welcomes the man with a hug. Then Jack clears his throat, and then I see it, the effect of knowing my mother. Doctor Stella White, honoring her last name, blanched completely. With widened eyes, she raised her hand to her chest and took a step back.
"What?" She tries, shaking her head when no more words follow. "How?" She frowns.
"I'm not too sure;" Francis shrugs. "I was called to see if I could debunk them as who they said they were and as you see, it's impossible to do it."
"Doctor White? I'm Doctor Jackson; we've met when you were at the Beta site?"
"Yes, I remember you."
"Are you okay? It seems like you've seen a ghost."
"Three of them actually," she chuckles nervously. "I know some of you are SG-1 and the others are from the private facility?"
"What has been informed to you?" I ask.
"Well, SGC radioed when you were crossing over. They mentioned that SG-1 and the crew of a private facility would join us for a few hours to a day, depending on some Earthside situations," she answers me without taking her eyes of Ashley.
"We must come in and find her a chair. She's in shock, and she might pass out soon," Helen adds softly, we are now closer to the entrance.
"Helen," Stella whispers, "How? Why?" She raises a hand as if she will try to touch my mother to see if she is real.
"I take you two know each other?" I ask, looking at the exchange. And she finally sees me, and gasps.
"Are you?" She starts, and I know what's coming next.
"I'm Major Samantha Carter, SG-1. I think Doctor Magnus is right; you do need to sit," she nods.
We move quickly; she points us towards the mess hall, which is the one room that's both close and big enough to have all of us in. From the corner of my eye, I see Will moving around the room, and then a glass of water finds its way to Helen's hands.
"Thank you," Helen smiles at him, and he nods before she instructs Stella to take short sips. And I'm left to wonder what the hell happened. "Stella, it's been a while. How are you?"
"I'm … Fine, I guess. Shocked that's for sure."
"It's a long history, yes," my mother agrees.
"It's better to be a good one too. I mean, I went to your funeral. I asked for holidays to be there."
"I'm sorry, I don't remember seeing you there," Will adds with a frown.
"I went to yours too, Doctor Zimmerman. Now, for Helen's funeral, I; let's say I fulfilled your request of never getting close to you again," she shrugged. "I went there but stood in the back; I truly couldn't understand why she would let everything to you, Doctor Zimmerman; then I remembered you were her protégé, and she was training you to take her place."
"Well, the last thing I remember from you, Stella; is seeing you at home. Then, well, I was gone, and when I returned, you weren't there anymore," Ashley sat beside them. I knew we were intruding at this moment. The explanation seemed to be for Doctor White in whatever capacity she was known to at least three people of the Sanctuary team before. However, I couldn't move; I wanted to know what it was going on.
"You should ask that to your mother, Ashley," Doctor White clenches her jaw. I look around, only to find that surprisingly I seem to be the only one who hasn't a clue of what to hell is happening.
"When you, disappeared," Helen started. "I asked her to leave and never return to Old City. I also asked her to keep the scholarship until she ended it."
"So, you do know each other?" I ask completely confused by this.
"Yes, quite well too," Magnus adds.
"Doctor Magnus was my mentor," Stella turns towards me with a frown. "Francis and I were on a scholarship program financed by her family. It was quite the honor to one of their students. The few of us who already knew about the existence of the Xenobiology field knew the most capable and experienced professional in the area was Doctor Magnus. It made sense since her family has been on the field for ages," Stella finishes with a shrug. Then she crooks her head looking at me. "The resemblance is incredible; I suppose you are a proof of the theory which says we all have a double out there."
"Nature is quite precise," Francis says. "There are only so many combinations possible to the miracle we call life; it's bound to occur that the same combination repeats after a while."
"Nature is as precise as it is diverse," my mother adds with a smile. "It's more explainable when the two similar people belong to the same family as the known cousins Tzar Nikolai II and King George V. Although; it still happens between two people who aren't related. There are several cases reported over the years. And there's a Canadian photographer called Francois Brunell who is on a quest of finding 200 doppelgangers around the world."
"I wonder how on Earth you get time to find things like that," Ashley shakes her head.
"I have plenty of time to read, darling. As a close friend used to say: Time is relative, and one only needs to make it happen," my mother comments, managing to make Stella smile although bittersweetly. On the other side, Will looks at Helen as if she had given something valuable away.
"That's what you've said before…" Stella trails.
"Well, it is true. I don't have, however, the honor of being the one who coined those words." Helen smiles, and so does Doctor White, and for some reason, it feels like she has disarmed a bomb, and I wasn't sure of how or why. "Are you feeling better?" Magnus asks, placing a hand softly over the Doctor's knee.
"Yes," she blushes. "Oh. How rude of me, I guess you all know I'm Doctor Stella White by now," she chuckles and we all nod. "I was supposed to introduce you all to the facility, not bringing you down here to be the witness of my shocked state."
"No worries, we are already in," Nikola mentioned.
"Doctor Baumschlager?" Stella asked, and I saw my mother rolling her eyes. I will ask about this as soon as I can.
"Seriously, Nikola?" Helen glares at him, and he smiles sheepishly. "You can call him Nikola, we all do. You were saying something about the facility?"
"Yeah, well. You already know the dining room. I believe the name was mess hall, but dining room sounds easier to remember. Dinner will ready in three hours."
"Dinner?" Daniel asked.
"Yes, it's past midday here. There are several hours of difference, and we can't change our schedules because of you joining us. This time the adjustment will be for you to bear," The Doctor adds apologetically.
"It makes sense," I add, "we are only here for a short time, while they have been here for months and have acquired a schedule."
"Yes. Well, let me take you to the rooms, then you can find your way to the entrance to retrieve your things from the FRED." She starts walking away until she seems to remember something. "There will be an issue there."
"Why?" Daniel asks.
"Well, you might be aware that this facility was thought to be home for at least fifty people. However, the government has been having issues with finding the personnel. Therefore, they stopped the work in the staff area; the money was redirected to improve the labs," she explains.
"Okay, but what might be the issue?" Daniel asks
"It shouldn't be, at least not a big one. We have eight rooms available, all with king-sized beds," she grimaces. "So, some of you will have to share a bed."
"That's not an issue, Stella." Will smiles, "I'm sure we will be able to accommodate ourselves."
"Well, I can fix that one quickly," Ashley grinned. "Major would you mind sharing? It should be less awkward for us than for the boys."
"No problem," I say, and I notice Doctor White still has doubts and it seems no one is willing to answer her. Weird.
"Show us the way to the rooms, Stella. We will accommodate nicely, don't doubt about it," My mother grins, and that does it. Doctor White nods, and we start to move. As we walk through the facility, Stella White points to places and names corridors giving us an idea of how to return to the dining room and how to go exploring the labs.
As we move, I see Will hanging back, and I frown at his action. He nods to point me his side, and I walk slower until I am next to him at the end of the group. He has a pink touch on his cheeks, and I frown, he wants to talk to me about something and judging by his current coloring, I'll say it's something mildly uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" I ask as soon as we are far away enough from the group, yet we are still able to watch them walk and hear Stella voice.
"Nothing really, it's just," he sighs. "They all seem to know. Now, you don't appear to have an inkling on what's going on between them." I frown, "Judging by your expressions; you were the only one who didn't know Stella knew us. I theorize that the relationship between Stella and us came out in the conversations they had yesterday. And since you weren't with them."
"Will, I have no idea what you are talking about."
"I'm sorry it's;" he rubbed his face. "There's no easy way to put this one out there. I know Ashley took it lightly when she learned about it, but she was raised to be accepting. I'm not sure if," Will is nervous and I can see why my mother finds him cute.
"Can you tell me what the hell you are trying to say? You are making me nervous," I whisper, and I clench my jaw as the group stops, and we have no other choice but join them. So now, all my doubts need to be on hold until I can find him and ask him about this.
"These are the rooms, the ones closer are the finished ones," Stella announces pointing to the doors near to her, we all stand close to her looking around uncooperatively, "I'll take all of you know how to get to the entrance?"
"Yes," I say.
"Great, make yourselves comfortable and then come search for me at the lab. Then we can solve whatever experiment has brought you all on board."
For some reason, we all stand there waiting for her to leave. The second she's out of sight, my newly acquired family moves to open doors at once. My mother opens one, Ashley opens the one in front of Helen's, and Nikola rushes to open the one beside Ashley's.
"Come on in, Major. The situation's not that bad; the bed is big enough, and we both can have a little piece of it." Ashley grins and grabs me from my backpack closing the door behind us, giving me sufficient time to wave to my teammates.
"What the hell is going on?" I ask making Ashley sigh.
"Well, if I was on Stella shoes I was going to think the great Helen Magnus lied to her, big time. But I wasn't there," she shrugs. Ashley stops talking as someone knocks our door. She walked to it and opened the door quickly, giving space for our mother and Will to join us.
"I know what you are thinking Ashley, and it isn't possible. I was nothing but honest to her." She nods towards Will. "Against my will, William called her after you died. I did ask her rather harshly to stay away from me, and never return unless it was work or career-related."
"Can someone explain things clearly to me?" I ask pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Well, yes. It's relatively straightforward. A little over five years ago, Stella and I maintained a relationship. Supposedly with no feelings involved, but for what I've witnessed today that wasn't entirely true on her side. Alas, after Ashley passed away, William thought I would need her of all the people," she rolls her eyes. "She was the last person I wanted to see at that point, and thus, I was rather brusque with her."
"That's why you didn't open the door to your room when she was around!" I almost facepalm myself.
"Well, yes. I'm not going to show Stella purposely that Will and I are an item now. It's been 115 years since we broke up for me, but not for her."
"And you believe my team knows you were together?"
"I'm afraid they know. It's something Francis ought to know; he was pretty close to Stella back then."
"Yeah. That and Francis saw them all mushy at the house once," Ashley blushed.
"You and Francis?" I ask, amused.
"What can I say?" She grins. "I guess nerdy-looking types it's one of my types," Ashley finishes with a shrug.
"Okay, I just don't see what's the use of this?"
"Well, Stella and I dated for over a year. Francis and Ashley dated for six months."
"Eight," Ashley lets out uncomfortably.
"Really?" Helen asks, surprised.
"Yeah, mom. Please, don't make it more awkward than already is," she looks at Helen pleadingly.
"I agree on the awkward," Will grimaces before he shakes his head. "The thing is that frequently, during the dating process, both parts supposedly learn what they can about the other to verify they are a valid match. One exchanges hopes, dreams, fears, and of course, secrets."
"Wait, I'm not you, and I definitively don't have your brain clarity," I stop him. "Are you trying to tell me you suspect my team will try to use those relationships to learn more about what you do?"
"Yes. It's not a simple suspicion either, Sam. We know for sure, just like we are aware one of them will board Henry and me," Ash says.
"Why?" I can't help but frown; it is my team, my friends about who they are talking.
"Because!" she says, then sighs. "Look, mom is unreachable. If she doesn't want to talk, they won't make her, and they know it. Now, Nikola, he blabbers, non-stop. He will drive them mad with un-useful information until they give up and as they frequently point they are old friends, chances of any of them betraying the other are slim," Ash grins.
"Well, they aren't privy to all their history at least. Now, Will, your people might be afraid he will analyze them. They also ought to know he was FBI and police, so they know Will knows the books, which makes him too prepared for interrogations. We are all aware that him knowing the books is a perk, but they don't know they should be a bit scared of the way he connects the dots." She stops for a second to take a breath.
"Then you have me; your darling Colonel believes I'm a child. For some reason, he sees me as someone innocent, someone who was forced to follow steps, and someone who doesn't know better, which I do. And then, there's Henry, who already has presented himself as the nerdy, clumsy guy who can't keep his mouth shut," Ashley finishes with a grin.
"And?" I ask not entirely following her point.
"If you want to know more, who would you reach?"
"Well, if I have all the information you just gave me."
"Which they have," Ash adds and I shook my head.
"Then I would reach for the two Doctors and then Henry and you. But why are you so sure they know?"
"Well, if they didn't know we wouldn't be here," Will explains easily.
"I don't get it," I rub my face tiredly.
"Yesterday, they placed two calls, which brought us here."
"How do you know about these alleged calls?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Well-placed security points?" Ash grins.
"We are aware they found one announce Will had posted on the newspaper for my funeral. The alert shows that happened first. Then, I theorize Doctor Frasier reached Francis. I mentioned both Stella and Francis when we talked with your friend about her experience in the xenobiology field. Therefore, a call to him seems like the most likely to happen in the times between the alerts."
"Then, at 23:45 and 1:20 am, respectively; those raised two alarms. One came from a call to Old City PD and the second one for a call to the Old City FBI Office. We know our names were mentioned during the conversation even if we don't know the contents of the whole conversation."
"And these alerts, from where do they come?"
"Henry placed them around the time I had to blow my home. We kept them because the SCIU protocol is still active."
"What is this protocol?" I ask
"The reason why they recalled the SCIU. SCIU only failed one mission, and that mission was to bring me down," Helen adds sadly. "And by asking questions after so long, they have no other choice but reactivate them to try and find out if it was just something odd, someone, searching for information. Or if I'm alive, which has been their greatest fear since I blew myself and my home." I drop myself to the bed and scrub my face with my hands.
"Okay, so the people back at the SGC are trying to learn if you are dead or alive to know if they can go back to inactive or to kill you because my teammates placed some calls yesterday. You dated a woman, and you a nerdy Doctor, and both are here now. And they probably will be interrogated by my Commander, and there's a chance you and Henry will be under to the same fate. Did I miss something?"
"Nope, I don't think so." Ashley grins.
"Why don't you tell them this? It will be easier for all of us."
"I will, once I know the situation back on Earth is cleared," Helen says.
"What's with the waiting?" I ask.
"I can't risk the lives of all of those who had placed their trust in my plan of making their lives easier at the Hollow Earth, and right now, due to the lack of confidence from Colonel O'Neill, I can't be sure he won't just send us back Earth to be dealt with and done. However, General Hammond will have a set of orders that will make him clear the situation at hand."
"The thing you have on President Hayes."
"Yes."
"And using it makes you different from the other manipulators how?"
"I was not manipulating him. I was merely reminding him that his family is underground with me, and by being there, they are safe."
"I beg your pardon?" I ask, and Ashley laughs.
"There's only a handful of humans that chose to be President, sis. Most Presidents around the globe are abnormals, the position is crazy, and knowing how to deal with the weirdest things is crucial. Why do you think yours got the: 'there are aliens out there' so quickly?"
"Wait! Hayes is abnormal?" I ask unbelievingly.
"Yes, as Ashley said, most Presidents are or were. The Hayes family reached the Sanctuary when Henry was eight or nine. He, his sister and his mother were all malnourished, battered and bruised, and we took care of them. As we also took care of those of his family that came long after that day."
"Wait, from what I know so far SCIU attempted to bring the Sanctuary down and kill you. Then why, if the President is abnormal, he went and approved SCIU?" I ask.
I don't understand why an abnormal would approve of having his fellow abnormals extinguished? Or why he would ask for the head of their greatest benefactor when he was also under their wing. Or why he would give the head of the one known person that could keep abnormals under control? It doesn't make sense. I frown.
"He didn't want to die," my mother adds as if it makes all sense in the world. "If he didn't sign it, they would have pointed him as a pro-abnormals, and that wasn't something well seen back then and would kill his career and probably, himself. I talked to him and explained his part on my plan without giving away the complex nature of it. When it happened the first time, I didn't know he would betray me. But I expected it for my plan to work."
"The time travel lapse," of course, if I were her I probably would've used the benefits of being alive along with my other self to improve the chances of success from when I left.
"I needed him on the reins, he didn't want to die, nor he wanted his family hurt. I took all those points and planned around it. His family is under protection; we are responsible for any medical emergency they have, even if it is the most basic blood control. Anything related to their health goes to companies that I own. The results are tampered to portrait them as healthy humans. The moment I'm gone, the moment someone like SCIU takes control of the Sanctuary, I can't assure him that it will continue to happen. That was what I refreshed on his memory."
"It certainly didn't sound like it."
"I know it seemed like a threat. Which it probably was, but desperate times require equally desperate measures. However, intimidating one person who could be your child to protect him and others like him seems far more important," I raise my eyebrow, since to me sounds more like she was trying to protect herself than others.
"Believe it or not, is not like she wants to look so important, is that she is," Will adds. "The abnormals respect her for her has been alive longer than most of the new species. They trust her because she has protected them and kept them safe. She gave them a home somewhere that looks equally as nice as up, and they have chosen to stay and live there, under her rules, over living topside and end up who knows how. Moreover, the moment she's gone, they will go back to how they lived. Fights among the different races will start, and diseases and desires to take over the world will appear again as they are currently controlled but not extinguished. And trust me, some abnormals can create havoc in seconds, I'm one of those," Ashley tells me. I sigh.
"You know I used to believe my life was complicated as it was. Right now, I think I reached a whole new level," I complain.
"I understand, grasping the facts we throw at you it's not an easy task to grasp. It gets more complex once you get to know the entire situation. I've been giving people the shove for enough time to understand the process. Even then, the leap of faith is always from them. I can only show you where to start; it is up to you to accept it as a gift, as a curse or forget all about it," Helen smiles. "I had to take my leap at some point, yes. A long time ago and since I can't remember a moment which wasn't complex, even if everything up to today was highly rewarding, even when it was equally painful."
"I was already born into it. No mystery there," Ashley grins, "Oh! Except when I learned that my father was Jack the Ripper and was alive. And then I died and heard he passed away," she sighed. "Maybe, if he were still alive we would get along better now that I'm more like him than I already was," she mutters, and Helen embraces her.
"Well, I'm in the perfect situation for understanding your position, Sam," Will adds, and I think it's mostly to distract me from the moment they are having, or maybe, to give them more time. "I've been there where you are now; your mother pushed me. However, she only pushed me to the limits of the cliff. The leap of faith was mine alone. I chose to remain, and I haven't regretted it. I'm sure it's nothing quite like traveling around the universe fighting aliens, but as Helen said, it is rewarding. Even when sometimes it is incredibly painful."
"I'm not saying it isn't rewarding. I mean, it already gave me a family I didn't know I lacked. And I know I'm not the only one who time-traveled or who died, which trust me, is fantastic to know," I trailed.
"But it places you in a complicated position with your friends and lying to them isn't something you accustomed to," Helen adds taking a step closer to me as Ashley takes a step back, to compose herself I guess.
"Exactly!" I exclaim. "I'm in an awkward position with two different fronts which are clouding over me."
"I hate to be the one who breaks it to you, sis," Ash grimaces, "but you can tell them the truth."
"Ashley," Helen warns her. "Everything and every one has its own time to do things. Samantha will jump when she is ready. There's no need to pressure her." Ashley huffed.
"I wish to be able to hang around my sister without having to resort to sharing a room on an unknown planet who knows where. Or at least, knowing she's somewhere out there without having to resort to weird things to learn it."
"It will happen, Ashley. In its due time. And speaking of time, we should go outside this room. It might result unnerving that three of us are in here with you, Major." Helen winks, and she is right, the moment she opens the door, I see Daniel standing outside.
"Hey Sam, everything alright?"
"Excuse us, Doctor Jackson. Are you still sure you want to share this room? "
"Mom," Ashley rolls her eyes, "you've given Major Carter all the possible worst-case scenarios you could think. She is still standing here. But Major, mom's right, if you want to, I can share with Henry. The dude is like a half-brother to me."
"Or we could alternate, I mean, Will has insomnia; Nikola, and I barely sleep. You don't need to be in there," Helen adds, I raise my hands in surrender, I know it is a charade for Daniel sake. But still, that's how far I would go without answering.
"Don't worry Doctor Magnus. We will be okay. We might even have girl talk," I wink.
"Please tell me that by girl talk you mean weapons, guys, and bikes?" Ashley grimaces, Daniel shakes his head, amused.
"That's exactly what girl talk is for Sam."
"Ah, Doctor Jackson. Can you ask Colonel O'Neill if he wants to continue our meeting here? Or if we are going to wait to return to the SGC and that way I can avoid having to repeat the whole thing in front of General Hammond. Either way, we will be in the lab with Doctors Young and White to provide them with an alternate explanation to why are we here."
"Uh, okay. Sure. I will ask Jack and let him know your whereabouts."
"Thank you, Doctor Jackson."
I see them move away, down the corridor, and I move to give Daniel some space to come in. Ashley is sitting on the bed, and he clears his throat.
"What?" She asks. Then she huffed, and standing walks away.
"Are you sure you want to stay here, Sam?" he asks in a whisper.
"Hey, I know you've seen what I'm on my bad days, but I promise I won't hurt her. I like your Major, dude. She's cool and has excellent taste in bikes."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," Daniel adds blushing.
"Yeah, I know. You are trying to protect her, that's good. It's lovely of you. Hey, you think one of the Doctors will give me the composition of this planet?" The glint in her eye tells me she needs this to know if she can spend some extra energy by teleporting herself. And thinking of it, they should have a comprehensive registry of the composition; it's the base analysis every SG team does when reaching to a new planet.
"Probably, ask Doctor White, she will point you to the right person," I say, and she grimaces.
"I'll ask Francis to ask her, thanks."