Updated this.
A/N: I had a tremendous amount of difficulty in writing this. Everything in it, especially since I feel the need to vilify just about every ally the SGC has ever had.
I don't know much about cooking, so if there are any hardcore chefs and cooks out there, don't be enraged by my descriptions of cooking. Keep in mind that english isn't my first language and most of this is self-taught.
Disclaimer: I can't even begin to claim to own anything you may recognize as a part of the Stargate franchise. Sadly, no, not me.
Changing Circumstances – chapter five
Despite all the stargate activations he has experienced while being the supervising commander of the delta site, Colonel Jack O'Neill still looks up, alerted when the gate begins to dial a sequence on its own. An incoming wormhole, a post on the site confirms, but the Colonel is close enough to recognize the symbols as yet another contact from Earth. Unscheduled, he notes mentally with knitted brows. Even after identifying the address, he makes sure to be armed with a P90, just in case, as the team of soldiers posted at the gate readies for a transmission.
He has to admit, the delta site is different from any alpha or beta sites he has been to. Different in the capacity that it is not built like a fortress to be defended, but rather as separate stations of food supplies, weapons supplies, medical supplies – supplies in general. Even then, this job is making the Colonel go all sorts of crazy. He misses going on more dangerous missions, he misses Earth, he misses the SGC.. he misses Sam – and Ellie. When he got the assignment, he figured it was out of spite; some politician he'd pissed off too many times. But then Landry assured him that it was to see how he'd handle leadership when suspended on one planet. A month into this slight vacation, Mitchel had been given command of SG-1 to tour the galaxy. With the thought of Sam and Ellie in mind, the Colonel wasn't as displeased as he could have been, sensing his being retired. Mitchel is smart, and with Teal'c, Daniel and Vala he will know the galaxy in no time. Ryan Sherwood – newly promoted Major – had joined this expedition of sorts.
There are nothing bad with the delta site. Far less scientists, just enough for the Colonel to handle on a good day. Things are slow, shipments and records-keeping the more boring aspects. A visit from some allies is the closest thing he has been to sensing tension. And it was more of a natural suspicion towards new ideas. Anyhow, the Colonel now knows every man on site, even having dubbed a nick name or two. And he knows who brought a desk of cards. The lucky thing about being in charge.
There are a few men he would like to see off-base someday, but mostly he has tired of the company. He misses being on SG-1, or any SG team for that matter. The action, the fun, the humor. Nobody seems to get his here. They chuckle uncomfortably, and that sure isn't the intention. And maybe he is a daredevil, but he certainly isn't suited for the boring lifestyle being on charge on a delta site offers.
The dialing has stopped and creates a stable wormhole. He knows the technicalities, but he can't say it doesn't look beautiful when that whirl of water splashes out only to retreat again. He looks at Yates, the person who normally tests for a receiving code – they haven't got an iris, but shoot on sight isn't a concept to be taken lightly. When he nods and signals the okay to the Colonel, men with the P90s lower their weapons as one single person steps through.
The Colonel doesn't immediately recognize him, but knows that he works at the SGC. A pang of jealousy shoots through him but he puts it aside. Whoever he is, he has not come to rub it in. By now it has been nearly three months since Jack was on Earth.
"Colonel O'Neill," he greets once he steps down from the small podium. The wormhole closes after him.
"That'd be me," he says and studies the brown-haired, BDU-dressed newcomer. He is obviously air force – says so on his uniform. The soldiers with P90s retreat once the threat is over, casually going back to their posts. He pretends not to notice the curious gazes they send his way.
"Captain Henderson, sir!" the newcomer declares. "I'm here in General Landry's stead with an urgent message demanding your return to Earth, sir!"
"Really? What's this about?"
The captain hands him a note and states: "I was to say that Major Ryan Sherwood is to be shortly placed in charge – temporarily," Henderson adds hesitantly. His over-eager attitude fails to be obedient.
The Colonel reads the note, written in Landry's handwriting obviously rapidly, stating something that makes Jack sick to his stomach. He nods to Henderson and radioes Ryan, telling him of his newest accomplishment as head of the delta site. Startled, Ryan accepts and Jack nods to Yates, who begins to dial Earth.
And as he steps through the stargate, he wonders how the hell Sam got involved with Jaffa when she is supposed to be in California.
x STARGATE SG-1 x
Twenty hours earlier
Sam winces as she grazes her wrist on the hot hobs, nearly cursing in pain. She makes a beeline for the sink, running cold water and holding her wrist in it. She lets out a sigh of relief as the pain eases. Even though she has been reading in the living room, Ellie magically appears in the doorway to the kitchen, her eyes and expression concerned.
"Mom, are you okay?" she asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I burned myself," Sam admits, feeling the cool water dampen the pain. Ellie frowns and steps closer, inspecting the pots.
"What're you doing?" her daughter questions curiously, putting the forgotten book on the kitchen table before hopping up and sitting on the table. Her long hair lingers above the pot like cinnamon steam. When she looks up at her mother, her pale bluish eyes shine analytically at her. The expression startles her, reminding Sam so much of how Martouf would look at her like she was a never-ending enigma he enjoyed unraveling.
"Er, cooking. Daniel and Vala are coming over, remember?" she reminds her daughter, examining the angry red mark left by the heat. She turns off the faucet as Ellie stirs the contents of the pot with the spatula.
"Oh," Ellie says, recalling the conversation. She smiles, and Sam knows why; Vala and Daniel are some of the people she can discuss and impress with her knowledge of the societies beyond the stars. Even now she likes attention, likes to get praised for work well done, but keeps it humble, and Sam has caught her daughter making intentional mistakes when playing and talking to her friends from school. While she should be worried, she remembers a time when she was considered weird for being smart and made herself sound dumber than she was to be socially accepted. She cannot scold her daughter for being so wise to have figured out a way to belong. Besides, when she rides she can always pretend that she is a natural.
How Ellie interprets her memories are beyond Sam, who still has trouble separating her and Pakhet's memories. She has never voiced any concerns about it, Ellie having stopped drawing the memories once she was old enough to understand the severity of the situation. Sam suspects that she likes the idea of being special; even if she can't tell anybody but personnel of Stargate Command.
Sam has invited them for dinner because she misses them, of course, but also to hear about how Jack was when they saw him, and hear about the new SG-1. She has met Cameron Mitchel once, and he seems like a nice guy, but she is in no position to be deciding whether or not he is competent for leading the flagship team. She doesn't know what to think of Vala yet, but has on occasion appreciated her blunt ways. She keeps a fire to Daniel that Sam hasn't seen since Sha're.
Ellie joins their cooking and only when Sam instructs her to go clean her play space and change clothes does she leave Sam's side. Sam finds herself bumping into the drawers more often than before and attributes it to her pregnancy. She is advancing without complications, which can only be taken well. She has been relieved to find out that even though this pregnancy is her second, it follows the same path as her first. She has had relatively no morning sickness and aside from mild migraines (attributed to the lack of suppressants and her body adapting to its new state), she has been able to keep up with Ellie's schedules. She has had more time to spend with Ellie and taken some burden off Andy and Alyson. Actually Ellie and Sam have babysat Bree once, so Andy and his girlfriend could go and have some time without "the child". Ellie is great with the beagle, and has taken more responsibilities on her shoulders since Sam informed her of Aaron, despite never having been told.
When Ellie returns minutes later, she offers to watch the pots and pans while Sam herself go change. Reluctantly, Sam goes, having showered this afternoon, changing into a pair of new jeans – she has trouble fitting her old ones by now – and a loose-fitting navy top accompanied by a light-grey cardigan. She throws a hairbrush through her long hair and eyes the stack of papers that need to be graded before next week. She puts her feet into a pair of recently acquired ballerinas, which spares her back immensely. So far she has only told a handful of people about her condition, Ellie being one of them and sworn to secrecy. Then there's Mark and Julie, Janet and Dr. Laurel.. Vala and Daniel are not on the list. Maybe she will tell them tonight.
When they arrive, she greets them warmly, hugging them both and Ellie immediately goes on to talk with Vala about relics and mythology while Daniel retreats to the kitchen with Sam.
"So, .. you guys looking forward to Jack's homecoming?" he asks casually while fidgeting with his glasses.
Sam bites her bottom lip while she stirs the pot. "Yeah. It's been a long three months. But it's okay, I understand that he is still with the program. I accept it."
"But you miss him," he interprets matter-of-factly. Letting go of the subject, he glances through the door towards Vala and Ellie. "It's so weird. You, Jack, the new SG-1 team. There was a time where I couldn't phantom that we'd be separated."
"Life has a way of throwing things off course, Daniel," Sam states with a smile as she lifts the pot from the stove. The delicious smell of pasta reaches her nostrils instantly once she sieves the cavatappi. The sauce with small pieces of spiced chicken is soon to be ready.
"Definitely in our line of business," Daniel comments, fishing one of the twisted pastas into his mouth. He sends her a sheepish expression. "Jack told me to do that."
"He always does," Sam confirms. Knowing the table is set – thanks to an eager Ellie, – she focuses on the last of the cooking. "How are you and Vala doing?"
At his quizzical expression, it is clear that he doesn't know what she is referring to. "You mean Landry's deal with how I have to keep eyes on her? We've had a few mishaps, but she is getting there. You know non-military," he grins.
Sam nods, knowing that she shouldn't pry into the romantic aspects of Daniel's life. He will get there soon enough; she is just worried that, as he said, in their line of business, time will be cut short. "Could you open the red wine? It needs to ventilate. There's a decanter on that shelf if you don't mind."
"I don't," the archeologist declares while he does as told. Sam knows it is bold serving wine when she cannot drink any herself, but admits that it would be even more suspicious to serve no wine at all. She has kept her intake of alcohol low since she quitted SG-1, no longer being required to taste off-world brews to prove her worth or for political reasons. She occasionally enjoys a good wine, but hasn't found the lack of it hard.
The small plop tells her that it is opened, followed by the sound of liquid filling the decanter. She tends to the last pot with the sauce before going to prepare a salad with rich lettuce and peanuts and berries. It is one of the few Ellie likes, so even if it is a little off-put, she is certain Daniel will understand. As beverages for Ellie and herself, she has a second decanter with carbonated water and three cans of soda, in case.
The evening goes well and dinner is popular. When Vala and Daniel depart, Ellie has already fallen asleep on the couch and Daniel has carried her to bed with Vala sending him a wicked smile with benign intentions. Sam pretends not to see the way Daniel studies her movements, assessing something. So when Vala has hugged Sam goodbye and gone to the car (with a warning from Daniel to wait), he steps back into her personal space, placing a light kiss on her forehead, before saying, "Jack is going to be proud, Sam."
x STARGATE SG-1 x
Sam has trouble falling asleep that night, trying to determine whether or not it is that obvious that she is pregnant. Daniel made no fuss about it, but merely congratulated her in his own, subtle way not to rise suspicion. One of Pakhet's memories hit her when she thinks of the care, Daniel radiates. The sensory impact is mild, because she knows immediately where and when she is, recognizing that fateful day she and Pakhet escaped Ba'al clutches, wounding him in the process. The sensations are as clear as day, the wind against her face so vivid. She remembers his shocked expression and his instinctual protection of that negotiator – Mia Hernandez. She chuckles in her semi-sleep. Daniel has always been attractive to females, but finds their attention odd and misplaced.
When she finally falls asleep, it is into a vivid dream of people and impressions, omens and dragon-like creatures resembling giant Goa'uld symbiotes.
She awakes suddenly in the middle of the night. The room is dark, swallowed by darkness of night, but the digital clock next to her says 3:04 AM. Frowning at her sudden awakening, she listens for a while to seemingly nothing, wondering what the hell jerked her from her slumberous sleep. Just as she is about to return to sleep, she hears the slightest noise – and it is not natural; it is the sound of somebody not familiar with the layout of the house bumping into a kitchen drawer, its silverware quivering in response. Sam has made the mistake at least ten times today, by now totally familiar with the noise. But even if Ellie is coming down for a glass of water or milk, she knows the layout of the kitchen. Inhaling sharply, Sam gets out of bed, throwing the blankets aside and sneaking downstairs, hopefully quiet.
Is it an intruder? Jack has made her promise never to keep a gun in the house, so her immediate response is to grab the aluminum softball bat she keeps in her closet. It is a gift from Mark when she moved in. Right now, the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she cannot recall the joke he made about it, but she tries to overhear her own fast heartbeat and hazy breath. The imagery of her must be funny as hell, but she is alerted, trying to listen for footsteps. Should she go to Ellie's room first? No, no reason to freak her daughter out if it's a stray cat or the wind. She doesn't think it's that, but wouldn't mind it.
Armed with the bat and the knowledge of how to do harm, she sneaks downstairs, holding her breath. Shadows are everywhere, mostly inanimate, but at the right turn of the living room, she sees something moving. Pushing herself against the wall and freezing, she tries to make out the silhouettes. To her astonishment, she identifies the gleam from staff weapons and armor. Jaffa? What the hell are Jaffa doing here? Her theory about coincidences flies out the window as she realizes with a cold, sweaty sensation that they must be here for Ellie or her. Should she attempt to move upstairs? And do what, a particularly snarky voice inside her head asks. She vaguely recalls plan B for evacuating them, but then realization hits. The remote activator for the locating beacon is in the drawer in the living room currently occupied by Jaffa. From the looks of it, five, all armed and apparently not of the Free Nation.
Plan B was created four years ago. Seeing as she is a citizen of Earth, the Stargate Program decided that Elara might be a valuable future asset worth protection. Therefore, both she and Sam have been injected with locating beacons activated by a small device she has kept hidden from curious partgoers and never used. It will sent a subspace signal to the Nephelai, an interstellar cruiser capable of planetary defense. It is hidden in Earth's orbit, Earth being its primary concern and having beaming technology. Not even in the same class as Prometheus and the Daedalus, it is still capable of kicking butts.
Which helps nothing right now. Sam readies herself for action as the Jaffa come closer to the stairs, obviously intending to head for their bedrooms. Texting Daniel won't help, but she quickly sends a text to the SGC, hoping it will help. It is short and ridiculously lacking of actual message besides the Jaffa in my house – Sam Carter, but it will have to do. She grits her teeth and raises the bat before she bluntly hits one Jaffa over the head. He drops unconscious immediately, and Sam doesn't have the time to be surprised at her efficiency before his buddies have discovered that they're not alone. Weapons fire break out and Sam falls back, nearly crashing into the shelves as she retreats. The Jaffa on the floor has dropped his staff weapon, but she is in no condition to be quick enough to grab it without getting hit.
Once they realize she will not be in range, they move aggressively in, firing upon sight on a shadow moving. Her grip on the handle of the bat becomes sweaty, but she tries to hide herself enough to whack one of them over the head. She succeeds once, smacking the second Jaffa over the head, but then feels the end of a staff being pressed down her spine. She is pushed to her feet and landing awkwardly, she expects a quick execution, but the Jaffa whose staff weapon is currently pressed to her throat shouts orders in Goa'uld to the two remaining Jaffa. His forehead gleams and Sam grows nauseous to identify gold in his forehead. A First Prime. Obviously loyal, maybe rogue, but definitely out to get her. She whimpers involuntary as she is hit on her with the blunt end of the weapon, smacking her backwards. Something cracks and the world goes out of phase for a second, but it is enough for the First Prime to get the upper hand. Another Jaffa storms up the stairs and Sam cries out in rage, trying to fight free from the stoic hold on her shoulder. Mercilessly, the First Prime shouts to the remaining Jaffa, who is waking the other two, and Sam's slurred brain translates the krees to something like get ready.
"Kel Harcesis?" the Prime asks, bending down her her level. She doesn't have to remember Pakhet's lessons to translate where is the harcesis.
Flippantly, she replies: "Tel kol?" I beg your pardon?
The action of flippancy costs her a black eye and a kick to her torso. She cries out, no longer accustomed to pain. The First Prime pulls her up by the hair – pretty indignant for a Jaffa – and she spits out blood on him. Rapid Goa'uld flows from his mouth and before she can blink, kicks and fists come from everywhere, the First Prime's grip on her arms not loosening, merely restraining her, leaving her face and body defenseless and unprotected. She curses at the honor of the Jaffa and tries to catch a glimpse of their god's symbol. She gets it, even in the darkness, but blood drips from he temple, into her left eye and the right eye is too swelled to look out. It hurts over her body. One boot hits her knees, sending the bone singing for salvation, another steps on her wrist, a staff weapon is jabbed against her hip (but evoking no crack), and it is a merciless treatment. She shouts and screams out words in Goa'uld, random and intentional till she cannot focus no longer. Her thoughts echo in pain, every inch of skin so tenderly hurt that she cries out and passes out just as she sees one of the Jaffa manhandling Ellie.
She crawls away, but another whack with the staff weapon hits her on her back. She collapses, but looks up at the First Prime, fury burning in her eyes, the worst insults she can come up with directed at him. Why has he not used his staff weapon? In her condition, a single shot would end her life. Her assailants retreat, barely glancing her way, but the First Prime keeps his weapon against her throat. Behind her, he shouts out to one of his Jaffa, who steps forward, handing him something the size of a handgun. Sam eyes Ellie, who is fiercely struggling against the Jaffa's hold, using the common girlish techniques and trained moves, but coming up nowhere. One Jaffa lies dead on the floor, apparently not having survived the massive whack with the bat. Sam tries to come up with some brilliant way of saving them, even in her fragile state, but all she can see is the terror and horror in Ellie's eyes as they find one another in the dark room.
"Ellie! Sweetheart, don't be afraid..!" Sam exclaims, but the First Prime aims the object handed to him – a zat, she realizes with scorn on her face – on Ellie, shooting once and Sam watches helplessly as her daughter goes limp in the arms of a stranger with no good intentions.
"Please," Sam begs, her defense weak. "She's my daughter.. my child.. kal'ma," she cries, her body too weak to move. Too battered and beaten, yet she crawls on, her legs dragged behind her. She prays for mercy but once she looks at the stone-cold expression of the Jaffa, she realizes nothing short of a miracle will get them out of this. The last thing she sees is the serpentine barrel of the zat before she falls unconscious into a blissful numbness.
A/N: Totally un-betaed, how did you like it? Consequences will happen in next chapter, but I expect a few horrified reviews or comments. I'd like to hear precisely what you liked, what you hated, did you expect it or what? Then maybe I can write another chapter before going off-computer for the next seven days as I am going on a camp.