Frozen Flame By Suzie Bagley - sbagley814@hotmail.com RATING: R (for heavy angst, adult themes/situations, and disturbing imagery) WARNINGS: Language, violence, adult themes and situations, imagery, angst, minor character deaths, implied sexual situations, m/f relationship. FF is very dark and disturbing in spots, and certain beloved characters aren't always on their best behavior. Don't say I didn't warn you. Oh, and the story is long. *Really* long. 500+ typed, single-spaced pages long, to be semi-exact. That deserves a warning in itself, doesn't it? CATEGORY: The main ones are Action/Adventure, Drama, Angst, Fantasy/Alternate Universe, Romance(?), and Challenge response (Heliopolis #s 9, 46, 104, 171, 226, 453, 500, 577, 581, 643, 648, 669, 677, 758, 1,052, 1,114, 1,193, 1,283, 1,293, 1,359, 1,360, and 1,436. Details are available at the Heliopolis Challenge pages or at http://www.execpc.com/~tbagley/FF-CR.html). You could make a case that FF can also be labeled Hurt/Comfort, Character Study, Thoughts/POV, Future story, and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Crossover with various RPG video games, none of which you need to know about to understand the story. It's amazing the number of categories you can legitimately work into a 500-page novel. PAIRINGS: Daniel/Janet, but it's...ahem...atypical. See the question mark after the 'Romance' category label above? It's there for a reason. Please don't judge the pairing either positively or negatively until after you've read the *entire* story. If you really want to be picky, I suppose you could say there are also a few brief instances of Daniel/Sha'uri and Janet/Makepeace, but I refuse to be held responsible for those. There are also a few other/other pairings (between original characters) and some mild Sam/Jack UST scattered throughout. Basically, though, there's friendship and teamwork galore between *all* of SG-1 here. SEASON INFO: This story branches off into a completely different universe of its own creation after the Season 4 episode "Chain Reaction." "Absolute Power," therefore, has not happened. SEQUEL INFO: Don't expect any sequels. It's not outside the realm of possibility, but it's pretty darn close. SPOILERS: My apologies if this list isn't complete. FF includes references of varying sizes to: "Stargate: The Movie," "Children of the Gods," "Emancipation," "Broca Divide," "The First Commandment," "Cold Lazarus," "The Nox," "Hathor," "Singularity," "Cor-Ai," "Solitudes," "There But For the Grace of God," "The Serpent's Lair," "In the Line of Duty," "The Gamekeeper," "Need," "Secrets," "Tok'ra," "The Fifth Race," "Holiday," "Serpent's Song," "Out of Mind," "Fair Game," "Legacy," "Point of View," "Deadman Switch," "Forever in a Day," "Past and Present," "The Devil You Know," "Urgo," "A Hundred Days," "Shades of Grey," "Maternal Instinct," "Crystal Skull," "Nemesis," "Small Victories," "Upgrades," "Crossroads," "Divide and Conquer," "Window of Opportunity," "The First Ones," "Beneath the Surface," "Tangent," "The Curse," "Chain Reaction," "Prodigy," "Double Jeopardy," Exodus," and "Ascension." SUMMARY: SG-1 is recruited to save a dying planet where 'magic' is common. In the process, it must help two of its own survive with a powerful mental link that threatens to destroy them all. URL: http://www.execpc.com/~tbagley/index.html STATUS: Complete ARCHIVE: Please get my permission *before* you archive this story or else an irate Daniel may blow up you and your site if he finds out about it. DISCLAIMER: Think about it. If I owned them, would I even be *able* to do anything like this to them? Jack would strangle me before I had the chance to *touch* Daniel and/or Janet! Rest assured they're not mine, I'm not making any money from writing this, and I'm not trying to infringe on the owners' copyright. FF was simply a catharsis for some major issues in my life, and the SG universe was the one I knew the best to help me work through those issues. I'll try to return the characters in one piece when I'm done, although they may be a bit worse for the wear and, um, permanently *modified* by the events of this story. Anyone you recognize from the TV show "Stargate SG-1" belongs to Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. A few of the names in the story are blatantly ripped off from "Chrono Cross" and "Final Fantasy 8," two RPG video games created by SquareSoft for the Sony Playstation. That includes the title of the novel, although the 'Frozen Flame' here refers to something a little different than a bizarre, golden, leftover piece of Lavos that causes apes to evolve into humans. Names, however, are only names, and they are not copyrighted. Well, except for the Moogles, which are taken directly from the Final Fantasy series. They're just cute. Want to know more about them? Check out http://mog.ancrik.com/shared/pages/about.shtml for further details...and for pictures. =) As for everything on Drearyland, the Darrians, the Links, the abilities, the black room, the storyline, and everything/everyone else you don't recognize? They're mine; please don't touch them. This story will soon be rewritten as an original novel with entirely original characters and situations, and Drearyland and the Darrians et al are coming with it. Any similarities to other fics on the Internet are completely unintentional. As a general rule, I don't read much SG fic for that very reason; please don't accuse me of stealing something from another's story without talking to me about it privately first. SPECIAL THANKS: At this stage, many, *many* thanks are extended to Karen for her patience and constant encouragement/seal of approval while I was revising this monstrosity. Kitty and Moglie will be stopping over at your place later to give you big hugs and kisses, dear. Sue and Bryn -- Thank you both so much for your comments, suggestions, and beta work; there'd be far more errors and typos here if it weren't for your help pointing them out. Katie -- Thank you so much for being one of the very few people who doesn't like 'ship' brave enough to read a fic that's labeled as such...and for sending such positive, encouraging feedback on it. Your suggestion for drawing in readers was an excellent one and has been duly implemented. Kym -- After much debate, I concluded you'd been right all along about how Jack would or would not act. Hopefully all the problem areas were fixed. Thank you! Sheila and Becca -- Thank you for being two 'story testers' and for your feedback and ideas. Your encouragement helped kick me into gear getting this story finished! Sea Witch -- I'm unable to find the words to thank you for your editorial suggestions on how to improve writing style and technique. I'm indebted to you, even if I still haven't mastered all those suggestions in my own writing. Also, the focal point of the entire novel that readers will undoubtedly recognize when they get there (hint: "Frozen") would not have been possible without Witchie and her suggestions for...ahem...*comments*. Therefore, if THE scene turns out to be as effective as it's supposed to be, send your thanks to her. FEEDBACK: ...Would be greatly appreciated. I won't threaten to stop writing if I don't receive feedback because I know I'd just be making myself miserable by *not* writing, but I'm more likely to squirrel my stories away than to post them for the public if it turns out no one enjoys them and/or bothers to read them. Constructive criticism and honesty are especially welcome, but save your time and don't bother sending flames. Sam's created a nice little anti-flame protective barrier for me so they'll do no good anyway. Above all else, I could use some general reactions. Did you like FF and, if so, why? Did you hate it and, if so, why? What could be improved? Should certain scenes be cut? Is it too long? Is it too dark? Is someone acting out of character? Are there any dangling threads or plot holes? Is the ending believable? Is it worth my time and effort to turn this thing into a real, sellable novel by replacing the SG characters with my own original characters? Anything else you feel is worth commenting on? MUSIC RECOMMENDATION (Challenge #577): Parts of this novel were inspired solely by the soundtracks to the video games "Chrono Cross" and "Xenogears," both composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. Some especially appropriate songs from "Chrono Cross" include "Chrono Cross ~ Time's Scar," "Frozen Flame," "Garden of the Gods," "Star-Stealing Girl," "Dragon's Prayer," "Chronopolis," "Leaving the Body," "Life ~ Faraway Promises," "Home Guldove," and so many more that I'd be listing the entire soundtrack here if I didn't stop now. On the "Xenogears" soundtrack, pay special attention to "Light From the Netherworld," "The Treasure That Cannot Be Stolen," "Lost ~ Broken Shards," "June Mermaid," "Shevat ~ The Wind Is Calling," "Omen," "Awakening," and "One Who Bares Fangs at God," although here again I could list a lot more. Don't scoff at them because they're from video games; Yasunori Mitsuda is a brilliant composer who uses electronic media to the fullest. Check out his work! DEDICATION: To my mom, the only other soul on this planet who knows the *full* story behind "Frozen Flame." As devastating and traumatic as it was at the time, He helped us through it, taught us to ask the right questions, and used the difficulties to ultimately bless us, didn't He? I'd much rather know what we know today than to have remained living in blind ignorance because it was easier and less painful. I couldn't ask for a better friend than you, Mom. I love you. A brief timeline of the story's creation: According to the timestamp on my initial rough sketch of ideas, I started writing FF on December 28, 1999. The first few chapters were completed by January 4, 2000. Soon after that, the story fell into the land of frustration and indecision while my life changed in so many ways that very little of me remained the same afterwards. It wasn't until October 9, 2000, after viewing The Inspiration That Was 'The Curse,' that I picked up FF and started working on it again. After that, there were no more major delays or hindrances. The rough draft was completed on March 8, 2001, and the second draft was completed on May 29, 2001. This, the third draft, will hopefully be completed by the end of October, 2001. AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm a nutcase who couldn't write a short, sappy, simple story if my life depended on it...but if you know anything about me and my writing style, then you're already aware of that. I'm also a sucker for writing stories that take beloved characters, toss them into some truly godawful situations, then expect them to deal with those situations. Oh, and I love turning everything on its head. *Everything*. Expect the unexpected. This is a story filled with lots of pretty illusions; don't be fooled by them. You have been warned! While Daniel and Janet are by necessity the *main* main characters of FF, Jack, Sam, and Teal'c are far from forgotten. So if you're not a Daniel and/or Janet fan, don't panic! I guarantee that Jack, Sam, and Teal'c each have more than enough time to have fun playing with their snazzy new skills...or maybe I should say, those who *have* skills have fun playing with them. This is ultimately a *team* story, where everyone has an extremely important role, even though it might not look that way until further into the novel. Please bear with it; it does get more team-oriented. Honest. One final, important note: //Double forward and backward slashes (like those surrounding this sentence) are used to indicate telepathic thoughts.\\ It's explained in the story, but just be aware there's a difference between normal and telepathic conversations. I think that's it. Fasten your seat belts, folks. This is gonna be a long, bumpy ride. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Frozen Flame Copyright (c) 2001 Suzie Bagley "I have placed before you life and death, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life, so that you will live, you and your offspring." ~Deuteronomy 30:19 *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Prologue: The Book April 25, 2026 3:06 P.M. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Lea frowned as she stepped into the house and shut the door behind her. One of these days she had to get a new backpack. This one sat on her shoulder wrong, weighing it down until she had an unbearable kink in her back. Or maybe the textbook makers were to blame for making the damn textbooks too large and too expensive. Even history books were cheaper, not to mention they were paperback. Maybe she should've studied history in college instead of medicine. Letting the offending bag slip to the floor, she tossed her keys on the lamp stand in the front hallway and glanced at the mirror on the wall to her right. At least her blue eyes had some life, which was more than she could say about her medium-length brown hair; it just hung there, dragged down by unnecessary weight. Fortunately, since she was a student, she could get away with it...at least for now. From the living room to her left came the sound of chattering on the TV, and she poked her head around the corner. "Nial, where are Mom and Dad?" Her younger brother shrugged, his blue eyes glued to the TV set. "Dad's at work. Mom was called to the hospital an hour ago." Of course that's where they were. Where else would they be? "Dad leaves me a message at school saying I need to come home ASAP, doesn't say what he wants, and doesn't answer his cell phone when I to try to find out what's up. So, in spite of having two papers due next week and three exams the week after that, I drive God only knows how many hours from Denver, praying that everything's fine. Now *please* tell me everything is fine." "Everything is fine. Dad's usually home by five, and Mom thought she'd be closer to six." Lea rolled her eyes. It was three. Dad couldn't have at least *told* her it wasn't urgent? She could've gotten three pages written before she had to drive down here. She loved her parents dearly, but sometimes they were inconsiderate and, well, *eccentric*. At least her brother was normal. Well, sometimes. "You decide on a college for next year yet?" she asked. "Nope." Great, he was still at the 'I want to be a bum' stage in his decision. Actually, her hunch was that he had too many interests to narrow his choice down to one particular field. "Meteorology? Volcanology? Fire fighter? Tornado chaser? What's the latest trend?" "Don't have one." Yup, the kid was definitely lost in his little TV universe again. He was a brilliant converser, extremely intelligent, and curious about everything -- those traits seemed to run in the family -- but you could only tell that when you could get his undivided attention. Try to talk to him at any other time and he didn't know you existed. Lea entered the living room to stand behind him, rolling her eyes as she noted that his bare feet were propped up on the coffee table in front of the TV again. The second Mom came home he'd remove them, but he'd always had some difficulty obeying authority without threat of facing her direct wrath...yet another trait he'd picked up from his father. "So what are you watching?" "The Weather Channel." Gee, what a surprise. "Again? Why do you bother? You predict the weather around here better than any weatherman I've ever seen." He looked up at her, running his fingers through his short, brown hair. "Who said I predict the weather? All I do is watch Dad's moods. If he's in a bad mood, I know it's going to rain. If he's in a good mood, sun. Anywhere in between, overcast. The method's 98 percent accurate every time." "How many times have I told you Dad doesn't control the weather?" Lea admonished. "He and Mom may be...peculiar...but they don't possess 'magical powers.'" "Speak for yourself, Sis. You don't live with them anymore." Lea noticed something new sitting on the mantel over the fireplace and wandered toward it, leaning against the piano in the corner of the room. "Yes I do. I'll be back in a month after finals." "Oh, sorry. Wishful thinking." "Love you too, Bro," she said, barely paying attention to him. At the moment, the fact that their family hodgepodge of decorations had gained another addition since she'd last been home was far more interesting than her brother's teasing. "Don't tell me they got *another* one for saving the planet." "Okay, I won't tell you." She picked up the new crystal plaque and held it to the window, letting the rays of the sun catch on it like a prism. "So who was this one from?" "The President. Twenty-fifth year commemoration of their treaty with the Theans. Got it last week in Washington." "For crying out loud, how many awards do they need? They don't actually *do* anything with them, just leave them out for half a year, then toss them in the attic with all the rest. And I thought their first meeting with the Theans was in August. Last I checked, this was April." She glanced at her brother, who merely shrugged, continuing to watch the TV. "Did they make you go with them?" Nial nodded forlornly. "Suit and tie affair. Expensive, tasteless food. Half the SGC was there. Mom figured you were too busy to come to yet *another* Presidential dinner, though, so she didn't bother calling you." What they hell? Their parents obviously had very *selective* consideration for their children. Last week they'd known she was too busy to come to another ceremony, but this week they called her home for no good reason? Mom knew how much schoolwork she had to do before the end of the semester. And if they came home and said, "Well, Honey, we didn't expect you to drop everything and come rushing home," she'd be tempted to hit them over the head with a very big frying pan. On the other hand, maybe she should be grateful they'd remembered last week. She hated those Presidential ceremonies as much as Nial did; all they consisted of was stiff military dress, something that barely passed as food, and long-winded speeches that made Mom, Dad, and the rest of the legendary SG-1 simultaneously blush and yawn in boredom. The best part was seeing Teal'c again; these ceremonies were pretty much the only times he came back to Earth from Chulak. Every time she'd gone to a ceremony commemorating Earth's alliance with the Theans, though, Lea had received the impression that not all of the story about 'SG-1 saving the world' was being told. The official story was that SG-1 had visited a planet named Thea...or was it Planet Edea? She wasn't sure since she'd heard it called by both names. Anyway, SG-1 had risked their lives to save the technologically advanced people of Thea/Edea; and, once successful, they'd then forged an alliance with the Theans/Edeans that had helped Earth defeat the Goa'uld. Mom and Dad, however, seemed extremely awkward, somber, and tight-lipped when it came to discussing the finer details of the events of 25 years ago. None of the rest of SG-1 volunteered any additional information either, much to Lea's annoyance. Nial, having such a sharp, ever-inquisitive mind, always noted their parents' hesitation and asked them for the full story, but somehow or other they managed to avoid or change the subject. Their excuse? "It would take too long. We'll tell you when you're older." When Lea had turned eighteen, therefore, she'd been sure that would be old enough for the 'full story,' but still they'd refused. Now she was planning to start med school next fall; surely *that* was old enough for them? There was such an air of mystery surrounding their marriage and SG-1 saving the planet that she was dying to know the truth. Why the hell wouldn't they tell their own *children* the full story? Anything that involved 'saving the world' couldn't be *that* boring, could it? Or had they just forgotten about their promise to one day tell their children everything? Lea sighed as she set the plaque back on the mantel and let her eyes drift over the other decorations. Directly above the fireplace were the two ethereal paintings that Dad had once said were wedding gifts. One was of a majestic, frighteningly lifelike white tiger lying on a carpet of lush grass. It wasn't scary, but the painting had given her nightmares when she was younger; it seemed enchanted, as if the tiger's eyes were watching over her family and protecting them. The second painting was of a crystalline cliff set against a beautiful sunset. While the painting was gorgeous and exceptionally well painted, it was highly unrealistic, like a fantasy dream sprung to life. Finally, in a tiny glass box on the mantel sat a crystal knickknack that Lea had never figured out and that her parents had never explained. It looked like a circle and a square interlaced together, and it glowed every color of the rainbow, slowly shifting colors from red to orange to yellow to green to blue to purple to white, finally returning to red and repeating the cycle. She'd always figured it, too, had been a wedding gift from someone on another planet. Next to that sat the standard family photos: pictures of her, her brother, and her older sister; get-togethers with friends; and vacations with the family. Then, of course, there was *that* picture, the one from Mom and Dad's wedding where they were staring into each other's eyes oh-so-seriously as if to say, "I love you. No matter what I may say or do, I will *always* love you. I mean every word I say when I promise till death do us part." The picture always drove Lea nuts because her parents looked exactly the same today as they had 25 years ago when they'd been in their thirties. She was still waiting for the day they aged so she could rest assured that yes, they *were* actually human. Of course, the rest of SG-1 had the same problem. Jack was what, 65? 70? Whatever he was, he looked the same today as he did in her parents' wedding photos when he'd been Dad's best man...and God, that man had too much energy for his age. The same went for Sam and Teal'c. As far as she knew, no one on SG-1 had ever suffered from a serious medical ailment, either. They were all in perfect health. Get a cut? Never fear, it'll be gone within minutes. Catch a cold? Don't worry, it'll only last an hour or so. Even she and Nial never seemed to get sick or injured while everyone else in the world did. It was unnatural, but Mom truly seemed to work miracles when it came to her friends' and family's health. On the other hand, it was always possible that SG-1 had unknowingly stumbled upon a fountain youth sometime during their travels. At least that would be an acceptable explanation for their youthful appearances and perpetual health. As a matter of fact, the only flaws Lea could find on either of her parents' bodies were on their right shoulders. Dad had a scar where it appeared a bullet had once struck him; and Mom's shoulder was similarly scarred, only hers looked as if it had once been seriously burned. So they didn't possess a single flaw anywhere else on their body, yet they had those? Simple laser skin grafting or scar removal could've removed them in a flash; why did they insist on keeping them? And how many times during her life had she seen Dad kiss Mom's shoulder as if paying it his deepest respect and tribute? Lea could've sworn she'd seen tears in his eyes several of those times. It was a *shoulder*, not a statue of Mother Teresa, sheesh. Mom, likewise, always had her hand on Dad's shoulder, massaging it as if to remind them both of some unforgettable, important incident. Talk about bizarre. Then again, their behavior was just as bizarre on any given day. She knew they loved each other -- it was obvious every time they looked into each other's eyes -- but sometimes...she wasn't sure. They didn't *talk* as much as a happily married couple should, yet they still seemed happy and would occasionally burst into silly grins out of the blue. What, were they happy they didn't talk to one another? It wasn't encouraging. Lea suspected their marriage wasn't nearly as healthy as it might appear to outsiders. As far as she could remember, though, they'd never had a major fight. Once or twice they'd seemed close -- voices raised, tempers flaring -- but then they'd suddenly sit down and stare at each other and everything would be fine. They scared Lea and her brother at those times when the rage smoldered in their eyes and something she could only describe as 'resentment' filled the air with its oppressive tension, but it only lasted a moment before passing into nothingness. While that might be understandable if they could read each other's thoughts, that telepathy stuff was rubbish, even though Lea knew Nial harbored his convictions that they could. Their older sister, when she wasn't off painting some new display or studying Stargate technology with Sam, also seemed to accept it as fact even though she never admitted it out loud. But would their parents discuss any of this with them? Nope. Those two hid more secrets than C.S. Lewis's wardrobe. Every time Lea asked Mom how she and Dad had fallen in love, the question was brushed aside with a wave of her hand. Much to her brother's annoyance -- and her own -- they rarely said a word about their work, the Theans, or how they'd beat the Goa'uld, which made it excruciatingly difficult to talk with those who knew that their parents were the ones who'd 'saved the planet' and 'worked with the infamous Stargate.' She and Nial were the children of two of the greatest heroes the planet had ever seen, yet they didn't know more than the boring, official military report. Talk about irritating. Lea sighed again as she set the wedding photo back on the mantel. Yup, her parents may be thoroughly eccentric, but that didn't stop her from loving them with all her heart. She wouldn't trade them in for any other parents in the world. Her attention returned to her brother as he grabbed the remote from the table and flipped the channel. He stopped on the Discovery Channel, which seemed to be running a special on thunderstorms. Just what she wanted to watch. She had a paper to write on Neo Babylonian technological advances; learning about thunder and lightning wouldn't get her started on it. "I'm going to do some research in Dad's study," Lea said as she headed toward the hallway. "Let me know when they get home." Nial nodded absently, leading her to wonder if he'd even heard her, then she climbed the stairs. The door to her father's study was slightly ajar; and she pushed it open, amazed as always at the sheer number of books he fit into one room. Mom complained that they were nothing but dust attractors and, more importantly, fire hazards; but Dad insisted he keep them at home, not at the SGC where he was on frequent call as a consultant. Personally, Lea didn't mind having them at home. History and ancient cultures had always interested her; she loved browsing through his books whenever an opportunity arose, like now. If she hadn't been more talented in the areas of medicine and biology, she probably would've gone into archaeology. Instead, she'd decided to study pre-med at the university and minor in history. Gratefully, her parents had never pushed her in any one direction, instead encouraging her into the profession where she felt the most comfortable. She walked around her father's desk and plopped down into his plush swivel chair, eyeing the books on the shelves lining the walls. Babylonian mythology, Egyptian mummies, Herodotus, Josephus.... Seeing a book on technology in ancient times, she pulled it from the shelf and settled in to read it. That was when she finally noticed the plain, brown book sitting in the center of the desk, staring her in the face. Her heart skipped a beat. No, that couldn't be what she thought it was. Dad had always been so *protective* of it. He'd always had it locked up in the family safe and had refused to let her or Nial see it...so why was it just sitting out on his desk right now? Lea closed the ancient technology book and leaned back in the chair to ponder this strange development. God, that book had driven her and Nial *nuts*. Mom and Dad had been writing it as long as she could remember - - she even thought the rest of SG-1 had contributed parts to it, considering how much time Dad had spent editing it -- but, like so many other things, they had refused to tell their ever-curious children anything about it. Once when she'd been younger, Mom had called Dad downstairs while he'd been working on the book. Lea had snuck into the study and peeked inside, dying to know what it was about, but Dad had quickly returned and told her to shoo, she "wasn't old enough to read that yet." All she'd determined from those few minutes was that it was written like a novel with what appeared to be alternating third person viewpoints, possibly a memoir or biography since she recognized so many of the names, but beyond that her imagination could only guess. Now it was lying here, unguarded, begging her to open it.... *No*, she reprimanded herself, biting her lower lip and closing her eyes. If Mom and Dad really wanted you to read it, they would've handed it to you and said, "Here, Honey, read this." Had they done that? Absolutely not. Besides, knowing her bizarre parents, it was probably something weird like an account of all the sordid details of their sex life...something Lea did *not* want to know about. And yet, there was such an air of mystery about this book, how secretive they'd been about its existence, all the times they'd hid it from her and her brother.... Talk about tempting. Lea rose to her feet and walked to the door. "Nial?" she called down the stairs. When in doubt, drag someone else into the decision to share in the blame. "Have you seen this?" "Seen what?" he called back to her. "Get up here and see for yourself." "Do I *have* to? Can't you bring it downstairs?" "No, I can't. Not this." She smirked as she heard him groan and turn off the TV. A moment later he left the living room and started up the stairs. "Okay, so what's the big secret?" "You tell me," she said, heading back into the study and retaking her seat behind the desk. She pointed at the book. His eyes widened as he entered the room and stopped on the opposite side of the desk from her. "That's not what I think it is, is it?" "Sure looks that way to me." "But Dad would never...." "I know." She looked up at him and grinned craftily. "Sufficiently tempted yet?" "Getting there." Nial ran his finger over the plain brown book cover before opening it to the first page. "Sis, we shouldn't...." "I know." "This is wrong." "I know." "This is *so* wrong." "I know." "This could be anything. A description of planets they once visited, a list of alien races they met, a detailed record of all the times General O'Neill has said 'For crying out loud'...." Yes, yes, they'd listed every possibility under the sun hundreds of times. "*Or* it could be the answer to every mystery our weird parents have hinted at never explained. How they saved the world, how they fell in love...." Nial nodded slowly. "...Why they seem to talk without speaking, why they're never sick...." "...Why they haven't aged since that wedding picture was taken 25 years ago, what that crystal downstairs means...." "...Why we have a picture of a big *cat* over the fireplace...." "...Who that blond woman I was named after is...." Her brother arched an eyebrow at her. "Speaking of that blond woman, she stopped by here last week after the ceremony in Washington, you know. Gave something to Dad." Lea lifted her eyes from the book. "Really? Did she place her hand to your forehead again?" "Have we ever seen her when she *hasn't*?" he replied. "She asked about you again." What a surprise. "You know, it's funny that we know nothing about her except that she's a Thean and a friend of SG-1's, yet she seems to know everything there is to know about us." Nial stared at the book another moment, then a sly smile crept over his face. "So do you want to read it out loud or should I?" Lea pulled the book away from him, grinning like a maniac. "Oh, no, don't even think about it. Have a seat on the couch, Bucko. *I* found the book; *I* get to start. Chapter One: The Accident." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Frozen Flame - Part 1: Heaven Chapter One: The Accident August 13, 2001 Monday, 9:01 a.m. Valea Darrian knew what she was looking for, she knew how many people depended on her to find it, and she knew the consequences of not finding it in time. She felt inadequate; this wasn't her duty, it was the duty of her older sister, Thea. Like so many others, though, Thea had been lost, as had her older brother, Kayil, and almost all of her friends. Her parents had vanished. Only she and her younger brother, Sayil, were left to search. They'd been searching for months. She was frustrated. She was scared. She had already scanned so many, but none fit the prophecy. Planet Edea was nearly dead. Ninety percent of the population was gone. If someone didn't stop Amala and her two ghastly servants soon, it could prove disastrous for the entire galaxy. After all, once this planet was gone, the witch would most likely find a new one and begin her destruction anew. The pressure hanging over Valea's head was enough to make any other 19-year-old girl buckle under the load...only buckling under wasn't an option for her. Right now, though, Valea had ceased her search for that potentially nonexistent answer, instead letting her thoughts drift from face to face and from location to location until she found herself standing in a meadow surrounded by a vast, lively forest. Violets and clover speckled the deep green grass, and overhead stretched a cloudless sapphire sky. Along one edge of the meadow bubbled a crystalline river, sparkling in the nurturing rays of the mid-morning sun. Swallows swooped down over the river, snatching mosquitoes in their tiny beaks, and on the opposite bank stood a fawn, staring at her with wide, lambent eyes. Valea smiled as it dipped its head to drink from the pristine water. She turned around as a cool southern breeze blew past her and found herself facing the Doorway, the proud, gleaming beacon that welcomed all to the planet. In front of it sat four blond-haired, blue-eyed children engrossed in a game of marbles...her sister, her two brothers, and herself. A seven-year-old Sayil tossed a blue marble into the air; and it landed inside a circular indentation of grass, striking a red marble. Beside him, Valea's nine-year-old counterpart took her turn, laughing cheerfully as her red marble knocked his blue one out of the circle. The boy sniffled sadly at his loss; but the little girl jumped to her feet, shrieking and clapping her hands. Thea, at the time in her mid-teens, placed her arm around Sayil's back while Kayil, a year younger than Thea, whispered instructions in the victor's ear. The young Valea nodded in understanding and knelt beside the crying boy, offering him her prize: a crystal marble. Sayil pondered the gift a moment before hesitantly accepting it from her. The girl shrieked again and tackled him, placing kiss after kiss on his face while he struggled to free himself from her. After a few seconds, however, their playful struggle ended; and the two hugged tightly, enjoying the perfect, peaceful day and the company of beloved family members. Why couldn't time have stood still at that moment forever? Valea's heart sank as the image of her family disappeared into a ghostly mist. At the same time, the luscious trees and grass paled, replaced by a dull wasteland; the bubbling water evaporated into a dry riverbed; the sky clouded over; and the fresh, energizing breeze grew cool and clammy. Only the Doorway remained the same, a constant in the ever-worsening conditions of her world. It was the middle of summer, but you'd never guess that by looking at nature. Suddenly, the Doorway began spinning, lighting as each silver symbol locked into place. Once the seventh was selected, a bright wave of blue burst from it, illuminating the dreary landscape. A moment later a man stepped out, followed by a woman and two more men. Realizing she was no longer dreaming, Valea opened her eyes and focused them on the overhead rafters of the single-room cottage. For months, the cottage had been a cozy dwelling for herself and her brother, but now it was more bone chilling than comforting. What she'd give to go home. A single word ringing in her mind pulled her from her reverie. //Visitors.\\ "I'm coming," Valea said aloud, sitting up and stretching to remove the knots that had settled in her back during her nap. Visitors. It had been weeks since they'd last had visitors. //Hurry up!\\ She smiled faintly as she stood and left the cottage. A few feet away in the dreary brown meadow stood her youngest brother, Sayil, now seventeen. During the past ten years, he'd become a handsome young man, over six feet tall with short blond hair and bright blue eyes. His muscles were finely toned; and, in spite of the never-ending cloud cover, his skin was tan from hours spent sitting outside, monitoring the Doorway. //You're not that bad looking yourself, you know,\\ he said. Valea's smile broadened. In her mind's eye she saw his image of her -- a tall, slim build with long blond hair framing a soft face and pale cerulean eyes -- and she recognized his sincerity. "Sorry, I was...." "Dreaming, I know. I even know what you were dreaming about." She eyed him as she stepped beside him. "Invading my dreams again?" Sayil shook his head and returned his eyes to the visitors as the Doorway closed behind them. "Not on purpose. But I haven't seen Thea and Kayil in so long that when I realized you were dreaming about them...." "...You couldn't help yourself. Don't worry about it." At least they still had each other. Thea and Kayil might be no more, but she and Sayil were still together, clinging to one another as those mourning a lost family did. With a sigh, Valea took a several steps forward to observe the four visitors spreading out from the Doorway. All were dressed in green, wearing black boots on their feet and holding odd devices in their hands. The first man -- the one with gray hair and a green cap -- pulled out a pair of black goggles and placed them over his eyes. "Remind me again, what was so fascinating about this planet?" he asked. "It looks a bit...dead...to me." "The MALP's soil samples showed traces of an unusual substance, Sir," the woman said, blond hair poking out from beneath her cap. "It was too small a sample to run a full analysis, though, so we should try to find a larger source." "Ah. Daniel?" "The MALP didn't show any signs of civilization," the sandy-haired, bespectacled man said. "No towns, no artifacts, no *life*...." "Yeah, I noticed that, too. Where the hell is the wildlife? And what's with this plant life? Trees and grass don't just die like this, do they?" "Not normally," the woman said. "It looks like whatever killed everything did it recently. There's a little bit of life left in the forest ahead of us, but even that probably won't last long, judging from the rest of the plant life." "It is most unusual, O'Neill," the dark-skinned man said. "However, I do not see anything that would cause such devastation." "This doesn't make sense," the younger man said. "It's like a drought hit, but that's impossible considering the cloud cover and the level of humidity here." The woman nodded. "I agree with Daniel. A drought, a planet virus, or a widespread parasite would've been my guesses, but none of those possibilities work. Plant viruses and parasites are usually selective about the type of plant they attack, but *everything* here is dead or dying." "We should not stay here long, O'Neill," the tattooed man said. "We do not know what caused this, nor do we know if it will affect us." "Well, all readings from the MALP came back clean, Sir. Oxygen and carbon dioxide levels are fine, there's no radiation or detectable toxins in the ground or in the air, there are no visible predators in the area.... We should be safe, at least for now." The older man nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, I agree with Teal'c; something here feels very, very wrong, so let's not stay long. Daniel, see if you can find any paths in the forest. Carter, keep taking your soil samples, see if we can find either that unknown substance or an explanation for why everything's dying. Teal'c, keep an eye out for anything threatening." By that point, Valea and Sayil had walked up beside the four and were scrutinizing them closely. "I take it they can't see us," Sayil said. "Apparently not." That in itself wasn't unusual; while searching for the prophesied ones, she and Sayil had met very few foreigners who could detect them. "Since they appear ignorant of our presence, they must not be able to hear us, either." "I don't understand their language," Sayil said. "Me neither...but I don't remember Thea scanning many visitors who physically resemble our people as much as these do." Her brother nodded. "Better stop them and find out if they're the ones." "Right." Valea closed her eyes in concentration, visualizing the activity in the meadow slowing to a stop, then snapped her fingers. Instantly, the four travelers froze in mid-step. Usually, she felt a surge of excitement whenever they had a visitor; but, strangely, this time she felt more foreboding and dread than excitement. Maybe she was just afraid that, like so many others, these people wouldn't be the ones...or maybe it was something else entirely, like a feeling of fear that something was about to go very, very wrong. Quickly reminding herself that she couldn't give up hope, she scanned the gray horizon above the dying forest. "Sensing any disturbances?" "I'm not sure," Sayil said. "Something feels wrong, but whatever it is, it's still a good distance away." She frowned. The Darrian family possessed two traits that were very rare among the Edeans; males could sense disturbances in physical nature while females could sense innate characteristics in human nature. Valea wasn't used to sensing the disturbance in nature herself, though, so it must be worse than Sayil was letting on. "Ronan spotted Amala near Deracot last week, didn't he?" she asked. He nodded. "Right, but her castle disappeared immediately afterward. I guess I'm more concerned about Avitus and Corraman. Amala's shadow reportedly attacked Marbule last week, and as for Corraman...well, no one's seen the shape-shifter in weeks." Weeks...great. Corraman tended to disappear for weeks at a time, then suddenly reappear whenever the Doorway opened. That meant he was due back for a visit now...and chances were he'd be bringing Avitus with him. //I'll keep an eye out for them,\\ Sayil assured her, apparently sensing her growing concern. //Just...work.\\ Valea nodded her gratitude and hurried to the nearest frozen man, the one with dark-skin and a gold tattoo on his forehead. A Jaffa. She hated scanning Jaffa. The demon within them was disgusting, as were their memories of murder, hatred, and evil. She wasn't sure why she bothered -- no good could come from *this* alien race, could it? -- yet Edea had said to scan everyone, so like it or not, she would. Careful not to touch the man's skin, she lifted her hand to his forehead and closed her eyes, feeling, seeking, and probing his mind. Death ... destruction ... strength ... respect ... valor ... loyalty ... remorse? Her eyes fluttered open and she lowered her hand, staring at the man again. The first few images she'd expected, but the last ones.... //What is it?\\ Sayil asked her. "Well, in a sense, he's like every other Jaffa I've scanned in that he's instigated the same level of destruction. His tattoo is of the one called Apophis...but I don't sense that he's currently serving Apophis, since the other visitors clearly aren't Jaffa. I think they're fighting Apophis, and this Jaffa is fighting alongside them. They're enemies of the Goa'uld." Her brother's eyes widened. "So we...?" "...Don't have to harm him." It was an effective way to protect the Edeans from the Goa'uld -- just zap the Jaffa's and Goa'uld's heads once and they fled back through the Doorway screaming in agonizing pain, never to return because they believed the planet was cursed by 'invisible spirits.' Valea couldn't do that to this man, though, for she sensed that he meant them no harm. On the other hand, he also wasn't the man in Edea's prophecy. "He's a warrior. His intentions for being here are pure...but he can't help us." Sayil sighed as she moved toward the man with gray hair and black goggles. "I'm not sure if I should be relieved or disappointed." To be honest, she wasn't sure either. "Atmosphere?" He closed his eyes in concentration, and Valea felt his concern rise. "Not good," he said. "The disturbance is getting closer." Three visitors left and time was already running out...wonderful. Then again, chances were high these visitors weren't the prophesied ones anyway, so why was she worrying? Oh how she wanted them to be the ones, though, before Amala took the lives of the last 10 percent of the Edeans and finished destroying the planet. Still unwilling to give up, she lifted her hand to the man's forehead and closed her eyes. Heartache ... sarcasm ... acumen ... vitality ... loyalty ... strategy ... leadership. "Another warrior," she said, her heart sinking. "Probably the leader, and, judging from what I saw, a very *capable* leader." "The leader...I'm not surprised he's a warrior," Sayil murmured, eyeing the man warily. "If a warrior could save us, someone from the Western Continent would've already done it." Valea frowned at her brother's unenthused tone. Warriors definitely weren't his favorite people. She wasn't sure she could blame him, at least considering what they'd once put him through. "Atmosphere?" she asked again, hurrying toward the blond woman. He lifted his eyes and searched the clouds. "Worse. Feels like Corraman...and he's getting closer." Overhead, the sky darkened and a sharp gust of wind blew past her. "Sure it's not Avitus? He's the storm-raiser." Sayil smiled awkwardly. "I wasn't going to mention this since you have enough to worry about right now, but...it feels like both." *Both*? Damn. Valea quickly lifted her hand to the woman's forehead and closed her eyes. Strength ... tactics ... sharpness ... loyalty ... intelligence ... loss ... science? Valea lowered her hand, puzzled. "Well, she's not the woman in the prophecy, but she's a mind user, at least in part. Part of her seems to be a warrior, like them," she pointed at the first two men, "but she also possesses a number of latent skills like yours, Sayil -- state- oriented, protective, and physical. Of course, she appears to lack your artistic skills, but her partial warrior nature would probably explain that." When Valea finally turned, she found that Sayil was staring at the woman, his eyes narrowed. "That's odd. I've never heard of a woman possessing skills like mine. Those are a man's skills." "I know," she said with a nod. "We need a woman with elemental skills, not yours. At least, that's what Thea was searching for, that and a man with healing skills." "Could the prophecy be wrong?" Another chilling wind raced past her, and Valea pulled her cape tighter around her as she shivered. "Well, technically it said we needed a man and a woman from a faraway land, one with elementals and the other with healing skills. On our world, men are the healers while women possess the elementals, so we assumed the prophesied ones would be the same...but if this woman's skills are any indication, things may be different on their world. Men may have the elementals while women are the healers." Sayil nodded. "It's unusual to see warriors and mind users together on a team like this, so I guess anything's possible. That means that, even if this woman isn't the one, we still need to scan the last man." Definitely. It may not be what Valea was looking for, but this discovery had restored a glimmer of something she'd begun to think lost -- hope. Maybe the final man, the one with sandy hair and the clear goggles, was the one. Suddenly, her brother's head snapped upward. //The winds have shifted. Amala knows what we're doing here...she must've sent Avitus and Corraman to stop us.\\ How could Amala know they'd just found someone possessing mental abilities? Valea wondered. The last time they'd had seen Amala's servants, they'd used the Darrian cottage as lightning bolt target practice and nearly fried her and her brother. Edea's protection over the cottage had prevented any harm from befalling them -- well, that or Corraman and Avitus had intentionally missed -- but that may not be the case now. It didn't make sense, why she and Sayil were still alive if Amala knew what they were doing here...but she couldn't second-guess that now. They didn't have time for doubts. Valea looked up again as a single crack of lightning jumped between the building clouds. Without another word, she jogged over to the last man, forcing herself to ignore the blank stare in his blue eyes. Before she could even lift her hand to his forehead, however, she felt it. Power. This man possessed very powerful latent abilities. //Whoa!\\ Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sayil jump at her mental exclamation. "What is it?" "He has to be the one. I'd recognize elementals anywhere, just because of the sheer *power* associated with them." Before Sayil could respond, a dark blue mist began swirling around the meadow, draping itself over the dying treetops like a fine linen cloth. Her brother's eyes nearly popped out of his head. //Avitus. We need to get out of here before he descends on us!\\ Amala's shadow...*shit*. If he touched them, they'd end up exactly like everyone else on the planet. But still...Valea was *not* leaving now, not when she'd finally found a man possessing elemental skills. She wouldn't let her family down; she wouldn't let her *people* down. Even if they were missing the woman in the prophecy, this man *had* to be the one. Ignoring her brother's command to leave, she lifted her hand to the frozen man's forehead and closed her eyes to drown out the roaring winds. Suddenly, she felt herself sucked into the man's mind as she focused on him. Faces ... curly dark hair, beautiful face and eyes, sensuous body ... a boy, her son, but not his ... a family lost, mother, father, grandparents ... friends, loved ones, colleagues, all gone ... love, hatred, compassion, willpower, determination ... concern for the past, for the future, for people, cultures, languages ... intelligence, curiosity, excitement, brilliance, aloofness, loyalty ... longing, grief, despair, fear, hope, need ... water, wind, earth, smoke, ashes ... fire? Valea's eyes flew open, her heart pounding as she reeled from the intensity of the experience. The tragedies, the heartaches, the persistence, the successes, the failures, the untapped *power* inside this man...she wasn't sure where to start. Then to top that off with a natural resistance to Amala and her shadow...wow, wow, *wow*! After a full year, the first of the prophesied saviors had finally been found. Valea Darrian had located the foreigner with latent elemental skills who could save Planet Edea from Amala. A sudden stab of terror came from her brother, and she spun around, the wickedly laughing winds whipping at her cape. Sayil was hunched over on the ground, his hands pressed to his ears, his face clenched as if in pain. It was only then that she realized just how dark the sky had become and that the blue cloud -- Avitus -- was slowly seeping down into the circular meadow. //This man's the one, Sayil! I must open his mind to release his skills!\\ While Sayil didn't move, his mind returned, //You can't without his permission!\\ *Permission*?! Like they had any time to secure his *permission*, what with Avitus descending on them and Corraman probably planning to hurl thunderbolts at them any second now. This might be the only chance she had to do this. //There's no time! I need you to buy me a few minutes by creating a protective barrier.\\ He stared at her, aghast. //You mean you're not going to tell him...?\\ Valea glared at him. //Just do it.\\ //But my barrier won't stop....\\ ...Corraman and Avitus for more than a few minutes, yes, she knew that. //Five minutes, that's all I need; I know you can hold it for that long. I can't create barriers like you can. Do it for our people. You know what'll happen if we don't.\\ Sayil continued staring at her, clearly shocked by her request, until she gently eased his fears with her mind, persuading him he could hold the barrier long enough...and that the man in the prophecy would understand why she had to do this. Finally, Sayil nodded and closed his eyes. The air around them tensed, his face twitching from his deep concentration, and Valea held her breath as the swirling blue mist began dying away. Suddenly, a blinding flash of white engulfed the meadow; and a clear, crystalline dome settled overhead, abruptly stopping the roaring winds. Valea's heart leapt even as her brother sank limply to the ground. //I'll keep it up as long as I can, but it won't hold them...work fast....\\ She nodded and pulled a silver bracelet from her leather cloak, then slipped it over her palm and lifted it to the frozen man's forehead. He looked so innocent, so unaware of what was about to happen. A last surge of apprehension hit her, doubts that she could do this and that she was making the right decision to open his mind. Sayil was right, they *didn't* have this man's permission, something that went against every known Darrian rule...but the alternative was even more appalling. No, she told herself, she *had* to do this, no matter how many rules it broke. Her planet's existence required it. Valea positioned the tiny, diamond-shaped piece of crystal on the bracelet to the bespectacled man's forehead and closed her eyes, returning herself to his mind. A second later she'd located the proper entryway, thus beginning her journey through the nerves of his brain in a blur of flashing white and black colors, as if she were an electrical impulse that knew the proper route through a giant grid of metal wires. Then, there she was, standing outside the black box in his mind, the control center of so much power. She quickly pressed the crystal charm to the edge of the box. A tiny white light appeared at the point of contact, spreading out until the entire box glowed a brilliant white. Sensing that her brother was losing his hold on his barrier, she pulled herself from the prophesied one's mind and returned to reality. Her eyes shot upward as the dome barrier overhead creaked and groaned under the bolts of lightning that assaulted it. "Were you successful?" he asked through gritted teeth. She nodded, horrified, as first one crack, then another and another, spread through her brother's barrier. Next she knew, Sayil grabbed her arm and dragged her after him, racing back toward the cottage on the outskirts of the forest. The dome overhead shuddered one last time before shattering, and millions of tiny diamond-like crystal shards broke loose, cascading down upon them like hail. They quickly reached the edge of the barrier and burst through it. Outside, a hurricane whipped around them, furiously pelting them with dead branches and leaves. Finally, they arrived at the cottage and Valea slammed the door shut behind them. The wooden planks moaned and trembled under the onslaught but, thanks to Edea's protection, held fast. Sayil waved his hand at the ceiling and the wooden frame disappeared, invisible but still safely in place. Overhead, in the eye of the storm, flew a single raven. A minute later both the raven and the storm were gone, leaving nothing in their wake but a gray, overcast sky. Valea held her breath until Sayil announced, "It's clear." What the...? That was *it*? "They didn't even care about the visitors," she murmured. "Can Corraman see them?" "I think so." Valea stared out the invisible wall at the Doorway where the four still stood frozen in time, oblivious to what had just happened. "The visitors can't see us, but we can see them...and so can Corraman and Avitus." She turned her head back toward her brother. "I don't get it. If Amala knows about the prophecy and wants to stop the prophesied ones...then why did Corraman and Avitus leave them unharmed?" "Maybe they don't know you found the man in the prophecy," Sayil said. "It's just a good thing Corraman can't sense latent abilities." Well, to be honest, the Edeans didn't know *what* Corraman could or could not do, but his lack of concern for the visitors seemed to indicate that Sayil was right. "Maybe he and Avitus were just making their presence known." "Well, whatever the case, if he'd wanted to harm them, he would've already done it," her brother said. "There's no reason to keep them frozen any longer." "Then I'll resume time for them." Valea closed her eyes and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the four visitors began moving once again. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Another mission to another planet, only this planet was considerably *drearier* than most of the ones SG-1 had seen, Jack noted as his eyes scanned the line of trees around the meadow. Teal'c was venturing to the north; Carter was kneeling and examining the dead grass. Daniel, meanwhile, was already wandering off in the opposite direction, eyeing the ground for...whatever it was he looked for to determine how long it had been since anyone else had been there. Jack didn't like this planet already. Dead trees, dead grass, overcast sky, and a stillness that would make a corpse uneasy. Even the wind was nonexistent. There were no houses, no paths, no people, no animals...nada. Warning bells had sounded in Jack O'Neill's brain the second they'd stepped out of the Stargate. Yup, this planet was going high on his list of 'places that would cause the most inhabitants to commit suicide.' Suddenly, the archaeologist cried out in pain, and Jack whirled around in time to see Daniel press his hand tightly to his forehead and sink down to his knees. "Daniel? Daniel!" The others rushed toward their fallen teammate, and Carter pulled the younger man's hand from his forehead. "Daniel, what happened? Are you okay?" Daniel shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, though, he said, "I'm fine, Sam. I just had this...blinding pain in my head, like someone jabbed a needle into my brain. The funny thing is, it's already going away." A blinding pain in his head? *That* didn't sound good. Problem was.... "There is nothing there, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, then he returned his attention to the horizon, most likely looking for signs of what had caused the pain Daniel had just felt. "Teal'c's right, Sir, there's nothing there," Carter said, gently probe at Daniel's forehead with her fingers. "No puncture wounds, no bumps, no scars, no burns...whatever Daniel felt couldn't have been external." Jack glanced at the Jaffa, who was still eyeing the landscape. "Teal'c?" "I see nothing unusual, O'Neill." ...Right. Jack removed his sunglasses, absently wondering why he'd even bothered putting them on, and rubbed his eyes. Apparently, this was going to be one of *those* missions, the kind that made him question why he'd agreed to command a team through the Stargate. SG-1 had been on the unnaturally dreary P9X 119 five minutes and Daniel was already complaining about a blinding pain in his head. He clearly wasn't dying, though, and Carter wanted to learn more about that new mineral, so Jack didn't have a viable reason to order a retreat. "How're you feeling?" he asked the archaeologist again. The younger man blinked several times, lightly rubbing his forehead. "I feel...fine, Jack. There's no more pain, everything's normal...it's perfect, actually, like I never felt anything. Maybe I just imagined it." So why didn't Jack buy that? "You sure? You tend to say you're fine when you're not, Daniel. Remember that appendix incident? We're close enough to the Stargate that we could go back and have Fraiser check you out, make sure you're not getting a brain tumor or were secretly implanted with a Goa'uld or something." It was clear the colonel's suggestions disturbed the archaeologist, but he quickly shook his head, dismissing the possibilities. "She takes MRIs after every mission, Jack; she would've noticed a brain tumor or a Goa'uld by now. I'm fine, but I'll let you know if it comes back." Uh-huh. He'd believe *that* when it happened. Daniel, the one who refused to ask for help when it came to his own welfare, who'd live off of coffee if only Jack would let him, and who'd never sleep if it was up to him because 'artifacts were more interesting than sleep,' was now promising to alert him when something felt wrong? But still, Daniel had a point. Fraiser would've noticed by now if something was seriously wrong. Maybe Daniel was just getting a headache. Whatever the case, Jack would be keeping a close eye on the archaeologist the next few hours. "Teal'c, see anything threatening yet?" "I do not, O'Neill." Jack sighed. Of course not. After all, SG-1 never ran into the threatening stuff until they were at least three hours away from the Stargate. "All right, Campers, let's take the world tour, see if we can find Carter's mystery mineral, and get back to Earth so Fraiser can check out Daniel's head." He pointed to the forest north of the Stargate. "Since I don't see anything noteworthy in this field, let's check up there first." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 10:20 a.m. Valea glared at her brother as he paced the length of the cottage for the umpteenth time. She'd been sitting cross-legged on the bed for over an hour, fingers pressed to her temples as she delved into the mind of one Doctor Daniel Jackson...only her brother's impatience kept distracting her concentration. "Will you stop that infernal pacing?" she suddenly snapped. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a tiger waiting to pounce. It's driving me nuts!" In response, Sayil grinned devilishly and threw his head back, growling exactly like a tiger. "Quit playing games, this is serious!" Valea scolded him. "Do you know how hard it is to dig through someone's thoughts without arousing their suspicion? I need to find if he knows of any women who possess healing skills before he and his friends get bored here and go home." "Aw, come on, Valea, at least tell me what you've learned about him." She pursed her lips. They were wasting precious time -- not to mention the prophesied man was fascinating -- yet she knew Sayil wouldn't quit until she'd appeased his curiosity. "All right, his name is Daniel Jackson and he's from a planet called Earth. I think the visitors are looking for any sign of life here, only they're a tad spooked because everything's dead and they can't see us. And as for Daniel, he's something called an...anthropologist or an archaeologist, I'm not sure which is the proper term. I'm not sure what he does yet, but it has something to do with digging up dead people and objects...." Her voice trailed off as her brother scrunched his face in disgust. "What?" "You mean the prophesied one is a common grave robber?!" "Will you let me finish before you jump to wrong conclusions?" she silenced him. "No, he's not a common grave robber. He's more like...a linguist crossed with one of our historians, someone who learns about the past by studying the remains of people and civilizations. He's not here to steal from us but rather to learn about us and try to forge an alliance with us against the Goa'uld. He actually seems pretty nice, although he seems to carry an awful lot of grief and heartache inside him. I'm not sure I understand everything; I haven't mastered their language yet...'English,' I think it's called. To be honest, the language is a nightmare; there are so many exceptions to every rule that it makes the Moogle language seem easy! Of course, it also doesn't help that Daniel knows twenty-some odd languages that are hard to distinguish between. I'd love to read something called a 'dictionary' to learn their vocabulary." Sayil smiled at her. "Well, I'm sure you'll get it. Once you do, though, you're transferring it to me. I want to learn more about this woman who has skills like mine." Valea snorted. Knowing Sayil, he was already developing a crush on the poor woman in spite of her half-warrior nature. "Of course I will, once they've gone back to their planet." "So have you found the other prophesied one?" he asked, sitting down on the bed beside her. "The language barrier is making it hard to distinguish between professions and their titles," she said. "Daniel works with a number of women who could be the one in the prophecy, some in what I think is a healing profession. The title 'doctor' seems to refer to medicine...but I'm confused because both Daniel and Major Carter have the title 'doctor' even though neither have any healing skills...." "In other words, you don't know yet," Sayil finished for her. "You interrupted me, remember?" Valea replied with a grin. In response, he just rolled his eyes and sighed, and she recognized that he needed to *do* something, not just sit around waiting for news. "Look, Sayil, there *is* something you can do if you want to help." His face lit up. "Anything." "The visitors are heading north toward Deracot. While that's not a problem since they're still hours away from it and can't see it, I don't want them to travel too far from the Doorway. If I find a promising woman in Daniel's memories, I'll need to use him to bring her here." The mischievous smile reappeared on Sayil's face. "So you want me to stop them before they get too far away. I can do anything to them?" Valea laughed; Sayil *would* jump at the opportunity to confuse warriors. "Be creative. I'll tell you if I find anything." She lifted her finger and pointed at him. "And don't draw Corraman's attention back to the Doorway by doing anything flashy." "Nothing flashy, got it," Sayil said, jumping to his feet. "This'll be fun." With that, he hurried out of the cottage to find the visitors, leaving Valea behind, finally able to resume her work in peace. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 10:36 a.m. Jack winced as he brushed past a tree branch and it broke, falling to the ground with a soft thud, so dry and brittle that even that faint pressure had snapped it. *Everything* in this forest was dead or dying; even the evergreens were nearly dead, with only a pale, sickly green hue remaining to attest that they'd ever been alive. Evergreens didn't just *die*, hence the name *ever*green, and neither did all the moss, ferns, and grass. SG-1 had been on P9X 119 over an hour now, and Jack still hadn't seen or heard a single bird or animal. This was beyond creepy. He couldn't remember the last time they'd seen a planet this melancholy and *lifeless*. On the bright side, SG-1 had found some signs of activity. Soon after entering the forest, Teal'c had stumbled upon a trail, which meant someone had been there recently. Animal or human was a question as of yet unanswered, but still, a trail was a trail and had to go *somewhere*, right? Right now SG-1 was following it, but the only thing they could see around them was a dead forest. "You know how some planets grow on you after a few hours?" he asked his teammates, who were trailing behind him on the path. "Yeah?" Carter called to him. "Well, this place doesn't make it onto that list." Jack glanced back as Carter chuckled, then slowed as he saw Daniel rub his forehead gently. The archaeologist had been suspiciously quiet since their arrival...and it was starting to freak Jack out just as much as the dying state of the planet. No matter how boring or dreary the mission might be, Daniel was never quiet. Normally he'd be speculating about the path or the planetary conditions, but right now he was around walking in a complete daze. "Daniel? You okay?" The younger man quickly lowered his hand from his face. "I'm fine." Uh-huh. "You sure?" Daniel sighed and shook his head. "Actually, no, I'm not. I think I'm getting a bit of a headache...well, it's not really a headache. It's...it feels, I don't know, *weird*." 'Weird' wasn't a particularly helpful description. "Weird how?" "It doesn't hurt, but it's almost as if my thoughts were being...tugged at. I don't know how else to describe it. It went away for a few minutes, but now it's back. It's just...weird." *Tugged* at? Yes, Jack would describe that as 'weird,' too. "Think it has something to do with that pain you felt in your head back by the Stargate?" The blank look on Daniel's face said it all: Dumb question, Jack. "Okay, you don't know. You want to go back to Earth and have Fraiser check it out or keep looking around Drearyland here?" Daniel shook his head. "No, I'm fine; let's keep looking around. If it gets worse, I'll take some Tylenol; but, like I said, it doesn't really feel like a headache yet." Jack stared at him a moment, trying to determine if Daniel sincerely felt fine or if he was just postponing the inevitable Fraiser-shining-a- penlight-in-his-eyes ending to the mission. Ask Daniel to clarify and he'd insist it was the former, not the latter, so Jack didn't bother. Seeing Carter had taken opportunity of their brief break to test the ground again, he asked, "Any change in the soil samples, Major?" "Not yet, Sir. I haven't seen any more of that mineral, and there's nothing to indicate what killed everything." He sighed. It had only been an hour and he was already dying to forget about this place and go back to the blissfully sunny Colorado. Still not having a good reason to turn around, though, he patted Daniel's shoulder and returned his attention to the path. "All right, guys, let's keep going, try to figure out what the hell's going on here." The team pressed onward, forcing their way past the dry brush that blocked the path. After fifteen minutes, the path sloped steeply upward, toward the peak of a fairly high hill. Suddenly, they all stopped as they heard something nearby, the roar of...what *was* that? Water? "What the hell...?" Jack murmured, hurrying up the trail to the top of the hill. One second there'd been no sound except the crack of dead leaves and branches beneath his feet; the next there was a huge waterfall? That didn't make sense. What had happened to the gradual sound of water growing closer? A moment later he reached the top and stared down at the ground in shock. He was standing on a bluff overlooking a 200-foot ravine, at the bottom of which ran a river that made the Mississippi look like a cute little babbling brook. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, taking a step backwards as he realized just how *close* he was standing to the edge. "Where the hell did *this* come from?!" His teammates stood silently, stunned by the unexpected sight. Finally, Daniel said, "I don't even remember hearing water until...just a few seconds ago." "Neither did I," Carter agreed. "Nor I," Teal'c said. Jack took a deep breath as he observed the roaring river below. It wasn't even the sudden river that had him so stunned, but rather the plant life along the river. All the bushes and trees were a lush, vibrant green...*alive*. The scene looked surreal after the never- ending dead forest they'd just walked through, like it was a beautiful mirage of an oasis in the middle of a desert. One thing was clear, though: even if SG-1 could safely climb down the ravine, there was no visible bridge over the river, nor any way to cross it considering the strength of the current. "Anyone else find it strange that our path suddenly ends in *this*?" Daniel asked. "I seriously doubt whoever created this path would just...jump into a river." "You're right, Daniel, this doesn't make any sense," Carter said. "Both the trail and the ravine look pretty old, and I don't see any paths heading down to the river. And how is it that everything else we've seen on P9X 119 is dead while this...*isn't*?" Without warning, Teal'c pointed to the west. "O'Neill, the path appears to follow the edge of the ravine in this direction." Shocked, Jack first looked in the direction indicated by the Jaffa, then in the other direction as Carter announced, "...And to the east, Sir...." "...And the path that just went off the ravine is...gone," Daniel murmured. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed. "I *know* there was a path here a minute ago, and I know there *weren't* paths going the two other directions. Paths don't just disappear and reappear elsewhere, do they? Dead trees suddenly alive, a river out of nowhere, shifting paths...Drearyland just lost a *lot* of points with me. There's something *really* wrong going on here. I don't know about you folks, but I've had it with this place. I'm not going to risk our lives on a godforsaken planet with a terrain that can't make up its mind what it wants to be, dead or alive. We're going home. Any objections?" There were none. Jack cast one last look down at the river, completely unnerved. A moment later he shook his head, trying unsuccessfully to scatter his building restlessness, and began heading back to the Stargate. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* //Sayil, I said *stop* them, not chase them home!\\ Valea admonished. His illusionary skills were brilliant, but he still hadn't learned the full effect they could have on their intended recipients. //I know you don't like warriors, but that doesn't mean you have to make them think they're losing their minds. Right now there are so many confused thoughts running through Daniel's mind that I can't sort out his memories. Quit upsetting the prophesied one!\\ //Sorry...I'm not used to dealing with people who've never seen illusions before. I didn't think they'd be so scared that they'd head home. Please tell me you've found the woman in the prophecy.\\ Valea sighed. //I think so. She's a medical doctor named Janet Fraiser, and she's in charge of the infirmary where they perform most of their medical examinations. I'm not sure if she's the *one* yet, but she's our most likely candidate.\\ //But her mind's not open.\\ //Right. She doesn't appear to use any mental abilities like ours to heal. My guess is she heals the same way the warriors do...but that doesn't mean she doesn't possess the necessary skills.\\ //So how do we bring her here so you can examine her?\\ Sayil asked. //Well, from what I've gathered, she'll only join the visitors if they believe the natives have been infected by a contagion, such as an alien virus. They don't want to risk taking a contagion home so they bring her here.\\ Valea could feel Sayil grin on the other end of their link. //A virus, huh? I have an idea.\\ *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 10:58 a.m. Ten minutes after leaving the ravine and morphing path behind, Teal'c raced forward and veered off the trail into a nearby clump of dry brush, dropping to his knees. Jack exchanged brief, curious glances with Daniel and Carter as they heard a low moan, then the three hurried to catch up with Teal'c. The source of the moan was a blond teenage boy lying on the ground, his peasant's clothes torn and his body shivering violently. Open sores, most of which appeared to be infected or bleeding, covered all visible skin on his face, arms, and hands. "Damn," Jack whispered. The boy's blue eyes flew open and his gaze darted unseeingly through the air. Carter fell to her knees beside Teal'c. "He's still alive," she said. "All right, you guys know the procedure." Jack quickly located his decontamination mask and slipped it over his head, and the others followed suit. On the one hand, they'd just found proof that there was human life on P9X 119, but why hadn't SG-1 noticed this kid when they'd passed through earlier? He wasn't far from the path, and they should've seen or heard *something*, shouldn't they? And his sores...did that have something to do with all the dead plant life? Was it a massive virus that had attacked human, animal, and plant life? How contagious was it? How many other humans were in a similar condition? One teenage boy couldn't have created a trail this defined, so there *must* be others. God, what if the symptoms started with a sharp pain in the head, followed by a weird 'tugging' at the brain? Teal'c rose to his feet to examine the forest around them, and Daniel took his place kneeling beside the boy. "Don't be afraid," the archaeologist said. "We want to help you. Are there others who are sick?" When the boy didn't respond, apparently not one of the many races in the galaxy that understood English, Daniel motioned with his hands. "More? Others?" This time the boy's eyes rolled upward, as if to indicate there was someone else in that direction. Jack eyed the forest warily. Was it just him or had another path just mysteriously materialized in front of them, heading to the west? As uneasy as that made him, if this boy was sick, SG-1 needed to help him. Maybe in return he'd be able to answer a few questions about this awful planet. "Okay, Carter, go back to the Stargate and tell Hammond to send a med team ASAP...." As if in direct protest to Jack's words, however, the boy suddenly grabbed Carter's arm. If he hadn't known better, Jack would've thought the kid had just begged her not to leave him alone. What the hell was kids' obsession with Carter, anyway? Cassie had once had a similar reaction to her. Whatever the case, *she* wouldn't be going back to the Stargate anytime soon. "Okay, Daniel, *you* go back and get a med team. Carter, stay here and keep an eye on this guy. Teal'c, you and I are going to check for any other survivors." The three nodded, and Jack placed his hand on Daniel's arm before he ran off. "Your head okay? I don't want to see that turn into this." Daniel nodded. "I'm fine, Jack." Unlike before, this time Daniel's words sounded confident. "Good. Go." With that, Jack and Teal'c raced along the new forest path while Daniel headed back toward the Stargate. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 12:34 p.m. //Is that doctor here yet? I'm getting a knot in my back from lying on a tree root.\\ Valea grinned at her brother's mental words. Sayil *would* have to complain, even though he was the one who'd picked that spot to lie down. //No, she's not here yet. Remember what Mother says about patience being a virtue?\\ //Yeah, don't remind me,\\ he grumbled. //I really want to learn this language. This woman....\\ //Her name is Major Samantha Carter...although Daniel seems to think of her as 'Sam,' so take your pick.\\ //Okay, *Sam* keeps whispering things to me; and, for the life of me, I can't understand a word she's saying...but I really wish I could.\\ //Aw, poor baby. I think I've mastered the basics pretty well so I'll teach it to you first chance I get.\\ //Sam seems nice, considering the company she keeps with full-blooded warriors. She's really pretty, too...although I wish she'd take this silly mask off.\\ Valea laughed at her brother's comment, proof that his crush on Major Carter was now in full swing. //For the record, it's called a 'decontamination mask,' and she's wearing it to avoid getting whatever disease she thinks you have. But you're right, she seems pretty nice. Daniel has a lot of respect for her.\\ //Speaking of Daniel, what's the prophesied one up to?\\ Valea grinned as she peered out the cottage. After sending his message through the Doorway using something called a 'MALP,' Daniel had walked around the meadow in search of signs of life while waiting for the medical team to arrive. Right now, he was standing in front of the cottage, which wasn't unusual except for one thing -- he still couldn't see it. He was clearly detecting that *something* was there, though, for he kept reaching out as if expecting to feel the wooden beams with his fingers. Valea showed her brother this image. //But that means....\\ //...He's starting to sense us,\\ she finished. //Opening the visitors' minds apparently lets them sense us.\\ Overcome by curiosity, Valea opened the cottage door and stepped outside, stopping when she stood beside Daniel. She mentally urged him to remove his mask, which he did, not even realizing what he'd done. Unable to resist, she lifted a finger and lightly brushed his cheek; and, in response, he shivered and stared in her direction, wide-eyed. Through his eyes, she could make out that he saw a few flickering, transparent colors where she stood; but, like the cottage, he still couldn't picture her clearly. Was she a ghost? Was he seeing things? Was it a trick of the mind and the lighting? He had no idea what he was looking at, but while his heart was pounding, Valea recognized that he wasn't afraid, just *curious*. She briefly considered making herself visible to him; but, before she could decide, the Doorway behind them began spinning, and Daniel jogged back toward it. The blue wave burst outward and he returned the mask to his face, oblivious to the fact that Valea had followed him. After a minute, several masked figures stepped through the Doorway carrying a large box and a stretcher between them. Daniel waited until the blue barrier disappeared before walking toward the first masked figure. "Dr. Fraiser." Ah, so that was Janet Fraiser, Valea realized as Daniel took some of the doctor's supplies from her. "Dr. Jackson," the woman replied. "Where's the boy?" He pointed back at the northern woods. "Sam stayed with him. Jack and Teal'c are looking for other survivors." Valea closed her eyes in concentration and snapped her fingers. As before, Daniel, Janet, and the four medics instantly froze, suspended in time. //You can move again, Sayil. Janet Fraiser is here and I've stopped time for them. That should include Major Carter and the two warriors.\\ //Good. I'll be at the Doorway in a minute. Go to it, Sis.\\ Valea walked up to the petite woman and removed the mask from her face, revealing warm albeit lifeless brown eyes and a pretty face framed by auburn hair pulled back into a bun. Seeing no disturbances on the horizon, Valea lifted her hand to the woman's forehead, eager to find out if their years of fruitless waiting had finally come to an end. She closed her eyes as she felt herself drawn into the doctor's mind. A young girl, long, dark blond hair, from another world ... a man once loved, now despised ... naïve hope, guilt, and fear at an ended relationship ... years of studying to become the best ... a military- minded family's expectations ... strength, determination, intelligence, inquisitiveness ... kindness, compassion, the need to love, to be loved, to help, to heal, to bestow hope ... to bestow life. Valea opened her eyes and stared at the small woman in front of her in awe, excitement pulsing through her veins. //You found her, didn't you?\\ Sayil asked. //Well, I was expecting someone physically larger, but mentally she definitely possesses latent healing skills and the necessary strength to use them.\\ An arctic burst of wind blew through the meadow, and the sky overhead suddenly darkened, thunder rumbling in the distance. Valea felt her brother's heart rate double. //Corraman and Avitus are back,\\ he whispered. //That's it, forget walking; I'll be there in a second.\\ Valea turned around as Sayil appeared in the field behind her. His presence was reassuring, especially when exposed in the meadow like this, if for no other reason than so she could keep an eye on him and make sure nothing happened to him. She'd already lost her brother and sister; she refused to lose Sayil, too. //They must have seen Daniel activate the Doorway so he could send his message through.\\ //How can they know that?\\ Sayil murmured as he examined the sky. When she didn't answer, he shook his head. //Let me guess -- you want another barrier.\\ //Please.\\ Valea pulled out the silver bracelet and slipped it over her palm while her brother began creating his barrier. Overhead, the flashes of lightning began again with a vengeance, and Valea sighed in relief as the barrier settled over the meadow. They had roughly five minutes before Corraman and Avitus broke through...God, she hoped that was enough time. Valea quickly lifted her hand to the doctor's forehead and closed her eyes, enjoying the rush as she traced the route through the nerves in the brain to the exterior of the woman's black box. Pressing the tiny crystal to the wall, she waited for the flash of light to illuminate the entire box before returning to reality to check on her brother. One look at his impatient, terror-stricken face told her their time had nearly run out. Her eyes snapped upward as several cracks spread through the crystalline barrier under the assault of the lightning. //Please...tell me you're done...\\ Sayil gasped, sinking to his knees. Valea looked at Daniel and Janet again. Suddenly, doing what she had sworn she'd never do, she blocked out all her brother's emotions and fears. No, she wasn't done yet; the prophesied ones still needed a Level 1 link. After all, they'd never succeed here without it. Tragically, there was no time to explain the link to them, at least not with Corraman and Avitus trying to suck the life out of them. Pulling out a second bracelet identical to the first, she slipped it over her left palm and removed the mask from Daniel's face. Closing her eyes yet again, Valea pressed her right palm to his forehead and her left to Janet's. The rush was even greater than before as she zoomed into both minds simultaneously, stopping once she'd found the black boxes buried within. It was easy; just move the two boxes together until the edges were touching, and voila.... There was a hot, blindingly painful flash of white, then everything went black and she remembered no more. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* From Daniel's perspective, five things happened within the blink of an eye. Without warning, he felt a tingling sensation spread through his head; and, at the same time, the temperature around him suddenly dropped thirty degrees, accompanied by wild, bone-chilling winds. Overhead, dark clouds unnaturally blocked all remaining sunlight, churning like poisonous, purple-green billows of smoke, followed by a huge crack of lightning that touched down directly between him and Dr. Fraiser, sending both falling to the ground. A sharp cry came from the doctor...and in the burnt, steaming grass where the lightning had struck was now a transparent black figure, a flurry as if a ghostly raven was hopping around angrily on the ground, cawing at him. The sound, however, was muffled, as if he was only half-hearing it. The confusion only lasted a second, however, before the storm and the black blur both inexplicably disappeared, the dark clouds overhead instantly changing back to the calm, gray, overcast sky he'd seen before. Even then, though, he was positive he felt something falling from the sky on him, like a shower of tiny crystal shards that stung him but didn't cause any physical injury. Once the bizarre light and sound show had ended, Daniel blinked several times, stunned and terrified. He quickly sat up and looked at Janet, still lying on the ground, her hands pressed tightly to her forehead as if she was in pain. "Dr. Fraiser?" he asked, crawling over to her and helping her sit up. "Janet? Are you hurt?" "God, it felt like someone just jabbed a six-inch kitchen knife into my skull!" Now even more alarmed, Daniel gently pulled Janet's hands from her forehead while the other medics joined the two on the grass. Fortunately, there was no six-inch kitchen knife currently *in* her skull, nor was there a wound of any kind, which indicated that the lightning bolt he'd just seen hadn't struck her. He did, however, recognize the feeling she'd described. "Your head appears to be fine, Doctor," one of the medics said, and Daniel rose to his feet and backed away to give them room to examine her. God, what had just *happened*?! And...how had his decontamination mask fallen off? How had Janet's? When the lightning had struck, maybe? He eyed the sky for answers to the hundreds of questions racing through his still-stunned mind, but he found none. Right now, though, he should just be glad he was uninjured...and he should find out what had happened to Dr. Fraiser. He took a deep breath, trying to slow his rapidly beating heart, and extended his hand toward the doctor to help her stand. "Janet? You okay?" She blinked several times, obviously as frightened and confused as he was. "I'm fine, Daniel," she said, accepting his hand and pulling herself to her feet. She rubbed her forehead in surprise. "I don't know how it's possible, but...the pain's already gone, although my brain feels like it's still tingling." Come to think of it, that odd tingling sensation had persisted in *his* brain as well; and Daniel, likewise, rubbed his forehead. "Mine too, now that you mention it. A result of the lightning, maybe?" "Lightning..." she murmured, lowering her hand and eyeing him thoughtfully. "Maybe." "What lightning, Dr. Jackson?" the medic on his right asked. "The lightning bolt that nearly electrocuted us just now..." he said, his voice trailing off as he saw the eyes behind the mask didn't understand. "What, you didn't see it? The storm that was just here and lasted only ... half ... a ... second...?" "I saw nothing, Dr. Jackson," the woman said. "Dr. Fraiser suddenly cried out in pain, and you both fell to the ground." Janet stared at her. "I'm sure I heard a very...*loud*...crack of lightning, Linda. That's what knocked us off our feet." One by one, however, the remaining medics reported that they hadn't seen anything unusual like a sudden storm, nor had they noticed a sudden drop in temperature; they'd only seen the two fall to the ground. Daniel could only gape at them a moment before turning his eyes back to Janet. "Maybe I *am* getting a brain tumor...." "What do you mean?" she asked. "Well, when SG-1 first got here, I felt a pain in my head like the one you just described...but after a few seconds it went away. Now I have that same tingling feeling in my head, and I'm *sure* I saw the ghost of a raven flapping around on the ground between us just now...." The doctor continued staring at him, her mouth falling open. "No one else on SG-1 felt anything?" "No, although we all saw some paths change course in the forest a little while ago...." His voice trailed off again as it became frighteningly clear that no one had an explanation for the odd happenings. Daniel was no longer merely *scared* by what was happening; he was *petrified*. He wanted to go home, *now*. Nothing made sense on this godforsaken planet anymore. After a long silence while everyone tried to comprehend the bizarre events, Janet finally shook her head. "Well, both the pain and the tingling in my head are gone, and I feel fine again. Was anyone else here injured?" All the medics answered in the negative, and Daniel had to admit that the tingling sensation in his own head had also disappeared. Except for his current confusion and terror at what the hell was going on, he felt perfectly fine. "All right...good," Fraiser said, taking a deep breath. "I don't have a clue what just happened; but, as much as I'd like to find out, I don't see any answers handy. Daniel, you brought us here because you found an injured native. Maybe he can answer our questions." ...Right, the boy. Daniel lifted his hand to his forehead one last time, then motioned for the others to follow him. The group took off toward the northern forest. Halfway back to the spot where he'd last seen the boy, they met SG-1, who were visibly as stunned, wary, and fearful as Daniel still felt. The boy was nowhere to be seen, and Daniel's teammates no longer wore their decontamination masks. Something was very, very wrong with this scene...and by that point, he was almost afraid to hear the explanation. "Ah...guys? Where's the boy?" "*What* boy?" Jack returned, scowling. "*What* other sick people? The path Teal'c and I were following ended in a dead oak tree, and we found nobody else. Then, by the time we got back to Carter...." "...The boy disappeared," Sam said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "One second I was running a damp cloth over his face, the next he wasn't there. I didn't even *blink* and he was gone, Daniel." "We searched everywhere, but we were unable to find him," Teal'c said. "We discovered footprints leading away from the path; but, after a few yards, they too vanished, as had the paths we saw earlier." "Really," Daniel stated flatly. Under normal circumstances, this latest oddity might surprise him...but right now it didn't. Disappearing boys fit in all too well with ravines and rivers that appeared out of nowhere, paths that shifted directions, instant storms and lightning bolts that only a few people could see, and sudden, blinding head pains. "I'd tell you what happened to us just now...but I think I'd rather get as far away from this planet as possible first." The three eyed them in concern. "Are you guys okay?" Sam asked. "We're fine, Sam," Janet said. "And as for the boy, it sounds like a child was merely playing tricks on you. He was probably never really sick if he could run away and hide on you like he did." "That was the conclusion we arrived at, Dr. Fraiser," Teal'c said. "All right, Campers, we're out of here," Jack suddenly announced. "Someone or something in Drearyland is toying with our heads; and I, for one, refuse to sit around and let them. Doc, I assume you're going to run full exams on us when we get back?" "Definitely, Colonel," Fraiser said. "There may be a logical explanation for this. It's possible we've been exposed to a chemical in the atmosphere that causes hallucinations and memory loss." God, Daniel certainly *hoped* there was a logical explanation for all this...although by this point, he wouldn't be surprised if it turned out there wasn't. With a frown, he turned and began his walk back to the Stargate. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 2:05 p.m. Glittering streets and buildings ... a snowy mountain range all around ... the bustle of activity ... the cheerful chirping of birds ... a bright blue, cloudless sky ... warm air ... a beautiful topiary garden and crystal palace ... friends and family ... peace, contentment, life.... ...The blurred images finally faded to black, and Valea's eyes flew open. She blinked several times, focusing her gaze on the concerned face of her brother overhead. She bolted upright as she realized she was lying on the tiny bed inside their cottage. "What happened?" she asked, rubbing her aching head. "That's what *I* was going to ask *you*," Sayil replied, his voice tinged with impatience and...anger? "How are you feeling?" "I'm...not sure yet. Tell me what happened and I'll tell you how I feel." To be honest, she had a sinking feeling that something horrible had just happened, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was. And Sayil...why was he so upset with her? "Why am I so upset with you?" he asked, sitting down on the bed beside her. "Well, for starters, you *blocked* me, remember? I thought we had an agreement, Valea. While searching for the prophesied ones, you said you would never, ever, under *any* circumstances *block* me." ...She'd blocked him? Valea scratched her head as the memories began returning. Oh...right. She had. "I...needed to concentrate. Time was running out, and your fight to maintain your barrier was distracting me." Sayil arched an eyebrow. "I thought you'd finished opening the doctor's mind." "I...had." Valea closed her eyes, seeking out Janet's mind and briefly examining it. She then jumped into Daniel's mind and did the same to him. Thank heavens; both appeared to be uninjured. Then she noticed an anomaly in Daniel's black room. What was that, overlapping? What had she been doing after opening Janet's mind? Right, creating a.... Oh, no, it couldn't be. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh...*God*. *Shit*. Shit, shit, *shit*! Valea opened her eyes again, her heart catching in her throat. She quite suddenly couldn't breathe...this was *bad*. Bad, bad, bad.... Sayil grabbed her arm and forced her to look him in the eye. "*What* is bad?" "Ah...we, um, have a problem, Sayil." "'We'?" "All right, *I* have a problem. I, um...." Valea cleared her throat. Damn, she did *not* want to tell Sayil this. She'd broken the cardinal rule of...God, Mother would never forgive her for this. She'd be kicked out the Darrian family for good if this were to get out. Sayil would scream bloody murder if she blocked him again, though; and really, the only way to contain the damage was to get as much help as she could find to contain the damage, so she had to tell him. "Well, I was trying to create a Level 1 link between the two...." "*What*?! A Level 1 link? Ah, *why*?" "Because they're the prophesied ones, Sayil! How would they be able to succeed here without one?! It was a *Level 1 link*; no harm's ever come from creating a Level 1 link!" Sayil breathed in deeply, visibly forcing himself to calm down. "All right. Giving two unsuspecting people a link goes against *everything* the Darrians stand for, but I'll agree with that. If they're the prophesied ones, they'd need at least a Level 1 link eventually. Corraman and Avitus were attacking us at the time; that clouded your judgment." Valea wrung her hands together. Okay, he was okay with that...but that 'okay' would *not* last. "Yeah...except something went wrong during it. Something interrupted the process...." Sayil stared at her, aghast. "Corraman threw a lightning bolt at you," he whispered. "I teleported us out of there and knocked the prophesied ones out of the way, but I had to give up my barrier in the process." "Y...eah," she said awkwardly. "Well, you know what happens when you supercharge a link with something as powerful as, oh, a lightning bolt?" Her brother turned his head away from her, swallowing hard and clearly understanding her message. "Two or three?" "Three." "And...there's nothing going on between them...?" "No." Sadly, she was all too sure about *that*. He nodded silently. After a moment, he said, "You know, Valea, there's a *reason* for the 'Hands Off' policy." "I *know* that, Sayil!" she replied. "It was an *accident*. I certainly didn't give it to them on purpose! I'd *never* give two people something like *that* without their permission!" "They'll never agree to help us now, you know." Valea buried her face in her hands, stifling a sob. Talk about blowing it, *big* time. "I know." "You had no right to give them a Level 1 link without their permission." "I know." "Mother and Father are going to kill you." She lowered her hands and grinned at him wryly. "Not if the prophesied ones kill me first." Sayil met her eyes. In that brief moment, Valea recognized that, as upset as he was at what she'd done, he knew it wasn't her fault; Corraman was to blame for trying to kill them all. "The next few weeks will be interesting." "Yes, they will be." The two fell silent, considering the implications of this recent tragedy. "What happened after you teleported us back here?" she finally asked. "You lost your hold on time when you blacked out. Corraman landed between the two, but all he did was squawk at them for awhile. Both disappeared a second later." Valea's eyes narrowed. Why would Corraman and Avitus do that, just leave? "Are the visitors still here?" Sayil shook his head. "They left an hour ago, shocked by everything that had happened...and I really can't blame them. I'm just glad you're okay." She smiled faintly at him. No matter how royally she had just messed things up, she knew he'd still support her and help her however he could. "I'm glad you're okay, too." Valea rose to her feet and wandered toward the door, pulling it open so she could stare at the Doorway. What she'd just done was horrible, and even if Corraman had caused it, *she* was still responsible for it. She'd never be able to live this down...God, she couldn't think about this now, it was so awful. "It'll take a week or two for their minds to fully open and for the link to develop. No matter how far away their planet is, though, I can watch them and help them from here. At least now we know Daniel and the doctor be back. After all, they no longer have a choice if they want to live." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Two: Voices August 13, 2001 Monday, 8:37 p.m. Janet rose from her desk and grabbed the lab results that General Hammond had requested. Heading to the door, she pulled it open and jumped back, startled to find Daniel standing on the other side, his hand lifted to his forehead. "Dr. Jackson!" she exclaimed, then took a deep breath to regain her composure and offered him a smile. God, talk about being uncharacteristically jumpy; ever since that bizarre incident on P9X 119 that morning, every little disturbance caused her heart to race out of control. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting...." Actually, that wasn't true; she *was* somehow expecting to find Daniel standing there. "Dr. Fraiser..." he started, lowering his hand to stare at her, wide- eyed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't sure if you'd left yet. I was just...." "...Hoping to see the results of your MRI." Never mind the fact that Daniel never bothered to check up on such matters after a mission, no matter how odd that mission had been; she just knew that's what he was doing there. "Come on in while I find your file." A smile toyed on his lips as she motioned for him to enter. "I take it you're not just a doctor anymore; you've also become a mind reader?" Under other circumstances, Janet might have laughed off the comment; but at the moment she couldn't. She'd been getting the weirdest...*vibes*...from Daniel all day. Thoughts about the cuneiform tablets that SG-11 had brought back from P5Y 175 kept entering her mind, even though she couldn't care less about them; she had a nearly unbearable urge to get a cup of coffee, even though she'd given up drinking coffee three years ago; and every now and then she could've sworn she'd heard Daniel's voice...inside her head. Not interested in dwelling on that thought too long, Janet headed toward her desk to find the scan, glancing back awkwardly at Daniel as he gravitated toward a vase filled with pink and white carnations that was sitting on a table by the door. "These are pretty," he murmured. "Are you seeing someone?" She smiled shyly as he glanced in her direction, then returned her attention to locating his file amidst a stack of papers. "Actually, I'm not sure who they're from. I found them when I got here this morning." A quick look up at him showed the smile on his lips had broadened. "A secret admirer?" She shrugged, not in the mood to discuss it. The truth was, this was the third time during the past two weeks that she had received flowers...and a part of her suspected they'd come from him. The only clue Colonel O'Neill had dropped was that they came from someone on the base who'd recently become single. Since Daniel had lost his wife only a year ago, her first guess was him. Not that she'd mind if the flowers were from him; she'd be flattered that someone like Daniel was interested in her, especially considering how many women she'd seen on the base 'subtly' try to gain his affections to no result. She'd never really paid much attention to him, other than the fact that he was a close friend and integral member of SG-1 who made sure the SGC ran smoothly and effectively. He was a nice, intelligent, handsome man, albeit a magnet for loony women and bizarre situations and frequently found himself in the infirmary along with the rest of his teammates. She could certainly do worse than that. Hell, she'd done worse with her first husband. On the other hand, Janet wasn't sure getting involved in a relationship with *anyone* right now was a good idea, let alone a man who'd recently lost a beloved wife. After Sha'uri's death, Daniel had immersed himself in his work even more than normal, spending most of his time translating tablets and studying artifacts, not in developing any close personal relationships. Then again, she couldn't blame him for steering clear of them; the poor man seemed to lose everyone dear to him. His parents, his wife, the harsesis boy, his grandpa Nick, Robert Rothman, Dr. Jordan, Sarah Gardner...the list had to go on. Additionally, she wasn't sure what to think of a man who'd given up everything on Earth for the chance to live on a primitive world like Abydos, or someone who would accept a wife as a 'present,' no matter what his reasoning. Of course, she wasn't sure she could hold that against him; Daniel was Daniel, and he had truly loved Sha'uri...or at least he had *seemed* to. She liked that he wasn't a man who needed to play hero to enhance his reputation or self-esteem. A bit dense at times, didn't accept comfort even when Janet had tried to be his friend after Sha'uri's death, and prone to refuse help from others for fear of imposing on their time? Maybe, but that didn't erase the fact that he was an intriguing, brilliant man, extremely friendly, and truly cared for the well-being of others, even those he didn't know. With all that in mind, she had finally concluded that if he made a move to initiate a relationship with her, she wouldn't discourage it. Then again, Janet reminded herself, glancing up at him again as he stepped away from the carnations and headed toward her desk, it was entirely possible the flowers weren't from him. Siler had recently broken up with his long-time girlfriend, as had Graham Simmons; and, as much as she hated to admit it, she'd always been more interested in Colonel Makepeace before they'd discovered he'd been working for the NID than she had been in Daniel. Makepeace was what she'd always considered 'her' kind of man: strong, military-minded, handsome, independent, always in control, confident, and brave. There was nothing wrong with Daniel -- sensitive, caring, ready to throw himself into anything with all his heart -- he was just a different *kind* of man. Seeing her guest lift a hand to his forehead, she asked, "How are you feeling?" Daniel hesitated before lowering the hand and staring at it. Janet received the impression he had no clue he'd been about to rub his head again. "Well, I have a bit of a headache." He licked his lips as if debating whether to expand on what he'd just said. "Actually...I'm not sure how to describe this, but it's like my brain feels really...tired...today. It's almost like I...like I crammed 200 pages of notes into it the night before a big exam. I don't think I could fit anything else in it right now, it's so...tired. You know the feeling?" Janet gave him a sly smile. "Oh, I know the feeling. I tend to leave the SGC feeling something similar every time SG-1 goes on a mission." For a long moment he stared at her, making no response, then he broke into a laugh as her grin broadened. It was a sound that she hadn't heard much from him during the four years they'd been working together - - pure laughter, not sarcastic, just...truly happy. She suddenly wished he made it more often; it was such an innocent, beautiful, heart-warming sound. God, the man needed to loosen up more. She knew Colonel O'Neill was constantly trying to get him to have fun, but the man seemed so darn *resistant* to it. Maybe she should invite him to accompany her and Cassie to the museum one of these days. Cassie could always make people smile, and he'd probably have fun playing professor and explaining everything to her. Sadly, though, Daniel's laughter was fleeting and a frown soon replaced it. "Sorry. You're right; we're always coming back with some injury or other." Janet was surprised at the sheer *guilt* she sensed radiating from him. Did he really feel that responsible for causing her to worry, even though it was her *job* to worry about them? She'd never noticed any guilt like that from him before...and she wasn't sure why she was noticing it now. There was nothing on his face to indicate regret, nor had there been anything wistful in his voice. What, then, had led her to sense that? It was almost as if.... Suddenly, Janet shook her head; like so many other things today, she didn't want to consider that. "Don't worry about it, Daniel. If SG-1 didn't get hurt all the time, I'd be out of a job. And besides, I've been more challenged since I started working here than in my entire medical career before this. Alien viruses, symbiotes, Goa'uld-killing devices, shape-shifting aliens, nanocytes...they really are interesting." He nodded absently, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, about the scans...?" Finally locating his file, she handed him a transparency. "Well, your description of your brain feeling tired sounds pretty accurate. There's a very slight increase of activity in nearly every section of your brain -- the cerebral cortex, the frontal lobe, and especially the limbic region. It's almost as if your brain has been over-stimulated, which I suppose makes sense considering your shock this morning. Then there's this." She pointed to a faint yellow blob in center of his brain. "What is it?" he asked. "I'm not sure. It's a part of the brain where there's usually little to no activity at any given time. Researchers have concluded that humans generally don't use it; and, therefore, they have no idea what it's supposed to do. In your brain, though, there's a surprising amount of activity." Daniel scratched the back of his neck. "And you've never seen it in use in my scans before?" "No. Since the activity's still pretty small, though, I doubt it's a problem. I'll run another scan in a few days to compare to this." "You don't..." he started, frowning as he looked up and met her eyes, "...you don't think this has something to do with that pain I felt this morning, do you?" Hmm. As a matter of fact, that's *exactly* what she'd been wondering. "Maybe. My MRI came back the same as yours, only with a bit less activity in that region. It's not unusual for different parts of the brain to suddenly act up under stimulation like we experienced on P9X 119." "What about the scans on Jack, Sam, and Teal'c?" Daniel asked, folding his arms to his chest. "Anything there?" "No, there was nothing unusual in their scans, nor in my assistants'." She took the MRI from him and placed it back in the file. "Since there's no discernible *damage* to either of our brains, I'd say we're fine...at least for now. We'll just have to keep an eye on it. Chances are after a good night's sleep, even this will be gone." He lifted his hand to his forehead again. "You don't feel any...brain tugging, do you? Like someone's tugging your brain in different directions? Or if not your brain, tugging at your thoughts?" That question surprised her. 'Tugging' was a decent description of the odd sensations she'd experienced ever since their return from P9X 119. All the odd thoughts and memories that kept popping into her mind, the cravings, the voices.... Everything seemed a bit fuzzy, and she was having a hard time pinpointing her thoughts. "I admit I have a bit of a headache; but that, too, is probably a result of what happened to us on P9X 119," she said. On the opposite side of the desk, Daniel took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. God, the man looked exhausted. SG-1 hadn't taken a really good vacation in weeks. How many hours of sleep had he been getting lately? Probably not much, knowing him. "Maybe you should take some time off, Daniel. I'll recommend that General Hammond place SG-1 on stand down for at least a week. Go home and get some sleep, then call me tomorrow morning and let me know how you're feeling. If you feels any worse, I'll run another MRI and see if there's been any change; but chances are your brain is just telling you it needs a break." Daniel sighed, then returned his glasses to his face and turned back toward the door. "Right. Thanks, Doctor. I think I'll take your advice and head back to my apartment, try to get some sleep. Maybe that'll help. Have a good night; I'll talk to you tomorrow." With those words he slipped out of her office, leaving her with the impression that he didn't feel nearly as confident as he sounded that getting a good night's sleep would help. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 17, 2001 Friday, 1:24 p.m. Janet knocked lightly on the door to General Hammond's office, then pushed it open as he ordered her to enter. Hammond was sitting behind his desk; and, off to his side, Colonel O'Neill leaned against the wall. It was obvious both were waiting for her. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" Hammond motioned for her to come in. "Dr. Fraiser, what is your opinion of Dr. Jackson's current medical condition?" Dr. Jackson? Oh, *Daniel*, she thought, smiling sappily. God, she loved hearing his name. "I wouldn't know, General; I haven't seen Daniel since Monday." "I thought you told him to check in with you after you sent him home Monday night," O'Neill said. Of course she had. "And that's exactly what he's been doing. He's called every day and said he's felt fine. Why?" Hammond glanced briefly at the Colonel, who explained, "Carter stopped by his apartment this morning. She said that he was acting rather...odd." Oh? "Odd how?" "She couldn't explain it, just said he was definitely acting out of character. Kind of jumpy and saying things she couldn't picture him saying." //He's tired.\\ Janet shook her head. "Colonel, Daniel -- and the rest of SG-1, I might add -- have recently experienced a number of stressful situations. I'm sure he's just tired and needs some time off. There's nothing wrong with him." O'Neill's eyes narrowed as she lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it. "Carter also said he was rubbing his head a lot...kind of like you're doing right now." She froze. Rubbing her head? Was she doing that too? Lowering her hand, she stared at it thoughtfully but didn't make any further response. "You never told me what you found during your examination of Dr. Jackson after SG-1's mission to P9X 119, Doctor," Hammond said. //Nothing.\\ "That's because I found nothing noteworthy about his physical condition." Duh. "What about yours?" "Nothing strange there either, Sir." O'Neill folded his arms to his chest and eyed her with something resembling disbelief. "You're sure." Janet nodded, still observing her hand. "Positive, Colonel." A quick glance upward revealed that Hammond was staring at her as if she had lost her mind. "Doctor, are you aware there've also been numerous reports from around the base that *you* have been acting strangely?" That question finally got her attention, and she lowered her hand. "Really? What makes people think I'm acting strangely?" "Well, Carter says *you've* also been jumpy since that mission on Monday," O'Neill said. "And a number of patients have described your behavior as 'distant'...although, granted, they've been healing faster than normal. As a matter of fact, right *now* you're acting strangely." //You're fine.\\ "No I'm not; I'm perfectly fine." Hammond leaned forward. "Doctor, both you and Dr. Jackson reported feeling a sharp, blinding pain in your head. Do you have any idea what caused that?" Janet chuckled and shook her head. "That was nothing, Sir. Neither of us have felt anything since then, and I haven't seen anything unusual in our scans. Quite honestly, I think we both imagined it." "*Imagined* it?" O'Neill said. "And what about the ghostly raven and the lightning bolt Daniel said you both saw?" //Trick of the lighting.\\ "It was nothing more than a trick of the lighting, Colonel. My assistants saw nothing, so the logical conclusion is that there was nothing there. I didn't notice the raven, and even Daniel's told me since then that it was probably just his imagination working overtime. There's nothing wrong with either of us." O'Neill's eyes widened. "So what about the ravine that jumped out of nowhere, the paths that shifted in front of our eyes, and the disappearing boy? If what happened on P9X 119 was 'nothing,' then why did *all* of us see those things?" "Folie a deux, tres, whatever?" she suggested impatiently, waving her hand in irritation. "I honestly don't know what caused it, Colonel." "And don't you want to find out what caused it?" Hammond asked her. //No, you don't.\\ "Quite frankly, Sir, no, I don't care." Hammond and O'Neill exchanged stunned glances. *Now* what was wrong? "As the CMO of this base, it is your *responsibility* to care, Doctor," the General said. 'Responsibility to care'? Was that what a doctor was supposed to do, care about their patients? Of course they were, Janet thought, blinking several times, confused. "Did *I* say I didn't care? I thought *you* were the one who said you didn't care." "Um...no," O'Neill said. "That was definitely you who said it. While I may not always make it clear, I *care* about the health of those here." Janet lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it again, briefly closing her eyes. "Now why would I say I didn't care?" Hammond's eyebrows rose. "That's exactly what *we* would like to know, Doctor." "Doc, are you feeling all right?" O'Neill asked. *Was* she feeling all right? God, she didn't know anymore. There was a dull throb in her head; and, for the life of her, she wasn't sure she could think clearly anymore. Everything seemed...*wrong*. "I feel fine, Colonel." Her voice must not have sounded particularly confident, though, since he pressed, "Are you sure?" She blinked as she looked up at him. "No, I'm not. To be honest, I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights. Well, I have, but I've had some really...strange...dreams." 'Strange' was the best way to put them without eliciting unnecessary suspicion from the two men in front of her, something she was sure they'd express if they knew *who* her dreams were about. The General picked up a file and held it out to her. "Dr. Fraiser, I'm sending Colonel O'Neill to pick up Dr. Jackson from his apartment and bring him back here for a full examination. I've instructed Dr. Warner to run a full exam on you as well." //You're fine.\\ "That's not necessary, Sir. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine." "A second ago you just said you *weren't* sure you were fine," O'Neill reminded her. "You said you've been having strange dreams and haven't been sleeping well." Janet was bewildered. What the hell was going on? This wasn't making any sense. "I *did*?" "Yes, Doctor, you did," Hammond said as she took the file from him. Suddenly she flinched and uttered a cry of pain. Across the center of her palm was a long cut. It wasn't bleeding; but, judging from the depth, it soon would be. "Paper cut?" She stared at the wound as the blood started slowly leaking out. O'Neill walked toward her to look at it. "You should get a band-aid on that," he said. "Since when do *you* give medical advice, Colonel?" she snapped at him. "For your information, it's gone." "Gone? How can it be *gone*?" He grabbed her hand to examine it...ha, the wound *was* gone, so *there*. "For crying out loud, Doc, you only got it ten seconds ago!" What the...? Her hand had healed in ten seconds? That was *odd*. She suddenly contorted her face into an expression of pure confusion. "How did it heal so fast?" Hammond gave O'Neill a pointed look. "Doctor, I'm ordering you to head down to the infirmary. Dr. Warner will meet you there. Colonel, please escort her." Janet nodded listlessly. Infirmary. Fine. Whatever. "After that, Colonel, find Dr. Jackson and bring him back to the base. I want to know what's going on." "You got it, Sir." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 3:18 p.m. Daniel lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it gently, then stared at the hand. When had he picked up that mannerism? It was unusual and somehow felt wrong, but lately it seemed he was always doing it. Suddenly, he shrugged; it really wasn't important. He rose from his desk and headed into the living room, pacing its length a few times, then walked to the door. After observing it for a moment uncertainly, he pulled it open. "Jack!" he exclaimed, jumping back as he saw the older man standing in the hallway, about to knock. "You startled me!" The colonel blinked several times, clearly surprised. "...Oh. I thought you were opening the door because you heard me coming." Had he heard Jack coming? Not that he remembered. "No...actually, no...." His friend cocked an eyebrow. "Then were you going somewhere?" Was he going somewhere? He wasn't sure anymore. "No...no, I'm not going anywhere." "...Then why did you open the door?" Daniel shrugged. He didn't have a clue; and, really, it wasn't important. "I guess I just felt like opening the door." "...Right," Jack said slowly, eyeing him. "Can I come in?" Daniel motioned at the living room. "Sure." His visitor stepped inside, then jumped as the door slammed shut behind him of its own accord. "Kind of gusty in here, don't you think?" Daniel nodded as he headed in the direction of the kitchen. "Yeah, I guess it is." "I thought you were complaining just the other day that your air conditioning didn't work." "It doesn't." Now what had he been doing again? Oh, right, reading. Then why was he walking to the kitchen? Study, that's where he needed to go. He quickly changed directions toward the study...and something told him that Jack was following him. What was Jack doing here again? SG-1 was on stand down, and Daniel had too much reading to do to waste his time watching a hockey match. Was hockey even on TV during summer? He wasn't sure, and he certainly didn't care to find out. "Daniel, it's freezing in here. You do know it's 90 degrees outside, don't you?" "So? What's your point?" "So how did you get it this cold if you don't have air conditioning? It must be 60 degrees in here, probably less." Daniel stopped at the doorway to the study. Was it cold inside? He hadn't noticed. But now that Jack mentioned it...his apartment *was* kind of cold. "I...don't know. Maybe the air's working in the rest of the building?" Jack shook his head. "Well, it's not. The temperature in the hallway's actually warmer than outside." "Strange," Daniel murmured, but he wasn't particularly concerned about the oddity. Returning to his desk, he sat down and pulled the open book toward him. He had to get back to reading. "So what've you been up to since Monday?" Jack must have followed him again. Come to think of it, Daniel never had found out what he was doing there in the first place. "Not much. Reading, watching TV, you know." "Reading, huh? What are you reading?" He peered over Daniel's shoulder. "Encyclopedia Britannica? You doing outside research for something?" "No, just reading." "Uh-huh," Jack muttered. What was so strange about that? "You're reading the entire encyclopedia *and* the dictionary? For *fun*?!" Daniel glanced at the top of the desk where the entire set of encyclopedias sat on the table in two tall stacks, Webster's New World Dictionary lying askew across them. "Yeah, so?" The colonel stared at him, to all appearances preparing to make a sarcastic remark. He must have dismissed it, though, for instead he asked, "So how far have you gotten?" "The letter O. Origami." Well, actually, he'd already made it through the entire dictionary and this was his second time going through the encyclopedias, but Jack didn't need to know that. "Origami," Jack repeated. "Right. I would've thought you'd be looking at an archaeology journal or something...oh, I don't know, more in your *field* than origami. Unless you've picked up a new hobby." Archaeology? Nah. Boring old stuff. "No, archaeology is too specialized." Daniel flipped a page. Origami was interesting, but highly impractical when lacking the proper paper. Origin? He wasn't much more interesting than archaeology, old dead Christian scholar. There had to be something interesting in the O book worthy of rereading. Aha! Ornithology! Jack leaned against the desk next to him. "Daniel, you *specialized* in archaeology." Duh. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?" "Okay, so we have *got* to get you a social life, especially if all you're doing is reading the *encyclopedia* on your time off." Daniel's social life had nothing to do with anything right now. Who wouldn't want to read the encyclopedia for fun? And why the hell was Jack still here, staring at him? Oh, Daniel hadn't asked him that yet, had he? "So what are you doing here, Jack?" "Well, actually, I've come to take you back to the SGC to see Dr. Fraiser." Daniel's eyes stopped skimming the page on ornithology. Dr. Fraiser? *Janet*? Take him to see her? Daniel couldn't suppress a silly smile. Yes, he'd love to see Janet...but not now. He lifted a hand to his forehead. "Why?" "Because you're acting *weird*, Daniel." Daniel looked up at him and could've sworn he just felt the room get colder, as if a sharp gust had just blown through it. Jack must have noticed it too for he looked around the study, clearly alarmed. "Do you have a window open in here or something?" "No, I don't." Daniel rose to his feet and headed into the living room, picking up that morning's newspaper and sitting down on the couch. If Jack was going to heckle him about reading the encyclopedia, he'd read the paper. Jack followed him. "Daniel? Are you feeling all right?" //You're fine.\\ "I'm fine. Why?" "Didn't you just hear me? I said you were acting weird, even for you." Daniel lowered the paper at his friend's words. "Did you just say that? I thought you said I was fine." "No, *you* said you were fine." "You're right, I am." Jack rolled his eyes. From Daniel's angle it looked like he'd barely restrained the urge to hit something. "Look, Daniel, you open the door for no reason, it's defying the laws of physics by freezing in here -- and you know how much *I* know about physics -- and now you're hearing things. I think you should go back to the SGC so Dr. Warner can take a look at you." //No.\\ "No." "Why?" Daniel lifted his hand to his forehead. His head was throbbing dully; maybe he was getting a headache. Nothing was making sense this afternoon. "I...I'm not sure." "Daniel, look at me." Reluctantly, Daniel lowered his hand and turned his eyes to the older man. "Does your head hurt?" "No, I don't think so...." "Have you gotten any sleep lately?" "Yeah...although I've been having some strange dreams lately." *Really* strange dreams. Jack sat down on the couch next to him. "What kind of dreams?" Hmm, how to explain them? "Really...realistic dreams. They're...strange." "Fraiser said she'd been having some strange dreams lately too." Really? "That's strange. Quite a few of my dreams have been *about* Dr. Fraiser. Well, her and this teenage girl...." That probably didn't come out right, but at the moment Daniel really didn't care. Back to the newspaper. "Uh-huh." Jack grabbed Daniel's hand and held it in front of him. "You know, both you and Fraiser can't seem to keep your hands off your foreheads anymore. Now doesn't that sound like your subconscious is trying to tell you something's wrong?" //Get out of here.\\ "Jack, get out of here." Daniel took advantage of his friend's shock at the statement to yank his hand free from the colonel's grasp. "Ex*cuse* me?" He looked down at the paper, then blinked and looked back up at Jack. "Did you just say something?" "Hell, yeah! You just told me to get lost!" What? He *had*? "I thought that's what *you* just told *me*." "No, I'm quite sure *you* just told *me* to get out of here, something which, by the way, I have no intention of doing until you agree to come back to the base with me." Daniel stared at his friend, confused. None of this was making *any* sense. "Wow. That's weird." Jack nodded slowly and pulled the paper away from him. "Tell me about it. Now come on, Daniel, let's get back to the base. Hammond wants Warner to run another...." //Don't go back to the base.\\ Daniel suddenly yanked the paper from Jack's grasp and stood, staring at him angrily. "*No*. I just told you, I'm not going back to the base. Now leave me alone!" Damned military colonels who couldn't restrain themselves from teasing civilian archaeologists. Jack jumped up from the couch as the fire in the fireplace suddenly flared out, but Daniel didn't care. Leaving his visitor standing behind in the living room, staring at the fireplace, he retreated into the kitchen. "Daniel, you do know you have a fire going during the middle of summer, don't you?" Jack called to him. Daniel paused in the doorway and shrugged. What kind of ridiculous statement was that? Of course there was a fire going. "You're right, I do." "Why?" Why? "Because it's cold in here?" Daniel looked back in time to see the older man roll his eyes. "Daniel, *look* at yourself. You're acting *bizarre*." 'Look at yourself'...? Daniel lifted his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes in thought. Finally, after almost a full minute had passed, he whispered, "Wow, you're right, I *am* acting strange. I mean, I feel fine, but my thoughts...my thoughts...." "Your thoughts what?" "They don't seem to be my own. And how did it get so cold in here? I'm comfortable, but I don't remember doing anything to *make* it this cold." He lowered his hand and met his friend's eyes. This was too weird. "Jack, what's going on?" The colonel took a hesitant step towards him, as if he didn't want to upset him. "I don't know, Daniel, but I think we need to find out." Out of the blue, Daniel looked down at the palm of his hand. "Dr. Fraiser...she cut her hand, didn't she?" Jack's mouth dropped open. "How on *Earth* did you know that?" "I'm not sure...but I felt it. Almost two hours ago." "You *felt* it? Daniel, come back to the base with me. Please." //No.\\ "No...." His voice trailed off as he realized what he just said. "Why did I just say that? You weren't the one who said 'no,' were you?" His friend's concern visibly grew. "No, *you* were the one who said 'no,' Daniel. I *want* you to come back to the base." That was the darndest thing. Daniel was *positive* someone else had said it. "You're sure it was me who said it and not you?" "You don't remember saying it?" When Daniel shook his head, seriously confused by what was going on, Jack placed his hand on the younger man's arm. "Come on. I want to know what's going on just as much as you do." Daniel stared at him a long moment, then finally nodded. "All right, I'll come." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* "Damn it!" Valea cursed, pounding her fist on the floor in frustration. On the bed, her dozing brother snapped awake at the outburst. "What's wrong?" Sayil asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "These two have friends who refuse to leave them alone! Neither Daniel nor Janet are supposed to know anything's wrong yet, but this blasted warrior is forcing them to see it. Why can't he just leave well enough alone for another week? They're fine!" "Well, maybe they're *not* fine if everyone else thinks they're acting strangely," her brother ventured, barely stifling a yawn. Valea glared at him. "Whose side are you on again?" Sayil frowned. //You know the answer to that.\\ Of course she did, she realized with a sigh. He wouldn't have stayed with her the past year if he weren't on her side. "Sorry. But if these warriors don't leave Daniel and Janet alone, they're going to ruin everything. Neither is ready to return here yet. They're going to go nuts!" "Valea, I know you're only trying to help them, but maybe they're better off without assistance," Sayil said as he slid off the bed and knelt in front of her where she sat on the ground. "You're driving yourself nuts trying to assure everyone that they're fine. Heck, you're driving *me* nuts. They'll never let you help them if they discover you've been in their heads for almost a week now and are responsible for their unusual behavior. Why don't you just leave them alone until they're ready? They'll be fine. You can still monitor their progress and they'll never know it." She sighed as her anger subsided. "How did you get so smart for a kid your age?" He patted her shoulder and grinned slyly. "From hanging around you way too much, Sis." "You little kiss-up," she said, rolling her eyes. But he did have a point. There was no need making Daniel and Janet hate her more than necessary; her little 'accident' on Monday would do *more* than enough to make them hate her. Besides, since Daniel had finished reading the dictionary and those encyclopedias, she'd already learned everything about their culture, their language, and their planet that she'd need to interact effectively with them. "Fine, I'll leave them alone. Just...let me finish something first." "What?" Sayil asked, wariness in his eyes. "Hey, I can still set their friends back, can't I?" she asked innocently. "Just wait. I'll...be good." And have a bit of fun in the process, her mind added as a smile toyed on her lips. Her brother grinned at her again. Oops, he must've overheard that last thought. "All right, go ahead. But you'd better not hurt anyone." "Fine." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 4:56 p.m. "Carter, Teal'c," Jack greeted them as he led a dazed, stolid Daniel out of the elevator onto Level 21. "How're the tests on Fraiser going?" "She struggled to avoid the MRI machine for God only knows how long, but an hour ago she finally gave in," Carter said. "She's been completely unresponsive and apathetic since then. Warner said the results should be back soon." "Well, *that's* good news...I think." God, what was going on with these two? Jack had never seen either of them so violently opposed to a simple examination. And now they were both unresponsive? 'Unresponsive' wasn't a typical Janet Fraiser reaction, nor a Daniel Jackson reaction, for that matter. And what the hell had been up with the temperature in Daniel's apartment earlier? That was just as scary as Daniel's apparent inability to *notice* the oddity. If that kept up, weathermen would start making forecasts for Daniel's apartment. "How are you feeling, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked as they approached the med lab. When Daniel didn't say anything, continuing to stare ahead of him vacantly, Jack realized he had to answer for the younger man. "'Apathetic' is probably the best word to describe Daniel right now, too, Teal'c. He did *not* want to come back to the base -- put up quite a fight, actually -- then just gave in like Carter said Fraiser did. Once we got in the car, he zoned out and has been like this since." Inside the lab, Dr. Warner motioned for them to join him. "Perfect timing, the results on Dr. Fraiser are finished," he said as he turned the computer monitor to show them the results. "So what did you find?" Jack asked. He quickly scanned the interior of the room and found that Janet was sitting in a chair along the back wall, staring at the MRI machine with a blank expression on her face. The moment Daniel entered the room, though, she rose to her feet and turned toward him, a smile on her face. Jack did a double take as he realized Daniel's eyes had immediately locked with hers and he was returning her smile. What the hell was *that* about? "Well, Colonel, there's definitely an unusual amount of brain activity in the...." Without warning, utter chaos broke out inside the room. In an instant, the monitor suddenly burst into flames, causing everyone in the room to jump away from it. Jack grabbed the fire extinguisher and hurried back to the computer; but, before he could put the fire out, a huge, hot burst of flames came from the MRI machine as it, too, exploded. Warner fell to the floor; and Jack, temporarily stunned and blinded by the two explosions, backed away from it, dropping the extinguisher and lifting his arms to shield his face. Behind him, Teal'c immediately hit the alarm next to the door; and Carter grabbed the phone, alerting General Hammond to get down to the med lab ASAP. Suddenly, everyone's eyes snapped to Daniel and Janet as the two swayed where they stood, then sank to the ground, unconscious. A second later, Siler and a several security guards ran into the room with additional fire extinguishers, and all visibility disappeared beneath a huge cloud of smoke and chemicals. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Three: Obsession Date Unknown Time Unknown Janet's mind snapped to alertness as a rush of images, physical sensations, and emotions replaced the darkness. It was too dim to see the details of her surroundings, but the walls were golden, covered with...what were those? Egyptian hieroglyphics? She was perspiring yet cold, and her entire body was dressed in black: black coat, black shirt, black pants, black boots, and black gloves. From the distance came the low whir of some sort of energy source; and behind her came the clank of footsteps falling on a metal floor, drawing nearer. Where was she? How had she gotten here? Why did she have a gun in each hand? Why was so much adrenaline running through her body? Why was her perception of depth thrown off, like she'd suddenly grown a foot taller? Why couldn't she persuade her body to move, no matter how hard she tried? What the hell was going on? To further her growing confusion, her head turned of its own accord; and Janet realized she was standing in a side hallway that was connected to a much larger, main corridor.... Wait a minute. She'd heard descriptions of this place from Sam. This was...this was...a Goa'uld mothership? The golden walls, the hieroglyphics, the cold temperature, the smell of metal, the rumble of a generator.... Suddenly, her body jumped out toward the main corridor, and she began firing her guns at two Jaffa as they rounded a corner...but why was she doing that? She hadn't told her body to do anything. Returning energy blasts erupted from the Jaffa's staff weapons, but her shots had found their intended mark and the two went down. "Jack!" Janet's terror and confusion leaped up another five notches. God, there were more Jaffa coming, she could hear the echo of their footsteps, she had to get out of here and hide until they came so she wasn't a target, then she could take them down...so why wasn't she moving? Why had she just called 'Jack'? And...why had her voice sounded suspiciously like...? A burst of fire and energy from the next Jaffa's staff hit her left shoulder. Pain shot through her body as the force from the blast flung her to the ground; and she struggled to remain conscious, unable to grasp what had just happened to her...or how the hell she'd gotten here in the first place. God, she had to fight back, she had to make this Jaffa pay, she had to protect the rest of SG-1...huh? Where had that thought come from? Seeing the soldier approaching to check if she was dead, Janet pulled her upper body from the ground and lifted her uninjured arm that gripped the gun, aiming and firing at the guard. Amidst a hailstorm of bullets, he collapsed to the ground. Goal accomplished, the gun dropped from her hand, clattering onto the floor. Her breathing was quick and shallow. She couldn't move her left arm. Her left shoulder was a bloody mess of burnt and mangled and blistered flesh. White stars danced before her eyes. She felt lightheaded and queasy. Her thoughts were one big jumble of despair, terror, and confusion. At least the adrenaline was dulling the pain. She was going to die, and she couldn't do a damn thing about it. A second later, Jack burst out of a doorway further down the side hall, shock materializing on his face as he took in the scene. He fell to his knees in front of her, looking over the wound but clearly uncertain what he could to do for her. "Daniel.... *Damn it*...!" ...'Daniel'? Had O'Neill just called her...? No, she was *Janet*, not *Daniel*. Her shock, however, wouldn't let her care much about *anything*, let alone what he'd just called her. Gut instinct told her to beg him to help her, to lift her up and get her back to the infirmary...so why couldn't she say any of those thoughts aloud? Why, instead, did she cry out with a voice that sounded suspiciously like Daniel's, "I'm dead anyway; just get out of here!" "I'm not leaving you here, Daniel!" "Get out of here!" the voice that came from her body but wasn't hers said. "It's going to blow up with the other ship anyway; what difference does it make? Go!" Jack stared at her, his hand resting on her right shoulder, his expression beyond shocked and pained. "Just go! I'll stay and watch your back." ...'Blow up with the other ship'? Janet's little remaining sanity asked. Wait, this was *Apophis's* ship. According to SG-1's report, Daniel had nearly 'died' here under conditions exactly like these. Was she...was she...no, she *couldn't* be seeing this experience through his eyes. ...Could she? Finally, Jack lifted his hand to Janet's -- Daniel's? -- cheek and gave in to his insistence, then retreated to the back doorway. She felt simultaneously relieved that he'd left and wouldn't die here with her, yet terrified she would die in this awful place alone...wait, the sarcophagus...it was her last hope. Grimacing in pain, she began dragging her mangled body along the floor.... Without warning, the golden walls faded from sight, replaced by a bright flash of white; and the cold, metallic-tasting air was replaced by hot, arid, stifling air that smelled suspiciously like sand, farm animals, and sweat. In an instant, the pain in her shoulder had vanished. Janet found herself standing in a dusty street surrounded by stone buildings, huts, tents, and animal skins draped from wooden beams. This...looked an awful lot like Abydos. She'd only been there once, just before Sha'uri's funeral, but the architecture, the heat, the dust, the smell.... Instinct told her this *was* Abydos. Once again without instructing her body to do so, she began walking through the streets. Just ahead of her walked a woman with long, curly dark hair trailing behind her back. Janet followed close behind, looking every which way at the buildings, at the decor, and at the people peering out of huts at her as she passed them. The excitement of being in a new land filled with such amazing sights pulsed in her veins...but why? She'd been here before. She didn't really care about any of this. As a matter of fact, she didn't even like Abydos much because of its sheer primitiveness and dirtiness. There was no reason for this growing wonder inside her at seeing the town. Suddenly, she stopped walking and stared at the wooden cooking utensils hanging from a beam alongside a house. Her hand reached out to touch a ladle...wait. These weren't *her* hands. They were a man's hands...*Daniel's* hands. God, she was still dreaming about being Daniel, only this time she wasn't Daniel dying on Apophis' mothership; she was Daniel on Abydos. That meant the woman in front of her carrying the flaming torch was most likely.... Her guide turned, confirming Janet's hunch. "Ni, Danyel, se tu yedat," Sha'uri said, taking Daniel's arm with her hands and pulling him into the next building down the street. "Come, Daniel, it is not far now." That's what Sha'uri had said. Janet's mind raced as she desperately tried to figure everything out. The language was Abydonian, yet she'd understood it. How? She didn't know any language other than a little bit of French from an undergrad class. ...Of course she knew Abydonian. She was inside Daniel's mind; and, therefore, she was interpreting the language through the filter of his mind, even though he hadn't understood the words at the time Sha'uri had originally spoken them. Since Janet was somehow sharing in Daniel's thoughts, thus possessing all his cumulative memories, she apparently understood Abydonian now as well. God, what was she doing, reliving these very vivid, very *personal* memories through his point of view? Why? She didn't want to be here. Janet wasn't supposed to be experiencing this. She wasn't supposed to be hearing his thoughts in her mind as he followed Sha'uri through the streets -- 'My God, this city is amazing; I never thought I'd be seeing ancient Egypt alive like this.' She wasn't supposed to be seeing all these other images, either: of Sha'uri dropping her robe for Daniel in a candlelit hut that smelled like a yak; of Kasuf's hasty, worried apology when he'd though Daniel had rejected his 'gift'; of a stuffy Jack O'Neill furious that Daniel didn't know how to get them home; of the archaeological community walking out on him during a lecture on the pyramids in Los Angeles.... All these thoughts and images kept drowning out her own, apparently as they popped into Daniel's mind. And then there were these feelings Janet knew had to be his because they *couldn't* be hers: the childlike wonder at everything he saw here; the excitement of having stepped through the Stargate for the first time; this growing attraction for Sha'uri.... And why the hell did all this feel so darned *real*, like she was really there? Dreams had never stimulated this many of her senses before. Never. Being here and experiencing this wasn't fair to Daniel; these were *his* memories, not hers. But, then again, it couldn't possibly be real, could it? She *couldn't* know these things. Her subconscious mind must be filling in the gaps in the details she'd previously heard. Right? Yes, this was a dream; that's all it was. Janet was apparently just along for the ride, with no way to get *off* the ride. She was helpless but to watch and to listen, to hear Daniel's thoughts, to feel Daniel's emotions.... Heaven help her. After pulling him into the side hut, Sha'uri led him down a long, stone staircase that stopped in a dead end, where she knelt beside a wall made of rocks and began tossing them aside. Daniel took the torch from her a moment later and helped her clear the roadblock. "What is this place?" he murmured to himself, even though he knew his Abydonian guide wouldn't understand him. Finally, after five minutes, they broke through the barrier, and he took Sha'uri's hand to help her inside the hidden chamber with a soft, "Here." On the walls were hieroglyphics surrounding hand-drawn scenes of people, animals, and other figures that Janet didn't understand. She sensed, however, that Daniel recognized the symbols and pictures all too well as a result of studying them for days after Colonel O'Neill, Kawalsky, and Ferretti had returned to Earth. Daniel's reaction to the sight now, however, told Janet that this was his first time seeing them. He held the torch next to the wall to get a better look at the symbols. "Cypian," he said, reading the hieroglyphics aloud. "Rem e n jef. Bah ka naf sema. Tah pah rief." His eyes darted along the walls, stunned by the thousands of drawings and symbols, not knowing where he should begin. This discovery floored him almost as much as the discovery of the Stargate had; every dream he'd ever had about finding a new, untapped archaeological site such as this had now been fulfilled. Between his lingering exhilaration of having figured out how to operate the Stargate only days before, his thrill of having met an ancient culture alive and well on another planet, and now this, Janet couldn't help but find his excitement contagious. Soon she was just as intrigued by this mysterious room as Daniel was. The walls were loaded with scenes of battles, of home life, and of Egyptian deities. Daniel quickly concluded that this room was an extensive history of the Abydonian people, but Janet was barely able to keep up with his racing thoughts as he made the connections between the symbols and the pictures. "I'll be damned." "Tah pah rief?" Sha'uri suddenly asked him. Daniel whirled around to face her. "What?" "Tah pah rief?" she asked again. "Tah pah rief," he said. There was a slight variation in the accent and the vowels.... "Tah pah rief." "Tah pah rief." Janet just sat back and listened, amazed, as Daniel's brilliant mind put the pieces together. It only took a second for him to realize what this meant. "Tah pah...." If that one matched their language...God, this could be his dream come true. He pointed to another symbol. "Neh jed? Neh jed?" "Neh dah," Sha'uri corrected. "Neh dah," he repeated. "Neh dah." The sounds were unfamiliar, yet the words were surprisingly similar to.... "Tiu." Okay, Daniel recognized that word too. "Tiu. Tiu. Uh..." he pointed to yet another symbol, "...netjer? Netjer-u? Bah, netjer-u?" "Natay, naturu." "Natay. Naturu." Sha'uri gave him a beautiful, excited smile. "Nafi." God, they'd *done* it. They'd crossed the barriers of culture and language and *communicated*. Janet felt her heart -- no, she clarified, that was *Daniel's* heart -- nearly burst from the excitement, and a slow smile spread across his face as his eyes locked with Sha'uri's in a moment of pure understanding. The first connection had been forged between him and this primitive, Egyptian world; it was the most thrilling moment of his life to date. Now, with a little practice and luck, maybe he'd be able to talk to this young Abydonian beauty; maybe he could learn about her people; maybe he could even find a way to get Colonel O'Neill and the others home again. Janet Fraiser had never thought she'd see -- feel? hear? -- Daniel Jackson as ecstatic as he was at that very moment. She was so happy for him; this was a moment of sheer happiness that she'd always hoped he'd experience. It warmed her heart to know that he had, to know the memories lived on inside him as clear as a cloudless, blue sky. She now realized why Daniel had considered Kasuf's 'gift' to him as so much more than just a gift.... Without warning, there was a flash of white and the scene shifted. Their location was the same underground corridor, but now Sha'uri was screaming, she didn't want Amaunet to reawaken, Daniel was kneeling in front of her and telling her to push, the baby was coming and she had to push...then he was holding a bundle of hot, wriggling pink flesh in his arms, her baby, a boy, Apophis' boy...he hated it, he loved it, he was so damned confused that he had no idea what his emotions for this child were supposed to be.... ...Another flash of white, Amaunet looking down at him, intense pain in Daniel's head where she held him in the clutches of the Goa'uld ribbon device, he knew he had to pull the trigger and kill her but he just couldn't do it, 'Hear me, Danyel,' then a flash to his left, the pain vanished as they both fell to the ground, he was lying beside her, touching her face, telling her he loved her, he was shocked and devastated and lost in denial and numbness.... Janet had never wanted to bury her face in her hands and stop herself from thinking as much as she did at that moment, only she had no control over her -- his -- body and mind. The story shouldn't have ended like this. He'd tried so hard to locate her, to help her, to free her from Amaunet...and all that effort had ended in tragedy. He'd always have the memories, though, of his happiness while they'd been together and of the vision she'd left him before her death, he always had the hope of seeing her son again.... There was another flash of white, followed by blackness. Next Janet knew, she was sitting on a green vinyl couch inside a rather drab room, surrounded by pained, sympathetic, somber expressions that belonged to a small group of people wearing black clothing. She didn't recognize any of the faces except one, that of a middle-aged, sorrowful, guilt- stricken...Nicholas Ballard? The other faces *felt* somehow familiar; and, while Janet wasn't sure she recognized them, she felt vaguely comforted by them. Her eyes dropped as she fiddled with her hands. She held her breath. Oh, no. Not again. These weren't her hands; they were a child's hands, a young boy's hands. And these emotions whirling within her that weren't her own -- grief, guilt, fear, despair, just the faintest sense of hope whenever she looked at Nick.... Instinctively, Janet knew that someone important had died, and her young 'host' -- for lack of a better word -- was having a nearly impossible time dealing with that fact. If the other visions had been about Daniel and his past, then it was safe to assume this vision was no different, right? Especially if Nick was here? That much became painfully clear as she pinpointed several of the thoughts that kept interrupting her own attempt to separate herself from his emotions and despair. They said they'd never leave me. Where have they been the past few days? Nick said they weren't coming back, but they promised...why did he say I'd get to see them one last time today? I don't understand, I'm confused...if they're gone, it's my fault, right? I didn't stop them...I could've gotten them to leave, I *know* it. I miss them. Mommy, Daddy, come back.... "Are you ready, Danny?" Nick suddenly asked him, holding out his hand to the young boy. Janet felt the young Daniel nod and slip his hand into Nick's. The two then walked out of the room and toward a much larger room...this was a funeral home. Before they entered, though, Daniel turned his head toward the glass door to the room and examined his reflection. He was hoping so desperately to see his parents standing beside him in it, but all that stared back at him were two of the saddest, most haunted and tortured eyes that Janet had ever seen. His devastation and shock were written on every inch of his precious face. Her heart bled for him, for what no child should have to endure in witnessing the tragedy that had taken both parents from him at once, for what she knew would happen in the future when Nick left him, for the years he'd spend wondering if there was anything he could've done to prevent the accident that fateful afternoon.... Nick pulled him forward into the crowded main room and led him between the aisles of chairs toward the two caskets along the back wall. All eyes in the room were on the eight-year-old boy, and Janet felt his fear and dread building with each step he took. What are those big boxes? Why is everyone staring at me? I don't want to be here; the air feels heavy and smells icky and stale. I want to go home. I'm scared. I've never been here before. I hate these stiff black clothes. I hate the attention everyone's giving me. No, stop, Nick, I don't want to see what's inside the big, brown boxes surrounded by all the flowers, Mommy's inside the box, Daddy's inside the other, get out of there, get up! No, don't keep pulling me forward, let me go, I want to go home, I want Mommy, oh, Mommy, Daddy.... A flash of white. The interior of a museum. A woman's scream. The crash of stone slabs falling. Silence. A young boy's scream. No! Come out! Arms restraining him. Helpless. Get out! Get the stone off of them! Hands pulling him away. Get him out of there! Dr. Jackson? Dr. Jackson! This cold, unfamiliar building...orphanage, Nick called it? Looks like a prison. Nick's leaving, driving away, isn't looking back, why can't I stay with Nick? I want Nick. Your Grandpa's gone, Danny. He'll come back and see you soon, but until then let me show you to your room until we find a new family for you.... The images flew by after that in a dizzying blur, faces and situations that Janet vaguely recognized from reports...only this time they weren't recounted with any clinical detachment but rather with the proper accompanying emotions. They don't know what to do with me, I don't know what to do with myself ... I can't leave him like this and I won't ... I brought you some of these chocolate walnut cookies you love so much ... is there not some form of human ritual in which I may ask your forgiveness ... I'm stepping down as commander of the SGC ... you're the doctor, Doctor ... I feel like I should be up there with them ... letting me go, trusting me, is the only chance of saving your friend ... if you don't tell me where she is, I'll kill you right here ... you have to wake up, you can't die on me now... we have indeed missed you, our Beloved ... they used that little girl like a Trojan Horse ... this Teal'c is my friend ... I guess I never really knew you at all ... Cleopatra -- I found her, I get to name her ... you were there to save me, you cannot deny that is fate ... I know I don't always sound like I believe you, but I do believe *in* you ... I had to do that in case when my memory returns I am unable to ever do it again ... we would have called you but nobody knew where to find you ... you've never really know what love is ... I felt them, they heard me, they're coming ... he doesn't tell you much until he gets to know you ... it's nice to know you don't just like me for my looks ... I promised he would be safe ... I hate what's been done to you, I hate what Apophis plans for the child, I love you .... The only thing that kept Janet sane during the visual and emotional slide show was the knowledge that, ultimately, Daniel had overcome the trials of his life and maintained his fire for living. He'd found true happiness, no matter how fleeting it might have been at times. He'd fought for what he knew was right, and he'd been proven correct. He'd found a makeshift family amongst the best of the best in the Stargate program. Daniel Jackson had survived, Janet kept telling herself, making it her mantra as each new image hit her. Daniel Jackson had survived. Daniel Jackson had survived. Damn it, Daniel Jackson had survived...! When the whirlwind of flashing lights, sounds, voices, emotions, and sensations finally ended, Janet found herself standing in what she sensed to be a small, enclosed, completely black room. Her entire body trembled; her legs felt weak; her heart and her thoughts raced out of control. Closing her eyes and lifting an unsteady hand to her chest in a futile effort to calm herself, she suddenly held her breath as she sensed a powerful presence behind her. She spun around and found herself face to face with.... Oh, God. It was *him*. He was staring at her, wide-eyed and breathing quickly as if he'd just received an awful fright...or experienced an eye-opening, life-altering revelation such as the one she'd just experience. The emotions of her visions rushed back to her as their eyes locked. "Janet?" There was something...odd...in his voice as he whispered her name, only she didn't know what it was. She sensed that he was currently feeling the exact same emotions she was -- confusion, with a newfound sense of empathy and respect for the person she was gaping at -- but how did she *know* that? "Daniel?" He observed her for a long moment, as if this was the first time he'd really *looked* at her, before briefly examining the black room around them. "What's going on? Where are we?" Janet had absolutely no idea. She'd just experienced the most vivid, emotional, disturbing, confusing, frightening dream about *him*, about *his* life, about *his* past...and it didn't appear the dream was over yet, judging from the fact that they were both standing inside a strange black room with no doors or windows or any other way they possibly could've gotten *in* here. "You don't know either?" Daniel asked. "I thought I was the only one confused by how we got in here." Her eyes narrowed. Had he just responded to...? She hadn't said anything aloud, had she? And...why had she received a feeling of absolute certainty that he'd just experienced the same startling visions about her as she had about him? Janet shook her head, sternly instructing her body to wake up from this bizarre dream before she went nuts...but nothing happened. Suddenly, Daniel touched her arm and motioned to her right. Standing along that wall was a tall teenage girl with long, straight, dark blond hair. Her pale blue eyes were staring at the two as if she was unaware they'd noticed her presence. //She looks familiar,\\ a voice that sounded exactly like Daniel's rang in Janet's mind. "Yes, she does," she said. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Daniel look sharply in her direction at her. She met his eyes; how had she known what he was thinking? In front of them, the girl blinked several times, finally realizing they could see her, and took a step toward them. Before the world around them went dark one last time, Janet could've sworn she heard the girl say, "My name is Valea." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 17, 2001 Friday, 10:24 p.m. Janet's eyes flew open, searching the ceiling above her for some indication of what had just happened and where she was. It only took her a second to recognize the familiar sounds of the infirmary and to realize she was lying in one of the beds. Off to her side, Sam leaned closer to her. "Janet?" "Sam...?" With a groan, she pushed her back off the bed and looked around the room at the expectant faces. O'Neill and Teal'c were standing on the other side of the room, but they quickly joined the two women as they heard her voice. "What's going on?" "You fainted in the med lab this afternoon and have been unconscious since," Dr. Warner said as he moved away from a nearby bed toward hers. "How do you feel?" How did she feel? Mentally she was way beyond confused at what had just happened, emotionally she was still reeling from the intensity and vividness of these latest dreams, but physically.... "I feel great, Kyle." "That's good," Warner said, smiling. "I'll run some more tests in a minute and make sure your body agrees with your assessment. Do you remember what happened this afternoon?" When she didn't answer, he prodded, "I was running an MRI on you...?" Janet sat silently for a moment. An MRI? No, that didn't sound familiar. As a matter of fact, she didn't remember much of *anything* from that afternoon...or the day before that, actually. Day before that, too. All she remembered were these bewildering dreams about.... She shook her head to scatter that thought. No, she wasn't going to think about that right now. "You ran an MRI scan on me? I...don't remember that." A faint moan drifted from the bed where Warner had just been standing, and everyone turned to look at the source. "Morning, sleepyhead," O'Neill greeted the bed's occupant. "Morning," came the automatic reply. Oh, God. It was *Daniel*. Her cheeks flushed at the realization. She couldn't look directly at him as he sat up in the bed, not after what she'd just experienced, the latest in a long string of revealing, disturbing dreams about...*him*. "Feeling better?" the colonel asked him. Daniel blinked several times and looked around the infirmary, clearly as disoriented as Janet felt. "Yeah, I feel fine," he said. "What happened?" Thank you, Daniel, that's exactly what *she* wanted to know -- what the hell was going on. Janet quickly diverted her eyes from him as he looked in her direction...it was almost as if he'd just overheard her silent commendation. "I don't suppose either of you remember the fire in the science lab?" Sam asked, interrupting Janet's thoughts. "Fire?" Daniel returned in surprise. "There was a fire in the base?" Teal'c looked at her. "Dr. Fraiser?" Janet shook her head. Fire in the base? You'd think she would've heard about something like that. "I don't remember hearing about a fire." "Then you two missed quite a show," O'Neill said, sitting down on the end of Daniel's bed. "We'd just started running full exams on you because of your...strange...behavior the past few days. That was when the MRI scanner went up in flames, as did the computer with Doc Fraiser's results. You both fainted after that. Siler grabbed the extinguishers and made a huge mess in the lab...but he did manage to put out the fire in the process. Hammond rushed in a few minutes later, demanding to know who the hell had invited the circus to perform at the SGC." "We have yet to finish cleaning the medical laboratory from the explosion," Teal'c said. "It was quite a show," Carter added with a shrug. Janet's mouth fell open as she stared at the three of them. They were *kidding*, right? This was just a joke. *Please* tell her that's all this was. When no one broke into 'Gotcha' grins, though, she had no choice but to accept it wasn't a joke. An explosion in the lab...wow. "How bad was the damage?" "The MRI scanner was destroyed," Warner said. "Between the damage from the fire and the chemicals from the extinguishers, it would cost more to repair it than to buy a new one. I've already submitted the request, but it'll be a few more days before it arrives and we can get it up and running." "...Wow," Daniel murmured, shaking his head as he glanced across the room at Janet. Their eyes briefly met, but she quickly lowered hers as she felt her flush deepen. A second later he slid his legs out from beneath the bedcovers. "Anyway, I don't know what happened, but I feel fine." "So do I," Janet said. Sam's eyes narrowed as she looked back at the Colonel. "Is it just me or did it suddenly get warm in here?" He nodded slowly, his brows furrowed. "I noticed that too." "You are correct, Major Carter," Teal'c said. "It has become unusually warm inside the infirmary." "Did you touch the thermostat?" Sam asked the SF standing inside the doorway. "No, Ma'am." What was Sam talking about? Janet didn't notice any difference in temperature...except, of course, for the heat in her cheeks as a result of looking at Daniel, but that didn't have anything to do with the temperature inside the infirmary. "I don't feel anything different," Daniel said. "Neither do I," Janet replied. Good. At least she wasn't the only one who didn't notice anything unusual. The group fell silent, everyone's expressions reflecting their confusion at the recent incidents in the base. Finally, Warner broke the silence. "I'll have Siler check it out in the morning, see if something malfunctioned in the heating. Whatever the case, I'm going to run a few tests on you both, Dr. Fraiser, Dr. Jackson, and insist you remain here for observation. Sadly, the academy's just started cleaning up from a recent quarantine so we won't be able to run another MRI on either of you for a few more days; but if everything looks fine in the morning, I'll reconsider letting you go home and rest as long as someone remains with you at all times. I *will* insist that you both take it easy for at least another week until we can determine a cause for your collapsing spell this afternoon." "I'm sure it was nothing. I feel just fine...." Janet stopped in mid- sentence as all eyes turned to her. What? Why were they staring at her like that? You'd think she was going to put up a fight about letting Warner examine her. "If I was in your position, though, I'd also insist on the exam, so go ahead." O'Neill returned his eyes to Daniel. "What about you?" Daniel thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure. If something's wrong with me, I'd like to know about it...I think." His fellow teammates exchanged uncertain looks. Finally, O'Neill shrugged and motioned to Dr. Warner. "Go ahead and run your tests." The doctor nodded and began his work. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 20, 2001 Monday, 5:45 p.m. Daniel sighed and stretched out on his couch, staring vacantly at the ceiling. Finally. Dr. Warner had given him a clean bill of health and let him go home Saturday afternoon; but Hammond had insisted that Jack stay with him to, in the colonel's words, "make sure Daniel wasn't going to go all batty again." He had likewise ordered Sam to stay with Dr. Fraiser to keep an eye on her, in addition to giving SG-1 another week off to recuperate, a stand down that could easily turn into two weeks if their suspicious symptoms persisted. Now, finally, Jack had gone home. He'd spent most of the weekend watching old movies on TV while Daniel had immersed himself in the latest archaeology journals and reports. They'd played cards; they'd had a few beers; they'd ordered a pizza; they'd even gone out to O'Malley's for steak last night. Daniel's odd behavior hadn't returned, and finally Jack had found himself bored to tears by the archaeologist's quiet life. While it had been bearable and -- dare he say it? --- enjoyable to have the company, especially considering Jack hadn't picked on him nonstop for a change, Daniel had been more than ready for his roommate to move out so he could return to his regularly scheduled activities, a.k.a. enjoying the opportunity for some peace and quiet that he hadn't experienced in months. Once again, Daniel couldn't help puzzling over the events of the past week. He had no recollection of the behavior Jack and the others insisted he'd displayed, nor was he sure he'd *ever* act like they had described. Reading a set of encyclopedias for fun? Reading an entire dictionary? Thinking archaeology was too specialized? While he doubted they'd make that up, he just...didn't get it. Temporary insanity accompanied by temporary amnesia; that was the only possible explanation. He remembered the mission to P9X 119 clearly, including the sudden pain in his forehead, the cliff that appeared out of nowhere, the shifting paths, the disappearing boy, the strange events back by the Stargate, and asking Janet about his lab results and feeling mentally drained at the time; but after that his memories blurred. And he *certainly* didn't remember arguing with Jack about coming back to the base, or anything else that happened in the hours leading up to the fire in the base. What he did remember with alarming clarity from the past few days, though, were the dreams. Dreams of one pretty, petite doctor named Janet Fraiser. They were strange dreams. They were vivid dreams. They were dreams he had no right to be dreaming. Now it seemed that every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. In one dream he saw her and her adopted daughter, Cassie, kayaking along a river. Another time he saw a rather brutal fight between her and a man he instinctively knew was her ex-husband. In another dream she was tending stubbornly and determinedly to Teal'c after SG-1 had gone missing for week, and in yet another she was volunteering for a rescue mission to rescue him and his team. More disturbing than that, though, he didn't just *see* her in his dreams; he *felt* her -- her emotions, her pain, her joy, her anger, her frustration...her love. Everything seemed to happen through her eyes; everything he felt and all his reactions seemed to be from her perspective. Were those dreams real? Was he having her dreams? Had things really happened to her like he was seeing them? Or were their shared experiences on P9X 119 just making him reconsider *her*? They were unnerving -- freaky, almost -- and yet Daniel's wasn't really scared by them. No, the surge of emotions inside him every time he pictured her and every time he heard her name was definitely not scared. The emotions were...immensely warm and tender, actually. He hadn't seen Janet since Saturday and had never thought of her as more than a kind, caring friend, but now he was afraid he was falling in love with her, all because of these damn dreams. Daniel didn't know what to make of it. He didn't want to fall in love with someone he'd never dated, nor even *considered* dating. Sure she was attractive, she was nice, she was smart, she was loving, she was *single*, but...he didn't want to fall in love with *anyone* right now because everyone he fell in love with seemed to drug him and use him for their own means, turn out to be insane, or wind up as a Goa'uld host. Not that he thought any of those things would happen with her, but still, the fact remained that he didn't *want* to fall in love. But if he didn't see her again soon to make sure she was all right after everything that had happened last week, he was afraid he would go mad. Even calling her wouldn't help. While hearing her voice would be nice, this strange obsession required more. It was weird...and he didn't like it one bit. Damn it, now he *really* needed to see her. Finally giving in to that overwhelming desire, Daniel rose from the couch and grabbed his keys, then headed down to his car. Five minutes later he was driving across town to her house. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 6:17 p.m. Janet looked up as the wireless phone on the counter near the sink rang. She quickly finished chopping the last of the onion and brushed it into the simmering pot of sauce on the stove, then grabbed a towel and picked up the phone. "Fraiser." "Hi, Mom." "Hey, Cassie," she said, propping the phone on her shoulder and wiping her hands on the towel. "All done?" "Yep. Mr. Benton says he's never seen such a great mural in the high school before!" Janet smiled at the excitement in her daughter's voice. Cassie had always loved painting, and she'd been blessed with the talent to go with that love. Her teachers were constantly raving about her drawings and paintings. "That's great, Honey. I'll have to come see it one of these days." "Yeah, you will. Mr. Benton's bringing me home now so I should be there in a few minutes. Making spaghetti?" "Of course. What would a Monday night be without spaghetti?" She had planned to wait for Cassie's call before she began cooking, but she'd finally forced herself to start twenty minutes ago just to get her mind off of the troubling events of the past week. At least cooking was a pleasant distraction so her thoughts weren't constantly dwelling on...Daniel. "Is Sam still there?" Janet tossed the towel on the counter, suddenly overcome by the inexplicable urge to open the front door. Distracted by her daughter's question, she only half-realized that she was leaving the kitchen. "No, she left this afternoon, saying she'd check in tomorrow." "Aw. I'll have to call her when I get home and tell her I finished the mural. So how're you feeling?" "I feel fine, Sweetie, just fine." Arriving at her destination, Janet stared at it silently for a moment, then switched the phone to her left hand, pulling the door open with her right. On her front porch stood Daniel, his hand lifted to ring the doorbell. His eyes widened in surprise as Janet jumped back, alarmed at his unexpected presence. Brown eyes met blue and lingered there a long moment...then the phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. "Are you okay?" Cassie's voice came from the phone. "Mom?" "Hi," Daniel greeted her awkwardly, bending to pick up the fallen object. "You dropped this." Janet just stared at him as he stood and handed the phone back to her, but it took her a moment before she'd regained enough sense to accept it from him. Her fingers accidentally brushed his, and her legs nearly turned to Jell-O at the heat in the contact. Finally, she forced herself to turn away from him. "Cassie? I have to go. I'll see you in a few minutes." With that, she hung up. The object of her obsession the past few days was *here*, standing on her porch, for some reason she didn't know yet. Her cheeks flushed as her shock gave way to excitement and butterflies fluttered in her stomach...God, she felt like a love-struck teenager experiencing her first high school crush all over again. Several deep breaths later, she felt confident that she'd regained enough composure so she wouldn't appear to be a blubbering idiot, and she slowly turned back to face her visitor, smiling gently at him. "Daniel." "Janet." He looked down at his hands as if he wasn't sure why he was standing there. "Um, I just...I just wanted to check how you were doing." She lifted a hand to her neck, simultaneously nervous to be standing there, talking to him, and touched that he'd been so concerned about her that he'd driven all the way across town to see her. "I'm doing great, Daniel. How are you?" "I'm...I'm fine." He chuckled. "To be honest, I'm glad to finally be rid of Jack." "Not the world's best babysitter, huh?" she asked, letting out a laugh. "You could say that. You know Jack." Yes, yes she did, but not nearly as well as Daniel did. They fell silent for a second until she realized that he was still standing on the porch. "Oh, I'm sorry, would you like to come inside?" His eyes widened again as if her statement had taken him aback, and he shook his head. "No. No, I just wanted...no. That's all right." He'd driven all this way to see her...then didn't want to come inside? For some reason, she didn't believe him. "Are you sure?" The look of mixed longing and uncertainty in his eyes, however, indicated that he *wasn't* sure, not in the least. God, he was so cute when he was flustered. A huge part of her desperately wanted him to stay. She *needed* him to stay and talk with her. It wasn't an option. She'd been dying to see him ever since Saturday, but with Sam staying over there hadn't been an opportunity to call him. Her strange dreams about him hadn't ceased during their separation as she'd hoped; rather, they'd intensified to the point that her every last thought was on him. Was she having visions about crucial moments in his past? Why was she seeing everything through his eyes? Why was she feeling his emotions? Were the dreams accurate or was her mind simply filling in the details? She'd never heard what transpired on Apophis' ship when Daniel had been injured. She'd never seen the room where Daniel and Sha'uri had connected, both in spirit and in language. She'd couldn't know what his parents' funeral had been link. The visions *couldn't* be real...could they? Janet lifted a hand to her forehead and rubbed it lightly. All those dreams, her confusion over what had happened last week, her sudden obsession with Daniel, her escalating feelings toward him...they were driving her nuts. If this kept up much longer, Hammond would be sending her to the white padded room before she had the chance to say, "I think I'm falling madly in love with the SGC's resident archaeologist." Daniel's eyes narrowed; oh, right, she was rubbing her forehead again. When had she picked up that habit? "Actually, maybe I will come in...if you don't mind, that is," he said. "Just for a minute, though; I really should be getting back." She quickly lowered the hand from her face and beamed him a smile that she hoped conveyed her pleasure at his change of heart. Their eyes briefly locked as he returned her smile, then the two fell silent as they took in each other's appearance. Wow, she'd always thought he was an attractive man even in his SGC uniforms, but this button-down midnight blue shirt with khaki pants.... No, the word 'attraction' didn't even begin to describe the reaction she was feeling at his close proximity. Every nerve in her body was racing, completely on edge. If he were to touch her, she suspected she'd melt into a puddle of goo. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had such an intense reaction to a man as she was having right now. Absently, Janet realized that his eyes were traveling down her body, taking in everything as she'd just done with him. Why hadn't she'd chosen something a little nicer that day than faded blue jeans and a pale, cream-colored blouse? On the other hand, his expression indicated that he didn't mind what he saw...not in the least. It had been so long since a man had taken such an interest in her as she was seeing in him - - as she was certain she felt *radiating* from him -- but of all possible times, why on Earth would this interest start now? And why Daniel, a man who'd never once shown any reaction to the many women on base who'd ogled over him the past four years? She wasn't sure she understood any of it...and yet her newly stirred emotions for him had already overpowered her reason and made it impossible for her to care about the odd timing. Janet didn't know how long she'd been staring at him -- or how long Daniel had been staring at her -- but next she knew, Cassie was standing behind him on the porch, looking between the two with a slight smirk. "Hi, Mom. Daniel." Both tore their eyes from each other at the sound. Janet took a deep breath, trying to resuscitate her heart after it had nearly stopped for a minute there...what the hell had just happened? After a few seconds, she felt able to manage a few coherent words, although even then her eyes kept drifting back to the man in the doorway, his hand lifted uncomfortably to his neck...just as hers had been a minute ago. "Hi, Cassie," she said. "Mr. Benton apologizes that it took him so long to drop me off. He had to stop at the gym and pick up Justin first." Janet's eyes narrowed. What? Stop at the gym first? Just how long had she and Daniel been staring at each other? "I'll call him later, thank him for dropping you off." Finally managing to remove her eyes from Daniel for more than three seconds, she stepped out of the doorway to let her daughter through. Daniel hesitated another moment, but when Janet motioned for him to join them, he did. "Wow, it's warm in here," Cassie said before turning to face their guest. "So are you staying for supper, Daniel?" His face clearly reflected his alarm at the proposition. "Oh, no...no I was just checking how your mom's been the past few days." The girl gave him a sly smile. "Are you sure? Mom makes the best spaghetti in the whole wide world." His eyes returned to Janet and he smiled faintly. "I'm sure she does." "You're welcome to stay, Daniel," Janet assured him. "There's plenty for three people...and besides, we'd enjoy your company." Now why had she added that last part? "Come on, Daniel, you *have* to stay," Cassie said. "I have to show you my sketch for the high school mural!" Still Daniel made no reply as he thought it over. Janet could tell he was torn between his discomfort and the part of him that really wanted to stay...she was almost sure she *felt* his conflicting emotions. It was weird, to say the least. Finally his eyes met hers again and he gave her another small smile. "Well, I couldn't miss that, could I?" Cassie's smile broadened. "Great! I'll set the table." Janet breathed a sigh of relief; thank God, he wasn't leaving yet. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it right now if he'd left before they'd really had the chance to talk. "Make yourself at home," she said, walking back toward the kitchen. "Supper will be ready in a few minutes." One last look over her shoulder revealed he was still watching her, most likely wondering again what he was doing there, then he shook his head and smiled faintly as he headed into the dining room to help Cassie. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 7:35 p.m. Daniel followed Cassie up the stairs to her room, nearly tripping over the dog that Jack had given her as a 'Welcome to Earth' present on the way. Talk over dinner had been pleasant, a welcome peace compared to the confusion and uncertainty he'd experienced the past few days. Mostly, discussion had concentrated on Cassie's day painting at the high school, but other topics had also been fair game. The girl's excitement was contagious; and, before the meal had ended, Daniel had found himself agreeing to go see the mural later that week with Janet. Now Janet was busy washing dishes, and Cassie had insisted Daniel join her in her room so she could show off her sketches. He had never considered himself much of a 'kid' person, probably because of a few traumatic childhood experiences that had made him a bit leery of youth. Cassie, however, he had a hard time considering a typical 'kid.' She was intelligent, talented, mischievous, warm-hearted, only occasionally troublesome and rebellious...and had experienced things no child should have to go through. She had lost not only her family but her entire race to the Goa'uld, and she'd then been used by Nirrti as a human bomb in an attempt to destroy Earth's Stargate. His heart ached for the girl, and he could easily see why everyone at the SGC had fallen head over heels in love with her, himself included. Now he wished he'd spent more time getting to know her earlier. Every time he'd been invited to spend time with her and her adopted mother, the rest of SG-1 had also been around. This was his first time really *talking* to her...or, come to think of it, really spending time without SG-1 at the Fraiser residence. Not surprisingly, Cassie's room looked like that of a typical teenage girl. One wall was devoted to a vast collection of Backstreet Boys posters, while another was home to a bookshelf covered with Precious Moments figurines and a desk cluttered with papers and books. A third wall was full of pictures Janet had taken while they'd been on vacation to Disneyland, while camping in the mountains, and while playing on a beach. Some were of members of the SGC; others were of Cassie's friends at school. On the final wall hung hand-drawn pictures and paintings of people and landscapes. He recognized several of the portraits as being people from the SGC -- Sam, Jack, Teal'c, General Hammond, Dr. Fraiser, even one of himself, he realized uncomfortably -- while most of the landscape paintings appeared to be of Hanka, Cassie's home world. Cassie dug through the stack of papers on her desk until she found the one she was looking for, then proudly showed it to Daniel. It was sketch in pencil of a vast field covered with a variety of flowers, and in the background was a lake and a mountain chain. He even thought he could make out some deer standing alongside the lake...this was impressive. He couldn't wait to see this picture in large-scale and with the appropriate colors added. "Wow. This is great, Cassie." She smiled shyly. "Thanks. Justin -- Mr. Benton's son -- keeps asking me to paint a picture for him. I wish I could tell them that most of the pictures are places from my home world, but...." "...But you can't tell anyone you're not from Toronto," he finished, grinning. Oh, did he know that wistful feeling well. "Right. Jack would get upset if I told anyone about the Stargate. It's pretty hard to keep my mouth shut sometimes, though, seeing as I've never even *been* to Toronto...." "Yeah, I know. I've had trouble talking to old acquaintances myself. They want to know what I'm doing now, and telling them I explore other worlds through the Stargate wouldn't go over real well." She giggled. "No, it probably wouldn't. Want to see some of my other drawings? Sam says they're really good." "Sure," he said and sat down on the edge of her blue-quilted bed. She handed him a stack of pictures, sitting down next to him as he paged through them. Now was as good a time as any to try to seek out some answers. "So...how's your mom been?" "Last week she was acting *weird*," Cassie said. "She barely said anything, she didn't remember things, her behavior was strange...but she's been better the past few days. Sam stayed with us after Mom came home Saturday and didn't notice anything. Well, except for...." Daniel lowered the pictures as he turned to look at her. "Except for what?" "Well, yesterday she was slicing chicken for lunch and cut her hand. It was bleeding really bad, and Mom came to look at it, but it was *gone*. It was weird, Daniel." Sam's cut was gone in a matter of seconds? That was odd, to say the least. "Your mom's a great doctor, but not *that* great." Cassie shrugged. "I don't know; Sam didn't know; Mom doesn't know. And...this sounds weird too, but Mom's been asking me to answer the door...but it's always *before* the bell rings. There's no way she could know someone was coming." Daniel felt his uneasiness growing. That was kind of like what had happened earlier when he'd arrived...and hadn't Jack said he'd caught Daniel doing the same thing a few times? He'd have to ask Janet about it. "That *is* strange," he finally said, returning his attention to Cassie's drawings. For the next few minutes, she went through the pictures with him, briefly explaining some of them. About halfway through the stack, Cassie looked up at him. "Daniel, can I ask you something?" "Sure." "What happened to you and Mom on that world last week?" He lowered the pictures. Cassie had always been good at getting directly to the point...a directness that, right now, made him distinctly uncomfortable. "I...really don't know, Cassie. I wish I did, though." After a second of silence as he quickly flipped to the next picture, she asked, "You like Mom, don't you?" Daniel's eyes widening at the question. Why did he feel like a teenage boy desperately trying to hide a crush on the most popular girl in school? "Of course I do," he finally said, turning to look at the girl. "Your mom's a wonderful woman." "I saw the way you were looking at her tonight at supper." Daniel froze, feeling his cheeks flush as a wave of embarrassment swept over him. Well, so much for hiding his newfound 'crush' on Janet; he'd been here less than two hours and Cassie had already found out his secret. Damn, he hadn't even realized he'd been staring at Janet during supper. He just...couldn't keep his eyes off of her anymore. The way her auburn hair hung down around her face...those deep brown eyes...the way her cream-colored shirt and her jeans clung to her body in all the right places.... And God, the way being anywhere near her made him feel, the excitement that pulsed in his veins, the weakness in his knees.... The ensuing silence had apparently answered Cassie's question. "She likes you too," she said. "I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I heard Mom say your name last night while she was sleeping." He blinked several times as her last statement registered, trying to ignore the way his heart had just leapt within him at learning the object of his growing obsession might possibly have similar feelings for him. Right now, as thrilling as that was, there was something more important in her statement that he needed to uncover. Cassie had just said Janet had said his name in her sleep. That meant...wait a minute, did that mean Janet was having the same kind of dreams about him as he was having about her? She wasn't experiencing such vivid dreams through his eyes as he was through hers...or was she? God, he hoped not; that would be humiliating if she'd seen anything like him that he had about her. Besides, it was impossible; people don't just share memories with someone else while they're sleeping. And yet that dream in the black room right before he'd awoken in the infirmary Friday night had been so *real*, as if Janet had really been there with him.... This didn't make any sense. What the hell had happened to them on P9X 119? Finally, Daniel turned to look at the girl, trying to hide the bewildered, flustered expression that he knew must be blatantly obvious on his face. Gut instinct told him to lie and deny Cassie's accusation that he 'liked' Janet, at least until he could think clearly again...but for some reason he couldn't. "To be honest, I don't know what I feel for your mom anymore." She nodded knowingly. "But you're not the one who's been sending Mom the flowers, are you?" Flowers? In the back of his mind he remembered seeing carnations in Janet's office a few days ago, one of his last memories before everything became a blur. He felt a stab of jealousy at realizing someone else was trying to win her affections...and had been for a few weeks now. "No," he whispered. "No, I'm not." "She wanted them to be from you. She didn't say as much but I know that's what she was thinking." Damn it, now his stomach was doing somersaults, even while his mind was trying to rein in his rapidly growing excitement so he could figure out who the flowers really *were* from. "I wish they had been," he admitted, trying to force his mind to concentrate on the girl's drawings and not on what her revelations might mean. After all, this was only secondhand information, a girl's *impression*; none of it was coming from Janet herself. Several minutes later, they'd finished looking through them. "Your pictures are great, Cassie. Thank you for showing them to me." "Thanks," she said, taking the pictures back from him and setting them on her desk. "Mom's probably done cleaning up by now. You should go talk to her." Daniel nodded thoughtfully. Cassie was right. He should do that. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 7:55 p.m. "Hi." "Hi, Daniel," Janet greeted as he appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Blood rushed to her cheeks and her heart pounded as she realized just how *close* he was standing to her...and that he was staring at her again, just like he'd been staring at her all during supper. Of course, she was no less guilty than he was; something told her she'd been staring at him just as much as he'd been at her, at least judging from the number of times she'd caught him looking at her and had *felt* his eyes on her. Suddenly, she shook her head. She had to stop thinking that way before her thoughts took a turn in a decidedly dangerous direction. "Cassie show you all her pictures?" She turned her head toward him in time to catch him nod and tear his eyes from her, looking instead down at his hands as he wrung them together. "She's extremely talented. I can see why her teachers rave about her." Janet smiled and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. "She loves showing off those drawings." Turning off the water, she was surprised to find Daniel had grabbed the towel from the stove and was holding it out to her. "Thank you," she said, taking it from him to dry her hands. "I hope supper was all right." "It was perfect, thank you. I hate putting people on the spot like that. If I'd known you hadn't eaten yet...." ...He wouldn't have come over so early in the evening. As it was, he was still trying to figure out what he was doing there. Janet's eyes narrowed as she stared at the peach-colored towel; now where had those thoughts come from? Once again shaking her head, she interrupted, "Don't be silly, Daniel. We enjoyed your company. Cassie's always saying how she wishes she saw more of you." Well, that may be true, but Janet had the feeling she should've said *she* wished she saw more of him, not just Cassie. Ahem. "You're always welcome here." A faint smile appeared on his face at her words, but it quickly faded as he looked away from her again. "Anyway, I really should be going." His voice sounded pained as he spoke...or was it just the sudden emotion of loss Janet felt as he said the words? "You're welcome to stay a bit longer." In other words, Daniel, please don't go. Not yet. He looked back in the direction of the door as if ready to decline the offer, but instead he said, "Maybe I will." Janet breathed a sigh of relief as she motioned for him to join her in the living room. Thank God; she had a few more minutes with him before he left. Once in the indicated room, he took a seat on her couch, watching her as she awkwardly sat down next to him. "So...were you going somewhere before dinner?" he asked. "No, why?" "Well, you answered the door before I rang the bell." Janet's brows furrowed. Had she? Oh, right, she had. Cassie had pointed that out a few times lately, that she'd been answering the door before the bell rang. Come to think of it, that *was* a bit strange. When she didn't reply, Daniel continued, "According to Jack, I've been doing that a lot myself the past few days...." He had? Okay, that was *really* strange. "...I don't know what would cause that," he finished. "Neither do I. I guess I just...had the feeling someone was coming so I opened the door." "Strange as it sounds, that's exactly how I felt." Janet lifted her eyes to him, growing puzzled at the oddity that her mind had barely registered the past few days, then felt her heart skip a beat as his eyes met hers. Was it just her or did that dark blue shirt and the soft glow of the lamp on the table make his eyes appear unbelievably warm and deep and...sexy? Damn it, if only her mind would stop going off on tangents every time he looked at her, maybe she could actually focus on the *important* issues at hand, like what he was talking about. Of course, at that moment she'd much rather be staring into his eyes than pondering why she was opening doors at strange times. "Janet, I think something serious happened to us on P9X 119. You and I seem to be the only ones affected...it has to have something to do with that pain we...we felt in our heads...." His voice trailed off. He was growing flustered again; she could see it in his eyes as they darted awkwardly around her living room. Was it possible her presence was having as distracting an effect on him as he was having on her? And...when had she gotten this close to him on the couch? They were only inches apart now. This was too weird. Oh, right, he was waiting for her to say something. "I think you're right, Daniel. Ever since we came back, everything's been...I'm not sure, but everything's felt...off. I wish I remembered what happened last week leading up to the fire at the SGC." "You don't remember that either?" His eyes were glued to her again; again he lowered them to his hands as she looked at him. "Ah...I vaguely remember you saying something about increased activity in normally unused parts of our brains." She'd said something about increased activity in their brains? Come to think of it, yes, she had. God, everything was one big blur right now thanks to her body's current reaction to her guest. All she wanted to do was reach out and touch his hand where it rested on his leg...maybe asking him to stay *hadn't* been a good idea. Damn it, Janet, she suddenly scolded herself, get your head on straight. He's trying to discuss something with you. You can ogle over his eyes and that gorgeous...physique...later. "Right, there was evidence of increased activity, especially in the limbic region and a number of other sections of the brain. I do remember seeing that on our MRI scans before the machine broke." "What does the limbic region do?" "Well, for the most part it's a control center for a number of emotions, although some scientists have speculated that the mid-brain limbic area has something to do with...." Wait a minute. Why hadn't she seen that connection before? "Something to do with what?" Daniel pressed as her eyes narrowed in confusion. "Granted, last I'd heard there was no proof that...." This was too creepy. She could feel her insides balling up in resistance to the thought already. No, she didn't want to think about this right now. "Janet, what?" Still she didn't reply, and Daniel placed his hand on her arm to get her attention. The action turned out to be a mistake, though, for they both gasped at the burst of sensuous warmth that the physical contact caused to spread through them. Blue and brown eyes were immediately drawn to the bare skin he was touching, but he didn't retract his fingers. Instead, they lingered there as if he was just as amazed at the intensity as she was. He brushed her skin softly, tracing a line down to her wrist, causing it to tingle. The sensation ran through her entire body as if radiating from the place where his fingers touched her. It...God, it felt incredible. Janet was finding herself helplessly lost in the warmth that engulfed her. She swallowed hard. Get a grip, girl, she scolded herself with the little bit of sanity she still possessed. It wasn't like she'd never made physical contact with this man before. She'd touched him numerous times; but, while those times had been nice and very, very professional, they'd never felt quite like *this*. "ESP," she finally managed. Daniel's eyes narrowed as he pulled his hand away, leaving an intense sense of coldness and emptiness in its wake. "Telepathy? Anticipating the future?" "We've seen a lot of things come through the Stargate, Daniel, but nothing happened lately that would have caused something like that in us. I think it's safe to say that's not what this is." "Although it would explain the door, if we were somehow anticipating the future or sensing someone else approaching," he murmured. "Maybe, but I doubt it." Abruptly, she shook her head. She did *not* want to think about this right now. No, it was impossible that she'd somehow acquired telepathic abilities like he was suggesting. "I'm sure it's something else." Daniel seemed to sense her restlessness and disinterest in discussing that possibility for he immediately backed off and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them and said, "Anyway, I really should be going. I haven't slept well the past few nights. I'm hoping now that Jack's gone, maybe I can get a full night's sleep." ...He couldn't sleep because he had the distinct impression something important was missing. Janet's eyes narrowed at that, yet another inexplicable thought. Now how could she possibly know that? Simple, she couldn't, unless what they'd just talked about was.... She shook her head again to erase that disturbing thought. Daniel's presence and close proximity were having more of an effect on her ability to think than she'd realized. "Neither have I," she finally said, rising to her feet at the same time as he did and walking him to the door. Daniel pulled it open and took a step outside, but he immediately stopped and turned to look at her. His expression was soft as his eyes took in her face one last time, almost as if he was taking a mental photograph. Her heart pleaded with her to encourage him to stay longer, but her mind told her she'd never be able to think clearly again until he was gone. He seemed to have the same conflicting emotions; but, gratefully, he was determined to leave. "Thanks again for dinner. We'll...." They'd have to do it again sometime. That much was all too clear to her. "Yes, we will," she finished. He seemed mildly surprised at her response, but he quickly brushed it aside and smiled at her, a smile as beautiful, sincere, and trouble-free as the laughter she'd heard from him in the infirmary a week ago. Janet felt her body pool into a puddle as his eyes locked with hers again and he lightly brushed her cheek in an action so intimate that it should've shocked her...if only she could've cared about something other than the sheer *exquisiteness* of the touch. "Say goodbye to Cassie for me." "I will." For a moment she could've sworn he was going to kiss her, but instead he pulled himself away and headed toward his car. Janet watched until he'd gotten in -- after hesitating a long moment at the door, looking back at the house with such longing that it nearly broke her heart -- then drove away. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Four: Linked August 21, 2001 Tuesday, 9:14 p.m. Daniel closed his eyes as he finished reading a paragraph on Assyrian statuary in the 800s B.C. for the tenth time that night. Under pretense of bringing over a pizza for lunch, Jack had checked in on him for two hours earlier that afternoon; but, other than that, his day had been uneventful. While the silence was nice, his restlessness refused to let him really enjoy it...and it didn't take much to recognize what the cause of his restlessness was -- Janet. At the moment he was starting to regret having stopped at her place the night before. Trying to get to bed early had been futile; he couldn't have slept for more than four hours before his alarmingly vivid, detailed visions of her woke him, then continued to haunt him the rest of the night. All his thoughts seemed to center on her, and it was getting worse with each passing minute. This obsession was like a cancer, starting small and worming its way through every inch of his body. And the softness of her skin, the warmth in her brown eyes, the tenderness of her voice when she said his name.... This was beyond a simple crush. He was lost, obsessed, head over heels in love, whatever you wanted to call it. And, from what Cassie had said and from what he'd *felt* from Janet last night, those feelings could very well be mutual. He could even see her now, sitting on her couch, wearing blue jeans and a low-cut pale green shirt, her legs curled beneath her as she stared at the wireless phone sitting on the table near the lamp, debating whether or not to call him. Then she was reaching for the phone, slowly punching in the numbers, lifting it to her ear, and.... His phone rang. Daniel stared at it, quite suddenly unable to breathe. No, it couldn't be.... The phone rang again, and again, and again until he finally grabbed it. "Hello?" "Hi, Daniel." Oh, God, it was *her*. That was *too* weird. No wonder his heart had quite literally caught in his throat. "Daniel? Daniel?" ...Right, he still hadn't responded. Too bad he hadn't started breathing yet, either. "Hi, Janet." "Are you okay?" No, thank you, he was definitely *not* okay. Between his utter exhilaration at hearing her melodious voice again and his alarm from the vision he'd just experienced, the word 'okay' was no longer in his vocabulary. "Janet, what color is your shirt?" It took her a moment to reply to his off-the-wall question. "Green, why?" What the hell? "Light green, you're wearing blue jeans, you're sitting on your couch, the dog is walking through the living room toward your kitchen, Cassie's playing a Backstreet Boys song in her room, something about 'needing you tonight'...." Nearly half a minute passed before she said anything. "How did you know that? Daniel, are you spying on me?" "No!" God, no, don't let her believe he was spying on her...even though that was exactly what he felt like, a sleazy voyeur. This was now way beyond weird. It was downright *creepy*. "I...I don't know how I knew that. I just...*did*." "Oh...right," she whispered. "Anyway, I was thinking about what we were discussing last night...." "The limbic region and ESP." They'd discussed a lot of things over dinner; don't ask how he knew that was what she was referring to. He just *knew*. "Right. While I'm still not convinced that has anything to do with us...." Funny, Daniel was now thoroughly convinced it had something to do with them. "...I think we should go to the Academy Hospital tomorrow morning. The quarantine situation is cleared up and both of us should take a new MRI as a follow-up to what happened last week." When he didn't say anything, she asked, "Daniel?" Finally, he snapped out of his stunned silence as he realized she was waiting for him to say something. Okay, Jackson, be coherent...but damn it, he needed to know something now. "I...yeah, that's a good idea. Um, this is probably going to sound strange, but what am *I* wearing right now?" "What? How should I know that?" "Just...humor me. Please?" She chuckled. Under other circumstances, his heart would've skipped another beat at that beautiful sound, especially knowing he was the one who'd caused it, but right now he was too shaken by his earlier vision to feel anything other than alarm. "You're...you're serious," she said. "Yes, I am." She thought about that for a moment...Daniel was almost certain he could *feel* her confusion at his seriousness while asking the bizarre question. It had been creepy last night when he'd thought he could sense her feelings, but he'd written that off to the ambiance of the soft light and the moment in her living room. So why was the same thing happening *now* when they were nowhere near each other? "Okay, I'll give it a try," Janet replied. "A tan shirt...no, wait, it's tan, blue, and red plaid, dark blue pants, and there's an archaeology magazine on the couch by your left hand. It's called 'Odyssey' or something." "What's on the cover?" he choked. "Some golden mask on a black background...wait a minute, you mean I'm *right*?" His voice caught in his throat. Five more seconds and he'd be dead from oxygen deprivation, the way he was going tonight. There was no way he could find the words to answer her. The visions were mutual, of that there could no longer be any doubt. "I'll...I'll stop by your house tomorrow around nine and we can head to the hospital together," he finally managed. "...Okay." She paused. This was troubling her...Daniel could tell that, too. "Daniel? Was I right? Now *I* need to know." "Yeah, Janet, you were. I'll see you tomorrow." Before she could reply, he hung up, his heart pounding. For the next twenty minutes he sat in the same position on his couch, staring at the receiver and growing increasingly panicked as his mind tried to piece together what was going on. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Date Unknown Time Unknown Something was missing. He felt empty, like only half of himself was there. This gaping hole needed to be filled; he couldn't live like this any longer, with part of himself missing, yearning for its missing half. It was the cruelest form of torture, to have his body rent asunder and separated with no way of putting the pieces back together. He walked forward until he was standing on the edge of a high cliff, overlooking a beautiful expanse of rippling, crystal-clear water, sparkling in the fading sunlight. This sight was meant to be shared with someone; it could not properly be enjoyed in solitude. His missing half would like this...and he'd like sharing it with her. Then, blissfully, the whisper of his name drifted on the breeze from somewhere behind him. He turned, and there she was, smiling at him. Draped in a flowing, sleeveless, white satin dress, she was an absolute angel, heavenly to behold. Her shoulder-length brown hair hung loose around the soft skin of her face, the reddish blond highlights reflecting the vibrant sunset behind them. Her smile was beautiful and reassuring. And her eyes...God, the light, the love in her brown eyes had him mesmerized. She was...she was absolutely radiant. This is what was missing. Her. How could he have missed seeing this side of her for so many years? She walked toward him and twined her small yet nimble fingers with his. The warmth that filled him at the contact felt like a burning, unconquerable flame that set every one of his senses on fire. No, he could safely say he'd never tire of touching her like this; it was too incredible. He returned her smile, allowing himself to get lost in her eyes for well over a minute before he was able to absorb the rest of their surroundings. Next to where they stood barefoot atop the thousand-foot drop of the cliff was a medium-sized boulder that projected upward from the soft, damp grass of rolling green fields. Far below, the glittering waves crashed against the rocks, singing a haunting, hypnotizing melody; and above them in the darkening sky rose a bright, crescent-shaped moon. "It's beautiful," she whispered, her voice as sweet as honey. "Yes, it is," he replied, turning his head toward her to take in her appearance once again. After so many nights of tortured sleep, of disconcerting dreams and memories he didn't want, of struggling against an inescapable feeling of emptiness, finally -- *finally* -- a sense of peace washed over him like a rejuvenating, gentle breeze. And it was all because of her. *She* was the missing piece. A single teardrop trickled down her cheek as he watched her, and he squeezed her hand in concern. Was she saddened? Had someone hurt her? He was uncertain the cause of her sorrow, so he did the only thing he could think to do; he bent to gently brush the tear away with his lips. "What's wrong?" She pulled away so she could search his eyes. "Nothing." She slipped her hand from his and reached up to his face, her touch feather-light as she ran her fingertips over his forehead, down his nose, his lips, his chin...then resting them on his cheek. "There's nothing wrong. Just...." "What?" he pressed, pushing her hair behind her shoulder. His hand rested on her bare shoulder, and he felt her shiver under the lightness of the contact. "Janet?" "Just...hold me, Daniel." Forever, his mind returned as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "Forever," he whispered in her ear when she lowered her head to his chest. How long they stood like that, he couldn't say, but when he opened his eyes again the first rays of daylight were poking through the clouds. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 22, 2001 Wednesday, 8:29 a.m. Wow, what a dream, Janet's mind reminisced as she awoke from pleasant slumber, her first full night of sleep in over a week. She had experienced some vivid dreams the past few days, but none had left her with such an intense feeling of excitement, intimacy, and warmth as the one she'd just had. There was no way she'd ever be able to look at Daniel Jackson the same way again, not after that. It had seemed so real that her senses had believed it truly was real...and God, it had felt so *right*. Even now she felt deliciously warm, as if half of her was still lost in that beautiful dream world. Maybe she should stay in bed the entire day and try to make this feeling last forever. She could almost feel him still holding her in his arms on top of that enchanting cliff, watching the moon rise and the sun set, listening to the hypnotizing waves crash below, feeling the flame in their embrace set her body on fire.... The covers on her bed rustled and a previously undetected pressure over her stomach tightened. That felt...that felt an awful lot like...like.... Someone's arm. There was someone else in her bed. Her eyes flew open and darted around the ivory bedroom as she jolted fully awake. She bolted out of the bed and stared at the oblivious intruder lying atop her quilt. Oh, God. "Daniel!" The removal of her body from his arms and the sound of his name roused the sleeping man. He was fully dressed and.... Wait, that was the same outfit she'd seen him wearing in her 'vision' while they'd been on the phone last night. Even the shoes were the same...and he was still wearing his glasses. Daniel moaned and groggily rubbed his face, then blinked several times, disoriented. Finally they focused on the alarmed woman dressed in silky white shirt and pants who was gaping at him from the other side of her bed. "Janet?" He looked around the room as his mind fully resurfaced from sleep. Suddenly, it hit him that he wasn't in his bedroom, and he jumped out of the bed. They stared at each other across the bed for a long moment, their minds groping for an explanation of what was going on. They found none. "Daniel? What are you doing here?" His mouth fell open, his eyes wide, but he couldn't articulate any response. She couldn't blame him; between the emotions still lingering from her latest dream and the shock at finding him in her bed with no recollection of letting him in, words were not forthcoming. "How did you get in here?" Still he made no response. "Daniel? Are you all right?" Suddenly, he buried his face in his hands and, trembling, sat down on the edge of her bed. "I don't know," he said. The words were muffled, but she knew exactly what he was saying. "I don't know...oh, God, Janet, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't...I don't know...." Regaining some of her composure even though she couldn't stop her entire body from shaking after the emotional rush, she slowly walked toward him and sat down beside him. He was embarrassed, he was confused, he was still staggering from the emotional effect of his dream...but more than that, he was scared out of his mind. "Daniel, look at me." Of course he couldn't look at her, Janet realized as he shook his head and refused to remove his hands from his face. She wouldn't be able to look at him either if she'd just awoken in his bed with no recollection of getting there. "Daniel," she repeated, but still he didn't do anything. Dare she touch him to get his attention? While she doubted it was the wisest idea, she couldn't think of anything else to do...or maybe she was simply unable to resist the urge to press her skin to his. Whatever the case, she reached out her hands and placed them on his, peeling them away from his face. He reeled back at the contact, but it succeeded in forcing him to look at her. "Don't...don't touch me, Janet." So he was experiencing the same sensations she was at their physical contact. Under normal circumstances she might be offended, but right now she understood exactly what he was saying. She'd felt it as well. "God, these dreams just won't leave me alone...I don't know what I'm doing here...I'm so sorry, Janet...." "Shh...it's okay. No harm was done. Considering everything that's happened the past week, I'm not sure either of us should be surprised by this." He searched her eyes, seeking assurance that she truly meant what she said, then stood and headed toward the door. "Daniel?" When he didn't stop but pulled the door open and continued out of the room, Janet slipped on her robe and followed him down the stairs. He continued straight to the front door and opened it, not acknowledging Cassie, who was seated at the dining room table eating breakfast. Janet waited at the door as he took several steps outside then froze, looking down both ends of the block. Giving him a minute to find what he was looking for, she finally joined him. His expression was blank, but she could feel that he was more confused now than before. "My car's not here," he stated. If he didn't drive, then how did he get there? Oh, of course, that was exactly his point. A moment later he felt at his back pocket...but found nothing. "I don't have my wallet." Which means he hadn't paid a taxi to drop him off. "I live fifteen miles across town." So he didn't walk. How *did* he get there? "Why don't we talk about this inside?" Janet finally asked him. "I'll make you some coffee." He looked down at her, their gazes meeting for a long moment of growing fear and uncertainty; then, realizing she truly wasn't upset, he nodded and turned back toward the house. Once inside, he immediately sank onto her couch, staring across the room with no discernable expression on his face. A few weeks ago Janet might have assumed his stony façade was an attempt to hide his emotions, but at the moment she could clearly sense that wasn't correct. Nearly every possible emotion in his body was raging. Confusion, fear, and humiliation; an odd sense of fulfillment, peace, and love; and an inexplicable, barely containable, burning desire for *her*...all these meshed together into something he didn't know how to deal with. The truth was, Janet didn't know how to deal with it, either. She headed to the kitchen and started the coffee, recognizing that he needed a few minutes alone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cassie step into the doorway. "Morning, Sweetie," she said, forcing herself to smile even though she didn't feel much like smiling that morning. Life had taken a bizarre twist during the night. "Morning, Mom. What's Daniel doing here?" Janet stared at the coffee maker and swallowed hard. Damn, this was going to look bad unless she came up with a satisfactory explanation. Wait a minute, 'satisfactory explanation'? *Was* there a satisfactory explanation for what had happened? She somehow suspected there wasn't, but still, she had to ask. "Cassie, did you let him in last night?" The girl shook her head. Now why didn't that surprise her? "Was the front door locked when you woke up this morning?" "Yeah, I unlocked it to let Buster out and to get the paper in." Oh. There went all hope for a 'satisfactory explanation.' Her first thought was that the others at the SGC could *not* find out about what had happened this morning. Daniel had been labeled mentally unstable once before for something that wasn't his fault; it was unfair to do it to him a second time, especially when Janet wasn't convinced he was responsible for what was happening to them. They needed to find answers before they faced the prying questions of their friends and coworkers. "Cassie, can you do something for us?" Seeing her daughter nod, Janet smiled. Because of what she'd been through, Cassie was fairly mature for her age. Might as well be honest with her. "The truth is, neither Daniel nor I know why he's here or how he got here, and we need to find out. Don't tell anyone he was here this morning, okay? Please? Not until we've figured out what's going on. Can you do that?" The girl appeared stunned by her mother's words, but she nodded anyway. "Sure. I'll...just go upstairs and leave you two alone." "Thank you, Honey." She kissed Cassie's forehead and watched her daughter disappear around the corner, then waited for the coffee to finish and poured her guest a cup. Daniel looked up at her as she rejoined him in the living room several minutes later, steaming mug in hand. "Thank you, Janet." For making sure Cassie wouldn't tell anyone he'd woken in Janet's bed that morning without any knowledge of how he'd gotten there. He was thanking her for her discretion and understanding, not for the coffee. "Of course," she replied, handing him the mug. For a moment, he could only stare at it in surprise. He hadn't expected her to know exactly how he took his coffee. What *didn't* she know about him anymore? Hell, she'd known what he was wearing last night, even what magazine he'd been reading. She knew his memories, his emotions, his fears, his desires, his dreams.... His thoughts. Janet refused to dwell on that realization any longer than necessary. It was time for some answers. "What's the last thing you remember before this morning?" she asked him. "Did you go to bed last night? Do you remember leaving your apartment?" Daniel shook his head and took a sip of the coffee. It was still too hot, and he flinched in pain as it burned his tongue. At the same moment, Janet flinched in pain. Before she could think that through, he said, "Last I remember, I was sitting on my couch after you called. I must've fallen asleep there since I don't remember getting ready for bed." She nodded. That would explain why he was still fully dressed. Bottom line, though, he didn't know; and, without going back in time or performing regression hypnosis, it was unlikely they'd *ever* know. But there was something else they desperately needed to discuss, something just as important...something just as awkward. "You said something about dreams 'refusing to leave you alone' lately." His gaze met hers, and she felt a surge of warmth inside her. The look in his eyes reminded her of her dream last night, and her cheeks flushed at the memory of the dream's intimacy. God, when was this intense attraction to him going to leave her alone? It was distracting. As a doctor, she needed to think. As *his* doctor, she needed to figure out what the hell was wrong with him. Not only that, though, she needed to figure out what was wrong with *her*, she thought wryly. The distraught man's face flushed as her mention of the dream caused a myriad of emotions to surge through him. "Yeah...I did say that, didn't I?" "Tell me about it." The flush on his cheeks deepened. He was too embarrassed to talk about it. "Well, you were in it...." Judging from his discomfort, Janet had the distinct impression he'd had the same dream she had. If that was the case, then she couldn't blame him for not wanting to talk about it. It was so...*intimate*, not something you described to a 'friend' out loud, especially if that friend was the one in it. On the other hand, if they were sharing the same dreams, they needed to know about it. If he wouldn't share the details, then Janet would, just to find out if her hunch was correct. "We were on a grassy cliff. The moon was rising above us; the ocean was crashing below us. You were wearing a white suit...." In the back of her mind, she realized he hadn't noticed what he'd been wearing in the dream. He'd been too intently focused on the gorgeous landscape...and on her. "...The sun was setting behind us...." His mouth fell open and he stared at her, transfixed. "You were wearing a white dress and said the scenery was beautiful. I agreed, although I was talking more about you than about the location. You were crying...." "It was a tear of joy at the beauty of the moment," Janet clarified. "You kissed it away with your lips. Then...." "You asked me to hold you and I told you I would...." "Forever. You said it twice." He blinked several times. "No, I only said it once." "Are you sure?" she asked, puzzled as she sensed his certainty. "Positive. First I thought it, then I said it out loud." Oh, God. Now she wasn't only sharing his dreams, she was reading his mind while he was dreaming. "Janet, what happened to us on P9X 119?" he gasped. She shook her head, lost in a confused daze. Her dreams had progressed from being *about* Daniel to being shared *with* him. "I don't know. I've been having dreams about you all week...your past...your happiness...your pain...." "I've been having the same about you." Their eyes met again, betraying their fear, their confusion, and their burning hunger for one another. It was time to figure out what the hell was going on. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 2:27 p.m. Academy Hospital Daniel peered over Janet's shoulder at the two MRI scans she held in her hands. Much to his relief, she had dismissed the other nurses to ensure they'd have privacy while examining the results. Neither had said much since that morning; their revelations -- and their shared emotions -- had said more than enough for one day. Diverting his eyes from the transparency to her face, he found Janet's mouth had fallen open. "What are we looking at?" he asked. "My God," she whispered, then moved on to the other scan. "Our brains...every part of them, but especially the sections we saw before...in both of us...." ...They were alive with activity. She had never seen so much activity in a brain, period, let alone in the limbic region, hence her shock and racing pulse. God, he could feel *that*, too. Or was it *his* pulse that he felt racing? He wasn't sure he could distinguish between the two anymore. "Janet?" Still she didn't say anything, so he moved in front of her and bent to look her in the eye. Come on, Janet, look at me. Finally, she turned her eyes to his, and a thrill passed through him. Damn it, he had to stop feeling this way every time she was near him. Yes, she was beautiful and yes, he was madly in love with her, but there was far more going on at that moment than just an intense, newfound, burning desire and attraction. Something was wrong. *Really* wrong. "So what do we do?" he whispered, even though he suspected he already knew the answer to that question. P9X 119. "We have to go back," she said. "Even if we didn't see anything, something obviously happened there when we felt that pain in our heads. That has to be what's causing this. I'll...I'll call General Hammond and tell him we need to go back." 'We'? Absolutely not. "Daniel, I have to come back with you. Something happened to us there, *both* of us. This involves me as much as it involves you." She was reading his thoughts again. If he didn't feel so comfortable in her presence because of those damned dreams and the flurry of emotions inside him, he'd be completely unnerved. "Janet, I can't let you. Look at what happened there the last time. We don't know what will happen this time. One of us needs to stay behind so we can see if there's a change in the one who went back to the planet." Don't question it, Janet, please, Daniel silently begged her. He wasn't being overly protective of her, he just...needed to make sure that *one* of them would still be all right after the mission. "You're right," she agreed, dragging out the words as she reconsidered her decision...or was that a result of sensing his thoughts and his plea? Maybe there were advantages to whatever had happened to them. "Besides, General Hammond would never let me go back with you. He'd be too suspicious if I requested to go with SG-1 before you had checked it out first." Daniel nodded slowly, a sudden panic nearly overwhelming him. God, SG- 1. He'd been so distracted the past few days by his growing obsession with Janet that he'd barely even thought about them. If Jack found out about what happened this morning, Daniel would never hear the end of it. He already felt guilty and embarrassed enough about waking up in her bed; he didn't need Jack taunting him as well. No, as much as he hated to keep things from them, the rest of SG-1 didn't need to know the details of what was going on. At least not yet. "I'll try to convince Hammond to schedule a follow-up mission to P9X 119 for tomorrow morning," Janet said, her voice wavering. "For now, though, why don't you go back to your apartment and try to rest? I'll call you after I talk to General Hammond." Go back to his apartment and try to rest? Yeah, like there was a snowball's chance in hell of *that* happening anytime soon. "Just...try," she told him. Janet patted his arm and led him toward the door. "Come on, I'll drive you home." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Date Unknown Time Unknown "Hey." Janet turned her head toward the man who had gently placed his arms around her waist and smiled as Daniel rested his head on her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her neck, his lips tantalizingly close to her skin. God, this felt incredible. "Hey." "You know, I think we're dreaming again," he whispered in her ear. Oh, were they? She hadn't noticed anything other than the sensations that his touch was producing in her body. Thankfully the dreams hadn't turned sexual in nature or she would've died several days ago. Behind her, Daniel chuckled, and his light breath sent a shiver down her spine. Oops, if he could sense her thoughts as clearly as she could sense his, then he must've heard that last one all too well. In the future she'd have to be more careful with what thoughts she allowed to linger in her mind. "Look down," he said. It was the same cliff they'd been standing on earlier, waves crashing unceasingly against the rocks below. Her gaze drifted upward, where the moon was rising languidly overhead. "If this is only a dream, then why does it feel so real?" Janet asked him. "It feels exactly like I'd expect if we were awake. Dreams usually don't involve all of the senses like this, or all this intricate detail. I can smell the freshness of the grass...there's a hint of lavender in the air as well." "I've noticed that too, but I don't know why." He gently kissed her neck and her knees went weak. If he hadn't been holding her, she would've just fallen into the ocean below. //I'd never let you fall, Janet,\\ his voice rang in her mind. This was...new. He was directing his thoughts at her somehow. Maybe she should be frightened, but with him holding her like this? Fear was the farthest thing from her mind. Instead, she tried to do the same as he'd just done. //I know. I trust you. If I didn't....\\ //This whole mind reading thing would be a hell of a lot scarier than it is.\\ //Exactly.\\ She sighed and wrapped her arms through his as he tightened his hold on her waist. God, they could stand like this forever and she'd never tire of it. She felt so safe, so protected, so loved...not to mention her body felt like it was floating on air. The moment was so beautiful and perfect. //So am I having this dream, are you having this dream, or are we having this dream together?\\ //I'm not sure, but whoever's having it should be commended for their idea of an enchanting, serene night.\\ She smiled, then blinked several times as she felt a presence off to their right. Daniel seemed to notice it at the same moment, for they both turned their heads toward the source in unison. Several feet away from them stood a young woman, her long blond hair blowing freely in the gentle zephyr that caressed the cliff. Her blue eyes observed them with very obvious concern. Daniel removed his arms from around her and straightened to face the intruder to their very peaceful, very *private* dream. Janet's fingers sought his; and he gave them a tender, reassuring squeeze. "Hello," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing at the girl. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The girl licked her lips as she looked from Daniel to Janet. "My name is Valea." "You already told us that," Daniel said. "Who *are* you...and how did you get inside our dreams? What's happening to us?" The girl's gaze lowered to her hands as she wrung them together uncomfortably, but she didn't answer. "Do you at least know the answers to those questions?" Janet asked her. "Yes, I do." Valea made no further effort to explain, and Janet turned her head toward Daniel. "You've seen her before, too?" He nodded. "She's been standing in the background of a number of my dreams, actually." "All will be explained tomorrow," the girl said. "I will see you then." With that, she turned and walked away from them, slowly melting into the distance as she went. Daniel and Janet looked at each other quizzically, then back at the place where the strange girl had once stood. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 23, 2001 Thursday, 5:24 a.m. Daniel opened his eyes as the dream faded away, relieved to find he was lying on his back on his own bed, in his own bedroom, and not someone else's. Even better than that, he remembered getting there the previous night. Progress. This was definitely progress. A faint moan came from elsewhere in the room, and the pressure on his stomach shifted. He closed his eyes and expelled his breath as he realized it was Janet, her arms draped over his waist and her head resting on his bare chest as she slept. So much for the progress. He took a deep, controlled breath and opened his eyes again, then sat up as much as he could without disturbing her. Wow, she was beautiful when she was asleep. He'd been too stunned the previous morning to notice how gorgeous she was in the morning, her hair muffed, not a touch of makeup, skin soft against his, her expression so peaceful and calm.... He really hated to wake her -- he'd much rather stay there and watch her like that forever -- but wake her he had to. "Janet?" he whispered, careful not to alarm her. She moaned against him and shifted slightly but didn't awaken. "Janet?" This time her eyes fluttered open and her body froze. "Daniel?" She lifted her head to look at him, but before she could jerk her body away from his, he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Shh...it's okay, take it easy." He smiled gently to reassure her. "You know, I think I'm starting to get used to this." She sighed in something that could have been interpreted as a faint laugh of relief and returned her head to his chest. A moment later she opened her eyes again and looked around the room. "Where...?" "My room this time." He didn't have to ask to know she didn't remember getting there. Her hand rested lightly on his chest, and she traced his smooth muscles with her fingertips. Daniel somehow doubted she was aware she was doing it -- the action was too intimate considering their unique circumstances for her to be doing without some hesitation -- but there was no way he was going to stop her. Hell, he couldn't stop her even if he wanted to. Her touch was igniting tiny tongues of flame on his skin everywhere her fingertips moved...nope, he *definitely* couldn't stop her. "Daniel, we've got to stop meeting like this." No kidding. Only problem was, he truly *was* getting used to it. He felt her smile against his skin. "To tell you the truth, so am I," she whispered. The fact that she'd read his mind again reminded him of something. "Let me guess, you just had the same dream I did again." "If you're talking about the dream where it was night, we were standing on that cliff, you had your arms around my waist, we started reading each other's minds, and then a girl named Valea showed up and told us everything would be revealed today, then yes, we had the same dream." "Just checking." They continued to lay like that another minute, her head on his chest, her fingers traveling over his skin, until Daniel realized it was too tempting to stay like that forever. It felt too perfect, too right. But it wasn't right; something was very, very wrong. He sighed and pushed himself up onto his elbows. "What time is it?" Janet finally asked him. His eyes focused on the digital clock next to his bed. "Almost five- thirty." "SG-1 has a mission at nine." Yes, she had called him last night saying as much. As they'd expected, General Hammond had been suspicious of her request; but, surprisingly, he hadn't pressed for a full explanation and had agreed to the request without debate. Apparently Jack and Sam had already warned him that another mission to the planet might very well be necessary. While Daniel's teammates might not have seemed suspicious of their behavior while they'd been staying with the two, that hadn't mean they weren't. Leave it to Jack and Sam to realize something was wrong even when Daniel and Janet hadn't. He grabbed his glasses from the stand by his bed and slipped them on, then looked down at the woman still lying on his chest. Unable to resist the urge, he pushed a strand of stray hair from her cheek, and he felt her gasp as his fingers brushed her skin. "Come on, Janet, we have to get up." She groaned, but pushed herself off of him. "Yeah, I know. I need to get home before Cassie wakes up and thinks I've abandoned her." Cassie...right. It would be better in the long run if she didn't know about this. Janet would also have to be to the SGC by the time SG-1 left on its mission, even though she wasn't officially back on duty yet. Hammond had insisted on her presence there during the mission to P9X 119, which was just another clue that SG-1 had already figured out there was a bigger problem than anyone had originally thought. "Let me get dressed and I'll drop you off on my way to the SGC." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Five: Answers August 23, 2001 Thursday, 8:56 a.m. Daniel slowly wandered into the Gate room, ignoring the curious glances that his teammates gave him as he entered. So far no one had questioned him about why SG-1 was returning to P9X 119, and neither he nor Janet had volunteered any further insight into the matter. Judging from the looks on their faces now, though, Daniel guessed if he could read their thoughts -- which, thankfully, he couldn't; it seemed to be solely Janet's he could read -- he figured he'd find that they were dying to know what was going on. He just...couldn't tell them yet. "You ready?" Jack asked him as he joined them at the base of the ramp. "Yup." "Feeling all right?" "Fine." Jack stared at him another moment before looking back at the control room and nodding to Hammond. "We're ready, Sir." In front of them, the Stargate began dialing out. A minute later the seventh chevron locked in place and the Stargate burst to life. "SG-1, you have a go," Hammond said. That was odd, Daniel noted as Jack, Sam, and Teal'c head toward the event horizon. General Hammond hadn't given them a time limit, nor had he reemphasized the purpose of their mission. Come to think of it, there hadn't even been a debriefing about this mission. Unless.... Unless the rest of SG-1 had held the debriefing without him. Damn, they must've been more suspicious than he'd thought. He took a reluctant step up the ramp but stopped as a thought entered his mind, unbidden. Good luck and please, be careful. Turning back, he saw Janet standing in the control room beside General Hammond, watching him. He smiled faintly, feeling reassured at seeing her there, then headed through the event horizon. By the time he arrived on the other side, his teammates had spread out and were scanning the dying forest for signs of life. Jack turned toward him as he walked around the DHD and the Stargate disengaged behind him. "All right, Daniel, talk to us. Why are we here? What are we looking for?" Jack expected *him* to know? Right now all he could think about was that it felt like the most important part of himself had been ripped away and was standing millions of miles away in an Air Force control room. So much had changed in the week and a half since SG-1's last mission. Everything felt wrong. She should be here with him in search of the answers to the many questions plaguing their minds, but she wasn't. And what had Jack just said about talking to them? Is that what they thought, that he was purposely keeping information from them? Oh, wait. He *was* keeping things from them, wasn't he? No wonder they were being so quiet around him. He *was* acting strangely again. Guess he must've been the past few days, too, hence their silent reactions to him now. At least he could rest assured *they* weren't reading *his* mind. Of course, it couldn't hurt to tell them *something*, could it? "Actually, I'm not sure what we're looking for. A girl, I think." Sam looked back at him, the question obvious on her face. "A girl?" "Tall, late teens. Blond hair, blue eyes. She said her name was Valea." Teal'c arched an eyebrow. "You have spoken with this girl, Daniel Jackson?" Daniel hesitated as Jack and Sam first looked at each other, then at him. Wow, he *had* kept a lot from them. This was the first they'd heard of her. Whereas Janet knew exactly whom he was talking about, they didn't. It must look like he had picked up an imaginary friend somewhere. He didn't know what to say in response to Teal'c's question, so he said nothing. "All right, so we're looking for a girl," Jack said, a hint of exasperation in his voice as if his patience was running thin. He cast a pointed glare in Daniel's direction. "A girl named Vale...." He froze in the middle of his thought. Daniel looked down at his hands and waited patiently for him to continue, but it soon became apparent he wasn't going to. Blinking several times, he looked back up at his friend. "Jack?" Jack said nothing, but he continued shooting Daniel that pointed glare. Daniel quickly looked at Carter. "Sam?" Nothing from her, either. Something felt wrong with the way she was staring at him. Her expression was...blank. "Teal'c?" The Jaffa, likewise, made no response except to continue staring at the dying trees in the distance. "Uh oh." Daniel's uneasiness skyrocketed as his gaze returned to Jack, and he slowly walked up to the motionless man. Lifting a hand, he waved it in front of the colonel's eyes, eliciting no response. Next he pressed his finger to the other man's shoulder and gave it a push; but, again, there was nothing. Jack's body was as solid as a rock. This was *not* good. His heart rate quickened as he crossed the ground toward Sam and did the same to her. Like Jack, she made no response, made no movement, and said nothing. She didn't even blink as she stared at the spot where Daniel had once stood. Bad. Very, very bad. Before Daniel could examine Teal'c, he felt it behind him, a presence exactly like the one he and Janet had felt in their dream last night. He whirled around, searching for the source. Beside the motionless Jaffa stood the blond, teenage girl named Valea from his dreams, smiling at him. "Daniel Jackson. I've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time." His eyes narrowed as he forced himself to ignore the fact that this girl, someone he'd only met in his dreams, knew his name. "What did you do to them?" She motioned at his teammates. "Who? Your friends?" No, the giant aliens. "They're fine. And you don't have to be sarcastic with me, Daniel." Wonderful, someone else who could read his mind, only this person he felt no comforting, reassuring connection with like he did with Janet. "Undo whatever it is you did to them." Valea cocked an eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to do that yet." What? "And why the hell not?!" he demanded, his distrust and anger rising at her blasé reaction. "Because we need to talk." No kidding they needed to talk! "And you can't unfreeze them before we do that?" The girl flinched at the tone in his voice. "Look, calm down," she said, lifting a hand toward him. "Everything is fine." Daniel took several steps toward her, irritated and more than a little confused. "Everything is *not* fine! What did you do to them?" "Daniel, please, lower your voice," she pleaded. "All I did was freeze time for them. You have to trust me." His eyes widened, and he laughed incredulously at her words. "*Trust* you? It's one thing to trust someone I know, someone who's proven themselves trustworthy, but I certainly don't know you. You've been in my head for two weeks now; for all I know, you're responsible for all the weird things that have been happening lately. So no, I *won't* trust you." She frowned and looked up at the sky as dark clouds gathered above them, then back down at him as she slowly walked toward him. "It would do no good to unfreeze them. Your friends can't see me, and they'd just think you were nuts for talking to an invisible 'friend.'" She was playing on his fear of being labeled 'nuts,' a fear that had been present since his experience with Machello's Goa'uld-killing devices and his experience with Urgo, Daniel realized, completely unnerved. That upset him even more than her refusal to unfreeze his friends. "I don't care! Fix what you did to them!" There was a grumble of thunder overhead, and the girl looked up at the sky apprehensively. "Look, Daniel, if you don't calm down...." But her warning came too late. A flash of lightning streaked across the dark sky, followed by a deafening crack. The ground shook beneath their feet; and, a second later, several trees behind Valea burst into flames. "Damn it," she whispered as she stared at the fire, wide-eyed, then angrily whirled back to face him. "Now look what you've done! As if our planet wasn't dead enough, you've got to set fire to it! Put it out!" Daniel froze as he watched the flames crackle merrily behind her, his mouth falling open in shock. "What do you mean, 'put it out'? *I* didn't do that!" She grinned at him sardonically. "For your information, you *did*. If you'd just trusted me and calmed down, I could've explained that to you before something like this happened." Her grin faded as she pointed back at the forest. "Now you're the only one who can put it out, so *put it out*!" What the *hell*? He was supposed to believe he'd just set fire to a forest without even touching it...and now she wanted him to put it out? "And how do you expect me to do that?!" "Like *I'm* supposed to know!" she shouted back at him. "My abilities are completely different than yours. If my sister, Thea, was around, *maybe*, but I've never put a fire like that out before!" Daniel blinked several times, trying unsuccessfully to comprehend the information she'd just let slip. "What abilities? What are you talking about?" Her eyes turned back to the forest, her panic visibly growing. Two trees ablaze quickly turned to four, then eight. After a minute, Valea looked back at him. "All right, I'll try to help you, but you'll have to trust me enough to let me into your head. Can you do that?" That didn't make a bit of sense, Daniel thought, watching her close her eyes. Suddenly, he felt something -- no, he corrected himself, *someone* -- prodding at his mind. //Close your eyes.\\ "What are you doing?" he demanded. //I have to stop this fire, and I have to use you to do it. Now close your eyes and relax. Don't fight me.\\ His first instinct was to yell at her to get the *hell* out of his head, but another look at the quickly spreading fire in the dead forest squelched that thought. Instead, he complied, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths to relax. //Thank you,\\ she said. An image flooded his mind of a bonfire burning out of control in a small, black room...a room that looked suspiciously like the black room he'd seen several times in his dreams. Valea stood on one side of the fire while Daniel stood on the opposite side. "Where are we?" he asked, quickly scanning the interior of the room. "Inside your mind," the girl said matter-of-factly. She walked around the fire toward him, watching the red and gold flames lick at the air. "We need to figure out how to put this thing out." Daniel shook his head. Damn, this was too weird. She was saying they were inside his *mind*? Then why could he *feel* the heat of the fire on his skin? Why could he *smell* the fire? Still unable to believe this was anything more than a frighteningly vivid dream, he reached out his hand toward the fire. Immediately, he cried out in pain and yanked his hand back as the flames seared it. "It's hot," Valea told him. No kidding, he thought wryly. He'd figured as much from the nasty, painful burn on his hand. Clenching his injured hand into a fist, he glanced around the room again. There were no exits in the room, no fire extinguishers, no buckets of water, nada. Even worse, the fire was spreading, creeping outward at an alarming rate. If they didn't find a way to get rid of it soon, they'd be burned alive. "That's why we need to figure out how to put it out," Valea said. He lifted his eyes to hers. "And you know how to do that, right?" "Not a clue." "Great." The girl walked around the fire toward him. "All I can suggest is thinking of something to douse the fire with." "You mean water." She shrugged and placed a hand on his shoulder, turning him toward the flame. "That part's up to you. If you want to use water, that's fine. Now, just...visualize water falling on the fire." *Visualize* it? What the hell was this, a creative writing class? "Just do it," she snapped at him. "Only if you'll stay out of my head," Daniel snapped back at her. Water...water.... Okay, so falling water had to come from a cloud, right? To his utter amazement, a thin, wispy cloud appeared in the room over the flames, continuing to grow until a light drizzle fell from it. "That's great, Daniel, but you need more water if you want to put out the fire." *More* water? Was she saying *he* had created that cloud? Well, wasn't *that* just grand. Now Valea wanted a *bigger* cloud? Fine, he'd humor her. The clouds darkened and the rainfall steadily increased until a torrent of rain was falling inside the room, soaking both them and the fire. Soon there was nothing left except a smoldering pile of ashes where the flames had been. Before the last light of the fire went out, Daniel saw Valea smile at him. "Thank you. That's much better. You can open your eyes now." ...Open his eyes? A second later he found himself standing in front of the Stargate once again, sopping wet from a torrential downpour. Valea and his still-frozen teammates, likewise, were drenched. His gaze drifted upward where low, dark clouds covered the sky. The fire that had been consuming the parched forest only moments before was now completely extinguished. "Wait a minute, you're saying *I* just did that?" he shouted to the girl over the driving rain. Valea grinned in satisfaction. "That's *exactly* what I'm saying." Daniel's mouth fell open, and he lifted his right hand to his forehead. There was an intense flash of pain in his hand; and he cried out again, staring at it in amazement. That hand had been burned...the same one he'd burned inside his latest 'vision.' His gaze snapped back to Valea. "How...?" "It's a long story, but I promise...." Her voice trailed off as a sharp gust of wind blew through the open meadow. Both Daniel and Valea shivered as a chill spread through them. Overhead, the clouds grew darker, greener, and more menacing. Valea scanned the horizon, then looked back at him. "You're not doing this, are you?" Him? *Was* he? "And how would I know if I was?" he asked, his alarm rising as the winds and clouds continued building and churning above them. "Were you expecting a thunderstorm today?" "Absolutely not. *Damn it*!" Uh oh, *bad* tone. "If it's me, I'm not doing it on purpose." //It's not you, Daniel, but right now I wish it was.\\ Suddenly, she lifted her head and shouted over the vicious winds and rain, "Sayil! Get us out of here! *Now*!" Daniel stared at her. Sayil? Who was that? And...what exactly did she expect would happen? He wrapped his arms tightly around himself, his teeth chattering. God, between the soaking from the rain and the frigid winds whipping around them, he was freezing. A few more minutes out here and.... Without warning, his entire body was enveloped in warmth; and the threatening storm and icy rain melted away, replaced by the interior of a small, wooden cottage. "Took you long enough!" Valea said behind him. "Sorry, I was looking for Corraman and Avitus." Upon hearing the new voice, Daniel spun around and found himself face to face with a tall, blond-haired, teenage boy with the same blue eyes as Valea, who was standing beside him. The uncanny resemblance between the two betrayed their relation. "Anyone care to explain what the hell just happened out there?" Daniel asked as politely as he could muster. The boy smiled at him. "Daniel Jackson. My sister's told me all about you. It's nice to finally meet you when you're not frozen." It took Daniel a second to catch the slip. Valea shot the boy a nasty glare, as if to scold him for bringing up a sore subject, but the boy seemed oblivious to it. "What do you mean, 'not frozen'?" Daniel asked them. "Who are you? How do you know who I am? Are my friends okay? And...." His eyes narrowed as the recognition struck him. "Aren't you the boy we saw in the forest last week?" "One question at a time," Valea said. "We can't have the cottage going up in flames because you get mad again. Besides being a tad wet, your friends are just fine; neither Corraman nor Avitus can harm them. I'll restore time for them once we've finished talking. It'll be easier for us to explain what's going on to you alone since they can't see us." Daniel blinked several times as the realization finally sunk in. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c were frozen in time? He received the impression from Valea that they really were okay, but still...this didn't sit well with him. *Nobody* could be frozen in time, could they? And who the hell were Corraman and Avitus? "Corraman and Avitus were the ones who stole the clouds you created to put out the fire and turned them into a full-fledged hurricane," the girl replied. Oh. *That's* who they were. That was great, but.... "Stay out of my head." "Sorry." Valea frowned, then motioned at the boy. "This is my brother, Sayil. He's the one who teleported us away from the Doorway. This cottage has been our home the past few months. We should be safe here; Edea protected it from Amala years ago with a powerful barrier so we could monitor all the visitors who came through the Doorway. Corraman and Avitus can't harm us here." Daniel lifted his uninjured hand to his forehead. Edea? Amala? Powerful barrier? Valea was shooting names and concepts at him that weren't making this scenario any easier to understand. Valea gave her brother a pointed look; and, in response, he nodded and snapped his fingers. Around them, the wooden planks of the cottage became transparent, revealing the dying trees of the forest. Stunned by the sight, Daniel slowly lowered his hand from his face and looked around at the raging storm outside. Overhead, the branches of the trees whipped furiously in the wind; and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, accompanied by a low rumble. "I suppose you just made the boards invisible, too?" he asked. Sayil frowned at his sister. "Didn't you explain *anything* to him, Valea?" "*You* told me not to interfere, remember?" The boy threw up his hands in frustration. "Great! Just great! Corraman's still monitoring the Doorway even after there's been no activity in almost two weeks; we're stuck here in the middle of the worst hurricane I've seen since Thea threw that temper tantrum over her lost kitty ten years ago; I haven't heard from anyone in Deracot in four days; and now we have to worry about this guy here," he pointed at Daniel, whose eyes merely widened in surprise at the accusatory tone, "starting everything on fire because he doesn't even know what he's capable of! You can talk to him through your link, Valea; why didn't you explain anything to him?" It was becoming perfectly clear to Daniel that not only did these two teenagers know about the strange events of the past two weeks, but they were also responsible for them. "You're right, Daniel," Valea said with a weary sigh. She motioned to the bed in the corner of the room. "Have a seat. There's a lot we need to explain. I'm sure you have a plethora of questions." Yes, as a matter of fact, he *did* have a plethora of questions -- one of which being how someone from another planet could know an obscure word like 'plethora' -- but he'd sit down... "...Only if you promise not to read any more of my thoughts." //You'll get used to it, honest, but for now I'll agree,\\ she said. He cringed at hearing her voice inside his mind again. This was too weird. While he was getting used to hearing Janet's soft, gentle voice inside his head, this girl's voice was louder and clearer, as if it were aimed directly at him using a megaphone. Valea frowned as she saw how startled he was to hear her mental voice again. "Please, have a seat." Daniel's gaze drifted from Valea to Sayil, who shrugged indifferently. "Don't look at me; I'm not responsible for any of it." "Thank you *so* much for the moral support, Sayil," Valea snapped, then noticed Daniel hesitate at the irritation in her voice. "I'm sorry, Daniel, it's just...." ...She was terrified of him and his uncontrolled power; she was terrified of Corraman, Avitus, and Amala; and she was terrified for the safety of her people. Worse than that, though, she was on the verge of giving up hope. That was why she was so testy. Daniel's eyes narrowed as all those thoughts rang clearly in his mind, along with her accompanying emotions of fear and despair. He had no idea who Corraman, Avitus, or Amala were; he had no idea what was wrong with Valea's people; and he had no idea there even *was* anything wrong with her people. So...how could he possibly know any of that? "Now who's reading whose mind?" she asked, chuckling softly. That...was exactly what he'd been doing, Daniel realized, still unable to grasp everything that was going on. It was one thing to sense Janet's thoughts -- he'd grown so accustomed to it the past few days that he barely noticed when he was doing it anymore, or when she was doing it to him -- but it was unnerving to have a similar telepathic connection with a young woman he'd barely known fifteen minutes. She'd clearly been inside his head, his dreams, and his thoughts for several days now; but that knowledge still made him feel restless and irritated at her. There was another loud crack of lightning above them, lighting the dark forest; and his body jumped as the entire cottage shook under the onslaught of the unnatural storm. Okay, so maybe he needed to shut up for a few minutes and hear the siblings' explanation after all. Finally, he headed to the bed and sat down on the edge while Valea sank into a wicker chair in the corner of the room. He had more than enough questions to ask, and she was offering to answer them for him. Now all he had to do was find a place to start...maybe from the beginning? "What happened when we were here last week?" he asked. "That's obviously when all of this started." "Well, as I was saying earlier, it's...kind of a long story," she said. "Maybe it would be quicker if I just showed you what happened. Of course, you'll have to let me into your head to do that, and I know how fond you are of *that*...." What was she talking about? "You mean, you want to project images of what happened directly into my mind?" "Mm-hmm." He fidgeted uncomfortably at the suggestion -- no, thank you, he *didn't* want her in his head anymore -- and in response she added, "It won't hurt, and it's more effective than explaining everything to you in words." It wouldn't hurt. Right. Daniel suddenly had a flashback to the intense pain in his head upon his first arrival...an incident that was starting to make more sense now knowing this girl could freeze time. Was she...was she offering to *show* him what she'd done to them last Monday? Valea nodded. "That's exactly what I'm offering. Okay?" Daniel eyed her warily. "Well, since you *asked* this time...." She grimaced at his sarcasm. "Thank you. Now close your eyes and I'll show you what happened." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 9:53 a.m. This was too much. Oh, God, this was too much, Daniel's mind insisted as he opened his eyes half an hour later. His stomach was wracked by nausea. He was disgusted. 'Appalled' was putting it lightly. He felt completely abused and violated by the young woman sitting on the chair in the corner of the room. What she'd done to him and to Janet was *completely* unfair. 'Powers' or no 'powers,' he couldn't believe anyone would have the...the...*audacity* to toy with his brain as she had done without first gaining his consent. He wanted to go home and forget he'd ever met these two children. The only thing preventing him from storming back to the Stargate and trying to find a way to unfreeze his teammates himself was the sheer terror and desperation he'd felt radiating from Valea as she had projected the images to him. Well, that and the storm raging out of control on the other side of the cottage door. Valea's eyes flew open. "I heard that." "Reading my thoughts again?" Daniel countered, glaring at her. "You think I have a *choice*? You haven't exactly learned to block them yet, and some ring out loud and clear." Well, if she hadn't done that *thing* to his head, neither of them would have to worry about it, would they? He could see her wince as she apparently overheard that thought as well. "Look, I realize 'I'm sorry' won't cut it, but the truth is, we didn't have a choice," Valea said. "We were desperate." Daniel sighed and buried his face in his hands, forcing himself to remain calm. Damn it, he should've figured she'd use the 'we were desperate' approach, something he'd never been able to resist. No matter how enraged he was by what she'd done, he had certainly gleaned enough about the magnitude of her dilemma during her little 'slide show.' Something was seriously wrong on this planet, hence all the dying plants and lack of animals; and it was clear that Valea and her people needed help. She wouldn't have done this to him if they hadn't needed help. He lowered his hands from his face and looked up at her as his questions started. "Why? Why me? Why Janet? Why not the rest of my team?" "You and Janet were the first visitors through the Doorway who possessed exactly what we need to save our planet," Valea replied. "You have no idea how powerful your abilities are, nor how lacking they are among our people." "*What* abilities?" he asked. "The ability to start things on fire by getting upset? The ability to read others' thoughts? The ability to share very vivid, emotional, intimate dreams with someone you barely know?" Sayil cast a warning glance first at his sister, then at Daniel. Damn, his tone must be too loud; it was upsetting the boy...and Daniel wasn't sure he could blame him. Getting upset had apparently started the forest on fire earlier, and he didn't want that to happen again. With that in mind, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Thank you," Valea said as she saw what he'd just done. "I'm talking about nature, Daniel. You have the ability to manipulate nature and the elements. Fire, water, wind, earth, temperature, natural phenomenon, weather...you can control those." His mouth fell open as he stared at her. If he hadn't seen that fire fiasco outside half an hour ago, he wouldn't consider giving her words a second thought...but he *had* seen it. He even had the burn on his right hand to prove it had really happened and wasn't just another warped dream. "And I always had these abilities? You gave them to me? What? *How*?" "How? By opening your mind." Valea frowned as he shook his head, not understanding. "All right, as you may or may not know, the human brain possesses a number of functions that are normally inaccessible without the use of the proper technology. Think of it this way: you know about the black room, right?" Black room in his mind where he'd put out the fire, right.... "Okay, well, every human mind possesses one of those rooms. It's kind of like your imagination, only on a much larger, more powerful scale. Technically speaking, that room is a function of a part of the brain that I'm pretty sure your people haven't figured out yet. From birth, it's completely blocked off and hidden, buried inside your mind. It's possible to live your whole life never knowing it exists; and, even if you did know about it, you couldn't access it because it's cluttered with...well, with junk, to be honest. Now, thanks to an accident on our planet many, *many* years ago, my people, the Edeans, discovered this room and have since mastered a way to safely open it with our technology. Basically, the technology connects a number of previously unlinked neurons by creating new dendrites and synapses. These new connections form a path between your consciousness and the black room so you can find it. Our technology also clears out the junk inside so you can actually use the room." "There's a bit more to it than that," Sayil went on. "It actually creates a very mild link between your thought processes and the universe around you. You become connected to the world, able to speak to it, to make...requests...of it, if you will. And nine times out of ten, the universe actually listens to you. The black room is kind of like a communications center between you and the world." Valea nodded. "Right. In a sense, you could say our technology 'rewires' your brain and makes it more effective, but opening the mind is actually a very natural process. Granted, it's rather painful to create all the new synapses in such a condensed period of time...." "...And you have to be *extremely* careful not to hurt yourself inside your black room since your brain translates the injury to your physical body..." Sayil added, motioning at Daniel's burned hand. "...But 'opening the mind' in and of itself doesn't *harm* you in any way; it just...released an untapped potential," Valea finished. "Our theory is that we humans have genetically strayed from using it since our first appearance in the universe, and it took us millennia to find it and use it again. There are a ton of physical benefits to opening the mind as well: improved health, slowed aging, and an extended life span, not to mention all the other benefits, like enhanced sensations inside your dreams, the ability to have links created with others who've also had their minds opened, and the ability to use any innate skills you possess. Of course, that's assuming you even *have* innate skills. Not everyone does." She shrugged. "In you, Daniel, your innate skills involve controlling nature and the elements." Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his uninjured hand. That was...quite an explanation. He thought he had followed what the two were saying; but it was so far-fetched that if he hadn't seen the black room for himself, received a burn on his hand from the fire, and experienced so many other bizarre things during the past two weeks, he wasn't sure he'd believe it. Somehow he doubted scientists on Earth had a clue that their as-of-yet unclassified portions of the brain did anything like this. This was just...too weird, although it certainly would explain a race like.... "You're right, the Nox also possess this 'room' inside their minds and have learned how to access and utilize it," Valea said. His eyes darted up at her. Hadn't he told her to stop reading his mind? "I'll stop reading your mind the second you stop broadcasting your thoughts so loudly," she retorted. Daniel glared at her, not amused, but she just smiled sweetly back at him. "In other words," Sayil interrupted, "you always possessed these skills; you just couldn't find them or use them because of the junk in your room. Now that Valea's connected the path to it and cleared it out for you, you can access it. It's taken nearly two weeks for your brain to completely clear itself of all the junk, but now it's finished and you can freely use your skills." "I know on Earth you call such phenomenon 'magic,' but I'm hesitant to apply that term here," Valea said. "This isn't 'magic' as you think of it. There's no witchcraft involved, no hocus pocus, no magical potions, no appeasing the spirits, no séances with dead people, no chanting, no abracadabra, no white rabbits out of top hats...you get the point. It's fully scientific, a part of the brain that possesses the ability to interact with and influence the laws of nature." Sayil nodded. "You just have to be careful because emotions are especially connected to this room, which is why the forest started on fire when you became upset earlier. As long as you stay calm, though, everything will be fine." Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head. Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. This was too much to comprehend. And...oh, God. If these siblings were saying what he was afraid they were saying, if his mind was now somehow linked to nature and if his emotions were so tightly connected to this room that to lose control for even a few minutes...then his life would never be the same again. "No, I can assure you it won't," the girl replied. She folded her hands and looked down at them. "Do you remember your encounter with Oma Desala?" Oma Desala, Mother Nature, the supernatural being protecting Sha'uri's son. How could he forget? What he was more concerned about right now was how *Valea* knew about Oma Desala. "Of course I do." "You were able to start fires with your mind." Right...? "But that wasn't *me* who did those things," Daniel said. "Are you saying...?" "...It actually *was* you? Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." The girl sighed and looked down at her hands. "What she did was clear out a very tiny corner of your black room and temporarily align your synapses so you could access it. It's sort of like 'ascending,' which is what Oma's people have done, only not completely. That's an extra step that our people haven't tried playing with yet, although I'm sure that day is coming. Anyway, after she'd shown you the boy and you'd decided to let her protect him, Oma sealed off that tiny path again and led you to believe *she* was the one who'd controlled nature, not you." 'Ascending'? Is that what Oma's people did? That was interesting, but as for her leading Daniel to believe *she* was responsible.... "To be accurate, Oma didn't say anything to make me believe she was responsible one way or another." Valea shrugged. "That was probably for the best. You weren't ready for such powers then. You need a teacher before you can really explore your own little black room and see what you can do in there." God, this was too weird. They were talking about playing inside a *room* in his *head*. "And you can provide me with that teacher," Daniel clarified. Something in the way the two blond teenagers looked at each other was disconcerting. "...Maybe," Sayil finally said. Just 'maybe'? Daniel could feel his apprehension start already. "About half the people on our planet -- and my guess is many on yours -- are born with various latent abilities, different skills that can be used inside the black room once it's opened," Valea said. "Some have your skills, some have healing skills, some have artistic and illusionary skills, some can control the laws of physics, some have animal or plant skills...and the list goes on. On our planet there used to be a number of people who possessed your elemental skills, but now we're left with...none. We hope to find someone who can help you with your skills, Daniel, but you're the first person Sayil and I have met with these skills in...well, in years, to be honest." In *years*? "What happened to the others with my skills?" Across the room from him, the girl wrapped her arms around her chest, leaving him with the impression the answer to that question wouldn't give him a warm, fuzzy feeling. "Well...see, several years ago a woman named Amala came through the Doorway. We thought she was a friend, until...she started freezing people." Daniel's eyes narrowed. "'Freezing'? You mean, like what you did to my friends?" "Not quite," Sayil said as he slowly walked over to stand beside his sister. "Valea freezes time for people. Amala, on the other hand...she chooses people who possess certain abilities and...saps them of those abilities, along with their life." Oh. That...didn't sound very nice. "It's not," Valea continued, her voice trembling as she spoke. "We're pretty sure the people she's frozen are still *alive*, they're just...physically frozen. We think they're somehow trapped inside themselves, most likely inside their black rooms. We're not sure how Amala does it, but she does. So far we haven't found anyone who can help them." Daniel leaned forward on the bed and lifted a finger for her to slow down. He didn't like this. The fear and dread inside him kept growing progressively worse with each new addition to their story. "Let me make sure I'm understanding this correctly. You're saying Amala killed all the people who possessed elemental skills like mine." "Well, like Valea said, they're not really *dead*," Sayil replied. "They just stand there, frozen, where Amala's shadow touched them, but they're still alive...at least, we think they are. It's...it's creepy, to tell you the truth." "This is why we desperately need your help, Daniel," Valea suddenly pleaded. "Planet Edea...all the Edeans...we're dying. Amala is sucking our skills and our consciousnesses dry. She's sucking the life from our planet. But you...you can help us." Daniel stared at them, wide-eyed. So there was a nasty, powerful woman going around the planet, freezing people and sapping them of their life and skills...and these two kids expected *him* to help them? While he felt truly sorry for their plight and wished he could do something for them, he couldn't see how his 'abilities' could help them...unless, of course, they needed him to accidentally start something on fire. This technologically advanced alien culture couldn't unfreeze themselves; did they really expect any medical treatment from Earth to do the trick? "The fact remains, Valea, I didn't ask you to do this...thing...to my head," Daniel said, reminding himself to stay calm. "You didn't even give me a choice in the matter. Why didn't you tell me all of this before you 'rewired' my brain? And now I'm getting the impression you want me to help you defeat someone I don't know the first about, someone who kills people without giving them an opportunity to fight back. Couldn't you have...I don't know, asked for my *permission* before you did any of this?" Valea fidgeted in her seat, but she didn't say anything. "Valea, please, I'm not mad at you, just...undo what you did to me. I'll talk to my friends and we'll see if we can help your people...but *I* can't do anything for you. Not like this. I don't know the first thing about controlling these skills...and finding someone to teach me sounds like a lost cause. I mean, if your people -- people who *have* mastered these amazing abilities -- can't stop this woman or defend themselves against her, how am *I* supposed to?" The girl turned her eyes toward her brother, her expression pained and guilty, and Sayil answered in her place. "We're sorry, Daniel, but it doesn't work that way. We *can't* undo it. Once your black room's been cleared, you can't fill it back in." Daniel felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach; and, unbidden, an old quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes popped into his thoughts, perhaps sent his way by Valea: 'The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size.' Right now that quote wasn't making him feel any better, but he certainly got the message. "You're saying this thing is permanent. I can never go back to the way I was two weeks ago." "We *need* you, Daniel," Valea said as she leaned forward, her blue eyes pleading with him. "You're the only one who can help us now. Please, at least consider it." Bewildered, Daniel lifted his hands to his head and ran them through his still-damp hair, ignoring the pain the action elicited in his burned right hand. Permanent. It was permanent. This whole scenario just kept getting more unpleasant, more alarming, more...frightening. There were more questions that needed to be answered before he could take the time to consider the full impact this would have on his life, though. If he ever wanted Valea to unfreeze his teammates, he had to get through all those questions so she'd let him go home. "Okay, so what about my teammates? You examined them but didn't 'open their minds.'" "That's because the other two men on your team are 100 percent warrior," Valea said. "A warrior is a person who possesses a black room but no innate mental skills. Clearing their room still improves their health and lifespans, but they can't really do anything else with their rooms. They don't have the connection to the universe that we do. They're...a bit defective compared to us, if you will. Boring, even. Warriors tend to focus on more physical, 'hand'-performed tasks; and, for that reason, they're sometimes called 'hand users.' We, on the other hand, focus on mentally performed tasks, hence our name, 'mind users.' Anyway, since Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are warriors, they can't help us. Planet Edea has plenty of warriors; we don't need more." So the term 'warrior' had nothing to do with military and fighting but rather was a matter of mind versus hand, Daniel clarified. "And Sam?" "The woman, Sam...well, she's different. She possesses some mental abilities, but not all of the ones we expect to see in her type. I'm guessing she's also part warrior in addition to being part scientist. Since we don't need her skills to save the planet, I didn't open her mind." Daniel's eyes widened. What? Sam had some mental abilities as well? *That* was interesting news. "What type of abilities does she have?" "Ones identical to Sayil's...well, mostly," Valea said. "Most mind users with the ability to manipulate the laws of physics also possess artistic abilities to paint visual illusions, but she doesn't. We think she lacks those because of the heavy warrior influence in her, although most of her other skills appear to be there. You're 100 percent mind user, Daniel...and your latent abilities are astounding. That's why I opened your mind. I'm sorry I did it without your knowledge or consent, but...." "...You were desperate," he finished quietly. "Okay, so that explains me and the rest of my team, but what about Janet? You two had to pull a lot of strings to bring her here to open her mind. What does she have to do with all this?" "Janet is a healer," Valea explained. "A very powerful mental healer. From what I can tell, until last week, she healed in the manner our warriors heal, using drugs and crude physical devices; but, mentally, she possesses abilities that will astound even her." "That's because Janet is a doctor by profession," Daniel said, but Valea quickly shook her head to cut him off. "It doesn't matter what her profession is, only what her latent abilities are. Chances are she became a doctor because of her natural abilities. Major Carter apparently followed a similar path, going into the area in which she is naturally gifted -- physics." Daniel's eyes narrowed. Profession was connected to innate skills? Then why the hell was he an archaeologist and not a meteorologist if he possessed latent elemental stills? "It's not guaranteed that you'll go into the area where you're naturally gifted," Valea said. Daniel frowned, realizing she'd just read his mind again, but he was too interested in her answer to scold her this time. "Other factors sometimes play a more determining role in decisions of métier. In your case, I think your family history in the field of archaeology was more influential than your latent abilities. Your grandfather, your parents...you wanted to follow in their footsteps so you ignored your natural calling and focused on that." She shrugged. "It even happens here. Sayil and I knew a woman in Winterton with latent plant skills who insisted on being a cook. Go figure." Daniel wasn't sure what that had to do with anything, but it was nice to see a sentimental smile appear on Valea's face at the memory. She really was a pretty girl when she wasn't frowning or terrified of him. He shook his head to dispel those thoughts. Back to the point -- Janet. "That makes sense...I guess. So I take it you don't just need someone with my skills to help your planet? You also need a healer?" "Planet Edea used to have a number of healers; but, like the elemental users, they were...lost to Amala several years ago," Sayil said. "We're hoping Janet can unfreeze our people." Daniel closed his eyes. Of *course* that's what they were hoping. "But how can you be so sure that these people you're looking for who have elemental and healing skills are *us*?" Sayil turned away from his post by his sister's side and wandered toward the transparent cottage door, staring out across the dark meadow at the Stargate. "Years ago, Edea gave us a prophecy. She said that one day a man and a woman would come through the Doorway. One would have elemental skill; the other would have healing skills. Together, they would save our world from certain destruction." The boy turned his head to look back at Daniel. "If you and Janet Fraiser aren't the ones in the prophecy, then all hope is lost for us. We're almost out of time; within weeks, our planet will be fully destroyed." Daniel hadn't thought this scenario could get any weirder than it already had, but Sayil had just proven him wrong. Now there was a *prophecy* involved? About him and Janet? These kids were making it extremely difficult to say 'no' to them. "Okay, who's Edea? You've mentioned that name a few times now. I'm assuming you're not talking about the name of your planet but an actual person?" Another crack of blinding lightning rattled the cottage, and he saw Valea tremble and wrap her arms tighter around herself. "Edea was the only person on this planet who possessed the ability to advise us about the future. She's much, much more than that -- heck, our planet's named after her -- but none of that is important now. The point is, if you and Janet aren't the ones in her prophecy, we're doomed. Personally, though, I'm convinced you are the ones she spoke of." Daniel hung his head and closed his eyes to shut out the pleading and conviction he saw written on Valea's face. Oh, wasn't *this* great? Now the fate of an unbelievably advanced civilization that he knew nothing about -- well, except for these two young representatives who had done a number of questionable things to him and Janet without their consent -- had just been placed on his shoulders? Valea and Sayil seemed so certain that they were the ones in this enigmatic prophetess's words that Daniel suspected he'd never be able to convince them otherwise. On the other hand, events from the past few weeks were making much more sense now. The pain he and Janet had felt in their heads, the illusionary river, the disappearing boy, exploding MRI machines that were most likely a result of him, lost time, his telepathy with Janet, the increased sensations in their contact, his shared dreams with her.... "Er...yeah," Valea murmured, rubbing her neck awkwardly. "Then there's that. I knew there was something we were missing." Daniel opened his eyes to glare at her. What hadn't she understood before when he'd told her to stay out of his head? Almost immediately, though, he realized he still hadn't asked the biggest question nagging in his mind, the one about Janet and what was going on between them. In the corner, Valea fidgeted some more in her seat, as if she wasn't at all looking forward to discussing that particular subject with him. During her earlier 'image show,' she had briefly mentioned that she'd created some sort of link between him and Janet; but there was more to it than that. He could tell she was hiding something big from him. He apparently had a link with this teenage girl as well, yet Daniel didn't feel the strong connection to her that he did to Janet. He needed to know why. "Are you responsible for what's been happening between us, Valea?" "Um, you mean the dreams?" she asked, almost hopefully. "The dreams, the emotions, the telepathy, the visions, the physical sensations...." "...Right," she cut him off. "Yeah, I guess you could say I'm responsible for that, although I'm still not sure *how* it happened...it wasn't *supposed* to happen but Corraman...the timing must've been just wrong...." He frowned at her feeble attempt to avoid the question. Valea had shown him how Corraman had attacked them at the time of the link's creation, which had explained the chaos following Janet's arrival on the planet that only the two of them had seen. At the moment, though, Daniel wasn't asking *how* it happened but rather what it *was*. "Just answer the question. I promise I won't get mad. What is it? What did you do to us?" Valea looked at her brother, who threw his hands in the air. "Absolutely not. There is *no* way I'm explaining it to him. *I'm* not the one who did it." "Yeah, well *I* didn't do it on purpose either, Sayil!" Daniel's stomach twisted into knots. Something in the girl's tone told him he wasn't going to like her answer to his questions. "You're not," she whispered, looking down at her hands awkwardly. "Okay, how best to explain this part.... Um, I suppose you need to know about links first." "That probably would be helpful," Daniel said. The girl took a deep breath, then expelled is slowly, as if she was preparing to jump into a pit full of hungry alligators. "All right. Once a person's black room has been opened, that person can create mental links with others who've also had their minds opened. It doesn't matter whether they're a mind user or a warrior; both are susceptible to the creation of a link. Links are created using the same technology that I used to open your mind. Remember we said opening the mind created a kind of link between you and the universe? Well, these links are similar. There are a number of advantages to them, such as easy transferal of languages and other information, and, of course, the ever- popular telepathic communication. Now, there are three main kinds of links that can be created between two people. Each has a different purpose and use, and what type you create is based on your relationship with that person." Three unique kinds of person-to-person links. Got it. "Go on." "A Level 1 link is your basic, all-purpose link. Of the three links, it's the easiest, the quickest, and the least...I think the English word you'd use here is 'intrusive.' After a Level 1 link's been established between two people, those two can exchange simple messages with each other telepathically, no matter how far the distance is between them." She fell silent, but her voice went on inside Daniel's mind, //This is what a Level 1 link sounds like. They're a snap to block, and they're generally created between acquaintances who are on friendly terms.\\ "Like exchanging email addresses or telephone numbers," he suggested. Valea smiled at the comparison. //Exactly. Go ahead and send me a message.\\ His eyebrows shot upward. Send her a message? "And how would I do that?" //Just direct your thoughts at me. If it helps, picture me in your mind, think the thought you want to send, and voila, message sent.\\ Direct his thoughts at her.... //You mean like this?\\ //Exactly,\\ she replied, smiling at him. //You're a fast learner.\\ //I was starting to get the hang of it during my dreams with Janet.\\ The mention of his dreams caused Valea to blush, and she rubbed her neck again. "Yeah...hold that thought, we'll get back to it in a minute. Anyway, that's a Level 1 link. The next step up from that is the Level 2 link. Level 2 links are generally created between family members and very close friends." She motioned at her brother. "Sayil and I have a Level 2 link. In addition to the basic messages you can send using a Level 1 link, the Level 2 link lets you send impressions, images, and feelings to the person on the receiving end, as well as letting them see what you're seeing at any given moment. They can even see inside your dreams and project themselves into those dreams, but only if you let them...or haven't learned how to block them yet." She smiled uncomfortably. This was starting to sound familiar; and, thankfully, it didn't sound too bad, at least not if it could be blocked and if you could choose what to share with the person on the other end of the link. "So this is what I have with Janet, a Level 2 link?" Daniel said. The siblings exchanged awkward looks. "Mmm...no, not quite," Valea said. "This is the link *I* have with you and with Janet. That's why you've both seen me in several of your dreams." His eyes widened as the full meaning hit him. "You're the one who caused us to have those dreams, aren't you?" Valea glanced at her brother, but he just frowned at her. "Well, for awhile at the beginning, yeah. I was...looking through some of your past experiences to try to learn more about you two and about your culture. I'm...um...also responsible for making you read the encyclopedia and the dictionary, for erasing your memories from during that time, and...and for the explosion in the medical lab of your base." Oh, God, she *was*? She could do all that to him even while he was on Earth and she was a million miles across the universe? Daniel was horrified. "*You* can use my skills?" "Oh, no, no," she quickly assured him, shaking her head. "Definitely not. I can *trigger* your abilities, but I can't *use* them. That's another advantage of the Level 2 link, being able to trigger someone else's innate skills. I may have...mentally encouraged...you to start the fire, but I didn't do it myself. And for the record, yes, Level 2 links can be fully blocked; it's just...sometimes a bit harder to figure out when someone is trying to access your mind." God, Daniel thought, staring at her. That was cruel; that was frightening; that was...*revolting*. "You took advantage of the fact that I didn't have a clue what a link was or how to block it so you could invade my mind, steal my memories, cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to the SGC, and make me act like a fool in front of my friends...and I don't even remember any of it. You had no right to do *any* of that!" "Yeah, I know," she said, her voice barely above a squeak. "Sayil scolded me and I stopped once I realized just how badly I'd violated your privacy. I'm really, *really* sorry, Daniel. Under other circumstances, I would've only created a Level 1 link between us since you never gave me permission to create it, but I needed to monitor your brain's progress and learn your language. I'm sorry I had to do it, but I hope you understand why I did." No, Daniel definitely *didn't* understand, but he took a deep breath and nodded anyway. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally start another fire because his emotions got out of control. He had to think about something calming, something that would have a soothing effect on him, like...Janet, waiting impatiently for his return back at the SGC. There. At least he wasn't seeing red anymore. That pleasant image reminded him of their recent experiences. "Okay, so that's a Level 2 link. What about...?" "Right...Janet," Valea finished, her eyes glued to the floor as she spoke. She wasn't able to meet his eyes...that was *not* a good sign. "Well, I was *trying* to create a simple Level 1 link between you two. The problem was, with the extra energy generated by Corraman's lightning bolt and the timing during the linking process...well...." "What's the Level 3 link?" Daniel pressed. It was obvious she didn't want to tell him; she was afraid of how he'd react. By that point he wasn't sure he could blame her. The direction her explanation was heading in didn't sound good, at *all*. "A Level 3 link is a very special, very...powerful...link. You need to be a professional to create one, and you only can have one of these created in your lifetime or else your brain would, quite frankly, overload. It's...." Valea's voice trailed off and she glanced at Sayil, presumably for the reassurance that he refused to offer her, instead continuing to stare out the transparent door at the Stargate. "It's...it's reserved for marriage." Daniel's mouth dropped open. Marriage. Oh, God. "Please tell me that's a joke." "It's not a joke." Not a joke. That's what he was afraid of. He took a deep breath, feeling his lungs constrict and his heart clench. Come on, Jackson, stay calm. He needed more details before making too many assumptions and passing judgment on this girl. "Tell me more," he finally whispered. Valea eyed him warily, then noticed the effort he'd made to keep his emotions in check. "Thank you. I'll try to answer all of your questions, but I don't have a Level 3 link with anyone so...I'm going on hearsay." She didn't have a Level 3 link. "Why not?" "Too much of a commitment." Daniel involuntarily flinched. Maybe he shouldn't have asked her that question. "Anyway, here goes," Valea continued. "The Level 3 link does everything the Level 2 link does, only with less...um...privacy because you can't block it. It's designed to share *everything*: your thoughts, your emotions, your memories, your senses, your abilities, your dreams.... You can't lie to your link-mate; you can't hide anything from them; you always know how they're feeling; and you always know where they are. You generally don't just *know* what the other is thinking or doing at any given moment -- you'd go insane if you had two sets of thoughts constantly running through your mind -- but there's no way to stop them from learning your thoughts. If you want to know something, all you have to do is look for it. If you're not currently thinking about something, you may accidentally read one or two of their thoughts or emotions. And before you ask, it *is* possible to grant each other privacy by not seeking out their thoughts...but from what I've heard, that's very, very hard to do. In a sense, you become so intermingled with each other that you know *everything* about that person. You become a part of them, and they become a part of you. Two becoming one, in the terms of your marriage vows...literally." All the blood drained from his head. Daniel swallowed hard, then lifted his uninjured hand to his face and took several deep breaths as his vision blurred, forcing him to close his eyes as he grew lightheaded. No. This was *not* happening. It was impossible. Two people couldn't...no, not like she was describing. This was a nightmare, that's all this was, and he'd wake up in a minute to find life completely back to normal. After all, he'd never been to P9X 119, he'd never met a girl named Valea, she'd never accidentally created a Level 3 link between him and Janet.... Then, against his will, he saw through her eyes. Janet was pacing in the control room back in the SGC, occasionally staring at her right hand as if something about it didn't feel right. One second Hammond was eyeing her; the next he was placing his hand on her back to try to make her relax and sit down, but she refused. She couldn't. She was frightened, she was worried about him, and she was terrified about what was going on. He could feel her fear, her curiosity, her loneliness, her desire to see him again.... Daniel's eyes flew open, his heart pounding out of control in his chest. Oh, God, no. It couldn't be true. It *couldn't*...yet it was. Without wanting to believe it, he instinctively knew that Valea's description of the Level 3 link matched his connection to Janet perfectly. Even now, billions of miles across the galaxy, their connection was still there and just as strong as it had been on Earth. No, Jackson, calm down, he told himself again. Don't hyperventilate. Don't pass out. Don't think too much about this now. Don't get mad at Valea until you've learned more. Save your anger and frustration for later. Just keep asking your questions. "Okay, while that explains a *lot*, why have we woken in the same bed together the past two mornings?" In spite of his attempted control over his emotions, his voice trembled as he spoke. Valea looked up at him, eyes wide, lips parted, as if shocked by his question; and, out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Sayil's head snap sharply toward them, a similar expression on his face. The two must not have realized the full extent of everything that had happened between him and Janet. "I...um, to be honest, I'm not...I'm not sure. I know that's *possible*, but I didn't..." Valea started, then shook her head. "See, the link can work like a magnet, drawing the two physically together no matter what the distance between them, although I've never heard of that happening any time except at night, during your dreams. If you miss each other enough while you're asleep, chance are one of you will just ... teleport ... to the other, whether teleportation is one of your innate skills or not. It took a few days for your link to be fully established; but, the past two mornings, you must have missed each other enough that the link remedied the problem. You can probably prevent that with great mental discipline, but I honestly can't help you with that...you'd have to talk to someone who has a Level 3 link." Valea lifted her eyes to him, her expression full of guilt and sincere sorrow. "The ultimate joys in life are only possible through a Level 3 link, Daniel. On the other hand, if...if something happens to you, say, if one of you were to die...." Daniel was sure his heart stopped beating for several seconds. The girl didn't have to finish her sentence; having a Level 3 link and seeing firsthand the impact it had on the two joined together, he knew exactly what would happen. If one were to die, the other would die with them. "Undo the link, Valea." When she didn't answer, instead squeezing her eyes shut to block her tears, Sayil spoke for her. "She *can't* undo it." Daniel looked first at the boy, then at his sister. No. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Not this time. "Then who can?" "*No one* can," the boy insisted. "Unlike on Earth, Daniel, 'divorce' doesn't exist on Planet Edea, at least not for those with this link," Valea finally said. "Level 3 links are very serious and very permanent here. In the words used on your planet, 'To death do you part.'" Daniel buried his face in his hands, ignoring the pain that shot through his burned hand from the contact. No. No, no, no. No, this was *not* happening. It wasn't even *possible*. "Janet and I aren't married. We've never even *dated*." Sayil turned his back to the dismayed man and chuckled sadly. "Well, I guess you two better get started, then, shouldn't you?" Daniel ignored the boy's words. "We never agreed to have a link like this created. We took no vows. We never even discussed it...and even if we *had*, I *seriously* doubt we would've agreed to it." Valea's eyes flew open as she pleaded, "Do you think I don't *know* that? I certainly didn't create it between you and Janet on purpose. I know Level 3 links don't just happen, but that's what happened here. It was an *accident*. I wish so much that I could go back in time and prevent it from happening, but I can't. I'm sorry, Daniel. I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what else to say." "There has to be *something* you can do to fix it, though," Daniel pressed, but by the tone in her voice and the certainty in her words, he suspected he was hoping against hope. Valea glanced at her brother, her expression reflecting mixed exasperation and guilt. "Daniel, in all of our planet's history, there've only been two other documented cases of Level 3 links being created without both partners' consent." Only two? Bad odds. Very bad. "And what happened to them?" When she didn't answer, Daniel leaned forward on the bed, quickly growing panicked. "Valea?" "Well, um, one time the man and woman drove each other nuts within the first four days and had to be locked up to prevent themselves from...hurting...each other. They never recovered and...they died miserably a year later." Four days. Okay, so that hadn't happened to him and Janet. "And the second time?" "The second time...three weeks after the link was created, the woman stabbed the man while he was asleep, effectively killing both of them." Daniel felt like someone had just reached in, torn out his heart, and tossed it to a starving hyena. A murder-suicide. Oh, God. She smiled at him timidly. "Did I mention I was very, very sorry?" In response, Daniel just glared at her. Valea's eyes immediately fell to her hands before darting back at Sayil. From the way her brother was staring at her, Daniel figured he was sending her a mental message. It didn't take long before she relayed the message to him. "Um...Sayil thinks there might be something you can do." *Anything*, just don't make him go back to Earth and tell Janet that she was physically, emotionally, mentally, and *permanently* married to him. "You could try talking to Edea and see what she says about your situation, although, to be honest, I seriously doubt even she could help you," Valea said. "If anyone could help you with the link, though, she could," Sayil quickly added. "She has a Level 3 link...and she's very kind and wise." "I was under the impression that Edea was dead," Daniel said, eyeing them curiously. "No, she's not dead," Sayil replied. "She's definitely alive. We just...well, no one knows where to find her, or even where to begin looking for her." No one knew where she was? So they expected *him* to find her even if *they* couldn't? But still, Daniel reminded himself, they were offering him a glimmer of hope. Just because he'd been hanging around Jack too much didn't mean he needed to retort to *everything* sarcastically. "And how would Janet and I go about looking for her?" "Oh...you won't need to find her," Valea said. "Since you're the ones in the prophecy, *Edea* will find *you*." He bit his lower lip. Even though Valea sounded convinced Edea would find them, she wasn't helping anything because she had no proof of it. "Okay, but *how*?" "We have no idea." Daniel frowned, nearly at the end of his rope. If he hadn't sensed Valea sincerely didn't know, he doubted he could've restrained himself from giving her a piece of his mind any longer. Instead, however, he forced himself to keep tight rein on his tongue; and the three fell silent, giving him a much-needed opportunity to absorb all the information the two teenagers had just handed him. Outside, the winds howled and the rain continued pelting the dark cottage, illuminated by continuous cracks of lightning. By that point, no one -- Daniel included -- could tell if the intensity of the hurricane was a result of Corraman and Avitus or of Daniel's fury at the injustice of what had been done to him and to Janet. Finally, several minutes later, Daniel closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no point dwelling on this now. Thanks to his link with Valea, he knew her apology was sincere; she truly hadn't given them the link on purpose, and she was more than willing to do whatever she could to help them. She knew she'd had no right to tamper with their minds; at the time, though, she hadn't seen any other alternative. //I need to go home, Valea,\\ he told her. Across the room from him, the girl nodded sadly, still unable to meet his eyes. "We know. You'll...you'll need to talk to Janet about all this." His stomach turned. Janet. Oh, God, how could he possibly tell her everything he'd learned? It was too much for one day. He wasn't sure *he* could handle it; the last thing he wanted to do was try to explain it to anyone, *especially* to her. He'd have to worry about that later, though. Right now he needed to get past this hurricane and make it home in one piece. "Daniel, we need your help," Valea pleaded once again. "We need Janet's help. We'll all die if you don't help us." //Please.\\ Despite his smoldering rage at what she had done to them, the fear and desperation he sensed from her tugged at his heart. "Give us a chance to think about it. I'll...I'll talk to Janet. We'll try to work something out, but don't push us. We have too many other things on our minds right now." Valea turned her blue eyes toward him sadly, but there was something else in them...a faint, undeniable hope that he truly would help them. //I know. Thank you. When you come back, we'll do everything we can to help you. We'll find Edea so you and Janet can speak with her. Maybe she can help you with your link and show you how to safely use your abilities. Janet will need to hone her healing skills as well so she doesn't accidentally harm anyone.\\ Once again, it felt like he didn't have much of a *choice* in returning to the planet, Daniel noted with a frown, but he didn't say anything. If he didn't get home first, he'd never be able to return...and besides, SG-1 was still frozen outside in the frigid winds and pouring rain. He had to take one thing at a time. "So, since Corraman and Avitus -- who, by the way, I still don't know anything about -- have us trapped in the middle of a hurricane, how do you suggest I get back to the Stargate?" "Fair question," Valea said, then looked at her brother. "Sayil?" The blond boy arched an eyebrow at them. "It may not be easy, but we'll manage. Give us a few minutes to coordinate. Trust us, Daniel. We'll get you home." Daniel had no choice but to nod his agreement. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Six: Flame August 23, 2001 Thursday, 11:31 a.m. A 'few minutes' turned out to be closer to an hour before the two siblings had coordinated a satisfactory plan, and by that point Daniel's patience was long past gone. He wanted to go home. He *needed* to go home and try to sort this mess out. He didn't want to dwell on everything he'd learned; he couldn't figure out what he should do or even how he felt about it while he was still here on Planet Edea. It was too much, it was too disturbing, and it had happened way too quickly. And yet, he quickly realized, he dreaded going home because it meant trying to explain this nightmare to Janet and the rest of SG-1. "We're ready," Sayil finally said, and Daniel turned away from the invisible door where he stood, watching the Stargate, to face them. Sayil rose from his seat on the floor along the back wall of the cottage and grabbed his sister's arm, pulling her to her feet. "Amala's servants are fast. No matter what we do it'll be risky, but I doubt their hurricane will let up any time soon since they know you're here. Therefore, if you want to get home alive, you'll have to do what we say. Okay?" Seeing Daniel's reluctant nod, the boy continued, "Good. I'm going to teleport us out to the Doorway. As soon as I can manage after that, I'm going to create a barrier over us." "Why don't you create the barrier, *then* teleport us there?" Daniel asked. "Can't," Sayil said, shaking his head. "It doesn't work that way. For the most part, you can only use one ability at a time...but don't worry about that now, we'll explain when you come back. *Assuming* you come back, of course." Did he have a choice in the matter anymore? Daniel wondered. If he didn't come back, he'd never learn to get these abilities under control, and he'd probably set fire to something else, like his apartment...or the SGC. Valea chuckled. //You also need to learn to keep your thoughts to yourself.\\ He glared at her. //I've said this before, Valea, and I'm going to say it again. Stay out of my head. There are things in here I don't want you to know. There are things in here you don't *want* to know.\\ //I know. I already found a few of them. I think Janet did too.\\ Daniel frowned, irritated, and Sayil arched an eyebrow at their private conversation. "*Anyway*," he interrupted, "once we're in the field, Valea will unfreeze your friends and open the Doorway, then you'll jump through before Corraman or Avitus can get you. They're looking for you, you know." The archaeologist's eyes widened. Somebody had conveniently forgotten to inform him of *that* part. Before he could respond, Valea asked, "You ready?" No, absolutely not, Daniel's mind shot back, but instead he replied, "As ready as I'll ever be." The girl eyed him warily but didn't say anything. Finally, she turned to her brother and nodded. Sayil closed his eyes and snapped his fingers, and warmth spread through Daniel's body. A second later, he found himself standing in the same spot where Valea had initially frozen his teammates. Jack was still shooting him that pointed glare, Sam was looking at him curiously, Teal'c was staring at the distant forest, and the hurricane still raged around them. All were drenched from having stood in the downpour the past two hours. Sayil and Valea stood a few feet away from him. The boy took a quick look around the meadow before closing his eyes in concentration. The winds and rain raged around them, forcing Daniel to brace himself to maintain his footing; and, with a tinge of satisfaction, he noted that Valea was having just as hard a time keeping herself steady as he was. Suddenly, a huge crystal dome materialized overhead, blocking out the wind and the rain. Daniel stared at it in amazement as he unexpectedly regained his balance. Sayil waved at the frozen SG-1. "Go, Valea!" The girl nodded and snapped her fingers. Instantly, Daniel's teammates came to life. "...lea. Of *course*. Why didn't *I* think of that?" Jack grumbled. It took Daniel a second to realize the colonel was finishing the sentence he'd started almost two hours earlier. All heads snapped upward as a crack of lightning lit the sky and the ground beneath them shook. "Ah, Sir?" Sam asked. "Is it just me or did it get really dark really fast? And..." she looked down at her uniform, confused, "...when did it rain? How did I get wet?" Jack also looked down at his uniform. The shocked expression on his face said it all as he found that he, too, was soaked. Teal'c turned from his lookout, his normally stoic face now confused and leery. "O'Neill. It has begun raining in all directions. This meadow appears to be the only area unaffected by it." They couldn't see Sayil's dome, Daniel realized as he looked upward. "What the *hell* is going on here?" Jack said. "It wasn't raining when we came through the Stargate. Overcast? Yes. Raining? Hell, no! And you're right, Carter, we *weren't* wet a second ago." Daniel's attention snapped back to Valea, her eyes closed as she concentrated. None of his teammates noticed her or her brother, even though they were standing no more than ten feet from them. Without warning, the dome directly overhead cracked and shattered, showering millions of tiny crystal pellets on the meadow, followed by a torrent of rain on everyone in front of the Stargate. Daniel lifted his arms to protect his face, and he quickly looked back at Valea as a crack of lightning traveled down through the hole toward him. He fell to the ground, trying to get out of its way. It missed him, but barely. Valea's eyes fluttered open //*Shit*! Corraman broke through the barrier. Hold on, Daniel; the Doorway's almost open.\\ "Hurry!" Daniel shouted to her, eyeing the dark, foreboding clouds as streaks of lightning danced between them. Jack, Sam, and Teal'c watched in shock and horror as another bolt of lightning streaked down the sky toward him. Daniel slipped onto his burned hand and cried out in pain as it hit the freezing water of the puddle below him. An instant later, the Stargate burst open and Valea waved him through. //Go!\\ Daniel stumbled to his feet on the slippery grass and eyed the sky fearfully as the lightning came to an abrupt stop. Then he felt it: something big, something terrifying, something deadly tensing the air around him and causing the atmosphere to hold its breath.... It was aimed directly at him. He looked at the open Stargate, then back at the girl. //Valea, the iris....\\ //Trust me, Daniel! Just go!\\ As soon as she'd said those words, Sayil snapped his fingers, and he and his sister disappeared. Daniel turned his eyes upward one last time, then sprinted through the mud toward the event horizon as an enormous, jagged bolt of electricity flashed down from the sky at him. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Janet paced the length of the control room for the umpteenth time in two hours. She was unnerved. The entire morning she'd been seeing brief, terrifying flashes of fire, water, wind, and lightning, accompanied by inexplicable feelings of rage, terror, impatience, and desperation. Her right hand ached as if she'd burned it, only she had no recollection of injuring it nor was there anything visibly wrong with it. She knew her uncharacteristic, overly emotional restlessness was confusing and worrying General Hammond since he'd tried calming her several times now; but, no matter how much her reason insisted that he was right and everything on SG-1's mission was fine, her emotions refused any consolation. He'd finally given up and left the control room half an hour ago, mumbling something about how "watching her was making him dizzy." God, she'd known better than to let Daniel go back to P9X 119 without her. It was suicide. Something was wrong, his life was in danger, she needed to be there to help him.... Her head snapped up as the klaxons sounded, indicating they were receiving an incoming wormhole. Hammond ran down the stairs from his office a second later. "Wormhole established," Davis said. "No GDO, Sir." "Never fails," Hammond said as he stared at the Stargate. "Close the iris." "Yes, Sir." Janet listened impatiently, trying to figure out who was nuts enough to try contacting Earth at a time when she was waiting so desperately for Daniel to return, then she turned to stare at Hammond as the realization hit her. Oh, God. Daniel. "Open the iris!" she shouted, leaning over Davis to hit the button and open it herself. Hammond was taken aback by the distraught woman's sudden action, but he quickly restrained her before she could press anything. "We can't do that, Doctor. You know that." "You don't understand, Sir. It's Daniel!" His eyes narrowed at her words. "Dr. Jackson knows enough to send the GDO through first. It's not him." Of course he wouldn't believe her, Janet realized as she sagged in his arms and sobbed once, waiting in horror as she felt the object in the wormhole move closer and closer to its destination, closer and closer to certain death.... ...And then Daniel leapt through the sealed trinium iris, stumbled onto the ramp, and rolled down it, barely avoiding being burnt alive by the lightning bolt that followed him through. Everyone in the control room froze as they saw him come through the iris...except Janet. Ignoring the shocked expressions on their faces, she pulled herself away from Hammond and raced down the stairs to the Gate room, falling to her knees beside the man at the base of the ramp. "Daniel!" Daniel pushed himself off the ground and latched his arms around her like a drowning man tossed a life preserver. "Oh, God, Janet," he whispered, burying his face in her hair. Janet forced herself out of his choking embrace to look him over, shocked to find he was soaked and shaking. A quick examination showed that his right hand was burned and his left shoulder was singed where the lightning had grazed him. She placed an arm around his waist to help him steady as he rose to his feet. His eyes drifted back to the Stargate, and he jumped as he found the iris was still safely in place. "What the hell...?" he started, then grimaced as Janet touched his shoulder with her fingers. "Ow!" "Damn it, Daniel, stand still," she said, peeling the burnt material away from his shoulder. Her fingers gently prodded the blistering wound to determine how serious the burn was, but almost instantly the injury disappeared, not even leaving a scar behind. She stared at it in shock, but the only testimony to the wound's existence was a darkened blotch of mud mixed with quickly drying blood. "But it was just here...?" "It's fine, Janet," Daniel said, pulling her hands away. Seeing he didn't seem the least bit concerned about the disappearance, she shifted her attention to the burn on his hand. "What happened?" she asked as she lifted his right hand. "Fire..." he started, his voice trailing off as he watched, amazed, as the burn vanished before his eyes. "*Wow*." Wait a minute, that was *not* possible. "Daniel, your shoulder had a third degree burn and your hand had a second degree burn. I saw them; they *can't* be gone already." "Janet," he insisted, bending down to look her in the eye and taking her hands in his to prevent them from wandering, "it's fine. Thank you." Janet blinked several times, puzzled, but Daniel seemed so certain everything was fine and that his burns were supposed to heal that quickly that it eased her concerns. Blue and brown eyes drifted back to the Stargate as it began dialing in once again, and a second later the wormhole was established. A voice over the speakers announced that they'd received SG-1's code; and, a second after the iris slid open, O'Neill, Sam, and Teal'c stepped through, completely drenched and splashed with mud. Seeing them, Hammond raced down to the Gate room. "What the hell was *that* about?!" O'Neill shouted as he saw Daniel standing at the base of the ramp, Janet's hands still firmly in his. "That's exactly what *I* want to know, Colonel," Hammond said. "I don't have a *clue*, Sir," he replied, glaring at Daniel. "We're on that planet for ten seconds when it suddenly starts pouring, then this guy here," he pointed angrily at the archaeologist, "gets attacked by lightning, the Stargate activates -- and, believe me, I'm quite certain none of *us* activated it -- and he dives through, followed by a huge, honkin' bolt of electricity! To top that off, he never even bothered to take his GDO this morning. I was going to give it to him on the planet only I never got around to it in the ten seconds we were there!" Hammond's eyes narrowed. "Ten seconds? Colonel, are you sure about that?" "Absolutely! Right, Carter?" "Yes, Sir, although I think it was closer to two minutes." "*Whatever*. Teal'c?" "I concur with Major Carter's assessment." General Hammond looked at Daniel. "Dr. Jackson?" Janet lifted her eyes to the man standing beside her. The stunned expression on his mud-splattered face told her he didn't have a clue what to say, so she quickly decided to use her doctor's influence to gain him a few more minutes to think. "General, Daniel's in shock. He's freezing. I insist you let him change and warm up before asking him any questions. As a matter of fact, I'd like to run a full examination on *all* of SG-1 first." Hammond looked around at the soaked team members, then nodded. "Agreed. I want all of you to report to the infirmary. We'll debrief at 1600 hours." O'Neill gaped at him. "But Sir, we're just a little *wet*. We weren't even...." "Just a little *wet*, Colonel?" Hammond interrupted. "For your information, you've been gone over two full *hours*." "*What*?!" Neither Daniel nor Janet heard the rest of the conversation, though, for she quickly ushered him out of the Gate room, away from an irate colonel and a thoroughly perplexed general, major, and Jaffa. Her concern grew as she felt Daniel shiver, but they walked to the locker room in silence. Once outside it and confident no one else would overhear them, she placed her hand on his arm, causing him to lower his head towards hers. "Do you feel all right?" she asked him. "I'm fine," Daniel said. "Thank you." Their eyes locked, and her heart pounded in her chest at the unspoken emotion she felt radiating from him. He was back on Earth, he was safe, he was here, and, damn it, Janet wanted nothing more than to kiss him and make sure everything truly was as fine as he insisted. Daniel smiled awkwardly and pulled his eyes from hers, sensing her last thought. Apparently, he hadn't found a way on P9X 119 to undo their recent telepathy. "We need to talk," he said. She took his hands and placed them between hers, brushing his palm with her thumb. In response to her gentle, soothing action, he threaded his fingers through hers. "What happened?" she asked, careful to keep her voice low. "What did you find out?" He swallowed hard, and Janet sensed his awkwardness quickly returning. Instead of answering, he looked down at their hands as if amazed at the sensations it produced. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to her, she realized; he *couldn't* talk about it yet. "At least tell me you figured out what's been going on lately." Daniel nodded. "Yes, I did. But we...we can't talk about it here." He glanced down the hallway as a nurse walked by and eyed the two curiously. Leaning closer to her ear, he whispered, "We need to talk alone before SG-1 debriefs with General Hammond." Janet closed her eyes as his warm breath grazed her cheek. "He wants a report this afternoon; and I need to oversee SG-1's examination, whether I'm back on duty yet or not. We won't have time to talk." "I know. Tell him I can't make it to the debriefing. Tell him I have a brain tumor, tell him aliens cut out my tongue on P9X 119, tell him anything, but we *need* to talk about this before we tell anyone else anything." They did. She wasn't sure what he'd learned, but she could tell that they definitely needed to talk about it first. She would find a way to make it happen. "Okay. When?" Daniel pulled away to look at her. His eyes were full of conflicting emotions; and Janet received the distinct impression he was debating something very important, something very serious. Finally he removed one of his hands from hers and lifted it to her cheek. "Go out with me tonight, Janet." Her heart skipped a beat. Was he asking her out on a *date*? He nodded. "That's exactly what I'm asking." While her instincts wanted her to scream, "Of course I'll go out with you," his suggestion wasn't exactly practical given their current situation. "They'll never let you out of the SGC without an explanation of what just happened. A minute ago you walked through a sealed iris. Hammond's not going to let you out of his sight...." "I know...but we can manage. Trust me." His face darkened. "Unless...." ...Unless she didn't want to go out with him. He was afraid she would turn him down. Janet couldn't resist laughing out loud at that absurd thought. Oh, Daniel. After everything that had already happened between them, how could he possibly think she'd be able to resist the chance to go out with him on a date? His face brightened as he saw her smile shyly at him. "I'll pick you up at your place at five." Janet folded her hands with his and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. "I'll be ready." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 4:57 p.m. Daniel sat in his car outside the Fraiser house, staring at the roses lying on the seat next to him. Getting out of the base that afternoon had been surprisingly easy once Valea had shown him how to intentionally -- and safely -- create a fire. It was similar to the way he'd doused the fire on Planet Edea, by retreating to his black room, picturing the item he wanted to ignite inside the room, then envisioning it slowly starting on fire. Voila, fire created. He'd kindled a small one in a paper-recycling bucket near the entrance to the base to cause a diversion, then had snuck out in the ensuing confusion. While he was pleased that his latest fire was small and contained rather than large enough to destroy a forest, it was disturbing how *easy* its creation had been, just by imagining it happening. He'd definitely need to exercise caution with this newfound skill. His first stop after escaping the SGC had been his apartment to change into something nicer for that evening, a light blue shirt and dark blue pants. That brief respite had been disturbed, though, as he'd realized he couldn't stay there long. The first place Jack would look for him would be his apartment, and Jack could *not* find him just yet. He'd be ticked enough that Daniel had snuck out of the base and played 'hooky' from a very important debriefing. While Daniel knew he'd have to face his friend's wrath eventually, he needed to explain the situation to Janet before Jack caught him. Therefore, after changing, he had fled to the nearest park to sit and think, try to sort through everything that had happened the past two weeks and formulate some conclusions based on the information Valea and Sayil had given him that morning. Much to his dismay, however, he'd reached very few conclusions by the time he'd had to leave to pick up Janet. One, he could *not* tell SG-1 about his Level 3 link with Janet; and two, it would be pointless to try hiding the truth from Janet since she'd find it out anyway, either by intentionally or unintentionally reading his mind. And as for the two teenagers on P9X 119...well, he didn't want to lean either for or against helping them until after he knew how Janet would react to the news. Now, however, as he sat in his car, his stomach churning at the thought of seeing her again, Daniel was having second thoughts about this 'date.' Maybe asking her out hadn't been the best idea given their unique circumstances, but all he'd been able to think about after his return from the planet was Sayil's warning that they'd 'better get started dating.' His mixed yearning to see Janet again, his reluctance to explain to her the details of their link, and his dread of her reaction -- would she reject him? -- were what had kept him sitting in his car, paralyzed, for God only knew how long. He knew he'd go through with the 'date'; it was just a matter of getting up his courage to face the inevitable. And besides, going out would grant them both a measure of security that they wouldn't be interrupted by SG-1 before he could finish his explanation. Suddenly, Daniel laughed out loud. This nervousness was absurd. He was an adult who had dated on and off for years. He'd even been married to Sha'uri for a year. There should be nothing awkward about this night 'out' with Janet. So...why did he feel like a teenager going out on his first date? Oh, right. Maybe because the woman he was going out with was 'married' to him in every conceivable way, only she didn't know that yet and it was his responsibility to explain it to her, a rather formidable task considering the intense love and attraction this link had given him for her. Just because he'd had no choice in their 'marriage' didn't erase the fact that he was madly in love with her. Whether that love was true or just forced by the link, though...well, that was one of the many things they needed to talk about. Problem was, the way his emotions kept fluctuating, Daniel wasn't sure how to act around her anymore. He felt simultaneously disgusted by what Valea had done in removing any semblance of privacy from their lives, furious that his choice in this 'marriage' had been stolen from him, embarrassed by how much both Janet and Valea knew about him, scared that he now possessed a power he didn't have full control over, lonely from a day of separation from Janet and from his refusal to violate her privacy by reading her mind, and guilty that he'd kept so much from his dearest friends and teammates the past few weeks. Mixed with all that was a deep compassion for the two children who were so terrified that they had to turn to *him* for help, curiosity to learn more about their people...and a desire, love, and empathy for the woman waiting inside the house for him that was more intense than anything he'd ever felt for a woman before. He was running out of room to store all these conflicting emotions, and he somehow doubted the problem would be alleviated anytime soon. With a start, Daniel realized his musing had already made him five minutes late. It was now or never, and leaving so he could ignore the situation apparently wasn't an option. Judging from Valea's warnings about their link, if his relationship with Janet got off to a bad start, he could rest assured they'd both be dead within days. Needless to say, he didn't want that to happen, for either of them. Quickly grabbing the flowers, he stepped out of the car and headed up the walk to the front door, relieved that Janet didn't open it before he rang the doorbell. For a moment, he could almost pretend things were normal, that he'd asked her out on a true date without having to use it as an excuse to tell her news that would undoubtedly cause her the same confusion that it had caused him. His eyes drifted down to the perfect red rosebuds in his hands. Damn it, why hadn't he asked her out earlier, before this ordeal had begun? Janet was one of the strongest, kindest, most beautiful, mature, and determined women he had ever met. He felt comfortable with her. If only he'd asked her out earlier, he wouldn't have had to worry about how 'true' his feelings were now. Everything would be clear; there'd be no confusion. Before he could kick himself too hard for things he should've done, the door opened, revealing Cassie standing on the other side. She grinned as she saw the flowers in his hands. "Hi, Daniel." "Hi, Cassie." "Mom's almost ready. She said I should let you in." "Thanks," he said, stepping inside as she moved out of the doorway. Once they reached the living room, Cassie turned back toward him, her face beaming. "Mom'll love the flowers. Roses are her favorite." Daniel smiled awkwardly and looked down at the bouquet in his hands. "Yeah, I know." Not wanting to get Janet carnations because that was what her 'secret admirer' had sent her, he'd briefly peeked inside her mind to find her flower preferences. Right or wrong, he wasn't sure, but at least he knew Janet would like them. Cassie tilted her head and watched him curiously, but before she could say anything, Daniel's eyes snapped to the doorway behind her. He nearly dropped the flowers at the sight before him. It was Janet, dressed in a short, simple black dress, her soft brown hair pulled back in a loose barrette. She was...she was.... Absolutely stunning. Daniel swallowed hard. How long had he been single again? And why hadn't he asked her out earlier? "You look...gorgeous, Janet," he finally managed. She blushed at his 'wow' reaction as she accepted the flowers from him, her eyes reflecting her identical reaction to his appearance. "Thank you, Daniel," she replied, giving him such a beautiful that his heart melted to know he had caused it. He'd have to get her more roses in the future, lots and lots of roses, fill her office with them if he had to, if only to have the privilege of seeing that smile again. Her blush deepened as she sensed his thoughts. "Just let me get some water for these and we can leave." Before she left, her eyes locked with his for a long moment, causing a thrill to run through his entire body. Damn it, why couldn't this date have taken place under better circumstances? He'd never be able to make it through the entire explanation of their link with her looking like *that*. "Told you she'd like them," Cassie whispered to him, grinning broadly. "And I told you that you liked her." Daniel just smiled shyly in response and looked down at his now-empty hands. Yes, she certainly had, hadn't she? Cassie watched him another minute before heading toward the stairs. "Have fun, be good, and make sure you get her back before midnight...." Midnight? That might be a bit difficult. "...Or at the *latest*, three o'clock." Daniel's smile widened. Three o'clock. Now *that* he could probably manage. She waved him goodbye as Janet reentered the living room, giving the girl a quick goodnight kiss. Once Cassie had run up the stairs, Janet's eyes returned to Daniel and gave him another look over. If her thoughts were anything like his at that moment -- which they probably were, given the way they were so entwined with each other because of the link -- then she was as attracted to him as he was to her. "I'm all set," she said. Daniel nodded and placed his hand to the small of her back, guiding her toward the door. This could easily turn out to be the most difficult night of his life. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 10:50 p.m. Janet didn't know how long she had been sitting there, on a park bench in front of a gorgeous reflecting pool. The crystalline water was surrounded by evergreens, a hint of pine floating around her on a gentle breeze. Maybe it wasn't the safest place to be at an hour this late, but she really couldn't convince herself to care. While overall the summer had been warm, the temperatures still dipped to the low 60s at night, and Janet couldn't help wishing she'd grabbed her coat before going out. On the other hand, in spite of the coolness, it truly was a beautiful night. If it didn't get any colder, she could easily sit there the entire night and watch the moon and starry sky reflect peacefully off the still water. She wished she could feel that same sense of peace. Daniel had taken her to a quaint Italian restaurant, and the dinner had been wonderful. Since it was early in the evening, few were dining yet; and they had enjoyed a comfortable degree of privacy in a candle-lit corner booth. She had to give the man credit: being an anthropologist and diplomat used to dealing with people in varying emotional states had taught him how to tactfully broach difficult subjects. Gratefully, he had waited to begin sharing details of their circumstances until after they'd both eaten and had two glasses of wine. Even with his gentleness in relaying the details, though, it was too much to absorb at one time; and Janet had finally taken leave of his distracting presence to be alone and think. Since there was a park within walking distance from the restaurant, that had been her obvious destination. Well, on the bright side, she told herself, at least they now knew what was wrong with them. Too bad there was no way of remedying the problem...and there was no easy solution as to how to move on with life. Without warning, she sensed his presence a safe distance behind as he observed her, and that knowledge gave her an unexpected but desperately desired sense of peace and security. Not only did she sense him watching her, though, she sensed his conflicting emotions -- the anger, the fear, the love, the embarrassment that accompanied the knowledge of how *much* he knew about her.... Those emotions matched hers exactly. He was as terrified of this unexpected twist in their lives as she was. Finally ready to face him again, she took a deep breath and turned her head in his direction, acknowledging her awareness of his presence without actually looking at him. "I realize I'm probably the last person in the world you want to see right now, but...mind if I joined you?" he asked her. She couldn't suppress a smile at his words. Ah, Daniel. Always the considerate one. "Of course not," she said, looking back at him in invitation. "None of this is your fault." He walked slowly toward the bench where she sat, his coat draped over his arm. God, what was it about moonlight that made a person look so damn attractive? she wondered as he sat down beside her. The way the soft light highlighted his lean, handsome features and his blue eyes, the shadows...it was perfection, like chiaroscuro on a fine painting. As his gaze landed on her and he returned her smile, she sensed that similar thoughts were passing through his mind about her. That realization, added to the coolness of the air, sent a shiver down her spine. Daniel apparently felt her body tremble since he took his coat and gently placed it around her shoulders. His fingers lingered on an area of exposed skin on her neck and lightly stroked it, but he quickly caught himself and pulled his hand away as the sensations registered with both of them. "Thank you," she said, pulling the coat tighter around her and taking another deep breath. Damn, the coat smelled like him. So much for being able to think straight. Now all she wanted was for Daniel to wrap his arm around her and pull her close so her head was resting on his shoulder. Fortunately for both of them, he didn't. Daniel must have realized she still needed more time to think for he remained silent for what seemed an eternity, just watching the moon reflect off the pool. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked down at his folded hands. "Penny for your thoughts?" She observed him with a raised eyebrow. "Why bother asking if you can read my mind?" He turned his head to meet her gaze. Sadness lurked in his eyes as he chuckled lightly. "I couldn't do that to you. I care far too much for you to do that. We've lost so much privacy the past two weeks that for me to read your mind right now...I can't, and I won't. It's not fair to you. We can control how much we read each other's minds, and I'm not going to search for something you don't want me to find." Her heart melted at his selflessness. If she had to have such an odd bond accidentally created with anyone, Daniel was easily near the top of her list because he could recognize when something would push the boundaries beyond their limits. Janet had known far too many men during her lifetime that would have taken advantage of their situation to creep into her mind...or to spy on her while she was taking a shower. Her ex- husband certainly would have. But Daniel? Daniel would never do that. It would go against everything he was. "Thank you," she whispered again, fighting back the tears welling in her eyes. She hated showing weakness in front of anyone, even Daniel who she was certain would never hold it against her, but at that moment she still hadn't regained full control of her emotions. They were running rampant, and they refused to settle down and take orders from her mind. It was highly unlikely they ever would, she realized with a pang of hopelessness. Janet remained silent another moment before answering his earlier question. "It's not fair. None of it. We didn't ask for this." "I know." "A link like this isn't romantic. It's...it's terrifying." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him nod sadly. Her eyelids slid shut. "Why would anyone agree to have something like this created?" Daniel let out a soft sigh. "I'm not sure, but Valea said that the ultimate joys within a relationship are only possible through it. I guess you'd have to love someone enough and be so certain that your love would never die to want to go through with something like this. If people on their planet are willing to have one created, there must be *something* good about it." Maybe, but right now she was having a hard time believing that. "Married, huh?" she asked, laughing softly and pulling the coat tighter around her. "You know, right now I'm so in love with you that I'm not even sure I *want* to find a way to fix this. Even if this Edea woman could remove it for us, I don't know that I'd want her to. It doesn't *feel* like a problem...and the problem is, it *should* feel like a problem. How am I supposed to know which emotions are real and which are just a result of this link?" He didn't answer, but she knew that was exactly the question plaguing his mind. She didn't want to be reading his thoughts -- after all, if he was courteous enough to try to leave her mind alone, she wanted to grant him the same -- but some thoughts were impossible *not* to read. "What is real love?" Daniel finally asked, staring out across the serene water of the pool. "Isn't it getting to know a person so well that you care more about them than you do about yourself? Isn't it being willing to sacrifice yourself to save them, to make them happy, to make them feel like they mean something important, not just to you, but to everyone? Isn't it learning about their inner nature, their past, their joys, their sorrows, their goals, their strengths, their weaknesses, their fears, their successes, their failures...and then still loving them in spite of all that, wanting to share in it all with them? Isn't it accepting the fact that you'll never be able to go back in time and forget what you've learned about them...nor would you want to because you know it would take away all meaning from your own life and leave nothing in its wake but emptiness?" Janet turned her eyes toward him and bit her lower lip as her tears resurfaced. His expression was pained as he spoke, registering definite traces of confusion. He had given that question a lot of thought...and his answer touched her, deeply. His definition of love was beautiful...it was perfect. She wanted it. "God, Daniel, I've seen so much about you in my dreams that I know you don't want anyone to know. Your parents, Sha'uri, your peers' rejection of you, everything that happened with Sarah, with Hathor, with Shyla, with Ke'ra, with SG-1...your fear of falling in love again, of losing those you love, of being rejected or abandoned by those you care about.... You've buried so much pain within yourself, so many feelings you refuse to share...and yet, through it all, you've kept going, you've kept fighting, you've *survived*. I know exactly how you react when you love something or someone. If you want it enough, nothing else matters to you. You'll search to the end of the world to find a way to make it happen, to make it work, to find the right answer. How could I...." Janet closed her eyes and turned her head from him, pulling his coat tighter. "How could I not have fallen in love with you?" She could feel his heart pounding faster in his chest as he watched her, amazed. In response, hers also beat faster as she realized she had just answered her own question. She hadn't fallen in love with him because the link *forced* her to fall in love with him; she had fallen in love with him because of him...and because of her. The link had just allowed her to see and feel something she might never have found otherwise. Her emotions for him were real. The link couldn't force a person to fall in love with someone; rather, it facilitated *finding* those emotions of love. Suddenly, it didn't matter that they'd never dated before or that they'd never been attracted to one another before this. Since the feeling now was real, it would have happened anyway...given the right circumstances. Daniel lifted a hand to her chin and turned her face toward his. He didn't need to ask if she truly meant what she'd just said; he knew it was true. "Janet, you are one of the strongest, most compassionate women I've ever met. You care more about us than you do about yourself; and, because of that, you've saved our lives countless times. The way you fought to save Teal'c when the rest of us had been taken by Hathor; the way you put life above all else, no matter who you're treating, be it your best friend or Apophis; your determination to find a solution even when hope seems lost; your selflessness in taking Cassie into your home when she needed a mother...and all that I knew before Valea gave us this link. Then, after that, I saw exactly how deep your love for us ran, how much you love Cassie even though she's not your biological daughter, what happened with your husband, how he hurt you, how you hurt him, how you learned from the experience and were determined not to let it happen again...." Janet closed her eyes at his words, ashamed that he knew so much about her that she'd hoped no one would ever know. So he'd seen everything about her in his dreams just as she'd seen everything about him...everything. "Yes, I did," he said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She opened her eyes as his fingers lightly brushed against her cheek. "Janet, you are a truly beautiful woman, physically, mentally, and spiritually...and right now I'm wondering how, knowing all of that, it was possible for me not to have fallen in love with you, either." Her eyes locked with his at the confession, her heart racing within her chest. So it was true. Their feelings were mutual; and, at least for the time being, they were both certain those feelings were real. That was definitely a step in the right direction. "So what do we do?" she asked him. "Well," Daniel started again after a long pause, "that's what I was thinking about this afternoon. I guess I'd like to try to make it work between us. From what Valea said, our lives depend on it. The two couples before us that had this link given to them without their consent lost their minds and their lives because of it. I'll do whatever I can to prevent the same from happening to us. I'm willing to work at it if...if you are." Janet reached up and placed her hand over his where it was still stroking her cheek. "Of course I am. It may not be easy, but it'll work. We'll *make* it work." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. Had he really expected her to refuse to work with him on this? As soon as she'd asked herself that question, though, she knew the answer. He hadn't known *how* she would react to the news or what she'd be willing to give. He hadn't known what to expect from her...and he hadn't allowed himself to make any expectations or assumptions. That, too, was a typical Daniel Jackson response. //So we're okay with this?\\ he asked, looking her in the eye. She sat quietly for several seconds, knowing she should be unnerved to hear his voice so clearly inside her mind, but she wasn't. It was strangely comforting, actually. Remembering how he had shown her to send mental messages, she gave him a faint smile. //Not yet...but, given enough time, I think we will be.\\ Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "Well, according to Valea, we're not *really* married. Their marriage ceremonies involve vows, and she assured me we didn't make any of those without our knowledge." He lowered his voice and closed his eyes. "Of course, that doesn't erase the fact that in every other way we *are* married. Mentally, emotionally, physically...well, except for...." ...Sex. Janet couldn't help laughing at his unspoken thought. She slid closer to him and slipped her arm through his. Her laughter was contagious and soon he was also chuckling softly. It was just enough to lighten the heavy mood and ease away the awkwardness they still felt with each other. "As hard as it may be due to the physical aspect of our link, Daniel, I think we should wait for that." He continued smiling as he wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. "Yeah...I think you're right. This whole thing has moved fast enough as it is. Let's just take it slowly from here and see where it leads us." Yes, it had been far too fast, Janet thought as he pressed his lips to the corner of her forehead...and yet, because of their physical connection, it felt so damn *right*. Now that they were satisfied they knew where they stood with one another, though, maybe they could slow down as he'd suggested. "So..." he started, taking her hand with his, "we've taken care of one matter, at least for now, but we still have another one to discuss." "Helping those teenagers on P9X 119." "I don't think they meant us any harm, and it sounds like their people really are on the brink of destruction." Janet nodded. If Daniel was convinced Valea hadn't given them this link to purposely harm them, then she had no choice but to believe him. He had, after all, met the girl while she hadn't. "You've had more time to consider all of this than I have. Have you come to any conclusions?" "Well, I'm convinced they're desperate for help," Daniel said, squeezing her hand. "They've been searching for months for someone who could help them, and we were the first ones through the Stargate who they think can provide them with that help. They were terrified, Janet. I felt it. I can't remember the last time I felt that much fear. The Edeans are dying, and Valea and Sayil seem convinced that we're the ones in their prophecy." "But you're not convinced we are." "I really...I don't know. To be honest, I don't know enough about these abilities to know if I'm capable of doing anything for them or not. If this woman, Amala, is as powerful as they say she is, I don't know that we can do *anything* against her. They don't know how to 'unfreeze' their people; how should we?" "True," Janet agreed, but she sensed his mind was already heading in another direction. It didn't take her long to follow that direction and figure out where it was leading. "On the other hand, the purpose of the SGC is to help those in need, to make allies, and to acquire technology capable of fighting the Goa'uld, something that these people seem to possess. If we help them, they might be able to help us." Daniel looked down at her, surprised, and she realized he still wasn't used to her ability to read his mind. The smile that crossed his face, however, indicated he wasn't disturbed by it. "Exactly." "Well, then, I'm not sure we have much of a choice in the matter, do we?" she said. "If we don't return to P9X 119, we may not be able to gain control over these new 'powers'...and if we wait too long, there may not be any Edeans left to even help us learn about them. Considering all that, I guess if there's anything we can do to help them, we should do it." His fingers caressed hers. "That's the same conclusion I was leaning towards." She sighed as his gentle touch roamed the back of her hand. "Then tomorrow we'll find a way to go back to the planet and see what we can do." Both fell silent as the realization sunk in that this might be their last semi-normal night for God only knew how long. Anything could happen on P9X 119, and there was no way they could be prepared for any of it. At least they wouldn't be alone, though, Janet thought with a smile as Daniel brushed his cheek against her forehead. It was amazing how such a simple realization could send such a wave of reassurance through her...or maybe it was because they were sitting next to each other, her head on his shoulder, her hand in his, and his arm around her back, that she felt so reassured everything would be all right. It was probably a combination of the two. Finally, curiosity got the better of her, and she lifted her head to look in his eyes again. "So you can really start things on fire with your mind?" "According to Valea, I can do a lot more than that; but I'd rather master one skill at a time before moving on to too many." Janet smiled playfully. "So show me." Daniel arched an eyebrow at her. "You mean, you want me to start something on fire?" "Well, Heaven knows I could use the distraction right now." The corner of his lip tugged upward in the beginning of a smile. "Okay, you're serious. What?" "Pick something...or try something new. How about...." She rested her head on his shoulder again and scanned their surroundings. "How about the reflecting pool?" "Set the water on fire. That's funny, Janet." "Humor me, Daniel. I've had a bad day." He chuckled and pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Really? That was my thought earlier, but now I'm thinking it didn't turn out nearly as bad as I was afraid it had." On second thought, Janet realized, sighing as his fingers brushed her cheek and warmth spread through her body, maybe it hadn't. "All right, I'll try to start the water on fire -- just for you -- but I won't make any promises." Daniel closed his eyes, and Janet marveled as she felt all his concentration focus on the challenge she'd presented to him. God, if he was that intent when focused on doing something, then to be the object of his attention must.... She didn't get the chance to finish that thought, though, for his eyes opened and he looked at the water, frowning in disappointment. "Guess it's not as simple as visualizing after all," he said. "I knew it seemed too easy." Janet patted his arm. "Don't worry about it. It was a silly request. Stick to something you already know how to do." Her alternative, however, fell on deaf ears. Daniel was determined to make her initial request happen, and make it happen he would. "Okay, so the water itself won't start on fire, but what about the air above it? There must be dust particles in it that are susceptible to fire. After all, fire needs oxygen to burn...." His eyelids slid shut as he tried it again. A moment later, a single tongue of fire erupted just above the surface of the water. "Oh my God," Janet whispered, her body jumping as the tongue burst into a full-fledged flame. So it was true. Not just their connection, but *all* of it. That explained the exploding MRI; her ability to heal Sam's cut, her own paper cut, and Daniel's burns; their ability to sense other people approaching.... Daniel opened his eyes and gaped at the cheerfully crackling fire. The image was surreal, the rich, vibrant hues of gold, red, and orange shimmering on the water below as the fire burned on no more than an inch above it. "It's beautiful," she said. An innocent, childlike smile crept over his face as he watched the fire dance on the water. He was ecstatic. Now why didn't it surprise her that this discovery excited him so much? Janet's heart was warmed as she realized that, no matter how many horrid things tried to ruin his life or were yet to try to ruin his life, some things would never change. His excitement and love of new discoveries must be one of those unshakable parts of his character. Daniel glanced down at her, then lifted his left hand, palm upward. A second later a spark flew from the air directly above it, quickly expanding until he held a small fire in the palm of his hand. Her lips curled into a smile when she saw he was able to maintain the fire without burning himself. "That's amazing," she said. The enthusiasm on his face was contagious, and Janet soon found herself just as excited as he was. It was finally hitting him, that he was now capable of doing these miraculous things. "Now if only I knew how to put it out without starting a storm...." Damn it, Janet thought, chuckling as a light breeze swept past them and extinguished the flame over his palm, he was too cute sometimes. Without warning, an overwhelming urge swept over her. She wanted to kiss him. No, she clarified, this wasn't just a simple desire, she *needed* to kiss this man, to press her lips to his and feel for herself just how strong or weak their connection was. Helpless to resist, she reached up and lightly brushed his cheek with her fingertips to get his attention. Daniel's smile faded as he looked down, growing immediately serious as his gaze locked with hers, the moonlight and fire igniting gentle specks of red and gold on his blue eyes. He was amazed by the sudden, burning desire in her touch...but even more so by the identical fire he felt growing inside himself. Not bothering to extinguish the flame still burning over the pool, he lifted his hand to her chin and ran his fingers along her cheek, then lowered his mouth to hers, capturing her lips in a long, slow, sensual kiss. Janet felt herself involuntarily moan as he deepened the kiss, tasting, exploring, needing to feel more. She surrendered to it gladly, delicious warmth traveling through her body as he lowered his hand to her neck and delicately traced the line of her collarbone. In response, she did the only things she could do: return his building passion, enjoy every second of it, and hold on for dear life. Finally, reluctantly, Daniel broke away from her lips and peered at her through half-closed, desire-filled eyes. //God, Janet, that's...that's...dangerous.\\ She ran her hand along his smooth jawbone, then brushed her fingertips over his lips. He was right; they had to stop before the flame overtook them and they went farther than they wanted. Both were already breathing far too quickly as it was, their hearts beating in time within their chests at the increased desire they felt radiating from one another. So much for taking it slow. //I guess the link enhances everything between us, doesn't it?\\ she asked. Daniel sighed and pressed his forehead to hers, taking long, slow, even breaths to bring his emotions back under his control. //Let's put that thought on hold until after we get back from P9X 119.\\ Janet nodded, dying to kiss him again, but reason stopped her. They couldn't -- shouldn't -- until later. Like he'd said, it was far too dangerous to give in to that particular urge again. There was no way they'd be able to stop before it escalated into something neither was ready for yet. Therefore, instead of surrendering to her desire, she rested her head on his shoulder once again; and, in response, Daniel wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her closer, simply enjoying the night and one another's company while the flame over the water burned on. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Seven: Allies August 24, 2001 Friday, 12:57 a.m. Daniel sighed as he pulled up the car in front of Janet's house and turned off the engine. It had been such a beautiful, enlightening evening. The attachment and admiration he'd acquired for his link-mate during the past two weeks was stronger than anything he'd felt for anything -- or anyone -- before. And when they'd kissed...God, it had felt so right, so perfect, like he'd made a final connection with that missing part of himself. While they may not be okay with the situation yet, they were okay with one another; and, at the moment, that was all that mattered. They would give their strange relationship time to grow; together, they would discover its advantages and disadvantages; and, in the end, it *would* work. That was all there was to say. After all, their lives depended on it. His heart sank as he looked around the street and recognized the truck parked on the corner. "Colonel O'Neill," Janet said. Daniel nodded, staring at the truck for a long moment. He'd known the confrontation had to happen eventually, but still...he was *not* looking forward to it. Was it any wonder he had a sudden urge to turn the car back on and drive somewhere far, far away...like Florida? "I don't know what to tell him." "You feel guilty, don't you?" she asked, turning to look at him. Janet was apparently reading his thoughts again so there was no reason to deny it, Daniel realized. "No matter our differences, Jack's always been a friend," he said, his voice low. "So have Sam and Teal'c. But this...this is the most important thing that's ever happened to me -- these abilities, Valea and Sayil, you -- and I'm not even sure I can tell them about it. The way I am now, I'm a hazard. I may be able to safely start small fires, but if my emotions get out of control again like they did this morning...I could destroy the SGC. I mean, if Maybourne or the NID found out, they'd kidnap me and turn me into a guinea pig in a heartbeat." Janet smiled and reached over the seat to take his hand in hers. "Although I doubt anyone would be upset if you 'accidentally' electrocuted Maybourne." Daniel laughed softly as he twined his fingers with hers and gave her hand a tender squeeze. "True. Anyway, Valea said the Edeans have no use for Jack and Teal'c because they're warriors, and as for Sam...I'm not sure I could ask for her help even if I wanted to. I care too much about her to drag her into a nightmare like this." She observed him a moment before nodding, not sure she could bring Sam into this either. "If we tell them, they'll insist on coming with us." "Yeah." Yes, he certainly knew Jack well enough to know that. "You don't want them to," Janet said, arching an eyebrow at him. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I guess I'd rather *not* tell them, but I get the feeling Jack will kick me out of the SGC if I don't." Of course, Daniel reminded himself, Jack would probably kick him out of the SGC even if he *did* tell them, at least considering his current status as 'barely contained fire hazard.' Janet slipped her hand from his and lightly touched his cheek. "Well, no matter what, I need to see Cassie before we head back to the SGC. Let's see how things go before we decide whether or not to tell them. We'll try to keep this thing to ourselves, but if we have to tell them, we will." Daniel nodded. She was right. See how things went, then decide. Before he could change his mind, he opened the car door and stepped out while Janet located her purse. He opened the door for her and rested his hand on her back as she joined him outside, and the two walked to the front door without a word. They stopped at the top of the porch, where she turned face him, reluctant to end their night together. His pulse raced as he looked down into her uncertain, concerned, and desire- filled brown eyes...God, she was beautiful. //Janet...\\ he started, unsure what he wanted to say. She silenced him by once again taking his hands in hers; and he closed his eyes as warmth into him through their point of contact, causing his heart to flutter in excitement. //It'll be okay,\\ she said. //No matter what happens, it'll be okay.\\ Would it? By that point, Daniel wasn't sure. After all, if Janet didn't stop caressing his hand like that, there wouldn't be anything left of him to find out. The enhanced sensitivity of their contact and the accompanying emotions were still too new, still too powerful...and if it was a part of their link, then chances were high the newness would *never* grow old. Finally unable to take any more of her teasing, he opened his eyes and lifted her hand to his lips, first kissing the back of her hand, then her wrist, and finally each of her fingertips, eliciting a soft gasp from her. She was so full of love, so strong and brave in the midst of such a horrible situation, and so convinced that as long as they worked together they'd be okay that Daniel found himself believing her words. //I'm just as terrified as you are, Daniel. Don't forget that. I know this link lets me sense your feelings, but please, don't be afraid to tell them to me in words. I want to hear them -- I *need* to hear them -- and I'd rather hear them directly from you than 'steal' them by accidentally reading your mind.\\ //I will.\\ And he meant it. He knew he had a tendency to hide his emotions during stressful situations, something which, on the whole, was unintentional -- it was just a natural defensive reaction after losing so much during his life -- but right now he could feel the sincerity of Janet's plea. She would find it a comfort to share in his thoughts and emotions, and she knew that sharing would be a comfort for him as well. Therefore, he'd make a point to do it. Janet smiled as she sensed his resolve, then wrapped her arms around his waist in a tender embrace. Daniel sighed and gave in to the feeling, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply. His arms tightened around her back, pulling her closer, and kissed her cheek. Damn it, they'd be okay. No matter what happened on P9X 119, they *would* make this link work, and they *would* survive. It was so easy to believe considering how safe and complete he felt in her arms like this, her fingers digging into his back to remind him that she needed him right now as much as he needed her. As long as they didn't lose focus on their goal, they'd be fine. They stood like that, under the soft lamplight of the front porch, until the front door suddenly flew open, startling the two out of each other's arms. On the other side of the door stood Jack O'Neill...a *fuming* Jack O'Neill. Daniel swallowed hard; and, for a long moment, all he could do was stare at the colonel, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide, like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding car. This...didn't look good. Not in the least. When Jack finally spoke, his voice was low, frightening...and very, very dangerous. "Well, look who's home. Welcome back, Doc." A chill ran down Daniel's spine. In all the years he'd known Jack, he couldn't remember a time he'd seen the man so furious...or when *he'd* been the object of that fury. This was bad, very bad...and Daniel was suddenly glad he couldn't read Jack's thoughts at that moment. Something told him he'd never be able to live down all the nasty names the colonel had ascribed to him within the past few hours. Beside him, Janet found his hand with hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The action didn't go unnoticed by Jack, who folded his arms to his chest critically and continued glaring at them. "Colonel," she said, arching an eyebrow at him. "Please excuse me so I can enter my house." "Of course," he said, his glare now focused solely on Daniel as he stepped aside for her. Janet pulled on Daniel's hand to lead him inside, but Jack placed a hand on the center of the younger man's chest to prevent his entry. Daniel took a deep breath as he met the older man's glare. "Excuse me, Jack." "No, Daniel. Not this time." Uh oh, this was worse than Daniel had thought...and something told him it was going to get even worse before the stare down was over. Janet gave the colonel a look that could have melted the polar icecaps, but Jack never removed his eyes from Daniel to see it. "It's my house, Colonel, and I say he can come in." "Out of consideration for Cassandra who's asleep upstairs, I say he can't. Not until I get an explanation." Daniel's eyes darted at Janet, neither sure what to do, then he peered past his roadblock into the house. He could just make out Sam and Teal'c sitting on the couch in the darkened living room, watching them, their expressions hidden by the shadows. Finally, he looked back at Janet, who returned his worried gaze. "I can't do that, Jack," he said, thankful that he managed to keep his voice steady as he spoke. "You're wrong, Daniel. You can and you will or I will recommend to General Hammond that SG-1 find ourselves a new archaeologist because we can't *trust* this one anymore." That's exactly what Daniel was afraid of. "Jack, you don't understand. I *can't*." The colonel's eyes narrowed as he took a step outside, keeping his hand firmly planted on Daniel's chest and pushing him backward. "Oh, I think I *do* understand, Daniel. Apparently, sneaking out of the base to go out on a *date* with ole Doc Fraiser here is more important than your own teammates. You've always been a sucker for the women, but I never thought you'd be stupid enough to do *this*. Guess I've been wrong about you all along since this is the most inconsiderate, selfish, *outrageous* thing you've ever done." Daniel cringed as he felt Janet's anger rise at hearing Jack lump her into the category of 'the women.' He wasn't sure he could blame her; in spite of his knowledge that he had to keep his anger in check, it kept growing every second thanks to his already volatile, easily aroused emotions. Janet, on the other hand, didn't need to keep her anger in check, nor was she afraid to speak her mind. "*Excuse* me, Colonel," she said, releasing Daniel's hand and placing her hands on her hips. "Need I remind you that this is *my* house? Don't make me kick you out." "Sorry, Doc, you can't. General Hammond gave us explicit orders to bring both of you back to the SGC using whatever force necessary." Shit. Sadly, that's exactly what Daniel had expected. "Get out of my way, Jack," he finally said, pushing his way past the man into the house. //Go talk to Cassie, Janet. I'll be up in a minute.\\ She nodded and headed toward the stairs. Sam rose from the couch to join her, but Janet shook her head to say she wasn't going to talk about it. Daniel looked back at Jack warningly, but the older man didn't get the message...or if he did, he didn't care. "You know, Daniel, we've put up with a lot of idiotic things from you the past few years, many of which I could've kicked you off of SG-1 for doing in a flash, but I *never* thought I'd see you skip a debriefing to go out on a *date*. Cassie told us you've been here almost every day the past week, sometimes early in the morning. Gee, I *wonder* what you were doing here at that hour? Apparently no one else exists in your little universe anymore except little ole Doc Fraiser. Then you convince us to go back to Drearyland this morning, you get attacked by lightning, you waltz through a sealed iris, and you leave us hanging to do *this*? When, exactly, were you planning to tell *us* anything?!" This was ridiculous. Jack didn't know the full story; he had *no* right to imply such things about him, and *especially* not about Janet. Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Janet stop at the stairs and turn back, growing concerned as she felt his anger rising. By that point, though, he didn't care. He couldn't contain himself. "Damn it, Jack, you have no idea what you're talking about. You have no idea the *hell* Janet and I have been through the past two weeks. Talk about me any way you want, but don't bring her into this. There's nothing you can do for us, so just leave us the hell alone!" "No, I *won't* leave you alone!" Jack shouted right back at him. "You're absolutely right, Daniel. We *don't* know what's going on because *you won't talk to us*! Now, damn it, just tell us what the hell is going on here!" Daniel didn't say anything, however -- he *couldn't* say anything -- for at that moment a stab of terror struck him, coming from Janet. Immediately, his anger dissipated, horrified by what he saw as she ran back into the living room. The curtains were on fire. Teal'c was on his feet in an instant, his eyes narrowed as he observed the small flames grow as they began eating the ivory curtains. Sam took one look at the fire and hurried into the kitchen to find something to use to put it out. Jack just stared at it in shock, his mouth dropping open as he heard Daniel's next words. "God, Janet, I'm so sorry...." "Damn it, Daniel, just put it out!" she said, her eyes pleading with him. "And whatever you do, don't start a hurricane inside my house!" Daniel could only nod apologetically; there was nothing else to say or do but to comply. He closed his eyes, returning himself to the black room that he had so recently discovered. Okay, Jackson, remember how Valea showed you how to do this. First step, picture the fire inside the room. Daniel jumped backward as the fire obeyed his mental command and suddenly appeared in the middle of the room...well, on the bright side, this one was far less threatening than the one in the forest had been. Next step, think of a way to put it out. Janet wouldn't let him use water, so...wind. Wind had worked earlier that evening. Just blow the fire out. No problem. Feel a gentle breeze blow through the room, see the curtains wave as the breeze picks up, keep the wind at a manageable level so you don't start a full- scale tornado, then poof! Fire out. Daniel watched in utter amazement as the fire did exactly as he'd willed it. The tongues of flame whipped in the wind, then suddenly vanished from sight. Just as it went out, he realized that Janet was standing on the other side of his black room, as amazed as he was at what he'd just done. Unfortunately, as the fire went out, so did all the light inside the room. "Daniel?" she asked, her alarm growing as the room was plunged into darkness. "It's okay...um, hold on a second, let me try something." Light, without starting a huge fire. Well, this was his imagination, he could jolly well make some sort of light appear in the room if he wanted to, right? Instantly, a candle appeared on a stand in the center of the room, illuminating the tiny space. "Where are we?" she asked. "The black room in my mind that I mentioned earlier," Daniel said. "I didn't know you could get in here...although I guess I should've since Valea was here this morning." Still amazed, Janet scanned the interior of the room as the black walls flickered gold and orange in the candlelight. "It's...cozy. I'm not sure how I got here, actually. Last I remember, I was closing my eyes...." She shook her head as if to say that really wasn't important. "Anyway, you'll be glad to know that, last I saw of my living room, the fire was going out." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God. The last thing he wanted to do was set her house ablaze, especially with Cassie sound asleep inside it. He felt guilty enough for letting his emotions get out of control again; he didn't want to ruin his still-fragile relationship with Janet by destroying her house, one of the few things remaining of her 'normal life' prior to P9X 119. But, damn it, why couldn't Jack have just listened to him and left well enough alone? He and Janet were coming back to the base; one more hour couldn't have hurt anything, could it? "I'm so sorry, Janet," Daniel said as she crossed the floor to stand beside her. "I should've known this would happen. I was starting to gain control over this 'ability' earlier, so I didn't think...." "It's okay, Daniel," Janet assured him, taking both of his hands between hers and giving them a squeeze. "I'm not upset. Just...try to be more careful, okay?" He nodded. "I will. Jack wasn't being real...cooperative...though." "I know. *I* was getting irritated with him; and, if our emotions are as linked as they seem to be, that might explain why *you* became so irritated with him." Daniel chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "We don't need to blame the link for *everything*, you know. He was just being difficult...although I guess I can understand why he was so upset. I haven't exactly been the best model of a team player the past few days." Janet's expression grew somber as she met his eyes. "We have to tell him. Even if he can't do anything to help us, I won't let you throw away your friendship with him and the rest of your team. I know how important they are to you. If you won't tell him, then I will." Of course she was right, Daniel realized with a sigh. If he continued refusing to disclose important information like this, Jack would have him fired from the SGC, and for good cause. After all, Jack O'Neill couldn't work with someone he couldn't trust, and Daniel had tried his friend's patience one too many times. Jack and General Hammond's unbelievable patience and understand understanding were the only reasons Daniel was still a member of SG-1. He owed it to them to tell them the truth, no matter how unlikely it was that they'd believe him. "All right, I'll tell him." Janet's smile returned. "It'll be fine; just give them a chance." A moment later she looked around the room. "So...how do we get out of here?" Daniel took her hand in his. "Easy. Just open your eyes." She tilted her head, perplexed, but did as he'd said; and, next Daniel knew, he was looking across the living room into her eyes. Both smiled as they realized they'd just discovered another aspect of their link: the ability to share their mental black rooms with one another. "Well, that was...different," she said. Only then did Daniel realize that he was sitting on the floor with Jack and Teal'c kneeling beside him. On the other side of the room, Sam was likewise kneeling beside Janet. Daniel's attention returned to Jack, surprised to see the very obvious concern written in the colonel's eyes. "You two okay?" Jack finally asked him. "We're fine, Jack," Daniel said, nodding his thanks as the colonel helped him stand. "Daniel, tell us what's going on. Please." "Colonel, we'll explain, just please, calm down," Janet said as Sam pulled her to her feet. "If you don't, I'll have to ask you to leave. Daniel doesn't have full control over this thing yet, and I won't have you testing his restraint." He obviously didn't understanding her comments; but, much to his credit, he didn't say anything in response. Daniel was just relieved to see that Jack's anger had vanished in the wake of the fire...and he was even more relieved to find that his own had as well. //I'm going upstairs,\\ Janet said. //Tell him.\\ "I'll be up in a minute," Daniel replied, watching her as she left the living room and ascended the stairs. Once she had disappeared from sight, he closed his eyes. Tell Jack. Tell Jack his brain had been rewired, that SG-1 had been frozen for two hours that morning, that he had an irritating new tendency to start things on fire when he became upset, and that he was now permanently linked -- *married* -- to Janet. //You don't need to tell him that part,\\ Janet interrupted. //Right now I'd rather keep the full extent of this link between us. Tell him we're linked...but not that we're married. I don't think either of us are up to explaining that part yet.\\ Daniel chuckled as he opened his eyes again. //Reading my mind again?\\ //Sorry, I overheard....\\ //Don't worry about it. It'll just take some getting used to...like everything else about this link.\\ In front of him, Jack arched an eyebrow at the smile on Daniel's face; clearly, he didn't see anything for the archaeologist to be cheerful about. Daniel's expression fell as he scanned his teammates' worried faces. "We're coming back to the SGC." "Well, we're glad to hear that, Daniel, but we need you to actually *talk* to us this time," Jack said. "We will. I'm really, really sorry, guys. I should've told you about this earlier. It's just...." Daniel closed his eyes and absently lifted his hand to his forehead. "It's just, the past two weeks have been...too confusing. I didn't understand it; Janet didn't understand it; and, while we've figured most of it out, it's still...it's not the easiest thing to talk about. It's...it's too new, for both of us." "Something serious happened to you two on P9X 119," Sam said. Daniel nodded, then looked down at his hands. "I want to check on Cassie before we go. We'll be down in a minute." He lifted his eyes to their concerned faces one last time, offering them just the faintest of smiles, then walked past them toward the stairs. Thankfully, this time they didn't try to stop him. Funny, Daniel mused as he climbed to the second floor. Two weeks ago he'd only been inside the Fraiser house once or twice, but now he knew it inside and out. He felt comfortable here. Whether that was a result of his link with Janet or because of how often he'd been there the past few days, though, he wasn't sure. Arriving at Cassie's room, he knocked lightly on the open door before stepping inside. Janet sat on the edge of the bed, running her fingers over the sleeping girl's forehead and brushing away the hair that lay splayed there. Her face reflected her very obvious pain as she observed the girl's fair, moonlit features. Daniel stepped up behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. //I haven't had the heart to wake her yet and tell her we're going away for...God only knows how long,\\ she said. Daniel's fingers traveled over her shoulder toward her bare neck, and Janet shivered under the comforting touch. //I know how much you love her, Janet...and your love for her has become my love.\\ She turned and lifted her eyes to his, causing another wave of empathy to spread through him. She hated this, having to leave Cassie behind. One of her favorite things about working at the SGC was that she rarely had to leave for extended periods of time. But now...not leaving was no longer a possibility. Daniel knew he couldn't do much to ease her pain, but at least he could reassure her like she'd done for him earlier. //It'll be okay. She'll be fine. We'll be home soon.\\ Janet nodded slowly and turned back to her daughter. "Cassie?" she whispered, touching the girl's cheek. "Cassie, wake up." The girl murmured in her sleep, and her eyes opened. "Mom?" A moment later she noticed Daniel and smiled groggily. "Daniel. How was your date?" "It was beautiful, Sweetie," Janet said. Even from his angle behind her, Daniel could see her smile; and he recognized that, in spite of everything, she truly had enjoyed the evening. So had he. "Jack and the others came over earlier," Cassie said, yawning. "They were worried about you, and I had to tell them about the past few days. I'm sorry." "Shh, it's all right. You did the right thing." Janet swallowed hard before launching into the news she dreaded relaying so much. "Cassie, Daniel and I have to go away for awhile." Cassie fought the sleep in her eyes as the words registered. "Back to that planet?" Seeing Janet's nod, she asked, "How long?" "We don't know," Daniel said. God, he hated this scenario. First he 'accidentally' ended up with a link that made him fall madly in love with Janet. That, in turn, had made him fall madly in love with Cassie once Janet's love for her daughter had spread through their link. While he wouldn't trade that newfound love for anything, the fact that this same link was forcing him to leave behind one of those objects of his affection was what had made him abhor the situation so much...and if *he* felt that way about leaving Cassie, he could only guess Janet hated it even more. No, Daniel clarified as her emotions crept into him, he didn't have to guess. He could feel exactly how much she hated it. "We hope it won't be for more than a week or two," Janet told her. "I want you to call Shannon tomorrow and ask if you can stay with her until we get back." Unbidden, the image of a middle-aged woman with long, curly red hair entered Daniel's mind. That must be Shannon. From Janet's memories, he could tell that she was a close family friend who often looked after Cassie when Janet was forced to stay at the SGC longer than anticipated. While he also instinctively knew that Cassie loved Shannon, at the moment the girl frowned at her mother's suggestion. God, the sadness on both of their faces was tearing at his heart. Considering what Cassie had been through, losing her home and family, he couldn't blame her for hating it whenever those she loved left, no matter what the circumstances. Damn it, it wasn't fair. "We'll be back before you know it, Cass," he said, placing a kiss to her forehead, "and then we'll have some very important things we need to discuss with you." Cassie lifted her eyes to his as he gently brushed the hair from her face. Finally, Daniel couldn't handle the emotions whirling inside him any longer; and, briefly meeting Janet's gaze, he took his leave of them, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. Once safely outside in the hallway, he slumped against the wall and lifted his hands to his face, squeezing his eyes shut. He was an emotional wreck. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything in his life had changed virtually overnight, and he still hadn't had enough time to come to grips with any of those changes. Then to add the weight of all of Janet's identical, bewildered emotions onto his own...God, it was too much. Without her support, he suspected he'd never have survived this far. In the past 24 hours, he felt like he had experienced every emotion known to man. Rage, fear, joy, confusion, love, sorrow, guilt...and new ones just kept hurtling his way at a breakneck speed. Daniel wanted off of this nightmarish, emotional roller coaster ride, but that didn't appear to be an option. He was trapped in his seat; the brakes weren't working; the car was about to take a sharp turn in an unknown direction; and the end of the ride was shrouded in a mysterious, ominous haze. It was making him nauseous. Nowhere could he see a reprieve, and the feelings of helplessness and despair that kept growing more intense with every passing minute threatened to paralyze him completely. He was never going to make it through this. Suddenly, he jumped as a hand touched his arm; and his eyes flew open to find Sam standing in front of him, her expression tinged with pain and concern. He hadn't even heard her climbing the stairs toward him. Behind her, Daniel could see Jack and Teal'c keeping a safe distance at the top of the stairs, watching but not saying anything. "Hey," she said. "You okay?" Was he? Daniel wasn't even sure he could remember the meaning of the word 'okay,' let alone know if he could apply it to his current state. "I don't...I really don't know, Sam." "Daniel, we're your friends," Sam said. "We're Janet's friends. We're worried about you. We want to help." Daniel gave her a sad, wistful smile. The truth was, he couldn't have asked for a better friend or teammate than her, never judging him when he made mistakes, always listening when he needed to talk, and always supporting him when he was hurting without forcing him to release the internal dam that prevented him from disintegrating into a pitiful wreck. Sam rarely gave herself the credit she deserved for being such a good friend. If he had been blessed to have a sister, she was exactly what he would've wanted her to be like. He just wished she didn't have to struggle between remaining strong for military appearances and letting others touch her emotionally; it was all too clear that that struggle had led to as much internal confusion for her as all the other stressful events of her life had, such as her possession by Jolinar. "Believe me, Sam, I wish you could help us," he finally said. She frowned at his response, but her eyes indicated that she wasn't offended, just saddened. "It's obvious something has you and Janet terrified. Are you in trouble? Is someone after you? Tell us what we can do and we'll do it." Was he in trouble? Hell, yeah, more than he wanted to dwell on at the moment. Was someone after him? In a matter of speaking, he supposed someone was. Corraman and Avitus hadn't been looking to shake hands with him; they'd been seeking blood. And as for asking his teammates for help, he desperately wanted to...only he doubted there was anything they could do for him. When Daniel still didn't say anything, Sam squeezed his arm. "Who's Valea? At least tell us that." The sheer pleading in her voice broke his already torn heart. He'd hurt them by keeping so much from them. They were his teammates and he'd been so selfishly concerned with himself that he'd hurt them by leaving them in the dark. Daniel would have been just as hurt if Jack, Sam, or Teal'c had been in a similar predicament and refused to discuss any of the details with him. He'd betrayed their trust and their friendship. Damn it, Jackson, you've really messed up this time. Now look, they're still here and they're still talking to you; thanks to Jack and General Hammond, you still have a job; and they're giving you another chance. As much as you hate talking about this, you owe it to them to trust them with the truth. So he told them. He told them about Valea and Sayil and what had happened during SG-1's first trip to P9X 119. He told them what had happened that morning back on the planet and about their new 'abilities.' He told them about the fire in the forest and the one in the living room a few minutes ago. He told them the little he knew about Amala, Corraman, Avitus, and Edea. He told them about Valea's interference in his and Janet's minds the previous week that explained their bizarre behavior and memory loss. The one thing he didn't tell them about, however, was his full connection to Janet. While he mentioned their telepathy, he couldn't bear to tell them the other details of the Level 3 link, at least not yet. It -- and his impossible to fully identify emotions -- were still too personal and too new. Daniel knew he'd have to tell them eventually, especially if the link was as permanent as Valea and Sayil had said, but now? He just couldn't. Maybe once he and Janet were completely comfortable with it, but not yet. They'd have plenty of time for that particular explanation later. Finally, exhaustion set in and he fell silent. He didn't want to talk about Valea or Drearyland anymore. He just wanted to go back and get this damned 'saving the planet' thing over with. He wanted to find Edea and Amala, then come back home so he could start figuring out what his new life with Janet would be like. As if on cue, Daniel sensed his link-mate heading to the door of Cassie's room; and he opened it for her before she reached it. Her cheeks were tear-streaked in the dim hallway light as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. //You okay?\\ Daniel asked her, even though he knew all too well just how much she was hurting inside. "God, Daniel, she's devastated. She's afraid we're leaving her for good...and I can't convince her she's wrong because I'm not sure she is." Janet's eyes turned to the rest of his team as she finally realized they were standing there, watching them. She slipped her hand into his. //You told them.\\ //Yes, I did,\\ Daniel said, giving her hand a squeeze. //Go change and we'll head back to the base.\\ Janet nodded and headed toward her bedroom at the end of the hall, clutching his hand as long as she could until their fingers parted. The loss of contact caused a feeling of emptiness to settle in the pit of his stomach, and Daniel continued watching her until she had entered her room. While one corner of his mind was worried about how closely his teammates were scrutinizing his interactions with Janet, by that point he couldn't care anymore. Right then all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and make them both forget everything that had anything to do with Planet Edea. "You are returning to P9X 119 with Dr. Fraiser, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c observed, interrupting his thoughts. Daniel took a deep breath before looking back at his teammates. There was no use hiding this from them, either. "We don't have a choice. The condition I'm in, I'm a danger to the SGC, unable to control this..." he motioned at his head, "...*thing*. Valea said she'd help us find Edea, the woman who might be able to help us gain control over these skills. That's our only hope right now. And besides, that's one of the things Janet and I talked about tonight and we...we want to help them." He closed his eyes as the memory of the emotions he'd felt from Valea during her 'slide show' that morning resurfaced. "They're terrified, and they think we can help them. I'm not sure I believe them, but...I'd like to try." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jack climb to the top step and look briefly at Sam, then at Teal'c. Daniel didn't have to read their thoughts to know exactly what Jack was about to say. "Well, all things considered, I think it's safe to say we're coming with you." Daniel grinned wryly. Yup, there was the 'we're coming with you' line he'd been expecting. "You can't, Jack. There's nothing you can do for us." "Nothing we can do," the colonel repeated, arching an eyebrow. "Look, it's not that we don't want your help because, believe me, we do, it's just that...Valea said you and Teal'c were warriors. You don't possess the mental abilities Janet and I do. Sam..." Daniel turned his eyes to her, "...you apparently do, but they don't need yours like they do ours. If they're not needed...I can't let you do something this drastic, this permanent." Sam's eyes snapped to him and her lips parted. "You're saying *I* have some of these skills?" Seeing Daniel's nod, she looked back at the colonel, who appeared rather intrigued by that discovery. "What kind of skills?" Daniel blinked several times. "To be honest, I'm not...I'm not exactly sure. Valea said they're like Sayil's, which, from what I could gather, includes teleportation and the creation of protective barriers of some kind. She said you're lacking the illusionary skills that Sayil used to create the river in the forest, maybe because of a heavy warrior influence in you, but all the other skills are apparently there." "Impressive, Major," Jack said, his lips curling into a smile. "Okay, Daniel, so *what* was the problem with us coming with you again?" Daniel returned his eyes to the colonel, his uneasiness returning. He had to come up with a way to convince these three to stay behind. So much had changed the past few days that he didn't think he could handle it if anything bad were to happen to them as well. Going up against Amala was too risky. He wouldn't let them do this...he *couldn't* let them do this. "Warriors can't do anything for them. You can't even see Valea and Sayil. And Sam, if Valea were to open your mind, you might be able to do something to help them...but you don't want this, not if you can't control it. I don't want to see Amala hurt any of you." "We don't want to see Amala hurt *you*, Daniel," Jack countered. Sam took a step back as the colonel walked forward, placing a hand on the archaeologist's arm. "Listen, we're not going to let you and Fraiser go off to face God knows what on Drearyland by yourselves and you know it. Even if we're nothing but eye candy the whole time, we're coming with you, and that's final." He shrugged and pulled his hand away. "Besides, you'll need some bodyguards while playing with your new 'powers,' right? And as for not seeing these two kids? We were able to see that boy just fine in the forest, so they must have some way of making themselves visible to us." "Right...." Come to think of it, SG-1 *had* seen Sayil then. Why hadn't Valea mentioned that? But still, that was beside the point. "Jack, you don't seem to realize that Janet and I may be there for weeks or months, even, trying to learn how to control these skills. Then to find Amala and stop her before any more Edeans are frozen, not to mention how dangerous the whole thing will be...." "Yeah, yeah, we know," Jack cut him off, waving his hand for him to stop. "We're perfectly aware of the time frame and danger involved, but since when does SG-1 do anything *not* remotely dangerous?" Oh. "Good point," Daniel admitted. "*Thank* you," he said, then grinned wickedly. "Besides, this could be fun, watching you try not to blow everything up." Daniel stared at him a moment, then snorted. That was one thing he could always count on: Jack would never miss an opportunity to watch Daniel squirm. "Glad you're so amused." "There's just one condition. You have to *talk* to us this time. Tell us what's going on. Don't leave us hanging like this ever again." Jack's eyebrows rose expectantly. "Got it?" Daniel frowned. There was no use arguing; Jack was too damn stubborn. Besides, a huge part of him desperately wanted his teammates to tag along with them. He wasn't sure why, but something told him that they *needed* to come along. With that in mind, he finally sighed, giving in. "Yeah, I got it." Jack nodded, watching Daniel closely. "Look, I know you're still trying to come up with some great excuse to leave us behind, but our minds are made up. We're coming with you. Aren't we, Carter?" "Definitely, Sir." "Teal'c?" "I concur." Daniel looked around at his friends' determined faces, torn. While he was touched that they cared enough about him to face the risks, he was terrified of what Amala might do to them. One thing was certain, though: he and Janet would be having company on this little adventure. The door at the end of the hall opened, and Janet emerged in jeans and a sweater, looking much more composed than she had a moment before. "They're coming with us," Daniel announced as she joined them. "I heard." She smiled up at him, lightly touching his arm, and he could sense her relief that SG-1 was accompanying them. Daniel supposed it *was* a relief to know that his friends -- friends he trusted with his life -- would be joining them on such a questionable mission. Jack eyed the two another minute, then motioned at the stairs. "Anyway, Campers, it's nearly two in the morning; we should let Cassie get some sleep. Let's head back to the base and start explaining to Hammond why we're taking an extended leave to Drearyland." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Eight: Rubicon August 24, 2001 Friday, 8:35 a.m. The Stargate opened with a whoosh on the dying planet, and a second later the five travelers stepped out of the rippling blue event horizon. Daniel lifted a hand to block his face from the steadily falling rain as he scanned the horizon, his heart beating faster as a low rumble of thunder shook the ground. "I guess Corraman and Avitus are still around," he said. "Let's hope they don't notice us before Valea does," Janet replied. "Just don't let her freeze us again, Daniel," Sam said. "I won't." Earlier that morning he had debated letting Valea do just that and then sneaking away before she unfroze them, thus leaving SG-1 behind, but Janet had quickly squelched that thought. She wanted them to come along, and that part of him that always felt reassured at having his teammates nearby had wholeheartedly agreed with her. Besides, Daniel found he couldn't refuse Janet anything she wanted since their link's creation...something he hoped wouldn't one day turn out to be a curse. In the end, he had determined he'd do whatever necessary to convince Valea to let the rest of SG-1 accompany them. Jack raised the hood on his raincoat. "So, speaking of Valea, Daniel, any idea when our tour guide is planning to make an appearance?" "Let me check." //Valea? You there?\\ After a long moment of silence, Daniel's eyes drifted down to Janet's, both growing concerned. Where was she? Hadn't she heard him? God, if something had happened to her and her brother during the past 24 hours.... //Yeah, we're here.\\ Daniel heard Janet breathe a sigh of relief, and he nodded at Jack to let him know they'd contacted her. //We're getting a bit wet out here.\\ //Hold on.\\ Like the day before, warmth spread through his body; and, next he and Janet knew, they were standing in the center of the teenagers' tiny cottage. Valea sat on the bed, leaning against the back wall as if she'd been napping, while Sayil stood guard at the door, watching the Stargate. Absently, Daniel wondered if the boy ever moved from that spot. //Teleportation, huh?\\ Janet asked as she took his hand in hers, and he smiled faintly in response. A second later her eyes drifted to the girl on the bed and her body tensed. "You must be Valea." While her tone was pleasant, Daniel could easily recognize the wariness and distrust in her voice toward the young woman who had so radically altered the course of their lives. "Janet Fraiser," Valea said, sliding her legs off the bed and rising to greet them with a warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you in person. I'm assuming Daniel's already told you about my brother, Sayil?" Her brother cast a quick glance back at them, nodding his greeting, then returned his attention to the world outside the cottage. "Look, I realize you don't trust me yet, but I hope, given enough time, we can change that." She placed her hand to Janet's arm. "And I must extend my deepest apologies for the grief and confusion I've caused you the past two weeks." The sincerity in the girl's apology was clear, and Daniel sensed his companion relax as she recognized that fact. "Well, while I don't approve of what you did to us, Daniel explained that you only did it because you were desperate." Valea's blue eyes landed on her, as if she were analyzing both her words and her thoughts; and, after a moment, Janet fidgeted under the girl's intense gaze. "Yes, we were desperate. Still are, actually. To be honest, Sayil and I weren't sure either of you would be back." "You didn't give us much of a choice," Daniel reminded her. He shot the girl a pointed look that she didn't fail to notice, then looked around the cottage. "So where are our friends?" Sayil motioned at the door. "In front of the Doorway." "You didn't freeze them, did you?" Janet quickly asked. Through their Level 2 link, Daniel could sense Valea's defenses rise at the accusatory tone of Janet's question. "Why?" she replied. "You don't want me to?" Well that, apparently, meant that she *had* frozen them. It was too bad Daniel wasn't in the mood for playing any more games with her. This time he *wouldn't* take 'no' for an answer. "Bring them here and unfreeze them, Valea," he said. She stared at him, wide-eyed. "But...." "They can't see you and Sayil; yes, we know that," he cut her off. "They can't help us because Jack and Teal'c are warriors and you don't need Sam's skills; yes, we know that too. Bring them here and unfreeze them anyway." Her mouth fell open at his insistence. "You're serious." "If you could read my mind, you'd know I was," he retorted, unable to suppress his smirk. "Yeah, well, you yelled at me so much the last time that I finally decided to leave you alone," she grumbled, nodding curtly at her brother. "But Valea," Sayil said, aghast, "they're *warriors*." Janet looked up at Daniel questioningly. //What's wrong with warriors?\\ His eyes narrowed as he observed the two siblings. //I have no idea...but I think I'd like to know.\\ "Yes, Sayil, they are warriors, but I'm not going to risk this guy here," Valea motioned angrily at Daniel, "setting the cottage on fire. Now do it." Daniel was sure he heard Sayil mutter something about 'stubborn fire starters'; but, in spite of his obvious yet inexplicable disgust at the request, the boy obliged and snapped his fingers, a frozen Jack, Sam, and Teal'c immediately appearing inside the cottage. Valea frowned at Daniel but didn't say or do anything, although it was clear she was displeased by how crowded the tiny cottage had become. "Oh, God," Janet whispered as she saw their friends' lifeless condition. "Unfreeze them." "Just be aware that you and Daniel are the only ones they can see and hear," Valea warned them, then closed her eyes and snapped her fingers. Instantly, the three came to life; and Jack's eyes snapped to Daniel expectantly. Oh, right, he was waiting to hear when they'd meet Valea. Before Daniel could think of a reply, Sam suddenly grabbed Jack's arm. "Ah, Sir?" He turned his head toward her, waiting for her to go on. "We're not in front of the Stargate anymore." "What?" He made a full circle, looking around. "You're right, we're not." "O'Neill, it is no longer raining where we stand, yet it is raining several feet from us in all directions," Teal'c said. Jack's eyebrows rose as he returned his attention to the archaeologist. "Daniel?" Uh oh, there was that look again. Whenever something didn't make sense, ask Daniel. He lowered his eyes to Janet's, but a second later they snapped back to Jack as he realized what the problem was. "You guys can't see the cottage?" "Cottage?" Jack asked at the same time Valea said, "No, they can't." "Oh. I take it you don't see Valea or Sayil, either." "Uh...no." Behind Jack, Valea smiled sweetly and shook her head, then proceeded to swing her arm through the colonel's chest. "You didn't feel that, either," Janet stated. "Feel what?" Jack eyed the two suspiciously before lifting his hand. "All right, *stop*. What's going on?" Janet glanced up at Daniel. //I think I'll let you explain this.\\ He gave her a wry smile. "Thank you, Janet. Um, you guys were just...frozen...for a few minutes. Valea brought us into her cottage, which is where we're standing...right...now...." Valea beamed him a smug, 'I told you so' smile, interrupting his train of thought. In response, he glared at her. "This isn't funny, Valea." "Hey, I never said it was," she countered. "Your idea to drag them along won't work, Daniel. Get over it." Daniel's eyes widened at her words. Whoa. Where had *that* come from? She seemed to be enjoying being uncooperative a little bit too much. Was this even the same girl he'd met only the day before? Janet must have had the same reaction, for she immediately repeated, //'Get over it'? She's rather sassy today, isn't she?\\ //I see that,\\ he said, then cleared his throat and fixed the girl with a sharp look. "Valea, they're coming with us, whether you like it or not." Teal'c cocked his head. "You are able to see her, Daniel Jackson, Dr. Fraiser." "Oh, yeah," Janet said, folding her arms to her chest and frowning at Valea. "We can see her." For a long moment, Jack just eyed the two curiously, until he finally looked back at Sam. "Carter?" She shrugged. "I can't see them either, Sir. They must be on a different plane of some sort, like what the crystal skull did to Daniel. Or maybe their light waves are 180 degrees different from ours, like the Reetou or the technology that Nirrti used to become invisible." Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Valea wasn't making this situation any easier, standing as she was on the other side of the cottage and grinning at them like a banshee. She had promised that she'd help him and Janet in any way she could, so why was she insisting on being so difficult? Slipping his glasses back on, he took a deep breath and looked up at the girl. As much as wanted to give her a little incentive to cooperate, starting the cottage on fire still wasn't the best possible idea...no matter how close he was bordering on not caring about the repercussions. Stick to reason and logic, Jackson; those are your strongest points. "Look, Valea, we were able to see Sayil the first time we were here, so you must be able to make yourselves visible to them now." It took Valea a moment to comprehend what Daniel had just said. When the realization hit her, she glared nastily at her brother. //She's probably scolding him for making himself visible to you,\\ Janet said. Daniel nodded, but before he could reply, Valea turned her eyes back to them. It was obvious she had been forced into a situation she didn't like. "Fine. Sayil and I will make ourselves visible to them, but it's only temporary. It's too much of a strain to maintain visibility for extended periods of time." Both she and Sayil nodded. "They can see and hear us." "Whoa!" Jack exclaimed, jumping back as he first noticed the girl. "*Hello*." The other two members of SG-1 also looked around in surprise. "You were correct, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "We are standing inside a cottage." "And that means you must be Valea and Sayil," Sam greeted the two blond siblings. "We are," Sayil replied, smiling charmingly at her. "You are Major Samantha Carter, Colonel Jack O'Neill, and the Jaffa is Teal'c." Jack's eyes narrowed as he observed the boy. "You know our names." "They know a hell of a lot more about us than just our names, Jack," Daniel mumbled. "But thank you, Valea. We appreciate this." "Don't mention it," she replied, giving him another irritated frown. "Daniel and I have already discussed it, Valea," Janet said. "If you want our help, SG-1 is coming with us. They *want* to come with us." Jack shrugged as Valea's eyes fell on him. "What can I say? We're coming with you." "I hope not all of the people on your planet are this stubborn." "Most are worse, actually, including our superior, General Hammond," Jack said. "He gave us an order to stay with Daniel and Fraiser, and that's exactly what we're going to do. If you want help, Valea, you either get *all* of us helping you, or *none* of us helping you. That's the deal, take it or leave it." The girl's frown deepened; but, in the end, she sighed in defeat. "Fine, we'll take it...but you do know that you're making things extremely difficult for us, don't you?" *SG-1* was making things difficult? Daniel wondered. Then how did she describe what *she* was doing? Valea was the one who'd dragged them into this mess to begin with, not vice versa. What was so 'difficult' about bringing the rest of his team along? Wait, she'd started saying something.... "What did you mean before, that they could only see you temporarily?" he asked. "Is that why this is so hard for you?" Valea cast a quick glance back at Sayil, who had finally left his post by the door to stand beside Sam. "My brother and I have to continuously exert extra energy to make ourselves visible to those whose minds aren't opened. That effort interferes with our ability to use our other skills, so yes, it is a problem. Like we said before, Daniel, mind users can't use more than one skill at a time. There are a few exceptions to that rule, but this isn't one of them." "So don't use your other skills," Jack suggested. As soon as he'd said it, though, Daniel realized that wasn't an option for children who'd been accustomed to using these amazing, timesaving abilities since childhood. It would be like trying to get used to riding in a horse and buggy again after being spoiled by automobiles. Once the novelty wore off, you'd sorely miss the technological advancement. "Sorry, Colonel, but it's not that easy," Sayil said. "And besides, even if you could see us, how would you expect to see anyone else on our planet? Or our villages, for that matter? The effort required on our part to let you see everything at all times would, quite frankly, cause Valea and myself to fall catatonic within minutes." "And that's not the only problem," Valea continued. "You can't speak our language." Her eyes snapped to Daniel. "And before you ask it, Sayil and I are able to speak with you because I used Daniel and two tools called an, ah, encyclopedia and a dictionary to learn your language. In turn, I passed that knowledge on to my brother over our link. We can't teach everyone on our planet English, though, since we don't have links with all of them. So in order to...." Daniel lifted his hand to stop her. It was all too easy to see where her words were heading: 'No, you can't bring SG-1 with you.' "Okay, we get the point, Valea -- this is difficult for you. There has to be another option, though. They *are* coming with us." The girl's frown was replaced by an obnoxiously smug smile. //Well, of *course* there's another option, Daniel. Two, actually, and I guarantee you're not going to like either of them.\\ Janet had been right before; Valea *was* being sassy today. "Try us," Daniel said, not failing to notice that Jack arched an eyebrow at the apparently one-sided conversation. "And skip the one about sending them back to Earth." "All right, you want the other option so we wouldn't need to make ourselves visible all the time? I'll give it to you. I could open their minds and give them a Level 1 link." Daniel flinched. Damn, he'd hoped she hadn't been talking about that. "Told you that you wouldn't like it." "Quit reading my mind," Daniel quickly scolded her, then stopped to consider her suggestion. As much as he hated hearing those words -- 'open their minds' -- they needed more details before they could dismiss the option. "How would that help you?" "Well, for starters, we could download our language directly into their brains instead of having to teach it to them, at least if they'd let one of us create a Level 1 link with them," Sayil said. "Even better, given a day or two, they'd be able to see our people on their own, meaning Valea and I wouldn't have to make ourselves visible to them." Jack stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Back up. What do you mean, 'open our minds'?" Valea glared at Daniel. "Well, Colonel, if you're anything like Daniel, I can guarantee you won't want it." God, what was with her attitude today? She seemed just as determined not to let the others accompany them as Daniel was to make sure they *did* accompany them. Shouldn't this be *their* decision, not Valea's? "I never said that, Valea," he replied. "I said I didn't like having my *choice* in the matter taken away from me. To be honest, my mind hasn't been open long enough for me to know if I want it or not." Janet touched his hand to calm him, and the contact was enough to divert Daniel's attention from Valea to the place where her fingers rested on his skin, soothing his increasingly frazzled nerves. "Valea, why don't you explain what's involved in opening their minds?" she said. Valea tilted her head curiously, as if she was surprised by Janet's calmness at hearing such an unpopular suggestion. Then again, Daniel reminded himself, compared to his constant whining about how she'd rewired his brain without his consent, it was no wonder Valea was so surprised by the calm reaction now. She'd probably expected the same, if not worse, from Janet. "All right, you want to know what's involved. We can do that." The girl opened a drawer on a small wooden cabinet beside the bed and pulled out a silver bracelet. "We place this bracelet to your forehead, and it emits a ray similar to a laser into your brain. This 'laser' joins some neurons together and begins opening the black room in your mind. Once your black room has cleared out enough, you'll become perceptive to things in our world." "I am uncertain whether your procedure would work on me," Teal'c said. "Oh, it would, Teal'c," she said. "Don't worry, it works the same on you as it does on us because your brain's makeup is identical to a humans'. Our technology has a more powerful effect on a Jaffa's physiology than a symbiote, believe it or not." He arched an eyebrow of surprise. "I see." "So if it's more powerful than even a Goa'uld symbiote, then what kind of physical effects would it have on us?" Sam asked, clearly growing alarmed at the description. "Besides letting us see you and your people." "Well, on those two," Sayil said, pointing to Jack and Teal'c, "it wouldn't have much of an effect, if any. They have no latent abilities to unleash. They'd be able to sense us, their minds would be receptive to the creation of links, their dreams would be enhanced, their physical aging would slow, and their lifespans would increase, but that's about it. You, on the other hand...." He smiled as Sam nodded, catching his point. "Daniel said I possess latent abilities like yours. Opening my mind would release those abilities." "Right," Valea said. "Of course, it takes several days for those skills to really start developing. In Daniel and Janet, for example, it took nearly two weeks for their skills to reach the level they're currently at." "Okay, so what about the telepathy part?" Jack asked. "The SGC has a little matter of national security to worry about." "Oh, no, no," Valea replied. "Telepathy is a completely different issue. Links are created separately, after the mind's been opened. Although, like Sayil mentioned before, if you want us to teach you our language, one of us needs a Level 1 link with each of you...." "...Or you could just have a Level 1 link created with Daniel and Janet and they could transmit the language to you that way," Sayil quickly added, seeing how disapproving Jack appeared of Valea's option. "Well, no offense, but we'd much rather have a link with Daniel and Fraiser than with either of you," Jack said. "Although even that could be a bit of a problem. Daniel told us you used your link to search his memories and to trigger that fire using his skills, Valea. General Hammond would never let us work at the SGC if we could steal national securities from one another...or if we could accidentally make Daniel set things on fire." Valea shook her head. "Actually, no, that's not a problem, Colonel. You can't read anyone's mind with a Level 1 link, only receive the messages they send you and send them messages in return. You'd need a Level 2 link or higher to do what I was able to do to Daniel." Jack looked first at Sam, who shrugged, then at Teal'c, who cocked his head. Finally, his attention landed on Daniel and Janet. "Daniel?" Huh? Oh, right, Jack wanted his impression since he actually had a link and knew more about them than the colonel did. "Um, Level 1 links.... I don't...ah, I don't see anything wrong with them. They seem pretty harmless, like email, actually. Janet?" Beside him, Janet blinked several times, distracted by the thought of being given a link with Jack, Sam, and Teal'c. Well, Daniel silently clarified, that and an underlying fear that, if they went through with it, they'd run the risk of Corraman interfering and 'accidentally' creating a higher link between them all.... //There's no reason to worry about that,\\ Valea interrupted. //As long as we stay inside the cottage, Corraman can't interrupt the linking process. Edea's barrier around this place will block him.\\ Janet looked up at Daniel and shrugged. "In that case, no, I don't see anything wrong with the Level 1 link. If it were Level 2 or above, there'd be some definite security issues, but not with a Level 1 link. It's like having a conversation with someone else just by thinking the words. I don't have any problems with that." "It doesn't sound too bad, Sir," Sam said. "It does not, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed. "And it's permanent, right?" Jack asked. "Yes, although you can always block it or choose not to use it," Valea said. Jack nodded slowly, his attention still focused on Daniel. "Valea, Sayil, would you give us a moment? Alone?" The girl frowned at his request and folded her arms to her chest defiantly. "And where are we supposed to go? It's pouring outside. We won't interfere." "Would you rather we go back to Earth and discuss it there?" Jack said, his eyes darting at her, irritated. The siblings looked at each other in frustration. "Warriors," they heard Sayil mutter before he snapped his fingers and the two disappeared. Jack quickly scanned the interior of the cottage. "Daniel? They gone?" "I think so." //Valea? Where did you go?\\ //We're standing outside the cottage. Sayil's put up a rain barrier but it's a bit cold out here so HURRY UP!\\ Janet's eyes widened as she overheard the mental conversation. "Wow, she really *is* sassy today." "You're *sure* you want to help these two?" Jack asked them. "They're not exactly the *nicest* kids we've ever met." Daniel sighed and rubbed his neck. If he hadn't spoken with them at length yesterday and felt Valea's emotions of fear as clearly as he had through his link with her, he'd assume the same thing, that they were nothing more than troublesome teenagers who were only interested in annoying the hell out of him and his team. Was she mad that they wanted Jack, Sam, and Teal'c to come along? And if so, why? "Well, they seemed nicer and more...accommodating...yesterday. All I can think is that they have some overly strong biases against warriors...or something serious has happened since we were last here." Jack nodded. "Well, keep an eye on them, see if you can figure it out. Now, about these links. You're *sure* there's nothing wrong with them? You two may not have had a choice, but we do. Do we want them?" "Well, I can't see anything wrong with them, if that's what you mean," Daniel said. "They'd probably even come in handy if we could send each other thoughts during missions without anyone else overhearing us." "I agree with Daniel, Sir," Sam said. "It could be quite an advantage for us, especially if we don't have to use them and can easily block them." "Teal'c?" "I would not be opposed to such a procedure, O'Neill, assuming Valea is correct that it can be performed on a Jaffa." Jack took a deep breath, clearly thinking it over, then looked at Janet. "Okay, Doc, what about health concerns? This 'opening the mind' thing is *safe*, right?" The question took Daniel by surprise. //Wow, how often does Jack question whether something is safe?\\ he asked Janet. //Not often,\\ she replied, chuckling. The colonel glared at them, realizing that they were mentally communicating about him. "Hey, stop talking about me like that. I just want to make sure we're not going to drop over dead tomorrow if we let Valea do this." Janet cleared her throat. "Sorry. Anyway, Colonel, to be honest, I haven't had time to examine the physical effects this has had on us yet. We found out about it yesterday; Daniel explained it to me last night; and we didn't exactly have time this morning to run full exams on either of us. From the little we saw before yesterday, though, there was a drastic increase of activity in both of our brains. Whether it'll cause permanent brain damage, though, is anyone's guess. For awhile at the beginning, we both felt mentally tired, although we seem to have become accustomed to it since then. Physically, I don't feel anything adverse...actually, my senses have been heightened and I've felt *better*...." "...Although that wouldn't affect you with a Level 1 link," Daniel quickly interrupted, smiling down at Janet in warning. She blushed as she realized she'd been about to describe something beyond the scope of what the others currently needed to know. Jack's eyes drifted back to Sam, and she asked the question for him. "You two have a Level 1 link, right?" Damn, the damage had been done. //Sorry,\\ Janet said. Daniel gave her a reassuring smile. //Don't worry about it; they'd need to find out sometime.\\ "Ah...no, not exactly. We...have something a bit higher than that." "Oh?" Jack asked, his eyebrows creeping upward. "We're...actually able to *read* each other's thoughts," Janet said. "Among other things," Daniel added. "And how did you two end up with this higher link?" Jack asked as if he'd finally figured out why they'd been so distracted the past few weeks. "Er...well...Valea was trying to give us a Level 1 link, but there, um, was a bit of a freak accident," Daniel explained awkwardly, wringing his hands together. "Her timing was just off, right at the moment Corraman decided to attack us with a big bolt of lightning...but she's assured us there's no chance of that happening again, at least not here inside the cottage." Sam's mouth dropped open. "Are you two okay?" "Oh, yeah," Janet said. "We're fine. We're *more* than fine, actually." Her eyes darted up and met Daniel's. "Well...kind of." "Or at least we hope we will be," Daniel said. "Anyway, like I said, that's not something you'll need to worry about accidentally happening if we let her give us these links." Come on, guys, just let the subject drop, he silently begged them. Please? It was clear from the way Jack's eyes narrowed that he knew there was more to their story; but, much to Daniel's relief, he didn't press the issue. "So it's *safe*, right?" Hadn't they just heard that question? Oh, wait, neither he nor Janet had actually *answered* it, Daniel realized. No wonder it was being repeated. He met Janet's gaze again uncomfortably. "We can't guarantee that, Colonel," she said. "Without going back to Earth and running full exams on Daniel and myself, which could take weeks to complete, time that we really don't have right now, we have no way of knowing the permanent physical effects Valea's procedure's had on us." "Valea said it was a completely natural process, and that only the 'opening the mind process' causes any discomfort while links are painless," Daniel said, then shrugged. "If you can get past that initial pain, it may be that the physical benefits will outweigh any negatives." "It is a price worth considering if Valea and Sayil spoke the truth that it will increase our health and extend our lives, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "It really doesn't sound that bad, Sir," Sam added. "No, it doesn't, but we don't know we can trust Valea's word," Jack said. "However, the fact remains that we would be unable to assist Daniel Jackson and Dr. Fraiser without allowing Valea to open our minds and give us this link," Teal'c said. "We cannot fight an enemy we cannot see, and we are already aware that we cannot see the Edeans." "I know," Jack quickly replied, then lowered his voice. "I know. And General Hammond gave us explicit orders to help them however we can...and to stay with Daniel and Fraiser." He lifted his hand to his eyes and rubbed them wearily. "Well, you two haven't died from it yet. Acted a bit strange, maybe, but we'll blame that on Valea. I'm willing to do it." "As am I," Teal'c said. Jack nodded, then turned to Sam. "Carter? You're the one who'll be the most affected by it, so I'm leaving this decision up to you. I'm not making this an order; I'm giving you the choice to go back to the SGC instead of letting these kids permanently alter your brain...and most likely the rest of your life." She seemed taken aback by the colonel's offer. Hell, *Daniel* was surprised by the colonel's consideration...but all it did was reinforce in his mind that Jack truly did care about each of them and only had their best interests in mind. "Thank you, Sir, I appreciate that," Sam said. "But if you and Teal'c are going through with it, then so am I, permanent adverse effects or not. I'd like to get a better look at the technology the Edeans use to 'open the mind'...and besides, maybe my 'skills' will come in handy here anyway." She shrugged. "Who knows, maybe they'll help out in SG-1's other missions as well. I'm willing to take that chance." "Glad to hear it, Major," Jack said, beaming her a pleased smile. Daniel closed his eyes. They were dead serious about going through with this. Sam was actually willing to let Valea alter the course of her life by unleashing these skills...oh, wait, of course she was willing to do that. After all, who wouldn't like to be given such amazing superpowers? SG-1 had fallen madly in love with the 'abilities' Anise's armbands had given them; why should this be any different? He'd probably be ecstatic about his own skills too...if only he hadn't unintentionally started so many things on fire the past few days. He had to try one last time to stop them, though, just to be sure. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't make this very, very clear. "Look, guys, while we're touched, I don't want you to feel you *have* to do this. You can go back to the SGC, tell General Hammond that Valea froze you and, next you knew, Janet and I were gone. You have the choice we never did. We won't be offended if you don't go through with this. If we'd had the choice, we don't even know that *we* would've gone through with it." "We know that, Daniel," Jack said. "And we thank you for giving us that option. For the record, neither of you are asking us to come with you; we're volunteering. And if you're still not convinced this will benefit the SGC, think about it this way: the Edeans might just be the most technologically advanced culture we've ever met. If we do manage to defeat this Amala woman, maybe they'll be willing to return the favor when the Goa'uld attack Earth. I consider having my mind 'opened' and a link created with you guys a price worth paying to help Earth." Yet another good point, Daniel realized. He briefly looked down at Janet, sensing her hope, then returned his attention to the others and gave them a small smile. "All right, Jack. You've made your points, and we're not going to stop you." "Good. Now get Valea back in here so we can get this over with." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Nine: Drearyland August 24, 2001 Friday, 3:59 p.m. Janet's legs ached as she jogged along the uneven forest path, trying to keep up with Daniel and Valea. Sayil had lagged behind with the rest of SG-1, even though he seemed to be the most eager of them to reach their destination. They had spent the entire afternoon walking north through the dying forest toward the village of Deracot. Valea was determined to reach the village before sunset, so they had kept up a steady pace with only a few five-minute breaks here and there and a half-hour break for lunch. By the way the girl kept glancing back at them, though, Janet knew she was aware of their fatigue. At least the weather had improved the further they'd traveled away from the Stargate. The sky was still overcast and the temperature was still cool, but the wind and rain had tapered off until nothing remained but a light drizzle. This was far more bearable than the thunderstorm that was raging back by the Stargate...and it was one less thing they had to worry about delaying their trek to the village. Fortunately, the 'opening of the mind' process back at the cottage had gone well. Much to Colonel O'Neill's dismay, Valea had insisted on freezing time for them before carrying out the procedure, claiming there was no way they'd be able to stand perfectly still while she worked unless they were frozen. He'd finally relented when he'd realized just how delicate the procedure was and that the continued use of his, Sam's, and Teal'c's brains was at stake. None of them had been quite prepared for the intense pain of the operation, though; and Janet had been more than a little glad that she hadn't had to endure that again. She had to give Valea credit: the girl was smart enough to freeze all three of them at the same time so they wouldn't be able to change their minds after seeing the procedure performed on the others. Valea was also skilled enough that her task went smoothly, even under the added pressure of Daniel and Janet scrutinizing her actions. In total, it had only taken her about five minutes to finish opening all three minds. Once she'd unfrozen them and they'd recovered from the 'knife-in-the- skull' pain, she had turned to Daniel, held out her mind-opening bracelet to him, and stated, "Now *you* get to create your Level 1 links with them." That had certainly been the most interesting part of the morning, Janet remembered with a smile. The adorably cute expression of panic and bewilderment on Daniel's face when he realized Valea was dead serious would, thankfully, remain with her for the rest of her life. It was obvious that Valea wasn't about to take any chances 'accidentally' giving SG-1 the wrong link this time; and, therefore, if something went wrong, Valea wanted *Daniel* to be the one to take the blame, not herself. The girl had explained that anyone whose mind was fully open could create a Level 1 link with another person; it was only the higher-level links that required a professional. Valea had then guided Daniel through the process, and Janet had been privileged to observe and learn along with him how their black rooms could be connected. At least that procedure had been painless and, once Daniel had gotten used to creating them, relatively quick; and, half an hour later, the full network of links had been complete. Upon O'Neill's rather firm request, though, he, Sam, and Teal'c were only given links to Daniel and Janet, *not* to Valea or Sayil. Without warning, Janet's foot snagged on a fallen branch in the path and she stumbled. A pace ahead of her, Daniel immediately stopped, reaching back and grabbing her arm to steady her. "You okay?" Janet nodded and gave him a faint smile as she righted herself. He didn't need to ask the question since he knew she was fine, but it was still nice to hear his voice out loud instead of inside her mind. Somehow it made their new relationship seem more real, like everything was normal between them. Well, almost, except for the electricity that was spreading into her from the point where Daniel's fingers touched her arm. "I'm fine," she said, not failing to notice that, even once she was steady, he kept his hand on her arm. She briefly closed her eyes and sighed. It was amazing how such a simple contact with him had reenergized her entire body. Daniel returned her smile shyly, his eyes locking with hers. //Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking. It must be another benefit of this link, that we can share our stamina with each other.\\ Her cheeks flushed at the realization. It would make sense since everything else between them seemed to be mutual. //Are these feelings ever going to get old, Daniel?\\ //God, I hope not.\\ His smile broadened as he lightly kissed her forehead. Seeing her chuckle at his response, he removed his hand from her arm and placed it to her back to lead her forward on the path. //Come on, we have an impatient guide.\\ Yes, they did, Janet noted as she saw that Valea had stopped beside a gnarled tree several feet ahead to wait for them. //How far away are we from Deracot?\\ //Valea said it was a little under an hour yet,\\ he said. She groaned, and Daniel nodded his agreement. //I know, I'm ready to quit for the day too. I think Jack and the others are just as tired as we are.\\ //None of us slept more than an hour last night, and I can't help remembering how mentally tiring it was the first few hours after Valea opened our minds until our brains adjusted to the increased level of activity. If one of Sayil's skills is teleportation, why doesn't he just teleport us to this village?\\ //I asked Valea that an hour ago. She said he can't; Deracot is protected by some sort of anti-teleportation barrier so no one can teleport inside it, or anywhere even remotely near it, for that matter. It sounds like they're afraid Amala, Corraman, or Avitus would just zap themselves inside the town and attack. Knowing that, I guess I can't blame them for putting up the barrier.\\ Janet nodded, then glanced back at the four lagging behind them. //Are they always this quiet on your missions?\\ //Sometimes, but only when the planet's exceptionally boring, they're on the alert, or they're exhausted,\\ Daniel said, looking back at his teammates. //My guess is they're still not sure what to expect now that their minds have been opened. An hour or two ago I overheard Sayil talking to Sam about what to expect from her abilities, but I think he's too worried about what we'll find in Deracot to keep up much conversation.\\ Janet certainly knew the feeling. If it hadn't been for the fire in Daniel's touch that had revitalized her a few minutes ago, she wouldn't be able to keep up this level of conversation with him either. He was right; that must be another advantage of their Level 3 link -- the ability to share their strength with each other. Maybe the benefits of their link would ultimately outweigh the disadvantages of losing their privacy after all. //So did you ever ask Valea what she and Sayil have against warriors?\\ //Not yet, but now might be a good time to do that.\\ "Valea?" The girl stopped and turned back toward them with a weary sigh. "Daniel?" Once they had caught up with her and resumed their journey along the path, Daniel went on, "Janet and I got the impression earlier that you and Sayil don't really like warriors. Why?" Valea's footsteps slowed as she looked back at Jack and Teal'c. Seeing they were still a safe distance behind and wouldn't overhear, she resumed walking at her normal, brisk pace. "I'm truly sorry about that, Daniel. Neither of us realized you and Janet were so attached to them. It's just...mind users and warriors on Planet Edea don't get along real well. They can't stand us and we can't stand them, for reasons I'm better off not getting into right now. Sayil's especially biased against them, but that's because he accidentally stumbled into one of their villages when he was seven and they...didn't treat him real well. Our older brother and sister, Kayil and Thea, had to threaten to burn down a few buildings before they released him. It wasn't the most pleasant experience for any of us. Some of us are just a bit biased against them since every warrior we've met seems to have a propensity for being mean to us." "Ah," Janet said. That made sense, although she was suddenly afraid that they had just walked onto a bigoted, racist world, at least considering the reaction Sayil had had to learning Jack and Teal'c were accompanying them. "So warriors live in separate towns from mind users?" Valea nodded and pushed aside a dry, brittle branch that blocked their path. It cracked under the girl's touch and fell to the ground with a thunk. "They don't want anything to do with us and we don't want anything to do with them, so we live apart. Most mind users live on the Eastern Continent while most warriors live on the Western Continent. In the long run, it makes life easier for all of us. We're not at war with them or anything, we just...avoid them. Don't be surprised if people in Deracot don't react well to Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c." "What about Sam?" Daniel asked. "You said she was both a mind user and a warrior." The girl's face contorted into an expression of confusion. "Yeah, Sam. To be honest, I've never seen a hybrid like her before. On our planet, you're either one or the other. You either possess all the typical mind user skills or you don't, but Sam has some of the expected skills and not others, which suggests to me that she's both a warrior *and* a mind user. As long as she possesses some mental skills, though, she'll be more than welcome in Deracot. And, while we're on the subject of genetic oddities, gender associations also seem to be different on your world. Here, men are always the healers and the ones who control physics, while women always control nature and elementals." Valea shrugged and turned her blue eyes toward them, smiling. "We're not going to complain, though. You two are the ones in the prophecy, and you're more than what we were looking for to save us." Janet felt Daniel force a smile at the girl's obvious flattery, but neither said anything in response. Valea looked back at the four trailing behind them. "I'm actually surprised that Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c let me open their minds. No warrior has ever let us do that to one of them, at least not that I remember. That speaks very well of your friends." "If you've read as many of my thoughts as I'm afraid you have, you should've known that Jack and Teal'c could be trusted," Daniel said. "Yeah, I know...it's just hard for us to overcome so many years of not liking or trusting warriors." Daniel nodded, and Janet realized he could relate, at least knowing how long it had taken him to warm up to Jack, and for Jack to warm up to him and to Sam, the two 'scientists' on his team. As for herself, while Janet knew O'Neill trusted her, every now and then she received the feeling he wasn't overly fond of her...or maybe that was just because she was a doctor who could boss him around when the situation required it. Contrary to what he seemed to believe, though, it wasn't because she was a 'Napoleonic power monger'; it was because she was determined to keep everyone alive and healthy no matter what the cost or how many people she had to bully around to do it. "So is it safe to assume Amala's responsible for the, um, *dreariness* of your planet?" Daniel asked. Valea nodded and brushed a strand of sticky hair from her neck. While the temperature was cool, a light sheen of perspiration had appeared on their skin thanks to the dampness in the air and their rapid walking pace. "Amala's first target when she came here was nature. It resisted giving her its strength; but, during the past four years, it's come down to this." Her fingers snapped off a brittle, dead branch from one of the trees as they walked past, and she handed the branch to Daniel. Janet slowed as she looked at the desiccated branch in his hands. While the outside appeared to be typical brown wood, albeit a bit too dry, the inner wood was dark gray, almost black. Daniel wrinkled his nose as the wood crumbled into tiny black flakes in his palm. "Are all the trees like this?" Janet asked while he tossed the branch on the ground and wiped his hand on his pants. "Mm hmm," Valea said. "Every year they've tried to grow back, but each spring they last fewer days. It's been three years since we've seen any green leaves. All the buds pop out a sickly yellow color. We're running short on crops, our animals are dying of malnutrition, and even when it rains -- which is rather frequently -- it doesn't help anything. The grass is still as brown as ever afterwards." "What does Amala want with the life of your planet?" Daniel asked. Valea cast a wry smile back at them. "The same thing she gets by sapping the life out of all our people: power. The energy from the plants, animals, and people feeds her. Kayil theorized that she may be some kind of parasitic alien who needs the life of others to survive. When she found out that our planet was full of life, she went on a feeding frenzy. She started in late fall four years ago; and, when very little life returned the following spring, we had no idea what was going on. Once most of the life was sucked out of the ground, she moved on to the people. Those with elemental skills were the first to go. Looking back now, they were probably the only ones who could stop her, which would explain why she targeted them first; but, by the time we realized what she was doing, it was too late. Healers -- those we think possess the ability to restore life to the frozen people -- went next. It's been a slow but steady removal of all the people on the planet since then. She's becoming more powerful, and we're becoming weaker. We're fighting a losing battle. Nobody can defeat her anymore -- not the warriors, not the mind users." God, that was horrible. "Has she attacked the warriors yet?" Janet asked. Valea shook her head. "No. We're guessing they're last on her list of people to freeze since they don't have the same energy and skills we do. And once they're gone...well, my guess is that she's going to move onto another planet and start over, doing the same there." Daniel took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and Janet briefly met his eyes, nodding as she realized his impression about the girl's utter fear the previous night had been correct. It was starting to make more sense why Valea had been so desperate for someone to save her people and her planet. "So what makes you think Janet and I will be able to stand up to her?" Daniel asked. "If she's sapped the life from all the other mind users with our skills, who's to say she won't do the same to us?" "Because you and Janet have a natural resistance," Valea said. "Familiarity with her victims has made it easier for Amala to attack us. But you two...genetically, you're a little different from us, which is most likely why you weren't able to see us before your minds were opened. You haven't been here as long; you haven't been as...saturated...with the energy Planet Edea produces. You two can stand up against her without fear of being instantly frozen because it'll take her time to figure out how to bypass your resistance and freeze you. The same holds true for your friends." Janet sighed. Well, on the bright side, that was one less thing they needed to worry about, being instantly frozen. "So where is Amala? Is she nearby, on the other side of the planet, where?" Over their Level 2 link, she sensed Valea's body tense at the question; and Janet received the distinct impression they'd brought up a memory that the girl didn't want to relive. Her discomfort quickly passed, however, and she shook her head as if to dispel those thoughts. "No one knows where she is. We know she lives in a huge, ugly castle full of traps, but its location changes from day to day. A few Edeans have reported seeing it, but no one's gotten near enough to sneak inside before it disappears." Her voice was curt, as if she was eager to get as far away from that subject as possible. Daniel's eyes narrowed and he glanced down at his link-mate. //Is it just me or does it seem like she's holding something back?\\ he asked. Janet nodded thoughtfully. //That, or she's lying. I'm not sure which.\\ Before Daniel could reply, Valea looked back over her shoulder at them with a smile. "But don't worry; if you two really are the ones Edea spoke of, you'll find Amala. Neither Corraman nor Avitus will be able to stop you." "Er...yeah, speaking of Corraman and Avitus, Valea, tell us more about them," Daniel said. The girl's smile vanished in the blink of an eye. "Yes, them. I'll be honest; we know virtually nothing about them except their names, and that only because Amala mentioned them before she started freezing our people. We're pretty sure Avitus is the one who controls nature and does the actual freezing of our people while Corraman's the one who grabbed one of Avitus's lightning bolts and threw it at you while I was creating your link, but they work together so it's hard to distinguish between them. They're Amala's henchman, that much we know, but beyond that...well, we're not even sure if they're *real*. Kayil speculated that they were just apparitions with physical bodies, outcroppings of Amala's thought and power. In a sense, they may be nothing more than her eyes and ears." She shrugged. "All you really need to know is that they're not nice." "So I gathered," Daniel murmured. Janet shuddered as the image of the lightning bolt that had nearly electrocuted him the previous day appeared, unbidden, in her mind. Daniel glanced at her apologetically as he realized he'd transmitted that thought to her. She smiled to tell him she was fine, relieved when the image disappeared from her mind. "So does that mean we'll have to go through them in order to get to Amala?" Janet asked. "Probably, but here again, I'm not sure," Valea said. "We know they're both aware of Edea's prophecy, but just how determined they are to stop you...well, only time will tell that. Personally, I'm surprised we've made it this far from the Doorway without any further interference from them...not that I'm complaining, mind you." The trail beneath their feet sloped steeply upward, and Janet groaned again as she realized just how high this particular hill was. //I know,\\ Daniel said, reading her thoughts. //We must be getting close, though.\\ She nodded. //I hope so. We've been walking for hours; my feet are killing me. At least we're learning a few more things about Drearyland.\\ "All right, Valea, so we now know about Amala, Corraman, and Avitus, but you still haven't told us anything about Edea, this wise woman we're supposed to be meeting here. Care to elaborate on her? Who is she? How does she fit into the picture? Can she help us? How do we find her?" Ahead of them, Valea grinned. "Ah, yes, I knew we were missing someone -- Edea. She's sort of what you'd call a queen on your world; and, because of her great importance here, whoever's currently filling her role lends her name to the entire planet, hence Planet Edea. Anyway, Edea is very, very wise. She knows more about this planet than anyone else alive. She possesses extremely powerful, diverse latent abilities; and, even without a link with everyone individually, she can read anyone's mind. She can tell whether that person is sincere or lying, what they're capable of doing, and how they'll potentially handle a given situation. She's not really a ruler in the sense of dictating everyone's lives to them, but she is the one that all people -- mind users and warriors alike -- seek out for advice. Rumor even has it that she has the only Level 4 link in existence on the planet, although I can't give you any more details than that. She even knew you two would one day come here, hence her prophecy." Janet's eyes widened as she glanced up at Daniel. Valea's description of Edea was impressive. She sounded like a very smart, powerful, and important lady who could solve a great deal of problems...like theirs. "Have you met her?" Daniel asked the girl. Valea chuckled softly. "Oh, yeah, I've met her. I heard her prophecy about you two firsthand five years ago. So did Sayil, among a few select others. We didn't understand it at the time; but, once Amala appeared four years ago and started killing everything, it made perfect sense." "So if Edea knew Amala was coming, why didn't she try to stop her?" Janet asked. "As far as I know, Edea doesn't possess your natural resistance so she couldn't stop Amala without risking being frozen herself. That's why she disappeared immediately after she'd given the prophecy." Daniel's eyes narrowed as he glanced down at Janet. "Wait a minute, 'disappeared'?" he asked. "On *purpose*?" "Mm hmm," Valea said. She turned to look at the four behind them, making sure they were still keeping up. Janet followed the girl's gaze and found that they were already halfway up the hill. At least talking like this was passing the time and making her forget just how much she wanted to collapse into a bed and never get up again. Finally, Valea returned her attention to the path before them. "Edea knew she was the only one who could guide you two to defeat Amala, so she hid herself away until you appeared. Amala's been looking for her but, fortunately, hasn't found her yet. I'm sure Edea will lead you to herself, though." "So you don't know where Edea hid herself," Janet clarified. "No one does. She has great powers of illusion to prevent anyone from finding her." Valea turned her head toward Daniel as if sensing an unspoken thought. "And like we said yesterday, no, she's not dead. That much I'm sure of. If she were, we'd all know it because any remaining life on the planet would be gone within a week or two. Granted, not much life remains, but there's still some left in hidden parts of the planet. As long as Edea survives, though, undetected by Amala, *we* survive, no matter how dead it seems we already are." Both Daniel and Janet fell silent as they tried to comprehend Valea's words. The whole situation seemed downright bizarre. Planet Edea's future hinged on the life of one woman? And yet, Janet supposed, they'd seen stranger things the past few years while working with the Stargate program. Besides, thanks to the link they had with Valea, both she and Daniel could sense that the girl was speaking the truth. Daniel cleared his throat before launching onto another subject. "So where's the rest of your family, Valea? Do you have parents? You mentioned an older brother and sister...where are they?" The girl's body tensed again, and Janet met Daniel's eyes quizzically. //Must be another sore subject,\\ she said. "My parents?" Valea started before Daniel could answer his companion. "Oh, they're around here...somewhere." "You don't know where they are?" he asked. "No, they're busy doing...other...things to save the planet. I haven't seen or heard from them in a few years. Sayil and I have been living alone near the Doorway the past year, waiting for you two. We just...never seem to run into our parents anymore." It had been a few years since they'd last heard from their parents? That was odd. That meant they must not be on the best of terms, especially since Janet guessed most mind user families on this planet had Level 2 links with one another. "What about your brother and sister?" This time Valea didn't reply at all to Janet's question. The girl's entire focus now seemed to be on reaching the top of the hill. Her footsteps quickened as she hurried onward, forcing Daniel and Janet to summon a last burst of energy and jog to keep up to her. A moment later they reached the peak of the hill and discovered what Valea had been racing ahead to see. On the other side, the hill sloped back downward into a shallow valley forested with scattered pockets of brown trees. All around the valley were more low hills, some bare, others covered with dying trees. From their bird's-eye view, they could see an empty riverbed nestled along the edge of one of the forests, while on the other side of the river sat a small village. The predominant feature of the village was a wide road lined with a single row of brown buildings on either side. Smoke billowed out of several chimneys. Valea visibly relaxed as she saw the village. "Deracot," she whispered, smiling. "When Sayil couldn't contact anyone in the village the past few days, we were afraid Amala had frozen those still alive here. Obviously, though, if she was here, she didn't freeze everyone." The three turned as they heard a scuffling sound behind them. Sayil was racing up the path toward them, leaving Jack, Sam, and Teal'c lagging behind. Seeing his sister's smile, he sighed deeply as he reached the top of the hill. "Oh, thank heavens." Janet couldn't help smiling at the rapt gleam in the boy's blue eyes; and, next to her, Daniel did the same. The rest of SG-1 finally caught up to them a moment later, exhaustion written on their faces. "*Please* tell me we're there," Jack said. "We're there," Daniel replied, then motioned at the village. "Deracot." Jack took another step up the hill to get a better view of area. "Really." Teal'c followed him, staring down into the valley. "There is nothing there, Daniel Jackson." "Thank you, Teal'c, I was just about to say that," Jack said. "It'll be another day before you can see anything there," Sayil told them. "Actually, Sayil, I see *something* in the valley along the riverbed, although I'm not sure what," Sam said, squinting in the slowly dwindling daylight. "Is that smoke? It doesn't look like it's coming from anything, though; it's just...hovering in the air. It's almost transparent, like a hologram." Jack's eyes narrowed. "Now that you mention it, Carter, I think you're right. That does look like smoke." Sayil turned to them in surprise. "You're both correct; it's smoke from the chimneys. That's amazing. I didn't expect you to see anything until tomorrow at the earliest, if even then. Your minds have only been opened several hours." "Daniel was starting to sense our cottage only three hours after I opened his mind," Valea reminded him. "That must be another difference between our people and theirs; their minds respond faster to being opened." She smiled at them, then began walking down the path toward the village and indicated that the others should follow. "Come on, it's only fifteen minutes to town. Once we're there, you can get something to eat and rest up for the night." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 5:02 p.m. As Valea had predicted, it only took the travelers fifteen minutes to reach the village. The path away from the Stargate merged with the wider road that they'd seen from the hilltop, a road that was paved with small brown stones in a mosaic-like style. There were no human figures to be seen; and, as they drew near the village, the drizzle came to an abrupt end. Sayil briefly explained that, due to the constant rain, they'd been forced to erect a rain barrier to keep from flooding the already saturated ground in the village. The outskirts of Deracot were comprised mostly of animal pens and grazing fields, although Daniel noted that the grass in the pens didn't look like it would sustain an animal for long. Very few animals roamed the pens except for half a dozen cows, four horses, and a handful of chickens and goats, none of which appeared healthy. It certainly didn't look like enough to provide sustenance for a village of this size for any longer than a month. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Daniel couldn't help smiling as Jack, Sam, and Teal'c kept looking to either side of the road at the pens, obviously seeing something there but unsure what they were looking at. Hopefully they'd be able to see more of the town tomorrow morning as their minds continued opening. The travelers continued along the road to catch up with Valea and Sayil, who had already reached the first in a long series of two-story wooden buildings. Daniel and Janet both slowed as they noticed a motionless figure standing in the middle of the road a good distance from them, its features hidden in the darkening shadows. When Valea and Sayil began running toward it, the two quickly followed, leaving Jack, Sam, and Teal'c behind to wonder what was going on. A moment later, they increased their pace as they felt a stab of terror cross over their link from Valea. "Oh, God," Janet murmured, her footsteps slowing to a stop as the physical details of the shadowy figure in the road became clear. It was a teenage boy, no older than Valea, with a mop of brown hair and a spattering of freckles covering alarmingly pale cheeks. His hands were hanging down by his side; his feet were parted as if rooted in the ground; and his face was tilted upward. What startled Daniel the most, however, were the boy's eyes. They were a beautiful jade hue and stared unwaveringly at the sky, full of terror...and completely dull and lifeless. He was frozen. Sayil turned away from the frozen figure, and Daniel clearly saw the despair written on the boy's face before it disappeared into his hands. Soon after, Valea reached up and lightly touched the frozen boy's cheek, then sobbed once and sank to the ground in front of him. Janet immediately knelt beside the girl and placed a sympathetic hand on her back as the tears began to fall. Daniel turned as his teammates joined them. "What's going on?" Sam asked him. "We found our first frozen Edean," Daniel said, keeping his voice as low as possible so he wouldn't disturb the grieving siblings. "A teenage boy. It looks like Valea and Sayil knew him." "Oh," Jack said, his face revealing that, while he was alarmed by the discovery, he was also relieved that he still wasn't able to see the frozen boy. Janet continued rubbing the girl's back as she removed her face from her hands, revealing a face moist with tears and eyes red from crying. "Ronan," Valea whispered. "He was...he was *fine* a week ago. Sayil talked to him. Everything here was fine then. Amala...she must've...we're too late...." Daniel ran a hand over his face. God, the girl's anguish was tearing at his heart. It was no wonder she'd been in such a hurry to get back to Deracot; this was exactly what she and Sayil had been afraid they'd find upon their return. His eyes drifted back to Sayil, who had regained some composure and was now kneeling beside his sister. "We'll find her, Valea," the boy said, taking her hands in his. "We'll find her, and we'll make her pay. Ronan will be avenged for this. She won't get away with freezing our friends like this. We won't let her." Janet looked between both teenagers compassionately before lifting her eyes to Daniel's and rising to her feet. She gave him a sad smile, then stepped toward the frozen boy to examine him. Daniel joined her as she lifted her hand to the teen's face and lightly moved her fingers over his skin. He could hear the symptoms as she ticked them off in her mind: cold flesh, no pulse, pasty skin, stiffness to the point of rigor mortis, unseeing eyes.... //God, Daniel, it's like...it's like he's dead, yet he's been perfectly preserved since the moment of death, like he was....\\ //...Frozen,\\ Daniel finished for her, looking away from the boy at her. //Encased in ice only without the ice. Any possible medical explanation for this?\\ Janet shook her head, shivering as he rested his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. //Not in humans. Certain plant and animal species possess something called cryptobiosis, which allows them to bring their life processes to a near stop, and there's animal hibernation, but all those eventually wake up.\\ //Not to mention human beings don't hibernate,\\ Daniel said. Without warning, his eyes snapped to a doorway on the left side of the street as he noticed motion. Janet followed his gaze until it rested on a young, brown-haired boy standing inside the wooden doorframe, watching them. He couldn't be any more than eight years old; and, even from their distance, Daniel could easily recognize the similarities between him and the frozen teenager. After a moment, the boy took several hesitant steps toward them, eyeing Daniel and Janet warily. "It's...it's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Daniel said, suddenly grateful that Valea had downloaded the mind user's language into his and Janet's minds during their afternoon trek through the forest. "We're friends. We've come to help you." Hearing Daniel's voice, Valea turned to look at the approaching boy, then she sighed in relief and jumped to her feet. "Oh, Ryan, thank heavens you're okay," she said, hurrying toward him and pulling him into a tight hug. "'Lea? Sayil? Is it really you?" the boy asked, peering over Valea's shoulder at Sayil, who was approaching with a sad smile on his face. She pulled away and nodded. "It's really us. Ryan, what happened?" Instead of answering, though, the boy pointed at Daniel and Janet. "Who're they?" Valea wiped the tears from her face and glanced back over her shoulder at them. "They're friends. They're here to help us." "Are you from Trenton?" the boy asked Janet as she knelt in front of him. Seeing her shake her head, he tried again, "Marbule? Shrike?" Each time she shook her head and his eyes grew wider. "You're not *warriors*, are you?" Valea forced a smile for him. "No, they're not warriors. This is Janet Fraiser and he's Daniel Jackson." She motioned back at Daniel, and he offered the boy a small smile and wave. "They've come through the Doorway to help us." Ryan's mouth fell open. "Then you're...you're here to save us from Amala?" "Yes, they are...but let's keep that our little secret, okay?" Valea said. "Not everyone here needs to know that. There'll be less chance of Amala finding them if only a few people know who they are. Now, what happened to Deracot?" Ryan's green eyes sparkled with admiration as he observed Daniel and Janet, and Daniel's heart melted as he saw the hope written in them. Whether or not he and Janet truly were the ones in Edea's prophecy, he was suddenly determined to do everything in his power to help these dying, frightened people. One look at Janet's face told him she felt the same way. Finally, the boy turned his gaze back to Valea, his lower lip quivering as he spoke. "It was terrible, 'Lea. Five days ago, a big, blue cloud appeared over there." He pointed at a hill on the northern horizon. "It came right for us. It was so fast. It passed through Deracot before we could run and hide." He sniffled as he looked at the frozen teenage boy. "When it left, Ronan was...." Intense horror grasped Daniel, and he closed his eyes, trying to drown out the feeling. It had come from Valea through her link with him, but it might as well have come from Janet or himself, for they were just as affected by the sheer terror and sorrow in the boy's voice as she was. A hand touched his arm, and he turned to see Sam and Jack standing behind him. "What's going on?" Sam asked. Right, they couldn't see Ryan, either, he reminded himself. Daniel led them a few paces away so he wouldn't upset Ryan any more than he already was. "It's a boy. His name is Ryan. From the similarities, I'm guessing he's the frozen teen's younger brother." "He's not frozen, though?" Jack clarified. "Thankfully, no...but he's terrified." "I wish we could see him," Sam said. "I can make out a transparent blob of color talking to Valea, but I can't make out any of its features." Wow, their minds *were* adjusting quickly to being opened. "Can you hear him too?" Daniel asked. "I hear *something*," Jack said as he lifted a hand to rub his forehead. Daniel was struck by the colonel's action; it was the same as what he and Janet had done for days after Valea had opened their minds. "It sounds like a low murmuring. It's...weird." Daniel glanced back at Teal'c, who was standing in front of Ronan, staring at him as if trying to make out the teenager's features. "Valea and Sayil were right; your minds are opening fast. As long as our link's operational by tomorrow, I'll transmit their language to you so you can understand them. That's probably why it sounds like murmuring to you, because you don't know the mind users' language." Daniel turned his head as Valea rose to her feet, following Ryan and Sayil down the street toward one of the wooden houses. He walked back to where Janet was still kneeling and took her hand in his, pulling her up to a standing position. //What happened?\\ he asked her. //Ryan's taking them to see one of the other survivors in the village. It sounds like only those with Ronan's skills were frozen this time. There are still ten, maybe fifteen adults left alive, plus some children like Ryan whose minds haven't been opened yet and aren't as susceptible to Amala's attack.\\ "That's all that's left in the village, fifteen adults?" Daniel asked, appalled. "I had the impression that two hundred people once lived here." Janet frowned, watching Ryan and the two blond siblings disappear into a building on the right side of the street. "That's what I thought, too," she said. "Amala must've already frozen everyone else. I think we should wait out here and give them a few minutes. I know I don't need to tell you how hard this news has hit Valea and Sayil." Her eyes fell on Sam and Jack, who were still standing behind Daniel, listening to their conversation. "How are you two feeling?" "Tired," Sam said, rubbing her eyes. "My brain is pounding, only I don't have a headache." Jack nodded. "Same here. It feels...it feels...." "...Over-stimulated," Janet finished for him. "We know. Daniel and I felt the same way. You'll get used to it soon, especially if we can get a good night's sleep tonight. I can pretty much guess what the activity level in your brains looks like right now; and, from what happened to us, I don't think there's anything to worry about." "Well, you're the doc, Doc," Jack said. A moment later, Teal'c abandoned his post by the frozen boy and joined them. "You can see Ronan?" Janet asked him. "I am able to see the outline of a human form, yes," the Jaffa replied. "However, it is a blur, as if it were only partially there." "God, that must be weird," Daniel said. Jack gave him a sarcastic smile. "*You're* telling *us* that? It's way past weird, Daniel. It's like we're walking through a ghost town...literally." His eyes drifted toward the houses lining the street. "There's obviously some kind of wall all around us -- from the coloring I'd guess it's made of wood -- but that's all I could tell you about it. Am I right?" Daniel nodded. "They're houses. I...." Before he could say more, Valea poked her head out of the doorway where she and the boys had disappeared a few minutes ago. "Daniel? Janet? You guys can stay here for the night." Janet looked up at Daniel and shrugged. "Guess that's our cue," she said, then motioned for Jack, Sam, and Teal'c to follow them toward the house. "Ah, not to be pessimistic here, but I see a bit of a problem," Jack said. Daniel looked back at him curiously. Problem? Oh, right, they couldn't actually see the house. "Valea?" "Er...yeah. Um, I'll make the rooms you'll need visible, Colonel. Hopefully by tomorrow you'll be able to see your way around the house on your own." The colonel didn't seem convinced, nor did Sam and Teal'c, but they followed anyway, albeit eyeing the place where Valea stood warily. She gave them a reassuring smile and snapped her fingers. Jack froze where he stood, then blinked several times and looked at Sam. "A house." Sam smiled and nodded. "Yes, Sir, a house." Valea stepped aside to grant them entrance. Like the outside of the house, the interior was constructed of timber and resembled a log cabin, only on a larger scale. For the most part, the hallway was unfurnished, and the walls were bare of decoration. Half a dozen candles burning inside glass balls lined the walls, casting a gentle orange glow through the foyer; and two rooms branched off to either side of the entryway, one on the left and the other on the right. Several feet in front of the main door was a stairway leading up to the second floor, and to the right of the stairs was a hallway heading further back into the house. //If there were a few more decorations here, I'd think this was cozy,\\ Janet commented, and Daniel looked down at her with a smile. His smile faded as he took a closer look at the wall to his right. Something about it seemed wrong. Lifting his hand, his fingers lightly touched the grains of wood.... "Ah, don't," Sayil said as he stepped out of the door next to Daniel and grabbed the archaeologist's hand. "Valea showed you the branches in the forest?" Seeing Daniel's nod, the boy went on, "This wood is in as bad of shape as that. It'll crumble, and Prescott is kind enough to let you stay here the night, so we should really leave his house intact. Try not to touch any of the wood you find inside the house." "Sorry." At that moment, an older man appeared in the hallway to the side of the stairs, shuffling slowly toward them. Valea smiled and looped her arm through his as he joined them. "Prescott, these are the visitors Sayil and I told you about." The man nodded and extended a wrinkled hand forward until it rested on Daniel's shoulder, patting it, but what really grabbed Daniel's attention was the man's eyes. Something about them appeared wrong. They were filmy, unseeing.... //Janet? Is he...?\\ //You're right, I think he's blind,\\ Janet said. She stood still as the man's hand abandoned Daniel's shoulder and landed on her arm. //And mute,\\ Valea added with a sigh. //Amala's shadow...er, that blue cloud Ryan was talking about earlier, did this to him two years ago. By then all the healers had been frozen and no one was left to help him. He can hear just fine, though, so go ahead and introduce yourselves. Sayil has a link with him so he can relay Prescott's words to you.\\ Daniel glanced at his teammates, who were clearly aware of the blind man, then back at Prescott. "Um, my name is Daniel Jackson." "I'm Janet Fraiser," his companion said. Behind them, Jack cocked an eyebrow, and Daniel nodded to tell them they should do the same. They appeared to get the hint and each stated their names. "Thank you for your hospitality, Prescott," Daniel said. In front of them, the man smiled and nodded his head. There was a moment of silence, then Sayil said, "Prescott thanks you for coming to help us. He says his home is your home; and, if there's anything he can do for you, just say the word and he'll do it." "You guys can see him?" Daniel whispered to Jack. "Oh yeah, yeah. Can see the house, too...." "...Although the stairway only exists for several steps, then disappears," Teal'c finished. Jack cast half a smile at the Jaffa. "I was just going to say that." "Prescott's house has four bedrooms," Sayil said. "Two are on this floor while the other two are on the floor above. Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, you can have this room for the night." He quickly crossed the foyer to the room on their left and pushed it open. Jack poked his head inside and nodded his approval. Valea, meanwhile, headed to the room on the opposite side of the foyer. "Major Carter, I hope you aren't opposed to sharing this room with me?" "Of course not, Valea," Sam said. "For your own safety, it'll be better for you three to stay on the first level of the house," the girl continued. "I don't want you accidentally falling down the stairs because you can't see them yet. I'll stay on this floor with you in case you need anything. Prescott's room is on the floor above. Sayil's going to stay the night in a house across the street with Ryan to keep an eye on him...although I suspect that has more to do with the fact that he and I have been living together the past 12 months than with Ryan's welfare." She smiled sweetly at her brother, who just rolled his eyes and laughed. Finally, she looked at Daniel and Janet. "And as for you two...." //...Daniel, Prescott has offered to share his room with you, but I somehow figured you and Janet would prefer....\\ Beside him, Janet choked at Valea's implication but tried to cover it with a cough. Daniel, likewise, could feel the blood rush to his cheeks and rubbed his neck uncomfortably. God, one date and he and Janet were already sharing a room...and, from the mental picture that Valea had just sent him of the room in question, they'd also be sharing a bed. Something was distinctly wrong with that picture...yet, considering their circumstances, they didn't seem to have much of an alternative. With great effort, Daniel avoided meeting his teammates' questioning stares as he replied, "Ah, that'll be fine, Valea. If we didn't start there, chances are we'd end up there before the night was over anyway." //Janet?\\ She coughed again, then cleared her throat. A quick look at her face told Daniel that she was simultaneously pleased and embarrassed by Valea's proposition. "That...should be fine, Valea." Valea smiled apologetically. "I have mentioned that I'm really, really sorry, right?" "Multiple times, yes," Daniel assured her. "Let's not worry about that tonight, though." She nodded slowly, watching him another moment to make sure he truly wasn't upset with her. Finally satisfied he wasn't, Valea went on, "Okay, there's a washroom down the hall and another one upstairs, if you'd all like to settle in for the night. I'm going to get started making dinner. After you're somewhat refreshed, we can eat." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Ten: Memories August 25, 2001 Saturday, Time Unknown Ah, finally. Finally, his senses were at rest. Calmness, tranquility, serenity.... Daniel couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so safe, so content, so satisfied, so...at *peace*. No, actually that wasn't correct; he *could* remember it. The last time he'd felt anything remotely like this had been back on Abydos, lying in Sha'uri's arms, her ebony hair tickling his neck. Sha'uri, the one who had accepted him when few others would, the one who had nursed him back to believing in himself, and the one who had reassured him that humanity was still worth all his time and effort. He'd never actually allowed himself to give up on life; but, after his failures at the university, the heartache of countless broken relationships and lost loved ones, and the eagerness of his respected colleagues and mentors to write him off as a quack in spite of his successes, five years ago he'd been quickly sinking into despair and lethargy. That was when he'd discovered the Stargate; he'd discovered proof that his theories about Egyptian civilization were correct; he'd met Sha'uri and the Abydonians; and he'd met Jack who, over time, had accepted him and grown on him. In the span of a few fateful days five years ago, the course of his life had been altered, for better and for worse. Forevermore gone were the people he'd once considered friends but who'd actually been no more than competitive peers. In their place came something that had succeeded in rekindling his fire for life when nothing else could. Daniel had proven to himself that he was no coward by helping defeat Ra, thus freeing Kasuf and his people. He had made new friends who hadn't immediately written him off as a 'quack' when he told them things they found hard to believe. The Stargate had excited his mind with what he'd always desired the most: proof to support his theories, the chance to learn about other cultures and languages, and a chance to relate people who were just as interested in relating to him. More than all that, though, he'd found true love in the form of one amazing, beautiful, smart, courageous woman named Sha'uri. She had given him her time, her interest, her friendship, her laughter, her tears, her love...and her hand in marriage. It had been the crowning moment of his entire life to that point, that year spent on Abydos with his precious new family. Then Apophis had come and taken it all away. The loss had nearly crushed him, epitomized in that one moment of utter helpless when he'd seen Sha'uri, stunning in Amaunet's royal Goa'uld robe and headdress, and had thrown himself at the nearest Jaffa, offering to sacrifice his mind and body in exchange for one last moment of bliss with his wife. Daniel would have given anything to switch places with her, to prevent her from suffering the living hell that was to become her life for the next three torturous years. During those years, he'd prayed daily for news of her whereabouts and had reminded himself on every mission that this might be the world that possessed the technology to free her, or that this might be the world that knew where she was. Daniel had quite literally searched the galaxy for her. In time, though, that naïve hope had failed him. He had found Sha'uri pregnant with Apophis' child; and, no more than a year later, Sha'uri had died at the hands of one of his own beloved teammates, the same one who'd picked her to be host to Amaunet in the first place. All she'd left Daniel had been a vision and her unwavering trust that he'd find and protect her son. Perhaps Sha'uri had known he needed a mission of some sort to keep his sanity intact after she was gone; and, if that had been her intention, it had worked. If nothing else, it had revived a spark of hope inside him that he could one day regain even a single taste of that bliss he had once reveled in on Abydos. All he had to do was find her son. So he'd found the boy. Daniel had been willing -- eager, even -- to take him home and raise him as his own. There was no way he'd let this precious, innocent child grow up as he had -- as an orphan in a foster home without flesh and blood family to watch after him -- if he could prevent it. This boy with the sparkling eyes, with the ability to make Daniel fall madly in love with him with a single look, the last piece of his life on Abydos, the last piece he'd ever see of Sha'uri...this was the boy who'd been gurgling cheerfully in his arms, and at that moment Daniel had wanted nothing more than to hold him like that forever. But of course, like so many other treasured pieces of his life, he'd had to give the boy up. Of course he couldn't stay with Daniel. After all, nothing in Daniel's life could possibly be so easy or so wonderful. Even the best of intentions couldn't erase the fact that the child was a harsesis, possessing all the knowledge of the Goa'uld. He would never be a normal boy, never hear his father tell him a fairy tale, never feel his mother kiss his forehead as she tucked him in for bed, never have parents that took him on vacations to Disney World...never have a family that loved him without condition. Daniel had never felt more alone than he had when Oma Desala had taken the boy and flown off through the Stargate. It may have been in the boy's best interest to be raised by such a powerful being, but had Oma considered the effect the separation would have on *Daniel*? One by one after that, he could tick off the people in his life who'd been taken away in such a short, accursed period of time. Nick had gone off to live with the giant aliens. Robert Rothman had been possessed by a Goa'uld and subsequently killed. Dr. Jordan had been killed by Osiris, while his old flame, Sarah Gardner, became Osiris's latest host. Added to those losses was the anguish of nearly losing both Jack and Sam as zatarcs, of nearly losing Jack and Teal'c in Apophis's remodeled death glider, and of nearly watching General Hammond walk away from his command at the SGC, thus taking with him one of the last remaining treasures in Daniel's life...SG-1. If it hadn't been for them -- for Jack, Sam, and Teal'c -- Daniel figured he probably would've lost his will to fight years ago. He may have rediscovered his courage and determination during his year on Abydos, but there was just so long that could hold out under such grueling circumstances, even in the strongest of people. They, however, had restored to him a sense of family, people who he could continue trying for, who encouraged him to do the best he could, who needed his help, and who were willing to help him in return. Daniel could say with certainty that he loved them just as much as he would any other family members. And Jack...Jack may be the exact opposite of the kind of person Daniel would normally associate with, but he was also one of the closest, truest friends Daniel had ever been blessed to have. Jack had risked his life for him so many times that Daniel had finally lost count; he wasn't afraid to argue and debate with him; he wasn't afraid to remind him when an idea was overly idealistic; he wasn't afraid to comfort him even when Daniel had done something utterly stupid...and he wasn't afraid to place his own life in Daniel's hands when the need arose. They had a mutual respect, trust, and concern for one another that could easily rival anyone else's. Sure, Jack could be an arrogant S.O.B. at any given time, a bit dense when it came to some matters, overly sarcastic and biting when the situation required seriousness and tactfulness, and downright anti-diplomatic and ultra-militaristic when dealing with delicate relationships, but that would never change Daniel's opinion of the man. They may possess completely different mindsets and personalities, but that was perhaps the best thing about their friendship -- how perfectly they complemented one another. When it all boiled down to it, Jack O'Neill was a friend. A close friend. *His* friend, as were Sam and Teal'c. How could Daniel have been stupid enough not to tell them about this predicament with Valea from the start? //Daniel, don't,\\ Janet's voice sounded in his mind. He smiled and brushed his cheek against her forehead, savoring the feel of her skin against his. At the moment, they were sitting on a cushion of soft grass atop the same moonlit cliff of their dreams, leaning against the boulder, his arm wrapped around her back, her head resting on his shoulder. Yes, Daniel was almost positive he'd figured out the reason for his unexpected but highly welcomed sense of peace that night -- Janet. After settling in at Prescott's house, Valea had made a satisfactory albeit tasteless meal for them of vegetable soup and bread, although by that time the team had been so famished from their long walk that it had tasted wonderful. Afterwards, they had all retired to their respective rooms for the night, exhausted. While the room Daniel shared with Janet was comfortable and nicely furnished, going to sleep itself had been...awkward, to put it lightly. The look Janet had given him before climbing into the plush, queen-sized bed beside him, her expression shy, her thoughts and her eyes betraying her uncertainty about what they were doing there together, no matter what feelings their link had stirred inside them.... ...And then finding themselves back here, in their little dream world atop the cliff as their real bodies drifted off into blissful sleep, not sure what to say or how to act toward one another now that they were aware all of it was real, that they were forevermore 'married,' that in the future they would be spending every moment of their dreams together like this, that their feelings were mutual, that everything they experienced there felt completely real for both of them.... During their dreams on the cliff the past few nights, neither had been certain that what they'd been experiencing was shared between them. On the contrary, they'd both believed the dreams to be nothing more than beautiful, solitary experiences; and, as a result, they'd allowed themselves to act more freely and openly toward one another than they would've otherwise had they known the other was truly there with them. Now that they knew these dreams were completely real and that they'd both remember those dreams come morning, though.... Oh, yeah, it was *definitely* awkward. It had taken them well over an hour to become even somewhat comfortable with one another in this dream setting; but, once they'd finally loosened up, the night had been perfect. Janet had finally taken Daniel's hand in hers and said, "Well, since we're technically married, maybe we should use this time to...talk. We may know everything about each other, Daniel, but we haven't really *talked* yet." So they'd talked. A lot. About everything imaginable. Sha'uri, SG-1, Valea and Drearyland, Cassie, their childhoods, Janet's family, her ex- husband...every topic had been fair game. It had been exactly what they'd both needed, and it had helped them feel a bit more comfortable with each other and with their situation. The process of full acceptance of this link would be slow, but if they could share every night just like that one, talking and enjoying being with one another, maybe -- just maybe -- they could make it. Not only had it been what *they* had needed, though, it had been exactly what *Daniel* had needed. After losing so much the past few years, it had felt wonderful to talk to someone who knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling, who had experienced her own share of heartache and sorrow, and who wanted to know what he had gone through and help him move past it. Janet had offered to be an ear for him on a number of occasions during the past few years, but Daniel had never taken her up on the offer. Now he wished he had, for sharing those overwhelming feelings of rage, fear, and sorrow helped ease him out of the lethargy he'd found himself unwittingly slipping back into the past few months. Janet was beautiful; she was sincerely concerned about his welfare and the welfare of others; she was determined to make this 'marriage' work between them; and, damn it, every time she looked at him with those sensuous brown eyes, Daniel felt his heart skip a beat. He was truly amazed that she was willing to stand beside him at a moment like this. She could've said, "Marriage to *him*? The guy to whom everything he touches seems to be cursed? Forget it!" and walked away from him, but she hadn't. Rather, it seemed that life had decided to hand them lemons; and, in response, they'd determined to make lemonade with them, whether they had to squeeze the lemons with their bare hands, build their own blender, or blow the lemons up to get it. Were they comfortable with the link yet? Definitely not -- it was still too new and there were too many aspects of it left undiscovered -- but they seemed to be on the right track...which was all that Daniel could ask for at the moment. Ultimately, he realized with a contented sigh, Janet offered him a glimmer of hope that hadn't existed since Sha'uri's death. Like everything else in his life seemed to be, their 'marriage' wouldn't be easy -- they hadn't been 'fated' to fall in love with one another; rather it had been an accident that had thrown them into a situation they'd probably always be struggling to understand and keep up with -- but perhaps it would be enough to fill the hole in his life that Sha'uri's death had left. Heaven knew he could feel that hole already starting to fill with the love Janet was extending to him...and with the rapidly growing love he was developing for her. "How long do you think we've been sitting here?" she finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them for God only knew how long. "Well, the sun was still setting when we went to...." He lost his train of thought as she ran her fingers over his chest, her feather-light touch sending another thrill racing through his body. She had to stop that -- no, he didn't want her stop that since it felt incredible -- but how could she expect him to articulate a coherent answer to her question if she continued? Daniel quickly grabbed her hand and placed his palm to hers...God, how could such a simple action, such a simple way of being joined, feel so wonderful? On the bright side, maybe now that her hands weren't straying, he could try again to answer her question. "Well, the sun hadn't fully set when we fell asleep, and it just rose a little over an hour ago...that means we've been here for however many hours of darkness this planet has at night." Janet trembled as he laced his fingers through hers. "Ten hours, then? Twelve? And to think, we're actually asleep and this is just a dream...." "...A very real dream, one that we'll both remember perfectly when we wake up in the morning...which, I suppose, is a good thing because I don't want to forget this night, ever." His fingers caressed hers, eliciting a soft sigh from her parted lips. Her half-closed eyes watched his hand with amazement. "Everything here feels so real, Daniel...our minds must actually think this is real. The grass, the coolness of the air, the smell of the pine forest behind us, this rock...my senses are convinced this *is* real." "Speaking of this rock, I haven't felt any discomfort while we've been here yet, have you? We haven't moved the entire night, yet I'm not restless, there aren't any kinks in my back, my legs aren't stiff, I'm not hungry or thirsty...." "Now that you mention it, I haven't noticed anything, either," Janet said, her expression puzzled. "Since this is a dream world, I guess the negative aspects of reality aren't present. No restlessness, no pain, and no fear of permanently harming ourselves. Our real bodies must be asleep in Prescott's house, but our brains think this is real. That means...we could probably do anything here and it would feel like we were really doing it. That must be another side effect of 'opening the mind' -- altered REM sleep so our dreams seem as real and as vivid as anything in reality. If our brains are convinced we're doing something, then we really feel like we're doing it." "We'll have to keep that in mind and try new things when we get bored here," Daniel murmured as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He smiled as he sensed her thought. "Not that I think this will ever get boring." Janet pulled her hand away from his and returned it to his chest, running her fingertips over his smooth muscles. "As long as you're here, Daniel, it won't get boring. You're not exactly what I consider a 'boring' man. Heck, you could read me a dictionary and I probably wouldn't get bored." Daniel chuckled and tightened his hold around her back, pulling her closer and catching her hand again as it resumed its straying. "A dictionary, huh? It may not bore you, Janet, but it would probably bore me. My guess is, if we ever did get bored here, we'd be more likely to explore the limits of this dream world than to read a dictionary, see if we can fly off the cliff or alter the landscape or something. Rereading the dictionary...isn't exactly one of my priorities." "Let's wait awhile to alter the landscape. Right now I'm content to stay on this cliff forever. Assuming, of course, that we'll always be together like this." "I certainly hope so..." Daniel started, but his voice trailed off as a gentle breeze blew past them. Something about it sounded different...it *felt* different. Not bad, just...different. Janet also noticed the change in the wind, and she lifted her head from his shoulder to look around. "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "I'm not sure. Listen." They both fell silent, waiting for the zephyr to blow past them again. When it did, Daniel clearly heard what Janet had just noticed. "What the hell?! Why on Earth is this woman kissing me? One minute she's thanking me for saving her life, the next she's kissing me? Does the word 'subtlety' exist in her vocabulary? She's got a *snake* in her head, for crying out loud!" Daniel blinked several times, then looked down at Janet in surprise. "*Jack*?" "All right, so she's attractive and I like her a little...and this really doesn't feel that bad -- no, focus, Jack, on how weird this is and how terrible her timing is and how...how...*wrong* this whole picture is -- but since when does being attractive and kissing well give a woman the right to walk up to any man who saves her life and do *this*?" Janet closed her eyes and laughed. "That is *definitely* Colonel O'Neill." No kidding. "So...what's he doing *here*?" "I don't think he's actually here," she said. "I think his link's started working morning. He must be accidentally broadcasting his thoughts to us while he's dreaming...which wouldn't surprise me if their dreams have also been changed now that Valea's opened their minds. As much as I hate to say this, Daniel, maybe we should wake up." Wake up? Oh, right, from the dream, Daniel realized, sighing in disappointment. It would take awhile to get used to thinking of this as a dream considering how real it felt. "You're right. I should stop him before he wakes up Sam and Teal'c." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 25, 2001 Saturday, 7:48 a.m. Janet opened her eyes, focusing them on the blue eyes of the man facing her who was also slowly rousing from sleep. He smiled groggily at her. "Morning," she said, yawning and returning his smile. "Morning." Daniel rolled onto his back and stretched, shaking his head in amazement. "You know, that was incredible. We just spent the entire night talking, and yet my body feels completely refreshed. I guess the mind doesn't need as much rest as the body does." "Or maybe it receives even more REM sleep now that our minds are open," Janet said, propping her head on her arm to look down at him. "The human body's especially reenergized during REM sleep, more so than during any other stage of sleep, so if we receive more of it, this must be the result. I certainly won't complain. If we can live our lives normally during the day and talk like that all night...think of all the extra time we'll have." Daniel's lips slowly curled into a smile; and Janet's heart beat faster as she realized he was smiling because that meant he could spend more time with her, doing exactly what they'd just done. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed talking to a man that much. There'd been no distractions or discomforts; it was just the two of them and the beautiful scenery, learning more about each other and comforting each other...in a way that hadn't intruded on either's privacy. //What the hell! Didn't this woman get it the first time she tried to kiss me? She has a snake in her head...she's pretty and all that, but it's just too *weird* to be kissing someone with a snake in her head, knowing at any moment it could jump out of her into me like that one did to Carter...EEEEWWWW! That's enough, I *need* to get this woman out of here. Just be nice about it, Jack, or Hammond will strangle you for ruining all diplomatic relations with the Tok'ra...not that I really care what they think of me right now.\\ Daniel sighed and covered his face with his hands. "Oh, right. I knew I was supposed to be doing something." Janet chuckled and dipped her head down to his chest, gently kissing his smooth, bare skin. "Go ahead. I'm going to get dressed first. I'll be down in a few minutes." A low moan escaped his lips as she pulled herself further up the bed to kiss his cheek. "Do I have to go? Can't I just stay here?" //Out the door with you! This is just another thing to add to my rather extensive list of 'Unpredictable Things the Tok'ra Have Done To Us Without Explaining It Or Asking Our Permission First.' And if you ever try kissing me again, I'm sending you to Daniel's room. The snake likes him; she's going to get him!\\ Daniel bolted upright in the bed; and, beside him, Janet snorted in amusement. "I'm going," he announced as he slipped out of the bed and grabbed a white robe hanging from a peg on the wall. Since Prescott's family had been frozen two years ago, Valea had told SG-1 to feel free to use anything they found in the closets, so that's exactly what they'd done. Janet watched him pull on the robe and slip out the door before getting up and heading to the adjacent washroom to clean up. As she did, she couldn't keep herself from watching through Daniel's eyes as he headed down the stairs toward the room O'Neill and Teal'c were sharing. Sam emerged from the room across the foyer just as Daniel arrived at the bottom step. "Daniel!" "Morning, Sam," he greeted her with a smile. Her brows furrowed as she pulled her robe tighter around her, her feet bare, and looked at the door to O'Neill's and Teal'c's room. "Is that...that's not the *Colonel* I'm hearing, is it?" "Oh, yeah, it's Jack," Daniel said. "It's definitely Jack. He must be broadcasting his thoughts over our link while he's dreaming. He woke us up, too." Sam shook her head. "Well, I guess I don't have to ask if our link is working today then, do I? But...when did the Colonel kiss Anise?" The expression on Sam's face indicated confusion and...a hint of jealousy? Janet wondered. She knew that Sam harbored feelings for O'Neill and had for some time, at least since that damned Edora incident a year ago, so she supposed jealousy was a perfectly understandable reaction upon learning a beautiful woman had kissed him. Of course, that had been before the zatarc incident when Sam had learned her feelings for him were reciprocated. They may not be able to do anything about it because of regulations, but it had certainly led to some ... interesting ... conversations between Sam and Janet the past few months. She felt bad for Sam and the colonel, yet they both seemed to be handling their feelings well, not letting it disrupt their professional relationship except on rare occasions. Maybe if the Stargate program shut down or if one of them quit SG-1, they could explore those feelings further; but, until then, Janet suspected there wouldn't be much, if any, romantic action between the two. Her smile broadened as she continued eavesdropping on the conversation through her link with Daniel. "Um...for the record, *Freya* kissed *Jack*, and it was back when we thought you two were zatarcs," Daniel clarified. Seeing Sam's expression of distaste, he added, "Yeah, Jack thought the timing on that one was rather odd, too." "No, actually that's *exactly* what I'd expect from Anise and Freya," Sam mumbled. Yes, that's exactly what she'd expect from Anise as well, Janet silently agreed as she slipped on her fatigues, while downstairs, Daniel knocked lightly on the door to Jack's room. "Enter," Teal'c's voice sounded from the other side. Daniel pushed the door open and was met by an irritated glare from Teal'c, who was sitting on the floor, clearly disturbed from his state of kel-no-reem. "I take it you can hear him too, Teal'c?" Sam asked as she followed Daniel into the room, stopping just inside the doorway. "I can, Major Carter," Teal'c said. "Inside my head." "We'll wake him up." Daniel walked to the bed where Jack was sleeping and sat down on the edge of it. "Jack? Jack, wake up." The colonel grumbled something in his sleep and rolled onto his side, facing away from them, but didn't awaken. Upstairs, Janet quickly finished brushing her hair and pinned it up into a bun, then left the room to join the others. "Jack?" Daniel tried again, but still the sleeping man didn't budge. //Jack!\\ The colonel's eyes finally flew open, and he smacked his hand to his forehead. "That was the damndest dream...*way* too real for my tastes..." he started, then, turning over and seeing the others in his room, he snapped up into a sitting position. "Daniel? Carter? What's wrong? What're you guys doing here?" "You were talking in your sleep...well, in your dreams, actually," Daniel said. "Your link must've developed enough overnight that you could accidentally transmit your thoughts to the rest of us." Jack's mouth fell open as Janet appeared in the doorway behind Sam and smiled at him. "And you all heard...?" Everyone nodded. "Oh. Sorry." "Don't worry about it; it's not your fault," the archaeologist assured him. "First chance we get, we'll have Valea show us how to block these Level 1 links." He grinned at his friend. "Just for the record, though, if Freya *ever* tries to kiss you again and you send her my way...I will start every last one of your hockey sticks on fire and refuse to buy you new ones." Janet lifted a hand to her mouth to hide her smile; and, beside her, Sam did the same, meeting her eyes, amused. On the other side of the room, Teal'c arched an eyebrow at Daniel's threat. "Anyway, speaking of Valea," Janet said once her silent laughter was under control, "has anyone seen her yet this morning?" Sam shook her head. "She wasn't in the room when I woke up a few minutes ago." For a moment, Janet considered locating her over their link; but she quickly decided against it. She didn't want to disturb the girl if she was in the middle of something important. "I'm going to see if I can find her. I want to talk to her about something." Daniel looked back at her. From his puzzled expression, Janet knew he wasn't sure what she wanted to talk to Valea about -- one of the things they'd decided during the night was to grant each other as much privacy as this link would allow, not counting the thoughts that they accidentally transmitted or read -- but he didn't ask the question. A second later he smile and said, "I'm going to show these guys how to use the link and try to figure out how teach them the mind user language." //I'll catch up with you later.\\ Janet nodded and gave him one last smile, then turned and left the room. So, now that Daniel was busy having fun...where to look first for Valea? The kitchen, maybe? Deciding that was as decent a place to start as any, she headed toward the hall next to the stairway that led to the kitchen. As she stepped past the stairs, she heard a door close behind her; and, looking back, she found Sam walking toward her. "What's up?" Janet asked her. Sam placed her hand on the doctor's arm and motioned toward the kitchen at the end of the hall. The two entered, and Sam closed the door behind them, Janet's concern growing as her friend still didn't answer her question. "Sam? Is everything okay? Do you feel all right?" Sam observed closely for her a moment, a trace of sadness in her blue eyes. "Yeah, Janet, everything's fine. I feel great. Actually...I was going to ask you that question. Is everything okay?" "What do you mean?" "Well, we haven't exactly had the chance to talk the past few days," she started, frowning, "and normally we tell each other everything." "I'm fine," Janet said. "Granted, this is all taking some getting used to, but...." "Janet, you never even told me you were *interested* in Daniel," Sam interrupted, smiling faintly. "I mean, I couldn't be happier for you -- Daniel's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met -- but only a few weeks ago you were saying that you two barely ever talked outside of work. Now you can't keep your hands off of each other...and anyone would have to be blind not to see the looks you two keep giving each other. I just...I thought we had an agreement to tell each other about that." Janet felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Oh...*that's* what Sam was talking about. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize she'd been hurt by Janet's recent lack of communication. The expression on her face was clearly one that indicated she'd felt betrayed. After much coaxing and promising to keep the matter a secret, Sam had finally told Janet about her feelings for O'Neill...and now Janet hadn't returned her trust. Damn, it was no wonder Daniel had felt so guilty for keeping the events of the past few weeks a secret from Jack. Janet hadn't even considered that she'd been doing the same thing, keeping her link with Daniel a secret from one of her dearest friends. "God, Sam, I'm so sorry. Two weeks ago I don't even think I had any feelings for Daniel...and, knowing what I know now, I seriously doubt he had any for me." Her eyes drifted toward the window over the washbasin. "This whole thing between us has happened so fast that we're still trying to figure out what's going on...and how we feel about it." Sam leaned back against the counter. "This thing between you two is serious, isn't it?" Seeing Janet's nod, she went on, "Does it have something to do with that link Valea gave you?" Janet laughed softly as she observed her friend. Leave it to Sam, the genius astrophysicist, to figure it out right away. While Janet hadn't planned to tell anyone else about the link yet, maybe it would be for the best if Sam knew. Of course, even after their long, beautiful, enlightening talk last night, she wasn't sure Daniel wanted anyone to know yet, even Sam who was as close as a sister to him.... //Go ahead, Janet. Tell her.\\ She blinked several times as Daniel's voice filled her mind. Would she ever get used to that, having him answer thoughts she hadn't asked? //Are you sure?\\ //No, but if this link is permanent, they'll have to find out sometime. I'm not planning to tell Jack and Teal'c any time soon, but Sam? Go ahead. She won't tell them. Just...tell her before I change my mind.\\ He was right. Sam wouldn't tell anyone, and she'd find out eventually anyway. Besides, maybe speaking about the link with someone other than Daniel or Valea would help her clarify her own thoughts on the matter. Therefore, before she, too, had the chance to change her mind, Janet blurted out, "The link married us, Sam." Sam's eyes widened. "What?" "A mental, physical, and emotional marriage. Instead of a Level 1 link, Valea accidentally gave us a Level 3 link...a marriage link. It wasn't her fault, but...apparently, it's permanent." "Oh, God," Sam whispered, lifting her hand to her mouth. "Are you all right?" Janet nodded. "We're fine, but we're still learning to cope with it. Our minds are linked in ways we haven't even begun to comprehend yet. We share our dreams, our thoughts, our emotions, our physical sensations...we know everything about each other. We've lost all our mental privacy; and, while we've both agreed to give each other as much space as we can...it's still scary. It's...it's been a bit awkward for both of us the past few days." "I can imagine." She wrapped her arms around her chest. "God, that's got to be terrifying...it's no wonder you haven't told us about it. Well, at least you two are still talking to each other. I mean, if something like that happened to me with someone I knew but didn't really *know*, I honestly don't know if I could face that other person again, knowing how much they knew about me." She looked up at Janet sympathetically as she realized what she'd just said. "I'm sorry, Janet, I didn't mean...." "Don't worry about it, Sam," Janet said with a smile, then she, likewise, folded her arms to her chest and leaned back against the table. "You want the truth? So far this link has been nothing but beautiful. I mean, because we share our dreams, we just spent the past ten hours doing nothing but talking on top of a gorgeous, moonlit cliff, all the while our bodies were here, sleeping. It was one of the best nights of my life. And when Daniel touches me...God, it feels incredible, more incredible than anything I've felt from any other man before. Everything in our contact seems to be amplified a hundred times normal. And the best part is, I *know* he feels the same because the link won't let us hide our true feelings from each other." Sam smiled again, clearly awed by the description. "It sounds amazing. You two deserve nothing but the best...and if anyone can make it work, you guys can." She paused, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "You two haven't...?" Janet looked away and smiled shyly as she caught the gist of Sam's question. "No, we haven't. We're trying to slow it down. Our relationship is so complex right now that sex is an extra complication we don't want to worry about yet, at least not until this mission is over and Planet Edea is safe." "That's probably for the best." There was another pause while Sam considered what Janet had just revealed, then she let out a soft laugh and shook her head. "Well, if there's anything I can do for you, or if you ever need someone to talk to, just...know I'm always here for you." Yes, that was Sam, the woman who had become Janet's best friend during the past four years, the woman who was always willing to put forth her all for those she loved. Professionally she was a genius, but Janet knew she often struggled to be just as good of a friend as she was an astrophysicist. While she often fell back on science to solve emotionally trying situations instead of acting as a comforter, more often than not she could successfully lift someone's spirits just by being there for them. Right now her concern for their welfare and the reiteration of her friendship were all she could offer, unsure what else she could say or do in such a situation, but it was enough to touch Janet's heart, deeply. "Thank you, Sam." Her smiled broadened as her friend crossed the floor and gave her a hug, which Janet was all too happy to return. "Right now, just keep me focused on this mission to help Valea and the Edeans. I think I speak for Daniel as much as myself when I say it's extremely tempting to devote all our time to exploring the features of this link and lose track of what's important." "You got it. And speaking of Valea, weren't you looking for her?" Oh, right. Janet knew she had forgotten something when Sam had sidetracked her...although God, it was a relief that someone else now knew what she and Daniel were going through. "You're right, I should see if I can find her. And weren't you supposed to be listening to Daniel's lecture on Level 1 links?" Sam's eyes widened at the reminder. "You're right. I'd better get back to it." "Just don't tell Colonel O'Neill about this link," Janet told her as they left the kitchen and headed back to the foyer. "We'll tell him when we're ready...and when we're a bit more comfortable with it ourselves." "Don't worry, I won't say a word," Sam said, giving Janet one last smile. "I'll see you later." With that, Sam slipped back into the colonel's room while Janet pulled open the front door. She took a hesitant step outside, uncertain what she'd find since Valea hadn't given them a full tour of Deracot the previous night. Like the day before, the sky was overcast, although with the rain barrier up over the town, they didn't have to worry about being drenched again anytime soon. Off to her right, a handful of people loitered in the street, most gathered by a fountain in what appeared to be the center of the village. Not seeing Valea with them and not in the mood to introduce herself to the villagers quite yet, she turned to her left. The blond girl was standing in front of the frozen boy they'd discovered yesterday, doing nothing but staring at him. Judging from her pensive, melancholic expression, Janet deduced she was lost in thought. She watched Valea a moment, hating to disturb her, then let her eyes drift to the building directly across the street as she noticed a splash of golden motion. "Janet," Sayil greeted her with a charming smile as he walked across the street and joined her in front of Prescott's house. "I hope you slept well?" "Very well, Sayil, thank you." She looked back at Valea. "Is she all right?" Sayil sighed, observing his sister. "Not really. You wish to speak with her?" He turned his piercing blue eyes back to her as she nodded. "Give her a few more minutes and I'm sure she'll be glad to see you. In the meantime, would you like a tour of Deracot?" Janet nodded. "Of course." He motioned in the direction away from Valea, toward the fountain where the other villagers were congregating. "This way." As they walked closer, Janet took a better look at the people in the street. An elderly woman wearing a green shawl was bent over the fountain in the center of town to collect drinking water, even though the fountain was completely dry. In front of the fountain sat a middle- aged man with red hair and a pleasant face on the stone bench. Half a dozen people of various ages and genders were walking across the street, only one or two with their heads tilted toward the air. It soon became apparent that all were frozen. That realization sent a chill of horror down Janet's spine. "Most were like this when Valea and I visited Deracot a month ago," Sayil said. "This elderly woman, for example, has been like this for three years. The rest of the people are frozen inside the buildings. Only a handful of living people remain." "So I heard yesterday." God, Amala had frozen the Edeans without warning in whatever they'd been doing. Just like Pompeii, they were preserved for all to see in this lifeless, terrifying condition. Janet lifted her hand to touch the face of the man seated in front of the fountain. Like Ronan, his eyes were dull and unresponsive, he didn't have a pulse, and his skin was cold. As far as Janet could tell, there was no possible medical treatment on Earth that would help these people. They might be able to return their body temperatures to normal in a heated bath, but there was no way to return their souls to them, not if they were trapped inside their black rooms or if they'd been stripped from their bodies and deposited in some sort of hideous repository for the rest of eternity. Suddenly, Janet shook her head. No. Absolutely not. She wouldn't let these people remain in this terrible condition that long, not if she and Daniel could help them. Their lives -- their *souls* -- had been cruelly stolen from them by this madwoman Amala; maybe she and Daniel really did possess the ability to give it back to them. Valea and Sayil believed they could; therefore, they'd try, whether they currently knew how to do that or not. "Come on," Sayil said, motioning further down the street. "There's more to see down this way." Half an hour later, Sayil concluded his tour of the village. He hadn't taken her inside any buildings, nor had he introduced her to any of the living people in Deracot. As a matter of fact, he'd barely said *anything* during the tour except to point out the important locations in the village. It wasn't hard to see just how distracted he was; all of his concentration seemed to be focused on how terribly Amala had defeated his people. Janet had rarely seen boys his age so somber and subdued. While she thought she understood why...still, at his age he should be laughing, teasing his sister or other girls, having fun, *smiling*...not walking around Deracot like someone had just run over his beloved puppy. That, too, was something Janet desperately wanted to change. "Thank you for showing me around, Sayil," she said as they finally stopped in front of Prescott's house. The boy smiled at her; and, in spite of the fact that it seemed forced, Janet was glad to see he was still capable of smiling. "You're welcome. I think Valea's had enough time to herself if you'd like to talk to her now." "She was friends with that boy, wasn't she?" Janet asked, looking back at the spot where Valea still stood in front of Ronan. From her vantage point, it appeared the girl hadn't moved since Sayil had begun his tour. Sayil's eyes dropped to the ground and he kicked at a stone with his foot. "I...ah, I think I'd best let her explain it." Janet observed Sayil another moment. He really was a handsome young man, with his boyish facial features, his short blond hair, and his height and muscular build. Girls on Earth would definitely be swooning over him, Cassie included. But his blue eyes...while they were bright, they were also terribly haunted. Her heart ached for him, for the horrors he'd seen that no person should have to see, for the friends and loved ones he'd lost.... ...Just like Daniel. Refusing to dwell on that comparison, she quickly shifted mental gears. "Sayil, can I ask you something?" He nodded faintly, his forced smile disappearing. "Daniel and I asked Valea about your brother and sister yesterday, but she didn't answer our question." "You want to know what happened to them," he said, catching on. "Valea's a bit sensitive about it so I'm not surprised she didn't answer your question." It was clear from the tremble in his voice that Sayil was just as sensitive about it as his sister, but Janet didn't speak that observation out loud. Something told her she would soon regret making him relive a troublesome memory...but damn it, she really wanted to know. "Thea and Kayil, they're...they're frozen." Janet had figured as much, but her heart sank at his words anyway. "Before Valea took over, Thea used to search the visitors' minds and innate skills, looking for the prophesied ones, but she grew impatient and frustrated after doing it for two years and finding no one. One day about a year ago, the four of us decided to try defeating Amala ourselves, so we snuck into her castle." Sayil looked down at his hands, wringing them together, but he didn't fail to notice Janet's eyebrows shoot up at his last statement. "Yeah...I know. Nobody's supposed to be able to find her castle. That's what Valea told you, right? Well, by a fluke of nature, we found it *and* managed to sneak inside. But...we wish we hadn't. Amala cornered Thea and Kayil and froze them. Valea stayed behind to try to unfreeze them while I escaped, but she couldn't do it. I met her at the entrance. We barely made it out with our lives." Oh, God. "After that, Valea and I realized we couldn't afford to risk each others' lives like that again. We agreed to trust the prophecy and wait for you two to show up, no matter how long it took, so we'd been living in that cottage the past year, waiting. In the end, our patience paid off because, as Edea predicted, you came. Just don't ask us for any details about Amala's castle. The layout inside changes as often as its location, so I'm sure everything is completely different now. I know there's something called a Fractor inside, along with a maze and a bunch of traps, but that's all I can tell you." He paused and looked up at her. "And...if you care anything about Valea even after what she did to you and Daniel, please don't mention any of this to her. She'll deny it ever happened." Janet observed the boy in mixed admiration, horror, and sympathy. His bravery in infiltrating Amala's castle, his concern for Valea, his sorrow at losing his brother and sister and now even more friends here in Deracot.... It was no wonder his eyes seemed so old. "Valea feels guilty about what happened to your brother and sister." "Terribly," Sayil said, staring down the street at his sister. "It's not her fault, but she's convinced she could've done something to unfreeze them. She feels she failed them. Thea's always placed a lot of pressure on her to live up to our parents' expectations...and Valea believes she could've prevented the tragedy if she'd tried to persuade Thea to be more patient. That's why she was so determined to find you and Daniel; she thought it might make up for having lost Kayil and Thea. Now she feels guilty because of what she did to you two by giving you the link." "It wasn't her fault," Janet quickly replied. "Besides, Daniel and I seem to be getting used to it." "I know it wasn't her fault. Deep down I'm pretty sure she knows it too...but you may want to tell her that anyway." "I will." Janet gently touched the boy's arm. "Thank you for telling me this, Sayil. We really appreciate it." He nodded and forced another smile for her. "Thank you for agreeing to help us, Janet. You and Daniel deserve to know the truth, as do the others...I suppose." She squeezed his arm one last time, then turned away and headed down the street toward his sister. That had explained a lot: why Valea had been so desperate to believe Janet and Daniel were the ones in Edea's prophecy, why they'd thought Valea had been lying when she mentioned Amala's castle yesterday, why Valea was so reluctant to reveal the fate of her brother and sister, and why she felt so guilty about the Level 3 link she'd accidentally given them. Any hard feelings Janet still harbored toward Valea were beginning to dissolve as she learned more about the girl's dilemmas leading up to the link's creation...and as she learned just how bleak this planet's future looked. Valea glanced at Janet as she joined her, but her gaze immediately returned to Ronan, her lips curling upward into a pained smile tinged with deep sorrow. "Sayil told you." "Yes, he did," Janet said. And that was the end of that discussion. The girl sighed and turned her head toward the doctor. "I didn't think you'd be awake already." Janet chuckled, remembering their rude awakening earlier that morning. "We probably wouldn't be yet except Colonel O'Neill accidentally broadcast his thoughts to us while he was dreaming. Their Level 1 link seems to be pretty well developed this morning." "Wow," Valea commented, shaking her head. "I expected it to take longer for the link to develop in warriors." "You'll have to show us how to block thoughts." "I will." Valea's cerulean eyes drifted back to the teenage boy in front of her. He was cute in a country bumpkinish way, Janet noted as she looked him over. Definitely not handsome like Sayil, but Ronan's freckles and bowl-cut hairdo were cute. He appeared to be a nice boy, dressed neatly although not stylishly as Valea and Sayil were in sleek, bold-colored capes and plain, albeit loose and attractive, shirts and pants. Ronan's clothes were more typical of a peasant style, consisting of white shirt and brown pants. He probably had dimples when he smiled, Janet figured...not that she'd ever know, considering his current frozen condition. "You two were friends," she finally said. The girl laughed once, then closed her eyes as she fought back her tears, her smile bittersweet. "I guess you could say that. We've known each other for years. Ronan was more Sayil's friend than mine, but I liked him. He was nice." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "He, um, he had a crush on me. Had for years. Every time I saw him, he gave me something. Once he gave me a bead bracelet he'd made. Another time he gave me a flower...a daisy. In your world, I guess you'd call him a boyfriend." Janet smiled sadly and placed a hand on Valea's back. "Did you have a link with him?" "No, but Sayil did." She laughed again, reminiscing, even though tears were welling in her eyes. "Every time Ronan gave me something, he'd beg me to create a Level 1 with him. He was so cute when he begged." Her expression fell as she sniffled again. "He just couldn't understand that I *couldn't* have a link with him." "Why not?" "I'm not permitted to have any links with potential suitors," she stated matter-of-factly. Janet didn't understand what she was talking about, but she didn't press the issue; it was probably just a cultural thing, and it was obvious Valea was already suffering enough from recounting these memories. The girl's eyes reddened as the first of the tears rolled down her cheeks. "The last time I saw him a month ago, he asked me to marry him. Said he loved me. I was flattered, but I...I don't know that I felt the same for him. Even if I had, though, he had no idea who I was, he couldn't understand why I turned him down...I think it broke his heart, but I could tell he was prepared to keep trying until I agreed." A single sob burst out as she stared at him. "Now he'll never get the chance...." The tears were now flowing freely down Valea's cheeks. Janet finally had to look away from her while she cried; it was too much to bear. Her gaze landed on Sayil, who was watching them from the doorway to Prescott's house. The silent words on his face were clear: 'Don't put her through more than you have to because she can't take much more than she already has.' He watched them another moment before looking down at the ground mournfully; and, a second later, he turned and disappeared into the house. "Well, knowing the little I do about marriage on your planet, I don't blame you for turning him down," Janet said softly, returning her attention to Valea. "It's a very serious commitment, not something to be taken lightly." That had been a poorly chosen comment, Janet realized with regret as another sob burst from Valea and the girl turned her bloodshot eyes toward the doctor. "Oh, Janet, I'm so, so sorry," she choked. "I never meant to give you and Daniel...." "Shh...it's okay, Valea," Janet cut her off, rubbing her back. "It's not your fault; and, even if it was, we've forgiven you. Daniel and I are getting used to it. I think we're even starting to *like* certain parts of it." Valea thought about that last statement a moment before turning her head toward Janet. A faint smile appeared amidst the tears, and she wiped at her eyes again with her hand. "A part of me wishes I knew what you were talking about...yet another part of me is too scared to find out. All I saw were one or two of your dreams...I didn't want to intrude...." Maybe Valea hadn't seen as much as Daniel was afraid she had, Janet thought as the girl turned back to face Ronan. Her intentions certainly didn't *seem* malicious; and, as before, all Janet received from Valea through their Level 2 link were emotions of sadness, fear, and guilt. "What kind of skills did Ronan have?" she asked. Valea was visibly relieved at the change of subject and cleared her throat. "Animal skills. He could understand them, what they needed, and how to help them. Animals loved him, and he loved them. On your planet, you'd probably call him a shepherd." Janet smiled faintly. A shepherd...that description matched his appearance. "He sounds like a nice boy." The girl nodded, then sighed again and turned her head back toward Janet. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" Right, back to the reason for her disruption of the girl's painful reminiscing. "You said something last night, that Prescott hadn't always been blind and mute but rather that Amala took those abilities from him when she attacked Deracot. The only reason he's still in this condition is because you don't have any healers left to help him." This time the smile that lit Valea's face was sincere. Her eyes sparkled as she sensed where Janet was heading. "You're a healer...and you're willing to help the injured people here." "Well, I'm not sure *how*, but if I can, I'd like to see what I can do," Janet said. It was too hard for her, as a doctor used to helping people, to see these people suffering as they were, especially knowing she might be able to do something for them. She wouldn't make Valea any promises, but she was certainly willing to *try*. "Well, sadly, I don't possess any healing skills so I can't help you learn yours." Janet was confused by Valea's response for the expression on her face was anything but sad. "But...?" "But Deracot used to have a resident healer, Tyndar. Most mind user learn their skills through apprenticeships -- which obviously won't work in your case since there's no one left to teach you -- but, if I remember correctly, Tyndar often jotted down medical notes in his diaries. You might be able to glean some information from those. If you'd like, I can try to find them for you." Janet's smile told Valea all she needed to see. "Then if you wouldn't mind waiting, I'll go see what I can find...." Valea's voice trailed off as O'Neill and Teal'c suddenly emerged from Prescott's house, looking around the village in amazement. "Actually, I'll get them for you in a minute. Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c," she greeted them, abandoning her post by the frozen boy and heading toward them. Janet cast one last look back at the frozen boy before following her. "Valea," Jack said. "You know what? There really is a village here." She snorted at his comment. "Yes, Colonel, there is. I hear your link is working this morning?" "Oh, yeah. Works like a charm. Works *too* well, actually." He lowered his voice and glanced at Teal'c, then back at the girl. "This thing can be blocked, right?" When Valea laughed again in response, Jack quickly pressed, "*Please* tell me this thing can be blocked." "Yes, Colonel, it can be blocked. I'll show you guys how to do that later. I take it Daniel taught you our language?" "Yup. I can now add the mind user language to my ever growing collection of English and...oh...Latin." Valea laughed again. "Good. That archaeologist really is a fast learner if he's already figured out how to transmit languages to you without any help." The girl smiled as she saw her brother emerge from the house with Sam. Daniel followed them a moment later, now fully dressed, and Janet quickly joined him as his eyes locked with hers. He was ecstatic that he'd discovered how to transmit the mind user language to his teammates, that much Janet could tell even without reading his mind. "Sayil, I assume you're off to show Sam some basic techniques?" The boy nodded. "I doubt she'll be able to do anything yet since it's only been a day since you opened her mind, but I can at least show her some of mine." "I'm going to find Tyndar's diaries so Janet can start learning about her skills, then I hope to start guiding Daniel with his." Valea looked at Daniel. "Sound okay?" "Sounds great," Daniel said. "I just want *control* over them for a change so I don't have to worry about accidentally starting anything else on fire." She smiled. "Believe me, that's all we want too, Daniel. Anyway, Colonel, Teal'c, now that you can see the village, feel free to have a look around. Make yourselves at home, get to know the people here, watch us practice our skills...do whatever you feel like doing. I believe the saying in your world is 'Mi casa es su casa,' right?" "Something like that," Jack said. "We'll meet up again after lunch, and I'll give you a crash course on blocking links. Now please excuse me; I have some medical journals to find for Janet." Valea smiled at them one last time, then hurried off down the street toward Tyndar's house. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Eleven: Deracot August 29, 2001 Wednesday, 4:31 p.m. Jack O'Neill was not a happy camper. To put it mildly, he was bored out of his skull. For five days now, he had been wandering around the tiny village of Deracot, desperately trying to keep himself occupied while everyone else had all the fun. Since their arrival, Teal'c, in typical Teal'c fashion, had made friends with the resident youngsters, especially Ryan, who adored the Jaffa's shiny gold tattoo and SG-1's weapons. He'd apparently heard stories about warriors who used projectile weapons instead of mental weapons, but he'd never actually met one who possessed any. While the boy had initially been leery of Teal'c, he'd soon realized the Jaffa wasn't the monster the mind user stories about the Goa'uld, Jaffa, and warriors had led him to believe. The second Teal'c had let Ryan touch his tattoo and had started telling tales about his struggles against the 'false gods,' voila, an instant friendship had formed between the two; and friendship with the other children had come naturally after that. Much to Jack's dismay, though, he wasn't the novelty the Jaffa was; and, despite his best efforts, none of the children cared that he was around. While he supposed he should be jealous of the attention Teal'c could attract that he couldn't, Jack found it hard to feel *anything* negative toward Teal'c. Teal'c, after all, was exactly the kind of fighter a military commander wanted in his unit, always willing to follow orders without question or to wait patiently until he was needed, then step in and put forth his all to get the job done. Fighting the Goa'uld and proving to his fellow Jaffa that the Goa'uld weren't gods may be Teal'c's primary interests; but Jack couldn't help noting that, after four years, the Jaffa seemed to have developed the same sense of loyalty to his Earth friends as he had to his cause of defeating those snakeheads. Knowing he had such a superb soldier at his side during missions gave Jack a level of security he'd never had during his years with the Black Ops. It was no wonder the Jaffa had become Apophis's first prime. So, while Teal'c was off playing with Deracot's youngsters, Jack had found a handful of adults to converse with, although they seemed more interested in going about their daily business than in talking to a warrior. Of course, Jack reminded himself, diverting his eyes to the sky as he walked past the fountain where far too many frozen people stood, the few conversations he *had* managed to have with the mind users hadn't told him a thing. No one gave him any worthwhile answers. How many Edeans were there on the planet? Don't know. Where could he find this creepy Amala woman? Somewhere. Where was the nearest warrior village located? Other side of the planet. What could they tell him about Valea? Nice girl. Sayil? Nice boy. Where were the siblings' parents? Haven't seen them. When was the last time anyone had been through the Stargate? Long ago. What did they know of the Goa'uld? Bad guys. Where could SG-1 find Edea? Not a clue. What about Edea's prophecy? There *was* a prophecy? What kinds of skills had Amala left unfrozen? None of your damned business. It was frustrating; and, in the end, Jack had given up on trying to talk to the villagers, except to offer occasional assistance with their chores. Most of the time, though, they refused even that. He received a strong impression that they didn't want anything to do with a 'warrior'; but, fortunately, no one seemed in a hurry to kick him out of town. Daniel had explained the mind users' bias against warriors to him; but Jack would still rather these villagers gave him a *chance* to prove he was a human being instead of just writing him off as the primitive, bigoted, boring warrior their stereotypes expected him to be. Finally, he'd taken up a self-imposed patrol of Deracot, wandering back and forth between the ends of the village to keep an eye out for Amala's shadow, just so he'd have something to *do*. Valea had assured him he could enter any houses except the few where the unfrozen people lived, so he'd taken her up on her offer. It had taken him less than an hour to formulate a picture of the village's condition...and that picture he'd formulated was more than a little spooky. Every house he went into had frozen people stopped in whatever they'd been doing when Amala's miasma had descended on the town. Children were sleeping soundly in their beds, women were cooking at their stoves, men were sitting at their tables reading, teenagers were sitting on the floor playing marbles...none had seen the tragedy coming. It was no wonder 'living' people didn't stay in those houses anymore. After his second day exploring the ghost town, Jack had stuck to roaming the streets and watching his teammates play with their new skills. Valea spent most of her time with Daniel, guiding him to discover how to control nature and the elements. She may not have detailed knowledge of those skills, but she had still been able to help him master some of the 'basics,' as she'd described them. While Jack had watched on in awe, Daniel had started a minor earthquake, frozen a bucket full of water, and created a mini storm cloud over the village and elicited several small bolts of lightning from it. More often than that, though, he worked with fire. Valea said fire seemed to be Daniel's innate ability, the one most connected to his emotions and, therefore, the easiest for him to manipulate. 'Basics' my foot, Jack thought as he passed Prescott's house and noticed three villagers loitering outside. *He* certainly couldn't start a fire with his mind. He knew. He had tried. Multiple times. Just to amuse himself. Their first three days on the planet, Fraiser had been no fun to watch. She'd spent all her time in Prescott's house, poring over Tyndar's diaries. By the fourth day, though, she had learned enough to start putting her new skills into practice. Daniel had even stopped starting things on fire long enough to watch as she healed Prescott, her first patient, restoring his sight and voice. She had closed her eyes and slowly moved her hand over his eyes and throat; and, when she'd opened her eyes again, the man could see and speak. Prescott's sheer gratitude had seemed to be more than enough payment for her. Whatever she had done in the black room of that 'opened' mind of hers had obviously worked. She had been ecstatic at the success, as had Daniel, who had also closed his eyes while she'd worked. Jack wished he knew what was going on in their heads when they did that; but they apparently weren't interested in sharing, at least not with him. While Jack had discovered his own black room days ago, it was...well, *boring*. It was a small, black room. Nothing happened in there. He couldn't even make a Barcalounger and TV set appear inside it to occupy his time. Needless to say, he didn't spend much time there. Jack frowned again as his mind returned to the two who'd been unwillingly recruited to fight a nasty woman they knew very little about. Every nerve in his body screamed that something was wrong with this picture, with this entire *mission*...and it wasn't just the fact that it was completely unfair for the Edeans to be frozen against their will. There was more to it than that, and it probably had something to do with what Valea had done by opening their minds without their consent. Daniel and Fraiser might be able to look past that injustice, but Jack? Jack had a harder time forgiving, especially when the injustice had been made against one of his dearest friends...Daniel. Because the colonel recognized that Daniel would scream bloody murder if Jack made his protectiveness of him obvious, the past few years he'd backed off, keeping one eye constantly on the archaeologist without overstepping his bounds. Daniel may not be the same naïve man he'd first met -- he was more than capable of taking care of himself, thank you -- but that didn't mean Jack would back away for a second when something threatened him. Jack understood why it had been difficult for Daniel to talk about what Valea had done to him. Hell, he even understood why Daniel had skipped the debriefing. He didn't like it, but he wasn't going to write off Daniel's friendship because of it; and, as long as Daniel was still his friend, Jack wouldn't let any harm come to him without trying to prevent it. No, he'd watch from the distance, let Daniel live his life, and step in whenever he was needed. Some things would never change, and Jack's concern for his friends would always be one of them. After all, no one laid a finger on one of Jack O'Neill's friends and lived to tell about it. He simply couldn't allow that. God, hadn't Daniel already suffered enough the past few years? Now his mind had been permanently rewired to something that could prove dangerous, maybe even deadly, and Daniel had forgiven Valea just like that? And why the hell wasn't Fraiser more concerned about the physical effects the 'opening of the brain' process had had on them? There was something more going on here. Those two were acting out of character, so concerned with their newfound skills that, for a change, *they* were the ones not considering the full picture while *Jack* was. Now he just had to figure out what exactly was going on and, if there was a problem, fix it. The one thing Jack *was* sure of, though, was that, whatever was wrong with Daniel and Fraiser, Valea was responsible for it. Jack didn't even blame her brother -- he *liked* Sayil -- but Valea...something about her *felt* wrong, even if the facts spoke otherwise. After her initial outburst upon hearing SG-1 was coming along, the girl had been nothing but pleasant to everyone, eager to make them as comfortable as possible in the eerily quiet village of Deracot. Daniel said he'd know if Valea was lying because of his link with her, and he insisted he could tell that she was telling the truth about her desperation to find help. Fraiser, likewise, had defended her, explaining that Valea's desperation was simply a result of losing her older brother and sister and that she sincerely hadn't meant anyone harm. Jack could relate with that. He knew how it felt to be desperate, and he knew how it felt to lose a loved one and blame himself for it, both of which could led a person to make leaps they might not make otherwise. Hell, he'd done exactly that by sacrificing any opportunity he'd had to reconcile with Sara after losing Charlie. Like everyone else, Jack liked Valea -- really, he did -- she just made him feel vaguely uneasy. The only other person on SG-1 who seemed to feel any uncertainty toward her, though, was Teal'c. Teal'c may not be able to identify what about her felt wrong either, but the fact that he wasn't alone in his suspicions had reassured Jack that his impression wasn't just a result of his outrage at what she'd done to his friends. He may not be able to do anything to investigate those suspicions at the moment, but at least he could keep a close eye on her and try to figure out what was making him so uneasy. Of course, Jack was also uncomfortable with how close Daniel and Fraiser had grown the past few weeks. He'd never seen Daniel act as starry-eyed as he did when he was around her, except for on Abydos when Daniel had been with Sha'uri. And Fraiser? Jack had *never* seen her starry-eyed. She'd always kept her cool, never going gaga over a man. As far as Jack knew, she'd never even dated while working at the SGC, even though enough men on the base were interested in her, such as her 'secret admirer' who Jack knew all too well had *not* been Daniel. He supposed he couldn't blame those guys; Janet had a subtle beauty, strength, and determination mixed with just enough softness and compassion to make even the most stoic of military men fall for her. Now, though, she and Daniel were virtually inseparable. They were madly in love, that much was obvious by the way they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other and by the silly grins that popped onto their faces every time they were together. Jack was just confused why of all times this infatuation had started right *now*. Didn't they have more important things on their minds, such as, oh, starting things on fire and healing people? As with Valea, there was more going on with those two; and Jack was determined to figure out what it was. As leader of this merry little band, it was his duty to find out those answers without isolating himself from them. For right now, though, he'd let them have their fun. It hadn't hurt anything thus far; and besides, Jack honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Daniel so *happy*. The minute their relationship stepped in the way of SG-1's current mission, though, he'd have to have a little talk with them about rearranging their priorities. Jack snorted as he passed the frozen boy, Ronan, in the street, heading toward the opposite end of town where Carter was busy with Sayil. 'SG- 1's current mission'? *What* mission were they on again? Jack still wasn't sure he'd figured out what they were supposed to be *doing* on Planet Edea. Hammond wanted them to find technology and to make an alliance with an advanced race, both of which could potentially be found with the Edeans; but Jack had a hunch SG-1 needed to save the planet before they could tackle either of those goals. Problem was, at no point during the past few days had he run into the slightest clue about how to *do* that. He knew it had something to do with tracking down two different women, Edea and Amala, both of whom were nigh impossible to be tracked down; but when, exactly, was SG-1 planning to start looking for them? Why were they sitting around a tiny, frozen village called Deracot learning to manipulate the universe with their minds instead of *looking* for these all-important women? Right now, though, that question would have to wait, Jack told himself as he spotted Carter just outside the village limits. Yes, then there was Carter. Way too intelligent and beautiful for her own good -- or for Jack's good -- and way too excited about these new 'skills' that Sayil was teaching her to use. While Daniel had been the first person Jack had really allowed inside his shell after Charlie's death, Carter hadn't taken long to work her way in either, maybe initially against both of their wills. He didn't want to let in yet *another* scientist - - Daniel was more than enough of that for Jack's tastes -- but it had happened anyway. If he hadn't forced himself to put up a wall between them when they'd first met, Jack suspected he could've easily fallen for her. After losing Sara, the woman of his dreams for so many years, it had been too soon to meet Sam Carter, another woman Jack was afraid could easily fit into his dreams. No, thank you, he *didn't* want to hop from one woman to another as a result of his emptiness from losing his family. That wall he'd erected between him and Carter, though, seemed to be shrinking all too quickly lately. Somehow he suspected during the past few years that he'd already fallen for her, even if he wouldn't admit it to himself; but, since there was no way anything would happen with her anytime soon, why dwell on it and make his feelings even more unbearable than they already were? It was hard at times to keep his relationship with her professional, but thus far they seemed to have managed. But God, she was too much fun to watch sometimes, like when she chewed on the end of a pen while trying to figure out some complex mathematical equation that would give Jack nightmares for months...or like right now. At the moment, she and Sayil were standing inside one of the animal pens at the end of the village; and, in front of her, a hen was squawking rather loudly as it hung suspended in the air. Every day as her mind continued opening, she picked up something she hadn't been able to do the day before. The first day she'd done nothing but watch, awestruck, as Sayil created barriers around the village, changed the appearance of barrels into wheels, altered the landscape so it appeared green and thriving, and levitated cows. The second day she'd actually been able to move a quarter through the air several inches by herself. Today, Jack thought, grinning as he watched on, it appeared she could levitate chickens. //Don't drop it, Major.\\ His mental voice startled her; and the hen fell to a soft pile of hay on the ground, then ran off, eager to get as far away from Carter as possible. The one change Jack *had* happily gotten used to was SG-1's new Level 1 link. No intrusions and no worries about others reading his mind, just the ability to send simple messages that could be blocked with a mental wall if you wanted to be left alone. Much to his relief, Valea had kept her promise by explaining how to block a link; all it took was picturing the person you wanted to block inside your black room and placing a wall between you and them. His favorite part was the knowledge that he'd never again have to worry about where his teammates had run off to during a mission. As far as he was concerned, the link had made this whole questionable trip to Planet Edea worthwhile...especially when it came to keeping an eye on Daniel. When Jack got home, he could finally take that 'Archaeologist Leash' off his wish list. "Oops," Jack said, shrugging innocently as Carter looked over her shoulder at him with a frown. "Do you have any idea how much concentration it takes to do that, Sir?" she said, scolding him for his earlier interruption, but her accompanying smile weakened the admonition. Jack leaned against the wooden fence of the pen and grinned at her. "No, actually I don't, Major. Do tell." She stared at him a moment, then laughed as she saw he was sincerely interested. "Well, you know all those laws of physics that irk you so much whenever I try explaining them?" Seeing his nod, she went on, "Let's just say Sayil's showing me how to take those laws and bend them. Gravity, light rays, matter...they can all be manipulated once you learn how. You just need to know the laws and how they work before you can break them." "So far, Sam is just having a hard time reminding herself that she *can* break them," Sayil said, smiling at Carter with an appreciative eye. "She's so used to them being firmly in place that she can't imagine the world without them. It'll be a few more days until she's comfortable enough thinking outside her box of physics to find all the loopholes and apply them." //'Sam'?\\ Jack asked her, arching an eyebrow. //You let him call you 'Sam'? You know this kid has a crush on you, don't you?\\ She eyed him as if to say, "Jealous?" -- which, he supposed, maybe a childish part of him was -- but she didn't say anything. "However, she's doing exceptionally well," Sayil went on, not noticing their silent exchange. "She was able to change the color of the grass from brown to green for a few minutes earlier this afternoon. Sadly, that's the extent of her illusionary skills, but at least it's something. I'm still very, very impressed by her." Carter was doing exceptionally well and Sayil was impressed by her. Now why didn't that surprise Jack? "Sayil says by tomorrow I should be able to start teleporting small objects short distances," Carter said, beaming like a child who'd just been handed the one present she'd always dreamed of having. O'Neill grinned at her again. "Teleportation, huh? Cool." Her smile faded as she watched him. "So what's up, Sir?" "Oh, not much. Daniel's on the other end of town with Valea, starting tornadoes and freaking out the residents. Teal'c's playing tag with Ryan and a few of his friends. Janet has a line forming outside Prescott's house with all the patients who want her to heal something. Broken bones, sprains, arthritis...you name it, she's learning to fix it with her mind. So they're all having fun." //And what about you?\\ Jack gave her a sarcastic smile. //Me? Oh, I'm just...practicing being eye candy.\\ Carter laughed again, and Sayil arched an eyebrow at them. "Anyway, Sam, if you'd like to quit for the day, that would be fine with me. If Valea's still busy with Daniel, that means she hasn't made supper yet, so I wouldn't mind getting started." "Thank you, Sayil," she said. "I think I'll stick around here and practice some of the things you taught me today." "Go ahead. Dinner should be ready in an hour. See you then." With that, the boy jumped over the fence and jogged off through town, back to Prescott's house. "He's a nice boy, Sir," Carter said, watching him run off. "Very smart. On our world he'd be rewriting every physics book ever written. And his artistic skills...*wow*. He's an amazing artist; Cassie would love to study with him. Have you seen any of his paintings yet? He showed me some of them yesterday and they're beautiful. Then there are his illusions...well, you already saw some of those, like the river in the forest. To be honest, I'm envious of him; I'd love to be able to paint visual pictures like that." When Jack didn't say anything, content to just listen to her ramble on excitedly, she looked back at him. //You still think there's something wrong with him and his sister?\\ //Not him, just his sister. Teal'c thinks so too. I still haven't figured out *what*, but I'm going to. And as for Daniel and Fraiser, I intend to have a little talk with them tonight after supper. We can't just sit around here twiddling our thumbs while the planet's dying, can we?\\ Carter cleared her throat at the mention of Daniel and Fraiser, and Jack received the distinct impression she knew something about them that she wasn't telling. //Carter?\\ "It's nothing, Sir. Mind if I come with you to talk to them?" "Sure. We'll grab Teal'c and have a little powwow." Jack leaned forward against the fence of the pen. "But enough of that. Show me what you learned in school today, Major." The pleased smile returned to Carter's face. "Yes, Sir." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 7:04 p.m. Dinner consisted of scant talk over three broiled, flavorless fish. Sayil had briefly explained to Jack that none of the food on Drearyland had much flavor; those Edeans with food skills had been frozen several months ago, and the remaining mind users were uncertain how to make food taste good anymore. They had always relied on 'cooks' to create their spices and flavored extracts; but, without those cooks, they now had to make due with whatever they had. After eating, Prescott had left to spend time with the other survivors of Deracot, still reveling in his newly rediscovered ability to see and speak. Valea and Sayil had disappeared soon after to find out how the other villagers were doing now that Fraiser had healed their injuries and illnesses. As Jack had expected, Daniel and Janet had quietly excused themselves following dinner and disappeared up the stairs, clearly on the verge of collapsing from fatigue; and, across the kitchen table from him where he and the rest of SG-1 still sat, Carter was stifling a yawn. Even Teal'c's eyelids were drooping and he seemed far more unresponsive than Jack remembered seeing him in a long while. Everyone was exhausted from the day's exertions...except Jack. He was just bored silly and desperately wanted to *do* something, even if it meant irritating the hell out of his teammates. "All right, Campers," he said, looking across the table at Carter and Teal'c, "while I *always* enjoy these rare bonding moments, right now I think I'd like to know what our two missing campers are up to...although with the way they've been acting lately, I think I'm afraid to find out. Anyone care to join me?" "Yeah, sure," Carter said, rising to her feet. "I will also accompany you, O'Neill," Teal'c added. Yes, *company*. At least whatever it was those two were doing upstairs, Jack wouldn't be the only one to find out about it. The three quickly deposited their plates in the washbasin, having been assured by Valea that she'd take care of cleaning up later, then headed up the stairs. Funny, Jack thought as they reached the top. It was Wednesday and they'd been in Deracot since Friday night, but he still hadn't been on the second floor. The hallway was dim, with only two doors visible in the flickering candlelight, one on either side of the hall. Since the door to his left was ajar, showing no one inside, he knocked on the closed one to his left before pushing it open. Jack's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene inside the room. What the...? On the bed sat Daniel and Fraiser, leaning against the headboard, smiling, with their eyes closed. Daniel's arm was wrapped around Janet's back, and her head was resting on his shoulder. Both sets of eyes flew open as he took another step inside. One look around the room confirmed Jack's suspicion. "When the hell did this dorm become co-ed?!" Daniel frowned and rubbed his eyes before removing his arm from around Janet. "Valea was hurting for rooms so she set us up in this one." He fixed Jack with a pointed look that read, 'In other words, Jack, it's none of your damn business so drop the subject.' Jack, however, was *not* going to drop the subject. "And there aren't fifty other abandoned houses in Deracot that you could've moved into instead? And how the hell did it get so warm in here? All the rooms downstairs are freezing." Fraiser chuckled as she sat up. "This one was pretty cold the first night too until...ah...Daniel realized he could control the temperature." Oh. He should've figured as much, Jack thought, snorting. "I'll see what I can do to warm your rooms up later," Daniel said, smiling awkwardly. "Anyway, guys, what's up?" Jack motioned for Carter and Teal'c to join him inside. They pulled out the chairs from around the table in the corner of the room and positioned them opposite the edge of the bed where both Daniel and Janet had situated themselves. "Well, to be honest, Daniel, that's exactly what *I* was going to ask *you*." "What do you mean?" "What the hell are we doing here?" Daniel was clearly confused by the colonel's question. "Well, Janet and I had a busy day and we're...resting. Why?" Why? Because Jack was the leader, that was why; questioning what they were doing on a mission was one of his all-time favorite activities. "Daniel, we're sitting around doing nothing." "It's night and we're tired. Of course we're doing nothing." "That's not what I mean," Jack said. "I mean, what are we doing in *Deracot*? We've been here how many days now? Five? Six? What are we *doing* here? I know the people are in terrible shape -- hell, I've seen too many frozen people here *not* to know that -- but shouldn't we be doing something to save them instead of sitting around starting things on fire, mending broken bones, and levitating chickens?" Daniel cast a quick glance at Fraiser. "We're learning to control these abilities, Jack. I thought that's what we were *supposed* to be doing here. We need to know how to use them before we can even try to help the Edeans." "I know that, but how long do we plan to stay here? The next three months? The next three *years*? You guys seem to have a handle on your skills; shouldn't we start looking for this nasty lady who's freezing everyone? Can't you learn to master your new skills while we're doing that?" Daniel, Fraiser, and Carter exchanged surprised looks. "With all due respect, Sir, no we can't," Carter said. "It's not that easy. We're learning something completely foreign to us. This goes against every single law of physics. It takes time and concentration, and if we were traveling...." Jack frowned and waved her down. Lesson #1: Unless you're feeling really brave, never let Carter prattle on too long during an explanation for fear it'll degenerate into technobabble and incomprehensible scientific jargon. "Okay, Carter, I get the point, but I still think we should be *looking* for her. I've questioned all the people here and nobody has the first clue where to find her." "Well," Fraiser started slowly, "from what Valea's told us, *no one* knows where to find Amala. That's why we're waiting for Edea to contact us. Valea thinks she can give us some guidance." Edea. Wise woman and ruler of the planet. Right. "And we're sure this Edea woman is going to contact us." "Valea's convinced she's going to," Daniel said. Of *course* Valea was. "And when, exactly, does Edea plan to do this?" Jack could tell that Daniel was getting frustrated with these questions; but, by that point, he was past caring. *He* was frustrated. Well, that and bored. "We're...not sure," Daniel said. "And how does she plan to contact you? Snail mail? Long-distance telephone call? Email? Passenger pigeon? What?" "We...we really don't know. Valea's not even sure." Valea. Her again. "So we're waiting here indefinitely until you receive some sort of sign from heaven." The archaeologist rolled his eyes, and Fraiser placed her hand on his arm to calm him. "Just...give it a few more days, Colonel," she said. "I'm sure Edea will contact us when she thinks the time is right." Jack sighed. A few more days in this godforsaken, *boring* village where everyone seemed to hate him. Yeah, great. "You can always go back to Earth, Jack," Daniel said, a bit too hopefully. "While we'd miss your company...sort of...we won't stop you." Little did Daniel know, he'd just reminded Jack why he *couldn't* go back to Earth yet. Daniel was an easily distracted archaeologist who was far too eager to be on his own to save Planet Edea without having someone with proper military training around to watch his back. "Nope, absolutely not. But next time we take an extended leave to a planet this dreary, remind me to bring along my PlayStation. I'm sick of not having anything to do or knowing who I can trust here." The younger man furrowed his overactive eyebrows. "What do you mean?" "What do you mean, 'what do I mean'? I mean there's something wrong here." Daniel eyed Jack curiously. Crap, he shouldn't have said that. Here comes the obligatory 'duh' response. All right, fine, *let* the pyromaniac get his jab in; Jack could clarify in a minute. "Of course there's something wrong here. Ninety percent of the Edeans are frozen." "I *mean*, Daniel, there's something wrong with *Valea*." Fraiser's eyes widened. "You still think she's trying to harm us? She was desperate. She did what she had to do to help her people. You'd do the same if you were in her position." Yeah, he probably would, Jack silently agreed, but *that* wasn't the problem. "No, Doc, I don't think she's purposely trying to hurt us, but something about her *feels* wrong." He quickly lifted his hand in warning. "Ah, don't ask me to explain because I can't. I believe she's sincerely doing what's in the Edeans' best interest, and I agree she didn't do this to harm either of you, but mark my words -- something about her is wrong." It was obvious from the way Daniel and Fraiser looked at each other that, like the other times Jack had brought this subject up, neither of them believed him yet. "You're just upset about what she did to us," Daniel said. "Look, Jack, Janet and I are fine with this. We're not condoning what she did, but we're *okay* with it." Jack rubbed his eyes. Maybe Daniel was right and he was just being stubborn about forgiving people who harmed his friends. Daniel could overlook anything when the person who'd wronged him was desperate for help -- as, apparently, could Fraiser -- but Jack was more cynical about human nature. As far as he was concerned, anyone who could do something this drastic to another person without getting his or her consent first couldn't be trusted. On the other hand, if Daniel had taught him anything the past few years, it was that different cultures had different ways of doing things. Maybe on this planet, seeking consent first wasn't as important as it was on Earth. That didn't make what Valea had done any easier to accept, but it would make her actions more understandable.... ...Or maybe not, his mind returned as Teal'c suddenly spoke up. "I agree with O'Neill. Something about Valea feels wrong." "*Thank* you, Teal'c," Jack said. Fraiser cast a sideward glance at Daniel. "Okay, maybe we've all just missed it the past few days, but *what* about her feels wrong?" "Of that I am uncertain. It is...almost as if she were not real." The response from everyone in the room was unanimous. "*What*?" "You mean, like, not really there?" Daniel asked him. Teal'c tilted his head. "As I have already said, I am uncertain how to explain it." Fraiser looked first at Teal'c, then at Jack. "Well, your minds haven't completely opened yet. Maybe you're only...half sensing her. Daniel and I have had three weeks for our minds to open; yours have only had a little under a week." "It is possible," Teal'c said. Carter frowned and shook her head. "I haven't noticed anything unusual about her, Janet, and my mind was opened at the same time as theirs. If that's what's causing it, wouldn't I have the same feeling about Valea that Teal'c and the colonel do?" Fraiser shrugged in response. "I honestly don't know." "Sorry, Teal'c, can't help you there," Jack said. "I'm not sure what about her feels wrong, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it felt like she wasn't real. She seems pretty real to me." The Jaffa arched an eyebrow. "Then I will speak of it no further." "All right, well, your suspicion has been noted," Daniel said with a sigh. "We'll keep an eye on her and see if we notice anything unusual, although I doubt we will." "Yeah, well, better put yourselves under suspicion as well, then," Jack said. Not surprised that the archaeologist didn't understand his statement, he went on, "You and Fraiser haven't exactly been acting *normal* lately. Daniel, you're the anthropologist; aren't you supposed to be figuring out the culture of these people? You know, asking questions or something? So far *I'm* the one asking questions of the villagers, and they all hate me because I'm a warrior so I'm getting nowhere. And Doc, aren't you supposed to be more concerned about what exactly Valea's technology did to us instead of writing it off as harmless? Whatever she did hurt like hell. Who knows what kind of effect it's had on us?" The two were speechless. Could it be they really hadn't noticed? Ha. He was 100% right and they knew it -- they *weren't* acting normal. At the moment, though, he didn't think it was worth bringing up their recent, unexpected attachment to each other; hopefully his well-founded accusations would serve as enough of a wake-up call. "All right, Jack, you made your point," Daniel finally said. "I'll talk to the villagers. Don't get your hopes up for any answers since I sincerely doubt anyone has any, but I'll try." "I'm sorry, Colonel, but I can't do anything on this planet to figure out what Valea did to us," Fraiser said. "The Edeans don't have equipment to run those kinds of tests, and I still haven't learned how to perform brain scans with my new abilities. I seriously doubt any of us have suffered permanent brain damage, though. I'm not getting any impressions of injury from us like I did from the villagers...although I suppose I could ask Valea about it tomorrow." Jack sighed again and rubbed his forehead. Yeah, Valea...her again. Right. "All right, all right," he said, rising to his feet as he heard the door downstairs slam shut, indicating either Valea, Sayil, or Prescott had returned. That meant their conversation would no longer be private unless they switched to using the Level 1 link...something Jack wasn't comfortable using for extended periods of time yet. It was too new and too strange a concept, to be able to hold long discussions within their minds. "Then we'll drop the subject for tonight. Let's just hope Edea contacts you two sooner than later and we won't have to worry about any of it." With that, Jack left the two lovebirds in their nice, warm, cozy little nest to find Valea and ask her if she knew of anything he could *do* until Edea contacted them. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 29, 2001 Wednesday, 11:40 p.m. This was nice. No, this was more than nice. It was comforting. It was *right*. She felt protected, needed, wanted...loved. Janet tightened her embrace on Daniel's arm where it lay wrapped around her waist. His breathing was even, indicating that sleep had already settled over him; and she shivered at the light puffs of air that caressed her neck where his head lay. God, he was lying so close to her that she could feel him breathe. That realization was...exhilarating. She'd been surprised to find just how tightly Daniel held her while he slept. It seemed that a subconscious need he'd never admit out loud -- his need to love and to be loved by someone -- was manifesting itself here while he slept; and as a result, most likely without his even realizing it, his defensive walls, inhibitions, and insecurities had begun to slowly fade away. The first few nights they'd shared this bed, Daniel had kept a safe distance from her, perhaps afraid his actions would belie that hidden desire for love and affection; but lately, as their relationship continued to grow in intimacy, comfort, and trust, Janet had noticed that he'd started touching her more and more...just like he was right now. At least she was starting to understand who he was and how he'd become that way, thanks to their link and the accompanying visions of his past she'd experienced during its early stages. Witnessing his parents' deaths, the grandfather who'd turned him away, the aloof albeit loving foster family that had taken him in, the name-calling in school, the precocious child who was always sticking his nose in a book, the college where he'd never found a true friend, the years after his dissertation when he'd asked questions for which there were no easy answers and even fewer ears willing to listen.... All these had created a deep, complex, tortured man who was just now with the Stargate program learning that he, too, could truly make a difference. The prominent question in Janet's mind now wasn't who Daniel was but rather whether or not he'd accept the love she was willing to give him without condition. He may be ready to give his all for everyone else at the drop of a hat, no matter what the personal expense to himself, yet he had a hard time accepting the same when someone else offered it freely to him. Because of that, Janet wasn't worried that *he* wouldn't give his all to make their link work; she was worried he wouldn't accept *her* help in making their link work. A part of him still seemed intimidated by her strength even now after everything else that had happened between them; but, if his holding her like this while they slept was any indication, maybe he was starting to let her inside to help him confront and defeat his demons after all. Janet sighed, allowing herself to sink further into his embrace. It had been so long since she'd felt a man's arms around her like this. Before the creation of their link, the last man to hold her as she'd slept had been...who again? Oh, right. Her ex-husband, Jim...and even then, they'd spent the last four months of their marriage in separate rooms, on separate floors, refusing to even look at each other. The memory of the iciness that had haunted her during that horrible period of time had chilled her long after their marriage had dissolved. Now, though, Janet felt anything but cold, thanks mostly to Daniel, the human thermostat. The delicious warmth of this bed and the heat of their skin pressed against one another's almost had enough power to make her forget the pain and grief of the last few months of her failed marriage. She and Jim may have been divorced for eight years now, but every now and then when she let down her carefully constructed and monitored guard, a sliver of that chill still reared its ugly head. Her husband may have been an occasional drunkard and a frequent chauvinistic jerk -- 'This man's army' her foot -- but Janet's response to him hadn't been any better. She had given up on him. At one point he'd extended an olive branch to her and agreed to work toward changing and being more sensitive to her needs as a woman, and she'd flat-out rejected it. Divorce had been easier than trying to work out their differences. So had finding companionship and intimacy with another man, Kevin. Jim had found out the truth about her so-called 'dinner dates with her girlfriends' one night when he'd gone to the local bar to drown out his sorrows in whiskey and bemoan his lot in life to the bartender. He'd seen her there with Kevin, laughing over a beer, oblivious to his presence; and her infidelity had devastated him. Janet had never physically cheated on him -- she'd come close once or twice but had never awoken in Kevin's bed -- but the guilt she'd felt at knowing how badly her refusal to try to save their marriage had hurt Jim had stabbed her heart worse than the sharpest of knives ever could have. Then it had been over. Divorce granted. She'd kept the house along with all the pain of knowing that her failed marriage was as much her fault as it had been Jim's. She simply hadn't cared enough about their relationship or tried hard enough to make it work. Fortunately for both of them, they'd never made the commitment to have children, so that was one less thing they'd had to worry about. After all, Heaven knew parting hadn't exactly been sweet sorrow for them; and it would've been even worse for any children they might have had. On the contrary, parting had been an immense relief, an end to the godawful bickering, bitterness, and tension that had plagued their marriage for months. Janet regretted her weaknesses back then. She *despised* the fact that she'd given up on Jim out of weakness and laziness; but, in the end, it had been the greatest learning experience of her life. She had walked out of it determined never to give up on anything ever again. She had determined that one day she'd be the best damned doctor the U.S. Air Force had ever seen, no matter how many people she had to punch in the face to do it. More than that, though, she had determined that she'd never need anything in her life ever again, *especially* not a man. If she found a man one day, so be it, but she would never *need* a man around again. In spite of her stubborn determination never to need anyone in her life, she'd made an exception for Cassie, who was the greatest blessing Janet had never thought to ask for. She suspected that now, after four years, she needed Cassie as much as Cassie needed her; and, once she'd accepted that realization, she'd thanked God every day that she'd been able to extend her love to a frightened, orphaned, alien girl who'd desperately needed a loving mother. As much as she hated to admit it, there had been a void in her life where Jim -- and Kevin, who'd left her a month after her divorce was finalized -- had been. Cassie had filled that hole, and now few other holes remained to be filled. Janet couldn't have asked for a more challenging, prestigious doctor's position than what she had at the SGC; she had a loving daughter; she had no considerable money problems; she had a nice house in the outskirts of Colorado Springs; hell, she even had that ridiculous dog, Buster. Every now and then, though, late at night when she was trying to sleep, Janet found she still needed one more thing to round out the picture, the one thing she had sworn she'd never need again. A man. Someone to hold her while she slept, exactly like Daniel was holding her now, every night for the rest of her life. Someone who would share in all her joys, her aspirations, and her fears. Someone who wouldn't drop her like a sack of bricks when he learned she had an adopted daughter, a failed marriage behind her, a job at a top-secret military facility that she couldn't talk about, a paranoia of failure, a personality lurking beneath a cool exterior like that of a tiger, and a stubborn refusal to accept that she *needed* anyone else in her life. Someone who would love her in spite of her past, in spite of her flaws, and in spite of her sometimes frustrating determination to make damned sure everyone was safe and sound at night so she wouldn't feel the oppressive guilt that resulted from knowing she'd failed to keep someone alive. Janet wasn't sure Daniel was that man -- she had some serious doubts that he was, actually -- but right now it *felt* like he was. Of course, if Valea was right about their link, then it was possible she'd never get another choice in the matter. So far everything was going well between them. Daniel seemed to know all the details of her questionable past and was fine with them. Their relationship, however, despite how secure it may seem now, was still as delicate and fragile as a finely crafted glass flower; and it would take ongoing time and effort to make sure it didn't shatter under the potentially crushing pressures of life. No matter how much they trusted one another, the knowledge that they were no longer the only ones able to access their own thoughts was terrifying. All semblance of privacy had been forevermore stripped from them; and neither was entirely comfortable with that prospect yet, nor was Janet sure they'd *ever* be entirely comfortable with it. They'd take it one step at a time, though, work together, and see where this unexpected twist in the road led them. Of that much, she *was* sure. Her eyelids grew heavy and she closed them one last time, finally giving in to the blissful darkness and sensation of falling asleep. A moment later, the darkness grew lighter, changing first to gray, then to white, then yellow, and finally...green? Soon she found herself opening her eyes and focusing them on the soft, slightly damp cushion of grass beneath her. She pushed her upper body off the ground and took in a deep breath, relishing the fragrance of fresh grass and the sound of crashing waves in the distance. This was the cliff of her dreams, the one she'd always shared with Daniel...only this time Daniel was nowhere to be seen. "Daniel?" she called out. There came no response. Where was he? He had fallen asleep long before her; judging from what had happened the past few nights, he should've been here by now. Janet slowly rose to her feet, looking around the cliff. That was odd, even odder than her link-mate's absence. During all her other dreams here, there had always been a setting sun behind her and a full moon and multitude of sparkling stars in the velvet heavens above her. Now, though, the sun was shining brightly in a cloudless blue sky overhead...this was morning, not evening. Scanning the horizons in all directions, there was still no sign of Daniel, nor did it look like he'd been there any time recently. Hmm. This was different. Janet wasn't sure she liked the cliff as well without him. It still retained all the beauty and majesty she'd seen before -- pine forest lining the field behind her; thundering sea spanning on indefinitely hundreds of feet below; gently rolling green dells spattered with slate-gray boulders extending along the ledge in either direction; reddish-brown mountain chain framing the forest behind her -- but it felt...it felt.... Empty. Janet blinked several times as she turned around to face the forest. Where would Daniel have gone? She seriously doubted he would've jumped off the cliff -- he was impulsive and an unintentional daredevil at times, but he wasn't stupid -- nor did she suspect he'd wander off into the forest without waiting for her. He wasn't anywhere to be seen on the grassy knolls or on the other side of the boulder behind her, either. There really weren't any places to hide here, so where...? Her eyes narrowed as she turned back toward the edge of the cliff. Wait a minute, what was *that*? Hovering in the air a few feet in front of her was a...a...something. Her first impression was that it was a floating glass ball; but, on closer examination, she realized it was glowing, radiating soft white light. Janet took a step closer to the orb, then another. To her amazement, the closer she came, the better she could see that it wasn't just glowing but continually changing colors. The ball was no longer white; now it was red ... now orange ... yellow ... green ... blue ... finally violet, then back to white. And inside the ball...wow. It was filled with millions of tiny lights, almost like glitter, sparkling whatever color the glass ball was currently glowing. It was absolutely beautiful. The slowly swirling, cycling colors and shimmering light held her captivated, almost hypnotized. Almost...but not quite. "Daniel?" Janet called out again, forcing her eyes from the mesmerizing rainbow orb. She wanted him to see this, but still he was nowhere to be found. //Daniel?\\ Finally accepting that her link-mate wouldn't be making an appearance anytime soon, she let her eyes drift back to the glimmering ball, surprised to find it was slowly moving away from her. What, it was already leaving? Where was it going? Unsure what to do, she just stood there, watching it float away to her right. It stopped. Janet eyed it curiously, then took a step toward it. It moved, then froze as she hesitated again. "What? You want me to follow you?" The ball didn't make any response. Janet looked around again, feeling vaguely self-conscious to be talking to a floating crystal ball. Where the hell was Daniel when you needed him? Or...was that why he wasn't here, because something similar had happened to him? Her eyes returned to the glowing ball that was waiting patiently for her to make up her mind. "Well, I *suppose*..." she murmured, taking another step toward it, then following as the translucent orb began moving again, gently floating along the grassy rim of the cliff. Keeping the ledge to her left and the forest to her right, Janet followed the orb for well over an hour, feeling every bit like Alice chasing the enigmatic white rabbit through Wonderland, eager to see what wonders awaited her. After awhile, they entered a colorful, unusual farrago of violets, ageratum, impatiens, irises, sunflowers, and wildflowers, the aromatic fragrance of the flowers drifting to her on the gentle zephyrs. The rich, various smells pushed her senses beyond their limits, insisting that this was far too real to be a dream...yet a dream was the only thing this could be. Right? Soon after passing through the last of the gorgeous flowerbeds, the sparkling orb angled sharply inland, away from the cliff and toward the forest. Two towering, granite boulders blocked entrance to the forest; but, as she approached, they parted, revealing a narrow fissure between them. The mysterious ball floated up to the crack and slipped through; and Janet followed, determined to find out where it was leading her. Besides, she figured, if she ever found herself lost, all she had to do was open her eyes and wake up from the dream...assuming, of course, that it really was a dream. Once through the crevice between the boulders, Janet found herself standing in a serene, pine-scented forest of deep green coniferous trees. Birds chirped merrily and fluttered overhead, painting splashes of blue and red on the fringes of her eyesight; and, to her left, a squirrel chattered and stared at her from the lowest branch of a maple tree. Janet slowed, watching it curiously...was it *smiling* at her? Ahead of her, the ball stopped, waiting for her. "Yeah, I'm coming," she said, leaving the cheerful squirrel behind. The second she began walking once again, her orb guide also resumed its movement. The path continued up a gentle slope, then dipped back down into a valley. After several minutes, Janet could discern the faint sound of water running in the distance. As she continued following her floating guide through the forest, the dulcet sound grew louder until she reached the peak of the next hill and gasped as she took in the new sight that awaited her. Winding its way through the forest was a swiftly flowing river, the water of which was absolutely stunning. It looked like it belonged in a pixie forest, completely clear and free of pollution and sediment. What really caught her attention, though, was the riverbed beneath that water. It was made of pure, colorful crystal; and it shimmered as if lit from below by a thousand tiny lights, identical to those inside her orb guide. The ball led Janet to the edge of the river, then stopped above the center, graciously allowing her a moment to absorb the enchanting sight. Once she had overcame her initial awe, it began moving again; and she followed, keeping the river on her left as she walked over the peaceful, pine needle-covered forest trail. After another mile walking alongside the sparkling river, a new sound filled her ears: the roar of a waterfall not far ahead. By the time she reached the source of the sound, the roar was thunderous. Janet jumped back as the ground in front of her suddenly disappeared, falling 200 feet into a shimmering crystal pool filled with water identical to that of the river. An escarpment of glittering, glowing, crystalline rock surrounded the pool on all sides, creating a deep, inaccessible hole in the middle of the forest where the water fell, then flowed out through a hidden cave along the western wall of rock. All along the base of the crystal walls grew lush green foliage and colorful, tropical flowers, surrounding the glittering pool. What the hell was a jungle waterfall doing in the middle of an evergreen forest? Of course, that wasn't any stranger than anything else that had happened to her the past few weeks, so Janet pushed that thought to the back of her mind to ponder it later. The glowing orb gave her another moment to take in the breathtaking new scene, then continued floating over a narrow path along the rim of the gorge until they were on the opposite side of the falls. It then abruptly stopped. "Looks like this is the end of the line," she said aloud as the ball hovered in front of a particularly old, gnarled oak marking the end of the trail. The ball just continued to morph colors and sparkle prettily, doing nothing. Janet sighed and looked around the forest. While this little walk through Wonderland had been fun and had stimulated her senses and her imagination, it had ultimately proved pointless. //Daniel?\\ she tried again, but by this point she doubted there'd be a response...which there wasn't. God, she wished he were here to see this. He was the linguist and anthropologist; maybe he would've understood what this strange sphere was trying to tell her. Now that she knew how to get here, though, maybe she should head back to the boulder to wait for him, then bring him here when he finally did arrive. Her gaze drifted back to her lambent guide, and her eyes immediately narrowed. It had started moving again, dipping toward the tree before lifting back up again, as if an invisible hand was raising and lowering it in the air. It continued this pattern several times. "What? What do you want me to do?" In response, the ball dipped toward the tree again. She took a step closer to it. The ball seemed to be motioning toward a hole in the center of the tree that was glowing faintly, as if there was something hidden inside it. Janet reached out her hand toward the nook, and the ball moved out of the way...great, it must want her to stick her hand inside. Oh, joy. Placing her hands in hidden, glowing holes when she had no idea what she'd find inside was one of her all-time favorite activities. Reminding herself once again that this was only a dream, that if it were a toad or something slimy inside it wouldn't be glowing, and that as a doctor she'd placed her hands in far worse places than this, Janet reached inside the hollow and felt around. Much to her relief, her hand closed around something smooth and round; and she gasped as she pulled it out. It was another glassy ball, identical to her floating guide, glittering and shimmering the colors of the rainbow in time with it. The only difference seemed to be that the one in her hand was the size of a large marble while her guide was the size of a bowling ball. Now if only she knew what this new marble was supposed to *do*.... From the distance came a deep rumble; and, as soon as the sound had ceased, her floating guide began moving again, back along the path they'd just walked. Not knowing what else to do, Janet followed, clutching the crystal marble tightly in her hand. The orb led her back to the rocky outcropping where the river met the waterfall; and, amidst it, she now found a stone stairway winding its way down the gorge to the crystal pool. That must've been the rumbling sound she'd heard before - - the spiral staircase appearing inside the hole. Her guide began gliding gracefully down the stairs; and, once again not wanting to lose sight of it amid the crystal walls, she followed. Several minutes later, Janet was setting foot on a sparkling, golden beach around the crystal pool. The fragrance of the tropical flowers that filled the gorge was intoxicating, smelling almost like wine; and that, mixed with the colorful blossoms, the lush green foliage, the hypnotizing roar of the waterfall, and the utter beauty of this bewitching scene threatened to overload her senses. Daniel would've loved this...and Janet would've loved seeing it with him. The ball floated toward the cascading water; and, upon following it, she discovered that there was a barely perceptible cave hidden behind the spray along the far right edge of the waterfall. Taking a deep breath as the ball passed through the misty haze, Janet stepped through after it.... ...And found herself in a beautiful, crystalline other world. Like the gorge, these walls were constructed of smooth, glittering crystal rather than normal rock. Twinkling lights sparkled all around her, the crystal walls cycling between the colors of the rainbow as if pulsating with the life of the planet. It took her a moment to distinguish the floating orb from the identical backdrop; but there it was, hovering along the back wall of the cove, waiting for her. Janet walked toward it, then opened her palm to reveal the crystal marble as it began to pulse to the same rhythm set by the wall. Hoping for some assistance in what she was to be doing here, she looked up at her guide...but it was gone. The floating crystal orb had vanished into thin air, leaving her on her own. That was odd, she puzzled, turning around in a circle, trying to locate it amongst the gleaming crystal walls. Unsuccessful in that task, she returned her attention to the place where she'd last seen it, only to find the back wall had change. Where there had once been smooth, bright, unbroken crystal were now two dark, circular blobs. One was a tiny curved indentation, like a keyhole, while the other was a large, protruding bubble half-embedded in the wall. Both were dull gray in color, standing out against the colorful crystal wall like a piece of coal in the middle of a sparkling jewel collection. Upon further investigation, Janet discovered that the smaller of the two blobs appeared to be the perfect size for the crystal marble in her hand. Deciding to take the chance, she held it up to the wall and slipped it inside. The dark gray bulb next to it suddenly lit up, even brighter than the surrounding wall, the colors vibrant and swirling, hypnotizing her until she was lifting her hand to the bulb and pressing her palm to it. Instantly, the light of the room faded; and warmth spread into her hand, then up her arm, and through the rest of her body. And then.... Darkness. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* "Janet?" Daniel sat up on the grass and scanned the horizon of their cliff, searching for his link-mate; but she was nowhere to be seen. That was strange. Not only wasn't Janet there yet, but he couldn't remember a single time he'd been here when daylight had illuminated the landscape atop the cliff. Not sure what to make of those changes, Daniel crawled over to the boulder and leaned back against it to wait for Janet to arrive. It wasn't unusual for him to fall asleep before she did, comfortable as he was holding her in his arms and feeling her heart beat against his. Normally he only had to wait a matter of minutes before she followed him, and he had no reason to believe that day would be any different. He was just eager to ask her opinion of the cliff in the daylight. Five minutes became ten. Ten became twenty. Twenty became thirty. Daniel grew restless and impatient. Where was she? //Janet? You there?\\ Nothing. This felt wrong. He felt lonely, uneasy...empty. When had he started looking forward to these talks with her so much? Janet was so kind, so understanding, so compassionate, so beautiful...and not just physically, but in every possible way. He just hoped he was able to return the favor by doing for her as she'd done for him in extending him such kindness during their talks, because Heaven knew she had her own share of troubles to share. Her uncertainties about raising Cassie, her insecurities and fear of failure, her realization that maybe she was looking for someone to fill the emptiness in her life after all...and her openness in speaking about such things with him had led him to open his heart to her in return. Much to his relief -- and, he suspected, to Janet's relief as well -- they didn't dwell much on 'them' when they talked, nor on the injustices that Valea had accidentally thrust upon them. After all, there was no reason to lament those things they couldn't change. At the moment, they were more concerned with deepening their friendship and building trust with one another; and, thus far, it seemed to be working. Daniel trusted Janet. He enjoyed her company. He liked her...a lot. Every day his respect and admiration for her grew a hundredfold; every day his physical attraction to her escalated until it reached a nearly unbearable level; and every day the sound of her voice and the touch of her hand sent increasingly intense thrills racing through his body. Was this new attachment and attraction real love, the kind necessary to make a Level 3 link work for the rest of their lives? Maybe, although 'forever' was a concept he wasn't sure he could grasp yet, and he was hesitant to use the word 'love' considering that three weeks ago they'd been no more than good friends. Daniel loved her wonder and amazement as she'd miraculously restored Prescott's sight and voice. He loved her determination to master her newfound skills as a healer, all so she could help these suffering Edeans. He loved her consideration and gentleness for Valea and Sayil despite the fact that she was still leery of them. He loved that she still hadn't abandoned him and was instead putting her all into strengthening trust and deepening their friendship. It certainly *felt* like real love, for both of them...and, enough to make their link work forever or not, right now Daniel would take it, treasure it, and do everything in his power to make it thrive and blossom into the most beautiful of flowers. A sudden flicker of light and color off to his left grabbed his attention, and his eyes narrowed. What was that? It looked like a clear glass ball floating several feet above the ground, like an iridescent bubble; and inside it sparkled millions of tiny lights, as if it were filled with fireflies. Daniel slowly rose to his feet to get a better look at it. "Janet?" Where the hell was she? She needed to see this. It was...beautiful. It took him a moment to shake the hypnotic hold the effulgent sphere held over him and realize it had started moving, floating gracefully to his left along the edge of the cliff. A second later it froze in the air, the colors cycling from white to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and finally back to white. Daniel took a step toward the mysterious rainbow orb; and it moved away, then stopped. "Let me guess, you want me to follow you," he said before scanning the horizon for his link-mate. Still not seeing her, he returned his eyes to the ball. "You know, I'd really rather wait for Janet to show up before I went anywhere." It didn't say anything. ...Of course it had nothing to say. After all, it was a floating ball, not a living being. //Janet?\\ Where *was* she? It had never taken her this long to fall asleep before...or wasn't she coming? Nothing about the cliff seemed normal right now, not to mention there was now a floating, glowing orb in front of him that apparently wanted him to follow it. What should he do? Just follow the silly ball, Jackson, he finally told himself. Don't let it get impatient and disappear while waiting for you to make up your mind. Janet will understand. "All right, all right, I'm coming," he murmured, not surprised that the ball began moving again. Daniel followed it along the grassy cliff, journeying through vast fields filled with beautiful violets and wildflowers speckled with dark gray rocks, considerably smaller than the boulder where he and Janet had always met to talk. On his right, the ocean hundreds of feet below still spanned on, unbroken by land, while forests and the peaks of a reddish-brown mountain chain lined the horizon on his left. Well, on the bright side, at least this was beautiful scenery and perfect weather for a walk through the unknown. After nearly an hour, the orb angled sharply toward the edge of the cliff. Daniel slowed as it moved nearer to the precipice, finally stopping once it was hanging over the ledge. Peering over the edge, he gulped as he saw that the fall down to the sea was at least a thousand feet. "Have I mentioned yet that I'm not exactly fond of heights?" he asked the orb, taking a step backward. In response, the ball dipped downward, as if motioning for Daniel to follow it. It then popped back up to wait for him. "Oh, no, absolutely not. There's no way a floating *ball* is going to convince me to jump off the cliff. Uh uh." Daniel lifted his hands in front of him and took another step backwards to a safer distance from the ledge. He may not suffer from acute acrophobia, but any normal human would be a bit intimidated by the sheer drop-off of this particular cliff. So much for following the enigmatic, colorful flying sphere. He looked back at the fields he'd just walked through and groaned as he realized he now had a full hour's walk ahead of him to get back to their spot. He wasn't tired -- this was, after all, only a dream world and he didn't feel anything unpleasant while inside it -- but the thought of walking an hour with nothing else to do but puzzle over how a strange floating ball had made him waste all this time in the first place quickly lost his interest. Now if Janet were with him, it would be a different story and he'd enjoy the walk through the flower gardens immensely, but.... Unnoticed by him until it was too late, the ball had circled around him while he'd been debating his alternatives until it was floating directly behind him. A soft, tingling sensation on his back finally alerted him to what the ball had done...and that it was forcing him closer to the edge of the cliff. "Hey! What're you doing?" A second later, he was less than a foot from the drop; and his pulse quickened at the ball kept pushing him, refusing to let him retreat. "Stop it...no, I don't want to...." ...Then he was off the edge, floating on...absolutely nothing. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut as he began falling down the cliff, his stomach sinking like lead in the middle of the ocean...but his descent wasn't nearly as bad, being slow and gentle, as if he was standing on a moving platform. His entire body tensed at the unnerving feeling of having nothing beneath his feet, and he wrapped his arms tightly around himself as he continued to fall. God, just let him survive this and he'd never go chasing after strange glowing balls again. That was a promise. When he was finally able to pry his eyes open again, he found he had already descended halfway down the cliff. The floating crystal orb was still beside him, descending at the same speed he was; and a quick look up revealed that he could no longer discern the top of the cliff. Five minutes later, the mysterious force controlling his descent set him down on a narrow strip of beach along the base of the cliff. Daniel breathed a deep sigh of relief to calm his racing heart, glad to be in one piece and to feel solid ground beneath his feet again, then looked around his new surroundings. While the beach extended as far as he could see to his left, it came to an abrupt end a few feet to his right. The sand of the beach sparkled brightly, as if it were made of finely crushed gold; and in front of him, the deep blue water of the ocean lapped gently at the shimmering, golden sand particles, reflecting the warm rays of the sun like glitter. The wall of the cliff behind him, however, was what really caught his attention. It seemed to be made of pure, smooth, rippled crystal, glowing the various colors of the rainbow in tandem with his translucent floating orb guide. A crystal cliff. That was certainly...different. The orb, meanwhile, had stopped at the end of the beach to his right and hung there in midair as if waiting for him to join it. Daniel eyed it suspiciously, mentally scolding it for pushing him off the cliff in the first place and willing it to never to do that to him again, then took a tentative step toward it. The orb moved a few inches back to allow him access to the wall directly behind it. Taking another step forward, Daniel found that standing out against the bright, crystalline wall was a dull, gray, round bulb, like an overgrown button of some kind. Letting curiosity get the better of him, Daniel pressed his palm to the bulb...but nothing happened. "That's fascinating, but what's it supposed to *do*?" he asked his guide. Once again -- and much to his annoyance -- the crystal ball said nothing, instead beginning to move again, following the stretch of golden beach to his left. Daniel frowned but jogged after it, quickly deciding to keep up with it, especially now that he no longer had anywhere else he could go, trapped as he was on this narrow strip of beach. The beach extended a mile along the base of the cliff before coming to another abrupt end; and, once the orb had reached that dead end, it stopped. "Great, this looks promising," Daniel said, eyeing the endless ocean around him. "Now what?" To Daniel's utter amazement, the orb suddenly gravitated toward the crystal wall, hit it, bounced off, and popped like a bubble on a pinhead, its remnants falling to the ground in a shower of glitter. Upon closer examination, Daniel realized that there was something else amidst those remnants, something that had been concealed inside the orb...an iridescent crystal ring the size of a silver dollar, triangles poking out of it as if its creator had overlaid and interlaced a circle with a square. Daniel's eyes narrowed as he knelt to pick up the bijou, finding it warm to the touch and pulsing faintly. His gaze traveled back to the crystal wall, where there was now a barely perceptible indentation where the ball had bounced off before bursting. It was exactly the size and shape of the crystal circle/square amalgamation in his hands. "Let me guess, this goes in there," he said, rising to his feet once again. He arranged the ring in his hands so the notches were aligned correctly, then placed it in the circular groove. Instantly, the wall to his left rumbled and slid open, revealing a hollow on the other side. Curiouser and curiouser.... Once the opening was large enough for a person to walk through, the wall stopped moving. Daniel poked his head around the corner, dismayed to find it was pitch black inside. Great...he loved dark tunnels so very much. A second later, he noticed a wooden stick lying on the ground just inside the opening. Stick? Torch. Wait a minute, *he* could do that. Hell, he didn't even need the stick; that flame he'd created over his palm several days ago had been more than bright enough to light a corridor of this width. Ignoring the piece of wood but grateful for the tip, he quickly created a small flame over his palm, now able to see that a long, narrow tunnel extended ahead of him as far as his eyes could see. The crackling flicker of his flame illuminated the walls, constructed of crystal identical to that of the outside cliff. Fire on ice. How very nice. Dreaming or not, Daniel was now thoroughly entranced by this bizarre journey through Wonderland; and he took a step inside, then another as nothing hindered his progress. For the next ten minutes, he followed the crystal tunnel, seeing nothing of interest except more of the sparkling crystal rock. Finally, in the distance ahead of him, he could faintly make out a dim, white light not created by his flame. Something must be up there. His footsteps quickened, echoing through the crystalline corridor; and the white light grew brighter. One last corner to turn and.... Daniel froze, his mouth falling open. "Oh. My. God." The tunnel opened into a huge, yawning cavern filled with luscious flowering plants and verdure. Velvet carpets of alyssum and lobelia, towering palm trees, creeping ivy, roses, carnations, lily of the valley, gardenias...every variety of plant, flower, and tree known to man had been meticulously chosen and arranged in a fashion to enhance the aesthetic beauty of this vibrant, colorful, sparkling garden. Overhead, the ceiling glittered with soft white light, dripping crystalline teardrops throughout the chamber...most likely water for the plants, Daniel reasoned. The walls of the cavern were made of the same crystal as everything else he'd seen on this mystical journey; and beneath his feet was a path inlayed with a mosaic of tiny gold, silver, and diamond tiles. The air was warm and humid, but what grabbed his attention the most was the unbelievable perfume. Every plant was immensely redolent, smelling like honeysuckle mixed with an occasional scent of lavender, lemon balm, lilac, and mint. He had stepped into an exquisite garden in the middle of a crystal cliff. Quickly extinguishing the flame over his palm, Daniel left the tunnel behind, taking several awestruck steps into the garden. He felt like he'd walked into a lush, tropical jungle, complete with the melodious song of trickling water and rustling leaves. All it needed were chattering monkeys and bright, tropical birds and the ambiance would be complete. Daniel wandered over to the nearest vine and gasped as he received a better look at the flowers. What he'd thought were typical trumpet vines...well, *weren't*. Flowers covered the vine, but their deep orange blossoms weren't real petals; they were delicate orange crystals intricately joined together in the shape of a flower, glistening in the soft light of the cavern. A quick look around the circular entryway where he stood revealed that all the flowers inside the garden were exactly like the one in front of him, beautiful amaranths crafted of a myriad of differently colored crystal. More than that, though, the crystal petals smelled heavenly, not overpowering but gentle and soothing, like the finest of incense. Wait, crystals weren't supposed to smell, were they? he wondered, then quickly shook his head. Ah well, it wasn't important. He'd just have to add that oddity to his ever-growing list of 'Things only seen in strange, vivid dream worlds that may or may not be real.' The path leading away from the tunnel branched in two directions, one to his left and the other to his right, pushing a winding way around the lush, colorful crystal garden; and Daniel chose the path to his right, still marveling at the beauty as he walked along it. Every now and then in a small side branch just off the main path sat a bubbling crystal fountain, pristine water trickling down it into tiny crevices between the mosaic tiles and running in all directions, nurturing the garden and adding to the exotic atmosphere. Damn it, he wished Janet was here with him. She would've loved this place. His footsteps were slow as he tried to take in everything, but he couldn't; there was too much. There were too many rustling ferns, too many variations of crystal flowers, too many shades of green, and too many sparkling teardrops falling from the ceiling accompanied by the soft sound of tintinnabulation. He could feel his skin absorbing the light rays inside the paradise, rays that felt healthy, rejuvenating, *alive*. It was no wonder so many varieties of plants thrived there. Finally, the path branched again in two more directions, one continuing around the circular cavern back toward the tunnel, and the other heading right toward the nearest crystal wall. Judging from how far he'd walked, Daniel figured he was halfway around the cavern, on the opposite edge of the chamber from where he'd entered. Since he wasn't ready to leave this ethereal Garden of Eden quite yet, he took the path to his right, toward the back wall. It didn't extend far; and, a minute later, he stopped as it widened into a circular clearing nestled along the back wall...a dead end. The edge of the clearing was lined with gleaming, polished, light gray stone blocks that reached up to his knees, like benches for sitting; and a low, wide stairway rose up to a thin platform along the back wall. Daniel glanced around the apparent waiting area to gather his bearings, then ascended the steps and stared at the crystal wall in front of him. Set amidst it was a flat panel, dull gray in color like the domed projection he'd seen earlier and large enough that a person could pass through if only it were a doorway. Beside the gray panel was yet another indentation. "Let me guess, another keyhole," Daniel said, running his finger over it. It almost looked like the shape of a...star? He turned around as he heard a soft ting on the ground behind him, only to find that there, lying on the mosaic pathway at the base of the stairs, was another crystal trinket. Well, wasn't that convenient? he wondered as he wandered down the steps to retrieve the object. It was a star...and it looked like it would fit inside the indention near the door perfectly. Clutching this new, crystalline object in his hands, Daniel climbed the stairs again and placed it into the keyhole. Immediately, the panel to the left flared with white light, then settled into a...faintly glowing mirror? Daniel stepped in front of the mirror and found himself confronted by his own reflection. Now what? Touch the mirror? The last glowing mirror that he'd touched had sent him into an alternate universe...but he quickly squelched that thought. After all, he already *was* in an alternate universe, a bizarre, enchanting dream world. He lifted his hand and touched the surface of the mirror, causing the reflection to ripple under his finger, then pushed his hand through. He'd been right before; it *was* a door, like the event horizon of the Stargate. Once again, curiosity won out and he slowly pushed his arm through, closing his eyes as his body followed, his excitement rising to learn what he'd find on the other side.... "Daniel!" His eyes flew open and he blinked several times. Huh? Wait, was this the top of the cliff? There was the boulder, he could hear crashing waves again, there were blue skies above...this had to be their spot atop the cliff. How had he gotten back up here? He looked around, disoriented, until his gaze landed on the petite woman standing directly behind him. "Janet?" "What's going on?" she asked, clearly as puzzled as he was. "I'm...not sure. How long have you been here?" "I just got here. Well, actually I was here earlier, then a floating crystal ball led me that way..." she pointed to the left of the boulder, "...into the forest." Floating crystal ball? *That* sounded familiar. Her eyes narrowed as she overheard his mental comment. "What, you saw it too?" Daniel nodded, lost in thought over what he'd just experienced. "Except it led me in the opposite direction, then it pushed me off the cliff. Last I remember, I was walking through a mirror in a crystal garden...." *That* grabbed her attention. "*Oh*," she said. "Last *I* remember, I was pressing my hand to a domed projection in a cave behind a waterfall, then I was back here." Domed projection? That sounded suspiciously like what he'd seen at the base of the cliff. Daniel placed his hand on Janet's shoulder and bent to look into her eyes. //Janet, this might be the perfect time to test our new ability to relive each other's experiences. I think something important just happened.\\ She stared at him a moment, considering his words, then nodded. "You're right." It took them ten minutes to scan through each other's memories from the past few hours. Both finished at the same moment, and their eyes simultaneously snapped open, searching the other's for answers to their mysterious dreams. "You don't think...?" Janet started at the same moment Daniel said, "Edea?" They continued staring at each other as the realization sank, until Daniel finally nodded. That was the only possible explanation. "Maybe we should wake up and ask Valea about it." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* August 30, 2001 Thursday, 10:02 a.m. Daniel's eyes flew open as his mind pulled itself from the dream world back to reality. Waking up on cue like this...he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to it. Not that he was complaining; it just felt strange after a lifetime of being unable to control how or when he awoke. The woman in his arm stirred, and he pressed a kiss to her neck. God, he loved waking up like this, holding her. The heat of her body pressed against his, the silky sheets on the bed, the soft mattress beneath them...if he had thought he'd been getting used to it while still on Earth, this just confirmed that he was way past that point now. He loved it, and he didn't want to consider the possibility of never waking up like this again. It just felt so *right*. "Mmm...morning," Janet moaned, rolling onto her back so she could look up at his face, yet careful so that he didn't lose his hold on her. "Morning," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep well?" She smiled sleepily at him. "Never better. You?" "Perfect, except for the nagging feeling that something extremely important just happened." Janet sighed and snuggled against him. "I know; I have the same feeling. Think Valea will understand it?" Daniel wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling her even closer to him. There was only one way to find out the answer to that question...yet he was terribly reluctant to move. It was so warm here with her, so peaceful, so perfect.... They heard a creak on the wooden floorboards downstairs, followed by a low groan as the door slid shut. It was too bad the floors and walls in Prescott's house seemed to be made of paper; they could hear every word spoken throughout the house, every spoon dropped, every knock on a door...everything. Daniel kissed Janet's bare shoulder once, then slipped his arms away from her and sat up, stretching. "Well, I hope *she* understands it because I certainly don't. Come on. Let's see if we can find her." Five minutes later, they had dressed and were heading down the stairs. The house was deserted except for the kitchen, where Jack sat at the table, staring at a semi-transparent sphere hovering an inch over the table, rotating on its axis. Daniel was hit by a sudden sense of déjà vu at seeing the floating ball, similar in size to the sparkling one he'd just seen in his dream...only this one was far duller in color than that one had been, covered by patches of blues, greens, and browns and lacking the multitude of firefly lights inside it. Jack looked up from the sphere as they entered. "Morning. We were starting to wonder if you two were ever getting up today." Daniel's eyes drifted to the window. The sky outside was still overcast and dreary, a far cry from the clear blue sky he'd just seen in his dream. "What time is it?" "Ten, according to my watch." He looked down at Janet, who was just as confused and alarmed as he was. *Ten*? They'd planned to be up by seven to continue their training, not ten. //How long were we asleep?\\ he asked her. //It didn't feel like more than three, four hours.\\ She shook her head. //I'd been under the impression time worked the same during our dreams, but I guess it doesn't.\\ "We were just...um, dreaming," Daniel finally told the colonel, who was watching them curiously over the floating sphere. He then nodded at the ball. "What is that?" "This?" Jack asked, motioning at it. "It's a 3-D holographic map of Drearyland. Sayil dropped it off earlier so I'd have something to play with, only it's hard to figure out where anything is when half the map is covered by clouds." "That's odd," Daniel said, stepping further into the kitchen to observe the floating globe. Sure enough, puffy white clouds hid several large portions of the planet. "What good is a map if you can't see everything?" "That's exactly what I want to know. In case you were wondering, we're here," Jack pointed to a green plain in a large valley surrounded on all sides by mountains, then moved his finger south at a patch of green, "and the Stargate's way back here, in this forest." "Has Sam seen this yet?" Janet asked as she joined Daniel in front of the globe. "She wanted to see more of the Edeans' technology." Jack shook his head. "Not sure. She's out with Sayil right now, teleporting quarters or chickens across town...I'm not sure which. Teal'c just left to play marbles with some of the local kids." That must've been who they'd heard close the door before, Daniel realized. "Have you seen Valea this morning?" "Sure have," Jack replied, leaning back in his chair. "She's been stopping in every half hour to find out if you two were up yet. I think she's outside with some friends right now. Why?" //I'll contact her through our link,\\ Janet said, looking up at him. //You just explain this to Colonel O'Neill.\\ Daniel nodded and reached out his hand toward the holographic ball. While his fingers didn't feel anything as they touched it, it stopped spinning so he could closer examine any location on it that he wanted. Finished with the globe, he released it, watching as it began spinning again, then looked up at Jack. "We think Edea might have contacted us during the night." Jack's eyebrows shot upward. "Really. What makes you think that?" "Well, we just woke up from some rather odd dreams. A floating crystal ball took us to a few...interesting...places." "And you and the Doc both had the same dream," Jack prodded slowly. Daniel frowned. Now why wasn't he surprised that Jack was questioning that aspect of what he'd just said, not the dream itself? The man was determined to figure out what was going on between him and Janet. "Not quite. We had similar dreams, but they were different in where the ball took us." "Dreams are always strange, Daniel," Jack said, looking back down at the map. "As much as I'd love to get out of Deracot, one strange dream doesn't mean Edea's trying to contact you. My dreams have been *extremely* strange since Valea rewired my brain; and, according to Carter and Teal'c, their dreams have also changed. They're more vivid, I remember more about them, and a lot of them are flashbacks to things I'd really rather not remember...as I'm sure you've already noticed." The dream of Anise earlier...right. Of course, Jack *would* pick now to decide not to believe Daniel. "This wasn't just a strange dream, though, Jack. It was more like a...vision, I guess you could call it; and it was different from everything else we've experienced the past two weeks. That's why it stands out so much now." Jack didn't seem convinced, but the scant details Daniel had fed him had certainly piqued his interest. Much to Daniel's relief, however, before the colonel could ask any further questions, they heard the main door open; and, a moment later, Valea joined them inside the kitchen. "Well, good morning!" she greeted them, smiling broadly. "We were wondering what happened to you two. What's up?" "Valea, Daniel and I had a dream last night," Janet said. The girl arched an eyebrow and placed her hands on her slender hips. "That's not uncommon for those whose minds have been opened, especially for people with a link like...." "Not just any dream, Valea," Daniel interrupted before she could give Jack even more food for thought. "We think Edea contacted us." Her blue eyes widened. "*Oh*. Let me contact my brother and tell him to get back here, then please, explain." Five minutes later, Sayil and Sam appeared inside the house, followed soon after by Teal'c; and Daniel and Janet quickly summarized their experiences for the captive audience. A long moment of silence ensued once they'd finished, no one sure what to say all, amazed as they were at the fantastic narrative. Finally, Valea shook her head, clearly lost in thought. "*Wow*. Well, for what it's worth, I think you're right to assume that was Edea." Her voice broke the others' dazes; and Sayil nodded slowly, jumping up to sit on the counter near the washbasin. "Valea's right. It sounds exactly like something Edea would do, especially using a crystal orb for a guide." "So do you know what the dreams mean?" Janet asked the siblings, looking eagerly between the two. Valea sighed and leaned back against the counter by her brother. "Offhand? No. Knowing Edea, it almost sounds like she just gave you directions to find her...only I've never heard of any place like what you guys described." Daniel's eyes narrowed. Hold it, what exactly was Valea suggesting? Something in her words struck a discordant note with him, only he wasn't quite sure why. "Besides, that cliff can't be real. It's only a dream world, not reality." He looked down at Janet. "Right?" "Not necessarily," Sayil murmured. All heads turned toward him; and, after a moment, he lifted his eyes to Daniel and Janet. "Crystal cliffs, right? A crystal waterfall? Crystal garden?" "Right...?" Janet said, not seeing where he was going. When her brother didn't continue, Valea turned to look at him. "Sayil?" "It's just...that sounds an awful lot like the Cliffs of Paradise." "You mean *the* Crystal Cliffs?" Valea shook her head. "That place is just a legend." Sayil looked down at her. "Actually, no, it's not. Remember Old Man Glenn?" "From Marbule, yeah?" "He was there." Her mouth dropped open. "I didn't know that." "It was years ago. He didn't tell many people, but he told me." Sayil grinned slyly. "Even showed me mental pictures of it. From what I remember, it's gorgeous." "How do we know if it's the same place as the one in our dreams?" Janet asked. Valea quickly returned her eyes to them. "That's not the same cliff I saw in your dream that one night, is it?" Their second shared dream, the one she'd popped inside so she could introduce herself, Daniel reminded himself. "Yeah, actually it is." She looked back at her brother. Both were clearly excited by the revelation. "I'll show you, and we can compare." While the siblings exchanged mental images, Jack rose from the table, having listened attentively to the discussion thus far. "Wait a minute, how did Valea get in your dreams?" he asked Daniel. "What else has she done that you haven't told us about?" ...Damn. Hurry up, Valea, Daniel silently willed her. He doubted Jack would drop the subject this time unless she interrupted him. When she still didn't say anything, busy comparing mental images with Sayil, he finally realized he had to tell Jack *something*. "Well, one night while we were still on Earth, Valea showed up in one of our dreams and introduced herself," he said, rubbing his neck. "That's how I knew to look for her when we came back that first time." Suddenly, he waved his hand to dismiss the subject. "It's...really not important, Jack." "Like hell it's not!" Jack started; but fortunately, before he could continue, Valea's eyes flew open again. "That's it," she said, giving them a huge smile. "They're the same." Her announcement simultaneously excited and confused Daniel, and he could sense that Janet's emotions were similar. Something about this picture was wrong; but, try as he might, he still couldn't put a finger on what. Then he shook his head; it wasn't important, at least not right then. "So how do we get there?" he asked. "Good question," Valea said. She looked back at her brother. "Sayil?" He appeared taken aback by her expectation. "What? Don't look at *me*. Glenn didn't tell me how to *find* the Cliffs; he just said he'd *been* there." "Can't we ask him?" Sam asked. Sayil shook his head. "No. Amala froze him last year." Of course she had, Daniel's mind retorted wryly. After all, why would Amala leave alive anyone who knew how to find Edea? "Maybe he didn't tell you where the Cliffs were, Sayil, but you're the closest lead we have to finding them," Valea said. "Daniel and Janet need to see Edea. They can't help us until after they've talked to her." Sayil ran his fingers through his hair, clearly no happier about having the fate of the planet resting on his shoulders than Daniel and Janet were. In spite of that discomfort, though, he said, "All right, all right, let me think. As far as I know, Glenn didn't tell anyone how he found the Cliffs...but he may have jotted down some notes somewhere. He always kept detailed notes of his travels." "And assuming he *did* take notes on this particular travel, where could we find them?" Jack asked. "His house in Marbule," Sayil said. "The town's population has been decimated by Amala, but the houses should still be standing...as long as no warrior tribes have pillaged them for technology and torched everything since the last few people moved out." Teal'c tilted his head. "How far away is Marbule?" "At least three days if we walk," Valea said, then smiled at them reassuringly as she heard their groans. "Don't panic yet, guys. We still have a few horses left in Deracot. Ronan took care of them, and Ryan's said they've been inactive since his brother was frozen so they're probably dying to stretch their legs. I'm sure we could use them." "You do know how to ride horses, right?" Sayil asked. Horses? Valea and Sayil were saying they wanted to take *horses* to Marbule? This could be...fun. While Janet and Sam seemed excited by the suggestion, Daniel, Jack, and Teal'c exchanged uncertain looks. As far as Daniel knew, the last time most of them had bothered to ride a horse had been on the Shavadai planet, four long years ago. "Well, a *little*...." "...But we'll figure it out, Valea," Jack quickly cut him off, giving him a pointed, 'We're doing this, Daniel, whether it kills us or not if for no other reason than so we can *finally* get out of Deracot' look. Valea stared at them a moment before shrugging. "All right, then, pack your things and meet me at Ronan's corral at the end of town. If we leave now, we should be able to make it to Marbule before sunset." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Thirteen: Marbule August 30, 2001 Thursday, 4:25 p.m. Horses. Sam Carter had always loved horses. When she'd been a child, Sam had begged her parents for a pony. Maybe it was just a typical young girl's dream to own one, or maybe she had truly wanted one, but for years she'd begged and had been met every time with a resounding 'No.' Military families, after all, didn't own ponies. Ponies were too expensive, too difficult to move, and required too much room. In time she'd given up begging, but that hadn't stopped her from fantasizing. One of her main fantasies involved riding off into the sunset with a man's arms wrapped around her waist -- presumably the arms of her knight in shining armor -- while in the distance they saw enchanted castles, beautiful mountains, crystal lakes, and a sunset that photographers would kill for. The second fantasy involved riding bareback on a steed at breakneck speeds, the warm air rushing past her and her long, blond hair whipping behind her as she raced off to slay the dragon holding the prince of the land captive. Looking back now, those two fantasies really didn't go together as well as she'd thought at the time...and, considering her current experiences as SG-1 traveled to Marbule, a few of them could use some revision. One, riding bareback wasn't nearly as comfortable or as easy as it looked. The mind users of Deracot didn't believe in using saddles, nor did they even know what a saddle was. According to Valea, those with animal skills had a way to ease the painful, difficult ride; but Amala had frozen them all on her latest sweep through town so riding bareback was how they had to travel now. Two, sharing a horse with a man wasn't exactly as fun as it looked, nor was Colonel O'Neill a knight in shining armor. As much as that part of her with the obnoxious crush on him loved the physical contact of this ride, she was never going to volunteer to do it again. Deracot had only had four horses left capable of riding the long distance to Marbule, which had forced the seven travelers to group together. Sayil and Valea had shared a horse, Daniel and Janet another, Sam and the colonel a third, and Teal'c -- who'd insisted he could *not* ride with anyone else -- had the final one. Since neither Daniel nor the colonel had ridden much before while Janet and Sam had taken Cassie horseback riding numerous times, they'd been the obvious ones to pair up. Now O'Neill was constantly complaining that his legs hurt, and his hands had squeezed bruises the size of overgrown oranges on her hips while holding on. Even more irritating than that, though, he kept questioning her riding ability. //Watch the rock, Carter.\\ //*Please* hold on, Carter.\\ //Carter, should we really be going this fast?\\ //Carter, you know how to *stop* this horse, right?\\ Sam wanted to slap him -- or at least tell him to shut up -- but, considering he was still her commanding officer and she couldn't blame him for being concerned, she bit her tongue. Then, topping off their already joyous ride, this scenery didn't exactly make for the romantic moment of her fantasies. In every direction, the landscape was parched; and, as a result, the siblings' horse ahead of them kept kicking up nasty clouds of dust that Sam and the colonel inevitably rode through. After an hour, they'd noticed mountains growing in the distance; but those, too, were dry and boring with no sign of greenery, like the desert mountains of New Mexico and Arizona. It didn't make for an exciting five hours of travel. On the bright side, she and O'Neill had a relatively calm, obedient mare. Sam wouldn't trade horses with Daniel and Janet for anything; their steed was a nightmare with a definite mind of its own. If there was a dead log anywhere, it went out of its way to find it just so it could jump over it. Likewise, it couldn't keep a straight-line path if its life depended on it; and it was determined to race Valea's and Sayil's horse -- which was almost as much of a daredevil as Daniel's and Janet's horse -- to Marbule. Fortunately, Janet knew enough about riding to keep it somewhat under control. The creature obviously wanted to have some fun; and, while Janet seemed to be enjoying the thrill of the ride, Daniel was barely hanging on for dear life. Teal'c, once again, was the lucky one; his steed was a graceful creature that followed orders and never once strayed from the path. Well, that or, despite professing having only ridden twice before this, Teal'c was just excellent with horses and knew how to keep his under tight control. //Carter, remind me again, why didn't Sayil just teleport us to Marbule?\\ O'Neill asked. //Teleporting this number of people that great a distance is a nightmare and likely to backfire,\\ she said. //I was exhausted this morning just sending a quarter from one end of town to the other. It's not hard, but it's draining. Besides, I got the feeling from Sayil that we couldn't teleport directly into town because there's an anti-teleportation barrier around it to prevent anyone from doing exactly that.\\ //Oh...right.\\ He was silent another moment, then asked, //That look like a building to you?\\ //Where?\\ //Up there.\\ Much to Sam's relief, O'Neill's right hand released her hip and pointed ahead of them; but, almost immediately, his hand snapped back to her hip, causing her to wince as his fingers dug into the bruised flesh. Forcing herself to ignore the pain, her gaze traveled to where he'd pointed. It did look like a building, just before the foothills of the mountains; and, even better, it appeared to be fairly close. //Daniel? Janet? Is that Marbule?\\ //Valea says it is,\\ Janet said. //We should be there in a few minutes, considering the impossible speed we're traveling at.\\ Sam grinned and narrowed her audience solely to Janet. //You guys okay up there?\\ //Oh yeah, Sam, we're great. I think Daniel's going to disown all knowledge of horses after this, but I'm having fun. This is...quite a spirited steed.\\ //We see that. Colonel said next time he was going to take Teal'c's horse.\\ //Can't. Daniel's already claimed it.\\ Sam snorted. Now *that* was something she'd pay to see -- the colonel duking it out with a fire-starting archaeologist over a *horse*. //How about you and Colonel O'Neill?\\ Janet asked her. //You mean, besides the fact that he doesn't trust my ability to control a horse, is being very vocal about how much he's dying to get off, and has left handprint-sized bruises on my hips? We're fine. Once we're home, we should take the team horseback riding with Cassie just to change their impression of horses...only making sure to use *saddles*.\\ //Yeah, we should,\\ Janet said with a weary mental sigh, and Sam silently cursed herself for mentioning Cassie. She could only guess how hard this separation was for Janet, who was used to being home with her daughter every night instead of stuck on a dying planet seeking answers they weren't even sure existed. Her eyes drifted toward the steed that Daniel and Janet were struggling to stay atop. She couldn't imagine what those two were going through with that link...or how they'd survived so well this far. It was admirable. If she'd just had all her privacy torn away from her and if someone knew every horrible thought that had ever lingered in her mind, every cruel word to her father after her mother's death, every mistake she'd made with Jonas, every frustrated and despairing reaction when something didn't go her way.... God, there were too many things she didn't want anyone to know about herself, things that would embarrass her to kingdom come and ruin the image of perfection she'd tried so hard to project during her life. Secretly, she was glad that if a Level 3 link had to be accidentally given to someone on SG-1, it hadn't been given to her. Daniel had the patience, compassion, and tact to make it work; and Sam suspected Janet did as well. Those two were able to overlook the grievous injustice laid upon them and focus instead on saving the Edeans. Helping others, after all, was in their natures. It was who they were: an anthropologist who loved other cultures and would do anything to prevent their destruction, and a doctor who made a living from easing others' pain and suffering. While she'd never admit it aloud, Sam suspected she had too much of a military background to possess that same selfless determination those two had. The problem was, her pleasure that *she* wasn't the one with the Level 3 link just made her feel all the more guilty and disgusted with herself for even entertaining such thoughts. Daniel had suffered so much the past few years that he certainly didn't deserve this kind of nightmare now, and Janet was too dear a friend for Sam to wish the same on her. *No one* deserved a link like theirs, so how could she possibly be so glad that they were the ones with it, not her? Her hatred of those horrible, filthy thoughts just made her all the more determined to do whatever she could to help them through this ordeal...because something told her things were going to get far worse before they could write 'The End' to this mission. She couldn't dwell on that now, though. She needed to think of something pleasant...like the amazing skills Sayil had taught her the past few days. She had actually defied the laws of gravity and levitated a chicken! She had teleported a quarter from one end of Deracot to the other! She had turned brown grass green! It went against everything her precious science said was possible. Bending the rules...God, it was thrilling. If only the others knew what lurked inside of perfect little Sam Carter, what would they think of her? Sam Carter, the one who followed all the rules and military orders to a 'T,' even when they were poorly thought- out and she disagreed with them. Sam Carter, the one who'd received straight A's in school from kindergarten through grad school and had won every award offered by the Air Force. Sam Carter, the one who'd joined the Air Force to please her father, even though her true love had been with science. Sam Carter, the one who'd learned every physical law of nature because of her desire to *follow the damned rules*. Yet, more and more during the years, she found that desire for the perfection and orderliness of rules backlashing against her. When the perfection and orderliness became too perfect and orderly to bear, the result was often a number of broken rules...*big* broken rules. Becoming engaged to Jonas, the chronic nutcase and power monger, because she wanted to play with a 'bad boy' instead of a 'good boy' for a change. Breaking a direct order and heading back down into an abandoned nuclear test facility to die with an alien girl she'd only known a few days. Falling out with her father after her mother's death, then refusing to speak to him for years until it was nearly too late, at which point she'd blended him with a Tok'ra because she couldn't accept her failure to fix his health problems and prevent his demise. Falling for her CO even though it went against Air Force regulations and could ruin her career if it was ever brought to light. Sam wasn't sure who she wanted to be anymore, the perfect military fighter who always saved the day with her superhuman intelligence and bravado, or the military brat and rebel without a cause. Trying to balance the two sides was like trying to balance an elephant and a feather; sometimes one side would win, sometimes the other. It all depended on which side she considered 'winning' at any given moment -- the side that was up, or the side that was down. Ah, but one thing was crystal clear in her mind now, though: that little girl who desperately wanted to be a free spirit, to ride a horse bareback, to slay the dragon and save the prince...she was still trapped inside, waiting impatiently for the good-girl-slash-damsel-in-distress to slip so she could break out and run free again. That little girl was the part of her that received the greatest thrill from bending every known law of physics by levitating a chicken. //Carter!\\ Her head jerked up at O'Neill's mental exclamation. Oh, right, they'd reached Marbule...maybe she should slow down. Sam guided their mare to a stop beside its companions just outside the city gates where Valea and Sayil were helping Daniel and Janet off their steed. Teal'c, in typical Teal'c fashion, had no trouble dismounting on his own. "Thought you were blocking me there for a minute, Carter," O'Neill said as he slid his leg over the horse's back and dropped to the ground. He dusted himself off, then extended a hand upward to help her down. Blocking him? How long had she been lost in thought? "Sorry, Sir, I was just thinking." He frowned as she grabbed his hand and lowered herself off the horse. "Well, don't think too much, Carter. I know how prone you are to overanalyzing everything." Suddenly the frown morphed into an appreciative smile. "But anyway, nice riding." So even after all that complaining, she'd still managed to impress him? Sam mused, returning his smile. Hey, she'd take whatever compliments he'd give her. "Thank you, Sir." "And *you*," O'Neill continued, turning to Teal'c as the Jaffa joined them, "why didn't you tell us you were a master equestrian? That was amazing, my friend." The Jaffa arched an eyebrow. "I was as surprised as you, O'Neill, for I have barely ridden before." "Teal'c, that horse *loved* you," Carter said. "I do not understand it myself, Major Carter, for there are no horses on Chulak; and Apophis preferred flying Goa'uld death gliders to riding horses." "Can't really blame him there," O'Neill murmured, and everyone turned as Daniel waddled toward them, Janet following him. "Yeah, well, next time you get our horse, Teal'c," Daniel stated, grimacing in pain. "I think its entire goal in life was to make us fall off." "You two okay?" O'Neill asked. "I can't believe what a daredevil of a horse you guys ended up with." "Tell us about it," Janet said with a laugh. "No kidding," Daniel said. "But I think we're okay, Jack." "I am *so* sorry about that, Daniel," Valea said as she and her brother joined them. "That was Ronan's favorite horse, so I thought he'd be well behaved...I guess I was wrong. He must miss his owner." She looked at the Jaffa in admiration. "Teal'c, on the other hand...*wow*. I've never seen anyone take so well to a horse on the first try." Teal'c smiled at her and bowed his head, humbly accepting the compliment. "Anyway, we know you're all hungry and tired from riding so long, so we'll eat out here before heading into town," Sayil said. "I'm guessing we'll be losing our appetites once we've seen what's inside." Janet nodded. "That sounds fine, Sayil. While you guys get dinner ready, I'm going to do a quick exam of everyone and heal some chafed body parts. Daniel, since I *know* how bad your ride was, you're first." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 10:46 p.m. Daniel peered over the leather-bound tome in his hands, his eyes drifting from the wavy handwriting on the cream-colored paper to focus instead on the two shadows approaching the doorway. The past five hours he'd been sitting in the crowded, dusty, candlelit attic of Glenn's house, reading a vivid narrative of the man's travels. Janet sat in a rocking chair beside him; Sayil and Sam sat on a wooden trunk along the far wall; and Valea was sprawled on her stomach on the floor, a candle beside her. All had their noses buried in one of Glenn's travel logs, searching for references to the mysterious Crystal Cliffs of his and Janet's dreams. "This looks warm and cozy," Jack said as he and Teal'c appeared in the doorway and stepped inside. "That is, warmer and cozier than anything outside." Daniel returned his eyes to the page in front of him. Marbule had turned out to be considerably larger than Deracot. Not only were there a hundred times the number of buildings, there had also been several hundred people standing in the streets, all frozen. The sun had set while SG-1 had eaten dinner; and afterwards, as they'd searched the town for Glenn's house, Janet had expressed her gratitude that none of the faces of the frozen people were visible...a sentiment Daniel had more than agreed with. "How many?" he asked Jack. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but someone needed to ask the question. "I counted 742. Teal'c counted 905. I'll let you guys do the math." Daniel winced at the number. Talk about a pandemic. It took Sam half a second to perform the calculation. "Oh, God -- that's 1,647 people," she said. "Were they...?" "All were frozen," Teal'c said. "We found no survivors." Valea lifted her eyes from her book, then glanced back at her brother. "Last I'd heard, the population here was 1,893." "So what happened to the rest?" Janet asked. "The survivors probably fled to Shrike, another town this size 30 miles west of here," Sayil said. "While that wouldn't have prevented Amala from finding them, they most likely wanted to band together with Shrike's survivors to make life a bit more...bearable...for everyone." "Makes sense, especially considering how many houses we saw in disarray," Jack murmured as he sat down on the floor near Daniel. "But enough of that cheery subject. Find anything on these Cliffs yet?" "Not yet," Daniel said, flipping one of the thick pages of his book. "Sayil found the travel logs from around the time when Glenn mentioned he'd been to the Cliffs, but we haven't seen any references yet." "Sounds like he didn't want anyone to know about it." Sayil stretched and ran his hands through his hair as he looked across the room at the colonel. "He didn't. He made me swear never to tell anyone he'd been there." "And yet I'd think the Cliffs of Paradise would've been the most exciting thing he'd ever seen," Valea said, pushing herself up into a sitting position and stretching her legs. "They're legendary. Every child is told fairy tales about them. Wouldn't he have at least *hinted* about them in one of these volumes?" "*That* would be why we're skimming through them all, Sis," the boy countered with a cheeky grin. In response, Valea just rolled her eyes. "Since you have yet to locate information about them, might O'Neill and I be of assistance in your search?" Teal'c asked. Valea nodded and waved at a waist-high stack of books near the door. "Go ahead. Daniel's already transmitted our language to you, so you should have no problems reading it. Glenn's handwriting is very legible." Another hour passed with no further conversation. Daniel was beginning to tire of reading about how Glenn had been trapped in a swamp for three weeks with very little food and water when he saw Sam nudge a thoroughly engrossed Sayil with her book. "Hmm?" "What does this mean?" she asked. "What does what mean?" "'Heal the tiger, leap the ledge, strike the Moogle, burn the bridge. The Doorway to Heaven will open to you.'" Sayil lowered his book and turned toward her. "I don't know. What's the context?" "There isn't any," Sam said. "In one paragraph, Glenn's talking about how he kissed his wife after returning from Winterton; in the next he throws that in. After that he describes his inquiries into buying a boat for his next journey. The line is sitting in the middle of the page, separated from the rest by two wavy bars." "Let me see it," Sayil said, taking the book from her. "Sounds like a child's rhyme," Jack commented, setting his book aside and rubbing his eyes. "That *is* odd," Sayil murmured after he'd read the section. "Considering how prolix Glenn is about describing everything else, five little phrases like this seem out of place." "No kidding," Janet said. "Every place he visited is beautifully and elaborately described, from the drops of morning dew on the grass of Deerbury to the white sands of Snowy Beach." "Heaven...paradise...they could be referring to the same place," Valea said. Sayil nodded thoughtfully. "That's what I was thinking...and if Glenn didn't want anyone else to know he'd been there, he'd probably be intentionally cryptic like this." "Of course, it could just be a riddle he picked up on his travels," Jack said. "I've seen other little notes like that that didn't fit into the context. The name of a fisherman he met, how much the inn at the Grasslands cost, ideas for future travels...." "Right, but those all made sense," Daniel said. "I've seen a number of those sidenotes too, but nothing like what Sam found. Hers sounds completely out of place." Jack nodded. "True. I mean, what the hell *is* a Moogle? I've never heard of one before. Muggles, maybe, but not a Moogle." Valea glanced at her brother and both chuckled. "Right, you don't have them on Earth," she said. "On Planet Edea, Moogles are an indigenous, highly intelligent creature. You might describe them as a three-foot tall, walking, talking, white-colored cross between a bear and a cat. You'll recognize it if you ever see one. Chances are the first thing you'll hear is 'Kupo' or 'Kupopo' ... although it might say something a little less friendly if you strike it as the rhyme says to." "Most Moogles living in Moogle Pass, which is in the warrior's territory, but a few live in the mountains on the Eastern Continent...although I haven't seen one here for a few years." Sayil scratched the back of his neck. "This *has* to be what we're looking for. 'Doorway to Heaven'...what else would that be describing?" "I don't know of any place called 'Heaven,'" Valea said. "Hell's on the Western Continent, but Heaven? Never heard of it." "'Hell'?" Jack mouthed to Daniel, but Daniel shook his head, not knowing what Valea was talking about. He couldn't blame Jack for being curious, though; any place called Hell must already have a bad connotation attached to it. God, Daniel silently prayed, *please* don't make them go to a place named 'Hell' to find Edea. "If 'Heaven' is the location we must find, what would Glenn's clues indicate?" Teal'c asked. "Good question, Teal'c...I just wish I knew the answer," Valea said. "Sayil?" "Tigers," he mumbled, staring vacantly ahead of him. "Ledges, bridges, Moogles.... It's got to be someplace in the mountains, right?" Suddenly, the two siblings locked eyes. The answer had obviously hit them; and, while Sayil appeared excited, Valea most definitely did not. "*No*," she said, pointing a finger at him. "Don't even *think* about it, Sayil. We are *not* going there to find out." "Valea, it *has* to be the place. Where else matches the description?" "It's suicide! No one's made it back alive, and I'm *not* risking the prophesied ones' lives to find we jumped to some wrong conclusions about a children's rhyme." Daniel was *not* liking the way the two were talking about this place. Jack apparently wasn't either, for he asked, "Guys?" Sayil ignored him. "But if Edea's really guiding them as you seem to think she is, Valea, then there shouldn't be any problem, right?" "Maybe not for *them*, but what about for *us*?" his sister countered. "What about for Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, and Teal'c? If they're not part of the prophecy and neither are we, *we* might not make it through there alive." "Hey, hey, *hey*!" Jack suddenly shouted, waving his hands to get their attention. "Guys! Before you two make *any* decisions, how about sharing the details with *us* first? Now, what place are you talking about?" Valea glared at her brother. "*No*. Drop it, Sayil. Glenn has to be referring to some other place." "Tiger Pass," Sayil replied, smiling defiantly at Valea. "It's two hours east of here in the mountains." Daniel bit his lip and glanced first at Janet, then at Jack. 'Tiger Pass'? Something about that name did *not* give him a warm, fuzzy feeling. As a general rule, though, very few things having to do with tigers gave Daniel a warm, fuzzy feeling, so his gut reaction wasn't a surprise. For now, though, he decided to let Jack ask the questions. "Tiger Pass. Now, what's so bad about this place?" "Oh, nothing, Colonel, except for the fact that 300-some years ago it was overrun by a horde of tigers who don't exactly respond well to human visitors," Valea said, her eyes still trained on her brother. She was irate at his defiance and wasn't trying to hide it. "Even those mind users with highly developed animal skills refuse to go there. *Ronan* wasn't even nuts enough to go there and animals loved him! Anyone who's tried it has never returned alive to tell about the trip. It's strictly *off limits* to travelers." "So where else do you suggest we look for the Crystal Cliffs?" Sayil asked her. "We've been reading for hours and haven't found anything else that even *remotely* hints at Paradise. No one knows what's beyond Tiger Pass, so it makes sense that Heaven would be hidden away back there. And where else can you find tigers *and* Moogles in the same general vicinity? It *has* to be what Glenn's referring to!" "Ah!" Jack silenced them, lifting a finger of warning. "Tigers, right? How many tigers, exactly, constitutes a 'horde'?" "Brat," Valea muttered, still glaring at her brother, before turning to answer the colonel's question. "Try at least 500." Daniel was sure his mouth hit the ground. Five hundred tigers. Oh...God. Across the room, Sam shook her head. "But that doesn't make any sense. Tigers are solitary creatures. Except for females with cubs, they generally don't live together." "Not to mention tigers don't live in mountains; they live in areas with dense vegetation for cover," Janet said. "Yeah, well, these aren't your average, run-of-the-mill tigers," Valea said. "At least, they're not like any on your world, nor on ours, for that matter. The ones who inhabit the Pass seem to be a unique breed." "We have a few zats with us...would a zat work?" Jack asked. Seeing the siblings' aghast reactions, he quickly clarified, "Just to knock them out, of course. I'd never think of killing them unless we had no choice." Daniel wasn't convinced Jack meant what he'd just said, but he wasn't about to question him right now. He was more interested in hearing Valea's answer. "I honestly don't know, Colonel," she said. "Rumor has it these are enchanted tigers, so if Edea's protecting them, then *nothing* will work against them, including your zats. Then, of course, there's the little matter that there's supposedly a protective barrier around the whole area to prevent the use of certain abilities there. That means no teleportation, you can't harm anything...." Enchanted tigers and anti-ability barriers. Well, now, wasn't *that* just so very encouraging? "So where else do we look?" Sayil retorted. "There's no way around the Pass. Heck, we can't even sail past the cliffs on the other side of it. Sailors have said for years that the coastline extends for miles with no beach, which means if the beach Daniel saw in his dream is real, then there's a strong illusion covering it. We need to find Edea, right? This is the only lead we've come up with after searching for hours. There has to be a way to get by the tigers safely. Maybe there's a cave in the mountains that we can slip through, or maybe they're not even there anymore. When was the last time anyone checked it out? Besides, if Glenn made it past them, so can we." Valea shook her head. "Well, *I* refuse to go. *You* take them if you want, Sayil, but Tiger Pass has never been a place I've wanted to see in person." "Guys!" Jack interrupted again, clearly exasperated at their constant bickering. "Knock it off, *both* of you. We're not going *anywhere* or making *any* decisions until my team and I have discussed this." "Sorry," Valea said, looking down at her hands. Sayil nodded and likewise fell silent. //Kids,\\ the colonel grumbled to his teammates. "Now, how certain are you that this Heaven place is the Crystal Cliffs?" Before they could answer, he added, "And no more arguing." "There's no other possibility on this planet," Valea said with a reluctant sigh. "I've been just about everywhere except the Crystal Cliffs, and nowhere else qualifies. There are some beautiful places on Planet Edea, but I've never heard them described as 'Heaven.'" "I agree," Sayil said. "Okay, and Tiger Pass? You're sure that's the place in Glenn's riddle?" "I can't think of anywhere else where we'd find tigers in need of healing," Sayil answered with far too much confidence for Daniel's liking. "Valea?" Jack pressed when the girl didn't answer. She frowned; and, when she finally spoke, her voice was low, obviously unhappy about the situation. "Tigers are pretty rare anywhere on this planet, then to find any living near mountains where Moogles and ledges and bridges might be? Sayil's right. Tiger Pass has to be the place." Jack sighed and glanced at each of his teammates. //All right, guys, sounds like Tiger Pass is it. What do we say?\\ //I don't like it, Sir,\\ Sam said. //Tigers aren't creatures you want to cross, especially when there are that many of them. We don't know if they've acquired a taste for human flesh, and we don't know if we can stop them with our weapons...it doesn't sound like the best idea.\\ //I do not believe we have another choice, O'Neill,\\ Teal'c said. //Valea and Sayil appear convinced there is no other way to find Edea.\\ //Yes, they do appear convinced, don't they?\\ Jack said with a mental sigh. Daniel closed his eyes and slowly shook his head. God, what had SG-1 just gotten themselves into? Hundreds of tigers on what was probably a narrow mountain pass? //Well, as much as I hate the idea of going there, Janet and I apparently don't have a choice, Jack. We need to see Edea.\\ //Besides, I still want to help these people,\\ Janet said. //I can't just leave all these Edeans frozen knowing there might be a way to unfreeze them. I'm willing to take my chances with the tigers.\\ Jack lifted his hands to his face and rubbed his temples. "Then I guess I'm coming with you." Damn it, when was Jack going to realize he wasn't their personal bodyguard and didn't need to risk his life for them all the time? "Jack...." "Ah," the colonel quickly cut him off, pointing at him. "I'm coming with you, Daniel, and that's final. Carter? Teal'c?" The two remaining members of SG-1 nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Yes, Sir." "Very well, O'Neill." Sayil smiled at their decision, and it was clear from his excitement that he'd already determined to go. On the floor, Valea sighed as she looked at each of them, frowning, then lifted her hands in defeat. "All right, all right, I'll come too." "Knew you couldn't resist the chance to see Edea again," Sayil said. "*Whatever*. If we leave around sunrise, we should make it to the Pass by mid-morning. Since I'd really rather not explain to Ronan how *tigers* ate his horses when we unfreeze him, we'll go on foot. Colonel, if you guys want to rest until then, Sayil and I can keep looking through these books, maybe find something else," she looked pointedly at Sayil, "something that will make it *unnecessary* to venture into such dangerous territory." Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she observed her brother. "Sayil? Is something wrong?" Daniel's looked first at Jack, then at Janet, both as puzzled by Valea's sudden question as he was. From what he'd seen, Sayil hadn't done anything worth commenting about. "I'm fine," Sayil said curtly. "Why?" Valea, however, must not have been convinced by his words, for she went on, "It's Corraman, isn't it? Damn it, I thought we'd finally lost him. He found us here, didn't he?" Sayil's eyes drifted down to the book in his hands. "I'm...not sure, actually." "Valea?" Jack asked. "What's going on?" Beside him, Teal'c suddenly tensed. "I feel something, O'Neill. The air has changed." //Daniel, what's going on?\\ Janet asked. //I'm not sure...does something look wrong with Sam to you?\\ he said, broadcasting his thoughts both to her and to Jack. On the opposite side of the room, Sam wrapped her arms around her body and rubbed it as if she was suddenly cold. "Carter? You okay?" Jack asked. "Is there a draft in here? I just got a chill." "I didn't notice anything," Janet said. "Neither did I," Daniel added. Valea shook her head. "Nor I." "I did," Sayil said. He set the book on the trunk and rose to his feet, visibly shivering. "Stay here." "Sayil?" his sister called after him as he left the room, but he didn't answer her. Instead, Daniel heard the wooden stairs creak under his footsteps as he headed down to the first floor; and, a minute later, the front door slammed shut. Teal'c briefly looked around the room before following Sayil outside. Janet watched the Jaffa leave, then stood and headed toward Sam to check her temperature. Daniel met Jack's questioning gaze. What the hell was going on? Without warning, Sam lifted her hands to her head and screamed an ear- piercing scream of excruciating pain. At the same moment, Valea bolted to her feet. "SAYIL!!!" she cried, the name flying out of her like a howl of the damned. She was out the door before anyone could recover from their shock enough to stop her or comprehend what had just happened. Sam's screaming lasted ten full seconds. "Make it stop! Make it stop!" she finally cried, her hands still pressed tightly to her head. "Carter!" Jack was by her side in an instant, but Janet forced him to keep his distance. Daniel rose to his feet and watched, stunned, as Janet attempted to pry the major's hands from her head...but they were immovable. "Sam, look at me," she ordered, trying to stay calm. "You have to tell me what hurts. What happened?" "God, Janet, make it stop, make it stop!" "Doc, what's going on?" Jack asked, panicked at Sam's uncharacteristic outburst. "I have no idea, Colonel, but her body temperature's dropped. Sam, you have to talk to me. What hurts?" The major's body quaked, and Jack placed his hands on her shoulders to try to steady her. "Not hurt..." she spat out. "Ffffreezing...." "Colonel, find her some blankets." Before Janet could finish, Jack was out the door. "Daniel, get the thermometer from my med pack." Daniel felt his heart nearly stop and the bile rise in his throat stop as he located the requested item and handed it to her, his mind piecing together the events that had just happened...oh, God, Sam...Sayil.... //Go check,\\ Janet said, sensing where his thoughts were going. //You're sure?\\ Daniel asked. The last thing he wanted to do was leave alone with the convulsing woman. Janet looked back at him and nodded. //If this is what I'm afraid it is, there's nothing I can do except keep her as warm as possible. Go.\\ Daniel nodded and hurried out of the room, relieved to pass Jack on his way as the older man returned with several thick blankets...at least he could help Janet keep Sam warm while Daniel was away. A second later he was outside, his footsteps abruptly stopping as he took in the scene in the dark street. Oh, God. No. Teal'c was standing in front of Glenn's house, staring at two dark, motionless human figures in the center of the street. He turned his head as Daniel emerged, and the archaeologist could just make out the Jaffa's horrified expression in the dim light emanating from the open door. God, it was wrong to see Teal'c's normally expressionless face filled with horror. //Teal'c? You okay?\\ //I am, Daniel Jackson.\\ Well, *that* was a relief, Daniel thought as he stepped beside the Jaffa, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. //What happened?\\ Teal'c returned his eyes to the figures in the street. //A foul- smelling cloud descended upon the town and passed through the street. After it was gone, Sayil was frozen.\\ There was a long pause. //I failed to protect him.\\ Daniel closed his eyes and swallowed hard. God, no. No, no, no. Frozen, just like all the others they'd seen...Amala had.... *No*. Now not only was Sam...but Sayil.... Cold, lifeless shells.... This was wrong. Everything here was wrong. This shouldn't have happened. This wasn't *supposed* to happen. He and Janet were *here* now...this is exactly what they were supposed to prevent.... And Teal'c.... God, this wasn't fair to Teal'c. Daniel could only guess how much guilt the Jaffa already carried within him for everything he'd done as Apophis's first prime. If the vision Sha'uri had given him was any indication, Teal'c had been immensely relieved when Daniel had forgiven him for killing her, just as he'd been relieved when Hanno had pardoned him for killing his father. Despite all those awful things, Teal'c was a good man; and, no matter how much pain he'd unwittingly caused others in the past, Daniel couldn't hate him or even hold him responsible for it, especially since he'd always done whatever he could to make retribution for those sins. While Daniel feared he'd always have an instinctive uneasiness around him because of what had happened to Sha'uri, he trusted him with his life...and he *liked* him. He could overlook those wrongs. No, ultimately, Teal'c was a friend, always going out of his way to help others, to free his people, to share information, and to stand up for his friends and his beliefs, which was why Daniel felt he needed to say something now to try to ease the guilt the Jaffa apparently felt for having been unable to save Sayil. //There's nothing you could've done, Teal'c.\\ Teal'c cast a sidelong glance at him. //Perhaps.\\ Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes wearily. They'd been getting so close to finding Edea, then this happens? They lose Sayil? Damn it, he'd been growing fond of Sayil, too. It was one thing to see hundreds of people he didn't know in that horrid frozen state, but another completely to see someone he'd spent the past week with and *cared* about like that. And then Sam...oh, God, Sam.... //It tried to freeze Sam,\\ Daniel finally said, lowering his hand from his face and trying unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in his throat. Teal'c's head snapped toward him; and, for a second in the faint light, Daniel thought he saw fear in the Jaffa's brown eyes. Teal'c...afraid? That was just as wrong as seeing Teal'c's face filled with horror. //It didn't, but Janet says her temperature's dropped...dropping...quickly.\\ //I will find her blankets.\\ Never let it be said that Teal'c wasn't intensely protective of his SG-1 family. //Jack's already found her some, but she'll probably need more.\\ Teal'c bowed his head in understanding and took off toward the next house on the street. Daniel returned his attention to the two dark figures in the street just in time to see one sink down to the ground by the other's feet. A cold, sharp wind blew past him; and a chill ran down his spine at the sound of uncontrolled sobbing that clung to it. Valea. Tears welled in his eyes as he tentatively approached the girl through their Level 2 link, her emotions of rage, despair, and grief seeping through it into him. His heart felt like it had been torn in two...no, Daniel corrected himself, *Valea* felt like her heart had been torn in two. Those were *her* emotions he was feeling. Why Sayil? Why not her? She was all alone now. Damn it, Amala, leave her family alone. There was no one left to take except her. There was nothing Daniel could say or do to ease her pain, so he decided to let her be and give her time to deal with the senselessness of what had just happened in her own way. He quickly retreated from their link and blocked her overwhelming emotions -- he had enough of his own to deal with that he couldn't Valea's as well -- then took a deep, controlling breath as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed that Teal'c had returned, carrying several additional blankets. With a nod, the two returned to Glenn's house to check on Sam. "How is she, Dr. Fraiser?" Teal'c asked as they reentered the attic. "She's freezing," Janet said, her voice trembling. "Her body temperature's at 96 degrees...and it's still dropping." She graciously accepted the blankets Teal'c handed her and arranged them behind the shivering woman's back. "What happened outside?" Jack asked them. Daniel bit his lower lip. "Sayil is frozen." Any color remaining in Jack's face vanished in an instant as he made the connection. "Oh, God." "Valea?" Janet asked, looking up at him as she grew increasingly panicked. "Physically, she's fine," Daniel said. "Emotionally, she's...in a condition similar to that of a train wreck survivor." "Amala's shadow attacked Marbule," Teal'c said. "I was powerless to stop it." The colonel looked pointedly at him. "Not your fault, Teal'c." Teal'c bowed his head, sorrow still on his face, but didn't say anything. "Why Carter and Sayil?" Jack asked. "Why not Valea? Why not us?" "Valea told us that Amala's shadow only targets people with certain abilities at one time," Daniel said, unable to look in Sam's direction for fear he'd lose his quickly dwindling emotional restraint. "Since Sam's skills are almost identical to Sayil's, those must've been Amala's target this time." "If that's the case, then why isn't Carter frozen yet?" "We apparently have a natural resistance to Amala because we're from Earth," Janet said. "It'll take her time to overcome that resistance." "How *much* time, Doc?" Jack pressed. "There's no way of knowing, Colonel." She pressed her hand again to Sam's forehead, and Daniel could sense her growing alarm at how violently their friend's teeth were chattering. "As far as I can tell, though, there's no problem with her, which obviously can't be right if she's freezing. Right now, just help me keep her warm." Janet looked at him. "Daniel? Can you raise the temperature in here a few degrees?" He nodded and closed his eyes. Black room ... fire ... thermostat ... 75 degrees ... 80 ... 85 ... 90. When Daniel opened his eyes again, the room was considerably warmer; but Sam's violent trembling hadn't ceased. If Janet was right and her temperature was still dropping, she wouldn't be getting better any time soon no matter *how* warm Daniel made the room, so it was better not to risk accidentally setting fire to this dry, dusty, book-filled attic by making it too warm. "How the hell did Amala know where we were?" Jack suddenly demanded. "We're the only ones in Marbule left for her to freeze, for crying out loud!" "That does seem most odd, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "Maybe Corraman's still following us?" Daniel suggested; but, as soon as he'd said the words, he realized that probably wasn't the case. Sayil had been able to recognize when Corraman was anywhere nearby, and he certainly hadn't seen *this* coming until a minute before the cloud had struck. "Maybe," Jack said, sitting down on the wooden trunk next to Sam and placing his arms around her back to try to warm her. Teal'c took the hint and sat on the other side of her to provide additional body heat. Unsure what else to do, Daniel sank down to the ground beside Janet. God, Sam...he cared about her too much. It wasn't fair. This was *exactly* what he'd been trying to prevent by refusing to let SG-1 come along to Planet Edea. Now, because he'd given in to Jack's damned insistence, it looked like his nightmare was about to come true. Damn it, he wished there was something he could do for Sam; but right now Janet was the only one who could, and even she was having difficulty figuring out how to help her. While Jack and Teal'c continued to rub the freezing woman's arms, Janet placed her hands on Sam's knees. "Based on what I learned from Tyndar's diaries, I'm going to give her a full exam. I need to find the source of this ailment inside her and try to reverse it. I'll be back soon, Colonel. If you need me...well, to be honest, I'm not sure yet how you can get my attention." Her eyelids slid shut before Jack could protest or question her instructions, and Daniel realized she was retreating to her mental black room to conduct the exam. Quickly deciding to join her in case she needed help, he followed suit, closing his eyes and joining her inside her mind. Since he'd last been there when she'd restored Prescott's speech and sight, she'd added fluorescent lights to the ceiling and carts with medical supplies around the room. She turned toward him as he joined her. "I'm just going to watch in case you need anything," Daniel said. "I'll stay out of your way." Janet gave him a faint smile. "Not a problem, Daniel. Right now I could use the company." A moment later Sam materialized inside the room, lying motionlessly on an operating table with a white blanket draped over her; and Janet began her examination. The freezing woman appeared oblivious to her surroundings; although, interestingly enough, she was able to answer questions about how she felt during Janet's attempt to locate the problem. To keep his mind off of Sam's horrid condition, Daniel instead let himself marvel as he watched Janet work. He was impressed at how quickly she'd adapted her newfound skills as a mental healer to everything she'd always done to heal on Earth, especially without having a master healer to guide her. Anything she needed, she could create it and use it here. If she needed a medical instrument to measure Sam's stats, it simply appeared. If she needed to see inside Sam's body, the internal organs appeared on a projection screen in front of her. She could test every aspect of her patient's physiology -- X-rays, blood work, MRIs, heart rate, temperature -- all inside her mind. And, even better, she could urge the patient's body to mend itself, only the healing process here was considerably quicker and more efficient than real-life healing. This state of 'frozenness' and Sam's enigmatic state of 'freezing,' however, defied all her attempts to eliminate it. Daniel knew how frustrating it was to will something to happen in this normally accommodating room and get no results, like hitting a roadblock on a highway that refused to be crossed no matter how many alternate routes were tried. Under Valea's supervision, he had attempted to control the weather on Planet Edea once, to clear the air of the gloomy clouds and allow the sun to shine down; but, try as he might to visualize it and make it happen, it hadn't worked. Daniel had felt like he'd been trying to solve a puzzle missing a dozen key pieces without having any idea what those pieces looked like or where to go first to find them. Right now, an hour after her examination had begun, Janet had hit that stubborn, mental roadblock. "Damn it! I can't find a single thing wrong with her, Daniel, except for her body temperature. There's no foreign substance in her blood, no viruses or bacteria, no organ or brain damage, all her vitals are strong.... Knowing the symptoms of this 'frozen' condition, I'd expected that her joints would've started stiffening by now, but they haven't. Her temperature's dropped another degree, though, so *something* is obviously wrong with her, but I can't heal it unless I know what it is!" Daniel stepped beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her, still refusing to look at Sam. "Janet, maybe there *is* no logical, medical explanation for what Amala does to her victims. Maybe there's nothing we can do for Sam except what we've already done, trying to keep her warm." Janet frowned, and Daniel could sense just how much she hated the thought of giving up. It was one of the things about her that he'd fallen the most in love with -- her determination to keep searching for a solution. Finally, she sighed. "You're right. There's nothing else we can do here, at least not right now." The table suddenly disappeared, taking Sam with it; and, seeing Janet was ready to leave, Daniel opened his eyes and returned to Glenn's attic...only to find Jack staring at them curiously. "Where the hell have you two been the past hour?" "Examining Major Carter," Janet said. Jack's eyebrows rose. "And...?" "And I can't find anything wrong with her. Without knowing the problem, I can't do anything to reverse it. We don't have anything like this on Earth, Colonel, I'm sorry." She sighed again as she saw his responding frown. "Right now let's just take her someplace more comfortable and let her rest. Did you see a bedroom anywhere in the house?" He nodded. "There's one on the first floor." Jack looked at Teal'c; and the two lifted the shivering woman to a standing position, gently walking her out of the room and down the stairs. Daniel closed his eyes as they left, pain stabbing his heart. Come on, Jackson, thinking too hard about this will only reduce you to a quivering wreck. Don't think about how *wrong* it is to see Sam like this, to know Sayil's gone, to know the two never even stood a chance to fight back against Amala, to know Valea's been utterly devastated by her brother's loss, to know that you may never find Edea now.... His eyes flew open as Janet took his hand in hers and squeezed it, giving him a sad, understanding smile. "Come on; Sam's not completely frozen yet. Maybe there's still a way we can help her." He took a deep breath, then nodded and followed her down the stairs to the bedroom, raising the temperature as he felt how chilly their new room was. Jack and Teal'c eased Sam into the bed and surrounded her with blankets, then sat down on either side of her. "Now what?" Jack asked. "Now we wait and see what happens," Janet said. "Right." He looked up at Daniel, standing beside the doorway with his arms folded to his chest, still unsure what to do with himself. "Guess we're not going to Tiger Pass tomorrow after all, are we?" Taking a woman in Sam's condition over a pass filled with 500 tigers? No, that really wasn't any option anymore, was it? Leaving her behind in Marbule while they went in search of Edea wasn't an option either since Jack refused to leave his teammates behind, no matter what debilitating condition they might be in. "Guess not...." Daniel froze, his voice trailing off as he sensed a presence behind him. Quickly glancing back, he found Valea standing in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at the ailing woman in the bed. The girl's cheeks were red and streaked, her blue irises now turquoise in color from the intensity of her crying, but the wellspring of tears had apparently dried up. "We're still going," she said, her voice painfully controlled, as if the tears were inches away from starting again...if only any tears remained to be shed. Everyone stared at her, uncertain what to say or how to act around someone who'd just lost her one remaining family member. "What? Don't look at me like that. Now *I* need to see Edea. And don't act like you're on eggshells around me. This isn't the first time I've lost my family in this way. I'm fine." Daniel looked down at his hands awkwardly as her voice cracked, belying that she most definitely *wasn't* fine. "We'll leave at dawn and hopefully still make it to the Pass by mid- morning." The girl's eyes drifted back to Sam, convulsing under a mountain of thick blankets. "Edea may be the only one who can save her now." Janet's eyes narrowed as she observed Valea. "Edea can heal her?" "Until you and Daniel learn how to unfreeze them yourselves, Edea's probably the only one who can." Valea walked further into the room and sat down on the bed next to Sam, running her fingers over the woman's pale cheek. "Major Carter? Can you hear me?" Sam's eyes flew open and focused on the girl's face. A faint nod was all she could manage, although it appeared her violent shivering had calmed a bit since they'd brought her downstairs to the bedroom. "Good," Valea said soothingly. "I can't reverse what Amala is trying to do to you, but I can help you for a few hours. We can't leave for Tiger Pass until morning, and I'm not sure how much time Amala needs to fully freeze your body. I can temporarily stop her from doing that, though. With your permission, I'd like to freeze time for you. You won't feel any pain or cold; and, next you know, it'll be morning. Once I return time to you, Amala will continue working to freeze you, but this might buy you a few hours. Will you let me do this?" "Uh, *no*," Jack said, clearly appalled by her suggestion. "Absolutely not. I will *not* let you freeze one of my teammates again, no matter what her condition. Isn't Carter cold enough already?" The girl calmly met his eyes. "Amala and I use different types of freezing, Colonel. Mine can easily be reversed; Amala's cannot. I freeze *time*; Amala freezes *life*. I know you don't understand the difference, but I assure you what I do is safe. You've been frozen like this on several occasions now, and the only thing you've lost is time. If I don't do this, Major Carter may not survive the night. It may take Amala days to fully freeze her, or it may take hours. Once she's frozen, though, I'm not certain even Edea can help her. Every second she has counts...and it will greatly reduce her suffering." While Daniel had to admit that Valea's alternative sounded appealing, Jack shook his head, adamantly refusing the offer. "And what if that cloud thing comes back and takes *you* while you still have her frozen? Then we won't be able to unfreeze time for her!" "Jack," Daniel warned as Valea closed her eyes and lifted a hand to her face. He had a good point, but that was *not* tactfully chosen wording considering what she'd just been through. Not surprisingly, the reminder that Valea was probably next on Amala's list of Edeans to freeze didn't sit well with her. Daniel already knew from their link that, at the moment, it was currently her greatest fear. Finally, Valea lowered the hand and took a deep breath. "That's a chance you'll have to take, Colonel. If Amala freezes me before I can restore time to Major Carter, take her to Edea. She can undo my freezing, so she'll still be able to help her." Sam shuddered under the blankets, her eyes darting from the colonel back to Valea. "Do...do it." "Carter...." "Sir, she's...she's right." "I think you should let her, Colonel," Janet said. "Valea won't let harm come to her." Valea looked up at the torn, tortured expression on the colonel's face, patiently waiting for his okay. In response, he rubbed his eyes and murmured a frustrated, "God," then finally -- reluctantly -- nodded. "Fine. Do it." The girl's eyes slipped shut and she snapped her fingers. Instantly, the major's trembling stopped as her body became unnaturally, disturbingly still. Valea took a deep breath and ran her hand over Sam's face again before turning away. "He's gone." Her sudden statement caught everyone off guard; and Daniel glanced between his remaining teammates, who were similarly confused. "Who's gone?" he asked. "Sayil." Her voice dropped several notches, and she looked down at her hands. "Amala took him. The ground opened up while I was standing there and swallowed him. She probably took him back to her castle to add him to her collection of Darrian children." Daniel blinked several times, confused. What was Valea talking about? Why would Amala do that? That didn't make any sense. Teal'c apparently had the same question, for before Daniel could ask it aloud, he said, "There are thousands of frozen Edeans, yet Amala has not taken them to her castle. For what purpose would she wish the presence of your brother?" Valea slowly rose to her feet and wandered toward the nearest window, wrapping her arms around herself. "I...I haven't been entirely honest with you guys. I haven't lied to you, either, but there's...there's something I haven't told you that I now think you need to hear." Daniel looked back at Janet, still standing watch over Sam's bed, and met her eyes, both quickly growing concerned. That sounded frighteningly like Valea was about to make some sort of confession. Confession time usually meant a shocking revelation; and, at the moment, they'd received all the shocks they could handle for one night, thank you very much. "Daniel, Janet, several days ago you asked me about my family," Valea went on. "I...I avoided the question at the time because I thought it was better for you not to know the full story. I said my parents were elsewhere on the planet, which is true...but I didn't tell you who my parents were. My full name is Valea Darrian. I am the sister of Thea, Kayil, and Sayil Darrian...and the daughter of Edea and Zayil Darrian. Edea...Edea is our mother." It took a moment for her words to sink in...and when they finally did, Daniel felt his heart plummet in his chest. Edea Darrian. Edea was their *mother*? His mouth fell open. Oh...*God*. This day just kept getting better, didn't it? That meant they'd...they'd just let Amala freeze Edea's *son*...so how could they know the woman, no matter how all-knowing and compassionate she was, would even admit them to her presence anymore, let alone help them? One look at the others' shocked faces told Daniel that similar thoughts were running through their minds...especially Teal'c, who still clearly held himself responsible for what had just happened to Sayil. On the other hand, Valea's revelation certainly explained a number of things, like how the siblings had known so much about Edea and her prophecy in the first place. "I'm truly sorry that I kept this from you," Valea continued in a low, strained voice, staring vacantly out the window, "but Sayil and I felt it was safer for us to keep our identities a secret. Amala already has Thea and Kayil in her possession, now she has Sayil as well...I'm the only one left. And if she freezes me...well, it, ah, it won't exactly be good for the planet. "See, Mother's knowledge and power has been in the Darrian family for thousands of years. Every generation it's passed on to the eldest female Darrian child. Since Thea's older than me, she was to become the next Guardian of the planet, along with her fiancé, Kian Laird. They were to be given a Level 3 link like Mother and Father have so Kian could access her knowledge and assist in her duties of maintaining the planet, as the Darrian family has trained him to do since he was a boy. I...honestly don't know where Kian is right now, maybe with Father...or maybe Amala's frozen him. Anyway, if something were to happen to Thea before she succeeded Mother, I was to become Mother's heir and marry Kian. That means if Amala freezes me...there'll be no successor and the planet will die. That's why I need to see Mother now. The line of succession *must* remain inside the Darrian family; looking elsewhere for a suitable Guardian isn't an option since we're the only ones who possess the necessary skills." Valea cleared her throat and looked back over her shoulder at them, no one bothering to interrupt her as she continued her explanation. "Like genes, skills are hereditary." She motioned at Daniel and Janet. "Say, for example, you two were to have children one day. Your child most likely would be born with either latent elementals or latent healing skills. However, depending on possible recessive genes you two may have, they could be born with animal skills, food skills, Sayil's skills, anything. New abilities, likewise, can be created at any time, depending on genetic deviations and combinations, which leaves it up to the child to either discover those new abilities for themselves or come to the Darrians and let one of our females determine what they are for them. The Darrian family's special because we possess genes for *every* known mental skill, including some abilities that are unique to us, such as the important ability to sense others' latent skills. All females in our family possess that one...which is another reason why one of us must be Guardian at all times." Returning her eyes to the dark, frozen city outside the window, Valea let out a deep sigh. "Just in case you were wondering, Mother's latent skills are elementals like yours, Daniel, as were Thea's. Father and Kayil are healers. Sayil's skills you know, and mine...." She ran her hands through her silky blond hair. "Mine are harder to classify since they're some of the 'newer abilities' I mentioned before. For the most part, besides sensing others' latent skills, I can manipulate time -- freeze it, as I did for Major Carter, slow someone down or speed someone up, and so on. I've found I can also operate the Doorway, create any level of links, lull people to sleep, hypnotize and confuse people, among other things. To be honest, though, I'm not sure I've even discovered all of my abilities yet." Suddenly, she turned from the window to look at them, her weary, pained expression stopping any questions SG-1 might've had. "But that's more than enough information about our family for one night. Now you know why Amala wants to remove us, so she can have full control over the planet without opposition from the Darrians. Anyway, it's already late; I know you're all exhausted; and I recommend you get some sleep. We have 500 tigers to face tomorrow." With that, Valea crossed the room and brushed past a stunned Daniel on her way out of the house, leaving them behind to contemplate the implications of the information she'd just handed them. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Fourteen: Tiger Pass August 31, 2001 Friday, 9:13 a.m. Teal'c was not surprised when no one slept well, wide awake from the night's events and worried that Amala would return to claim more souls for her 'collection.' SG-1 took turns watching over Major Carter, and Teal'c believed O'Neill had spent far more time pacing the length of her room than sleeping, even during others' watches. Teal'c himself had only been able to spend one restless hour in kel-no-reem, the rest of the time uneasily anticipating the return of that intensely disturbing sensation of evil that had preceded Sayil Darrian's freezing...which, fortunately, had never come. Immediately following sunrise, Valea Darrian had returned to Glenn's house and roused the travelers. As she had promised, she also returned time to Major Carter, who was not in the least pleased to be conscious again. The moment she had awoken, her entire body had quaked at the intense cold that had returned to her; but she had remained delirious and unresponsive to touch. However, seeing her distress, Valea Darrian had immediately lulled her into an unbreakable state of sleep to provide a measure of relief for her ailment. While the girl insisted SG-1 could not take Major Carter through Tiger Pass in a 'timeless' state since her body would be too rigid to move without great difficulty, an 'asleep' state would provide her body with enough pliability to make the trip easier. As a result, O'Neill and Teal'c had been able to wrap her arms around their necks and walk her toward Tiger Pass. The trip thus far had been extremely difficult. The path up the mountain was steep and craggy, covered with easily disturbed dust and loose, tiny stones that made sure footing nearly impossible to find. They encountered no vegetation or animal life as they climbed, and there was even less conversation, much to the Jaffa's relief. There was, after all, no reason to discuss their situation. At the moment, their goal was to locate Edea; that was all. Everyone was alert, however, on the lookout for signs of their first encounter with the deadly beasts that had given their name to the Pass. Teal'c readjusted his hold on Major Carter's back. Her weight was rather insignificant; but, after three hours of walking the trembling, uncooperative woman along the strenuous path, even he was beginning to feel a cramp where her left arm was flung around his neck. The thought never crossed his mind to ask one of the others to give him a few moments of relief. Neither, apparently, did it occur to O'Neill, who had Carter's right arm around his back. Teal'c would willingly suffer a touch of discomfort it if enabled them to locate the mysterious Edea and find a cure for his injured teammate. These people, after all, were his family now, these strong, determined Tau'ri who had opened their planet and their trust to him when Apophis would otherwise have executed him for his betrayal. His oath of loyalty to them would remain uncompromised, except perhaps when an oath of higher importance to him took precedence...such as his loyalty to protect Rya'c, his vow to avenge his father's death, or his vow to avenge the murder of Shau'nac. Teal'c sincerely hoped he would never be forced to choose between his current 'family' and compromising any of those oaths. As difficult as it may be at times, he would exercise as much restraint as possible to avoid rashly jeopardizing his family's interest, and he would do everything in his power to avoid those troublesome situations in the first place. One part of Jaffa culture that the Tau'ri had never seemed able to comprehend was a Jaffa's obligation to hold fast to an oath, especially when it came to exacting revenge. Revenge was a concept in the Earthling's culture that was frowned upon, frequently overlooked for a more 'humane' solution. For a trained Jaffa, however, revenge was a way of living; and, when combined with an oath to achieve retribution, it became a matter of life and death. Even Daniel Jackson, who understood and respected various cultures, seemed unable to grasp this concept. However, as long as the Tau'ri did not force Teal'c to live by all their Earth standards, he would not force them to live by his. In some ways Teal'c was glad they had a different code of living than his. After all, if Daniel Jackson possessed the same need for revenge that Teal'c did, Teal'c would be rightfully dead for the justifiable but still permanent and distressing murder of Sha'uri. Right now, on this journey, Teal'c had made several more oaths that he would never share aloud. One was to bring his teammates safely through Tiger Pass to meet the wise woman Edea. A second was to avenge what Amala had done to Major Carter when she had reduced her to this debilitating condition. And finally, he would protect Valea Darrian, the only remaining Darrian child, from Amala at all costs, no matter how uneasy her presence still made him feel. As long as Teal'c was alive, he would not allow himself to break these oaths. One of the few oaths that he *had* allowed himself to break during his lifetime, however, had been his oath of loyalty to Apophis. More than all else, Teal'c desired to free his people and to defeat Chronos, his father's murderer. Simply put, the Tau'ri were better capable of helping him achieve that goal than Apophis had been; and, as a result, in that case, his personal interests had taken priority over his vow as First Prime. After all, these Earthlings had proven their superior strength to those of Apophis' forces a thousand times over. To Teal'c, strength was not measured in technology or numbers; it was measured in willpower and personal integrity, both of which flourished among those in the SGC while Apophis and the other System Lords lacked it. Separately, General Hammond and Jack O'Neill were the leaders that Apophis did not know how to be; together, they confirmed Teal'c's belief that the Tau'ri would ultimately overpower the Goa'uld. Hammond and O'Neill, therefore, would be the ones to lead Earth to that great victory. Major Carter would be the one to locate and understand the technology that would make the defeat of the System Lords possible. Daniel Jackson would be the one to convince the advanced alien races they discovered on their travels to ally with the Tau'ri and banish fear and oppression from the galaxy. Dr. Fraiser would be the one to keep them alive until they accomplished their goal. And Teal'c would lend his support to each of them on every step of their journey. He grunted as his foot slipped on the gravel covering a particularly steep section of the trail. Beside him, Daniel Jackson grabbed his arm to steady him, even though the assistance was unnecessary for the Jaffa had quickly regained his footing. "You okay, Teal'c?" "I am," Teal'c said, bowing his head in recognition of the younger man's concern. During the past few years, he had seen the many faces of Daniel Jackson; and Teal'c admired him, although in a different way than he admired O'Neill. O'Neill was a leader, a warrior, a strategist, a brother, a friend, and a verifiable genius in his own right. Teal'c understood how O'Neill's mind worked. Daniel Jackson, on the other hand.... Even after four years of exploring the galaxy together, Teal'c was uncertain how well he understood the inner workings of Daniel Jackson. The archaeologist was not a warrior, and yet in his own way he was. Physical fighting was not his strength, yet he fought to do that which he believed right whether others agreed with him or not. He was selective with those he trusted, and yet he extended his trust to those who needed it. Likewise, he extended compassion to those who needed compassion; he hated those who deserved hatred; he was devoted to those who required devotion; and it appeared he could forgive those who sought forgiveness. Teal'c admired that, even if he could not fully understand it; and it had ultimately endeared Daniel Jackson to himself in its own way. While he would never consider himself to be the archaeologist's personal bodyguard -- he had more important issues to concern himself with...not to mention that O'Neill had apparently designated the role of Daniel Jackson's personal bodyguard for himself -- he would provide assistance and protection for the archaeologist whenever he required it. Teal'c's eyes drifted toward the blond girl who had taken the lead ahead of SG-1, guiding them up the treacherous incline. He may not always understand Daniel Jackson's motives, but he believed he understood why Daniel Jackson -- along with Dr. Fraiser -- had so easily forgiven Valea Darrian and why they had determined to save the Edeans despite the costs and dangers to themselves. Teal'c had never seen any condition like that enslaving this people. The Edeans were alive, yet they were clearly dead. It was almost as if they were enslaved by the Goa'uld, who removed all semblance of life and freedom from their victims, trapping them inside their own bodies. Amala was no better than the Goa'uld for stealing life and freedom from these people. They demanded retribution for what Amala had done to them; and Teal'c supported their struggle and believed he could help them achieve that retribution; and that was exactly what he would do. He could relate with their struggle. He appreciated it, as he appreciated Valea's desire to overcome the mad woman who was enslaving them. He might still feel uneasy around Valea Darrian for a reason he could not yet pinpoint, but their experiences and her revelations the previous night had made him determined to protect her at all costs. He had failed to protect her brother from Amala's shadow; therefore, he would make up for it by protecting her from the same fate. Besides, as O'Neill had pointed out earlier, these people possessed highly sophisticated technology; if SG-1 freed them, perhaps Valea Darrian could arrange for it that they help Teal'c in his own goals. For that reason, too, he would protect her. Valea suddenly uttered a sharp cry as she rounded a boulder in the path; and she jumped backward, startled. No, Teal'c clarified, she was not startled. She was frightened. SG-1 froze as she began to retreat, staring ahead of her fearfully as she slowly walked backwards down the path toward them. With his free hand, Teal'c grabbed his zat; and, a second later, all could see what had caused the girl's outburst. Walking down the path in front of her was a single white tiger. "God," O'Neill said. //Guess they didn't get bored and move on after all, huh?\\ //It would appear not, O'Neill,\\ Teal'c replied. //We should just be glad there's only one,\\ Daniel said. O'Neill frowned. //Thus far, anyway.\\ //If it's looking to attack someone, it'll probably pick Sam,\\ Dr. Fraiser said. //She's wounded, so she's the easiest target. Keep an eye on her.\\ The beast continued its way toward them, its sinewy body winding fluidly around the stones jutting up in the path. Teal'c had to admit, it was a beautiful creature: white with chocolate-colored stripes, pink nose, pale blue eyes...and powerful muscles, teeth, and claws that set even his steel nerves on edge. It possessed strength, speed, and -- from what Teal'c could see in its blue eyes -- intelligence, cunning...and hunger. Clearly this was a worthy adversary, and not one Teal'c desired to toy with, especially when his life and the lives of his teammates were at stake. A click to his right indicated that O'Neill had likewise located his zat and aimed at the approaching beast. "Okay, Valea, any idea how to deal with a creature like this?" "Not a clue, Colonel. Mother never taught us how to coax one into submission." //Wonderful,\\ O'Neill grumbled. "So now what?" Valea lifted a hand at the tiger, which was now no more than 20 feet away her on the path. It slowed and stared at her curiously as she spoke in a hushed, soothing tone. "Nice kitty. I don't suppose you'd let us through the Pass, huh?" //Does she really think the tiger's going to answer her?\\ O'Neill asked. //On a world like this, I don't think we can rule out the possibility,\\ Daniel said. //Animals here may be able to interact with us in ways they can't on Earth. If Valea can keep it calm, maybe we can slip past it.\\ //And do what when we find the other 499?\\ //I don't know.\\ In front of them, Valea continued to whisper hushed, gentle words to the huge feline. Suddenly, it growled and bared its fangs at her. She smiled awkwardly. "Uh oh, guys...Kitty doesn't seem to like me," she whispered. The girl took another step backwards, then another, her footsteps quickening until she had retreated to the line that SG-1 formed across the path. The tiger slowly followed her, closing in on them, its teeth still bared. "Well, I'd say 'retreat' except we really have to get through here," O'Neill said. "Let's try something else, shall we?" He lowered his zat and fired at the animal once. The blast spread through its body...but nothing happened. The tiger barely seemed to notice the energy blast and continued moving toward them. //Oh, yeah, this is *great*. Just what we need, a tiger with the physical makeup of our Goa'uld bounty hunter friend.\\ "I told you they were protected," Valea said. "Valea, you said hypnotism was one of your skills; can't you hypnotize it or something?" "What did I say before, Colonel? None of our skills will work on them because they're protected." Teal'c could tell that O'Neill was growing increasingly frustrated and worried as the tiger neared them, watching them as if waiting to pounce at the first movement. It was obvious the feline was not enthused with the travelers, especially with Valea. "Doc," O'Neill started again when the tiger was only 30 feet from the team, "Glenn's diary said to 'heal the tiger.' You're the healer here; that would calm it, right?" Dr. Fraiser's head snapped toward him. "I'm sorry, Colonel, but does this tiger look like it needs me to heal it? It looks just fine to me." The tiger looked more than fine to Teal'c...as did the two orange tigers that appeared further down the trail where the white tiger had first appeared. Fortunately, they didn't seem interested in approaching or attacking the travelers; instead, they appeared more interested in watching the white tiger. //O'Neill...\\ //Yeah, I see them, Teal'c. Damn.\\ Next to Teal'c, Daniel looked behind them, most likely contemplating retreat, and immediately froze. //Ah, guys? I think we're trapped.\\ //More?\\ O'Neill said. //Shit. I can't look with Carter's arm around my neck like this. How many?\\ //Three more behind us, and six on the rocks to either side of us. They don't look ready to attack, but still....\\ //The white one in front of us looks more than threatening, Daniel. If it's the leader and it decides we'd make a great lunch....\\ //Just...stand still,\\ Fraiser interrupted. //It'll be less likely to attack us if we don't make any sudden moves. If it realizes we're not going to attack it, it may let us pass.\\ //...Although Jack's already made it clear that we *would* attack it, assuming we had the proper means,\\ Daniel said. Suddenly, the white tiger stopped. There was an intelligence in its pale blue eyes that Teal'c had never seen in an animal before. They almost appeared to be human eyes; and, at the moment, those eyes were clearly sizing up the intruders, as if judging them. Teal'c wasn't sure if that intelligence in its eyes frightened him or if it comforted him. If it was human intelligence, they might be able to deal with the beast rationally. If, however, it was not, the animal would be less likely to show mercy and would attack in a crafty, cunning manner, making escape all the more impossible. After several unnerving minutes of simply staring at the silent teammates, the white tiger languidly walked to its right, standing in front of O'Neill, who held one end of the line. It cocked its head at him, like it was reading him. A minute later it walked to its left, observing the unresponsive Major Carter. Apparently sensing no threat from the injured woman, it continued to do the same to Teal'c, Daniel, and Fraiser. Finally, it arrived in front of Valea...and growled at her again. Out of the corner of his eye, Teal'c saw the girl grab Dr. Fraiser's arm. Perhaps because she had been ahead of the group, it believed she was the leader and, therefore, was the greatest threat...or perhaps it sensed the same that Teal'c did within her, that all was not right with her. In either case, he had the distinct impression the girl was in great danger. "Ah, guys, Kitty really *doesn't* like me," Valea said. Once again the white tiger began walking toward her, the expression on its face displeased and angered. Yes, it felt threatened by her. Its paces quickened as it neared. Teal'c's heart beat faster. It was going to lunge at her, and she had no way to protect herself from it. He grabbed Daniel's arm and quickly shifted Carter's weight onto the archaeologist's shoulders. //Teal'c?\\ O'Neill asked. //What're you doing?\\ He ignored the question. Without a second thought, he raced toward the girl and stood between her and the tiger before it could approach any further. The feline froze in its tracks and cocked its head at his unexpected action. Teal'c met its questioning gaze unwaveringly. Teal'c had made an oath to protect Valea Darrian. The tiger could not have this girl. It began slowly walking toward him again. //Teal'c! Get the hell out of there!\\ O'Neill ordered, but the Jaffa refused to heed the warning. The nearer the beast came, the better Teal'c could see its sharp claws and the fangs protruding from its mouth. Still, however, he held his ground. Nearer ... nearer.... Ten feet ... five feet ... four feet ... three ... two ... one.... ...The tiger circled Teal'c, nuzzling its head against the Jaffa's legs until it was once again standing directly in front of him. Teal'c released his breath in relief as the cat rubbed its head against his lowered hand. "What the...?" Dr. Fraiser murmured. "Kitty *likes* Teal'c," Valea said quietly. "A *lot*." "Teal'c, what the hell did you do to it?" O'Neill asked. Teal'c closed his eyes, still uncertain about this huge, powerful beast that had apparently taken a liking to him, then opened them. "I do not know, O'Neill. I did nothing except protect Valea Darrian." "You okay, Teal'c?" Daniel asked. "I am." The Jaffa looked down at the tiger, then knelt down until his face was even with the creature's. The blue eyes observed him a moment before it leaned forward and licked his cheek. "You'd think it was a dog who'd just found his long-lost owner," O'Neill said, letting out a deep sigh. "How do you do it, Teal'c? Make friends with everyone you meet?" Without answering the question, Teal'c smiled at the tiger and rubbed its head, much to the animal's delight. If it had been an ordinary housecat, he would have believed it had just purred at him. "Thank you, Teal'c," Valea said. Teal'c turned his head toward her and found she was smiling at him in admiration. "Kitty did *not* like me." "You are most welcome, Valea Darrian." O'Neill shook his head, clearly still amazed, then looked at his fellow teammates. "All right, well, Siegfried, bring your new friend and let's keep going before Carter here freezes. Valea...stick with Fraiser since these animals don't seem particularly...fond...of you." The Jaffa rose to his feet, and the tiger seemed to take the hint. It walked forward, as if to lead them up the path; and the other orange tigers that had watched the confrontation scattered, disappearing behind the stones lining the path. "I'll help Jack with Sam, you just...keep the tigers at bay," Daniel said as Teal'c offered to resume his post beside the freezing woman. "Very well, Daniel Jackson." A moment later the six travelers were following the white tiger along the path, further into the foothills of the mountains. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 10:07 a.m. Half an hour later, Janet still wasn't sure she could believe the showdown that had taken place earlier. Teal'c versus the tiger. Who would've thought the Jaffa would be the victor against a three hundred pound white tiger? He was strong, he was brave, he was determined...but for a moment there, she'd had her doubts about his insane albeit courageous actions, all for a girl he still felt uneasy about. Janet couldn't help but feel her trust and admiration for him rise another notch. Since then, they'd been following their feline guide along an increasingly barren, desolate trail that wound up the rocky, dry, unseasonably cold desert mountainside, not another tiger anywhere in sight. Finally, the path reached a peak and leveled off into a large, flat, dusty clearing that resembled the mesas of the Southwestern United States. Just beyond the clearing rose a sheer wall of red rock, through which was cut a single narrow crevice that she assumed was Tiger Pass. For the first time since assuming its position of leadership, the white tiger stopped ahead of them and turned its head back over its shoulder, waiting for them. Beside it, Teal'c did the same. Once the others had caught up to them, though, the beast still didn't move. Without warning, the fringes of the clearing came alive in a blur of orange and black against the red ground. Tigers, hundreds of them, were steadily walking toward them from all directions. All the humans froze at the bizarre, alarming sight. "Uh...guys?" O'Neill asked. "What the hell is going on here?" Janet cast a worried glance at Daniel, who was likewise unable to reply to the colonel's question. His mouth fell open as hundreds of Bengal- like tigers neared them, and she could sense his alarm all too well over their link. He was even less enthused about this than she was. A quick scan of the area showed that there were no other white tigers in the streak; their guide appeared to be the sole one. One by one, the approaching tigers lined up on either side of the travelers, as if they were two opposing armies readying themselves for battle on the front line. Their speed was astounding; and, within minutes, the entire clearing was filled with tigers, except for a single, narrow path between the two sides that led straight toward the crevice in the wall of rock ahead of them. "Guess we don't have much choice about where to go, huh?" Janet murmured. Their position at the far end of the tiger-filled expanse was precarious, to say the least. Beside her, Daniel swallowed hard, tightening his hold on Sam. "Guess not." Ahead of them, Teal'c turned in a full circle, observing the hundreds of tigers that now surrounded them. "I do not believe they mean us harm, O'Neill." "You sure about that, Teal'c?" "I am not." //Yeah, *that's* encouraging,\\ O'Neill grumbled. "Well, you're the tiger tamer, Teal'c. Just...don't do anything to startle them." "I will try not to." The white tiger suddenly rose to its feet and continued walking toward the far wall of rock, Teal'c following closely behind it. O'Neill took an uncomfortable breath and propped Carter's head on his shoulder. "Here we go, Campers. If you plan on keeping your hands, I'd recommend not petting any of them." "I don't like this," Valea whispered, and Janet didn't fail to notice how closely the girl was sticking by her side. She shook her head in response. "Neither do I." "It's like they've been waiting for us to get here and they're welcoming us...or making sure we don't stray too far from the path," Daniel said, looking around nervously as they began walking. "Yeah, well, let's just hope they don't wait until we're smack dab in the middle before they decide to pounce," O'Neill said. "That would be overkill to the nth degree." Except for an occasional low growl and a snap of the jaws at Valea as they passed, however, SG-1's fears proved unfounded. After walking amidst the majestic, somber tigers for 15 hair-raising minutes, finally the pass between the rock walls were mere yards ahead of them. Teal'c stopped at the end of the line of tigers. "Teal'c? What's up?" Jack asked him. The Jaffa stepped aside so they could see. Their white tiger guide had begun climbing a rocky ramp to an elevated region between the two towering walls of the gap. At the top of the incline, directly between the walls, was stretched a second white tiger, its head resting on its paws. It was slightly smaller than their guide, which led Janet to believe their guide was a male tiger while this new one was a female. The normally plush white fur of its chest, however, was red and matted, as if it were covered with blood; but, from the distance, Janet couldn't make out a cause for the blood. "Let me take a wild guess -- that's the tiger we need to heal," Daniel said. Janet nodded. "Looks like it." The first tiger joined the second and nudged its head lightly, as if trying to wake it. The second animal, however, didn't move. "Maybe we're too late," Valea said. Teal'c ascended the incline and dropped to his knees beside the injured beast, gently stroking its head. //Dr. Fraiser, your presence is required here.\\ //What's wrong with it?\\ she asked as she headed toward them. Janet was vaguely aware that Daniel had shifted Sam's weight onto Valea's shoulders so he could follow her; but, as of yet, he was staying a safe distance behind. It was obvious he was still uncomfortable being amidst so many of the deadly creatures, in spite of their apparent disinterest in seeking blood. After the one had nearly attacked Valea earlier, though, Janet had to admit that a measure of caution was in order no matter how calm they might seem now. She didn't feel any more comfortable with their situation than Daniel did, but she had to get closer to see what was wrong with the beast. As long as Teal'c had it under control and Valea didn't try to approach, she could only hope that everything would be fine. Climbing to the top of the ramp, Janet immediately discovered the cause of the blood on the majestic creature. There was a huge gash along its right flank...no, she realized as she knelt beside it, there wasn't just a gash; the weapon that had caused it was still firmly lodged in the poor animal's flesh. It was a dagger, nearly the size of a small sword. She looked up as Daniel joined her, his eyes widening. "God, it's still alive. Shouldn't it be...?" "A wound like this should've been instantaneously fatal," Janet said, nodding. "The placement of the dagger...there's no way it could've avoided piercing its major organs." Teal'c rubbed the injured beast's head as if to assure it everything would be fine. The first white tiger, meanwhile, had seated itself next to him, eyeing the human travelers warily, although it seemed completely at ease with the Jaffa. "Can you heal it, Dr. Fraiser?" he asked. *Could* she heal it? Healing a tiger that by all means should be dead seemed like a formidable task for someone still becoming acquainted with her new mental abilities. Not making the prospect any more enjoyable was the sheer number of tigers watching them from below the incline. If something went wrong or they didn't approve of what she was doing...SG-1 wouldn't stand a chance against so many of the felines. //Janet, if anyone can do it, you can,\\ Daniel said, placing his hand to her back, apparently sensing her uncertainty. "I know, Daniel, but I'm not a veterinarian. I don't know much, if anything, about tiger physiology, nor can I tell just by looking at it how severe its internal injuries are. The only reason the animal hasn't died yet may be because the weapon's still in the wound. If its blood has congealed around the dagger, it may have sealed the wound, preventing too much blood loss. If that's the case, then without proper equipment, pulling it out would most likely kill it." There was a scuffle behind them as Valea and the colonel walked an unconscious Sam up the ramp, having overheard her assessment. "Well, it looks like the Pass is unguarded," O'Neill said, peering past the injured tiger down the narrow cleft between the walls of rock. "We could easily step past and continue on our merry little way without concerning ourselves too much with this poor fellow. Anyone consider that option?" Valea shook her head. "I wouldn't recommend it." With her free hand, she motioned at the clearing below them. The path between the two sides of tigers had disappeared, filled in by the army of orange and black beasts. All had turned to watch the humans on the elevated landing as if eager to see what they'd do. "Glenn's clues said to heal the tiger. My personal opinion? That's exactly what we should do." "Valea, don't you have a link with your mother to ask her what she wants us to do here?" O'Neill asked her. "She blocked all her links when she disappeared five years ago, so no, I can't contact her. When I said she hid herself from the world, Colonel, that's exactly what I meant." Now why would Edea do something like that? If she was as wise as everyone said she was, she'd know they'd eventually need help, right? Why wasn't she willing to give it? Before Janet could speak that thought aloud, though, Daniel said, "I think Valea's right, Jack. There's no telling if those tigers behind us will attack if we refuse to help this one." As much as Janet wished otherwise, she knew he was right; it wasn't worth risking upsetting the other tigers. She sighed as she looked first at Daniel, then down at the blood-covered tiger. Oh, yeah, this was going to be as much fun as a barrel full of monkeys. "All right, I'll see what I can do; but I won't make any promises. Teal'c, try to keep it as calm and still as possible. I'm sure this is going to hurt it, and I don't want it injuring any of us as a result." Teal'c nodded somberly, and Janet smiled at him. No matter what instruction anyone gave him, he took it seriously. "I will do my best, Dr. Fraiser." She shivered as Daniel's fingers moved up her back. When they reached her shoulder, she lifted her hand, threading her fingers through his and giving them a squeeze. //I'm assuming you plan to do this mentally?\\ he asked her. Janet nodded. God, his touch was reassuring. Whether the link was what made it feel that way or just the concern and love she saw in his eyes, though, she couldn't say. //It's easier to concentrate when you don't have audience of five hundred cats watching your every move.\\ //Want some company?\\ She smiled faintly. By this point in their relationship, he didn't need to ask anymore; but the courtesy was still nice. //You, Daniel? Always.\\ The two simultaneously closed their eyes and returned to the black room inside her mind. Janet looked around, glad to find Daniel was standing beside her, then set about determining what she'd need for the task at hand. Definitely some brighter lights, plus water, needle, thread, scalpel, antiseptic, that nice monitor for seeing internal organs.... "Janet?" Both she and Daniel spun around to find Valea standing along the back wall of the room, smiling at them shyly. "Sorry, I was just curious what you were planning to do. Would you mind if I watched?" Janet returned her smile, fighting down the brief sense of reservation that had arisen within her. While she knew Valea had frequented the black room in Daniel's mind during his training, this was the first time she'd entered Janet's mind. Then again, despite the colonel's and Teal'c's hesitations about her, Valea had been nothing but friendly and considerate to her and to Daniel the past few days, so Janet had no reason *not* to trust her. "Of course not, Valea. You mentioned last night that your father and your brother were healers. Do you have any advice on how to do this?" "Sorry, not a clue," Valea said. "I used to watch them work occasionally, just like I'd watch Mother and Thea use their skills, but that wasn't enough for me to learn how they did anything." //O-kay, great,\\ Janet mumbled to Daniel, who simply chuckled back at her and gave her a look that sad, "Be nice." Anyway, where was she? Oh, right, gathering supplies. Five minutes later, the black room looked like a place where she could actually work. Janet had to give Daniel credit; while he was intrigued and impressed by her thoroughness and skill, he was determined to make himself inconspicuous. The moment she'd started gathering her supplies, he'd created two chairs in a back corner of the room and had seated himself on one of them, content to watch and stay out of Janet's way. Too bad she couldn't say the same for Valea -- the girl was constantly picking up scalpels and examining the monitors scattered throughout the room until Janet finally had to ask her to sit down by Daniel so she could concentrate. Finally, Janet was ready for her patient. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves -- probably unnecessary in this mental operating room, but they made her feel strangely comfortable while working -- and visualized the injured tiger on the table in the center of the room, where it laid motionlessly, oblivious to its changed landscape. She picked up a scalpel and approached the creature, eyeing the weapon in its side for the best way to begin the operation.... ...Then froze as she heard a low growl come from the corner of the room opposite where Daniel and Valea were seated. Her eyes widened and her heart pounded faster in her chest as she looked to where the sound had originated and found that the white tiger that had guided them to the Pass had appeared inside her black room, slowly circling the operating table. The second it stepped around the table and had a clear view of Valea, it ran toward her, clearly preparing to pounce. Janet whirled around; and her eyes locked with Daniel's, both shocked by the appearance of the creature and its continued hostility toward Valea as it closed in on the girl. Valea, fortunately, recognized the danger it posed and instantly disappeared, mere seconds before the tiger reached her. The two remaining in the room stared at each other another moment, confused and fearful of the roving tiger now loose inside Janet's black room, then left. "Valea, what the hell was *that* about?" Daniel demanded as he and Janet opened their eyes, returning them to the mountain pass. "Since when can a *tiger* project itself into Janet's mind?!" The blond girl took a several deep breaths and eyed the angered white tiger that was now growling at her from where it sat beside Teal'c. A quick look at O'Neill and the Jaffa showed they didn't have a clue what Daniel was talking about. "I told you that was no ordinary housecat," Valea finally said. "I've honestly never seen an animal do anything like that before, so I can't explain it, Daniel. I'm sorry. If Mother gave these tigers the ability to enter someone's mind, she certainly didn't tell *me* about it. Obviously, though, it doesn't like me any better in there," she pointed at Janet's head, "than it does out here. Guess I can't watch you work after all, Janet." This was too bizarre. "You're saying when I go back to work on this injured tiger, it'll return?" Janet asked, dreading the answer. "Probably. I think it wants to watch you work." Janet frowned and let out an exasperated sigh. Oh, yeah, wasn't *that* the most pleasant of thoughts? Looks like someone had just tipped over the barrel and let the army of crazed monkeys loose in that suddenly way-too-tiny room in her mind. //Come on,\\ Daniel said, taking her hand. //Let's get this over with. I'll...I'll stay with you to keep the cat under control.\\ Janet recognized that he wasn't nearly as convinced that he could do that as he sounded, but knowing he'd stay with her no matter how much he dreaded the situation was enough to help her overcome her inherent fear and give it another try. She nodded; and, a second later, they were both standing inside her mind once again. She was relieved to find that none of her preparatory work had been reset when they'd left a moment ago; every piece of equipment was still in its proper place, and the injured tiger was still lying on the table. The minute she and Daniel returned, however, so did the other white tiger. Wonderful. Valea was right; it was obviously determined to watch the entire surgery, Janet realized, rubbing her eyes wearily. Of course, it was better than having 500 tigers crowded inside her tiny black room and watching her, so she wasn't sure she should be complaining too much. One look at Daniel, who'd returned to sit in his chair along the back wall, showed that he wasn't any more enthused about the prospect of spending the next hour inside a tiny room with two tigers than she was. His eyes dropped uncomfortably to the ground as the creature sauntered over to him and laid down beside his feet. While she sensed his pulse rise at the nearness of the huge beast, she appreciated the smile he forced for her benefit. //Work,\\ he said. //I'll just...sit over here with this guy.\\ Tentatively, he lowered his hand to the tiger's head and patted it. A low, guttural sound came from the beast as it looked up at him; but, much to Janet's relief, it didn't threaten him in any way. Valea had already made it clear that, while they couldn't be injured in their dreams, they certainly could inside their black rooms. The last thing Janet wanted to do was heal Daniel while here because the cat decided he made a great scratch post. Her work on the injured tiger was exhausting and nerve-wracking. It took nearly an hour to safely extract the dagger from its right flank, especially without any nurses or assistants to help her. She wasn't a surgeon by profession -- exotic diseases were more her specialty -- and, as a result, she'd always been somewhat uncomfortable when performing these kinds of operations. Daniel did what he could to help her, but not having full medical training other than whatever knowledge he'd absorbed from her mind through their link limited his assistance. To make matters worse, the dagger lodged in the tiger's chest had broken into two pieces upon impact; and Janet had had to remove the second tiny piece before she could stitch up the creature's side. While working, however, she had learned something new about her skills. Not only could she set the rib bones that had broken under the force of the weapon's entry, but she could also visualize the bones swiftly knitting themselves together. The same went for sealing the torn flesh where the dagger had penetrated; she could envision it regenerating itself until no gash remained. She may have healed minor cuts and bruises in Deracot, but she'd never done anything on quite this scale. By the time she finished, the skin had closed over it, the hair she'd been forced to shave off had grown back, and there was no indication that the beast had ever been injured. It was an amazing discovery, and terribly exciting. Janet cast a look back at Daniel as the tiger on the table opened its pale blue eyes. Her link-mate wore a huge grin on his face and didn't even seem to realize the tiger at his feet had just licked his hand appreciatively. "Janet, that was amazing," he said, rising to his feet and crossing the distance between them to give her a congratulatory hug. They both turned as the once-dying beast lifted itself from the operating table, shook itself off, and leapt down, fully recovered. The first tiger rose to its feet and joined the second one, nuzzling its head. "I can't believe anything like that is possible, Daniel," she replied. Daniel took her hand in his. "Come on, let's tell the others...although I'm sure they've already figured it out." Janet squeezed his hand excitedly and opened her eyes, returning to the dry, desolate mountains. On the ground in front of them, the second tiger had arisen and was shaking the dust and dried blood from its coat. "*You* did that?" O'Neill asked her, agape. He, Valea, and Teal'c had apparently taken a seat on the ground while she'd worked; and Sam's head was currently resting against his shoulder. Seeing Janet smile in answer to his question, he shook his head. "Wow. Good work, Doc." "Thank you, Colonel." She laughed elatedly when the second tiger first licked her cheek, expressing its gratitude for what she'd done, then nuzzled Daniel's hand. "Guess we passed that test, huh?" "*That* one," Valea said. Her eyes narrowed as the now-healed tiger ran off toward a previously unnoticed, two-foot by two-foot hole in the rock beside the opening to the Pass and squeezed inside. The first one remained outside, watching the hole. "What's it doing?" The tiger emerged a moment later, carrying something shiny in its mouth. It walked back to Janet and dropped the object on the ground in front of her, and she gasped as she saw what it was. It was made of the same glowing crystal material she'd seen in her bizarre dream two nights ago, the same material the enigmatic orb that had guided her through the woods had been made of...and it looked suspiciously like...like.... "...The key I used to get inside the cliff," Daniel murmured, finishing her thought, as amazed at seeing the item as she was. He picked it up between his thumb and forefinger as if afraid it would shatter or melt away before his eyes. Through his senses, Janet could feel that the crystal key was warm to the touch and pulsed with life...just like in their dreams. "Daniel?" O'Neill asked. "I've seen this before, Jack. When Edea summoned us. I think we need it." Teal'c eyed the shimmering key as the crystal cycled through the colors of the rainbow. "It appears to be a circle and a square joined together." Daniel nodded and handed it to Janet, who stared at it, wide-eyed. She was holding something of their dreams in the palm of her hand...she wasn't sure if that thought was exciting or disconcerting. "There was a place for this at the base of the cliff," he said. "It opened the passageway into the garden." "It's beautiful," Valea said, her eyes glued to the shimmering trinket. "Crystal like this is found only in very special locations on the planet...and, to be honest, I've never seen any on the Eastern Continent before. It's rare, but when it's found, there's usually a considerable amount of it. It's too bad Major Carter is unconscious; I think this is the mineral that she'd detected in her soil samples when your team first arrived here. I think it's similar in composition to the mineral called naquadah." Janet cast a quick look at Daniel as that revelation registered with him. Aha, so *that* was what Sam had originally found during their preliminary mission exam that had led to SG-1's initial visit of Planet Edea. That made sense. Her eyes returned to Valea as the girl reached out her hand, asking to see crystal key. Janet was about to pass it to her when the first tiger snapped its jaws at the girl and snarled nastily. Valea quickly retracted her hand before it could bite her, alarmed by the beast's actions; and, through their link, Janet could feel that she was becoming increasingly concerned about the hatred the animals were displaying toward her. "I'll just...hold onto this for now," Janet said, tucking it safely into her fatigues. "Good idea, Doc. Anyway, kids, guess we got what we came for," O'Neill said, rising to his feet and pulling Sam up with him. "Let's try to make it through the Pass before we stop for lunch, shall we?" The others followed his lead and also stood. Daniel smiled down at the second tiger as it circled him and rubbed its head against his legs affectionately. Neither he nor Janet failed to notice that the first tiger was doing the same to Teal'c. "Friendly group of tigers, aren't they?" Janet said, patting the second tiger's head as it moved next toward her. "*Selectively* friendly," Valea reminded them, keeping her distance and instead helping O'Neill move Sam toward the entrance to the Pass. O'Neill looked back at them, a small smile toying on his lips. "Hate to break this to you, guys, but the SGC has a strict no-tigers policy so you'll have to leave them behind. Let's just find Edea." Teal'c resumed his position on the other side of Sam, then he, O'Neill, and Valea entered the narrow pass. A moment later Janet and Daniel followed them, leaving the white tigers standing guard at the entrance to watch them disappear between the two towering walls of red rock. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Fifteen: Testing Grounds August 31, 2001 Friday, 12:43 p.m. Jack wasn't claustrophobic, but if he didn't get out of this increasingly narrow, dry, dusty, rocky ravine nestled between two 500- foot tall slabs of solid rock soon, he might find himself *becoming* claustrophobic. SG-1 had been walking for well over an hour along the base of the fissure, a trail that was difficult to navigate due to the jagged rocks strewn across the path. Carter's constant weight pulling down on his neck and back certainly didn't help ease his discomfort and difficulty. Something told him he'd need a complete shoulder replacement once this mission was over. On the other hand, if it ultimately helped her to take her to Edea, then he'd gladly put up with the discomfort just so he wouldn't have to see her frozen like all the frozen mind users in Deracot and Marbule. Once they made it out of the canyon, though, he was going to have a little talk with Valea about the anticipated difficulty level of the terrains on the remainder of their trip to see her mother. With the tigers now nothing but a disconcerting distant memory, Teal'c had resumed his position on the other side of the sleeping, violently shivering Carter to help Jack carry her. Valea was directly behind them; and trailing behind her were Daniel and Fraiser, assisting each other over the rocky trail. "Everyone okay?" Jack called back to them. "I am," the Jaffa answered. "Yeah, great," Valea said. "Remind me to have a little talk with Mother about shoveling her sidewalk, though." Jack grinned proudly at her comment. It was obvious the girl had been hanging around him and Daniel too much the past few days if she was picking up their dry, sarcastic wit. Guess he'd have to be more careful around impressionable youth such as her in the future. It was just a good thing Carter was unconscious or else she'd be yelling at him for corrupting the natives...again. "We're fine, Colonel," Fraiser's voice drifted from a considerable distance behind them. While she and Daniel had lagged behind, they must still be keeping up if they didn't need their mental link to hear each other. That was encouraging. So they'd made it past Trial #1: healing the tiger. What was next on Glenn's instruction list again? Oh, right, leaping the ledge. Heal the tiger, leap the ledge, strike the Moogle, burn the bridge. Considering their current path, Jack couldn't foresee running into a ledge anytime soon. Besides, what were they talking about, a 10-foot ledge? He could handle that. No problemo. Only it *was* a problem. A *huge* problem. Jack suddenly froze, his stomach falling as they rounded a stone jutting into the path and came face to face with...absolutely nothing. He snuck a quick glance past Carter at Teal'c, who was likewise concerned about their new predicament. "What is it, guys?" Daniel called from behind, his voice echoing off the canyon walls. "Ah...found the ledge," Jack said. "What?...oh." Valea stopped, paralyzed, beside him. A second later, Fraiser gasped as she and Daniel joined them. On the bright side, they didn't need to worry about hordes of uneven rocks and potholes littering the path anymore. Of course, a problem clearly remained: there *was* no path. To either side of SG-1, the two towers of rock came to an abrupt end; and mere inches in front of them was a sheer drop-off down the side of the rock that would make even Superman cringe. "What do you think that is?" Jack asked as he looked down at the fall. "Six hundred, seven hundred feet?" "A thousand," Teal'c said, also peering down the precipice. "Talk about a dead end," Daniel said. "You're right, Jack, I think this is the ledge Glenn was talking about." Damn. For once Jack had hoped he *hadn't* been right. "So now what?" Valea turned her head toward him, her expression quizzical. "Isn't it obvious? We have to jump off it. 'Leap the ledge,' remember?" Oh, yeah, he remembered that part all too well -- it was hard to forget something like *that* -- but did she realize what she was suggesting? "A thousand feet." "Do you see another way down?" Careful not to lose his grasp on Carter, Jack peered over the edge again. The cliff fell at a clear 90-degree angle; and, from his vantage point, he could see no projecting rocks or holes that they could use to climb down. He did *not* like the looks of that. "It appears we must follow Glenn's directions, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "We must jump." Jack looked back at the path between the walls of rock behind them. Stay here at a dead end indefinitely, go back and face 500 tigers that might or might not be happy to see them again, or leap the ledge. Oh, joy. He loved these choices so *very* much. "The crystal ball in my dream pushed me off a cliff this high," Daniel said. "As much as I hated it at the time, the fall was slow and I was fine when I touched ground again so...maybe something like that will happen again here?" Jack stared at him, unconvinced, and the archaeologist quickly added, "Well, it's just a suggestion based on our current options." "I didn't see any alternate routes on the way here, Colonel," Fraiser said. Jack lifted his free hand to his eyes and rubbed them. Like Fraiser, he hadn't noticed any other routes coming either, and he'd even been looking for them. Oh, this was way beyond peachy. This was downright *insane*. Nobody could survive a fall from this height, could they? He might not know much about the laws of physics, but he had certainly gleaned enough about gravity while serving as a fighter pilot to know that much. Gut instinct told him no, he wouldn't jump. Then his gaze fell on the tense faces of Daniel and Fraiser, then on Valea, and finally on Carter, and he knew he couldn't turn back. All of them, except for maybe Teal'c, needed to see Edea. Following Glenn's directions to heal the tiger had worked; maybe Jack needed to have a bit of faith and courage now. Being the leader meant it was his responsibility to take that first step and check out the safety of a plan, so.... Oh, yes, he was enjoying this trek so *very* much. The only good thing about that was, if worst came to worst, Jack would be the only one dead and Teal'c would make sure the others made it back to safety. God, he hated this scenario. "Okay, here's the deal," he finally said, his decision made. "We're going to follow the directions in that rhyme and jump, but with one condition: I'm jumping first. I'll let you guys know if I make it to the bottom in one piece; then -- and *only* then -- will you follow. Got it?" One look at the others showed they most certainly did not, but no one offered him another alternative. Under normal circumstances, Jack might have waited, trying to come up with one himself, but with Carter freezing and noon already past, he didn't have the time or the patience to wait. Gently, he transferred the rest of his second in command's weight to the Jaffa. "Teal'c, bring Carter. If I don't make it to the bottom in one piece...it's been a blast, guys." Once the unconscious woman was securely in Teal'c's arms, Jack approached the rim and looked down. Bad idea, his mind returned as he closed his eyes. Don't look down because it's a *long* way down. Don't think about it, O'Neill. Do it for Carter. Do it for Daniel. Do it for Fraiser. You need to find Edea. This is the only way. Just jump. It was official. Jack O'Neill had finally lost his mind. Leap the ledge. Heaven help him. His arms flew outward and the ground disappeared beneath his feet. He was falling. Falling ... falling ... falling.... Well, one thing was certain: Daniel was wrong about the slow fall. Jack silently cursed the archaeologist for getting his hopes up about this. There was no gradual descent here. He was plummeting off the cliff at a speed that would be instantaneously fatal upon touchdown. The good news was he wouldn't live long enough once he'd smacked into the ground to feel the pain of crushed bones and ripped muscles. Unless, of course, he miraculously found that one angle to hit the ground that would minimize the damage of the impact and prevent every part of his body from being smashed. Carter might know that angle and be able to guide him into it if she was conscious, but at the moment she wasn't exactly conscious. She was out cold...which was probably the main reason he'd been nuts enough to jump in the first place. Jack pried his eyes open and found the ground was approaching at an impossibly fast speed. Closer...closer...closer.... His eyes squeezed shut again and.... ...He hit the bottom, sank into the ground as if it were a huge trampoline, and bounced 50 feet back up in the air before finally landing with a soft thud on the foamy ground. //Jack!\\ Dazed, the colonel's eyes fluttered open as Daniel's panicked mental voice entered his mind. //Jack, are you all right? Oh, come on, please be okay!\\ *Wow*, what a rush. No wonder bungee jumpers enjoyed that so much...only they normally didn't hit ground like he'd just done. Oh, right, Daniel. //I'm fine, Daniel. The ground down here is soft.\\ Jack grinned as the archaeologist sighed in relief over their link. Maybe Daniel really *did* care about his well-being after all. He rose to a standing position, relieved to find no pain in any part of his body from the impact, and pressed down with his foot, expecting to find boggy, spongy earth. Instead, he found hard, packed ground. //Okay, so maybe the ground isn't soft. Landing's soft, though.\\ //So it's safe to jump?\\ Janet asked. He looked up at the cliff...okay, that was high. *Very* high. Higher from down here than it had looked from up there. //Looks that way...which is good because you don't really have a choice, do you? Unless, of course, you plan to leave me down here to find Edea on my own because I can't see any way to get back up.\\ //We will not leave you, O'Neill,\\ Teal'c said. //Valea Darrian has informed us that she will jump next.\\ Jack nodded absently and stepped away from the patch of grass where he'd landed -- which, surprisingly, was pale green in color instead of the brown they'd seen elsewhere on the planet -- to give the girl some leeway. While waiting for her, he looked around his new surroundings. Just beyond the cushion of grass was a dirt-covered path leading away from the horst, surrounded on either side by a spattering of trees and green undergrowth. These trees weren't in peak shape, half-covered with a number of dead or dying bare branches, but they contained more life than anything else Jack had seen on Planet Edea thus far. At the very least, it was nice to see the color *green* again. A quick glance upward showed that Valea had leapt off the ledge and was already halfway down the side of the precipice. She landed in the same way Jack had, bouncing back up, then landing neatly on her feet a moment later. "That was...different," she said, brushing the dust from her leather cape, then joined him away from the patch of grass to wait for the others. Daniel jumped next, followed shortly after by Janet, then finally Carter and Teal'c. Once everyone had recovered from the fall, Jack motioned to the dusty path, past what appeared to be a small lake that actually still had some water in it. "My guess is we're supposed to go this way, since there's nothing but trees and brush along the base of the cliff." Seeing Valea was going to take her turn helping Teal'c carry Carter, thus giving Jack a bit of much-needed relief for his aching back and neck, he turned to Daniel, who was staring at the wall of rock behind them, and placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Let's find Edea, shall we?" Daniel nodded, and the travelers began their journey along the path to find the next test. The group fell silent again as they walked, although, Jack reminded himself, he had no way of knowing if his teammates were mentally communicating or not. Casting a sidelong glance at Daniel and Janet, walking side by side off to his right, he smiled wryly. Considering their display of affections lately, Jack wouldn't be surprised if they were discussing wedding dates or China patterns right now. So Daniel had watched Fraiser work from inside her head? That was too weird. What the hell was going *on* between those two? *Jack* couldn't watch Fraiser work from inside her head with their Level 1 link, so Valea must've given them a different link. They were holding something back from him, something that had to do with that link; but, besides Valea and maybe Carter, Jack suspected they hadn't told anyone what. Damn it, he thought he'd told Daniel to *talk* to him and tell him what the hell was going on. Daniel certainly hadn't told him yet how he was able to watch Fraiser work on that tiger. Then again, Daniel never had been the best at following orders, although he wasn't nearly as bad as some of the other civilians Jack had worked with at the SGC. Daniel he could handle, since most of the time he *did* follow Jack's orders...well, at least he had during the past two years, with one or two notable exceptions. Question orders? You bet he did, but in the end he often did follow them. Frustrating? Sometimes, but if Jack couldn't persuade Daniel to join the military, he'd take whatever he could get. If nothing else, Daniel kept him on this toes and made him look at things a different way. And as for Fraiser, Jack supposed he could order her to tell him what was going on between them, but he was reluctant to do that. She could have a nice little temper -- and a fondness for needles and scalpels -- when she was placed in a position she didn't like. Right now Jack needed them both to be 100 percent certain he was first and foremost their *friend*, a fact that would be easy to jeopardize if he started questioning things that were private issues between them. If he had a valid reason to fault their behavior or could point out something they were doing that would threaten their mission, he could justify ordering them to tell him the full story; but he couldn't. They both needed a friend, now more than ever what with all their strange happenings the past few weeks...and they needed someone who could stand aside and think straight for them whenever they were distracted. Jack O'Neill could do that. If it meant not risking their friendship to see them through this hellish trip to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West, he'd let them keep their little secrets. For now, anyway. On the other hand, it never hurt to reinforce the fact that he was still there for them, especially with Daniel, who had an irritating tendency to keep things locked tightly inside himself and to refuse to ask others for help. Now that Jack could focus on something other than Carter's dead weight incessantly dragging him down, maybe he could actually talk to Daniel. It had been too long since they'd last really *talked*, so it was certainly worth a try. //Hey,\\ he started, making sure his audience was narrowed just to Daniel. The younger man glanced briefly in his direction. His blue eyes were puzzled and troubled, not only by Jack's apparent attempt to start a conversation, but at the unexpected and unwanted stresses that had been laid upon his life the past few weeks. At least, that was Jack's guess at the confusion he saw written there. //Hmm?\\ //How're you holding up?\\ Daniel's gaze drifted back to the path in front of them. //I'm fine.\\ No he wasn't. Damn it, there was that blasted wall to block his emotions again. Daniel had a dear friend who was literally freezing to death; he'd just jumped off a 1,000-foot cliff; and, less than two hours ago, he'd tangoed with 500 tigers. No one except a corpse could be 'fine' after experiencing all that. Hell, Jack still wasn't sure *he* was fine, and every now and then he even saw Teal'c's stoic expression waver in concern for their ailing friend. //Come on, Daniel, *talk* to me. It's obvious you're *not* fine.\\ Jack noticed Fraiser shoot the archaeologist a meaningful look. Was she listening in on their conversation? He wasn't broadcasting to her; was she overhearing it anyway? He doubted she'd purposely eavesdrop, but still...what the hell kind of link did those two *have*? Finally, Daniel sighed. //It's just...it's so much, Jack. That key the tiger gave us? It was in my dream. It looked exactly like this one. It felt exactly like this one. It glowed exactly like this one. How could a dream, something I've never seen before, be *real*?\\ Jack blinked several times. Daniel was right. Something about that did seem fishy, especially since he was quite sure Daniel was telling the truth that he'd never seen anything like that before this mission. Jack would've heard excited ramblings galore from the archaeologist about something looking anything like *that*. //And the Edeans,\\ Daniel continued, //they're so advanced technologically if they can 'rewire' our brains and give us control over the forces of nature, yet they weren't able to stop Amala from destroying their own people. Now they expect Janet and me to stop her? I don't....\\ Daniel's mental voice trailed off, but Jack understood what he was saying. Now Valea and the Edeans expected Daniel and Fraiser, neither of whom knew much about this planet or their 'skills' yet, to defeat Amala and save them. Daniel was overwhelmed by it all. Jack nodded to show him he was still following. //And Sayil...God, these past two weeks were tough enough; now to have someone we *know* frozen like that? And Sam...I don't know if I could handle seeing her fully frozen. If I hadn't let her....\\ //Daniel, stop,\\ Jack suddenly interrupted. He grabbed his friend's arm and forced him to stand still. Fraiser also slowed, keeping to herself a few feet away; and, ahead of them, Teal'c and Valea noticed the three weren't following and turned to wait for them. Daniel blinked uncertainly at the action, but he still met the colonel's gaze. //What happened to Carter isn't your fault. It's not my fault; it's not Teal'c's fault; it's not Fraiser's fault; and it's not Valea's fault. It's Amala's fault. Right now we're doing the only thing we can for her: we're taking her to Edea. I know how much Carter means to you...hell, she means the same to me. The way I see it, Amala's gotten personal now if she's attacking members of my team. *I* want to find her and make her pay for what she's done to Carter and Sayil. I saw all those frozen people in Deracot and Marbule too, and I want to help them as much as you do. So does Teal'c, and I know Carter does too. The point is, we're now as involved in this as you and Fraiser are.\\ Jack paused, watching Daniel's eyes fall to the ground, then he placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. //And even if I wasn't personally interested in seeing this nasty lady pay for what she's done, I'd still stick with you. Considering how unpredictable things on this planet are, you need an extra set of eyes and ears while you're here. You're a *friend*, Daniel. I know I don't say that enough and I sure as hell know I don't always make that clear, but that's exactly what you are and I damn well don't want to see anything bad happen to you or Fraiser. No matter what happens, that will always hold true. We'll be here for you. *I'll* be here for you. Whether we live or die during this mission, whether we go nuts and try to kill each other or are frozen by Amala forever, whether we win or whether we lose...I'm not walking back to the Stargate and leaving you here. You will never be alone in this, not unless Amala comes and stops me herself. We beat Ra together under odds as bad as, if not worse than, this; we can beat Amala. Just...don't shut me out. Please.\\ Daniel's eyes lifted back to Jack's as he contemplated his words. Jack thought he read something faintly written there, and the longer the two watched each other, the more certain he became that he recognized what it was. Daniel was touched. Whether he really believed the colonel or not was another story, but he had been touched by his words. Deeply. He wouldn't forget it, and he'd try to make more of an effort in the future to talk to him. At the moment, the blatant concern and attention Jack was showing for him was also making him feel distinctly uncomfortable, though, so he looked away. His mind, however, returned, //Thank you.\\ Jack nodded and patted Daniel's arm to turn him back to the path. Ahead of them, Teal'c cocked his head curiously, not knowing what had just transpired; but he didn't ask the question and instead continued on his way. //Can I ask you one more thing, Daniel?\\ Seeing the archaeologist nod as they began to walk again, Jack took a deep breath. Here went nothing. He didn't expect an answer, but he had to try. //I'm not going to ask for all the gory details, but this thing between you and Fraiser...it's serious, isn't it?\\ There was another long pause, and Jack couldn't help noticing that Daniel's body stiffened at the question. It had obviously touched a raw nerve with him, and Jack was afraid he'd overstepped his bounds. 'Dating' had never been a real subject of conversation between the two; it must seem out of place now. Finally, though, Daniel said, //Yes, it is. More than you could possibly know.\\ //You love her.\\ //...Maybe.\\ That wasn't much of an answer; but, for now, Jack would take it. It was just another major issue to add to the ever-growing list of changes in Daniel's life during the past few weeks. Bad timing? Maybe, but since Jack didn't know the full story about what had happened between them yet, he didn't have the right to pass judgment on it. //If you ever need someone to talk to, Daniel....\\ Daniel glanced at him again as if surprised by the offer. //Thank you.\\ There. Daniel now knew and hopefully believed that Jack wasn't holding the skipped debriefing last week against him, just like he knew Jack was still his friend and someone he could talk to. Now they could get back to seeking out a Moogle in need of striking. On the bright side, the further the team traveled away from the cliff, the more life they saw. The clouds overhead grew progressively scarce until the sky opened into honest-to-goodness sunlight, the first they'd seen since their arrival on Drearyland. Likewise, the plant life was becoming greener the further they journeyed. At one point, Jack had even been positive he'd seen a sparrow fly into a tree beside the path. The temperature was rising; the sky was sunny; the plant life was green...it was starting to look like summer again, full of vibrant life and energy. Maybe this planet wasn't so bad after all...if only they could get rid of the madwoman who was sucking the life out of most of it. On the other hand, in spite of the blessed increase of life and animation along the path, Jack could see his teammates were tiring from the hours of treacherous, strenuous terrain they'd just traversed, himself included. He may have a good deal of stamina and have had an hour to rest while Fraiser had healed that tiger; but, between the morning's events and carrying Carter up a mountain pass for God only knew how many miles, Jack could use a cozy bed and a nap right about now. He wasn't about to stop yet, though, not when Valea said every passing minute brought Carter closer to a permanently frozen state, one that Edea might not be able to heal. Jack sighed in relief as, ahead of them, Teal'c and Valea slowed, arriving at a flat, grassy field filled with waist-high posts. Ah, good. They'd reached something new. Maybe they'd finally found the third test. He, Daniel, and Fraiser hurried forward to catch up to them. "What the...?" Jack began, his eyes narrowing as he got a better look at the posts. They were constructed of slate-colored stone in the shape of an erect, animal-like figure. The most noticeable features were the pudgy cheeks and stomach, pointy little ears, a single antenna sticking out of the top of its head with a stone ball on the end, and...what were those? A set of bat wings on their backs? "I'm assuming these are Moogles?" Fraiser asked as she joined the others at the entrance to the field filled with nearly a hundred of the stone statues. Valea grinned back at them. "Yup, these are Moogles." "'Strike the Moogle,'" Daniel said, looking over the field. "You know, I was expecting something *easy*," Jack said. "'The' Moogle. *One* Moogle. How the hell are we supposed to know which Moogle to strike? Are we supposed to strike all of them? And what, exactly, are we supposed to strike them with?" Teal'c looked back at Daniel meaningfully, and Jack figured the two were mentally communicating, for a moment later, Daniel nodded and walked toward the Jaffa, relieving him of Carter's weight and helping ease her to the ground. Teal'c then walked further into the field, examining row after row of stone statues. "Teal'c?" Jack called after him. "What are you doing?" And why was it no one answered that question whenever he asked it? When the Jaffa continued walking toward the field, ignoring the colonel's question, Jack looked back at Daniel and Fraiser as if to say, 'It's a Jaffa thing,' then headed into the field of statues after him. Teal'c wandered away from the center aisle to examine several of the figures. On Jack's first glance, all of the statues had appeared identical, but then one in particular at the center of the field between the rows of statues caught his eye. It stood out...something about it was different. He wandered toward it. Fraiser soon joined him in front of the central Moogle, staring at the statue. "What is it, Colonel?" "This one's different." He pointed at the base of the statue. "It's the only one I've seen who's standing in a circle of gray stones. It's also a bit larger than the others." She slowly circled the statue until she was standing on the opposite side of it, then reached out and touched something. "It's also the only one that has a baseball bat embedded in its back." A baseball bat? Really? Now, if only they had a few bases, a ball, and a glove, they'd be in business, Jack mused as he joined her on the other side of the statue. Sure enough, where the spine should've been ran a gray stick a little shorter and thinner than a baseball bat. He lightly traced the length of the stick with his fingers, then, finding an indentation near the top, managed to pry it from its resting spot with a soft popping sound. "Let me guess, this is what we're supposed to strike the Moogle with." "That would be my guess," Fraiser said. Jack returned to the front of the statue, eyeing it for some sign of where on its anatomy to strike it. As soon as he reached the front, though, he saw that there was more to striking it than he had supposed. "Ah...Doc? What do you think this means?" "What?" she asked, stepping around to the front of the statue. The Moogle's previously dark eyes had come to life like the glowing crystal key the tiger had given them, flashing different colors. They started red in color, held that for a second or two, then shifted to orange, waited a few seconds, and shifted to yellow. The eyes continued like that, cycling through the colors of the rainbow. Red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and finally white and back to red. Jack glanced around the field to find the rest of his team. Valea and Daniel were seated on the ground at the entrance to the field, keeping watch over Carter and resting from the trip through Tiger Pass. Deciding to let the archaeologist rest awhile longer, although Jack suspected they'd need his help yet before they'd figured out the puzzle, he looked next for Teal'c and found him in the farthest corner of the field, walking between the statues. //Teal'c? Want to head back over here? We think this is the statue we need to strike, only its eyes are flashing different colors at us.\\ //The eyes on the other Moogle statues have begun flashing colors as well, O'Neill,\\ Teal'c said as he walked toward the center of the field. //However, each statue only flashes one color. The majority of the time the eyes are dark. It is most odd.\\ Odd? Definitely. So the other statues started flashing when Jack pulled out the baseball bat too...that had to mean something. As much as he hated to disturb the archaeologist's rest, it was time to get him involved. This was his area of expertise; he was the one who should be looking at these odd 'cultural artifacts' and piecing together the puzzle. //Daniel?\\ Jack called, looking back at the spot where he and Valea were talking. Immediately, Daniel turned his head in their direction. //Looks like we need your help here.\\ The younger man rose slowly from the ground and headed in their direction. As he arrived by them, Jack motioned at the statue. "What do you think?" "You said all the other Moogles were flashing different colors?" Daniel clarified, looking up at Teal'c. "Were they flashing at the same time?" "They were not. There was a considerable gap of time between the flashes on each statue. While one's eyes were lit one color, the others' were not lit. Likewise, when a second color was lit, the others' eyes were dark." "Interesting." Daniel lifted a hand to his mouth, then slowly began to circle the center statue. "Well, I don't see any writing on it. The flashing colors might indicate that we need to hit this Moogle several times, once when each color is lit...or there may be a sequence we need to follow." He motioned at the field of statues. "We should find out if they're flashing the colors in a certain pattern. Are all the red ones lit at the same time? All the blue ones? What order are they flashing?" Jack nodded. The idea was worth checking out. Leave it to Daniel to make that kind of connection. That certainly hadn't been Jack's first thought -- he'd thought they were pretty, but not that they were indicating a sequence of colors for hitting the silly Moogle. As much as Jack truly hated to admit it at times, SG-1 needed Daniel to make such insane leaps and consider different ways of looking at things. The four spread out across the field to examine the other statues. Sure enough, they soon concluded, each statue flashed one specific color, and all the same-colored statues were lit at the same time. //Looks like you were right,\\ Jack called over their link to Daniel, who was on the opposite side of the field. //Seems to be a pattern. Now all we need to do is figure it out.\\ After watching the statues flash for several minutes, they were able to determine the general color pattern that kept repeating itself, one that didn't match the flashing colors of the rainbow on the center statue. Yellow statues flashed first, followed by green, blue, white, orange, red, and finally purple. Once they'd gotten the pattern, the four met again in the center by the main dwarf. "So, let me get this straight," Jack said. "We need to strike this thing when it's flashing the color pattern produced by the other statues." "I think so," Daniel said, watching the eyes shift colors. "Of course, I could be completely wrong about following a color sequence...." "I do not believe you are wrong, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "Your theory is most logical." So Teal'c backed them up on his. Even Jack had to acknowledge that Daniel's idea made sense. "Okay, that's great, but does anyone know what color to start with? Just because *we* started keeping track with yellow doesn't mean it's the first one in the pattern. Since the colors are continually repeating themselves, the sequence could start with anything." They all exchanged uncertain looks. It was obvious no one had a clue where to begin. "Does it matter?" Fraiser finally asked. "If we follow the sequence perfectly, maybe it doesn't make a difference when you start." "I believe it does, Dr. Fraiser," Teal'c said. "I have the feeling Teal'c's right," Jack agreed. "We need to nail this on the first try. I haven't seen a reset button yet, unless one of you has. But back to the question at hand: what color do we *start* with?" No one said anything while they pondered their dilemma. After a moment, Teal'c firmly stated, "Orange," much to everyone's surprise. Daniel's brows furrowed as he observed the Jaffa. "Ah...not to question you, Teal'c, but...why orange?" "I am uncertain, but I believe the sequence begins with orange." "You're sure?" Fraiser asked, eyeing him curiously. He cocked his head. "I do not know why, but I feel certain the sequence ends with the color white. For our sequence to end with white, we must begin with orange." "Gut instinct," Jack murmured. Could Teal'c be right? Knowing Teal'c, he probably was. After the incident with the tigers, the Jaffa had more than earned himself the benefit of the doubt. Besides, it *felt* right to Jack that the sequence end with the color white. He wasn't sure why, but it did. "All right, we'll start with orange. Since it looks like the Moogle's stomach is as much of a target as we'll get on the statue, we'll hit there first." He held up the gray stone stick to the others. "Any volunteers?" No one said anything. Of *course* no one wanted to volunteer. In a way, Jack was relieved since a part of him had wanted to do it. Besides, playing video games to kill time had been good for something; he knew he had great hand-to-eye coordination. "Okay, *I'll* volunteer," he said. "Everyone stand back." The others moved away to give him sufficient swinging room; and Jack closed his eyes, mentally reviewing the sequence. While some practice time would've been nice -- this stick was, after all too damn heavy to swing, reminding him why they used wood to make baseball bats and not stone -- it didn't look like he'd be getting any of that. Once satisfied he could perform the test of manual dexterity, he opened his eyes and aimed the bat. He could do this, and he *would* do this. He'd get it right the first time. For his team. The eyes turned orange. He swung, striking the Moogle squarely on its stomach. Immediately they heard a soft 'oomph,' and the orange light in its eyes went out. Uh-oh...was it supposed to do that? Several seconds later the eyes lit up yellow and Jack released his breath in relief. The colors continued cycling, until they hit red. He swung again, then was pleasantly surprised to find the color cycle skipped orange. Huh, guess that was no longer an option. Maybe this was working after all. One by one, he completed the color code. Orange, red, purple, yellow, green, blue. Each time he struck a new color, it was removed from the cycle until only the unused colors remained. Finally, the white color popped back up and he hit it. The Moogle did nothing. Jack looked back at the others, who all wore bemused expressions matching his own. "Now what? I don't see any bridges to burn yet, so that's out...anyone know what this guy is supposed to do?" "Maybe we had the wrong color sequence?" Daniel suggested, even though they all knew they had double- and triple-checked the sequence before beginning. "Or maybe we started with the wrong color?" "Or maybe it did something we just couldn't see," Fraiser said. "Like opening up a hidden doorway or...." Her voice trailed off as they heard the faint sound of chimes off in the distance. Suddenly, a number of cracks spread through the statue from the tip of the Moogle's antenna down to its lowest paws. The stone splintered and fell to the ground, revealing a slightly smaller figure inside...a real Moogle, sitting on the ground, rubbing its head as if dazed. Everyone stared at it in mixed curiosity and excitement. Jack figured either Daniel or Fraiser had alerted Valea to their discovery for the girl immediately left Carter behind and ran toward them. "Ah...Valea?" Jack asked her as she joined them. She knelt by the little white creature's side and helped it brush off the remaining dust and gravel from the shattered stone casing. To their amazement, it warbled a few high-pitched sounds to Valea...and she replied in the same language. The Moogle jumped to its feet, then dove toward the ground, digging a hole between the circle of tiny stones and disappearing into it within the blink of an eye. Valea looked up at them with a smile. "He said, 'Thank you for freeing me. If you'll wait a minute, I'll give you a gift.'" "You understood it?" Daniel asked her. "The Moogle language isn't spoken much since Moogles tend to keep to themselves in their underground tunnels, but Mother made me learn it when I was a child. It's been a few years since I last talked to one, though." Jack arched an eyebrow at her. "And you're sure he's giving us a gift and not planning to sue us for Moogle abuse? We did just strike him a few times." Valea grinned at the comment; but, before she could answer, the Moogle popped out of the ground with a cheerful 'Kupo!' and pattered on its little white padded feet toward Jack. In its right paw was a shiny object, and it held it up for the colonel to take. When Jack hesitated to accept the gift, it jumped up and down and continued to hold up its hand. Jack looked up at Daniel, both chuckling at the little Moogle's eagerness, before he finally knelt to accept the gift. "Thank you." The Moogle reached forward and pinched Jack's nose gently, then warbled cheerfully and jumped back into the hole it had created earlier. "It appears it was your turn to make a new friend, O'Neill," Teal'c said, a rare, playful smile on his face. "A rare occurrence, indeed." "Hey, watch it, Siegfried, or I'll sic an army of Moogles on your tigers," Jack teased, then held up the item that the Moogle had given him for the others to see. "So what is this thing, anyway? A...crystal star?" Both Daniel and Fraiser gasped as they beheld the beautiful trinket. "Oh, don't tell me you guys have seen *this* before, too?" Daniel extended his hand, and Jack gave it to him. "Actually, we have," he whispered, holding the star up in the sunlight so the rays caught on it and scattered it over the ground like a prism. "It's another key from Edea's dream." "...Which, like the first one, I'm assuming we'll need to gain entrance to see her?" Jack asked. Daniel just nodded his response, clearly awed by the star in his hand. "All right, so that's three of Glenn's clues down. One left to go. Teal'c, help me get Carter; Daniel, you take the star. Let's find this bridge that needs to be burned." *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Sixteen: Ascent August 31, 2001 Friday, 2:32 p.m. The travelers followed the path for an hour after leaving the field of stone Moogle statues behind. While they kept up a steady pace, pushed onward by Jack's determination to find Edea before Sam fully froze, Daniel wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground and sit for 20 minutes. His legs ached from maneuvering through the rocky pass and from walking so long, and he knew Janet wasn't feeling any better than he was. He'd shared some of his stamina with her again earlier, but that had served little more than to energize them for five minutes before they'd returned to this exhausted state. At least he was physically in good shape or else he'd never have made it this far. Placing his hands in his pockets, Daniel ran his fingers over the smooth form of the crystal star the Moogle had given them and shook his head. It was absolutely amazing, like the key in their dreams in every way, pulsing with soothing life and energy. And, even better, the sun had melted away the last of the clouds; the temperature had risen to a balmy 70 degrees; all the plant life was green; the birds were singing; the squirrels were playing in the trees; the lakes on the horizon shimmered in the mid-afternoon light.... Obviously some life still remained on the near-dead planet...and, right now, that life was giving Daniel hope that maybe everything would ultimately work out once they'd met Valea's enigmatic mother. Assuming, of course, they made it to her before their legs collapsed under them. Suddenly, Daniel smiled, sensing that his companion was planning to ask him a question in hopes of getting his mind -- and her own -- off of their exhaustion, at least for a few minutes. //So what were you and Valea talking about earlier?\\ //When you were examining the statues?\\ Janet nodded, and he went on, //Well, back in Deracot, Jack said I should be doing the investigative work, so I asked her about the animals we've seen so far on the planet - - cows, horses, tigers, and birds. SG-1's never seen an alien planet with animals similar to those on Earth. Most have completely different animal life. Abydos had Mastadges, for example.\\ //I didn't think about it before, but you're right, that is strange,\\ she said, lifting her eyes to his. //So what did Valea say?\\ //She wasn't sure where the animals came from, just that they'd always been here. So, with that in mind, I asked her where her people originated. She said the Edeans have been here as long as their people can remember, but there are a few myths floating around. The most interesting one she mentioned was that 6,000-some years ago a hostile alien race brought the people to this planet. She wasn't sure who that alien race was, but she suspected it was the Goa'uld.\\ //These people are descendants of Earth?\\ Janet asked, catching on. Daniel nodded. //There's no proof yet, but that was our conclusion. It would explain how a number of animals from Earth are found here as well, albeit having evolved into different variations, if the Goa'uld brought them along with the humans. The Moogles, on the other hand, could be one of the planet's indigenous life forms.\\ //But that means the Edeans are *human*.\\ Her surprise matched his own when Valea had first told him. //Exactly. All humans on Earth must naturally possess these mental abilities; they've just been buried inside us for so long that few know about them. Valea said it was a freak accident that someone found them, something to do with all the crystal on this planet. Once the Edeans found their skills, though, their scientists started exploring them; and they've been using them ever since.\\ //If they're human, though, why couldn't we see them until a day or two after Valea had opened our minds?\\ she asked. //I don't know. Valea said something about saturation by the planet's energy; maybe this crystal element has something to do with it. We'll have to ask Sam once we unfreeze her.\\ Janet stared at him, amazed. //So it's possible all human beings except for 'warriors' possess these skills? Daniel, if we can learn how the Edeans rewire the brain, this could revolutionize everything we know about life on Earth. Medicine, biology, physics....\\ //I know. Exciting, isn't it?\\ Daniel said, grinning down at her. Oh, yes, he had certainly considered that possibility...although something about the idea of granting millions of people on Earth such amazing abilities literally overnight didn't sit well with him. He wasn't sure he trusted *himself* not to accidentally start everything on fire yet, let alone trusting everyone else to use these 'powers' correctly...and the temptation to misuse them would be great for even the most self- controlled of people. Daniel suddenly returned his attention to where Jack, Teal'c, and Valea were walking with Sam a good distance ahead of them. Observing the landscape through narrowed eyes, he realized there was yet another chain of red, rocky mountains growing on the horizon. Between their current location and the mountains, however, was something curious: the grassy plain they were walking on seemed to fall sharply downward, as if there was a hole in the ground. //Ah...guys? Where's the ground?\\ Daniel asked. //I don't see any,\\ Jack said. //As a matter of fact, I think we just found the bridge Glenn was talking about.\\ Daniel glanced curiously at Janet, then both summoned a reserve of strength and jogged forward to catch up to the others, Jack's observation soon becoming clear. A sheer cliff fell down to a raging, tree-lined river hundreds of feet below along the bottom of a wide canyon, only to rise back up to the same height several miles in the distance. Spanning the entire canyon was a single, narrow wooden bridge. "So now what?" Jack asked. A sudden sense of déjà vu struck Daniel. How many times that morning had he heard those words? "'Burn the bridge.'" "Yes, Daniel, I know *that*. I mean, do we cross it first and *then* burn it, or do we burn it *before* we cross it? Or, heaven forbid, is it supposed to be burning *while* we cross it?" Jack lifted a finger to stop him. "Ah, and don't say Glenn's clues don't say, because I already know that, too." Daniel shook his head. "Well, I can burn it, that's not a problem; but, like you said, we don't know *when* to burn it." Valea sighed and slumped down to the ground to rub her legs, clearly as exhausted from the journey as the rest of them were. "My personal opinion?" she said. "Not that you're asking it, I know, but I think we should burn the bridge before we cross over. To be completely accurate, the clues said 'Burn the bridge and the Doorway to Heaven will open to you.' They didn't say, 'Once you've crossed the bridge and burned it, *then* the Doorway to Heaven will open to you.' That seems to indicate the gates will open if you haven't crossed it before you burn it." "Maybe, maybe not," Jack said, eyeing the cliff uneasily. "Not only would that would wreck Glenn's rhyming pattern, but it also doesn't explicitly say, 'Before you cross the bridge, burn it and then the Doorway to Heaven will open to you.' Besides, I don't see any doors around here that need opening, do you? What if the door's on the other side the canyon? Need I remind everyone if we burn the bridge, we destroy our means of getting to the other side?" Teal'c eased Sam's limp body to the ground, then wandered toward the bridge. While the others watched on, he tentatively touched the rope handrail; and, apparently finding it sturdy, he knelt to examine the wooden planks of the bridge. A moment later he stood and walked back to where the others had remained behind. "I believe Valea Darrian is correct," he said. "We should burn the bridge now and not attempt to cross over." "And to what do we owe this astute assessment?" Jack asked him. The Jaffa arched an eyebrow. "Once again, O'Neill, I cannot explain how I am certain of this." "Is the wood deteriorating?" Daniel asked. "It is not, Daniel Jackson. The bridge is in perfect condition." //I'm seeing a pattern developing here,\\ Janet commented to Daniel. //Teal'c's instincts seem to be working overtime.\\ //No kidding,\\ he said. Teal'c's instincts had proven right with the Moogle test, but would that hold true now? Judging by the way Jack's brows were furrowed, Daniel figured he was similarly puzzling over their situation and Teal'c's firm declaration. Finally, the colonel's eyes drifted back to the cliff before settling on the bridge. "All right, so we burn the bridge now and see what happens, have a little faith that this is what we're supposed to do. It certainly doesn't *seem* logical, but who am I to determine what's 'logical' on this planet?" The others nodded their agreement, and all heads turned expectantly to Daniel. Oh, right, they wanted him to start the bridge on fire. Yes, he could do that. No problem. He didn't even need to close his eyes and return himself to his 'black room' this time; this task was too easy. Suddenly, the entire bridge went up in a burst of hot flames that the team could feel even from 20 feet away. A minute later nothing remained of it but a shower of ashes falling into the canyon, the distinct smell of burnt wood on the wind, and a few wisps of smoke floating in the air. "You're good," Jack said, grinning at Daniel. "Thank you," he replied absently, staring at the expanse in front of them. Much to his dismay, however, nothing else had happened after the bridge had burned. He waited a minute, then another, before looking at the others. "So...now what?" Jack shook his head. "You're asking *me*? Teal'c and Valea were the ones who said we should burn the bridge now." His gaze landed expectantly on the Jaffa and the girl fidgeting on the ground. "Oh wise ones? Care to shed some insight into our new bridgeless situation?" Valea smiled up at him awkwardly. "Um, oops?" She had just encouraged them burn their one means of getting across the canyon and that was all she could say? "'Oops'?" Janet repeated, obviously wondering the same thing as Daniel. Jack rolled his eyes in frustration. "Wonderful. From this point on, 'oops' is no longer an acceptable term in our vocabulary. Teal'c?" The Jaffa didn't answer, his eyes instead focused on the edge of the canyon where the bridge had once been. Daniel tried to figure out what he was staring at, but there wasn't anything there. "Teal'c?" Janet asked again, trying to get his attention; but, like Jack's earlier attempt, it was unsuccessful. Instead of replying, the Jaffa returned to the spot where the bridge had once spanned the canyon. A minute later he took 20 paces to his right, examining that spot. He returned to the location of the bridge and took 20 paces to his left to examine that new spot. "What the hell is he doing?" Jack asked. "He's always been a bit odd, but this is downright bizarre, even for him." Valea lifted her hand as if asking Jack to wait a bit longer before condemning his friend. The expression on her face was thoughtful as she watched Teal'c continue to walk between the three spots he seemed most interested in. "I had to have been wrong about his skills," she murmured. "There's no other explanation." Daniel looked back at her. What was she talking about? "Valea?" "He's sensing something. The reaction his horse and the tigers had to him, his instinctive assertions..." she motioned her hand at Teal'c as he returned to the location where the bridge had once stood, "...now this. This is similar to how you were acting a few hours after I opened your mind, Daniel. You sensed the cottage, you sensed me.... And yet, I ran a full scan on him and came back with nothing but pure warrior. That doesn't make any sense, though, because he's showing obvious signs of animal abilities and sensing illusions." "Could his symbiote have interfered with your scan?" Janet asked. The girl tilted her head, considering the possibility. "I've never been wrong about someone before...but then again, I've never had a reason to run a full scan on a Jaffa before, either. Maybe I rushed through it, or maybe I was scanning his symbiote, not him...it would make sense." Daniel's eyes widened. Then Teal'c might have some mental abilities like his, Janet's, and Sam's? Well, *that* was certainly interesting news. So the only one on the team without any was...Jack? "You think he's seeing an illusion there?" the colonel asked Valea. "No, I think *we're* the ones seeing the illusion, Colonel," she said. "*He* sees something that's really there, but the illusion is blocking *us* from seeing it." Finally, Teal'c left the ex-site of the bridge and jogged back to where they stood, his expression puzzled. "There is something there, O'Neill. There appear to be three doorways standing upright along the edge of the canyon." Jack's eyebrows shot upward. "Three doors standing along the edge with nothing supporting them?" "Indeed. It is most unusual." Teal'c's eyes widened. "You cannot see them." Valea gave the colonel an 'I told you so' smile. "No, we can't see them, Teal'c, but I believe you. I think you're seeing through an illusion that's hiding what's really there from us. The doors you're seeing are real; you're just the only one who can see them." "I see," he said. "Is there no way to enable you to see them as well?" "I don't possess those capabilities," Valea explained. "Daniel and Janet don't either. Major Carter, while she couldn't see the illusion herself, could remove it for us..." Valea looked down at the pale, shivering woman sleeping fitfully on the ground, "...but she's, um, unavailable for comment at the moment." Okay, time out, Daniel's mind called as he closed his eyes, trying to figure out what Valea was saying. Sam couldn't see through illusions, nor could she create them as Sayil could, but she could remove them? And Teal'c had skills they hadn't known about before, such as seeing through this illusion? This was getting too weird. "So what do we do?" he asked. "If these doors are the 'Doorway to Heaven' we're looking for, don't we need to see them to figure out which is the right one?" "Well, I suppose we could wake Major Carter and ask her to remove the illusion for us," Valea said. "On the other hand, I'm not sure she's ready to do that without any training, and I don't think removal of illusions was high on Sayil's list of things to teach her...not to mention her mind won't be particularly cooperative right now due to her condition. Otherwise we have to trust Teal'c to find the right door and point it out to us. Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it's not there and that we can't walk through it." Jack frowned at her, apparently not convinced of either option, and Daniel couldn't blame him. Walking through something they couldn't see wasn't exactly an appealing alternative. "Why do I get the feeling this whole trip would've been easier if Amala hadn't attacked Carter?" Jack asked. "Probably because Mother's tests were meant for *all* of you?" Valea said. "That leap off the cliff? My guess is that that particular test was meant for Major Carter. With her abilities, she could've easily lowered us to the ground. I'm sure Mother wanted to turn away anyone who didn't possess the right skills." That made sense...but if Sam was such an integral part of passing the tests, then how had they managed to make it this far without her help? Before Daniel could consider that, Jack sighed and said, "All right, well I, personally, would rather let Sleeping Beauty get her rest instead of troubling her with weird illusions she probably can't do anything about anyway, so Teal'c, think you can figure out which door is the right one?" The Jaffa bowed his head. "I will do my best, O'Neill." "I know you will, Teal'c," Jack whispered as he watched his friend return to the nearest invisible door. Janet sank down to the ground beside Sam to keep an eye on her, and the others waited a moment before following the Jaffa toward the doors. "There is a symbol in the doorpost above this doorway," Teal'c said as they joined him. "It is a triangle facing downward. Does this mean anything to you, Valea Darrian?" The girl thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Offhand? No. Are there symbols on the other doors?" Teal'c quickly examined the remaining two doors, reporting what he found. The center one had a horizontal line above it, and the third had a star symbol ... wait a minute, Daniel realized, that could mean something. "The horizontal line is flat, the triangle is facing down, stars are in the sky...each has something to do with elevation, right? The triangle points at the ground, the line is neither up nor down, and stars are usually above everything else." Valea nodded. "I think you're right, Daniel. The triangle door could be a portal to the underworld, Hell; the line door could refer to the surface where we're currently standing; and the star door could be a portal to Heaven, above the ground." "So we need the third door," Jack clarified. "Good job, campers, now let's just hope you're right. Teal'c, maybe you should mark off the edges of the door with stones or something so we know we're walking in the right place." Five minutes later, Teal'c had finished his duty and resumed his position assisting Jack with Sam; and group gathered beside the invisible door. After being reassured by the Jaffa that there was no handle on the door that needed opening first, Daniel looked down at Janet, who smiled nervously. "Heaven, huh?" she said, taking his hand in hers. "Here we come." Daniel returned her smile and squeezed her hand, then glanced back at the others to make sure they were ready. They seemed to have determined through unspoken agreement that the two recipients of the dream that had led them to this point in time were to pass through the door first. Finally, he looked back at the lines Teal'c had made on the ground outlining the door and took a deep breath. The two then walked between the marks, stepping over the edge, and.... ...The world morphed around them, luscious green meadows and gray boulders blanketed overhead by a clear blue sky replacing the vast canyon. As their feet stepped down onto solid ground, they were hit by the unmistakable perfume of fresh grass and fragrant wildflowers. The air was warm and humid but not unpleasant, and the sound of crashing waves was discernable off in the distance. Daniel's mouth fell open as he took several steps away from the invisible door so the others could step through; and, beside him, Janet's face reflected identical shock. He closed his eyes for several seconds, then opened them again, fully expecting the dream to melt away...but it didn't. If anything, the images were more powerful and vivid than before. "Wow," Jack said as he and Teal'c stepped through the door with Sam. "Maybe not 'heaven,' but this is certainly *nice*." "My God," Daniel whispered, barely noticing that Janet's fingernails were digging into his hand from the urgency of her grasp. "This can't.... How...?" She slowly shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense, Daniel. This is...." ...The cliff -- *their* cliff -- in all its beauty and splendor. To their right was the forest lined by the tips of the red, rocky mountains; to their left was the sheer cliff and, below, an expanse of sparkling water stretching out as far as the eye could see. In front of them was the rock where they'd always sat at night, talking about their lives and loves and everything else imaginable. Every single aspect of the landscape...it matched their dreams perfectly. Butterflies fluttered in Daniel's stomach as a myriad of conflicting emotions swept over him. Being here, in a place he hadn't believed real but that had so many beautiful, intimate moments attached to it...he wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. This was the place of fantasies...yet here they were, observing it in reality. Half of his emotions were identical to those he'd always felt in their dreams, peaceful and comforted, a reminder of his ever-growing admiration, respect, devotion, and love for the woman by his side. She turned her head toward him, her eyes warm, caring, and loving; and, with that one look, he could sense that the same intense feelings were sweeping over her. He was as comfortable here as he'd always been before, everything just as serene and perfect now as then...including the fact that she was standing beside him with her hand in his. Once again, the feelings of hope and promise for a blissful future engulfed him, as if everything was right with the world. The other half of his emotions, however, were alarmed and wary at learning their cliff was *real*. Both he and Janet had been convinced that this place was nothing more than a beautiful, tranquil locale conjured by their subconscious minds while they slept, a place just for them where no other human would ever trespass or disturb. So how could they have been dreaming of an actual place all this time? How could they have known every detail, right down to the markings on the boulder amidst the emerald carpeting, when they'd never set foot here in reality and hadn't even known this place existed? There were so many reasons that being on this cliff was wrong, only his mind was too overwhelmed by the fact that he was actually *here* to be able to sort them out. Daniel suddenly realized Janet's grasp on his hand had tightened. No, not just tightened, he clarified; she was choking the life out of it, as alarmed at their discovery as he was. //You're right, Daniel, something feels wrong about actually *being* here. And yet...this place, this cliff...it feels so *right*. It's like we belong here...like we're finally home.\\ Yes, it certainly did feel right being there, he agreed, nodding and letting feeling of completeness erase his alarm. They could worry about how they could be there later; for now, they should just enjoy every last second they had there, together, in reality, not in a dream state. Their enjoyment was short lived, however, as Jack cleared his throat behind them, not-so-subtly trying to regain their attention. Looking back over his shoulder, Daniel found that the colonel's eyebrows were raised, clearly not understanding why he and Janet had had such an awed reaction to their surroundings. Daniel also finally realized that he and Janet had instinctively wandered to the edge of the cliff to stare out over the endless miles of sea, his arm wrapping itself around her waist and pulling her close so her head rested against his chest. It had been such a comfortable, expected position, holding her like that while standing on the cliff, that he hadn't even realized he'd done it. Quickly reading her thoughts, he knew she hadn't realized what their bodies had automatically done either, gravitating toward each other like this. Daniel quickly removed his arm from Janet's waist as he remembered they had an audience this time; but, even knowing that, he couldn't seem to keep his hand from returning to hers. Teal'c was scanning their surroundings with great interest and Valea was awestruck to be standing here, but Jack...Jack was just staring at the couple curiously, scrutinizing their actions, much to Daniel's discomfort. "Would someone care to explain where we are?" he asked. "The Cliffs of Paradise, Colonel," Valea whispered. "The Crystal Cliffs. Heaven." "And you two have been here before," Jack said, his eyes focused on Daniel and Janet as he asked the question. Daniel's gaze drifted back to the peaceful expanse of sea on the horizon. "Only in our dreams, Jack. Only in our dreams." "So you know where to go from here, right? Since I don't see Edea or a crystal garden, I'm assuming we're not quite there yet." "No, we're not, but I know where to go from here," Janet said, lifting her eyes to Daniel's and smiling at him. "That is, assuming we'd rather walk through the pixie forest instead of jumping off another cliff?" Daniel chuckled lightly and kissed her forehead. //That'll probably be the option Jack picks.\\ "We'll take the forest route," Jack said, confirming Daniel's hunch. "Might I make a suggestion, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "Perhaps we should rest here for an hour. Valea Darrian can stop time for Major Carter, and she should be fine." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief as Jack nodded. Thank God, he didn't have to leave this cliff of dreams just yet. He wanted to enjoy it -- and the accompanying emotions of fulfillment and ecstasy of being here with Janet in reality -- awhile longer. "You're right, Teal'c; it's well past lunch anyway," Jack said. "Let's grab something to eat and find look for later. If all goes well, we'll make it to this crystal garden Daniel told us about before sunset, then we can worry about finding our way back to Deracot in the morning." He and Teal'c eased Sam to the ground, then the two went about readying their food for lunch. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 4:01 p.m. Jack yawned and stretched as he awoke from his half-hour nap. He had to admit it; this little break had been well worth taking. With Carter safely frozen in time, the team had been able to eat and refresh their bodies and minds without worrying about what would happen to her in the meanwhile; and, as a result, he felt *much* better now than he had before. With a groan, he sat up from his bed of soft grass, surprised to see Valea was still awake, her blue eyes glued to Daniel and Fraiser, who were sleeping rather cozily together beside some boulder that had held their attention the entire time they'd been here. For the life of him, Jack couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. That was a *rock*. This was an ordinary *cliff*. He didn't see any crystal around anywhere, and he didn't see much that was heavenly about the location -- no ethereal clouds, angels with harps, or saints with halos. Was it pretty? Definitely. Actually, it was more than pretty; it was gorgeous. The grass on the rolling plains was more lush than any he'd seen on Earth, and the sky was a deep shade of sapphire. From the forest to his right he could hear the cheerful chirping of birds; from the cliff to his left drifted the never-ending crash of ocean waves; and everywhere in between was the buzz and occasional flash of a colorful dragonfly. If it weren't for Carter's condition, Jack could've easily persuaded himself to stay there a few more days, but that wasn't an option...at least not at the moment. "So did you sleep?" Jack asked Valea as he stretched the kinks from his back. The girl shook her head. "I couldn't." "Ah." He rubbed his face, noticing that Teal'c was also awake and standing beside the edge of the cliff, staring out over the expanse of sparkling water. "Looking forward to seeing your mom again?" "Yes and no." O-kay, so Valea must not be in the mood for conversation, Jack decided as he cast a quick glance in her direction. Her expression was pensive and pained as she watched the peacefully sleeping couple several yards away. "Something wrong?" It took her a moment to answer; and, when she finally did, her voice was hushed. "It's just...I'm having a hard time believing I'm actually sitting here...and I can't believe Mother and Father never told us that the Cliffs were one of the Darrian family's 'resorts.' I mean, this place is legendary; why wouldn't they tell us that? And...I guess I was just wishing that Sayil could've been here to see this. We used to make up stories about it when we were younger, pretend we were explorers who accidentally stumbled upon it. It didn't look anything like this in our fantasies...but this is better. He...he would've loved this." ...Oh. He should've known that her thoughts were on her lost brother. Jack sighed and returned his eyes to the sleeping couple. "I'm sure he'll get the chance once we find a way to unfreeze him." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her look at him; and, a moment later, he turned his head back toward hers. What? Was she waiting for him to say, '*If* we find a way to unfreeze him'? Jack wasn't going to do that. He was now as determined to unfreeze Sayil and the Edeans as Daniel and Fraiser were. He might not have the ability to start things on fire with his mind, to heal injured people, to tame tigers, to teleport things, or to see/remove illusions, but he could certainly reassure and encourage those who were in desperate need of reassurance and encouragement...just like Valea was right now. Seeing him hold her gaze and not append his earlier statement with an 'if' clause, she smiled faintly, then looked back at the sleeping couple. There. If he'd made her feel even the slightest bit reassured and encouraged that everything would turn out for the best, then he'd accomplished his goal. On the other hand, Jack still had one more goal to accomplish before he'd call it quits: figuring out what the hell was going on between those two lovebirds by the rock. It was a curiosity he just couldn't shake. "Valea, can I ask you something?" "Sure." "You know what's going on between Daniel and Fraiser, don't you?" He noticed her eyes fall to her hands, but she didn't say anything. "How did they know so much about this place? Why did it affect them so much when they first saw it?" Her blue eyes darted quickly at him, then returned to the couple. "They've been here before...almost every night in their dreams since I opened their minds." Almost *every* night? That was news to Jack. "I thought they'd only been here once before, when Edea gave them instructions to find her." Valea shook her head. "No, they've definitely been here more than that...but I only approached them here once during that time." Hmm. "You can enter their dreams." "Yeah, but I only did it when it was necessary...and I could only do it then because they didn't know how to block me yet. Now that they do, they can prevent me from entering their dreams if they'd rather keep their privacy ... which I suspect they would." Jack swallowed hard. That was disturbing, to know that someone else could enter their dreams. Something about the way she was talking about them led him to another disturbing thought...and there was only one way to find out if it was true. "You're saying they share their dreams with each other." "Yes, they do, very vivid, intimate dreams. As far as I know, this cliff is the place they shared, where they met at night after their real bodies fell asleep." Jack was starting to catch on to their obsession with this cliff...and how their relationship had progressed so fast without his knowledge. "What happened to them, Valea? I know you said it was an accident and you hold yourself accountable for it, but what exactly happened to them?" The girl sat silently for a moment, then shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes. "I can't tell you that, Colonel. They've asked me to keep the details to myself. After all the horrible things I dragged them into the past few weeks, I can't hurt them further by betraying their trust. They'll tell you about it when they think the time is right." While Jack was disappointed that his relatively subtle attempt to pry information from her had failed, her resolution was admirable. Maybe he'd been wrong to assume there was something 'wrong' with her. His discomfort may have just been a result of sensing that she'd been holding back something big about her family. Whatever she'd done to Daniel and Fraiser certainly hadn't been on purpose, that much he could tell by the tremble in her voice as she spoke about them. Now he thought he could see why they'd so easily forgiven her. "So what're your plans once we find your mom?" he asked. "I'd assume you're safe from Amala as long as you're with her. Are you going to stay with her?" Valea shook her head. "I don't know what I'll do once I find her. I guess I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I'd like to keep going with you guys as long as you need and want my company, but we'll have to see what Mother says." ...She wanted to find and help her brother, Jack inferred. No, not just Sayil; she wanted to find *all* of her siblings. He supposed he couldn't fault her for that. "You said you heard your mom's prophecy firsthand. Did she see what would happen once Daniel and Fraiser meet her? What comes next? I'd assume we have to find Amala." "I...I honestly don't know," she said. "Yes, I'd assume finding Amala is next on your list, but you'll have to speak to Mother first. Mother's prophecy stopped with Daniel and Janet meeting her. I'm sure there was more to it, but she never told us anything beyond that." "Oh." That wasn't particularly helpful...but if she didn't know, she didn't know. "Mind if I ask you a question now, Colonel?" she asked before he could think of anything else to ask her. When he nodded, she motioned at Carter. "You care about her, don't you?" Jack's eyes drifted to the motionless woman on the ground beside him. While he was relieved that nothing could happen to her while Valea had her in suspended animation, seeing her normally alive, animated body so damned *still* was disconcerting. No, more than that, it was *wrong*. It reminded him too much of all the frozen people they'd seen in Deracot and Marbule. What the hell was the difference between Valea's freezing and Amala's freezing anyway? he wondered for the umpteenth time. They were still frozen, for crying out loud. Jack had rarely ever wished Carter would suddenly jump up and start prattling off all that scientific mumbo-jumbo in her head...but that's exactly what he wanted her to do right now, just to reassure him that she was fine, that Amala hadn't taken possession of her mind and body yet, and that everything was back to the way it had always been. Of course, he'd be saying the same if it was Daniel or Teal'c or even Fraiser in Carter's condition. He didn't want anything like this to happen to *any* of his teammates...but that blasted part of him that 'cared about Carter more than it should' ached almost unbearably, yearning to see her well and whole once again. Right now, though, as much as he wanted to take the blame for what had happened and switch places with her, he couldn't. No, he told himself, direct the anger where it belongs -- at Amala. Don't let your concern and angst consume you; you're doing what you can for her. Trust Edea...after all, you have very few other people you *can* trust at the moment. Oh, right, Valea had asked him a question. He tended to get distracted when Carter was incapacitated. "I care about everyone on my team, if that's what you mean." "Daniel and Janet suspect you have more feelings for her than just that...and that those feelings are reciprocated," Valea said. "Since I hate believing rumors without hearing it from the original source...I was just wondering. I mean, you did jump off a very high cliff for her." "For the record, I didn't just do it for Carter; I did it for you, for Daniel, and for Fraiser as well," he said, then rubbed his eyes. God, the last thing Jack wanted to do was discuss those damned 'personal feelings that he wasn't supposed to have' toward Carter with a girl he barely knew...and yet he appreciated her preference for direct word instead of word of mouth. He removed the hand from his face and looked back at her. "I'll do whatever I have to help Carter. If taking her to your mom will help her, then that's what I'll do. You're a smart girl; I'll let you decide if that constitutes more feelings than just concern for a member of my team or not." She nodded slowly in understanding. "I see." Before he could say more, Teal'c turned away from the cliff and rejoined them. "O'Neill, it has been over an hour. Perhaps we should continue on our journey." Jack nodded and rose to his feet, brushing off the grass that had somehow adhered itself to his uniform. "You're right; it's time we move out. Valea, unfreeze Carter and wake up the lovebirds; Teal'c, help me pack up our stuff." Ten minutes later, the travelers were on their way again, following Fraiser along the rim of the cliff through gorgeous, fragrant flower patches and deep into the heart of the forest. The doctor knew the course from Edea's summons perfectly, and soon they were walking beside the enchanted crystalline river. While neither she nor Daniel seemed surprised by the waterfall or by the tiny crystal ball hidden inside the gnarled old oak tree, Jack found himself marveling at it all. A *dream* had told them all of this. It was incredible ... and vaguely creepy. They descended the spiral stairway that had appeared in the gorge after Fraiser had grabbed the last key and ducked behind the water cascading down the escarpment, entering the hidden crystal room. Fraiser placed the marble in the keyhole along the back wall, and the projecting dome next to it came to life. Then, one by one, they each pressed their palms to it, instantly finding themselves at the base of a gorgeous crystal cliff along a narrow strip of glistening golden beach, bordered by water glittering in the sunlight. Okay, so *this* was getting closer to Heaven. Daniel took over leading them from that point on. They followed the beach for a mile, then Fraiser handed him the crystal circle/square key the tiger had given them and he placed it in the appropriate hole. Instantly, the passageway inside the cliff opened, granting them entrance. When they reached the crystal garden, both Jack and Teal'c nearly let Carter fall to the ground in awe. Daniel looked back at them with a huge grin as he heard their gasps. "This would be the crystal garden." While the archaeologist's description had certainly grabbed Jack's interest back in Deracot, the colonel had never deemed himself a 'flower man' so he hadn't expected the garden to be this...*beautiful*. Everything about it was perfect. The mixed scents of the flowers, the rich hues of the mosaic tiling, the soothing drips of water from the ceiling, the jungle-like freshness of the foliage, the humid but oh-so- comfortable temperature, the light catching off the crystalline petals.... This...now *this* was ethereal enough to be called Heaven. He snuck a quick glance at the others. Teal'c and Valea were just as floored by the magnificence as he was. Daniel looked like a kid who'd been let loose in a candy story with a crisp $20 bill. Fraiser looked like she was ready to give up the medical profession forever and become a florist. And Carter.... Damn it, Carter was still deathly pale and shivering, unaware of the joys she was missing out on in the real world. She would've loved this. "How close, Daniel?" he asked, his voice sounding lost amongst the drops of water and the rustle of millions of leaves. "Close. The door's on the far side." Daniel pointed to the other end of the chamber. "This path follows the edge of the garden. We should be there in five minutes if we don't make any unnecessary stops." Unnecessary stops, however, appeared to be on the day's agenda, Jack noted as irritably as he could muster considering their cheerful surroundings. Valea and Fraiser could barely make it past a single fountain without stopping to admire some new flower or fern they saw. Jack agreed it was beautiful and definitely worth a stop to admire, but he was more anxious to get Carter to Edea first. They could play in the garden later; right now, her welfare was his sole priority. Finally, they arrived at the waiting area at the back of the garden, and Daniel inserted the star key into the keyhole. Immediately, the gray doorway next to it flashed to life, settling into a bright, shiny mirror. Daniel stepped in front of it, followed a second later by Fraiser. Both sets of eyes narrowed. "That's odd." Teal'c arched an eyebrow. "What is odd, Daniel Jackson?" "When I was here in my dream, I saw my reflection in the mirror and could walk through it. This time there's nothing...and Janet doesn't have a reflection, either." Valea climbed the stairs to stand beside them in front of the mirror. "Huh, neither do I." She reached out and touched the glistening surface, but her fingers only came in contact with the hard, glass surface. "I wonder...." "You wonder what?" Fraiser asked. The girl lifted a hand to her mouth, obviously lost in thought. "That sounds like something Mother would do," she murmured. "Whoever's reflection is visible in the mirror is the only person who can enter her chamber." The three at the top of the stairs turned back to Jack, Teal'c, and Carter. "That means, assuming she's currently entertaining guests, it must be one of you." God, Jack thought, his anticipation growing as he and Teal'c lifted the freezing woman up the stairs, it had *better* be Carter that Edea wanted to see first. To his great curiosity and relief, the major's reflection was the only one visible inside the mirror. "So...what?" he asked. "That means she's the only one who can go in?" "Looks like it." Valea took Carter's cold, stiffening hand and eased it toward the mirror...and her fingers slipped through the reflection, the silver surface rippling under the intrusion. "Guess you have to send her through, Colonel, and leave the rest up to Mother." Jack exchanged looks with his fellow teammates, who nodded their approval of the plan. Finally, he took one last look at Carter, silently praying that the next time he saw her she'd be well again, and maneuvered her through the portal. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Seventeen: Omens August 31, 2001 Friday, 5:28 p.m. Peaceful. Relaxing. Soothing. Hypnotizing.... ...Freezing. She was sinking through a world filled with liquid ice. Everything was dim and shadowy, tinted a dull blue hue. It had been like this for countless hours. There was no fear in this blue wonderland; there was no pain; there was just an overwhelming sense of peace. She couldn't fight it if she wanted to. The thick fluid traveled over her skin, caressing it, cooling it. Maybe she was in a trance, but she just couldn't convince herself to care. Or maybe the coldness -- so unbearable at first but now welcoming and comforting -- had numbed her ability to react to her dream-like surroundings. Ghostly shapes shifted in and out of view...indigo waves and ripples...blurred, eerie images. Some were faces amidst the clear liquid, hundreds of distorting, morphing faces. One or two she thought she recognized; most she didn't. And the susurration...male voices, female voices, children's voices, all murmuring unintelligible words to her.... She retained enough use of her mind to know she should be alarmed at all this, but she wasn't. Her ability to think and reason felt like it had been shackled or tangled in a briar patch. Try as she might, she could not break free; and, after her first few feeble attempts to fight what was happening, she had decided it was pointless to expend her energy on useless activity. Funny, giving up like that wasn't like her at all...but she didn't care. She actually found herself *enjoying* the increasing cold as she fell. Maybe the icy blue ooze acted as a sedative, lulling her into a half- conscious state. Absently, she wondered if this is what it had been like for those on the Titanic. Maybe the people swallowed by the freezing sea that fateful night had felt exactly like this as they'd sank. Maybe they hadn't been terrified of death at all but rather soothed into oblivion by the liquid ice into a state of numbness and absolute peace. She looked below her as she slowly sank through the gelatinous blue goo and noticed there was a chain around her leg, dragging her ever so slowly downward toward the bottom, no end in sight to her blissful descent. Her eyes suddenly lifted as a dark figure sped past her. That...that had looked like a *man*. There had been a similar chain around his leg, only his had pulled him past her so quickly that she hadn't even seen his face. That was the twentieth person she'd seen falling like that in this blue netherworld since her surreal descent had begun...so why was she moving so slowly compared to them? The farther down she went, the more people she saw floating in the murky ice. Some tried to talk to her as she passed them, but she couldn't make out what they were saying for their whispers were no more than faint breaths in her ears. Others extended their arms toward her, but were they begging for help or offering her comfort? She couldn't tell. Another look downward revealed that she was finally -- *finally* -- nearing the destination of her descent, for the space of solid ground where it appeared she would land was encircled by a ring of people. While most were staring straight ahead of them like zombies, a few had their eyes lifted toward her as if in greeting. That...was that Sayil? She almost didn't recognize him with blue hair and skin, but the boy's smile...it was unforgettable. Next to him stood another young man, somewhat older than Sayil, but with the same charming smile. A few feet away stood two young women, also looking up at her. One looked very familiar.... The face distorted before her eyes could focus on it, as if the blue gel between them had suffered a minor disturbance, a ripple. Her eyes narrowed as the chain dragging her downward suddenly snapped, setting her adrift. Then she felt one hand grab her right arm, another grab her left arm, and she was rising ... rising ... rising.... The liquid grew warmer. Her ascent quickened. The eerie blue world grew brighter. She looked up and saw a circle of white light nearing. The hands kept pulling her up, up, up.... ...Then she burst through the circle and coughed the murky liquid from her lungs, gasping for pure air to replace the poisonous slime. Her eyes closed as warmth quickly spread through her entire body, as if she'd stepped into a steaming hot shower after standing in snow for an hour. The intense temperature change shocked her body and jolted her mind back to alertness. The first thing she became aware of was that the hands were still on her back and arms. They were warm and caring, kneading her freezing, aching, stiff muscles and limbs. They were life-giving hands. They were the hands that had saved her. When she fully opened her eyes, she found herself staring into the concerned face of Helen Hunt. No, she realized, blinking several times at the unexpected apparition, this couldn't be Helen Hunt since her eyes weren't brown. These eyes were sky blue, although...wow, did she resemble Helen Hunt. The shape of her face, the long, blond hair...well, not quite, but she could easily pass as a Helen Hunt doppelganger on Earth. The woman smiled at her, and she felt surprisingly reassured. That was a beautiful smile. She couldn't resist returning it. "How are you feeling?" the woman asked her. Wow, even the voice belonged to Ms. Hunt. Or maybe she was still delirious from her recent, extended swim in...wherever it was she'd just been. If she had to place bets, she'd go with the 'delirious' explanation. "Fine," she said. Her voice sounded thick, muffled, scratchy. "A little cold." "That is to be expected. Can you tell me your name?" Name? She had a name? What was a name? Name, name, name...oh, right, word you used to refer to something or someone. Let's see...Cameron? Castro? Oh! Got it. "Samantha Carter." "Your profession?" Profession? Work. Ah, finally, her mind was getting the hang of thinking again. "Scientist. Astrophysicist. Major in the Air Force. Galaxy explorer." "Good," the Helen Hunt look-alike said. "I feared you had lost your identity, but that does not appear to be the case." She gently urged Sam into a sitting position; and, for the first time, the major realized that she'd been lying on her side on a warm, glowing, pulsing crystalline floor. Her eyes focused on the luminous walls, humming faintly in sync with the floor, the rainbow colors of which swirled together and glimmered brightly. Adding even further to the exquisite colors in the room was a line of flaming torches that crackled merrily along the walls, the vibrant red light catching off of the crystal like sunlight on the ocean. This almost sounded like Daniel and Janet's description of their mysterious crystal dream world.... Her mouth fell open as she returned her eyes to the tall, slender, middle-aged woman draped in flowing, satiny white raiment kneeling beside her. "You're Edea." The woman closed her eyes and bowed her head in humble acknowledgement. "Edea Darrian." *This* was Edea? *The* Edea? Sam had been expecting royal robes, regal hairstyles, makeup galore, crowns, and servants everywhere, not a pleasant-looking woman wearing a simple dress and surrounded by a small, almost entirely empty crystal room. So...why didn't she remember getting here? Where was 'here'? Where was SG-1? What had happened? "One question at a time, child," Edea calmed her. "You are deep inside the Crystal Cliffs. What is the last you remember?" Last she remembered? Coldness, darkness, sinking.... "Before that." Where had she been? Marbule, Glenn's attic, searching travel logs...wait a minute, was Edea reading her mind? The woman smiled. "I am sorry, Samantha. Yes, I am reading your mind. If you'd rather I stopped...." "Oh! Um, no...." Sam lifted a hand to her head, surprised to feel the skin on her face cold to the touch. She wasn't sure what she was thinking yet; and, because of that, she wasn't sure she wanted Edea to stop reading her mind. Any help the woman could give her in deciphering her thoughts would be much appreciated, since they were still a bit...fuzzy. Why...why was that? "You were nearly frozen," Edea said. "Another hour or two and I would have been unable to reach in and pull you from Amala's pool." Nearly frozen? Like all the Edeans SG-1 had seen in Deracot and Marbule? "How...?" "Amala attempted to possess you while you and your teammates were in Marbule. Because of your natural resistance, it took her longer to fully immerse you in her vile sedative; but she had nearly completed her task." *Oh*. That would explain why she'd felt so cold...and why she'd seen so many people inside that horrible blue world. Sam stared at the woman in awe; Edea was the one who had reached into the pool, snapped the chain dragging her down, grabbed her, and pulled her out. "You saved my life," she whispered. "Thank you." Edea smiled again and helped Sam rise up onto surprisingly stable legs. "You are most welcome, my child, but perhaps you should save your gratitude for your friends. They were the ones who risked their lives to bring you to me." Her friends? Oh, God, Daniel and Janet.... The entire mission to the dreary, dying planet came back to her in a rush of images and confused emotions. "Where...?" "They are also here, waiting for you outside," Edea said. "They will be most glad to see you again." "I'll be glad to see them." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered violently one more time, shaking off the last of the lingering cold as if shaking off tiny pellets of ice. Finally satisfied that her thought processes were functioning semi-normally again and that she could articulate coherent words, she said, "Wow...I guess I was under the impression that I was expendable. I mean, Daniel and Janet...they're the ones who you prophesied would defeat Amala, not me. Why go to such lengths bringing me to you if I wasn't necessary?" Wow, where had all of *that* come from? Sam wondered, watching as Edea slowly walked toward the back of the crystal room and seated herself on a simple crystal chair, chuckling. Man, her inhibitions and self-esteem must have been knocked down after floating in that blue, shapeless, creepy plane of existence for God only knew how long. Hopefully she'd get them back before she started saying even more bizarre things. "Is that the impression you were given, Samantha?" Edea finally asked her, interrupting her thoughts. "That you were 'expendable'? Nothing could be further from the truth. You too are a part of the prophecy...an extremely important part. While it is true you will not be the one to destroy Amala directly or to return life to this planet, without your presence and your help, that would not be possible. Whoever explained the prophecy to you and your friends was rather selective in the portions relayed." Who was that again who'd explained all this to them? Oh, right. "Valea." The woman's smile fell. "My daughter did what she believed she had to do." Wait a minute, her *daughter*? Edea nodded solemnly, but did not say any more. Holy Hannah! The resemblance between this woman and Valea suddenly clicked in place. *That* was news to Sam. From the frown on the woman's face, though, she could tell Edea currently didn't wish to discuss Valea. But about what she'd just said.... "So...you're saying our success here against Amala is assured? You sound confident we'll succeed." Still that beautiful, heart-warming smile didn't return to Edea's face; and the ensuing silence vaguely unnerved Sam. Damn, had she already said something offensive to the Guardian of the planet? The Colonel was going to kill her. "No, you have said nothing wrong, Samantha; I simply cannot answer your question in the affirmative. I wish I could say that you and your friends were guaranteed success in your mission here; but, sadly, I cannot." Her eyes narrowed. "But I thought the whole point of your prophecy...?" "Valea has not properly explained 'prophecy' to you, child," Edea said, shaking her head. "I do not *foresee* the future, nor do I *foresee* you and your friends defeating Amala. What I foresee are the conditions necessary to *acquire* your victory over her. Two people -- one with Daniel Jackson's skills and one with Janet Fraiser's skills -- are necessary to stop Amala and reverse the damage she has wrought on this planet." The woman rose to her feet and slowly approached Sam, standing entranced in the middle of the room. "Three others were also included in the prophecy, however. One possessed your abilities, Samantha; one possessed the abilities of the Jaffa, Teal'c; and a final one possessed the ability to lead you safely to your final destination, Colonel Jack O'Neill. You three are as necessary to successfully defeating Amala as are Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser. Not only are your abilities prerequisites for success, however; so are your personalities, both your strengths and your weaknesses. You see, you and your team complement each other. You have fulfilled the necessary requirements of the prophecy and have passed the tests to bring you to this point in time; this alone, however, does not assure you of victory." Sam continued observing the woman through narrowed eyes. Maybe it was because of her recent near-frozen physical and mental state, or maybe Edea was just naturally cryptic in her speech, but she wasn't sure she was following. Edea appeared to sense her uncertainty. "There are still countless, necessary conditions that must be met before you and your friends can be assured of success. I see what those conditions are, and I see the outcome of both successfully and unsuccessfully meeting those conditions. What I cannot see, however, are *which* of the outcomes you will arrive at. *This*, dear child, is my form of prophecy: seeing what all the possible outcomes of these conditions will be and which combination of successfully met conditions will result in the desired result. I believe you are wise enough to understand this concept. "As for Valea...she heard the prophecy, but she irresponsibly placed emphasis on the two who would do the actual destruction and rejuvenation, Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser, and failed to realize that the rest of the conditions were just as important. She knew very well that 'warriors' were also necessary to your success; she simply allowed her biases against them to overrule that condition and believe it of no importance. She nearly cost you and your teammates any chance of success by trying to persuade you, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c not to accompany your friends. That, however, was to be expected, considering the circumstances." 'Considering the circumstances'? What did that mean? If Edea heard Sam's silent questions, however, she ignored them and instead continued, "Samantha, the point of this is that without you -- without your abilities, your support, and your love for your friends -- success would not be possible. Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser are not the only conditions. You are also one...a very key one." Sam stared at the woman, stunned. Her mind could conceive of no response to what Edea had just told her, nor could her vocal chords have articulated a coherent response. This woman had just told her something that went against everything she'd been led to believe the past few days...and it would take a few more minutes for her to absorb this news. A moment later, Edea glided closer toward her as if floating through the air. "Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser are your friends, are they not?" What kind of question was that? Sam wondered, her eyes narrowing curiously. "Of course they are." "And you are aware of the horrible injustice that has been laid upon them?" Sam nodded and looked down at the glowing crystal floor. Coping with it or not, that Level 3 link was completely unfair. "You feel for them, do you not?" Her hands wrung together of their own accord. "Yes, of course I do. They didn't deserve that link, not without a choice." Edea nodded. "I know, and I agree with you. No one deserves to be given a Level 3 link against their will." Sam couldn't help noticing that Edea's voice was pained as she spoke. She hated what had happened to them too, that much was obvious. "I must ask you to do something for me, Samantha." Do something for the woman who had saved her life? That was a no- brainer. "Of course, anything. Name it." The woman's striking blue eyes lifted to hers, and Sam was helpless but to hold her gaze. "I know your military background often forces you to struggle with how best to show your love and devotion as a friend. You do not always know how to act when another is hurting. I sympathize with that, and I will offer you a piece of advice, for you will soon find yourself struggling with that very question yet again. Support Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser, no matter what might happen. Do not forsake them. They would not forsake you, nor your friends, if your positions were reversed." Edea paused for emphasis, fixing Sam with an aching, deeply empathetic look. "Your way is about to take an unexpected and unwanted turn, Samantha; and, for a time, you will hold yourself personally responsible for it. However, it is not your fault; and you must realize that in order to move on, past your predicament. You cannot prevent what is about to happen -- contrary to what you will believe, it *must* happen - - and they will need the support only an unconditional friend can give them. I will tell you this, and I will tell your friends this. Without you, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c, all hope would be lost for them. I have already done everything I can to help them. Whether I was correct to do what I did is debatable for I certainly am not proud of it, but it has been done and it is all I can do. Whether they successfully pass the upcoming test is in their hands...and, after that, the rest is up to you." A sudden sense of uneasiness and foreboding swept through her. "Edea, what's about to happen?" "That I cannot tell you, Samantha, for fear you would attempt to prevent it from happening," Edea said, the beautiful, forgotten smile returning to her lips. "It is a necessary condition that you face the remaining trials unaware of the required conditions that must be met. If you were made aware of them, I risk ruining all hope for success. I believe you understand this concept, do you not?" Sam nodded slowly. That sounded almost like the Grandfather Paradox, by letting the future go on as it naturally would without attempting to change it. Yes, she thought she understood it...although it certainly didn't make her feel any better if Edea was right that something terrible was about to happen to Daniel and Janet. Suddenly, the wise woman turned back to her. "I have a gift for you, Samantha, but only if you would receive it." A gift? For her? "What kind of gift?" "A mental gift that will assist you in using your abilities. However, I must touch your mind to give it to you, and I will not do that without your permission." Her mind recoiled. Between her growing fear for Daniel's and Janet's welfare and the fact that she was still instinctively unnerved at the suggestion of letting others play with her brain, 'touching her mind' was not the most pleasant option at the moment. Sam knew very little about this woman, even less than she'd known about Valea before she'd let her open her mind. On the other hand, Edea *had* just saved her life, and everything Sam had heard about her was positive, so.... "You wish for more information about the gift I am offering you first," Edea said. Seeing the major nod, she went on, "I do not blame you. That is wise, knowing what you are agreeing to before making the decision, although I am afraid that is not always feasible. However, in this instance, it is, so I will appease your curiosity. Samantha, you are still unaware of the extent of your abilities, and your mind is not yet able to access many of them since it has not yet fully opened, being merely a week since Valea altered it for you. While I will not give you full knowledge of all of your skills, I will open the remainder of your mind and enable you to access those you currently cannot, thus allowing you to use them freely. This is, in essence, omitting several proper, fundamental years of training. Generally speaking, I do not approve of taking shortcuts with training, but you do not have time to learn in the typical fashion, nor is there anyone remaining you can learn from." No one remaining to learn from? "But I thought Sayil...?" Edea closed her eyes, the sorrow Sam saw written on the woman's face tearing at her heart. What about Sayil? Was something wrong with him? If Valea was Edea's daughter, then Sayil was her son, right? Sam suddenly had a bad feeling about this. "My son only had time to teach you several basic skills," Edea said. "He began your training; but, sadly, Amala has now frozen him." Oh, God, Sayil was *frozen*? When had *that* happened? Then again, that might explain why she'd seen him inside that warped, nightmarish, icy pool.... "In any case," Edea started again, regaining the composure she had previously lost at the mention of her son, "these skills that I speak of are necessary for the survival of yourself and your friends." "You're saying this is one of the necessary 'conditions' for our success," Sam said. "Yes. They may backfire on you because you have not been properly training in using them, I am aware of that; but the fact remains, you must have access to them to succeed." Edea circled the major, watching her closely as if scrutinizing her reaction. "In addition, I will allow you a quicker grasp of my people's technology to 'rewire' the brain and to understand our anti-'magic' barriers, among other things. Most of this knowledge will remain unavailable to you until after Amala's defeat, and then it will come to you in occasional flashes of information, such as the knowledge you receive from Jolinar of Molkshur. I still insist you attempt to discover the secrets for yourself, however, for learning is more effective when you do it yourself than when it is merely handed to you. What this will ultimately do, however, is make your already brilliant, capable mind even more brilliant and capable. Will you allow me to do this?" This was too weird, Sam thought, running her hands through her hair. Edea knew about Jolinar and the 'flashes' of inspiration Jolinar had left with her after her death? And what Edea was speaking about...it sounded like she was offering her an unbelievable treasure trove of knowledge, in addition to all the skills Sayil had told her she'd one day have. "And it's...?" "Completely safe," Edea finished for her. Of course, it was also weird having someone constantly finishing your thoughts for you. But if releasing her skills was necessary to the success of their team, then she didn't have much of a choice, did she? Besides, one day having full access to the Edeans' technology could very well make all their suffering on this planet worthwhile. Finally, Sam nodded. "Yeah, go ahead." Without giving the major a chance to reconsider, Edea walked up to her and placed her palm to Sam's forehead. She closed her eyes and, while Sam watched on, amazed, the woman's hand glowed with a faint white light, then returned to normal. "It is done," Edea said, retracting her hand. "I don't feel any different." "No, you won't. The rest is now up to you. You must trust in yourself. Constantly search for new ways to apply your strengths and your skills. They are there, waiting for you to discover them and utilize them; and, once you have found them, do not be afraid to put them to the test. Do not fear them or fear using them correctly, for sometimes failure is the best teacher. And, most importantly, do not hold yourself responsible for your failures and for what happens to yourself and to your friends as a result; learn from them, but do not blame yourself." Edea lightly touched her shoulder. "Now, go, child, and send in your superior officer. I will see you again before you leave." Before Sam could protest her quick dismissal and her inability to ask further questions, light and warmth enveloped her. Next she knew, she was standing inside a beautiful, sparkling crystal garden, standing in the midst of her teammates. "Sam!" Daniel said, jumping to his feet from one of the crystal benches at the base of the steps where he and Janet had been seated. At the same moment, O'Neill greeted her from the bench to her left with a smile and a very pleased, "Carter." God, she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen the colonel so *happy* to see her. Just how long had she been floating in that pool of icy slime? She didn't have time to consider that question, though, since the others immediately rose to their feet, smiles on their faces as they saw her alive and well once again. Sam felt vaguely guilty that she wasn't able to return their enthusiasm. Of course she was glad to see them and was terribly grateful that they'd brought her to Edea...but at the moment she was so overcome by the unmistakable sense of dread and foreboding about what was yet to come that all she could manage was half a smile. "How are you feeling?" Janet asked, clearly concerned by Sam's somber reaction. They must've expected her to be more cheerful after her return to the land of the living. "I...I'm great, Janet. I feel great." "You missed a lot of fun, Carter. Could've used your help a few times." The colonel's smile broadened. "But it's good to see you on your feet again." Sam met the colonel's eyes. He wasn't normally this direct with his feelings, was he? It caught her off guard and confused her; and, absently, she lifted a hand to her forehead. Maybe she was still feeling woozy from her near-death experience and whatever tampering Edea had just done to her brain. O'Neill's smile faded. "Carter? Something wrong?" She lifted her eyes to his for a long moment, then blinked and looked away, back at Daniel and Janet. Yes, something was very, very wrong...only Edea had refused to tell her *what*. She was disturbed; she feared for her friends' welfare; she was filled with trepidation about the 'unwanted turn' their lives were all about to take.... For the moment, though, she couldn't spoil the others' excitement at seeing her again. "No, Sir, I'm fine. I'm just...thinking...." ...which was 100 percent true. The colonel's facial expression clearly asked her to relay her thoughts, but there was no way she was going to explain in front of Daniel and Janet. After all, they had other things to worry about right now instead of Edea's puzzling omens. She quickly scanned the gorgeous waiting area until her eyes landed on the mirror behind her...that must be the entrance to Edea's chamber. "Um, Edea...she asked to see you next, Sir." His eyebrows flew upward. "Me?" Sam nodded, and he glanced briefly at the others. "Oh...okay. Guess I shouldn't keep the lady waiting." He observed the major uncertainly another moment before taking a step past her toward the mirror, but he stopped immediately behind her. //Carter? You sure everything's okay?\\ Leave it to the colonel to press the issue. Her gaze fell once again on Daniel and Janet, who were watching her with growing concern. //No, Sir, everything's not okay...but I think you're better off hearing it from Edea for yourself.\\ She sensed him glance back at her before turning and quickly heading up the stairs to meet Edea. Sam forced one last smile for her friends' sake, then walked away from the waiting area to admire the beautiful garden and try to get her mind off of Edea's disturbing warnings. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 5:39 p.m. Jack wasn't sure what to expect anymore. Carter's reaction after her unfreezing had been less than encouraging. He'd expected her to be exuberant that she'd faced terrible odds -- odds that had defeated 90 percent of the population on this godforsaken planet -- and had beat Amala with flying colors. Instead, he was left with the disconcerting feeling that he wasn't in the least going to like what Edea was about to tell him. He'd been looking forward to meeting this wise, acclaimed, powerful, near-mythical woman, but now a feeling of acute anxiety settled over him. Something was wrong. Very wrong. It had to be. Jack forced that thought from his mind, hoping Carter's attitude hadn't dealt the others' spirits a similar blow, and climbed the steps toward the strange mirror. Unlike before, now his reflection was clearly visible inside it. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through. Ah, so that must be Edea, he concluded, looking around the torch-lit crystal room until his eyes landed on the woman facing away from him along the back wall, long, blond hair covering her back. As he took another step inside, she turned around to face him, smiling pleasantly. "Colonel Jonathan O'Neill." "Jack," came the immediate reply. God, this woman looked exactly like Helen Hunt. In spite of the earlier feeling of dread Carter's reaction had given him, he couldn't suppress a smile at meeting this beautiful woman. "You must be Edea. We've heard a lot about you." "Yes, I know you have. I have been looking forward to meeting you as well, Jack, although I must confess my longing has been dampened by a feeling of trepidation." Trepidation? That didn't sound good. "Why?" "Because it means my time is drawing short." Oh. Huh? "I will explain later," Edea said. She was reading his mind. That was...vaguely unnerving. "Yes, I suppose it is, Jack." Okay, no more reading his mind. That was just too weird. Oh, but before he forgot.... "Edea, thank you for helping Carter. I don't know that I could've handled seeing her in that 'frozen' condition much longer." "You're welcome," Edea replied, her smile broadening. "Your actions, however, were just as admirable. My daughter was correct when she told you the ledge test was meant for Samantha. You took an unbelievable leap of faith, both for her and for your fellow teammates. Because of that faith, you still survived the test when you should have failed without her." Jack's eyes widened as the meaning of her words struck him. "You're saying *you* were the one who gave us that soft landing. You've seen and heard everything that's happened to us so far." "Yes. I have observed you all closely since your first arrival on the planet nearly three weeks ago. You have confirmed my belief that Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser are the ones capable of freeing the planet from Amala." God, there were so many questions Jack wanted to ask this woman that he didn't know where to start. Daniel and Fraiser, Amala, Valea, Sayil, the warriors/mind user rift, those weird tigers who'd taken a liking to Teal'c, these 'skills' everyone had except him.... Edea turned her head sharply toward him as she sensed his last thought. "You feel somewhat...inferior and insignificant compared to your friends, do you not? And I am not speaking of your intelligence since you are no fool, even though I know you frequently act as such to draw out the best qualities in your teammates. No, I speak of the mental abilities they possess that you do not. They can manipulate aspects of the universe, but you cannot do such marvelous things. You cannot heal the injured with your mind. You cannot teleport quarters and levitate chickens. You cannot start a hurricane, then make is subside within seconds. You cannot tame tigers. You cannot even sense illusions. You are 100 percent warrior while your teammates are not. Not even the Jaffa you were convinced was a kindred warrior spirit lacks abilities. Therefore, you are unsure of the full extent of your purpose here or what you can do to assist your friends. All you know is that you cannot leave them, and you do not desire any harm to befall them. You feel responsible for their health and welfare. If they are injured or threatened, you will do whatever you must to protect them, no matter what the personal cost to yourself." Edea tilted her head inquisitively. "Am I correct that you feel these things?" ...Wow. Jack felt his mouth fall open of its own accord. How was it that a woman he'd first met no more than five minutes ago could dig into his soul and know these things -- his worries, his inadequacies, and his slight jealousy toward his teammates' abilities -- when he'd never expressed them aloud to anyone? "A little...." Edea smiled knowingly. If this woman knew all his thoughts as it seemed she did, then she knew it was a hell of a lot more than a 'little.' Whether she recognized the minimization or not, though, she didn't say anything further about the subject. Instead, Edea surprised him by jumping directly to the point. "You underestimate yourself, Jack. One of the things I have sadly failed to convince my people during my time as Guardian is that warriors are as necessary to mind users as mind users are to warriors. You may not possess the same mental skills they do, yet you have your own unique skills that they do not, particularly in the areas of tactical planning, decision-making, and leadership. In your own way, you are as brilliant as Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson. You are not simply 'eye candy' on this journey as you have previously claimed. You are a loyal friend, a comforter, and a guide. You can bring out the best in your teammates by pushing them to reach their full potential. You have common sense and instincts that frequently lead you to make the wisest decision, even under the worst of circumstances; and you aren't afraid to stubbornly -- and rightly -- follow those instincts. You, Jack O'Neill, are a *leader* where they are not. I do not believe you could envision Daniel Jackson leading SG-1 on your missions every week, could you?" Jack looked down at his hands, unwillingly grinning at the image of the oft-distracted archaeologist trying to persuade everyone on the team to do their respective duties. "They need you, Jack," Edea continued. "No one else can lead them through the hell they are about to experience. They need a strong leader, a dedicated friend, and a cool head when all hope seems lost. That leader is you." His eyes lifted back to the pleading, beautiful face watching from the opposite side of the room. Lead them through the hell they were about to experience? What was *that* supposed to mean? Edea possessed such dignity and certainty as she glided over the crystal floor toward him, however, that he couldn't find the appropriate words to question her. "No matter what happens, I trust you will make the right decision. Never forget your words of friendship and support to Daniel Jackson earlier this morning, for you are unaware just how prophetic your own words were. He will need that reassurance very soon, not in your words or in your pity, but in your actions and your trust. Through it all, be his friend and be Janet Fraiser's friend, even when it seems you cannot...and even when you would not allow for such things from them at any other time without immediately removing them from your team. Allow them to do what they feel they must do, whether you approve of it or not. Trust them, even when your ability to trust them has been utterly destroyed. Do not hold their words and actions against them. That is the only way you *and* your team will survive long enough to meet Amala." All right, that was enough of *that*. She was speaking far too quickly for Jack to absorb everything. *Why* wouldn't he trust Daniel and Fraiser? Looks like they needed to take a time out -- a *big* time out -- to clarify a few things. "You're saying...." "Some terrible events will soon occur; and, as a result, your journey will become extremely difficult and painful, for all of you. There is nothing you can do to prevent it, Jack. As I told Samantha, what is about to happen is inevitable...and necessary." Edea grabbed his shoulder with her hand; and he jumped at the sudden, urgent action. "During that time, *you* must be the one to keep hope alive, for all of your sakes. In order to do that and to guide your team where you must go, there is something I must give you." Jack swallowed, his pulse rising as his apprehension and alarm grew. Uh-oh, now she needed to give him something? "What?" he asked, his voice quiet. "A mental gift," Edea said, removing her hand from his shoulder to gently touch his cheek. If he hadn't just learned that some horrible *thing* was about to break loose on his team, he might've found the touch comforting. "I cannot give you abilities like those of your teammates, nor can I currently explain this gift to you. However, I ask you to trust me, as you trusted when you leapt off the ledge. I know your trust is conditional, particularly for those you do not know well, and I have become convinced that that is for the best for both your own welfare and for the welfare of your teammates. However, I am asking you not to trust me for yourself, but rather for the sake of Daniel Jackson, Janet Fraiser, Samantha Carter, and Teal'c. The gift I have for you is necessary for the success of all parties involved." Jack blinked several times, suspicious of her request, especially considering she appeared adamant about not disclosing details of her 'gift,' but she had hit a soft spot when she asked him to do it for his friends. Almost unbeknownst to himself, he nodded, granting her his permission. Edea quickly lifted her hand to his forehead. It glowed brightly for several seconds, then faded as she lowered the hand and patted his shoulder. "You will know what my gift is when the proper time has come. Through it all, Jack, trust your instincts...and perhaps one day you will be able to see yourself and your teammates safely back to the planet you hold so dear." While he continued staring at her, trying to figure out something appropriate to say in response -- 'Thank you' didn't sound right considering he didn't have a clue what she'd just given him -- Edea turned away and retreated to her seat along the back wall. "Now go and send in the Jaffa." "Wait..." he started; but, instantly, whiteness engulfed him, preventing him from saying any more. When the light faded, he found himself standing in the waiting area in the same place where Carter had reappeared no more than 10 minutes earlier. Still stunned by the woman's adumbrations and by what had just happened, he turned in a full circle, observing the garden and the three people loitering in the waiting area. Valea and Carter were nowhere to be seen. "Jack?" Daniel asked, rising from his seat on the crystal bench and approaching the older man. "Are you okay?" *Was* he okay? He didn't think he was...but there was no way in hell he was going to tell Daniel that. "I'm fine, Daniel. Just fine." Finally, he located Teal'c, standing off to the side against a back wall. "Teal'c?" "O'Neill." "She wants to talk to you." The Jaffa arched an eyebrow of surprise, then bowed his head and headed toward the doorway. "Jack?" Daniel asked again, pulling the colonel's eyes back to the his near-panicked face. "What's going on? Everyone's coming out in some kind of..." he frowned, motioning with his hand as he fumbled for the correct description, "...melancholic daze." Melancholic daze? That was one way to put it. When Jack didn't say anything, Daniel glanced worriedly at Fraiser, still seated on the bench near the entrance to the waiting area, but the colonel's mind was too busy trying to sort out what Edea had just told him to pay that look much heed. A lump of dread settled in the pit of his stomach as he observed the two who were apparently doomed to face some nasty, hellish experience. Damn it, he wished he knew what Edea was talking about; but he hadn't been able to ask her even *one* of the many questions that had been nagging in his mind the past week. At one point she'd said something about her 'time being short,' though...maybe that was why she'd gotten straight to the point and rushed him out of there? Wait a minute, Edea had promised to explain what she meant by that, her 'time being short.' One look back over his shoulder at the mirror, however, made it clear that he was no longer welcome inside the woman's chamber. "Did you meet Edea?" Fraiser asked, interrupting his thoughts. Jack just nodded faintly. "And...?" Daniel prodded. "Nice lady. Reads minds. Very smart." And very cryptic, his mind added, but he didn't say that thought aloud. He lifted a hand to his forehead and rubbed it. "Where's Carter?" The two exchanged dubious looks at his forehead rubbing. "Sam wandered into the garden immediately after you left," Daniel said. "Valea said we should wait here in case Edea asked for us, and she went off to find her. Neither have come back yet." Ah. For some reason, that didn't surprise Jack. Edea must've told her something similar to what she'd just told him, and Carter probably wanted to think it all through...which was exactly what *he* wanted to do right now. Without another word, Jack walked away, back into the heart of the crystalline garden, leaving the stunned couple alone to await their summons from Edea. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 5:50 p.m. Teal'c was intrigued by the fact that the Guardian of the planet desired words with him before she had spoken with Daniel Jackson and Dr. Fraiser. He did not deem himself of greater importance on this mission than either of them; on the contrary, he was here *because* of them. O'Neill he could understand Edea's need to speak with, and Major Carter had been in dire need of assistance to remove her ailment. He, however, was merely a Jaffa supporting the others in any way he could. The answer was simple, Teal'c realized as he approached the mirror; Edea Darrian wished to punish him for allowing Amala to freeze Sayil, her son. If that truly was her reasoning for requesting his audience, then he would not hide from her wrath or disappointment. He had not hid from the Cor-ai; he would not hide now. He briefly examined his reflection in the mirror-door, then stepped through it into the small crystal room. The tall, blond woman dressed entirely in white and sitting on a crystal chair was obviously expecting him, for she bowed her head humbly as he entered the room. It was not difficult to see her resemblance to the two children who had guided them to her. Teal'c immediately bowed his head out of respect and sincerest apology, hoping she was wise enough to find a way to forgive him for his failure. "Edea Darrian. I am...." "Teal'c," she silenced him gently. "Please, ease your mind. There is no reason to carry your present burden; you have nothing for which you must apologize to me. No one would have been able to save my son from his fate, not even myself. Amala was determined to take him; she would not have allowed anyone to hinder her. However, if it will help you feel more reassured, I forgive you." The Jaffa lifted his head to admire her. This woman appeared to know his thoughts. It was most unusual, but her forgiveness would be neither forgotten nor ignored. "You have been a great source of help to my family, Teal'c," Edea said. "While you did not extend the entirety of your trust to my daughter -- which I will be the first to admit was wise, considering the circumstances -- still you protected her. You have also aided Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser in every way you could in bringing them safely here. For that, I thank and commend you. I feel safe knowing that you have served as their backbone thus far...and that you will continue to do so for the remainder of your time here." Teal'c bowed his head again, appreciating her encouragement, although he was uncertain of all that she spoke. Edea rose from her seat and observed him. "You view yourself as a liberator, as someone who follows through on his oaths, who supports his friends, and who obeys the commands given to him. When you see something evil in the world, something that enslaves others as the Goa'uld enslave you and your people, you desire to eradicate it. Your friendship does not consist in idle chatter and conversation; it consists of the deepest bonds of loyalty and of carrying out your word. In addition, you view yourself as a protector, one who guards whatever is entrusted to him without fail. Am I correct in all this, Teal'c?" He lifted his head nobly. She had painted him an accurate picture of himself. "You are." Slowly, Edea turned away from him. "You possess intense loyalty to these people -- to Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, Daniel Jackson, and Janet Fraiser. You believe they will help you achieve your goals to free your people. You admire them, and you trust them." Seeing Teal'c nod, Edea continued, "You hold yourself responsible for the death of Daniel Jackson's wife. You picked Sha'uri as Amaunet's host; you handed her over to Apophis. You, then, were the one forced to decide between the value of her life and Daniel Jackson's. You chose Daniel Jackson because you believed he was more integral to your goals and more capable than was Sha'uri of saving the galaxy from the Goa'uld. You were amazed when he forgave you. You admire his intelligence and his way with words. You admire his determination to follow his heart and his ability to forgive, even when you cannot. Because of this, the part of you who values justice wishes to make restitution for what you see as your 'crime' against him, even though he does not expect it. Restitution, for you, means helping him however he needs help and assisting Colonel O'Neill in protecting him...as you protect all of your teammates." The Jaffa closed his eyes. The rumors he had heard of this woman's wisdom appeared to be correct. He did not know her, yet she knew him. He felt uneasy at how much she knew about him...yet comforted that she would guide him in the correct direction. "Likewise, you feel indebted to Janet Fraiser," Edea continued, now watching him again. "You greatly respect her for she has saved your life on countless occasions. She remained by your side day and night to keep you alive after your second encounter with Hathor. She has always fought for your rights as a human being when others on Earth would deny them. She helped your son when Apophis would have killed him. She cares immensely for your well-being, yet she is not afraid to stand up against you when she disagrees. For such a small woman, you admire her courage and strength. You care very deeply about her and about Daniel Jackson. Am I correct?" Indeed, this woman knew things about him she should not know. Knowing that, Teal'c saw there was no reason to lie to her; she would recognize it as a lie and be disappointed in him. "You are, Edea Darrian." She smiled at him once again, and Teal'c felt his discomfort eased. "You will soon have your opportunity to show your gratitude to Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser for all they have done for you. I have informed your two fellow travelers of this, and I must also inform you. Times will soon be difficult for you, for Jack O'Neill, and for Samantha Carter. Your difficulties, however, will pale in comparison to those experienced by Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser." Her blue eyes locked with his, forcing him to hold her gaze. "Help them, Teal'c. Do not hold what will happen against them. Assist Jack O'Neill. Reassure and encourage Samantha Carter. And, most importantly, never give up." Alarms were ringing inside Teal'c's mind, and he was suddenly aware why O'Neill and Major Carter had displayed dubious spirits after speaking with this woman. His eyes lifted to Edea as she approached him. "You have committed many terrible crimes during your years as Apophis' first prime, Teal'c, and I am aware of them all. However, you have repented of these and are seeking forgiveness for them by fighting alongside those you believe have the strength and capability to defeat the Goa'uld. I will not judge you for your previous actions, for I sense that your current motives are pure, no matter how questionable they might seem to your companions if they were aware of them. In return for overlooking these crimes that I, as an enforcer of justice, would otherwise be forced to punish, I ask two things of you." Edea circled him, her long white dress flowing behind her. "One, I ask you to extend the same courtesy toward Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser that I am extending to you now in overlooking your sins. No matter what they might do, allow them to do it, and do not allow it to permanently color your opinion of them." Teal'c cocked his head. Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser were going to commit atrocious crimes for which Edea was asking him not to judge them? This news was unsettling, but he could not question her about it, considering everything she knew about him. "I give you my oath I shall not, Edea Darrian. What is your second request?" When she had returned to the spot directly in front of him, she stopped again, sighing. "Teal'c, my time is running out, and then I will be no more. You are aware who my children are?" He did not understand what she meant about her time running out, yet he did not question her words. "I am. I am also aware of their current condition." "I know you are." Edea's cerulean eyes observed him once again before she lifted her hand, palm upward. In the center of it was a tiny crystal marble, smaller than the key Dr. Fraiser had discovered inside the oak tree, nearly the size of a pea. "This belongs to my daughter, Thea. I would ask that you find her; and, once she has been released from her icy prison -- assuming Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser survive to discover a way to free her -- give this to her. She will know what must be done with it. I am trusting that you will guard it, Teal'c, that you will protect it as diligently as you protect your friends. Do not allow Amala to acquire it. Do not relinquish control of it to anyone, not even those you trust most. Do not even mention to them that you possess it. This is a matter of the utmost importance." Edea was dying, Teal'c suddenly realized, a stab of pity and grief sweeping through him. "No, I am not dying, Teal'c, but I will soon be dead. However, I ask you not to share that knowledge with your friends just yet. The time for that revelation has not yet come." Edea held up the marble in front of him. "Will you do this for me?" Teal'c observed her determined, resigned expression a moment, then he closed his eyes and bowed his head, accepting her request. She placed the marble in his palm; and he closed his hand around it, feeling it pulse softly, emitting warmth and energy. "I give you my word that I will guard this with my life, Edea Darrian. It will not fall into enemy hands." "Thank you, Teal'c. I trust that you will succeed." Edea smiled at him and placed her hand to his shoulder, then turned and headed back to her seat. "I am afraid I have no gifts for you. However, my daughter has alerted you to the fact that you possess abilities beyond what you were initially led to believe?" Valea Darrian had told him as much while Major Carter had been in this woman's presence. "Indeed she has." "Then you are aware you possess a number of skills, primarily animal skills and the ability to see through illusions. Your animal skills have already been put to the test and will be used little in the upcoming days; those you must discover for yourself at a later date. Your secondary skills, however, will now be in great demand, for many illusions will cloud the remainder of your journey and you are the only one able to see them. Trust your eyes, Teal'c. It is of great importance that you do this. Likewise, you are able to feel things the others can only guess at; and you can discern which of these are to be trusted and which pose a danger to you. Keep these facts always in mind, and use them to your advantage." "I shall, Edea Darrian." Edea turned back to him, her eyes pleading with him one last time. "Please, Teal'c, save my family and my people. Protect your friends. Your strength and your skills are most necessary for your success. Now go, speak not yet of the things I have told you, and send in the married couple!" *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* Chapter Eighteen: Revelations August 31, 2001 Friday, 6:01 p.m. Daniel leaned back against the wall next to the mirror-door, his arms folded to his chest as he contemplated his teammates' pensive reactions after leaving Edea's chamber. Something must be seriously wrong. He may be distracted by a lot of other things at the moment -- namely his new skills and his omnipresent, burning attraction to Janet -- but he could still see that. The question now was why the hell were they refusing to repeat anything that she'd said to them? In front of him, Janet slowly paced the glittering mosaic floor of silver, gold, and diamond tiles, as disturbed by Jack and Sam's frame of mind as he was. Sensing Daniel was watching her, she turned her eyes back to him. "What do *you* make of their reactions?" she asked. He shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's almost like Edea just told them there's no hope that we'll win against Amala." While Daniel knew she'd been hoping for something a bit more optimistic than that, right now he was too upset to offer her anything more than that. The way the two had retreated from them had dampened his spirits and created this damned sense of pessimism within him...which was probably the exact reaction they'd been hoping to prevent by retreating in the first place. It was as if their encounter with Edea had deeply shocked them. Had she done something to them? Why had they both rubbed their foreheads? Last time SG-1 had seen anyone rub their forehead, that had been a clear indication that someone had done something to their brains. Could it be that Valea had misled them and Edea wasn't really a good lady after all? Maybe Edea *was* Amala. "God, I hope not," Janet said, following his train of thought as she leaned against the wall beside him. "Guess we'll have to wait until they get back. Let's just hope Teal'c's in a better mood than Jack and Sam were." If their preoccupied, agitated expressions as they'd stalked away from the waiting area hadn't clearly indicated they weren't in the mood for disturbances, Daniel might've contacted them over their link and asked them what was wrong; but, at the moment, he didn't think they'd appreciate the interference. Suddenly, Jack wandered back into the waiting area with Sam and Valea trailing behind him, their faces unreadable as they approached the two along the wall. "I take it Teal'c's still in there?" Jack asked, motioning at the door. "Since you left," Daniel said. "Jack, is everything all right?" The older man sighed and glanced back at Sam. "Not really, Daniel, but don't worry about that now. We'll talk later." Valea shrugged at Daniel as she climbed up the steps to sit on the bench along the back wall. //Don't ask me; they wouldn't tell me anything. Major Carter did nothing but stare at one of Mother's fountains for 20 minutes, and Colonel O'Neill walked up a second ago and told us to get back to the waiting area.\\ //You know, Valea, I expected them to be more...excited...after talking with your mother,\\ Janet said. //So did I,\\ the girl agreed. Daniel watched as his two teammates seated themselves on different benches and proceeded to stare ahead of them blankly. He sent a mental alert to Janet as he saw first Sam, then Jack, lift their hands to their foreheads; and she looked back in their direction, concerned. Something definitely wasn't right with that. They didn't even seem to realize they were doing it again; it had been nearly three days since the last time Daniel had seen Jack rub his head in that unusual, uncomfortable spot. All eyes lifted as Teal'c materialized in the middle of the crystalline waiting area, seemingly surprised at his sudden reappearance. Daniel frowned; one look at him showed he'd had a similarly disturbing conversation with the wise woman. The Jaffa turned in a complete circle, briefly examining each face. "Teal'c?" Jack asked, seeing his hesitation. "Edea desires to see the married couple, but I am uncertain of whom she is speaking." Daniel felt his cheeks blaze at Teal'c's statement; and, beside him, Janet coughed to cover her choke of dismay. Uh oh...looked like their little 'secret' was finally out in the open. Edea must've known Teal'c would repeat her words verbatim and thought it was time to reveal their situation to the rest of the team. Janet cleared her throat and smiled shyly at Daniel. "Um...that would probably be us." He returned her smile and motioned at the mirrored portal. "Yeah...probably." Before they could escape through the mirror, however, Jack uttered a confused, irritated, "*Married*?" Daniel's eyes darted back at him, but he found he couldn't hold the colonel's angry glare for more than a second. Damn, he knew their 'situation' had to come out sometime and that when it did, Jack would be royally ticked that they hadn't told him about it from the start. Sam, meanwhile, was watching the two with distinct sympathy on her face, Teal'c's eyebrows were raised in sheer curiosity, and Valea was rubbing her neck uncomfortably. "I'll explain it to them, Daniel, just...go speak to Mother," the girl assured him, lowering her hand from her neck. Valea was either extremely brave or didn't know Jack and his temper very well yet if she was volunteering to tell them about the Level 3 link. Daniel frowned, however, as he again met Janet's eyes. This had *not* been the way they'd wanted the others to find out about their relationship -- from Valea -- but the damage had been done. Now all he could hope was that, given enough time, Jack would forgive him for keeping that important piece of information secret for so long. Daniel's fears faded as he turned back to the mirror and saw the reflection awaiting them, a small smile playing on his lips at the image of the two of them together. They really didn't look that bad together. She was considerably shorter than his nearly six-foot frame, but he could live with that if she could. After all, hidden beneath her petite figure was a woman filled with so much strength and love that he would never fail to wonder how he could've overlooked those qualities earlier. He blushed shyly as he read her thoughts about him...but was relieved to find they were nearly identical to the ones he'd just had about her. 'Married,' huh? Daniel wasn't sure how he felt about that description yet, but it was growing on him more and more with each passing day. Then, hand in hand, the two stepped toward the reflection and were transported through the rippling silver portal into the torch-lit crystal room on the other side. His gaze immediately fell on Edea, and his heart skipped a beat in excitement. Finally. This was the woman Valea and Sayil had been touting for over a week now, the woman who could guide them and answer their questions about their abilities, about their link, about Amala, and -- if she was as wise as was fabled among the Edeans -- about any question that Daniel could possibly think of...which was a lot. The woman smiled, pulling Daniel's mind from the millions of questions he wanted to ask her. God, her smile was captivating, so much like Valea's and Sayil's, so warm, so sincere, so beautiful, so...comforting. "Daniel Jackson, Janet Fraiser," she greeted them. "Many years have I been waiting for this moment." She rose from her camouflaged crystal seat and crossed the floor to stand before them. Without warning, she lifted her hands to their faces, placing one on Daniel's cheek and the other on Janet's, the unexpected action startling both. Something in the way she was staring at them sent a tremor of fear down his spine...it was unsettling, her face filled with deep yearning, grief, pain, and...hope? For a moment Daniel was afraid a tear was going to trickle down the woman's pale cheek; but, to his relief, none did. Those tears were certainly welling in her eyes, though. Daniel sensed Janet's composure falter as the woman's intense gaze moved next to her. To try to end the stare down, he cleared his throat and said, "Edea?" His voice was quiet, but it broke the spell Edea had woven over Janet. Instantly, her composure returned and she sought Daniel's hand again with her own. "Edea, is something wrong?" she asked. Edea finally seemed to realize how uncomfortable she'd made them, for she quickly removed her hands from their faces. "My heart bleeds for you, children, for what has been done to you..." her steady, powerful voice wavered, "...and for what I have done to you." Daniel blinked several times. For what *she* had done to them? He didn't understand; and, thanks to their link, he knew Janet didn't either. "You see, this link between you was not an accident, children." His eyes narrowed. Not an accident? That didn't make sense. Beside him, Janet shook her head, recovering from Edea's disturbing statement. "Edea, your daughter showed us what happened...." "I know she did. I know exactly what happened to you; but the fact remains, it was not accidental. It was given to you. I was unable to prevent Valea from doing this." Edea's voice lowered another notch and she closed her eyes. "I did what I could to help you, children, and for that I extend my deepest apologies. Please, find it in your hearts to forgive me for what I have done." Daniel's eyes darted down at Janet's. This was the second time she'd said that, 'what she had done to them'...and this time she was apologizing for it? That begged the obvious question: what had she done to them? Edea apparently wasn't going to disclose that information, however. Instead, she went on, "Contrary to how it might appear, *Valea* did not give you this link on purpose. My daughter's intentions were pure enough, that much I will tell you. The rest, however, will be revealed soon, in its proper time." As the realization finally sunk in, Daniel found himself unable to formulate a coherent response to what Edea was saying; and, judging from the shock plastered on Janet's face, that inability was mutual. Valea had convinced them the link had been an accident, a result of horrible timing and Corraman's interference. Was Edea now implying this link had been given to them on *purpose*? For what reason? And, more importantly, if not by Valea, then by whom? Before he could ask Edea any questions, however, she went on, "You wish me to remove the link between you. That is perhaps the primary reason you sought me out, so you could be rid of your Level 3 link. Am I correct in this?" The sudden question took Daniel aback. Maybe he was still staggering from learning the link had been created for a purpose he still didn't understand, but now this new question, whether he wanted to remove the link...it was too soon to be considering the answer to it. Part of him was aghast by the possibility that Edea could sever something he'd just been getting used to and...liking...with Janet. He'd fallen for her since the creation of the link, and he'd fallen for her hard. Janet had restored hope to him; she'd given him new meaning to live; she'd given him a promise for the future. And yet, another part of him was ready to jump at the opportunity to free them from this undesired prison to each other. There had always been a hope buried deep inside both of them that Edea would be able to fix what had gone wrong, that they could start over with each other and pursue a normal relationship without worrying about intruding on one another's privacy. It was true, that was one of the main reasons they'd traveled this far to find Edea. Was that what the Guardian of the planet had just offered them? The chance to undo her daughter's mistake and give them back that most treasured blessing, freedom? Daniel's eyes fell back to his link-mate as she looked up at him. Did he really want to rid them of their link? He could see the question written in her eyes...and he could feel her identical conflicting emotions and indecision. It was a question that was too hard to weigh without the proper time to think about it. At the moment, all he knew was that neither of them could answer Edea's question with certainty anymore. "We *think* so..." he started. Edea's expression as he spoke was pained, and he received the distinct impression that she'd followed their mental deliberations. "I know, Daniel, Janet, and I am afraid I cannot do that. No one can. Because of this link, you are both so intertwined, so intermingled with one another, both physically and mentally, that to remove it would unravel the very fibers of your being, the fiber that makes you who you are. Your individual identities and personalities, not to mention your sanity, would be utterly destroyed; and, in a short time, so would both of you. Valea and Sayil were correct when they told you a Level 3 link was permanent." Daniel's heart sank at her words...and at the crushed hope he saw appear on Janet's face. God, that meant...if at some point their relationship didn't work out, if they decided they couldn't handle this link anymore, then there was no way of quitting. They would.... He shook his head. No. He didn't want to think about that right now. There were too many other issues to consider first. Edea finally managed to pull her eyes from the bewildered couple. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around herself, as if her stomach pained her, and paced the end of the room. "You did not deserve this, Children. Valea has failed to inform you just how few Level 3 links there are in existence on this planet. They are reserved solely for marriage, yes, but not all marriages employ them. Many men and women who are married never decide to be given a Level 3 link. Level 2 links are sufficient for nearly 95 percent of marriages. Only those with excellent cause, the very brave, or the very stupid dare allow themselves to be given a higher link. To be completely honest, I attempted to ban them from existence many years ago. Too many mind users were taken in by foolish romantic notions and were seeking this link without appropriate consideration. They did not realize how serious and demanding this link is; and, for a time, murder-suicides were terribly common. People simply could not handle them, no matter how much they loved their spouse." She stopped and returned her gaze to the two, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "You, however, *must* live with your link. You must live with it or it will destroy you." Quickly, Edea glided across the crystal floor toward them and returned her hands to their cheeks. "I know you came here desiring help and guidance from me, but I am afraid there is very little I can do to make this horrible injustice easier to bear. All I can offer you are a few feeble words of encouragement and advice. "Your journey is about to take a steep descent, children. The remainder will be fraught with difficulty and heartache and countless tests you will loathe with all your heart. The likelihood for failure of even one of these tests is great; success is nearly impossible." She paused for emphasis, then continued, just as enigmatically, "Do not misunderstand my words: victory *is* attainable, but the price you will pay for it...it may very well break and destroy you. Few would be able to walk the journey you are about to walk with the same possibility of survival that you possess, but that possibility is still deplorably slim. And the end result...it will make you wish you had failed, for failure would have been far less painful compared to the suffering of your victory. "However, there is one thing you must remember to avoid an untimely demise as a result of this potential victory: that which does not kill you will make you stronger. The answer already lies within you, though you currently do not know the question. After all is said and done, you must seek the answer to that question with every last ounce of strength you possess; then, once you have found it -- *if* you manage to find it...and if it is truly there to be found -- embrace it with the entirety of your beings. This will be both your redemption and your salvation. And if you fail to pass even one of the many tests, especially the first which will begin very, very shortly...may Heaven have mercy on us all. "You must trust your friends, Daniel, Janet, no matter how impossible that may seem at times. Do not reject their help and do not be afraid to lean on them for support, for even the strongest of trees battered in a hurricane may require assistance until it can regain its own strength. Like that tree, neither of you will be able to do this alone...and if you try, you *and* your friends will die. Of that, sadly, I am certain." Edea paused again to observe their reactions to her words. Daniel, however, wasn't sure he *could* react to what she'd just said. What tests? What question? What answer? What 'questionable victory'? No, at the moment he could barely even think; her words had stripped all capability of rational thought from him. They were cryptic and ominous, paralyzing him with fear over what was about to happen...and yet he had a feeling he needed to lock her words up inside him, hide the key, and keep them safe until after they'd achieved this 'questionable victory' the woman was alluding to. Suddenly, Edea bowed her head and a sense of irresistible peace settle over him, like she'd just dropped a cloud of pixie dust over his mind. He knew there was something very, very disturbing waiting on the other side of the fog...but, for the life of him, he couldn't see it through all this pretty, sparkling glitter. When the cloud lifted again, his earlier feeling of disturbance and dread had vanished. What had Edea just warned them about again? Daniel couldn't remember, although he could think clearly again. No, he told himself, it was nothing he had to worry about right now; after all, everything was going to be just fine. Both he and Janet would be fine. He felt the same feeling of security and comfort spread through Janet as her hand sought his again and their fingers twined together. Yes, they'd be okay. He and Janet had determined they'd defeat Amala together, and that was exactly what they'd do. "For now, however, there is something else I must show you before I can send you and your friends on your way," Edea finally said, her frown disappearing and her movements becoming more animated. She pulled her hands away from their faces and lowered herself into a modest sitting position on the floor in front of them. Seeing her motion for them to join her, Daniel and Janet exchanged curious looks before also taking a seat on the warm, pulsing crystal floor opposite her. "There is one aspect to your link that you have not yet properly explored. Since it is critical to your success against Amala, I wish to walk you through it. Is this all right with both of you?" "Yes, of course it is," Janet said. Edea smiled. "Very well. Daniel Jackson, you and I share similar innate abilities: the ability to control the elements of nature. Fire, water, earth, and air, among many other sub-elementals...these are our strengths. Valea has helped you lure most of them out already. You have controlled rain, created earthquakes, started tornadoes, among many other natural phenomenon; and, to this point, you have been an excellent learner. Fire is your 'pet' elemental, if you will, as it is mine and that of my daughter, Thea. Your experiences with your team, your emotional growth and maturity the past few years, Oma Desala's very basic training...all these have led you to acquire a strong affinity with the elemental of fire, which can serve as both a destroyer and a purifier. While there are many more advanced variations of all of these elementals that you have not yet learned, they are unnecessary for your current task. Only one is crucial: your use of fire and your accompanying control of heat." Edea fixed him with a pointed, prompting look. "You feel comfortable with it, Daniel?" Daniel considered her question for a moment. Did he? Yes, controlling the temperature in Glenn's house yesterday and burning that bridge earlier had seemed second nature to him. "I think so." "Good...good," she said, nodding approvingly before turning her eyes to his companion. "Janet, your healing skills, likewise, have improved greatly during the past week. You possess a strong desire to learn that has helped you overcome the impossible odds of not having a mentor to teach you. You still have much more to learn, but that will come with time and practice. One skill in particular you will despise learning with all your being, but it is imperative to your success. I cannot teach you that skill now because it would jeopardize your ability to pass the tests you will face during the next few days; but, if all goes as I pray it will, you will soon meet the one who can, the one who will make sure you know everything necessary to confront Amala." Edea paused and rested her hands on her knees. "You are both aware that one of the major benefits of a Level 3 link is the ability to share your skills with one another, are you not?" Sharing skills...yes, he'd forgotten that Valea had mentioned that. "We think so," Daniel said. "Yes, my daughter mentioned that to you," Edea said; and, absently, Daniel wondered why this wise lady persisted in asking them questions to which she already knew the answers. "You have not attempted to put this knowledge into practice, though." Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Janet shake her head. No, they hadn't. Edea nodded knowingly. "Entirely new, unique, powerful skills can be created by mixing the abilities of those with a Level 3 link. Before you can mix in this way, however, you must be certain you know how to use one another's skills and feel comfortable doing so. Since you both already possess each other's knowledge, whether you realize the full extent of that or not, it is simply a matter of practice. That is what I would like to do right now, teach you to share your skills with one another. You will learn about mixing at a later date, when the time and situation requires it. I am able to join you both inside your minds; may I do so?" "Of course," Daniel said; and Janet, likewise, nodded her assent. The woman smiled at them. "Thank you. Let us begin, then. Daniel, in order to use Janet's skills, you will need to be inside her mind, so we will enter there first." The three simultaneously closed their eyes and entered the black room in Janet's mind. Much to Daniel's surprise, it was already set up with the proper medical equipment, as if it had been prepped for a surgery...probably Edea's doing, he figured. In the middle of the room was Janet's usual operating table, complete with a 'John Doe,' realistic in every conceivable way...except that he wasn't an actual, living human being. Janet walked around to the other side of the table so she was facing Daniel. A mischievous smile crossed her face as grabbed a scalpel from one of the carts and handed it to him. "This could be fun," she said. Daniel gave her a sarcastic grin as he took the scalpel from her, definitely *not* enthused about the concept of playing 'doctor' without formal medical training, but he wasn't about to question Edea. A moment later, a hand landed on his shoulder; and he realized the Guardian was standing beside him, watching. "First we will begin with healing a deep gash from a sword across his chest." Instantly, a huge, bloody wound sliced the man's chest open, and Daniel grimaced at the gory sight. His stomach did flip-flops, threatening to reject the lunch he'd had not long enough ago. Across the table from him, Janet laughed out loud at his sudden queasiness. It was going to be a *very* long evening. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* 7:38 p.m. Jack paced the tiled floor of the waiting area, scowling furiously and trying to figure out whom he should be directing his anger at. An hour earlier, Valea had explained the finer details of Daniel and Fraiser's link to him and his teammates; and now, as a result, the girl was cowering against the back wall in the one corner of the waiting area where his gaze wouldn't fall except when he turned around to pace in the opposite direction. He wasn't really mad at *her* -- at least, he didn't *think* he was -- but right now she was the only one he could legitimately target his rage onto at the horrible injustice that had been laid upon two of his dearest friends. While Daniel and Fraiser may not be entirely innocent -- damn it, why hadn't they *told* him about this?! -- it was easier to take his anger out on Valea, the one who'd given them the link in the first place. Damn it, Daniel didn't deserve something like that. Hadn't he already been through enough? Fraiser didn't deserve anything like that either just because she wanted to help those in need. Neither of them had asked for this; they shouldn't have been given it. Some things in life were sacred, and privacy of the mind was one of them...not to mention that one person's life shouldn't be so wrapped up in another's that death for one meant inevitable death for the other. It was so wrong, there weren't words to describe just how wrong it was. It was so atrocious, so appalling, so...so...*infuriating* that if Jack could've been absolutely sure Edea wouldn't hang him by the hair on his head or pull out all his toenails and pour lemon juice on the wounds, he'd smash every single damned crystal flower in this garden. Suddenly, Jack lifted a hand to his forehead and froze in mid-step; he *desperately* needed to get his emotions under control. Daniel and Fraiser were still alive, nearly three weeks after it had been given to them, he reminded himself. They were still talking. As Carter had pointed out -- damn it, why hadn't *she* told him about this?! -- the two were coping. They'd discussed the situation between them, come to some conclusions, and had survived, at least this far. They even seemed to be enjoying parts of it. Then it hit him. Amala. Place the blame on Amala whether it was hers or not. Valea didn't deserve to face the wrath of Jack O'Neill; *Amala* did. See the 'married couple' through this to the end of their journey, then laugh hysterically as the Wicked Witch of the West was incinerated into nothingness. That's what he had to do. Removing the hand from his face, he finally realized how uneasy his remaining teammates had grown at his rather loud, violent reaction to Valea's news. Okay, so maybe he'd overreacted a bit when he'd cursed the girl for 10 minutes straight earlier, but really, could they blame him? Guess it was time to have a seat and discuss their new predicament. Cooling down, however, was his first priority, so he collapsed onto the crystal bench where Carter was seated and buried his head in his hands, taking deep, even, controlled breaths. There. At least his nostrils had stopped flaring as if he were some escaped, deranged stallion from Hell. Finally, he looked up at his teammates, first into the calm eyes of Teal'c, standing on the other side of the room beside the door...although Jack thought he could detect a hint of sadness and fear for the lives of their linked friends in the Jaffa's eyes right now. Next he turned his head to Carter, who was clearly concerned at his reaction to learning the truth and uncertain what she should say to him. Of course, seeing her alive and well again, not deathly pale and shivering uncontrollably, went a great deal in lifting his current spirits. //All right, Carter, Teal'c, here's the deal,\\ he finally said over their Level 1 link to omit Valea from the conversation. He wasn't in the mood to discuss *anything* with Valea quite yet, whether that damned link was her fault or not. //I don't know what Edea told you guys, but if it's anything like what she told me, it looks like we're in for some serious trouble, especially for Daniel and Fraiser. Am I right to assume that?\\ Carter traced abstract lines over the knees of her pants and nodded. //Yes, Sir, that was my impression.\\ //I agree,\\ Teal'c said. //She didn't happen to tell either of you the details of this horrible thing that's about to take place, did she?\\ //No, Sir. She said we couldn't know the details. One of our conditions for success is *not* knowing about it, because if we knew, we'd try to stop it. Apparently, it's inevitable.\\ Jack frowned. One of their conditions for success? Yeah, great to know, Edea, thank you so *very* much. //You're right, she did mention that whatever's about to happen is necessary. Granted, my personal opinion is that it's totally and completely rude to hint at something like this then leave us hanging; but apparently Edea doesn't give a damn about my personal opinion. The question of the hour is, do we believe her? Or was she just trying to scare us and make us more careful about our future choices? Fortune-tellers on the whole are generally quacks.\\ Carter shook her head before rubbing her forehead with her hand again. //Well, *she* sounded pretty convinced of what she said; and, from her explanation of prophecy, I got the feeling she knew what she was talking about. She knew things about me she couldn't possibly know...she seemed pretty smart, Sir, and she did save my life.\\ Yeah, he couldn't forget that. Without Edea, Carter would be a Popsicle right now instead of debating whether the Guardian was an authentic prophet or a hoax. And the truth was, he'd received the same impression about her that Carter had, that she was pretty smart. //Teal'c?\\ //I agree with Major Carter. Edea sincerely believed what she told me, and she knew many things about me that I did not tell her. If her prophecy to this point has come true, we must assume her future prophecy will as well.\\ "Great," Jack murmured, glancing across the waiting area at Valea, who was now sitting on a bench with her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. "Valea, you have a Level 2 link with Daniel and Fraiser; any idea what the hell they're doing in there that's taking so long? Talking, scrubbing the floor, playing a game of Monopoly, what?" The girl's eyes widened, clearly surprised he was still speaking to her after what she'd done to his friends. "I'm...I'm not sure, Colonel. Mother would yell at me if I interrupted." Right. *Now* she decided to start respecting their privacy. Why the hell didn't *that* surprise him? Without warning, Daniel's voice filled his mind, and Jack snapped to attention. //Jack? Sam? Teal'c? Edea wants to see you. Well, she wants to see everyone except Valea, apparently.\\ Jack briefly observed his teammates before rising to his feet. "Guess we better go see what she wants, huh?" And ask some of those damned questions she never gave him the chance to ask earlier, his mind added. Leaving Valea behind, the three summoned members of SG-1 stepped through the mirror and back into Edea's crystal chamber, where Daniel and Fraiser were waiting for them off to the side of the room. As they entered, Edea returned to her seat and beckoned for them to stand beside the couple. "You two okay?" Jack asked them. They appeared to be; but, after his last encounter with Edea, he was afraid of what she'd told them. "We're fine, Jack," Daniel said. He even smiled as if to tell the colonel yes, he really was okay and wasn't just saying that. ...There was something wrong with that. If Edea had told them anything like what she'd told him, Carter, and Teal'c, Daniel and Fraiser should *not* be fine. They should be scared out of their minds at what the future held for them. God, Edea hadn't *brainwashed* them, had she? Or made them temporarily forget what she'd told them? Or, Heaven forbid, refused to tell them anything about this little stroll through Hell they were going to take all too soon? "Now is not the time to discuss that," Edea interrupted, directing her words at the colonel. "I requested your presence for another reason. Colonel O'Neill, I know you harbor many questions you wish to ask me; and, before the next portion of your journey begins, I would like to give you the opportunity to ask them. Choose your questions wisely, for you will only be able to ask a few of them before our time runs out." Jack glanced at his teammates, pleasantly surprised by her offer even though there were apparently limitations to the number of questions she'd take. *Finally*, though, he could ask her about some things. Now, where to start? "All right, since I'm apparently the leader of this merry little band, I'll ask the obvious one first: where can we find Amala?" Edea laughed softly, which only served to further the annoyance of the already-irked colonel. "You would start with the one question I cannot answer, Jack. I do not know where to find her; and, even if I currently did, where she is today will not be where she is tomorrow. You will be led to her in time, but leading you is not my place. I will tell you this, however: you will not meet her face-to-face for a good bit of time yet. There are other tests you must pass first before she deems you 'worthy' to confront her." What the hell was *that* supposed to mean? Amala would choose when they'd get to meet her? What other tests awaited them? What was considered a 'good bit of time'? And how the hell did Edea expect him to lead his team if he didn't know where to go? Oh, maybe he should ask her that. "So where do we go next? While your garden is beautiful, Edea, we can't stay here forever." "No, Jack, as much as I wish I could shelter you from Amala here forever, that cannot be. I will not tell you where to go next on your journey, but I will tell you this: the path is already laid out for you, and it will soon be revealed. Follow the path at all times; do not stray from it for fear of wasting too much time and forfeiting your possibility for success." //Well, now isn't *that* helpful?\\ Jack muttered to his teammates, quickly growing impatient with these supposed 'answers' that did nothing more than raise additional questions. //Edea's was more cryptic than the Tok'ra.\\ //Jack,\\ Daniel warned, and the colonel took a deep breath. Daniel was right. They couldn't afford to tick off the one woman who was supposed to hold all the answers, no matter how stingy she might be about handing those answers out to them. Try a different subject, O'Neill. "So if you can't tell us where Amala is, what *can* you tell us about her? We need to know something about our enemy before we can attack her, right? What kind of technology does she have? How powerful is she? Are her abilities similar to yours or is she more powerful than you? How many soldiers does she have? Defenses? Weaponry? Anything?" A smile of something that could have been admiration appeared on Edea's face as she returned his gaze. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you that either. I am convinced the most effective way for you to learn about Amala is to experience her great power and evil for yourselves. You will soon learn further details about her, but I am not at liberty to reveal those to you now for fear of jeopardizing your success." The smile faded as she continued staring at him. "I will tell you this, however: Amala is an exceptionally powerful mind user. She is very smart and very crafty, and she will use any weakness she can find to destroy you. Never underestimate her power...or her will." Amala was an exceptionally powerful mind user. Jack didn't like the sound of that, at *all*. "In addition, I will tell you one more thing about her," Edea said. "Her greatest weakness is overconfidence in her insatiable curiosity and need for amusement. If you can find a way to use that to your advantage, you may stand a chance against her." Amala's weakness was overconfidence in her insatiable curiosity and need for amusement? Jack wasn't sure yet how that knowledge was going to help them, but he'd file it away in the back of his mind for future reference. "Thank you, Edea. That...should come in handy." "Edea, I have a question..." Carter began, casting a sideways glance at O'Neill, "...if I may, Sir?" Was she kidding? Of course she could ask a question. When he nodded to her, she went on, "It's obvious *you* are also an exceptionally powerful mind user: you knew things about us that you couldn't possibly know, and you were able to unfreeze me when no one else could. Have *you* ever tried to stop Amala? I would think with your abilities and knowledge that you'd have an easier time defeating her than Daniel or Janet would." "I wish it were that simple," Edea said with a mournful sigh. "While it is true my abilities are of comparable strength to Amala's and I would be better fit to confront her, I do not possess the immunity to instant freezing that you and your teammates have. Your experiences, Samantha, were enough proof of that. As my daughter told Daniel Jackson, because you are not from this planet and because you have a slightly varied genetic structure than that of our people, you possess a natural resistance. You will still freeze, it is true, but the process takes considerably longer to finalize. For myself, however, attack by Amala's shadow means I will be instantly frozen." Once again, Edea began pacing the length of her chamber. "Knowing this, I retreated to these cliffs years ago and protected them so no one would be able to find me. I am, after all, Amala's primary target on this planet. If she were to find me and freeze me, she could instantly destroy this planet...which I know for fact is exactly what she *would* do. For obvious reasons, I cannot allow that to happen. It would be far better for my planet to suffer a slow breakdown were I to die rather than to suffer instant death if I were taken by Amala. At least if the process were slow, some other means of help could still be found and implemented before it was too late. There are other reasons I have not confronted her as well; but, as with everything else I am unable to answer for you, you will learn those reasons in time." Oh. Jack had to admit, her reasoning about the planet's continued existence made sense. But the fact still remained: Edea was better qualified to face Amala than they were. "So Edea," he began again, "since, apparently, our path is laid out for us and you won't be accompanying us out of here so Amala won't find you, what *are* you going to do now? Stay here until we've taken her out, then magically reappear to help your people? Or are you going to continue to guide and help us like you did when we jumped off the cliff?" Edea turned her head sharply toward him, and Jack couldn't help noticing that her expression was pained as she spoke. "Sadly, neither of your alternatives are options." She paused for a moment, then took a deep breath and lifted her head nobly. "I shall do the only thing I can do. As I mentioned before, Jack, our time together is very short-lived. There is so much more I wish I could have spoken with you about, more I wish I could have done for you. However, as much as I dread what must come next, it must happen." Her gaze traveled over the five travelers until it landed on Daniel at the end of the line. "Daniel Jackson, would you please ask Valea to join us?" Like the others, Daniel was surprised at the request. "Don't you have a Level 2 link with her if she's your daughter?" The woman smiled wistfully. "Yes, I do, Daniel, but I am asking you to contact her for me." //Just do it, Daniel,\\ Jack said. //She's eccentric; no request from her surprises me anymore.\\ Daniel turned his head toward Jack, clearly confused; but he nodded faintly and returned his eyes to Edea. Several seconds later, Valea stepped through the wall behind them, her expression simultaneously fearful and eager. "Approach," Edea told the girl. Valea lowered her head, and every eye in the room was on her as she walked toward Edea. "Mother." //O'Neill, I do not believe we should interrupt the reunion of mother and daughter,\\ Teal'c said. //Perhaps we should take our leave.\\ //I don't think we should be here for this either, Teal'c, but Edea hasn't dismissed us yet.\\ "I insist you stay and hear this," Edea said, her eyes darting up at SG- 1, then back down at Valea as the girl knelt humbly before her. "Mother, I..." the girl began, her voice hitching in her throat, clearly on the verge of tears, "...I have failed you. I lost them, Mother, I lost all of them. Kayil, Thea, Sayil...I couldn't save them. I'm so sorry." She sobbed once but held herself back from bursting into full- scale tears. "I pray that you are able to forgive me, Mother. I...I hope I did well by assuming Thea's position and finding Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser." For some reason, Edea couldn't look at her daughter for more than a second before her eyelids slid shut, her expression sorrowful. "Please, do not call me 'Mother.' Do not make this harder for me than it already is." Valea's head lifted to look at Edea. "Mother?" "I am truly sorry, Valea, but you are not my daughter." Say what? Jack wasn't surprised when the girl blinked several times in confusion. "Surely you cannot be denying...? I...I do not understand." "I know you don't, but you shall." When Edea's blue eyes opened again, there was something stronger in them. She was more determined to carry something out. "Valea Darrian is my daughter, yes. That I will not deny. You, however, are not Valea Darrian." For a moment, there was absolute silence in the small, crystalline room. Even the torches crackling along the walls seemed to freeze in confusion and anticipation. SG-1 just watched the scene before them, uncertain about what was going on, while Valea stared at Edea, confused by her mother's denial. Edea, however, quickly took another controlled breath and broke the silence. "You possess all of my daughter's skills, it is true. You possess all of her thoughts and her memories. You even possess her appearance. I admit that you are linked to her in every conceivable way. You sincerely believe that you are Valea, but the truth is, you are not. My daughter would never have done to Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser what you have done to them, and certainly not without explaining our people's situation first, thus giving them the *choice* to help. She would have sought their consent no matter how long it took to acquire, and she would have respected their decision if they had refused it. My daughter would never have manipulated them while they were on Earth, controlling their actions and then erasing their thoughts. My daughter would never have entered their dreams without their permission. While I have had to make exceptions myself at times -- and, believe me, I wish there had been another option -- Valea would never have done these atrocious things. Zayil and I did not raise her to be like this." Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Daniel and Fraiser exchange alarmed glances at the woman's words. "Edea, it's all right, really," Fraiser said. "While we admit we weren't enthused by this link at the beginning, we're not upset at Valea for what she did. We understand why she did it, and we want to help you in any way we can. We don't blame her. This is no reason to disown your daughter." Edea observed Fraiser for a long moment, then looked down at the girl kneeling on the floor, staring up at her fearfully. "I ask you a simple question, Valea. What color are your eyes?" Valea was visibly taken aback by the odd question. "Blue...." "When was the last time you observed yourself in a mirror?" The girl looked back at SG-1. She was terrified of where Edea was heading with this; everyone could see that. "In your door just now...." "And you observed that your eyes in the reflection were blue." "Yes...?" Edea suddenly looked at the Jaffa. "Teal'c, please approach." Teal'c silently bowed his head and did as she asked. "Valea," Edea said, looking down at the girl, "you are suffering from an extremely strong delusion, one that you are unable to see through. You can detect it in others, yet you seem unable to detect it in yourself. Teal'c, what color are this girl's eyes?" Teal'c stared at the woman, his normally stoic appearance faltering, then he lowered his gaze to Valea. After a moment, he said, "They are dark gray, like slate...as they have been since I first met her." "*What*?!" Daniel suddenly exclaimed. "That doesn't make any sense. We saw them ourselves and they were...." "You observed them to be blue, Daniel Jackson," Edea silenced him. "I am aware of that. You, Janet Fraiser, Samantha Carter, and Jack O'Neill were also taken in by the illusion, as was my son, Sayil. Sadly, the ability to create illusions does not enable the creator to see through the creation. That must be left for someone such as Teal'c to detect them." Valea scrambled to her feet, horror-struck. Edea lifted her hand and a mirror suddenly appeared, hanging in the air next to her. The girl quickly looked into it and gasped at what she saw. Her eyes were gray. "You are aware what this means, Valea, are you not?" Edea asked. "My God," she whispered. "How?" Edea waved her hand again and the mirror was replaced by a three- dimensional holograph of the interior of a dark, icy chamber lit by several crackling blue flames on the walls. In one corner of the room stood a girl, her head turned back over her shoulder. As the image zoomed inward toward the girl's face, it became apparent to all in the room that she was Valea, her expression terrified. She was frozen. "What the *hell*?!" Jack said. "The real Valea, my daughter, has been frozen for over a year now," Edea said. "It happened during my children's failed attempt to defeat Amala themselves. Amala captured Thea and Kayil first, leaving Valea and Sayil to attempt an escape. Valea, however, returned to try to free her brother and sister. Amala used that opportunity to freeze her...and to take possession of her body and abilities." The woman watched Valea sorrowfully as the girl sank down to the ground, beginning to understand. "You are nothing more than a clone of my daughter, an apparition in a human, physical form...an aberration, a monstrosity. Amala created you and, without your knowledge, has influenced you and controlled you to perform countless atrocities," Edea motioned in the SG-1's direction, "such as those committed against these innocent people. She knew Valea would be able to locate Daniel Jackson and Janet Fraiser, the two in my prophecy, and she knew that I would eventually guide them to myself. That is why she created a doppelganger of my daughter. You are like her in every way, Valea, except that she stripped away several of your morals and restraints at key moments; and she hindered your ability to sense the errors in yourself. She knew she could not use Thea in such a role, for Thea would have been wise enough to figure out that she was not really herself. "As for Sayil, he was my true son, the last unfrozen Darrian child; Amala allowed him to escape from her castle unharmed because she knew you would need his help to find me. She also knew you would give up searching for Daniel and Janet without him, so she left him alive. Besides, since she knew where you were at any given moment and, likewise, knew all your thoughts, she knew she could find him and take him whenever she so desired. The moment Sayil had passed on the necessary knowledge to you, leading you to seek out Tiger Pass as the entrance to my protected realm, she eliminated him, knowing he would learn the truth once he saw the tigers' hostile reactions to you and jeopardize her plans. Now you have completed your duty, Valea. Keeping a close eye on you at all times, Amala used you to lead her straight to me. She knows where I am now; very little time remains until she attacks me and tries to possess me." Valea was visibly floored. Her eyes were wide, her expression aghast as she stared up at Edea, recognizing the full extent of what she had done. "The link ... the tigers ... how easily Corraman and Avitus tracked us ... how Amala found Sayil in Marbule ... all the warning signs ... oh, God, I ignored them all ... I suspected at times, but I was afraid to consider it ... I saw only what I wanted to see ... I thought I was only dreaming ... I never imagined...." Jack watched, dumbfounded, as the tears so well concealed in Edea's eyes broke loose and rolled down her cheek as she observed the wretched girl with deep pity. "I know you didn't, child, and I know you are aware of what I must do." Suddenly, the terrified girl looked back at Daniel and Fraiser and stumbled over the crystal floor to kneel at their feet. To their credit, they both took a step away from her, both out of confusion and horror at what she was. "God, what have I done?" Valea choked. "Please, Daniel, Janet, forgive me, I never meant to ... I would never have done this on purpose ... please, help me...." "Valea!" Edea said, tears still streaming down her pale cheeks. "Approach." The girl stared up at the couple pleadingly another moment, then rose onto shaky legs and did as her mother commanded, her head lowered in shame and humble submission. "You cannot be allowed to live; I must destroy you, and you know that. I believe my real daughter agrees that she does not desire to continue life in such an unholy form, being used by Amala against her will." Edea's voice caught in her throat as she studied the apparition of her daughter. "I sympathize with her greatly, for I know that she will retain all of your thoughts and experiences when she awakens from her current state. You possess her consciousness, and that will be returned to her once you are gone. To this point, she truly believed that you were her and that she was alive. Now...now she knows that she is not; and, forevermore, she must live with the consequences of her actions, not only toward me and toward her people, but toward these two innocent people as well." She motioned at Daniel and Fraiser, and Valea's eyes followed the woman's direction, landing sorrowfully on the stunned couple. When the girl's attention finally returned to Edea, the woman had risen from her seat and was standing directly in front of her, albeit at a safe distance. "However, since I know that, much to her dismay, she will always retain your thoughts, I need her to know that I love her, no matter what sins she has committed and no matter how many mistakes she has made. I do not hold her responsible for what will happen to me. She must believe that." Between sobs, her eyes red and her cheeks wet with tears, the girl nodded. "She does. Do what you must do." Edea took in the girl's appearance one last time, then lifted her hands, palms upward. Instantly, the girl screamed a deafening, unearthly scream that echoed countless times through the tiny chamber...then disintegrated into a ghostly black mist. Soon it evaporated and nothing remained of her. Oh...God. Jack's eyes snapped up to the ceiling as the soothing, constant hum of the crystal walls came to an abrupt halt. Half a second later, it began again in horrid severity. The entire room was shaking as if there was an earthquake. Edea scanned the interior of her chamber in distress. "It has begun; Amala has found me. My time has run out. I cannot allow her to capture me." Jack's mouth dropped open as he stared at her. Wait a minute, was she saying she was going to *kill* herself? "You cannot stop me, Colonel," Edea said sharply. "As I said before, I must do this for the sake of the planet. Right now, you must go before Amala can find you. Remember what I have told each of you. Work together and you may still have a chance against her." Her gaze fell on Daniel and Fraiser and she held back a sob. "I cannot apologize enough to you; I hope you will always remember that. Don't hold what I have done to you against my children, held captive inside Amala's castle. Valea and her brothers and sister are still alive. Please, I beg of you, find my children. Help my family, help my people, and never give up!" With that, the crystal ceiling above them cracked and began falling down upon them. In the final moment before whiteness washed over them, Jack saw a disturbingly clear image of Edea lifting her arms over her head, her body rapidly disintegrating into fine, glimmering crystal dust and collecting in a pile of ashes on the floor. The dust then burst into a blinding flash of red flame and was gone. Next he knew, the five of them were standing back in the waiting area of the garden. Tiny crystal pellets began showering down from the ceiling as it suddenly shattered and the floor beneath them began to quack, the cacophony of millions of bursting crystal flowers assaulting their ears. Jack took one look at the garden and knew the place was doomed. //Everyone, out of here!\\ he ordered, not giving them a chance to react to the two deaths they'd just witnessed or to the destruction being wrought on this Garden of Eden. //Cover your heads and get back to the beach, *now*!\\ The others didn't need any encouragement. Hands lifted above their heads to minimize the damage from the sharp, stinging, glass-like rain of crystal, they ran back along the mosaic path to the exit, through the adjoining tunnel, and back to the beach. Oh, damn! The once-sunny beach was now caught in the middle of an impossibly icy, brutal hurricane. Arctic winds whipped around them, and waves crashed mercilessly over the narrow strip of land at their feet. They'd never make it out of there alive, but Jack would be damned if he was ready to give up. //Back to the teleporter at the other end of the beach!\\ he shouted, motioning for them to follow the barely discernable beach to their right. As they ran along the slippery, freezing sand, he noticed with growing alarm that the hurricane was no longer just showering rain on them; the precipitation was now a combination of rain, snow, sleet, and alarmingly large hail. Thunder and lightning cracked nonstop, lighting the otherwise completely dark sky, and Jack could've sworn that the thin layer of water covering the golden beach was stiffening like congealing blood. Shit, he realized, sloshing his way along the beach, the seawater was trying to *freeze*. Only the high salt content prevented it from encasing their feet in solid ice. After helping his teammates regain their balance on the icy beach countless times, they finally made it back to the domed teleporter that projected out of the crystal wall. Ahead of him, he saw Carter press her hand to it to activate it...but nothing happened. //Carter!\\ he screamed at her, bracing himself against the raging, relentless winds. //Nothing's happening! You're sure this is the teleporter?\\ Damn, she'd been unconscious when they'd arrived. //*Yes*!\\ She pressed her hand to it again, then again. Still nothing. Shit, shit, *shit*! The damned thing must be only one-way! *Now* what? //O'Neill!\\ Beside him, Teal'c pointed out across the icy waters at a bubbling, frothing, expanding circle 50 feet away. All around it in the water, the fins of sharks swarmed as if they'd detected blood and were throwing a party. //What the hell is that?\\ Daniel asked them. He'd taken off his glasses, most likely unable to see with all the drops of water on them, and was now shielding his eyes from the sleet, trying to get a better look at the disturbance. //It's getting bigger...oh, God,\\ Fraiser whispered. Suddenly, a whirlwind of snow and ice pellets shot high into the air from the water. When the eruption disappeared, a blue-skinned, white-haired man looking every bit like an ice giant was left standing on the now-frozen water. All the sharks had disappeared. //Sir!\\ Carter exclaimed. //Above us!\\ Jack tore his eyes away from the iceman smirking nastily at them to see what Carter was pointing out. *DAMN IT*! Hundreds of flying blue and white *things* were falling the cliff at breakneck speed, heading directly for them. As they drew nearer, it became clear the 'things' were bats...ice bats. Next Jack knew, there was a blast of electricity to his right. Teal'c was firing his zat at the iceman...but the shots weren't affecting it. Beside him, Daniel suddenly lifted his right hand, shooting firebolts at the giant. A second later, Fraiser did the same, firing similar blasts of fire at the falling bats. In spite of his curiosity about when Fraiser had learned to shoot fire out of her hand like Daniel could, Jack grabbed his zat gun and joined her, aiming at the lowest bats while Carter continued trying to operate the teleporter. They were fighting a losing battle, though, and he knew it. The iceman took hit after hit without suffering noticeable damage; and the swarm of bats kept coming, no matter how many he and Fraiser killed. They needed to get out of there, and they needed to get out of there *now*. //Carter! Edea unleashed your skills; teleport us the hell out of here!\\ Her eyes snapped away from teleporter at him, squinting through the raging wind and mixed precipitation. How the hell had he known that Edea had unleashed her skills? Jack wondered. She hadn't told him that. //But I don't....\\ //Yes you do, Carter; don't think, just do it!\\ //Where...?\\ //*Anywhere*! Just get us the hell out of here!\\ She stared at him a moment, stunned, but closed her eyes anyway...and, once again, nothing happened. Damn it, she wasn't going to figure it out in time; it was taking way too long. The bats were right on top of them, a scattered few having reached the team and now flying amongst them. He heard a sharp cry come from Daniel, but the archaeologist couldn't have been too badly injured since he immediately resumed firing. The iceman was now walking toward them, the sea freezing beneath his feet with each step he took. Suddenly, Daniel's fire blasts stopped and Jack could see he was concentrating oh-so-intently.... A circle of flame erupted around the giant and a loud shriek came from the creature. When the fire disappeared, the iceman was still there, but he was no longer approaching them. Instead, the tourbillion of snow and ice rose back up and surrounded him. Shit, now *that* blasted cyclone was approaching them! Next Jack knew, out of the whirlwind came an eerie blue mist, heading straight for them. It wrapped itself around the group, focusing especially on Daniel and Fraiser. Overhead, a horde of bats had broken past their feeble fire. Nearer...nearer...he could see their razor-sharp teeth, their blood-red eyes, hear the batting of their wings and their piercing shrieks.... //*CARTER*!\\ Then blackness engulfed them and he remembered no more. *~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~* End of Frozen Flame - Part 1: Heaven Continued in Frozen Flame - Part 2: Hell Important Author's Note: Part 2 will not be archived anywhere on the Internet. It is available ON DEMAND ONLY. Please read the information about why I've done this and how you can request the second part of the story at the following address: http://www.execpc.com/~tbagley/FF2.html