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Suggested
Rating: for anyone
Category: Daniel/Janet romance
Setting: Season 9, missing scene for
“Ripple Effect”
Synopsis: The Janet and Daniel visiting from a
parallel universe share some thoughts on their predicament, and that of their
counterparts
Author’s
Comments: I think this
episode has done more to revitalize the enthusiasm, admiration, and
appreciation for Dan/Jan in general of shippers everywhere! I know my muse was pleased to get to
play with this particular storyline.
Hope you enjoy. Oh, and
this hasn’t been beta-read.
So I apologize for any mistakes or the need of any glaring editorial
alterations. ; )
DISCLAIMER: All
publicly recognizable characters and places (the Stargate SG-1 stuff)
are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created
for entertainment only and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was
intended. Previously unrecognized
characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living
or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
RIPPLES
- by Michelle Lunsford (date January 2006)
Janet
followed her guide wordlessly, trying not to be unnerved by the surprised
expressions of others as they passed by.
I wonder if this is how it feels
being a ghost, she wondered, trying unsuccessfully to make light of the
situation.
Eventually
they arrived at a closed door.
The SF opened it and she offered a habitual “thank you” as
she stepped past the guard into the room.
“Finally,”
Daniel exclaimed as he saw her.
“I thought they would never bring you back, despite General
Landry’s assurances.”
She could
tell from his body language that he’d been pacing, and he wasted no
time in moving around the small table in the room to reach her side. The door closed behind her and she
looked up at him. As expected,
there was worry and questioning in his eyes. But all he said was,
“Well?”
“I
know now why they separated me from you two,” Janet answered
simply. The implications of her
statement, and all that she had learned, had already begun settling on her
some time before. But now that
she was here, alone with her Daniel
and Teal’c, the significance of it all overwhelmed her and she felt her
knees go weak. “I think I
better sit down,” she added, reaching for the chair.
“Are
you unwell?” Teal’c asked as he helped her maneuver into the
seat.
“No,”
she assured. “But
I’ve just received some pretty big news about what’s going
on.” She turned to glance
at Daniel, who had taken the seat beside her. “And about something of a more
personal nature.”
“What
is it?” Daniel asked, reaching for her hand.
She
welcomed the familiar touch, squeezing his fingers slightly in an effort to
steady herself. “Apparently
we are no longer in our
reality. This is a parallel
universe. There are, in fact,
several SG teams here, and all are from a different universe. But in this reality, it’s seems
that I…” She took a
deep breath, attempting to steel herself further, but at the last moment she
glanced down at their hands, unable to meet Daniel’s eyes. “Their Janet died, two years
ago.”
Silence
hung heavy for a moment before Daniel finally spoke. “Let me guess. So Landry took you for what, some kind
of little reunion with this
reality’s SG-1?”
His tone sounded
harshly accusatory, but she knew it was only because he’d been worried
about her and their unknown situation here. If things had been reversed, he would
have appreciated the opportunity to see her again, just as she knew this
reality’s Daniel had been.
“Yes. But it’s okay. Landry is only thinking of his
people. Besides, they were able
to brief me about what’s going on.
And considering what is going it, it’s no surprise they
haven’t sent anyone to talk to you yet and explain the details. I’m sure their personnel are
very busy trying to handle things.”
She
shared all that she’d learned then. They deduced that Martouf – who
also hadn’t been returned to them – had offered to assist Sam,
who was no doubt working to find a solution to the problem. Teal’c even suggested that if
multiple SG teams had arrived on this earth, then no doubt multiple Samantha
Carters were all helping in this endeavor. But neither of them seemed any more
pleased than she had been about the prospect of not being able to return to
their earth.
“What
will happen if someone doesn’t find a solution?” Daniel finally
asked.
Janet
grimaced. “Let’s hope
it doesn’t come to that.
We’ve got to get back and work on finding that cure. In fact, this SGC might even be able
to help us in that regard. They
were able to find a cure for the same Ori plague here. And what interaction I’ve had
with these people so far tells me they are enough like our own SGC that we
can trust them. They’ll do
the best they can to get us home.”
Daniel’s
eyebrows rose slightly behind his glasses. Janet wasn’t surprised at his
skepticism. After all, he’d
been very irate when the general had insisted on separating her and Martouf
from the rest of their team. But
she still trusted her instincts.
The Daniel and Teal’c she’d recently spoken with had help
allay her fears.
Suddenly
the door swung open and the same SF who had accompanied her peered
inside. “I’ve been
instructed to see if there’s anything you need,” he said in a
reasonably friendly voice.
“If you’d like to come with me, we can see about getting
you something to eat.”
The
thought of moving through those halls again, and having everyone staring at
her, was more than Janet felt up to at the moment. “Is it alright if I remain in
the room?” she asked.
“I’m feeling a little tired.”
The SF
nodded affirmatively. “So
long as you agree not to leave this room unescorted, ma’am.”
“Of
course.”
“I
think I’ll stay too,” Daniel added. “Teal’c, why don’t
you just bring us back a little something, okay?”
“Very
well.” The Jaffa gave a slight nod
and then stepped out into the hall.
She’d
barely registered the sound of the door clicking shut before Daniel asked
her, “Is there anything about all this you’re not telling
me?”
Her
eyebrows furrowed slightly as she shook her head.
“It’s
just that… you seem a little shook up,” he explained, squeezing
her hand. “More so than
just normal concern about the situation and all.”
Janet
sighed. “I suppose I am
shook up. I mean, it isn’t
every day that someone tells you you’re dead.”
Unexpectedly
she felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. She bit her lower lip in an attempt to
fight it, but it was no good. As
soon as Daniel saw her reaction, he reached for her. And the moment she gave in and settled
into his arms, the tears began to flow.
“Oh
Daniel, I wish you could have seen their faces when they walked in and saw
me.”
“It’s
okay,” he soothed, gently running a hand against the back of her hair.
She
withdrew a little, so she could look up at him. “It was almost as if…
well, I can easily imagine that the expression on that Daniel’s face
was exactly how you would have
looked if it had been you standing there instead.”
For the first
time since this all began Janet saw some of Daniel’s irritation
regarding their predicament begin to drain from his face. He smiled sympathetically and ran a
thumb lightly across her cheek, wiping away the dampness.
“Then
I’m sure that must have been very difficult for him,” Daniel said
softly. “Seeing you again,
despite being a good thing, must have also brought back a lot of painful
memories.”
She
nodded, leaning into him again.
“He told me how it happened. It was the mission to P3X. Only in their reality a stray staff
blast hit Janet and killed her instantly.” She nuzzled a little closer against
his chest. “And he was
right there with her when it happened.”
“Dear
God,” Daniel breathed, his arms pulling her nearer still.
They sat
silent for a while, each lost in thought.
“Do
you suppose…?”
Although
Daniel didn’t finish his question, Janet felt pretty confident she knew
what he was getting at. Although
they did survive P3X, it had been a harrowing mission. And the near death of Wells, an airman
with a new baby on the way, had made them both realize the absurdity of
continuing to dance around the issue of their feelings regarding one
another. They’d finally
decided to act on those feelings, and had been married less than a year
later.
“I
don’t know for sure,” Janet answered softly. “But I can say that he did have
feelings for her. I could see it,
in his eyes and in the way he spoke about her.”
A few
additional heartbeats of silence passed before Daniel asked what she knew he
would next.
“And
did you tell him anything about us?”
“No,”
she admitted. She still felt a
little guilty about that, but it had seemed the best way. “I could only imagine it adding
to his regret.”
“Hmmm.”
Something
in Daniel’s response had been non-committal enough that Janet pulled
back again to look at him.
“I
understand what you mean,” Daniel said to her unspoken inquiry. “And I even agree with you, to a
point. But on the other hand, I
think that if the situation were reversed, and I had lost you, then I might
be able to find comfort in the thought that you were alive and happy
somewhere else. To know that
you’d found love and happiness, even if not expressly with me – yes, I could find some
comfort in that.”
A tiny
smile pulled at the corner of her mouth and she reached up to lovingly caress
the side of his face. “You
never cease to amaze me, Daniel Jackson.” Then she leaned forward, placing a
light kiss on his lips.
He
returned the smile, but it soon turned melancholy. “I am sorry for him, because I
know just how much he’s lost.
But I’m glad he’s at least been given this gift of seeing
you again, even if it’s not truly his
Janet.”
He cocked
his head slightly, in that way she knew he did whenever following a train of
thought all the way to its conclusion.
“And,
in the end, I imagine you wouldn’t need to say anything to him about us
anyway. Because if he’s
half as smart as I think he is,” and here the smile returned again with
a glimpse of its original authenticity, “then all he has to do is take
one look at you to see how happy you are. And then he knows.”
“I
love you,” she whispered.
“And
I love you.”
She
welcomed the warmth of his presence as he wrapped his arms around her. She did feel sorry for the other
Daniel too. But she
couldn’t help being grateful that, in her reality, things had worked
out in their favor. “And
I’m so thankful we’re together, Daniel.”
“Me
too, Sweetheart. Me too.”
~ THE END
~
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