Chapter Seventeen: Warrior is a Child
Jack shouted Daniel's name as he watched his spouse fall, as the shot rang out and faded into nothing. He had to get to the children, Daniel had not taken kill shots and the captors were struggling but still moving. He and Lust moved to do that, each of them picking up one of the twins and Johnny shuddered into Jack's free arm for a hug. Jack realized that Johnny had bruises across his throat and a split lip as well as several marks that were from some sort of energy device, marks Jack recognized from years of getting zatted when traveling through the Gate. He looked back again at Daniel who was being held by Desire, she was pressing a hand desperately into the wound.
"We need to get back to Akina, she can help Daniel," Jack pleaded and Lust nodded before she called out to her sister to teleport them back. Jack held onto Johnny and Zada while Lust held Zale close. Jack watched as Daniel, held in Desire's arms and it faded away. He hated not knowing where he was, the stomach dropping sensation before he landed back in his bedroom and laid Zada down and Zale was settled down next to her but when he turned around Johnny wasn't in the bedroom anymore. Jack rushed out of the room, watched as Johnny stumbled down the stairs like he'd only just woke up and Jack realized despite his littlest boy's ability to keep his eyes open, he'd been drugged as well. Jack followed him down to the living room where Desire was helping Ben to get Daniel onto the couch, and he rushed down to take his husband's hand, pressing several fingers against the pulse in his wrist, heaving a breath of relief to realize Daniel was still with them.
"We called Janet and she's on her way but this is bad Jack!" Ben said.
Jack nodded and turned to look at Lust and Desire, "Where's the queen?" he demanded. She was the only one capable of healing Daniel at all, Zale and Claire were both still drugged and Jack didn't want it to be on them anyway. He rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel and hurried back to press it into the seeping wound before he pulled it away and tried to figure where the bullet might have hit Daniel. It was in his upper chest, just to the side of where his heart was located but the blood pouring out of him was leaching the color from his skin and life from his body. Jack pressed the sopping towel back into his wound, pulling a breathy gasp from his mouth.
"Come on Danny, why does this keep happening to you?"
Ben touched his shoulder; "Maybe we should load up everyone and get them to the nearest hospital."
"The kids cannot be treated by anyone but Janet and Akina is the best chance Daniel has."
"That's not true, get him to a hospital and we will stay here with the children."
Jack looked at his dad then back to Daniel, he turned to Lust and gave her the address of the nearest hospital then let her access his mind to find the sense of what she was teleporting to. He showed her the parking garage and then they were there, Daniel held between them with his arms draped over their shoulders and as soon as the doors opened before them Jack shouted, "Help! I need a doctor!"
The nurses and attendants moved quickly to get Daniel onto a stretcher and Jack started answering questions as honestly as he can then dropped Hammond's name who was Daniel's superior and would be called, they wouldn't ask question once that happened. Daniel was wheeled into a room and a doctor and several nurses soaped up and went to work, pushing Jack out of the room and Lust took his hand.
"I do not understand this place and its purpose but Daniel is going to live through this and you are going to come back with us."
Jack pulled Lust away from the people and into a quiet corner, "Its not that simple, making a choice to leave this place. If we have to do it then we will but I have a family here. Friends here as well, that I wouldn't want to leave behind without saying goodbye and giving them a reason this time."
"Then explain and be ready. If the world you have here is one where your children can be kidnapped and Daniel is getting hurt constantly then why would you want to stay?"
With that Lust walked over to a vacant chair and flopped into the uncomfortable device, sat up when she figured that out and then slouched once more. She paid no attention to the stares she was getting for the slightly bizarre clothing but then Jack was still carrying his gun and the blood soaked shirt was sadly fitting in the hospital. He followed her lead, sitting down next to her and waited an indeterminately awful amount of time for someone to come tell him that Daniel was going to be okay. He was left to think of what Akina and the twins were offering with their presence. They had a chance to return to the Vannas world and Jack thought about Daniel being targeted in several attacks, about the children's anonymity was in pieces on the ground. There was nothing to undo the damage besides run away to some far off place and this was the only place where Daniel could truly work. He thought about the information on the phone that he forgot about in the chaos of losing the kids that Henry's parole officer couldn't contact him, couldn't pin him down. It was possibly that had nothing to do with Daniel but Jack didn't understand how to keep fighting all the different negatives at the same time.
He would need to speak to Daniel about everything, when he wasn't bleeding. He didn't know if the captors would be able to make another concentrated effort against the kids but for now they were surrounded and Desire was there. Magic outdid guns most of the time. He looked over at Lust though suddenly needing some kind of reassurance, "Are you in contact with Desire? Are the kids and my parents okay? What about Akina and the others?"
Lust gave him a long look before she answered, clearly wanting him to see how annoying he was to her. "Sam and Teal'c are there with the children, Akina is not though Greer will not leave Johnny's side so she is still in this time. The children are waking and worried."
Jack nodded and rubbed his fingers into his eyes, defeat slipping through his head and heart. He spent a good portion of the last ten years thinking that if they were ever able to return home that they could make it work. He knew now that it was a silly ideal, a stupid hope and though there were good moments, much of their time had been spent pushing against some force, usually a dangerous one.
"General O'Neill," a doctor called and he stood, leaving Lust slumped in her chair, picking at her nails with what appeared to be a penknife. He nudged her and tried to get her to put it away especially when others were giving her nervous, going-to-call-security kind of looks.
"Yes? How is Daniel Jackson?" he demanded.
"Does that woman have a knife?" he asked instead.
Jack sighed, "Yes but I have this and I don't intend on using it," he said as he waved the gun around a little. "Please tell me how Daniel is doing?"
"Well he lost a lot of blood but the bullet didn't hit any major arteries, he a little tired and he's going to be slow moving for a while but he's okay."
Jack pressed his hand to the man's shoulder and heaved a sigh of relief. "Can I see him?"
The doctor nodded and led Jack back, he didn't worry about Lust who was still cleaning her nails, walking through the doors into the back of the hospital the doctor led Jack into a private room and he gave the doctor a surprised look, "I got a call from a Doctor Frasier and she yelled at my staff until Doctor Daniel Jackson was guaranteed the best care as he is a consultant at Cheyenne. I figured it would be better to listen to her."
"I have found that to be true."
"Keep it short, he's been in and out since we dropped back on the anesthesia."
Jack nodded and walked over to the bed, leaning over his archeologist and rubbed a gentle hand through Daniel's damp hair. He'd been cleaned clearly; his chest was bare besides the wrap around his upper chest, wrapped over his right shoulder and under his left arm in a diagonal wrap. "Come on Danny, show me those baby blues okay love."
His eyes fluttered slowly and then he focused on Jack, "What happened?" he muttered then something clicked in his head because his eyes widened, "The children?"
"They are safe at home, you injured the people holding them and got shot yourself, you found the girls right?"
Daniel nodded slowly, "We got them back to the house before we came to find you."
"Thank god, I figured as much but in the chaos of getting you here, I forgot."
Daniel shook his head, "Bad Papa," he muttered with a slight grin around his lips.
"I'm going to get you home as soon as possible but I gotta get back to the kids. I am going to make sure you have a guard here but I promise I am coming back as soon as I can."
Daniel closed his eyes, nodded slowly. "They need you Jack, be with them. Tell them how much I love them and I will be home as soon as possible."
Jack nodded, swiping at an errant tear in the edge of his eye, "I love you Danny, we have some big decisions to make very soon. Are you ready to make those choices?"
Daniel nodded again, "We do what we must right?"
"Right," with that Jack leaned down and pressed his lips to Daniel's mouth. He didn't push into the contact at all; it was a mere pressing of the lips, to share the warmth of one another, to share this love with the other who continued to hold his heart captive. The love he held for Daniel had only ever been eclipsed by how he felt for their children but didn't find the need to feel bad about it since Daniel felt the same way.
Jack pulled back, pressing his lips to Daniel's scruffy cheek then another to his forehead, "I will be back soon my love."
"I know. I love you Colonel Jack."
Then before he lost his ability to do so, Jack pressed his lips to Daniel's one last time and walked back out of the room, only pausing to look back. Daniel was already slipping into unconsciousness once more. He walked out to the hallway where the doctor was close by, "Doctor Jackson needs to have a full time protection detail."
The doctor frowned then turned and Jack did too, only to find a couple airmen from the mountain and smiled, Janet truly did think of everything before anyone else got the chance. "It would seem that has been taken care of, Doctor Jackson should be strong enough to return home tomorrow afternoon, just have him take it easy."
"Will do," Jack said and shook the man's hand then nodded to the other two men, "You understand that I am the only person besides the doctor is allowed to see Daniel without checks with me and the staff?"
"Sir, yes sir."
Jack nodded and walked back out to the lobby where Lust tucked the small blade she was twiddling between her fingers back into one of her knee high boots and they left the building. Lust pushed them into a darkened corner of the building, pressed a hand on Jack's shoulders and with another stomach heave, they were home and he was looking down at his very empty bed. "Daniel is going to be okay," he told Lust before he walked out of the room and downstairs where voices were coming from the den and he wondered if everyone was shoved into that one room.
He walked across the living room and into the den to found Janet and Claire curled into one of the beds, and the other held Johnny with Zada and Zale on each of his sides. His mom was sitting in one of the chairs against the wall and his dad was holding Zale's free hand. Desire was leaning against the wall next to the door and Jack walked in with a slight smile. Lauren noticed him when Desire pressed a hand to his shoulder in comfort. "Jack, how is Daniel?" his mother asked. Jack looked over to the kids, moving to crouch between the two beds, getting all five of the children's drowsy focus.
"Daddy Daniel is going to be okay. Where is Doc Janet?"
"She went to the kitchen to clean up after she looked over all the kids, Johnny has some marks from something that the captors did to him. They are all still drowsy from the effects of whatever drug they were pumping them with. Zale got the worst of it. Zada and Johnny both have split lips and bruises in a couple places. There was nothing more to the bruises besides someone trying to force them to give information but they are all quiet and subdued."
Through the whole thing the kids said nothing so Jack leaned down and kissed each of them gently. He remained on the floor between the mattresses and waited to find out when they were going to get back to the hospital and pick up Daniel. He had one of his hands pressed against Johnny's gently moving stomach where Zale and Zada's hands were pressed on top of his. His other hand was holding one each of Janet and Claire's hands as well.
"Where is Sam and Teal'c? Their kids? And Akina?" he asked in quick succession.
"Sam and Teal'c were reunited with their children and they went home to sleep, Janet saw each of the kids first and sent them on their way. Akina and Greer are upstairs in the boys' room I think," his dad replied. "Sam said they are coming back in the morning, to speak to Akina about the option she is giving you. What did that mean Jack?"
"The option to return to where they were all these years," Akina stated from the doorway as Greer moved into the room and climbed up on the bed behind Zada and pressed his hand to Johnny's stomach as well which meant that Jack helped him up since he was sitting on that side of the bed. Jack rubbed Greer's back gently; glad the little boy was back with his mother.
Then Jack looked to his father and mother, heaved a sigh and prepared for the real truth to come out while he continued to rub Greer's back then touching Zada's fingers where it was resting on Greer. He didn't want to leave the children so they were going to have this conversation here, it might keep a lid on his mother's bizarre behavior but Ben was already struggling with the statement Akina had made. "So we were in the future for the last ten years, living among the people who Akina leads. They are magical, which is why the kids have powers, they were born of surrogates who had powers. Lust and Desire are their birth mothers."
After that, everyone was silent. Akina chuckled, "You sure know how to just leap into the deep end."
Lauren looked at the twins then back at Jack, "You slept with these women? I thought you loved Daniel?" she sneered.
Jack snorted, "Of course not, it was insemination which we didn't even help with, just gave them the baby making juice. I could tell you all about how we got the goods though."
Akina laughed at that while Lauren shook her head, disgust clear on her face. Jack had no intention of talking that frankly in front of his children but watching her response was fun all the same. "Greer has the ability to travel in time and he sent them all here. Now I am taking my son home and I would like to bring them back with me."
"Why would you do that?" Ben asked.
"The children are magical and they are going to be safe in the future among the people who do not think supernatural abilities are out of place. They were taken because someone thought they were possibly special, your children were drugged and harmed because of their differences. How can you choose to remain here?"
Jack shrugged, "Its hard to leave behind my family."
"Jack, you need to talk to Daniel but if you are all going to be safe there then you should consider going back."
Jack was surprised at his father and apparently so was his mother, "What? Ben, are you serious! You cannot be okay with sending our son away with this woman to a place where we will never see him again!"
Ben stood and faced his wife, Jack just watched. "Are you willing to say they should stay here where the children were kidnapped, where Daniel was shot and where our other son assaulted Daniel?"
"Why should I care about Daniel? He's not legally married to Jack, no matter what sort of empty ceremony they had us watch. I'm sure that Daniel is the reason why they had the children to start with. Half of these children are not even related to us. Jack is our son and you're giving him up for this bizarre relationship he's in."
Jack sighed, "If you're going to continue this Daniel bashing, take it outside. And by the way, whether you believe in our marriage or the fact that our children are not genetically both of ours, it changes nothing."
His mother scoffed and walked out of the room, pushing past Akina rudely. Ben followed as well and their voices faded as they walked towards the front of the house and he couldn't make out what they were saying anymore.
"You have been living with that for some time now?" Akina asked.
Jack shrugged, "Been working through it."
"As a good friend of Daniel I would like to not see him stay here but mostly for the children, you should really consider the opportunity of returning with me. They will be safe there and the only people who have ever been kidnapped from your home is you." Jack glared at that, "And you are loved and missed by all. Adrian and DK started working off the island because they could not handle walking past your home and seeing it dark. You have a home there, can you honestly say it would be the same here if you stay?"
Jack shrugged again and continued to touch his children. Soon Akina and Greer went back upstairs to go to bed in the boys' room. Jack found himself staying where he was even when Ben came in to let him know he was taking Lauren back to the hotel and they would come back the next morning. Jack waited, only leaving the den to get a little bit of food, sticking to something simple when each of the kids would mention hunger as they fought their way out of the drugged stupor.
He thought about all the times when they were in the Vannas world and the magical crap got to be too much and he would wish to go home and now there was nothing he wanted more than to return with Akina and Greer. He would miss his family, Janet and Hammond. But after watching Daniel struggle, get hurt and the children getting stolen from their backyard it was hard to imagine that it would get better. He was sure it would but at what cost? Would it happen before Zale got taken again or Johnny was beat for being different? Would it happen before Henry decided to come back and finish the job on Daniel or someone else on base blamed Daniel for some weird thing like Jack being gay or not being a part of the program anymore.
"Papa, may we have a say in our path as well?" Zada whispered slowly. Jack turned to find her small and beautiful face tilted to look at Jack. He focused on her soft features, he could see himself in her cheeks and face but she was the most beautiful and feminine creature he'd ever had a hand in creating.
He smiled and touched her soft cheek, "Of course baby girl."
"This place is filled with people who will use us against each other, they will do what they must to hurt us and use us for our powers. People hurt Daddy because of something that we didn't ever think was wrong." Zada sniffled and her voice broke a little as she continued, "I don't want to stay in a place where you or Daddy are hurt for loving each other, or we could be stolen away at any moment again because we happen to be different. I wanna go home with Queen Zarkina where we struggled together but at least we were accepted."
Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips to Zada's forehead, "As soon as Daddy is home, we will talk it over. Are you okay?"
Zada nodded, "Everything is still fuzzy and Doc Janet did not want to give us pain killers. I was not hurt badly; I am more worried for Johnny. He used his power defensively, causing his captor pain and he never had to do that before. I wished that he'd never learned he could because that would mean he'd never been hurt."
Jack frowned; he hadn't known that, too much had happened at the same time for them to get the low down on everything that occurred. "How was Zale?"
"I was not held in the same room with Zale but when I saw him he was heavily drugged and did not move at all. It was like he was dead, I do not wish to ever see such a thing again and if that means we go back with Zarkina, is it worth it?"
Jack couldn't stop the tears that slipped from his eyelids; he didn't know how to tell his daughter no especially when she made a fair point. Their children were all too smart not to have a say in the final decision but Jack pretty much knew now where home was and it wasn't in this place full of judgmental people and though there were people who loved them and supported him and Daniel ever since they got back, nothing could undo the damage that they now faced. People knew to go after the children and Jack would do anything to keep that from happening again.