Origin

Briar Elwood

A/N: In case you couldn't tell, I AM a Sparky shipper.

Oh, and...I LOVE THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!!

And thanks to Tony for being the only one (so far) to review the last chapter. I really enjoy your reviews, actually, Tony...I just wish I could reply to them.

Chapter XI

Divide

"We have decided we will help you return to your own time," the old man from earlier informed the group. "We will provide quarters for each of you and any care you may need while you are with us. Please, make yourselves at home. Do not hesitate to form friendships among us or learn of our technology and beliefs. If all works well, you should be able to return home soon."

Reactions to this announcement were varied. Daniel was obviously thrilled and immediately set out to read records of history and spend quality time with his sister. Sam was overjoyed and spent her time helping the scientists figure out a way to go home, Orlin at her side every second of the day…she wasn't even bothered by Rodney. Therefore, Rodney got annoyed and stopped working on getting them home and helped Janus on the Puddle Jumper. Teal'c was indifferent, and spent his time sparring with Cameron (who was extremely bored) or meditating. Vala ignored most everyone save Morgan. It turned out Morgan's personality was a lot like Vala's and the two of them got along very well. Ronon and Teyla stuck together and, feeling very out of place, ended up traveling to the mainland. They came back with the report that there were no natives and the stone monument wasn't there. Then they joined Cameron and Teal'c for sparring,

Jack and John were the only two who were actually aware of their "women problems" and so settled with discovering an Alteran beverage with the taste of vodka and the intensity of…well, almost all alcoholic beverages combined. Neither ever noticed each other in the mess hall, however, until one particular time after John had gotten beat in a sparring practice by Cameron. To make matters worse, Jack had just recently spied his wife and a certain Altera making out in the hallway. John stumbled towards Jack, the drink giving him a strange red gleam in the eyes.

"You!" John growled, his voice low and raw. Jack looked up, highly uninterested.

"Whaddya wan'?"

"You killed Elizabeth!" John bellowed, unaware of the many heads turning to stare. Jack rolled his eyes, turning back to his drink.

"It was the f—king Ori, you a—hole."

Suddenly Jack was pushed off his chair, falling hard to the floor. He glared upward to see John standing over him, a furious gleam in his gaze.

"You killed her!"

Jack stood with some difficultly and shoved John. "I didn't kill her, you son of a b---h!"

Almost immediately, a nasty brawl broke out between the two very drunk men. Highly unused to this type of behavior, the surrounding Altera buzzed, not sure what to do. John slid across a table, blood dripping from his mouth where his tooth had sunk deep into his tongue. Jack scrambled after the younger man, wiping away the blood seeping from his nose. However, before the aging man could reach John, strong, dark arms stopped him, holding him back. Jack whirled to see Teal'c staring at him disapprovingly. Something threatening in the Jaffa's eyes registered in Jack's mind and he stopped struggling, sinking to his knees like a glob of goop. Meanwhile, John was held back by both Teyla and Ronon, Teyla's voice soothing yet berating.

"John, it's okay. There's no need to fight," she said, sounding all too much like John's mother. "You're drunk, John. And the angry kind."

"What's going on?" Sam asked, coming in, Orlin's arm around her waist. Seeing the man on the floor in front of Teal'c, she left Orlin's grasp, rushing to kneel across from her husband.

"Jack…" she whispered, reaching out to place a hand on his cheek, wet with sweat and blood. Dazed, Jack raised his head, frowning when he recognized the woman gazing at him in concern.

"Sam."

Suddenly, he straightened, grabbing onto Teal'c for support as he shakily stood up. Sam rose with him, her mind whirling for the right words. But Jack didn't give her the chance. After staring at her with lifeless eyes, he turned on his heel and quickly rushed away. Confused, Sam turned her gaze to Teal'c.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I believe he and Colonel Sheppard were drunk and got into a fight," the Jaffa replied.

"Over what?"

Teal'c shrugged. "I do not know. I arrived only after the argument had begun."

Sam sighed, staring at the door where Jack had hurried out of, mind not even registering the Altera standing beside her.

A Few Days Later…

"I will speak with you no further on the matter," Elerand, the temporary head of the council from before, said angrily. Daniel, however, persisted in following the old man.

"Why not? I live in the future, I know what it's like!" he exclaimed, frustration boiling in his voice. "Why won't you let me try to make the Altera race better?"

Elerand halted, whipping his gaze around to stare at Daniel coldly. "You know why we decided to keep it a secret."

Daniel sighed, closing his eyes. "Yes," he breathed exasperatedly. "I'm aware of that."

Elerand glared at Daniel, considering. "Fine," he growled after a moment. "I will listen. But I promise nothing more."

"Why won't you tell the people about ascension?" Daniel started. Elerand opened his mouth for an angry reply but Daniel waved his hand at him. "No, no, it was a rhetorical question. Selfishness is a bad thing, right?" There was a pause. "You can answer this time."

Elerand rolled his eyes. "Yes, selfishness is not good."

"Keeping the knowledge of ascension is essentially being selfish!" Daniel pointed out.

"Why should a person be given the privilege of ascension if they do not work for?" Elerand argued.

"That's not what I'm saying!" Daniel yelled. He stopped, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Can't they at least know that there's a glorious salvation for them if they do certain things rather than just death? Aren't they allowed that?"

Elerand held Daniel's gaze stoically. Seeing nothing he had said had affected the elderly man in any way, Daniel sighed heavily.

"Look, if you won't tell them, I will. From what I've seen and heard, Orionus, I have a very good standing among the people," Daniel said, a threatening glint in his blue eyes. "They'll listen to me."

00

It turned out that that was exactly what Daniel did. Fully taking on the role as who apparently truly was, Daniel preached to the Altera. A great divide came between those who agreed with the man who had disappeared for a year and those who saw Elerand's reasoning. The divide split the council, friends, and even family, as was the case between the Desalo siblings. Orionus essentially became the leader of one side and Elerand the other, as the true head of the council still had not returned.

The friends didn't take much notice of it. They saw Daniel's reasoning in wanting to change the ways of the Alteran and, even if some of them didn't exactly agree, they knew nothing they would say would take him off the course he already was on.

Therefore, they kept on with the routines they had fallen into until one day in the middle of a sparring practice with John when Cameron suddenly realized something:

"They're the Ori."

A/N: Don't you just LOVE cliffhangers??? I DO!!!! When I'm writing them… Hehe.

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