Chapter Fourteen: Magical Assistance

Just as Jack was about to speak to the surprise visitor, Sam walked into the bedroom. "Hey is Daniel okay? We heard him shout." With that Sam paused and took in the sight before her. She looked to Jack and Daniel who were in shocked silence as well. "Queen Zarkina?"

The young woman smiled cheekily, "Nice to know you remember me."

"Why would we not?" Jack asked.

"I do not understand time travel and its ramifications, nor do I wish to see more consequences, though I would like to see my son."

Jack looked away, turning to Daniel to see his young spouse cringe and there was nothing that Akina ever missed when she was in a room. She crossed her arms over her chest, and Jack took a moment to realize not much time had gone by for her either, she still looked the same as she ever did with her black and silver hair plaited into a long braid that lay over her shoulder. She wore soft leather pants, black as well as a grey long sleeve shirt with a black leather vest over it and black knee-high boots. They hadn't even noticed the two dark-haired women standing on either side of her.

"Lust? Desire?" Jack questioned, despite having not seen the two sisters in five years, it was impossible to forget the two women who made it possible for Jack and Daniel to have their children. They still wore their wavy black hair loose except for several braids at the temple and down behind their ears to keep the dark mass out of their faces. They stood with their hands clasped in front of them, wearing leather pants much like Akina's but their shirt was worn long in panels in front of their legs as well as behind. It was a strange choice for women who were fighters but then Desire and Lust were never really physical fighters, they had always used their abilities to stall possible conflict. "How did you all get here without a time traveler?"

Akina apparently grew bored with the lack of answers so she gave one of her own, "Well Jack, I realized that since Greer and I were living in close proximity to one another, I was able to use my base ability and copy his time manipulation power but it took me a long time to figure how to access the power especially without the presence of Varrick though Zara has been working to help me. Then I had to find out when you were. Lust and Desire gave me the answer."

Daniel was still silent so Jack questioned since Akina enjoyed the process of laying out each piece of information for them, "How?"

"They reached across time and grasped the link between themselves and their children, it being a magical connection as well as a physical one gave us the power to follow it back. I could not find Greer's link, it was not strong enough without a little help and they were willing to come with me and help me find all of you."

"Wow, I can't believe what I'm seeing," Jack whispered. "Can you find them?"

Akina frowned, "Why would I need to find them?"

Jack winced, that was stupid but she would need to know.

"They were taken," Daniel whispered hoarsely.

"What is this?" Akina demanded, clearly pissed about them losing her son.

"That is why the sensation of them is so weak. They are only an echo within this home," Lust said, looking to her sister who nodded.

"Just so you know, its your son's fault we are here at all. His Magis, Varrick, decided that we should go home and Zada took him with so we could hopefully return to the world where our children are safe."

"Explain to me what has happened," Akina demanded, brooking no arguments.

Jack stood, even while Daniel grappled with his wrist but Jack shook him off. "Don't think you can lay down commands here milady," he gave a sarcastic bow before her. "You are not the queen here, this is not your time and we are not your subjects!" he was shouting before the end and Daniel heaved a tired sigh as he flopped back on the bed.

"Daniel? Please," Akina pleaded as Jack started rocking back and forth in his anger.

"Yesterday men in masks came into our home as well as Sam's home, drugged and beat us down and took all the children. Since Greer lives with us, he was taken as well."

"And you do not know where they have been taken?" Akina asked.

Daniel shook his head across his pillow, tears slipping down the side of his face silently. Jack heard someone coming up the stairs, recognizing his mother's gait and rushed to the door to close his bedroom door with the uninvited guests hidden from her gaze. "What's up Mama?" he asked.

"We heard shouting, are you and Daniel fighting?"

Jack frowned, "No Mama, Daniel woke from a nightmare. We're not fighting."

Lauren nodded though she was looking at him like he was lying or maybe she hoped he was. "How you holding up Johnny?"

Jack flinched, "Please don't call me that until after I have my Johnny home and safe again."

Lauren nodded and placed a gentle hand on Jack's arm, "May I ask you something Jack?"

Jack looked back at the door, hearing quiet voices coming from within, Daniel's deep rumble as well as the girls though they were being really quiet. "Sure Mom," he said with a long suffering sigh.

"Are you really sure all this chaos is worth it? Is he worth it? He was snapping at the kids the other day before they were taken, he's been causing you trouble ever since you got back and it seems like your just willing to deal with all this crap for some twisted love that you won't give up for the sake of the kids."

He frowned, "You are never going to accept him really, are you? I thought you did before at the wedding and after the attack but you don't want to accept him."

Lauren glared at the closed bedroom door, "You didn't answer me."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this to my own mother," Jack said between gritted teeth. He was kidding himself about his mother, about her ability to let go of the past and let go of some strange control she thought she had over him. "I agree with Daniel, you don't know anything about the last ten years of my life, actually you haven't known much about my life since Sarah divorced me. You choose her over me when she left me and when I didn't go after her and now for some reason you think that if you can just undermine Daniel as my spouse and the partner in my kids' lives then I will leave him and return to some faux happy existence with Sarah."

Lauren gasped, "How dare you!"

"No Mom, how dare you! If you want to stay here and be supportive then stop attacking my spouse, otherwise leave. I watched the pain in him as well as anger when you were so loving and caring with Sam and never once offered even a word of comfort to Daniel. He is your son-in-law."

"No he's not! Gay marriage isn't binding in this state," Lauren scoffed.

"Lauren!" Ben snapped as he walked up the stairs towards them, "Goddammit woman, our son is going through an incredibly terrifying experience again, this time with all of his children and they know nothing of what's happening to them. You choose now of all times to force you issues on him again?"

Lauren slapped a hand over her mouth as if just realizing that this would be so much worse than Charlie, they knew what had happened to his first son while know all of his children were being held against their will and possibly being hurt though from what Daniel said, so far the people were just drugging them. Jack shook off the anger and the fear, looking back again to the door, hoping that Akina might bring them some more information about getting the kids back maybe.

"It doesn't matter what you say or what you think, I am never leaving Daniel and its because I am in love with him, not because I have kids with him or we have some sort of contract with each other. I decide to wake up next to him every morning and go to sleep with him every night because I want to. You have been around for a few big dramas but have never been here to see the harmony of this house and the amazing Dad and spouse that Daniel is because you choose not to see it. Until you make a different choice maybe you should just go home, or at least back to the hotel."

With another sad look to his father, Jack walked back into his bedroom and stared at them all. Daniel was sitting up in bed looking at him, reaching out a hand to Jack. The retired soldier took the archeologist's hand and kissed his knuckles. Daniel smiled a little.

"Did you hear all of that?" Jack asked.

Daniel shrugged while Akina took the more direct approach, "Yes."

Jack snorted in response to that, "Well now that you're here, can you find the kids?"

Akina shook her head, "I began a search while you were arguing with your mother about your right to love whomever you so choose, I cannot sense them cleanly, it might have do with this 'drugging' thing that Daniel was telling me about or because they are beneath the surface which would further obscure their signal to me, even with all the children together, it does not seem to help me retrieve a more accurate location."

Jack cursed, annoyed that even with magic they were not able to get the kids home. He didn't know how long it would be before they stopped drugging the kids and actually started trying to hurt them or getting them to use their powers which would amount to hurting them because Zale and Zada would fight them off. The twins would do anything to protect their siblings from harm and further discovery.

He pulled Daniel close again, tucking his head against his shoulder and pressed his lips to Daniel's soft hair while Akina and the twins looked around in curiosity of the room and undoubtedly the world they just landed in. Jack didn't know what time they would have but maybe he would be able to show Akina something about the world they came from.