Title: Surprise!!!
Author: Jenn
Rating: Will depend on the chapter but I'm gonna go with a steady R
Category: Crossover with Stargate Atlantis & Roswell (well kinda I'm borrowing Liz Parker for a little bit) ... Romance/Angst/Drama
Spoilers: Unending
Couples: Sam/Cam, Daniel/Vala, others to follow
Disclaimer: They're not mine sniff sniff. If they were both of my kids would be Mitchells LOL Once again they're not mine. Blah. Blah. Blah. No copy right infringement intended...Cairo and Aleera Carter, Ashley Grimaldi, Reille, Chatham and a few others however are of my own creation...
Summary: After the events of 'Unending' throw them for a loop, Sam & Vala attempt to resume a normal life...but the higher ups have other ideas.
Author's Note: I'm going to be tweaking things (read: timeline/events) quite a bit kids so pay attention: 1) Rather than being trapped for 50 years, they were only trapped for 4; 2) As the story begins, Sam & Vala are in Atlantis (will be explained) and Daniel and Cameron are back the SGC; 3) Liz Parker is the only character from Roswell that I am borrowing (as to why, well you'll just have to read and find out) 4) Rather than leaving after Graduation, the Pod Squad (along with Maria, Kyle, and Alex) left for home sweet home while they were in college 5) Liz is 24, Sam, Daniel, Cam, & Vala are all around 34-35ish 6) There will be other differences between my version of events and the episode "Unending" but changes are not just limited to that particular episode (trust me you'll see) and finally 7) O'Neill is still in command of the S.G.C. and we're gonna go on the assumption that Carter and Mitchell have known each other for a long time.
On with the show...
Chapter 8: I'm Moving On
AN: The song is this part is by Christina Aguilera. I used it because it is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard but no copyright infringement is intended. Simply put, it's not mine. I'm just borrowing.
Later that night:
"Well it seems that Liz, Cairo and Aleera made quite an impression on the Colonel and his crew." Elizabeth declared as she led the group into one of the rec rooms "They sent down a few things for you all before the Concordia left. I'm told there are also a few presents waiting in your quarters."
Ashley grinned. "Gotta love Asgard technology."
In the middle of the room was a white baby grand piano (complete with bench) and a guitar.
In a voice that was barely more than a whisper and with a smile on her face Liz uttered "Remind me to send a thank you to Colonel Day later."
She skipped over to the piano and sat down at the bench, biting her lip as her fingers ghosted over the keys.
Evan, John, Elizabeth, Keegan and Teyla took a seat on some of the couches against the wall.
Ashley, Vala, Ronan, Sam, Reille, and Chatham sat on the other set in front of the windows. Cairo and Aleera sat on the floor in front of them.
Teal'c, Ishta, Cam and Daniel grabbed some of the loose chairs and dragged them towards the rest of the group.
"Lizzie play something." John encouraged from his place opposite the piano.
"Don't you mean Lizzie sing something," Evan interjected from beside his best friend "cause I would love to hear you sing." He declared as he smiled at her. "I haven't heard that beautiful voice of yours in years."
She shook her head with a shy smile on her face.
On the other side of the room, Ronan glanced at Ashley. "She sings?"
Before he could answer, Sam cut him off. "My sister has the most amazing voice. I always thought her, Maria and Alex would end up in Hollywood someday."
He nodded.
"I'm guessing since you don't look confused that Sheppard explained some of our culture to you, huh?" Sam did her damdest to hide the smirk that was working its way across her face as she realized that Ronan kept sneaking glances at Liz.
"Uh yeah." Ronan replied distractedly.
Vala and Ashley grinned at Sam behind Ronan's back. It was clear for them all to see that he had an interest in Liz.
Their musings were cut short as Liz's fingers began playing the melody.
It was a tune that Ashley and Evan had heard her sing and play many times before.
Ashley turned to Ronan, Sam and Vala. "This is her favorite song. It's her song to herself. No matter where we've disappeared to, as long as there was a piano and she could play it, she was okay."
No one spoke any further as Liz's voice drifted across the room.
Young girl, don't cry
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall
Young girl, it's alright
Your tears will dry
You'll soon be free to fly
Cam couldn't help but glance at Sam and the words rang loudly in his ears. Ever since they'd ended up at the same table in the commissary, he'd wanted to talk her. He wanted to pull her into his arms, confess his undying love for her and make some of those fantasies of his come true. But he knew full well it wasn't gonna happen like that. Hell, he'd be lucky if he could even get Samantha Carter to look his way ever again. He wondered if it was too late. Was he too late? Could anything be salvaged?
If he'd been one second quicker, he'd have caught the longing look she was throwing his way.
When you're safe inside your room, you tend to dream
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems
No one ever wants or bothers to explain
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means
She was so confused by his presence. A million emotions were running through her all at once: hurt, confusion, hope, fear, love..among others. The whole day, he'd had this look like he wanted to talk to her. But he didn't. 'What did you think Sam? Did you honestly think that he'd waltz in and sweep you off your feet? Who you kidding?'
She had missed his presence, even in the strictly platonic sense. He made her laugh at times that no one else could. But, being around him was also suffocating. After the Odyssey, denying her feelings just wasn't gonna happen any more. And now, knowing that she was pregnant with his child, made it even harder to be around him. As far as she knew, Cam hadn't and wouldn't ever see her that way.
When there's no one else, look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way
If you learn to begin to trust the voice within
Vala wasn't sure that she could trust her 'voice within'. She still couldn't believe that he was here, in Atlantis. Right now it was telling her to go to Daniel. But she knew that was extremely irrational. Sure she loved him but, he obviously didn't want her, right? Yeah she was kinda conflicted on that one. Sam had told her that she knew full well that Daniel cared for her a lot more than he let on. She also swore that he tended to watch her when she wasn't looking. And it was usually with a look of adoration. But if that was the case, how come he had said those things? Was Sam misinterpreting his actions? Or was he hiding the truth with sarcasm and meanness? Either were possible. Sam was an excellent judge of character and would never lie to her. For that matter, hiding true feelings behind sarcasm with a side of nastiness was previously a special of hers. Lying is a lot easier when you can mask your emotions isn't it? But even if that were true, his harsh words had still broken her heart. And yet, when she closed her eyes, all she saw was her fondest memory of Daniel.
----
He was sitting on the couch in their quarters on the Odyssey. She was in his lap with her head on his shoulder in the crook of his neck. A contented sigh escaped from her lips as he stroked her hair. Vala simply couldn't bring herself to care that they were stuck here. The safety of his arms gave her the most amazing feelings of peace and bliss. It was a place that she never wanted to leave.
She glanced up when she felt him staring. He smiled at her.
"What?" She asked , wanting to know just why he was smiling so brightly.
"Nothing." And yet the smile was still plastered across his stupidly beautiful features.
"It's obviously something Daniel. You're staring. What's the reason?" Her dazzling smile matched his own for reasons unknown to her.
He shook his head and his smile widened. "Just thinking."
"About what Darling?"
The look in his eyes was almost irreverent as he replied. "About how I should be thanking whatever Gods gave you to me profusely."
A lone tear made its way down her face at his loving declaration. He brushed it away and leaned down to kiss her.
She was taken back by the level of emotion his kiss conveyed. They had shared so many kisses before. But this one, this one was far different. It told her so many things all at once. The biggest thing it spoke of was his love for her.
He pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers.
And it was that moment that would forever stand in her memory as the most perfect moment in time. Just Daniel and her. Nothing to intrude. No Gou'ld. No Ori. Nothing.
What he didn't know was that Vala was thanking those very same Gods for him. She had never known such blatantly unconditional love in her life. She was damn sure that if she hadn't been sitting, it would have knocked her to her knees.
----
Young girl, don't hide
You'll never change if you just run away
Young girl just hold tight
Soon you're gonna see a brighter day
'What brighter day?' Daniel thought to himself as he watched Vala shift uncomfortably on the couch. Each passing minute made him feel more and more like he was fighting a losing battle. The way he saw it, there was no chance in hell of fixing things with Vala. His heart broke at the thought of losing another woman he loved. But, keeping her at a distance might actually be safer for her. 'Oh who the hell am I kidding, I can't do this. I just can't do this.' He was kidding himself really. He used what happened to Sarah and Sha're as a convenient excuse to keep Vala at arms length. Truth was that he had a hard time putting himself on the line again. Simply put, he, Daniel Jackson, was scared out of his mind. There were already a lot of uncertainties in his world. Was he willing to put a relationship with Vala on the list? Would Vala eventually get sick of him and walk away? He knew full well that it probably wouldn't happen, but some small part of him was terrified that it might. So instead he had thrown up the walls and shoved her as far away as he could. But was breaking not only Vala's heart but his own, really worth it?
In a world where innocence is quickly claimed
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
When you're lost outside, look inside to your soul
As Liz sang the words for the umpteenth time, she felt them as if she had heard them the first time. In her eyes, her innocence had been claimed a long long time ago. She didn't regret the path her life had taken. Not one bit. But looking back on it she realized that with the gains came a lot of loss and heartbreak. There were days she still felt broken. But she was sure no one knew that. Not even Ashley. Sleeping through the night was a rarity. The nightmares always kept a full night's sleep at bay.
And when no one was around she'd cry. Buckets. Tears for the lives that would never be. Max. Maria. Kyle. Tess. Alex. Isabel. Ava. Connor. Eamon. Friends that lives were cut far too short. A planet that didn't have a chance to rebuild. To change. To grow. Most of the tears she shed were for Michael, Aleera, and Cairo. Michael had been the love of her life, her husband and the father of her children. And Cairo and Aleera would never know that man that should've been able to hear them call him Daddy. She was angry with the Gods for a long time for taking Michael from her. They had mended their relationship and it became stronger than ever. A piece of her soul died with him that day. And if it hadn't been for Ashley and the kids, she would've never come back from that edge.
It was an edge that had been walked twice before: the first being when Nancy and Jeff Parker were murdered, the second was when Jacob Carter died. She missed her parents dearly. Her world came crashing down when at the tender age of sixteen, her parents were savagely murdered. She could still clearly remember the cloud of silence and sadness that descended on the Crashdown as Sheriff Valenti walked in. Michael approached his step-father and the two had a few hushed words. She knew as soon as Michael turned back to her with tears in his eyes.
In a way, her father's death had hit her harder. She didn't get a chance to really say goodbye to him. It broke her to pieces. But she knew that it was better for the family if she didn't go. Mark would've made good on his word and raised hell for Sam. So she did what was the right thing in her mind: she stayed away and spent four days straight in bed crying. Michael tried so hard to be helpful but nothing could console her.
So while Liz struck everyone as happy and well adjusted on the outside, the inside was still crying out like a lost child. And part of her was terrified that she might never truly find peace or feel whole ever again.
When there's no one else, look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way
If you learn to begin to trust the voice within
Ronan eyed Liz carefully as she sang the words. Her expression was guarded but her eyes said it all. They displayed the pain she felt clear as day. He wondered briefly if anyone else in the room realized and doubted that they did. She put up a real good front. It was something he could see right through. He'd done it long enough to know when someone else was too.
He had been thrown off by his conversation before with Colonel Mitchell.
----
Out of nowhere. Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell, one of the golden children of the SGC, sat down next to him. He heard a few stories about the man and his team from Sheppard, Lorne, and Gutierrez. SG-1 was legendary. It surprised him really. When he had joined Sheppard, Elizabeth and Rodney on their last trip to Earth, the man had only said a few words in passing to him. His expression said that he had seen Ronan staring or rather studying Liz Carter intently. "You should talk with her man," he said as he nodded his head in Liz's direction.
"Why?" He wasn't sure where this conversation was headed. But he wasn't about to pretend that he didn't know who the other man was talking about either.
Mitchell shot him a look that he couldn't quite place. "I think you'll find that you and her aren't that different."
Now he was interested. "How's that?"
"She's spent the last eight years on the run. I know she acts as if everything's okay. But, it might be nice for her to talk to someone who understands what it's like. She may not have been running from the Wraith; but you know damn well that pure evil comes in many forms."
He nodded.
Mitchell stood from the table. He gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Just thought I might give you some food for thought."
----
It still puzzled him. He had gotten the feeling earlier that day that the man didn't even care for him. 'What do you expect when you get caught eyeing Colonel Carter's younger sister?' So when he spoke those words, Ronan found himself listening for once. Apparently, from what Liz had shared at the meeting and what the Colonel said, Liz had been a runner in her own way for the past few years. And to make matters worse, she had two kids in tow. He was impressed with the fact that she had managed to keep them hidden and safe. It spoke volumes for her.
But he knew all too well that courage sometimes came at too high a price. Somewhere along the lines all the sacrifice begins to eat away at you. She'd been forced to sacrifice a lot in her life. Not unlike him.
Sheppard told him that it saddened him that she had to grow up so quickly. She was an orphan by the time she was sixteen. Which meant that Liz Carter had never been a stranger to loneliness. Strangely enough, he found himself wanting to be the one she turned to. It was the first time since Milena that he actually wanted to get to know a woman; all of her, completely, not just her body. Which, by the way, was quite nice to look at. He was only a man after all. She was different from any woman he had ever seen. Small but incredibly strong. Her eyes captivated him like none had ever before. They were bluer than any ocean he had seen in his life. And the tattoos and piercings intrigued him. He hadn't ever seen a woman's body decorated like that before. She had only been in the city half the day and he had already heard some of the men going on and on about the 'Antarian Hottie' what ever that meant. Body and beauty aside, he honestly wanted to know Liz Carter, inside and out. And it kinda scared him a little. Okay a lot. But a man like Ronan Dex never admits such things.
Life is a journey
It can take you anywhere you choose to go
As long as you're learning, you'll find all you ever need to know
Be strong
You'll make it
Just don't forsake it because no one can stop you
You know that I'm talking to you
Ashley surveyed the group carefully. Sam and Cam were shooting longing looks at each other. Daniel and Vala wouldn't so much as glance in the other's direction. Daniel looked positively defeated. Vala's expression said that she contemplating fleeing the room to escape the tension. He didn't know exactly what had happened with the two couples. That was more Liz's territory. He was sure though, that he'd get it out fo someone eventually.
But what he did know for a fact, and had confirmed by Liz, was that Sam and Vala were now pregnant. Like Liz, he could sense it the minute they had steeped into the same room as him. Not only that, but besides Liz and himself, only three other people currently on Atlantis knew. Daniel and Cameron weren't among them. Liz also told him that they wouldn't tell who the fathers or the children were. 'Like Liz and I can't tell already.' So he kept his mouth shut against his better judgement. He told Liz that this would only end in disaster. 'But what do I know?'
Liz looked as though she was going to cry. He wasn't stupid. He knew that she put up a brave front to hide all the pain and suffering on the inside. She'd been doing it for years. Even before everyone died. But his brother always swore she was okay. That's how he knew that Michael wasn't the one for Liz: he couldn't see through to the real her. It was like the conversation took place yesterday; his brother's words still so fresh in his mind.
----
Michael was sitting on the couch in the break room. It had been months since Jeff and Nancy Parker had been murdered. He went and took a seat across from his brother on the opposite couch.
"You really should keep and eye on Liz."
Michael's eyes softened at the mention of his girlfriend. "Why?"
He shook his head at him. "You don't see it. Do you?"
Michael looked throughly confused. "See what Ash?"
"She's bottling all the pain up inside, Bro. She can't keep it all in like that. It's not healthy."
Michael sat back and put his feet up on the table. "She'll be okay Ash. She just doesn't wanna talk about it with anyone except Sam or John."
"And has she spoken to Sam or John lately?"
"Sam's away on some mission and John's in the Middle East. What do you think?"
"I think that you need to sit down with her and talk. Let me ask you something, do you love her?"
His brother shot him an incredulous look. "Yeah I do. That's a dumb question."
"Bro, if ya love her as much as I hope ya do, then you'll sit with her and talk. She's hurting real bad. Ya can't just assume that she'll be okay once she speaks with her sister and cousin and let it go at that."
Michael was suddenly defensive. "Why are you telling me how to deal with my girlfriend?"
"Cause if you're not careful Michael, you'll lose her one day. Loving someone means seeing through to the real them even if it's not always pretty. Not seeing only what they want you to see. One day she's gonna see that you're not looking at the whole picture and she's gonna walk away. It seems like lately she gives more than she gets."
Michael stood angrily. "Do me a favor Ash. Stay out of my relationship with Liz. She's my girlfriend not yours." With that he stormed out the door.
----
Ronan seemed as if he was contemplating the meaning of life. Oh yes, he clearly had his work cut out for him. First he'd see to helping Liz mend the two broken couples. Like her, he truly believed that the two pairs belonged together. It was simply the will of the Gods. That much was obvious. Getting Cam and Sam to make amends would probably be easier than Daniel and Vala. So that's where they'd start. He'd take it from there.
Then, well that's when the real task would begin. Getting Liz to open her heart and see what's in front of her would be quite a challenge. He didn't know why, but the moment he'd seen Ronan lay eyes on his sister, he knew that he was the one who would make her whole again and be the father that the twins deserved.
When there's no one else, look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength that will guide your way
If you learn to begin to trust the voice within
Young girl don't cry
I'll be right here when you're world starts to fall