Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate.

I promise the writing will get better in later chapters. Reviews and critisim are welcome.

The rain began to poor heavy drops of water onto the city, forcing everyone to duck for cover. The meeting had just finishing in the Grand Lux Hotel and forty professors and doctors were greeted by this turn of events. Those determined to brave the foul weather held up their umbrellas firmly.

Unfortunately for Daniel and Tara, neither of had one.

"So, how did it go?" Tara asked, tugging her hood further over her head. "Please Tara, not now." Daniel struggled to pull his hood on as he carried two bags out of the building.

Tara just nodded and guessed that he had just flunk another presentation of his theory on the origins of the Ancient Egyptian culture, hence loosing another chance to earn another grant for his work.

"Danny, you need to make your approach to your theories a little less conspiracy like. No one like it when people start preaching 'the aliens built the pyramids' story." Tara said, finally taking one of the bags from him.

"You've seen the photos of Khufu. The writing is all wrong."

"Yes I know, I have actually been to the pyramids, but that doesn't necessary scream 'alien work' to me." Daniel looked despondent. "Look Danny, I'm trying to be a good family member, but you are making this three times as hard for both of us. Now that you're staying with me things are always going to be tight."

"I'll figure something out." Daniel said shoving his suitcase under his jacket.

"Last time you said that you got kicked out of your apartment."

Both of them failed to notice a black limo parked right in front of them, and a man walking towards them.

"Dr Jackson." The man dressed as a valet and held an umbrella over their heads. "What? Yes?" Daniel clumsily responded.

"Someone wants to speak with you."

Tara looked at Daniel, who looked at the man oddly, then to her, then back at the man. "Who ... who wants to talk to me?"

"United Sates Air force sir."

"The Air force? What's this?"

Another man came out of the car, Tara felt a little concerned now. Soon Daniel was ushered into the limo while Tara was left standing in the rain with two strangers holding umbrellas over her head and their bags.

"You two mind filling me in on what's going on?" She said, her face now plastered with her hair. "I'm afraid this only concerns Dr Jackson." One of them said casually.

"I am his cousin." Tara said.

Both of them looked surprised.

This was nothing new to her. Though they were family, they looked nothing alike.

Five minutes later, Daniel emerged from the limo holding an envelope and had a slightly bewildered look on his face. The two men closed their umbrellas and left the two of the standing there while they drove off.

Daniel looked into the envelope and at the limo driving away.

"What was all that about?" Tara asked, picking up the bags. When he didn't respond, she waved a hand in front of his face. Still no response, so she smacked him on the back of his head.

"Ow, what?"

"Let's go home, before this weather gets any worse." She said and tossed one of his bags at him. Being a klutz, he dropped it onto them wet pavement.

About half an hour later via the train, they had arrived at the huge apartment building on the south side of the city, on the border of the main road and the ghetto. It was all Tara could afford, but it was a pleasant enough building. It had its share of bad apples but she was smart and steered clear of trouble.

Her apartments itself was small, just a one bedroom type with the kitchen and living room/Daniel new bedroom joined together. "Make yourself at home, I'll make tea." She said tossing her bag onto the counter. Daniel awkwardly shuffled over to the couch and sat himself down, removing his soaked duffle coat.

As Tara waited for the pot to boil, she glanced from picture to picture on the kitchen wall, each one of her and Daniel growing up. Some were of their parents and friends, one of their grandfather before he died. Looking at them now, it was like chalk and cheese when comparing the two of them.

Daniel had soft natural blonde hair that sat straight and blue eyes hidden behind his glasses, a classic Norwegian look, while Tara had messy curls of dark brown, almost black hair that was layer unevenly and stuck out in different direction. She also had creamy coffee skin, since she was Egyptian in her mother's side.

Their story was fairly complicated. Daniel's parents died when he was a baby and Tara's mother left her with her terminally ill father when she was five. Their grandfather arranged for the same foster parents that took in Daniel to also adopt her, hence making them foster siblings as well as cousins.

The pot whistled loudly and Tara poured the hot water into the cups and soon the foster siblings were curled up on the couch talking about the day's events.

"So who was it you were talking to?"

"The Air force, namely a Ms Langford, wants me to translate some Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs."

Tara scoffed, "Why would the Air force need translations? I pretty sure that's not part of their job description."

"That's what I'd like to know." Daniel had that look in his eye. The look he could whenever faced with a puzzle.

"How can you be sure this isn't a hoax?" Tara asked, leaning her arm on the large pillow beside her.

"Well, she knew an awful lot about us."

Tara rolled her eyes.

"She knew about my ... problems and our current living arrangements." He nodded to the tiny room to reaffirm his words, "And also about you dropping out of Harvard."

"Hey, I did that so you could afford the stuff you needed for your research." Tara didn't like to bring up the fact of her missing the chance to be a professor, even if she did it for Daniel.

He pulled the cup up close to his lips and took a tentative sip."But she said I could prove my theories by translating these hieroglyphs."

That caught Tara's attention. She took a deep breath and though carefully about it. "Are you sure about this?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. But there is only one way to find out." He looked at the envelope again and Tara knew he had already decided.

"Fine. Do what you feel is best. But don't think for a second that you'll be leaving me out of this." She unfurled herself and placed her empty cup onto the tiny coffee table.

"I .. uh .. what do you ...?" Daniel stuttered. "You heard me. You taught me everything I know and I bested half the professors at Harvard. Just consider me a consultant or something."

Daniel frowned and scratched his over grown fringe. "Well ... I guess it wouldn't hurt." He gave up resisting and shrugged. Tara grinned and glance over her shoulder.

"The phone is by the fridge."

Daniel got up to call Ms Langford and Tara went to work setting up his bed, as the couch was a pull out. As she straightened out the sheet, she kept catching snippets of Daniel's conversation, but only a word or two. Maybe this was the excitement she needed to help her bland lifestyle, or at least settle her growing discomfort so as she could get on with life.

Kate would be happy for her. At the thought of Kate, Tara glanced at her watch. It was 6:37 already.

"Shit!" She dropped the pillow she was moving and ran to change her cloths as fast as she could, "Danny, I have to go to work now!" She called from her room, struggling with the buttons. Once decent she grabbed her bag and coat, pulling 20 dollars of her wages out and giving it to him. "Spare key is in the top draw, there's a blanket in the cupboard and do not get any pizza from Fabio's down the road." She instructed and left the poor befuddle man alone, still talking on the phone.