CHAPTER 15 – SHE HOLDS THE KEY

She thought that she didn't care where she went, but unwittingly she had planned a subconcious route, and it let to Kate Heitmeyer. She knew that without those unlocked memories, they had nothing concrete and she had seen the look on Elizabeth's face. Sympathy, yes – but her look had said that she believed Dani would make the right decision, for everyone.

Kate was in her office, and she looked up in surprise when Dani walked in. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon. An extremely emotional session such as the one you underwent the other day, needs a little time to get over. Are you here to talk, or are you going to push yourself further than you should really go at this point?"

"Elizabeth told you, didn't she...?" Dani flopped down hard onto the couch and tipped her head back against the rest.

"She thought you'd come here when you left the control room, so she gave me the heads up. Don't worry, she was discreet. She gave the impression that you needed to get away from the others for a while. My suggestion Dani? Don't go again for the hypnosis just yet... just talk to me, about anything. Sometimes just talking can unlock certain barriers that we didn't even know we had put up."

Dani felt comfortable with Kate and knew that in another life, they would have been friends. Friends... she thought bitterly. How will I ever know who to trust again? Kate saw the twist of her features and could only guess at the thoughts that were going through her head. She also saw by the resolve in her eyes, that she would disregard Kate's suggestion.

"Put me under Kate... please." Kate sighed. "I have to go on record as saying that I don't agree with what you are doing and you are going against my recommendations. Do you understand that?"

"I'll sign any damn disclaimer you want, just do it... please."

Two pair of eyes flickered quickly to the door as it slid open and a dishevelled John Sheppard walked in, fists still untreated and raw, and an angry set to his jaw. "You're coming with me Dani. It's too soon, it can't happen again, you know that." He stood in front of her and reached to grab her upper arm, pulling so that she came up off the couch.

Kate, fascinated in spite of herself, by the undercurrents that crackled between them, interjected dryly. "I've been through this already with her Colonel, she's made her decision, be it the right one or not, she was presented with all the facts."

"It's not her call Doc, it's mine. Come with me Dani, now."

Anger now in her eyes, she pulled her arm out of his grip and pushed slightly at his chest to move him. "Don't give me any of that macho crap, I'm not in the mood. I'll make any damn decision I please, and you are interupting a private session here. I would suggest you leave."

Wow, steel is right. So not the woman who came through that stargate. Will the real Dani please stand up? "I'm not leaving Dani." He closed his eyes briefly. "If you have to do it now, you'll do it with me here. You'll not do it alone. Ok?" She nodded once, tightly as though it hurt to move her head, and sank back onto the couch. This time John did not sit with her, but moved to the back of the room, out of her line of vision, and paced like a caged animal.

"Ok Dani, we'll take the same route as last time, but this time I need to take you deeper and further back, to when you first met Ted. To when you first started to get suspicious."

Kate began then, talking her backwards through points in time and giving her the safe haven to come back to, to always come back to. John watched as she smiled a happy smile, her meeting with Ted for the first time, at a political dinner put on by the senator, with whom Ted was an old friend. Still happy, as they began the early stages of their relationship, and John had to push the jealous spark that rose in a single motion, back inside where it belonged. She talked then about her suspicions. The group that would meet regularly at Ted's apartment, sometimes when she had stayed over. Snippets of conversation heard, small clues and a general sense that they were involved in something very bad. Then one night they had attended a dance, and the vice president had been there and had called Ted and several others away to a meeting in one of the back rooms. Feeling uneasy without knowing why, Dani had discreetly followed them, waiting outside the door, hearing just small amounts, but enough to know that what they were planning, was paramount to terrorist activities and that it involved travel between planets. There had been talk in DC, covert talk, about the possibility of a programme that allowed interstellar travel, but like much that was discussed in DC, it was unsubstantiated and Dani did not put much stock in general rumours.

So Dani had bided her time. Smiled prettily and played the dutiful girlfriend, inside she had become mistrustful and suspicious and started recording dates, times and what had been discussed and even going so far as to make recordings using her sophistated phone and photos where she was able. She had compiled a substantial amount of discriminating evidence and decided to go to her boss, to get advice on where to take it.

Little did she know that he was also a key player and she was instantly suspicious when he told her to drop it, that she didn't have all the facts and would only end up embarassing herself. She left the meeting, feeling a little uncertain, but knowing that she had to hide the file that she carried with her, the one she had taken to the meeting, hidden in her briefcase. She suspected that if the senator had known she carried it with her, she would have been taken then and there.

If you want to hide something, hide it in plain sight... a good friend had once told her that. At work, the senator's office had a small library attached to it, filled with mainly political and legal books, but a shelf had also been dedicated to files on different rulings, the file covers the same as she was using. She had simply put it with the others, marked with an inocuous title that would arouse no suspicions, and it was leaving the office that evening at the end of her working day, that she had been attacked in the carpark, drugged and bundled into the back of a van.

Dani's breathing had become rapid and shallow and Kate quickly brought her out. They had the information they needed, John had already activated his ear comm and quietly relayed the information to Elizabeth to pass on to General O'Neill. John then dropped in front of her, waiting for her eyes to open and when they did, she did not show signs of recognition. "Dani? Look at me sweetheart... do you know where you are?" She looked disorientated, too much information had passed through her head and she was essentially in overload, with a part of her mind shutting down to allow for the information to be processed.

No reply, and John drew her upwards, then swung her into his arms when she looked as though she was about to collapse. "This is what you warned her about Kate? I'll take her to see Carson, get her checked out."

Kate nodded. "I was afraid something like this might happen. Emotional overload is an unknown and we don't know what it's effects on individual minds are going to be. She really needs some time, but I doubt that's going to happen given the urgency of the situation. While you're there John, in the infirmary – please get those hands taken care of..." John's smile was a grim one, and he left Kate's office.

Dani was shaking uncontrollably by the time he got her to the infirmary and Carson took one look at her and indicated he put her on the nearest bed. "You've got some background for me Colonel? Or am I flying blind here?" John had just stood looking down at her and Carson jolted him verbally to get a reaction of any sort from him.

"Sorry Doc – the result of a second round of hypnosis, one I might add, she was recommended against doing. Kate said it was some sort of emotional overload. She's shut down.."

With a few more facts, Carson set about checking her vital signs, and saw them to be in the normal range. "She's ok, son – just needs some time. Take her to her quarters, it'll be quieter there and she can rest." When John bent to pick her up again, Carson stopped him with a look.

"Not so fast... let's get those hands treated first..."