Telepathic Brothers and Other Horrors
Grace's POV
Grace is now 18 Carter is 12, making this 12 years after the end of the series
A/N-I made a modification to the first chapter. I decided it made more sense for Gracie and Carter to have these powers, because of a combination of Jack's ancient gene and the naquada in Sam's blood.
There must be some law that every time I babysit my younger brother all hell breaks loose. I guess it's only fair. I got my freaky ancient powers while babysitting Carter, so he should too. I just seriously have one question. Why on earth does he end up with-telepathy? Of all the special cool things he could get he ends up with the one that is really and truly obnoxious!
His abilities are limited. I don't know if he'll be able to overcome the limits with time or not. But for now he can only access what I'm currently thinking. You may think there is a benefit in that, but there really isn't. See it turns out that when you know someone is reading your mind it is almost impossible to keep out of you mind the things you don't want them to know.
Within minutes my little brother is privy to all my deepest and darkest secrets. And he's teasing me about them all.
"You cheated on a math test! You cheated!" he screams dancing, "So going to tell Mom!"
"That was one time in third grade. I didn't study, because Mom was in the infirmary. Now I'm a junior in college, Carter. Nobody cares!"
"Oh, I'm betting Mom and Dad are still going to care, Grace. In fact Dad might do the whole integrity thing, and go tell you third grade teacher. Oh, and Dad's definitely going to care about Zack."
"!' I say. There was a time when my little brother listened to me. When me saying his name like that was more than enough to stop whatever evil plot he had. That time is long gone.
"Aren't you not supposed to date anyone until he's passed the Dad/Daniel/Murray triple interrogation squad?" he asks with a smirk.
"Carter, no one passes the Dad/Daniel/Murray triple interrogation squad. They are enough to intimidate anyone. One of the guys who wanted to date me SWITCHED SCHOOLS after they were done with him. I'm eighteen, I pick my own boyfriends. And you are not going to tell."
"Oh really?" he says, crossing his arms, "And why exactly is that?"
"Because if you do, I'll tell them….I'll tell them….about how you don't wear a helmet when you skateboard."
"Here is the thing about blackmail, Gracie, I have unlimited amount of dirt on you, but you don't have the same advantage," he says grinning.
"I am however strong and faster," I say running after him. But here is the thing about telepathy-it kind of removes the element of surprise. Finally I give up. He spends the rest of the afternoon picking my brain. He finds out a lot of classified stuff that they'd probably be telling him before too long anyway.
When Mom and Dad get home we are both shouting at them at once.
"Grace has a boyfriend!" Carter yells.
"Mom, would you tell him reading other people's minds is unethical?" I shout at the same time.
"So is cheating on a test," he retorts.
"So is beating up your little brother, but that never bothered me," I threated.
Dad steps between us, "Hold it. What is going on? We're going to answer in alphabetical order today, Carter first," he says.
"I have telepathy," he says grinning.
"And he's been reading my mind all afternoon," I complain.
"Telepathy," Mom says with eyebrows raised like Teal'c.
"So what's Gracie's boyfriend like? Good guy or do I have to go beat the crap out of him?" Dad asks Carter.
"Dad!" I scold at the same moment Mom says, "Jack!"
"Reasonable question," he says with a grin. Then he turns to Carter, "Stop spying on your sister."
"That is not fair," Carter whines, "Grace gets to use her powers!"
"My power is heal people, yours is invading people's privacy," I say.
"I didn't pick it!" He screams. Damn. I didn't even think of that. I'd probably be pretty ticked off if my power was something I didn't get to use. Especially if I was Carter who waited six years for his super power.
"Look, there will be times when you can use it. Just not on me ok?" I say looking at him, trying to let him know that I got it.
"When Grace? When will it be ok?"
"I don't know Carter. I mean someday it you go through the Stargate or something…." I stay.
"Right, because it would be a terrific plan to do this to civilizations we are trying to impress," he says rolling his eyes.
"All's fair in love and war, Carter, you could do it to civilization we're fighting with. Or you could be like a psychologist or something."
"That doesn't sound ethical either, Grace. Face it, I can never do anything with this 'power'. Besides, what I didn't tell you before is that I can't actually stop it. The best I can do is sort of ignore it like you might ignore someone talking. So as unethical as it is. I can't help it,' he says. And Carter is sobbing.
"Carter," Mom says putting her arm around him.
"I know you would, Mom," he says replying to something she only thought to him.
"We'll get this figured out," Dad says, smiling at him. "We'll go see Dr. Lam in the morning."
"I think I'll head up to my room and get away from other people's thoughts for a while," Carter says.
He leaves the room and we are all quiet for about a minute. Then Dad turns to me, "So...when do we get to meet this Zack?"
"Never Dad," I reply.
"Grace, you know my rules about boys…" Dad begins.
"Leave her alone Jack. She's eighteen, and no boy will ever survive your interrogation," Mom says.
"Cassie's husband did, and James is a great guy. A great guy!" Dad says.
"Zack is a great guy too," I say imitating him, "That doesn't mean I'm going to hand him over for sacrifice!"
"We are not that bad Grace," Dad protests.
"Yeah you are," I say stomping out of the room. I can't believe my own father is using my brother's abilities to torture me.
Once I get upstairs I pick up the phone, "Zack," I say.
"What's wrong?" he can tell just by my voice. Love that!
"My brother is a snoop!" I say, "Found out about you, and told my parents."
"Did he read your diary or something?" Zack asks.
"Something like that," I say with a sigh, "Now my Dad wants to meet you."
"So, I've been trying to get you to let me meet your parents for MONTHS." He says.
"I know, but you don't get this. I'm trying to protect you. It's not just going to be my parents. In fact Mom wouldn't be allowed in at first, because Dad thinks she's too sympathetic. No, at first it will only be Dad, and his two friends, Daniel and Murray. These three were all in the Air Force. Murray still is. They are all-terrifying. Murray is perhaps the most terrifying individual I've ever met. I've known him to make hardened criminals turn themselves in with a look and a whisper in the ear, Zack."
"You think I'm a wuzz?" Zack asked.
"How did you get that from what I just said? I told you Uncle Murray is the most terrifying individual known to man. I'm not going to let you enter a staring contest with him. That is my final word," I say.
"Mmm….Well, you should probably tell them I'm coming to dinner tomorrow, because I am."
"Zack!" I protest.
"So tell me about what else Carter found out about," he says, trying to distract me. That is something I seriously wish I could tell him about. Zach and I have been dating for almost half a year now. We talk about everything, except, not really. Because, he thinks I go the infirmary to do an internship with Dr. Lam. He doesn't know I'm really healing people with semi magical powers. He knows my parents work for the Air Force (or dad did before he finally retired, as Dad says fourth times the charm). But he doesn't know that my parent's job involved routinely saving the entire planet. He also doesn't know that one of the people staring him down tomorrow night is going to be a Jaffa. Part of a race bread to terrify, torture, and dismember. Ok, slight exaggerating, but not really.
"Just stuff….I cheated on a spelling test in third grade…stuff like that." I say. But really it was mostly top secret missions my parents went on. Missions Carter had already heard about as fairy tales. Missions he'd be told about if he asked now that he was twelve and had his 'super power.' Really, no harm was done. I'd have to apologize to Carter later.
"That's your deepest darkest secret Grace? You are such a goody two shoes!" Zach says, "Listen Grace, I'd love to talk more, but I have this killer chemistry test tomorrow. I'll be over to your house for dinner tomorrow though, ok?"
"Zach, you really don't have to," I say.
"Grace, I want a future with you, future includes your parents," he says.
"Well, I hope you still like me this time tomorrow," I say.
"No question Grace, no question."
He hangs up and I knock on Carter's door.
"Go away, Grace," he says.
"I want to say sorry," I said.
"I know that Grace, mind reader, remember," he says from the other side of the door.
"Carter, I didn't think about what this was like for you, I'm sorry."
He opens the door, "Right now you aren't thinking about how I want to be alone either."
"I know you said you want to be alone, but if I were you I'd want someone who understood to come and sit with me," I said.
"You understand this?" he says with spite.
"No, but I probably can get closer than most people." I'm about to explain more but he looks at me, and I know he is understanding better than with mere words. I'm telling him about what it was like to heal people. He can see it, see the way it looks in my mind-the dead cells reviving, the pull of their will.
"You do probably understand better than most. When I read a mind, Grace. It's not just words. That's not how people think. People think in pictures, and words, and feelings, and…and in soul. In something I can't describe. I wish you could see it." He says. Then his eyes light up, "Maybe you can."
He leans toward me.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Just hold still Grace," he says. He leans forward until our foreheads are touching. For a second I can watch him reading my mind. But it's not so much reading my mind as reading my soul. And I'm reading his back. We sit like that for a long time, foreheads touching, experiencing each other's very essence. When I finally pull away there are tears on his eyes.
He looks away, "You are good Grace," he says slowly.
"Well, Carter, you are downright amazing." We can't talk for a while. We just sit there and stare at each other.
"Grace, I'm scared," he says.
"It's loud isn't it?" I say.
He nods.
"I was thinking maybe you could be a cop. Human lie detector kind of thing," I offer.
"I don't want to think about the future Grace. I've got enough work trying to figure out tomorrow," he says quietly.
"School is going to be crazy loud eh?" I say.
He flinches.
"Maybe you can shut it off if you practice," I say.
"Ok, Gracie, think," he says teasingly.
Within a few hours he's able tune me out. He's pretty tired.
"I hope tuning it out doesn't wear you out like healing does me. Is your head dizzy?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Gracie, will you tell me a Super Sammy story?" he asks.
He's been too old for them for years. "How about the truth," I say with a smile.
"The truth, dear Gracie is overrated, I don't want any more truth today," he says.
"Ok," I say, but I don't understand it, and he knows that.
"Our parents save the world for a living. They are at risk all the time," he says.
"Not true! Dad's retired, and Mom runs the base, she's safe now," I say.
"I know that control room has been attached at least four times, and I'm pretty sure that's a small fraction of what's gone on at that base."
I brush his bangs away, "Carter, the point of the stories is that they always come home. No matter what, they always come home," I say slowly.
He smiles at me, "You really believe that Grace. That…that helps."
Then I tell him the story of Mommy and the Super soldier. He's never heard that one. It's the ace in the hole to chase away worry.
After leaving Carter's room I hear Mom ask Dad a question before returning to my own room, "Jack, when you say I think too loudly…"
"Just an expression, Sam, just an expression," he says softly.
We're all sitting down to dinner the next day and the doorbell rings.
"Wonder who that is," Mom says.
Carter laughs, looking at me playfully "It's Zack."
I get up to get the door saying, "Play nice."
"How did you know who it was?" Mom asks.
Carter grins, "Gracie knew, she didn't tell you, because Daniel and Teal'c would be here to."
"You are crazy Zach," I say, "Welcome to more insanity." He kisses me softly and innocently.
"This the boyfriend, Grace?" Dad asks with his arms crossed over his chest looking intimidating.
"Yes, I am sir," he says with a smile, "Are you Murray?" he stammers.
"If I was Murray, you would know," Dad says in his scariest voice.
"No, if it was Murray you'd already be on the run. Just my father will be terrorizing you this evening," I say.
"It's good you know about Murray though, don't forget about Murray," Dad says.
Carter comes around the corner, "You know Dad is just like this 'cause he loves you Grace."
I know he's telling me what he's reading in Dad's mind. But I don't care. "Yeah, you talk to me when he starts scaring away your girlfriends. Except he probably won't because you're a boy."
"Carter, nice to finally meet you," Zach says.
Carter stares at him for a second, "Nice to meet you too Zach," he says.
Dad relaxes a bit at that. Carter's opinion counts for a lot more since yesterday. But Dad isn't completely relaxed, "You say a long time, how long have you been seeing my daughter?"
"Six months sir," Zach says.
"Were you aware that Gracie isn't supposed to date anyone who I haven't met?" He asks.
"Grace!" he said, then he turns to Dad, "I'm sorry, sir, I've been asking her to let me meet you for four months. I did not, however, know about that rule."
"Well," Dad says, "At least she told you about Murray. Just to be clear, if you hurt her, Murray will find you anywhere."
"So will I," Carter added.
"Boys," Mom says with a laugh, "Let's move this interrogation to the room with the food."
We all sit down to dinner, and it actually went pretty well. Carter was already adjusting to his new skills. I watched his face as he turned them off and off. But he wasn't turning it off when it came to Zach. Zach was getting a whole different kind of interrogation he didn't even know about.
After dinner I say, "I'm going out with Zach now."
"Are you asking or telling, young lady?" Mom says with a raised eyebrow.
I sigh, "May I go out with Zach?" I ask.
"You may," Dad says. I jump up trying to escape, "But I still want him to actually met Murray sometime."
"Hey Gracie," Carter says. I turn, I know my brother's assessment really matters, "I like him."
"Thanks Carter," I say giving him a big grin.
"Sorry about that, Zach," I said climbing into his car.
"They were not nearly as bad as you made them out to be."
"Yes, because I protected you. I didn't tell them so you only had to deal with the family. Murray is still ahead, and so is Daniel-he has a way with words to watch for."
"But I passed the first round?" he said.
"With flying colors," I say.
We were driving down a twisted mountain road. Zach's car hit ice, and slid off the road. For a second the car was in a free fall. Then it hit the ground-drivers side first.
"Zach! Oh my God! Zach! Answer me!" I'm screaming. I unbuckle my seatbelt, and slide over to his side. I feel for a pulse. Thank God there is a pulse. As I feel for a pulse my hands start to glow. I don't even think about how I'm not supposed to be healing people without security clearance. I just start healing. My glowing hands are over all the wounds that are everywhere on him. I feel his strong will. He's pulling hard for life. I'm pulling for him too.
I'm getting dizzy. But I can't stop. His eyes pop open. "Grace…What happened?"
I'm nauseous now, nauseous just from the dizziness and headache. It's so bad I don't know if I can go on.
"Grace," he's staring at my face, "Are you ok?"
I nod. Maybe he hasn't even seen my hands. He glances down. Oh, he's seen them, but he's more concerned about how sick I am.
"Grace, you need to stop," he says weekly.
"No, Zach," I say weekly.
He takes my hands, and folds them together, "You did enough, I'm not going to die," he says.
I think I'm going to black out, "We have to call my parents. We have to go to the base infirmary. We can't…"
It's awhile later when I open my eyes. I'm laying next to the road, and my head is on Zach's lap.
"You're awake Gracie? Are you ok?" his face is full of concern.
"I'm ok, what about you?" I say.
"I think you got it down mostly to the scratches, you are going to tell me what the hell you did sometime right?"
"Yeah, did you call my parents?"
"Yeah, it was sort of hard to explain…" he says.
"You mentioned the glowing hands and that you are hurt right?" I ask.
"Yeah, they got mad when I mentioned you were unconscious," he says looking at me carefully.
"I promised them I'd never heal until it was dangerous," I said. He's looking at me, "They know someone who died from healing someone to much."
"God, Grace, you should not have risked it," he says brushing the hair from my eyes.
I'm crying, "You would have died, Zach."
"Hey," he says, "Hey, stop it Grace. Not going to die. We're both going to be fine," he says whipping away my tears with his thumb nail.
My Dad's truck pulls up, and Mom is out of it before it even stops, "GRACIE! GRACIE!"
I sit up even though it makes me more dizzy, "I'm ok."
She picks me up, like I'm a rag doll, and carries me to the truck. "Zach was the one who was hurt," I protest.
Carter is helping Zach to the truck. Dad looks over the edge at Zach's car for a second. We he turns back he looks like he's going to throw up.
Mom's lips are really tight like they are when she has something to say, but doesn't want to say it.
"The roads were slippery, it wasn't Zach's fault," Carter offers.
"He reads minds by the way," I say to Zach nodding my head toward my brother.
"Grace," Dad warns.
"Come on, he saw my hands glow, Dad," I protest.
"That doesn't mean he has security clearance, Grace," Mom says.
Zach doesn't look so good. His face is pale. I put my hand close, diagnostic close, instead of healing close. Shit, internal bleeding. I'm about to tell Dad to drive faster, but on these roads I would just be another accident. I know what I have to do.
"Grace," Carter says.
I don't say anything I just beg him to play distraction inside of my mind. He obliges. He is talking to my parents, and I put my hands on Zach's stomach. He tries to pull them away, but he sees my face. He sees terror there, and he doesn't move. I leave my hands there as the dizziness grows, as my head and stomach begin to ach, I leave it there until I pass out.
When I wake up I know I'm in my favorite place. I see the infirmary walls. I roll over, and Teal'c is sitting in there chair.
"How do you feel GraceO'Neill?" he asks.
"Fine, where did my parents go?" I ask.
"There anger was disturbing the other patients. Dr. Lam was required to send them away," he said in a deadpan voice.
"Zach?" I ask.
"You saved me, Grace," Zach's voice came from behind the curtain. I nod toward it, and Teal'c stands up to open it.
"You ok Grace?" he says.
"Yeah, Zach, what did Dr. Lam say about your internal bleeding? Did you need surgery? What is your blood pressure," I said trying to get up.
I feel Teal'c gently lowering me down again, "Your mother wished me to remind you that you are a patient and not a doctor, if it should become necessary."
"This Murray?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, real name Teal'c," I said.
"He's been giving me the silent treatment. I think he's mad at me," Zach said nervously.
"Actually the silent treatment is Teal'c's normal state," I say with a laugh.
"Indeed," Teal'c said.
"Ok, not playing doctor, just tell me if he still has internal bleeding," I say.
"No, the doctor said you fixed it all. In fact they are just going to keep me overnight, and I'll be fine," Zach says.
"Did you tell your parents?" I say.
"No, I haven't figured that one out yet. I called the insurance company about the car. But I haven't figured out what I'm going to explain this to them or my parents," he says.
"How about my girlfriend saved me with her superpowers," I said with a smile.
"Yeah, Gracie, about those superpowers…" he says.
"Yeah, I suppose you do deserve an explanation. My dad has a rare gene, and my mom has a weird element in her blood. You put them together and you end up with a weird abilities."
"So it's just a genetic thing, random?" he asked.
"Uh, not exactly my mom picked up her rare element, uh in her work," I say.
"Fallout from Agent Orange?" he asks.
"Umm…Mom wasn't in Vietnam, but something like that." She'd hate that he thought she was that old.
"So are there lots of people with glowing hands?" he asked.
"Uh, they monitor all the people that were exposed to this element, and do genetic testing on their spouses. I mean they have since they found out about me."
"So you and Carter are the only ones?" he asked.
"So far," I say.
"Your kids going to have this?" he asks.
"We're not sure. Kind of new territory. It's possible," I say.
Dr. Lam walks in and she's got that pale faced thin lipped face she wears when one of her patients is in big trouble. I glance at the corner bed, which is empty.
"Grace," she says shaking her head, "You know you can't heal people until you pass out."
"He would have died," I said.
"You've had people you were healing die on you before Grace. You know better than to risk your life!" She's furious.
"This was Zach, I couldn't let Zach die," I said shocked that she wouldn't see the difference.
"You are Grace, we don't want you to die either," she says.
"How serious is this?" I say.
"Grace, you have almost no white blood cells. Your condition is compounded by the fact that you had quite a few injuries of your own when the healing was taking place. We've given you a blood transfusion, and repaired the damage as much as we could. Grace, it doesn't look good."
Zach is seriously freaking out right now.
I close my eyes, "Has Mom tried the healing device?" I ask.
"Your mom isn't very good at that thing. We need a Tok'ra to do a good job of it. We've called them, but they haven't come yet. They don't always come."
"Right, I'm usually your first line of defense in this kind of thing," I say closing my eyes.
I look over at Zach he's crying.
"Zach, it's going to be alright," I say.
"You can't die for me," he says.
"No one is dying," Zach.
"I love you Grace," he says.
"Holy Hannah!" I say.
"Don't die," he says.
"I love you too Zach," I say. I'm thinking, thinking about how I can save myself. Suddenly Carter enters the room. He grins, "That's a great idea Grace!" He turns to Dr. Lam, "Where do you keep the healing device?"
She wrinkles her forehead.
"We have naquada in our blood," I explain.
"Naquada isn't enough, you have to know how to heal," Dr. Lam says.
"Uh…Carter can read minds, and he read my mind to see what healing was like," I explain.
"I think I can do this, let me try," he says.
"It's a long shot," Dr. Lam says all thin lipped, "But she is our Gracie. I'll be right back."
Carter looks really nervous as he stands over me. His hand is shaking as it hovers over my body.
"It's ok," I think. "Try your best. If I die, it's my own fault. Just get it closer, that's it. See the white blood cells. Ok, just puff the dead ones. That's it you're doing it. I really want to live, feel it? Feel it? It will help you. Now poof some more blood cells. Stop if you get a headache. I don't know if it happens with these devices, but we don't need two sick people. You are a natural Carter. Oh, you popped one, a bit more gentle. But it's ok, it's only one. You know how many of those things die a day? Ok, it's ok, you're doing good. Feeling stronger already. Don't forget the ones still in the bone marrow. Those are probably the most important. That's it. You're getting them. Still ok Carter?"
"I'm fine, Grace," he says out loud. It's long minutes with my brain guiding his before the healing device shuts off, and I know the job is done.
Carter take my hand. I smile up at him, "Good job, kid."