Author's Notes: Thanks to Stonedtoad for betaing.
I'm working on the next chapter.
Enjoy.
Miguel walked into the infirmary to check on his friend, stalling when he found Arianna's mother sitting on the bed across from Tim. They seemed to be engrossed in a deep conversation and Miguel was loath to interrupt but Tim looked up and saw him standing there.
"Hey," Miguel walked over, "How you feeling?"
Tim smiled slightly, "Better. The doctor let me out for an hour to walk around with Ari. And Mrs Jackson was letting me vent about my indecision."
"Please call me Sha're," the woman told them both, "My home did not have the labels the Tauri use so I try to use them as little as possible."
Miguel smiled, wondering who the Tauri were, "Of course, Sha're."
"And I will leave you now," she smiled at them before resting her hand on Tim's arm, "Think about what I said and if you need to speak some more then I am here."
"Thank you," Tim said sincerely.
She gave them both a smile before leaving them alone. Once the woman had disappeared Miguel turned back to his friend.
"I still don't believe she's Ari's mother," Miguel noted.
Tim smiled slightly, "There's a story to it."
"But you can't tell me," Miguel rolled his eyes before grabbing a seat over to sit beside his friend.
Tim shrugged slightly, which looked strange as only one shoulder moved.
"How are you feeling about everything now?" Miguel asked.
"Still confused," Tim admitted.
Miguel decided to steer the conversation away from it for the moment, "Tony was asking after you. Thankfully he's playing poker with some of the Atlantis guys."
"Let me guess," Tim chuckled, "He thinks he's going to clean them out? Does he not know that they have the same kind of downtime we do?"
Miguel grinned, "I'm just waiting to see how broke he ends up."
x
Daniel and Ari reached the conference room just as Rodney, Laura and Sha're arrived. John and Bridger were already sitting there talking. Sha're took the seat between her husband and daughter while Laura slid into the seat beside Ari.
"What happened?" Rodney demanded taking the seat at Laura's other side.
Before John could answer Ford and Lucas appeared.
"Grab a seat," John told them, "Okay, we have a slight issue with Forrest's team."
He quickly explained the situation to the others and waited as they all took in the information before they started strategising.
"You seriously asked if they could blow their way out?" Rodney demanded, "Why am I not surprised?"
"Stay on topic, Rodney," Sha're chided softly.
Bridger spoke up quickly to stop any argument, "From the pictures sent back it looks like the release is on the other side of the block with the Jumper."
"Is there a way for the team to reach it?" Daniel asked.
Rodney shook his head, "There's no diving gear on the Jumper."
"How long will their shield last?" Ford asked.
"If Forrest has done the upgrades properly," Rodney quickly did a few mental calculations, "I'd say six more hours."
Ford nodded, "Well we have someone who should be able to get to the release but do we know if another trap could be sprung? Considering what happened to O'Neill."
Both Daniel and Ari winced at the memory before Lucas spoke up.
"We could use the WSKRs," he suggested, "Miguel has been experimenting with adding the VR software on them."
Sha're frowned slightly, "What does that mean?"
"It is equipment that will send back an image so we can see what is happening in the chamber with the Jumper," Rodney explained to her.
John leaned over to Bridger murmuring, "If you want Rodney to explain something without being a pain in the ass you get Sha're to ask."
"Even using the equipment to get a better view we still need a way to release the mechanism," Daniel noted.
Ford smiled, "We can help with that too."
x
Daniel watched the Seaquest crew work with Rodney to load their WSKR onto Jumper 2. Their plan was to use it to check the chamber around the Jumper and then decide from the information received how to get them out.
The team consisted of him, Ari, Rodney, Ortiz and Lucas. Once they were ready the second Jumper would come with Sheppard, Zelenka, Laura and a seaman called Piccolo.
Daniel smiled when he felt a gentle hand slide around his waist just before his wife rested against his back.
"You are taking our daughter offworld for a second time," Sha're noted moving round so he could hold her.
"This is her project," Daniel murmured into her hair, "It's not fair for me to freeze her out of it."
Sha're let out a soft sigh before she looked up at him, "We did not have our date night this week."
Daniel chuckled. Sara had given Sha're the idea of one night per week that they spent together, no matter what was happening, and Sha're had adopted the practice very quickly. Daniel honestly didn't mind, after all their years apart he liked that there was one night each week when he focussed solely on her.
"I'll make it up to you," he promised her.
Sha're kissed him, "And I will hold you to that."
x
"Doesn't that freak you out?" Lucas asked Ari, nodding over to where her parents were kissing.
Ari chuckled, "Honestly, no. My mom only came back to us when I was about your age and I remember all the years before when my dad was sad."
Lucas looked at her confused.
"Not in a way that it traumatised me," Ari continued, "But unless it was something connected to me his smile never reached his eyes. Now he's happy and I have my mom." As Lucas frowned Ari looked confused, "What?"
"My parents truly suck," Lucas told her, "I'm just being jealous."
Ari laughed, "Come on, it looks like they're ready to go."
"Good," Rodney said when Lucas and Ari reached the Jumper, "Lucas, check the connections. Ari, check the translation program is working."
They both nodded and went to their assignments. Ari quickly logged into the system and checked that the two systems were talking to one another properly.
"Ari?" Rodney called.
"Your translation programme is working," she called back, "There should be no problem controlling the WSKR from the Jumper."
"Are we ready to go?" Daniel asked as he joined them.
Rodney nodded, "Yes, we're set."
"Be careful," Sha're ordered catching her husband's hand and giving him a quick kiss.
Rodney rolled his eyes, "You can get a room when we get back."
Daniel chuckled and stepped into the Jumper, Ari dodged past him and quickly hugged her mother before Sha're walked away allowing them to close the hatch.
Rodney slid into the pilot's seat while Daniel took the co-pilots and the other three sat behind them.
"Okay," John came on the radio, "Are you guys ready to go?"
Rodney nodded to Daniel.
"John, we're ready," Daniel advised, "We'll keep in touch."
With that said Rodney dialled the Gate address and they were on their way.
"May I join you?" Nathan asked.
Sha're looked up to see him standing beside her, "Of course, Nathan. I welcome the company."
Taking the seat beside her on the balcony he looked out across the ocean watching the patterns of light made by the sun on the water, "I spend most of my life beneath the surface. I rarely just take time to look at what's above me. It is beautiful."
"Yes, it is," Sha're smiled, "But this is not why you are here."
Nathan frowned slightly, "I don't like sending my people out into potentially hazardous situations under normal circumstances but now when they're on another planet..."
"I know," Sha're said softly when he trailed off, "That is why I am here, Nathan. This balcony is my refuge. When I have no work to do and can only wait for Dan'iel to return from missions I come here."
They fell into silence and sat watching the clouds in the blue sky. Sha're tilted her head after a few minutes.
"Please join us, Tim," she said without looking back.
Nathan turned surprised to find the young man standing nervously in the doorway.
"Pull up a seat, Lieutenant," Nathan told him.
Duly invited Tim took the seat at Sha're's other side and sat in silence with them.
After about twenty minutes Nathan checked his watch and sighed, "Unfortunately I have to return to the Seaquest and make sure Piccolo hasn't gambled it away. Sha're, I hope we can talk again later."
She gave him a warm smile, "Of course, Nathan."
"Lieutenant," he nodded to the younger man who nodded back before he headed back to work.
x
Sha're waited until she knew Captain Bridger was out of hearing range, she was aware that he had left because he knew Tim wanted to speak to her alone. Although intrigued by the possibility he may have some empathic abilities she had other things to focus on just now.
"You wished to speak some more," she said softly looking at Tim who was staring out across the water.
A slight nervous shrug made Sha're smile, she truly liked the young man. In his manner there was an interesting mix of Jack and Sara, strangely also Daniel in some ways. She briefly mused that perhaps there was someone in Jack or Sara's family like her husband explaining why Jack had befriended him
"I had so many years believing I was just an after-thought to my parents," Tim explained, "I learned not to care about them."
"That sounds..." Sha're paused trying to find the right word before settling on, "Lonely."
Tim shrugged slightly, "Before the Seaquest it was but my friends changed that."
"However," Sha're encouraged.
"When Captain Bridger told me I wasn't an orphan, that my parents were alive and thought I was dead," Tim smiled and blurted out suddenly, "I want to meet them."
Sha're reached out and squeezed his hand, "Of course."
He smiled slightly a sense of peace filling him, "I can't believe it took me this long to decide. I don't run away from anything, I never have."
"This is not a normal situation, Tim," Sha're reminded him, "And I can promise you that when you meet them you will not be alone. Dan'iel, Arianna and I will be there with you."
His smile widened, "Thank you."
"I think I love this," Miguel breathed to Lucas as the Jumper glided through the air after sliding out of the Gate.
Lucas nodded not talking his eyes off the view in front of him. Miguel caught Ari's smile of amusement before she turned to her father.
"Okay, Rodney," Daniel spoke up, "Head to the co-ordinates. Miguel, let's get your WSKR set up."
Tearing his eyes away from the view Miguel followed Daniel to the back of the Jumper where 'Mother' was sitting waiting for them. Miguel crouched and opened the access panel switching it on.
"Is it working?" Daniel asked.
Miguel glanced up, "Just need to check the systems are giving me readings. It'll be a few minutes."
Daniel nodded, "Rodney?"
"We'll be there in about two minutes," Rodney called back.
"Ari," Daniel motioned his daughter to him, "While Miguel lowers the WSKR we're going to keep it steady."
Ari looked at him confused, "You're wanting me to use my gift for something we could do normally?"
"Considering the amount of traps this guy seems to have set up," Daniel explained, "Its better if we keep our distance so we're going to have to use other means to make sure we don't break Captain Bridger's toys after breaking one of his officers."
Ari glanced at Miguel, who could see her trying hard not to smile, before she nodded to her father.
"Are we all ready?" Daniel asked after a few minutes.
"In position," Rodney called.
Miguel nodded, "Mother is fully operational and ready to go."
Following Daniel and Ari's example he slid his arm through the webbing to make sure he didn't fall out the back of the Jumper.
"Opening the hatch," Lucas called just before air rushed in.
Miguel took a deep breath before he activated the winch and began lowering Mother down into the water below them.
x
Ari focussed on the large sphere they were lowering, she could sense her father steadying one side as she did the other. It wasn't the hardest thing she'd ever had to do but it was tricky due to the Jumper engines, the wind, the descent of the rope and the fact both of them were holding the WSKR steady.
"How much longer?" her father called suddenly.
"About fifty more feet," Lucas replied.
Suddenly the Jumper jerked sharply, they all lost their footing and fell the webbing keeping them safe. Ari winced when pain shot through her head, realising quickly it wasn't her pain.
"Dad?" she called worriedly.
"I'm okay," he called back, "Just hit my head when I fell."
Ari focussed and rebuilt the wall in her head to keep others emotions out, "Mom's going to be pissed you're hurt."
"She already is," he replied, "Where's the WSKR?"
"It's still there," Miguel told them, "I stopped the winch."
Ari slid over to the entrance and looked out, "Okay, Dad can you do this?"
The grimace on his face gave her the answer and she nodded, "I'll be fine to do it myself."
Miguel started the winch once more getting barely a few feet out before an explosion rocked the Jumper and the entire ship tilted throwing them all backwards.