A/N: And here's the next chapter! Where we saw John in the last one, we see Daniel in this one. (Don't worry, they're both in the rest.) Enjoy!
Chapter 1 - I Am His Brother
"What's going on?" Daniel asked as soon as he entered the conference room where Landry, Jack, and Cam were already gathered, the hairs on his arms raising with a sense of trepidation.
His team leader just shrugged, looking as confused as Daniel. "I was wondering that myself. But I just got here."
Jack, however, was giving his friend a steady look, and told him, "We received a message from Atlantis."
Daniel froze for a moment. Keeping his eyes on Jack, he phrased his question in a calm, controlled manner. "Is everyone okay?"
But it was Landry who answered. "Seems like Colonel Sheppard has amnesia," he stated bluntly, with a healthy dose of skepticism laced in the word 'amnesia'. "Though, there are some concerns that it might not actually be Colonel Sheppard, or that there is some kind of alien influence going on."
"What?" Daniel's reply was short, and his eyebrows had raised in consternation.
Cam, too, had straightened at the general's words, face scrunched up in an inquisitive expression.
Rolling his eyes, Jack quipped, "He doesn't remember them, or even that he's an Air Force officer, so they're a little freaked out and jumping to the worst case scenario."
The general's succinct explanation had Daniel relaxing slightly, and Cam nodding in understanding.
General Landry, on the other hand, shook his head.
Daniel ignored him, and surmised to Jack, "So, he's fine. He just has amnesia?"
Jack nodded. "He's got a bump on the head, and a mild concussion, but Dr. Beckett said physically he's ok. Sheppard's just missing quite a few years of memories."
"Then what's the problem?" It was Cam asking this time. "Are they worried he won't get his memory back?"
"The problem is what he remembers," Landry inserted with a firm look. Ignoring Jack's eye roll, he looked at Daniel and said with an air of dubiousness, "He claims to remember you Dr. Jackson. Except he seems to be under the impression you're his brother."
Cam's eyebrows went up in surprise.
Daniel merely looked at Jack, who seemed to be restraining a sigh. "So, other than the amnesia, he's fine?" His tone was casual. He was more relaxed now that he knew what was going on.
Jack nodded, but it was Landry who responded incredulously. "He thinks you're his brother! Obviously, he's not 'fine'. Either something is messing with his brain, or it's not really Sheppard."
Now Daniel rolled his eyes, and glared at the general. "I am his brother. So, forgive me, but I'm really not seeing the issue other than the fact he can't remember most of his adult life." His tone and expression were hard and unrelenting.
While Landry spluttered, and Jack smirked, Cam turned his gaze to his teammate and canted his head. "Really?" His voice didn't hold any of the cynicalness Landry's had, just honest surprise and curiosity.
Daniel looked at him and nodded simply. "Yes."
Cam's face relaxed into a shrug. "Huh."
The urge to smirk at the colonel's easy acceptance was strong, but instead the archaeologist turned his attention back to the generals.
Landry had regained his equilibrium, and was looking at Daniel with something that could have been pity. "Dr. Jackson, I can appreci—"
Whatever he was going to say was cut off by Jack's impatient, "Oh for cryin' out loud. Get over it Hank. It's in both of their files if you paid attention."
Now, Landry had furrowed his brows and was looking at Jack in bewilderment.
Jack didn't give him the opportunity to respond though. "And I made sure Daniel was listed as Sheppard's next of kin. It's so much simpler when they're already read in." The second part was added under his breath. Turning businesslike, he looked at Daniel when he added, "Transport to Atlantis via Midway in thirty minutes. Go get packed."
Daniel nodded and turned to leave when Cam spoke.
"Sir, I'd like to go too." When everyone looked at him, Cam shrugged and reasoned, "I met Sheppard in flight school. If he doesn't remember the recent past…"
"He still might remember you," Jack finished with a nod. "Permission granted. Go get packed."
Cam nodded and followed Daniel out of the conference room, leaving one general scowling and the other with his eyebrows raised in a challenge. On their way down the hall, the colonel nudged his teammate and gave him a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't worry. Sheppard'll be fine. He's a stubborn son of a bitch."
Daniel sighed heavily. "Yeah. That's what worries me."
0
Once they arrived in the city, Major Lorne had orders to immediately shuffle them to the conference room, where they were met by Elizabeth, Carson, and John's team.
"General O'Neill, Colonel Mitchell, we weren't expecting you," Elizabeth greeted in surprise.
Jack waved his hand nonchalantly. "Figured you could use the help. And Mitchell here knew Sheppard back when they were spry young lieutenants." Ignoring the slightly affronted look Cam sent him, Jack shrugged, "Besides… I have to make sure you don't try to steal Daniel." He smiled as the archaeologist rolled his eyes.
Though the other Atlantis personnel were a mixture of puzzled and amused, or annoyed in Rodney's case, Elizabeth smiled politely. "Yes…" she began diplomatically, causing both Daniel and Cam to straighten. "While we requested Dr. Jackson's assistance with the information on the planet in the Ancients' database, we weren't expecting him to come in person."
"That's not why I came." Daniel spoke casually, but the blunt nature turned all the Atlantis personnel's eyes onto him.
Rodney opened his mouth, but Elizabeth cut in smoothly. "Why don't we all have a seat, and we can go over everything."
There were slow, and some reluctant, nods all around.
As they took their seats, Jack placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder and whispered a gentle reminder. "Easy…"
Daniel threw him a sideways look, but didn't comment.
After everyone was seated, Elizabeth gave Carson a look, and he cleared his throat before meeting Daniel's eyes. "Dr. Jackson… though I think it's admirable you came to help, I honestly think your presence would do more harm than good."
Ignoring Elizabeth's nod of agreement, Daniel looked at Carson and asked, "And why is that Dr. Beckett?"
No one else in the room seemed to read the danger behind Daniel's words, with the possible exception of Teyla and Ronon who had both narrowed their eyes as they watched the archaeologist. However, Jack and Cam, both of whom had worked with Daniel long enough, knew that tone. And while Cam was fighting the urge to bang his head on the table, Jack's face was crinkled in amusement in this particular situation.
"Daniel…" Elizabeth, ever the diplomat, leaned forward and donned a polite expression. "Right now, we can't be sure that this really is Colonel Sheppard. If it is, then he seems to be under some kind of mind-altering influence. Whatever the case, he somehow seems to know you. We don't know what would happen, or what kind of danger you would be in, if he was to see you."
Jack leaned back in his chair as Daniel rubbed his forehead. Cam's eyes were darting between his teammate and the Atlantis personnel.
"If I'm not mistaken, isn't it kinda the point for someone with amnesia to regain their memories?" Daniel sounded tired and a little snappish.
"Yes," Carson agreed before anyone else could speak. "Howe—"
"But this might not even be Colonel Sheppard! So why would we tell him everything about our Sheppard? He could be some alternate, evil version for all we know!" Rodney snapped, earning scowls from everyone.
Glancing between the Atlantis personnel with narrowed eyes, Daniel grit his teeth, inwardly sighing. "Where is he?" His voice was hard and demanding, and shocked everyone except Jack and Cam.
"He's in one of the isolation rooms," Major Lorne informed them before anyone else could speak.
Jack gave the major a nod of gratitude; he'd seen Elizabeth solidifying her diplomatic pose too. Putting a hand on Daniel's arm to keep the archaeologist from losing his temper, the general sent a questioning look to both the expedition leader and Chief Medical Officer. "I was told that, other than a bump on his head, a mild concussion, and the obvious memory loss, Colonel Sheppard was fine. Care to explain what part of that warrants an isolation room, with guards outside the door I'm presuming?"
Lorne nodded in answer to the second part.
"You're suggesting we just let some unknown thing in Sheppard's body roam around the city?! With Sheppard's gene, do you know what kind of havoc that could reek?!" Rodney retorted scathingly.
Rolling his eyes at his colleague, Carson took a more professional approach when he explained, "General, the fact o' the matter is that we don't know what kind of alien influence the colonel is under, nor how it happened. Somehow it's gone undetected by every test we've run."
"Have you considered that maybe he's not under alien influence?" Cam drawled. His sarcasm was strong, and had Jack pointing in agreement.
Elizabeth smiled politely, but the sympathy was clear. "Colonel Mitchell, we all want Colonel Sheppard back. Unfortunately, he's not Colonel Sheppard right now. We have to think about the safety of everyone in the city."
"We're doing everything we can to get to the bottom of this," Carson assured them. "Unfortunately, John has stopped answering our questions, so it's hard to determine what's going on since the scans and blood work keep coming back clean. When he first woke up, he was responsive and cooperative. Now… He's not talking, not eating, and barely submits to the tests."
"Well, what did you expect?!" Daniel finally snapped, letting his temper loose, glaring at all of the Atlantis personnel. "He woke up with no memory of his adult life, and instead of trying to help him you're all treating him like a prisoner! Why the hell would he cooperate? Have you met John?"
Jack's cough covered up his chuckle, while Cam was biting his lip to fight his grin. Lorne, Teyla, and Ronon all looked like they silently agreed with the archaeologist. Rodney rolled his eyes, and Carson appeared both sympathetic and chastised.
Elizabeth was the one who, while maintaining her politeness, spoke firmly. "Dr. Jackson… I understand you want to help. I welcome your help in finding out what happened to John. But right now, he is not the John Sheppard you know. He thinks you're his brother. We don't know what else he might believe, and he's not telling us. At this time, we don't know if he poses a danger to the city and its occupants, so we have to act accordingly."
Standing deliberately, Daniel's expression was hard and his voice unwavering. "From everything you've told us, there is nothing wrong with John except amnesia." Shaking his head, he glanced at Jack before scowling at the Atlantis personnel. "I am his brother. And apparently, I'm the only one he remembers right now, so if you'll excuse me…"
Stunned silence followed the archaeologist out the door.
Cam looked at Jack, who nodded permission, before following his teammate.
"I'll let the guards know." Lorne nodded to O'Neill before leaving as well, ignoring the others.
No one spoke for a few long moments. Jack simply watched them as they shared shocked looks, and waited.
Predictably, it was Rodney who broke the silence. "He's kidding, right?"
A/N: Hope you liked this chapter! I'm really not a Landry hater, but it's just so easy to make him the bad guy when it comes to John. lol. I had a lot of fun writing Daniel and his temper too :) Anyway, I'm gonna try to post one more chapter before I head to bed. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!