Chapter Five: Trapped

Daniel was leaning against the blast door; slowly punching the metal surface while Jack tapped his foot impatiently and then with a shift it started to rise. Daniel struggled to his feet and helped Jack before the two of them rushed through the halls, not even questioning why the lights were still off as they ran into the stairwell since the elevator would undoubtedly still be down. They started down the stairs and Jack slipped ahead of Daniel when something cracked over Daniel's head and then he was falling, his vision wavering even while Jack shouted his name.

Johnny having seen his father fall, a heavy piece of metal pressed down on his stomach and blood pooling behind his head, screamed out and showed Zale what he saw. There was nothing they could do here, the doors were still locked and Zale looked to his sisters, "I'm sorry."

Zada nodded, "Go!"

Zale turned to Greer, "Can you pause time long enough for our absence not to be noticed?"

"I have no idea, Zale. I have not used my powers since we came here."

Zale took Greer's shoulder gently, "Focus on the power, and what you want. Close your eyes and see your power, I have to get to Daddy!"

Greer took a deep breath, closed his eyes and Zale noticed one of the men watching them. Once the lights went out most of them left the kids to their own devices but this man wouldn't take his eyes off of them. Zale refocused on Greer who took Johnny's hand and Zale wondered if his little brother was speaking to their friend since Greer was nodding as if in answer then the room slowed outside a shimmering bubble that appeared around them. Zale gripped Johnny's hand for a second, "I'm going to him now Johnny, and he's going to be okay!"

Johnny nodded then Greer's power snapped into place and Zale opened the path to his power and teleported to the stairwell where Papa was trying to lift the heavy piece of metal that was trapping a very still Daddy on the stairs.

"Papa, step back," Zale said.

Papa turned, "Zale what are you doing here?"

"I came to help Daddy," Zale said and reached his hand out and used the strength of his mind to pull the debris off of Daniel. It was heavier than anything Zale had ever tried to lift magically and it took precious moments that Daddy was bleeding. He felt the warm trickle of blood slipping out of his nose and down across his lips and chin. He forced power from the recesses of his body and mind. With a burst, the debris lifted off of Daddy and Zale moved it a safe distance away before he climbed the steps next to Daddy. He pressed his hands into Daniel's skin and searched his body and mind for the worst injuries, even as Papa moved close.

"Zale, you know how Daddy feels about this, you shouldn't be healing anyone and you need to get back to where you came from!"

Zale looked to his father, "He's losing too much blood Papa, he could die before the infirmary doors are open again."

Papa looked torn as he looked between Zale and Daddy and then nodded, "Do as little as possible Z-Man then get out of here."

Zale nodded and pressed his mind into his Daddy's body, searching out the worst of the wounds, the head wound was bleeding a lot, internally as well as all around on the steps so he did a quick patch job that was all he was capable of since his powers were not healing focused then he patched the ribs that the piece of metal shattered and he felt as Daddy took a deep even breath and knew it would be enough.

"Get help to him as soon as you can Papa!" Zale said and hugged his father before he snapped back to the door outside the infirmary to see everything still moving in slow motion and it still looked like he was still in the room so he moved himself into the bubble where Greer was shaking and Johnny was holding him tightly.

"I'm back Greer, let it go!" Zale whispered as he took Johnny and Greer into his arms and he felt the magic fall away. All three of them took a deep breath and he found himself pressing the heel of his hand against the blood streaming down his nose. Greer had blood coming from his nose and his ears with Johnny rubbing his back gently. Janet came towards them, blocking them from view of the other nurses.

"What did you do Zale?" Janet whispered as she ushered the three of them into a private room and started cleaning them up and checking them over.

Zale said nothing, he may not be able to ignore his Daddy's pain but he did know silence was better than speaking to the wrong person about what they were capable of. He couldn't even tell their aunt where Daddy Daniel was because he shouldn't know. It was frustrating, this magic-less world. So he allowed Janet to fuss and clean them up, putting them through some extra tests for the bleeding but it wouldn't be something she was ever going to understand. The powers they had were muscles and he stretched his too far, pushing them to save Daddy while Greer overstepped to protect them from being found out.

"I would never do anything to hurt any of you kids, you know that right?" Janet asked him, gripping his chin gently so he would look her in the eyes.

Zale nodded.

"My daughter isn't from this planet and I have done all I could to protect her and I would do the same for all of you and your fathers."

He couldn't say anything, already broke enough rules so when his phone rang again, he reached into his pocket and handed it to Janet. She frowned at him and answered, "Frasier."

Zale knew it was Papa when Janet rushed from the room and the lights flicked back on. Zale wondered about the timing of everything that had happened and when he walked out of the private room, he looked around for the man who had been watching him only to find him gone and Papa was pulling a limping Daddy into the doors and Janet helped Papa to get him onto a bed to check out the injuries as she demanded what happened and Jack told her. Zale reached out to take Greer's hand and Johnny's to bring them out of the private room to rejoin the girls. Zada was giving Zale a look, one that said they were going to talk about what happened when they were home.

He figured that was very true. At this point Zale just wanted to get them all off this base because he had a feeling they were all being tricked, trapped by more than that debris that trapped Daddy to the stairs and hurt him. Zale could not say he really understood the reasons Daddy and Papa couldn't let them be magical here but he trusted them both with all of their lives.