First off, I would like to draw your attention to a little one-shot fic by AWanderersHaven. She took up my challenge to write the scene of Merlin using the wrong leaves to get out of wiping some royal behind. fanfiction dot net /s/10256392/1/The-Wrong-Leaves
It's a cute lil snippet and I was rolling with laughter! Thank you for writing it AWanderersHaven!
Oh and...*drum roll* 400 reviews! *SQUEALS* (well, 400 on ffnet, probably closer to 500 total with Matthew72's reviews on HoC and a few other little ones on AO3. No matter the number, I'm just beside myself with happiness to know you guys dig this fic!)
So, can I just take a moment to say, you guys are awesome! I can't tell you how much I love seeing each and every review (even if I do get behind in responding at times)
An infinite number of thanks to Nance for the proofreading and IcarusLSU for being a sounding board!
LinBates: So glad to hear from you again! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Rasei: thanks! That was actually a tough one to figure out and make it still plausible in the story.
Nance: In that house...the kid could have hid anywhere! LOL As for being a wonderful parent...well, my kid hasn't fired me yet this week! We won't find out Adria's fate for a little while (unless you know SG-1 Canon) Oh and I need to send you a wonderful piece I found on alliteration I think you'll love!
Flamie: hehe yes it does! And this chapter does nothing to alleviate that suspense!
AWanderersHaven: You wanted to know where Gwaine and Leon are...well, here ya go! Thanks again for the giggles!
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A low whistle of appreciation escaped Gwaine's lips. He held up the forged metal and admired the craftsmanship. The golden runes on the flats of the blade appeared authentic. The balance was amazing, but having held Arthur's blade before, Gwaine could feel the slight difference in weight.
It had taken Leon over a week to track down the craftsman he felt was good enough for the job, and a few more days for the man to complete it. Aside from the near-perfect appearance, Leon had managed to convince Heimdall to create a synthetic variation of the radioactive element within the real sword.
The Asgard would have raised an eyebrow, if she had one. She explained that the product would only seem similar under initial scans, but more thorough scrutiny would reveal the flaws. Neither the Asgard nor the Tau'ri had been able to overcome the difficulties in replicating the power of the real sword.
Leon had thanked her immensely. They didn't need it to actually work. They simply needed it to fool Ba'al long enough to rescue Gwaine's sister. The ancient knight was tired of running. To save Laney and have a chance at peace, he and Gwaine had devised a plan to give Ba'al at least part of what he wanted. It would have been easier if Ba'al hadn't stolen the data from the SGC, but that was a moot point now.
"I think this will work!" Gwaine ginned conspiratorially.
Leon pursed his lips and nodded, "I believe it will. Now, we just have to hope he actually has Elaine nearby, when we go to meet him."
"You think he's going to try and double-cross us?"
The two men studied each other for a moment, before uttering simultaneous agreement. Leon shrugged and shook his head. "Of course, he will. I wouldn't expect anything less."
Passing the craftsman a generous amount of credits, Leon wrapped the sword up, and offered his thanks. Just as he and Gwaine turned to leave, a young man, the craftsman's apprentice, came running into the smithy.
"Dakara has been destroyed!" He said to his master, barely sparing a glance at Leon and Gwaine.
"What do you mean?" Gwaine demanded, grabbing the young man by the shoulder and turning the lad toward him.
"It's all over the subspace chatter." He spouted, as if they should have known what he was talking about. "Yesterday, the Jaffa tried to use one of the Ancient Weapons on a planet taken over by the Ori. It killed everyone! Then, the Ori retaliated; flew their ship over and they destroyed the entire planet of Dakara!"
The knights shared a look of desperation. Two planets in less than two days. One from their supposed allies, and the other from the Ori. "We need to find my sister now and get home."
Nodding in agreement, Leon felt a serious measure of concern. He didn't know many of the Jaffa people, but over the centuries, he had witnessed the hell they had gone through under the rule of the System Lords. Ba'al was the only one left, and he had managed to dodge every attempt at capture or death. Now, with the main base of the Free Jaffa destroyed, those remaining would be easy prey for the last of the Goa'uld Lords.
Tucking the sword under his arm, he headed out toward the spaceport where his ship was docked. Gwaine was right. They needed to find Laney, and regroup with the others to continue their search for Aithusa. From what Merlin had said and his own intuition: the dragon, along with the elusive weapon that Moros had built, were the keys to defeating the Ori. He just wished he knew how all the pieces were supposed to fit.
Just a few years ago, he wouldn't have cared about any of this. He would have kept his head low and simply continued in survival mode. Between his renewed friendships, and the growing concern for a spitfire of a woman, his priorities had changed. There was more to his life than there had been in a long time. Inside, he was still a bit conflicted, having sworn to Laney that their relationship would be kept on a physical level...but, he couldn't seem to stop the emotions from creeping in...especially when he knew that it was his involvement that had put her in danger.
He replayed the recording of the ransom demands in his head. Once the phone had been recharged, the two men had seen that it wasn't just an audio message. Included with it, was a scandalous picture of Leon and Laney in the barn, as well as a few others from the previous months. It was clear that Ba'al, or one of his clones, had tracked Leon down, and had been following him in order to try and locate the sword.
Thankfully, there didn't appear to be any indication that Ba'al had ever followed him to the UK. Merlin had made certain that the security around the place was as tight as he could make it. For that, Leon was extremely grateful. It meant the boys were safe, at least. Laney's return to Colorado alone, at the same time that all the clones had been taken into custody, had given the power-hungry alien the opening he had needed.
Ba'al's demands were simple. He wanted Leon and the fabled weapon of King Arthur, in exchange for the woman's life. His message had made it clear, that if anyone aside from Leon or Gwaine showed up, he wouldn't hesitate to destroy them all.
Powering up the ship, Leon wondered if it had really been wise to have rushed off with just the two of them. Had he found the scene first, he wouldn't have even taken Gwaine. Although, if something happened, that would have meant that Laney would have been stuck in whatever predicament he found her, and unable to pilot the ship to get to Earth.
Forging the fake weapon had taken longer than Leon had anticipated. They now had one day to reach the rendezvous point, and hope that their half-baked plan worked. By silent concensus, the two men knew that if it came down to it, either would gladly give his life for the woman they both loved.
The ancient knight sat back and fingered the ring on the chain around his neck. Not since his wife, had he allowed himself to feel such a deep emotion for another woman. He realized with a start that he no longer cared about the agreed arrangement between himself and Laney.
The cold shoulder she had been giving him, was obviously an attempt to protect herself, according to Gwaine. He wasn't going to tolerate it, once she was safe again. They would rescue her, and Leon would make certain she knew exactly how he felt. What happened after that...he could only guess. She would either admit her own feelings, or that would be the end of their relations.
Reconnecting with Merlin had given Leon the hope and courage that, despite being cursed to never age a day, he could still find something to live for.
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The sun was beating down on the sand dunes, causing him to shield his eyes against the glare. Gwaine pulled out the sunglasses, specially fitted with a small video transmitter, and slid them over his eyes. "You getting the feed?" He asked quietly. The sucking and whooshing sound of the Stargate closing behind him, left the entire area in a vacuum of silence.
"Roger that. Nice and clear." Leon's voice came back.
"What is it with these Stargates, huh?" Gwaine asked rhetorically. He made his way over to the DHD pedestal and punched in a sequence to open it again. He hoped he wouldn't have to use it, if everything went according to plan. "Everyone of them is either in the middle of a desert or in a forest. I mean...c'mon, why couldn't they have been placed closer to some tropical paradise with half-naked beauties? Always the same bloody thing."
"You have a girlfriend, Gwaine." The older knight reminded him.
"Yeah, and she'd be asking the same damn thing, if she was here." He rolled his shoulders and scanned the horizon. "I think once we get back, I'm gonna convince her to take a weekend and actually go someplace tropical. Nice white beach with some fruity drink in my hand and..."
"Any sign of Ba'al, yet?"
Gwaine made a childish sound of protest, annoyed that Leon had interrupted his daydreaming. "Not yet...oops, spoke too soon. Here he comes, now."
Leon watched as the video feed broadcasted the scene in front of his friend. He zoomed in on the people walking toward Gwaine. Not surprisingly, Laney wasn't to be seen. Scanning the area, he found no other humanoid life forms. He spoke quietly into the com that was linked to Gwaine's earpiece. "She's nowhere in range."
"Ba'al!" Gwaine called out in a happy voice. "General O'Neill sends his regards."
"Does he, now?" Ba'al's voice sounded plain and human, without the deep metallic base of the Goa'uld. Any other System Lord would have never let their host body's voice be heard, as it would have taken away from their supposed God-hood.
"Well, no. Not really." Gwaine smirked, "Hell, he probably has no idea I'm even here. So...do you have my sister?"
"I do." The alien returned coldly. "Do you have my sword?"
"Your sword?" Gwaine's eyebrows went up.
"Soon enough, it will be." Ba'al smiled. He was too confident for Gwaine's liking. "Where is it?"
He pointed to his back. "Got it right here. Where's 'Lane?"
"She will be released to you once I am certain the sword is authentic."
"I want proof she's alive, and well, first...or, I turn my ass around and walk right back through this Stargate."
Ba'al grinned, "...And you would just leave her? Seems like such a waste, to come all this way for nothing, then."
Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Gwaine scowled at the alien for a moment, before backing a few steps toward the open wormhole.
"Very well." Ba'al rolled his eyes out of boredom, and pointed the end of a handheld device at the ground in between them. A holographic display appeared of Gwaine's sister, sitting with her knees tucked under her chin in a bare room.
"That's a pretty standard prison cell for a Ha'tak. The device he's using doesn't have much range. So...I'm guessing that his ship is in orbit nearby. I'm running scans for any signs of distortion that might indicate a cloaked ship now." Leon stated quietly through the earbud.
"Is there a problem, Major Dallon...or should I call you Sir Gwaine?" The Goa'uld said haughtily, as if the knowledge was some great secret he had discovered.
Gwaine grunted his acknowledgement and then sighed heavily. "Alright. If you don't give her to me, after I give you the sword..."
"Why, I'm a man of my word! Just ask General O'Neill." Ba'al was smiling again.
As much as Gwaine was remiss to admit it, out of all the System Lords he'd dealt with, or read about the SGC dealing with, Ba'al was one of the most trustworthy...at least, on the surface. He was also one of the most conniving, and great at finding loopholes in his own rules.
Reluctantly, Gwaine pulled a strap over his head. Attached to it, wrapped in thick canvas, was the object of Ba'al's desire. He tossed it on the ground, a few feet away from him.
One of the Jaffa stepped forward to retrieve it. Ba'al never took his eyes off of Gwaine, and Gwaine made certain not to break the stare. Unwrapping the weapon, another Jaffa moved closer and waved a scanner over the blade. He nodded at Ba'al.
"So far, so good. I think I have a good idea of where the ship is. If I can just get a better reading on the disturbance in the space debris, I will have a pretty good guess of the ship's actual position to be able to beam over. Just keep him busy."
"So, Ba'al...you have it. I want my sister back." Gwaine began tapping his finger on his assault rifle. There was still a chance that the Goa'uld would be generous and return Laney, but the evil gleam in Ba'al's eye told the knight all he needed to know.
"Ah, but this is only part of what I wanted. I believe I also requested the presence of Leon. He is the one who has carried this sword and hidden it from me for centuries."
"Yeah, well...consider this a compromise." Dark brown eyes narrowed, and his shoulders began to tense up. "You know he wouldn't have given the sword willingly."
"Not even for the woman he loves?"
"Please! He was shagging my sister, not planning on marrying her." He heard a loud exhale from the earpiece. It took all his concentration to not roll his eyes. "Which was more important to ya? I got you the weapon, and he's probably going to kill me when he finds out. I just want to get my sister back to her kids!" The concern on his face was genuine, even if his words were only half-true.
"Got it! I'm working on finding a way to beam over there. Keep stalling!"
"Well, I'm sure once he finds out what I've done, he'll probably come and try to get it back. I can even call him for you. If you want me to." Gwaine offered, still hoping to have the situation work out, without him ending up in a worse position than he already was. Ba'al had at least six guards who he could see. There very well could have been more hidden beyond some of the dunes, but at least with the Gate open behind him, Gwaine knew there wouldn't be anymore coming in from behind him.
"That is true. He may come, however..." Ba'al looked at him thoughtfully.
Gwaine felt a creepy, crawly sensation under the System Lord's scrutiny. He could feel it in his bones, that sixth sense he had drowned in a bottle for years, after ending up in Camelot. Merlin's own sense was always a step ahead of his own, anyway. So, he had never felt any need to rely on it. At least, not until he had returned home.
Once he and Merlin had discovered their relation, the warlock had begun giving him tips on how to tap into that part of himself. There wasn't much difference, and he certainly didn't have the magical aspect of his living ancestor, but it was good to know how to listen to his inner voice.
"I think the wiser course of action...for myself, anyway..." Ba'al stated casually. "...Would be to keep both you and your sister, until he comes."
"Eh...naw. I don't think so."
"I don't believe you have much choice in the matter." Touching a gem on his wristband, the Goa'uld smirked as the Gate suddenly closed.
"Frack." He'd forgotten that Ba'al was said to have more working knowledge of the Gate, than any other Goa'uld the SGC had come across. He'd obviously rigged this one to link with a remote control on his wrist.
Gwaine's eyes scanned over the Jaffa. Their weapons were all pointing at him and he knew his time was up. Slowly backing towards the Gate, he turned and ran up the stairs, diving through to the other side of the inactive metal circle, just as the first blast from one of the weapons, the zat'nik'tels...or more commonly referred to as 'zat guns'...were fired. Gwaine knew one direct hit would knock him out.
Ba'al obviously meant to take him alive, or at least without a giant hole blasted in his chest, from the more commonly used staff weapons of the Jaffa.
He heard Ba'al yelling in the altered voice of the Goa'uld, and then the sound of a Ring transport device. Either Ba'al had left with the sword, or he'd summoned more of his Jaffa down...or both. Any which way, Gwaine was in for a fight. "Leon! Time's up!"
"Got the exact coordinates when the Rings were activated. Beaming there now, keep your head down."
"Easy for you to say. Why am I the one down here, when you're the immortal?"
"...Because you don't know my ship like I do." Leon's smile could be heard in his voice.
"Whatever. Just hurry up! Get my sister. Then, get me the frack out of here!"
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Holding her breath, she steadied herself for whatever was coming. Laney knew that if she ever got home, she was going to kill her brother for getting her involved in all this. There was no true sense of time, but it felt like weeks since the damned real estate agent/alien guy had abducted her. She was scared. Never having faced imprisonment before...the one time she had spent the night in a jail cell after being caught joyriding in her ex-boyfriend's stolen car didn't count... and not understanding why, her mind had plenty of time to fantasize about all the things that could happen. Living in a constant state of anxiety was not something she was trained for.
Her only salvation was a small pocket knife, which had gone unnoticed in her pocket, when she was abducted. Her only clear thought was to see her boys again. She knew they had to be worried sick. Making up her mind to do something, Laney began searching her cell.
Ba'al...oh, how she would love to use the knife to cut his ' ' off...hadn't mistreated her. She had been given food and drink, and her cell was clean, but she had no idea what he wanted from her. Her own mind was becoming her worst enemy during her capture, and she finally had enough. She was either going to break, or break out. With the faces of her family burned into the backs of her eyes, she went for the latter choice.
Using the edge of the blade, she pried off a concealment panel along the floor, next to the door. Laney stared at the crystals and conduit inside, unable to make heads nor tails of it. They just looked like colorful crystals stuck in a tray. They actually reminded her of a game, where you had to find the right order to get the door open for the next level.
She was contemplating just destroying everything inside it. However, not being the least bit familiar with spaceships, she didn't want to take the chance that messing it up would open some hidden door, and suck her out into space. When she heard running feet outside her cell, she tucked the knife back into her pocket and picked up the metal panel.
Standing off to the side of the door, Laney wasn't sure if ten minutes or ten seconds had passed, before it finally opened. When it did, she was ready.
With all her strength, she swung the metal into the face of the man entering. She was rewarded with a thud and an instant groan of pain. Swiftly kicking her knee up into his groin, the man curled over and teetered back a step.
Bolting out of the door, Laney had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do next. She cried out in alarm, as her arm was grabbed, and her flight was halted. Swinging back around and ready to fight some more, she heard the man she had assaulted painfully whisper her name.
Finally looking at him, the panel dropped from her hands, and they shot to her mouth. "Oh, my god...Leon!"
He was half-hunched over, his free hand still covering the delicate area between his legs, but he was forcing a smile through his pain.
Her body quaked, and relief flooded through her. Straightening, he pulled her close. His strong arms wrapping tightly around her.
Pulling back, she saw a bit of blood trickling from his nose. It didn't look broken, but the guilt that she was the one responsible for his injuries began to override the initial excitement. "Leon, I'm soooo sorry! I didn't know it was you. Oh, frack...I..." Her tearful, rambled apology was cut short by his lips pressing hard against hers.
Suddenly, her past fear of emotions were cast away. Laney couldn't remember why she had been fighting so hard against her heart. It was something she had thought about frequently during her captivity; analyzing her reactions and how she had started treating Leon. None of it seemed to matter, anymore.
He was there...now...to save her. Laney felt like she was melting...until her brother's voice, crackling with a bit of static via Leon's radio, cut through their short-lived passion.
"Really? Can't the two of you save it until we're out of here?"
"Getting out of here sounds really nice." Laney whispered in agreement, meeting Leon's soft, blue eyes.
Leon couldn't help but smirk. He stepped back and held his hand out with a flourish. "M'Lady. What would you say to accompanying a couple of washed-up knights, who are here to rescue you?"
Giggling at the irony, she nodded her head. "Sure...just tell me where they are."
"Shit...I think I'm..." The sound of an electronic blast and a loud thud, cut off Gwaine's voice.
"Gwaine?" Leon asked, hoping for a response. "Gwaine!"
Laney's brown eyes widened in fear. She froze, unwilling to accept what she had just heard. "Leon...is he...?"
"I don't know." The tall knight pulled a remote scanner out of his pocket. "Gwaine's transponder is still active. It's moving. Damnit! Ba'al has brought him onto the ship. Forgive me, I need to get you out of here."
"Wait, what? No...you can't just leave him here!"
"I'm not...but, you need to be somewhere I know you'll be safe." Kissing her quickly, he shoved the device into her hand and stepped back. Before she could argue, he pressed a sequence of buttons on his wristband.
Blinking against the bright light that engulfed her, Laney suddenly found herself alone on the bridge of Leon's ship.
She paced around, twisting her hands. She tried to sit down in the chair. Looking at her fingertips, she realized her nails were in rough shape, and there wasn't enough left to chew on. Her eyes moved over the various controls on the main console, but as with the crystals, they made no sense to her.
While the surroundings of the ship were more comfortable than the cell she had been kept, her only trips there had been for a bit of privacy with Leon. He had joked once about taking her away for a while, and teaching her how to fly it. With everything else going on in her life, she had brushed it off. Now, Laney was regretting that decision, and wished that she at least had a clue on how to communicate with someone.