|
Title: Unexpected Circumstances
Suggested
Rating: for young
adult and older readers
Category: action/adventure, Daniel/Janet
Setting: Season 8
Synopsis: A medical mission to a friendly planet
takes a turn for the worst.
Spoiler Warning: Takes into consideration some of the
reported spoilers for Season 8 (although that season doesn’t officially
begin for another month and a half).
Also anything from Season 1-7 is fair game.
Author’s Comments: This is SO unlike anything I’ve
ever written before. For one
thing I don’t typically do fan fiction challenges. Usually my muse doesn’t respond
well to “limitations” as set by others. But an idea for this one popped in my
head and I couldn’t get rid of it.
Secondly I don’t exactly have a flair for action/adventure. I enjoy reading and watching it, but
don’t feel that strong in writing it. Still, Meg asked so nicely that I felt
I had to try. And finally I wrote
this in first person POV – something I never do. So, all in all, this piece just feels
really weird to me. As a result
I’d appreciate (even more than I usually do) any feedback – good
or bad – folks have to share.
Special thanks to Sonia for the quick beta read. Oh, one other thing. Although I’ve set this in Season
8 who knows how it will actually fit in the scheme of that season when if
finally airs. Not that it really
matters, considering in this version of the universe Janet is still
alive. So, just suspend your
disbelief and enjoy the story.
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.
Challenge
Requirements:
1. The prominent ship pairing must be
Daniel/Janet. Other ships have
their own fics... this is for Dan&Jan. Whether they're just discovering they
have feelings for each other throughout the fic or they're already in a
relationship is up to you.
2.
It must fit into the category of action/adventure, at least to some
degree. (There just aren't enough of those for Dan/Jan)
3.
At least the majority of the fic must be set off-world. Where and why is up to you.
4.
Have at least one previously established enemy from the show in the
story somewhere. Which one and
what they're doing is up to you.
5.
No permanent character death (though if the enemy is destroyed, that's
a-ok).
6.
No NC-17 content.
UNEXPECTED CIRCUMSTANCES
- by
Michelle Lunsford (May 2004)
‘I’ve
got a bad feeling about this’, I said grimly to myself as I rose to
follow the Jaffa.
As we
moved from the small cargo hold to another part of the ship I glanced around,
looking for anything that might be a clue regarding our whereabouts. Unexpectedly my Jaffa guide halted and I nearly careened
into him.
‘Oh
my – he really towers over
me,’ I thought, and a fresh wave of fear surged in my stomach. But then I felt the reassuring
presence of my companion as he stepped beside me. I glanced up at him. He returned my gaze, offering what I
knew was meant to be an expression of encouragement and confidence. But I could detect the hint of worry
lurking in those eyes. Swallowing
hard, I tried to force my fears aside and returned my attention to our
captor. I watched as he pressed a
device he wore on his hand. And
as the transport rings engaged I wondered once again how we were going to get
out of this mess.
The
mission to P3R-221 had been straightforward enough. SG-1 had made initial contact with the
planet – which the natives called Vecca – several months ago and
found a people who, though not technologically advanced, possessed an
extremely rich and diverse culture.
It was also discovered they had sufficient quantities of both Trinium
and Naquadah as natural resources and so efforts to establish trade and
communication had been made.
Then a
virus broke out in the capital city.
The Veccans requested assistance and I was sent with a medical team to
do what we could. SG-1 had
accompanied me at the onset, but as things progressed and my team and I got
the outbreak under control, they returned home. Only Daniel remained behind, taking
advantage of the opportunity to study the Veccan culture and history in more
detail. The situation had reached
a point where the local medical staff was able to handle it and I’d
ordered my team to begin packing so we could also return.
And then
it happened.
Without
warning a fleet of Goa’uld gliders attacked the capital. It happened so fast – I’m
still not sure how it all came about.
There were people running everywhere, screaming and shouting as the
blasts rained down on us from the air.
Within seconds the scene was one of utter pandemonium. I vaguely remember Daniel attempting
to bring some kind of order to the situation but even the local leaders were
beside themselves, giving in to their fear by responding in chaos. We decided to head for the Gate,
urging whoever would listen to follow.
We did manage to make it to the Gate with a sizable congregation in
tow. Daniel dialed and got the
wormhole engaged but only a handful of people had stepped through before a
glider spotted us and opened fire.
People
fled immediately, running in all directions. Thomason – one of my med techs
– had been standing at the top of the steps, hastily helping people through
the Gate when he was hit, but I’m fairly certain I saw Lieutenant
Anderson make it through. I only
hope he was able to warn General O’Neill and the others. Maybe reinforcements can be sent, to
fight back against the Goa’uld, or at least to provide enough cover
fire to get more of the people through the Gate. Or if nothing else groups can be sent
to help deal with the aftermath of the attack.
Of
course, not that such potential assistance is likely to do me and Daniel any
good at the moment.
If I didn’t
know better I’d swear that glider had singled us out. We’d fled to a more secure
position near the Gate, but it managed to spot us and after fairly
obliterating everything else in the area it hovered at our location,
effectively pinning us in place. A swarm of Jaffa had arrived seconds later and Daniel
and I were taken prisoner. They
hadn’t told us anything. In
fact, they’d barely spoken at all, other than to order us to follow
them with the clear instruction that any attempt at escape would be met with
a hasty shot in the back. They
momentarily separated us, and managed to squeeze us into a couple of gliders,
from which we were flown to a transport ship in orbit around the planet.
We were
locked in a small hold area with one of the Jaffa.
Daniel and I tried to talk briefly, to assess our situation, but the Jaffa kept telling us to
be silent – a message we finally took to heart when he enforced it with
a shove from the butt of his weapon to the back of Daniel’s knee. I felt the ship go into hyperspace at
one point, so I have no idea where we are now. However, it was just moments ago that
we exited hyperspace and were transferred from our make-shift prison to this
ring platform.
I heard a
loud noise and a bright light flashed.
Blinking several times to get my vision back in focus, I wondered if
that meant the rings had disengaged.
My suspicion was confirmed when I realized our surroundings had
changed. I noticed that Daniel
was also taking in our new environment.
He momentarily caught my eye and mouthed, “I think it’s a
mother ship”. But then our
lead Jaffa
was moving again and the sensation of a staff weapon pressed between my
shoulder blades told me clearly enough that I should follow.
‘Not
exactly the most cheery décor,’ I noted, observing the dim
hallway. The minimal lighting
cast odd shadows across the floor as we progressed. The rhythmic cadence of our captors
rang in my ears, mixing with echoes of what I suspected were troops of Jaffa marching on guard
patrol in other parts of the ship.
Despite my growing apprehension I followed my military training and
focused on our route – one left, two rights, another left, onto a lift
where we went up two levels and then a final right before arriving at an
entryway. The Jaffa pressed a sequence of keys in the
wall panel to our left and with a soft swoosh
the doors slid open.
This room
was much brighter, with light coming from a mixture of orbs at regular
intervals along the wall and large ornate torches burning in each corner of the
pentagonal shaped room.
‘And
yet,’ I considered silently as I stepped into the room, ‘this feels even darker than the rest of the
ship.’ A window filled a
sizable portion of one of the side walls and I caught a glimpse of the star
field outside. I also saw a
seating area that could have passed easily for a throne. The only other permanent fixture in
the room appeared to be a small dais on which sat some type of console. Various digital maps and what looked
like technical readings were being projected above it, leading me to believe
it was some type of control center.
Three other Jaffa
stood guard in the room, but the man standing at the window with his back to
us was clearly the one we’d been brought here to see.
“The
prisoners, my lord,” our lead Jaffa
announced, bowing on one knee.
With
deliberate slowness the man turned around. He was tall, but not remarkably so,
with dark hair and eyes. His
features were sharply cut and he bore a well manicured mustache and goatee.
‘Under
different circumstances, I’d probably consider him quite
attractive,’ I thought.
“Ah
yes,” the man smiled insidiously as his eyes fell on us. He began to close the distance between
us and it seemed as if every step oozed arrogance. “Doctor Daniel Jackson –
although the last time we met I believe it was Yu’s manservant, Jarrin,
was it not?” He paused, his
demeanor indicating he wasn’t really expecting an answer. “At any rate, it is a pleasure
to see you again, Doctor Jackson.”
I turned
my head slightly to catch Daniel’s reaction. He met the man’s gaze directly
and with a tone that was surprisingly insolent said, “Sorry that I
can’t quite say the same for you, Baal.”
My mind
latched on to the name – one of the Goa’uld System Lords. And if memory served, he was pretty high
on the command chain, a position that no doubt had been fortified by the
death of Anubis.
The
Goa’uld chuckled lightly in reply before turning his attention to
me. His amused expression altered
into something momentarily inquisitive before he eventually smiled in a
manner that left me feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
“Keeping
more appealing company these days as well, I see,” he commented
lightly, flicking his gaze to Daniel.
Then his eyes locked with mine and flashed with that characteristic
Goa’uld-like glow.
“Doctor Jackson, you must introduce me to your companion.”
Before
Daniel had a chance to respond I stood straight and tall and, aiming for a
tone that I hoped would come across as somewhat dauntless, said,
“I’m Doctor Janet Frasier.”
Baal took
a step closer, his eyes purposefully roving up and down my body. I fought against a shudder.
Suddenly
Daniel stepped forward, as if attempting to position himself between me and
Baal. “What do you
want?” he asked, his voice carrying a hint of challenge.
The air
hummed with tension for several heartbeats before Baal turned away. But rather than answer Daniel’s
question he merely ordered his Jaffa
to take us to a holding cell.
As before
I attempted to concentrate on our route, but we weaved through so many
different hallways – and, admittedly, I’d been rather unnerved by
the recent encounter – that I lost count of all the turns before we
arrived at our destination. Our
new lodging – such as at was – consisted of a small cubicle with
two platforms that appeared to function for either a sitting or sleeping
area. There was nothing
else. Rather than a solid door
the cell was closed by an energy beam that gave off a bluish reflection. I could see through the barrier, and
noted one of the Jaffa
that had served as escort took his post outside our cell, his back to
us. Wearily I strode over to one
of the platforms and sat down.
Daniel
walked over and knelt down in front of me. “Are you okay?” he asked
softly.
I nodded
and attempted a smile, but the enormity of our dilemma was beginning to sink
in and I couldn’t maintain the façade. Shutting my eyes I leaned back against
the wall and sighed. “What
are we going to do?”
Daniel
said nothing, but I felt his movement as he rose and then sat beside me. Then there was a gentle touch on my
arm. My eyes fluttered open as I
turned to look at him.
“I
don’t know,” he said simply.
I saw the same traces of worry in his expression I’d seen
before, but there was also a sincerity there that I found immensely
comforting. He managed a half
smile and added, “But we’ll get through this together.”
I’m
not sure why I broke down then. It could have been the discomfort I’d
experienced when Baal had unabashedly appraised
me. Maybe it was the realization
that we were captives on a Goa’uld mother ship and no one knew where we
were. Or perhaps it was the
weight of watching all those people die around me as we’d attempted to
flee Vecca during the attack. All
I know is that Daniel was there, being the kind and sensitive friend
I’d always known him to be.
Allowing the tears to fall I buried my head against his shoulder,
taking solace in the security I felt as his arms slowly wrapped around me.
^ *
^ * ^
* ^ * ^ *
^ * ^
Several
hours had passed. My brief crying
spell seemed to do me good, the emotional release providing an opportunity to
regain my balance. Our situation
didn’t look any better, but at least I was more determined now to
– as my dad always used to say – hang tough. Daniel and I discussed our
circumstance at length. Rescue
was unlikely, unless by some miracle someone had been able to trace where
we’d been taken. Escape
might be possible, but without having any idea where we were, we didn’t
have any clues as to where we’d escape. In the end we decided to try and find
out what information we could, and be on the lookout for any potential escape
opening – deciding that escape into the unknown was preferable to
remaining captive.
Daniel
attempted, for a while, to get information from our Jaffa guard. But either the shield barrier was
soundproof – which we seriously doubted – or else he was
pointedly ignoring us.
“You
want to give it a try?” Daniel asked, after several failed attempts to
engage the Jaffa
in any dialogue.
I
shrugged. I wasn’t sure how
to go about it, but at least it would give me something to keep my mind
occupied. “Sure,” I
replied. I stood, taking the
opportunity to stretch my legs a bit.
I started to make my way towards the shield, but before I could even
formulate what I wanted to say another Jaffa,
carrying a medium sized box, suddenly appeared from around the corner. He motioned for us to step back and
then pressed at something on his belt.
The shield flickered a couple of times, then went out completely. The Jaffa stepped through. He pressed at his belt again and the
shield engaged.
“Lord
Baal has requested your presence at his evening meal,” the Jaffa announced without
preamble.
Daniel
glanced at me, his expression wary.
“Not your typical Goa’uld standard of hospitality,”
he said.
The Jaffa moved toward one
of the platforms – never turning his back to us, I noted – and
placed the box there. Opening it
he pulled out a pair of women’s slippers, followed by what appeared to
be some type of cloth in a deep burgundy color. He sat the slippers on the platform
beside the box and then tossed the other item at me.
“You
are instructed to wear this,” he said evenly.
Looking down
at the mass of cloth in my hand I began to unwrap it, and discovered it was
– surprisingly enough – an evening gown. I held it up, noticing the rich feel
of the fabric and what I was sure would be an all too revealing cut to the
bodice. A sensation of dread
began to build in the pit of my stomach.
Perhaps
Daniel had an inkling of what I was thinking because he suddenly said,
“I don’t think so.”
The Jaffa answered by
engaging his staff weapon.
“My master was most insistent,” he said coldly. Looking directly at Daniel he added,
“My lord also stated that your presence at the meal was not necessarily
essential.”
“It’s
okay,” I assured, laying a hand on Daniel’s arm, although
I’m not sure whom I was trying to convince – him or me. He looked
at me, and I could see the conflicting emotions in his eyes. I nodded, hoping it was a gesture of
reassurance and said, “We’ll get through this together,
remember?”
He held
my gaze for a few more seconds before finally nodding as well. “Together,” he repeated,
his voice tight.
I glanced
around, recalling the sparse accommodations. I fixed the Jaffa with a pointed look. “And where, exactly, am I
expected to change?”
The Jaffa said nothing.
Sighing
heavily, I glanced at Daniel again.
“Would you mind?”
He nodded
in understanding, turning his back to offer what cover he could. I turned around also, but not before
noticing that Daniel had also opened up his jacket, holding the sides out to
provide additional screening.
Despite the circumstance, I couldn’t help but smile a little at
that.
‘Leave
it to Daniel to be chivalrous at a time like this,’ I said to myself.
As I
changed into the dress my mind momentarily pulled up a scene from that old
Indiana Jones film. ‘Doubt
I’ll have any luck getting my host drunk tonight,’ I noted,
rather sarcastically. Still, it
was enough to remind me that I’d need to be on my guard, watching for
any opportunity where I might be able to play this ridiculous scenario to our
advantage.
The dress
wasn’t a perfect fit, but it was close enough. And the top was not nearly as
revealing as I’d feared.
However I did discover a rather high slit in the skirt that I’d
failed to notice before. I did
not look forward to the sensation of exposure
I was sure to experience once we were in Baal’s presence. I muttered a word of thanks to Daniel
as I stepped from behind him and reached for the slippers. Sliding them on I found they were
comfortable enough, and I considered myself fortunate I’d not been
given some torturous pair of heels instead.
As I
turned around I caught sight of Daniel watching me intently. I was unsure how to interpret his
expression. It almost seemed to
be an odd mixture of concern and fascination. But he glanced away quickly, mumbling
something to the guard about our being ready to go now.
‘What
was that all about?’ I wondered, falling into step behind the lead Jaffa. But, not wanting the peculiarity of
the moment to distract me, I pushed the thought aside and attempted to
mentally prepare myself for what was ahead.
We were
escorted to the same chamber as before, but a small table had been set up in
one corner.
‘Well,
the table may be small,’ I noted to myself, ‘but they’ve
definitely gone big in
style.’
Everything
was plush and ornate, from the linens and place settings to the food
itself. The table was low, with
several cushions situated around it.
I groaned inwardly as I imagined attempting to get up and down from
the floor in this dress.
‘No
doubt that was all part of his plan,’ I thought angrily, allowing the
ire to feed my courage as I glanced around to find our host.
Baal was
sitting in his throne, dressed in simple but elegant black and golden
robes. He rose to greet us and
smiled that oily smile I remembered all too well from our first encounter.
“Welcome! I’m delighted you could join
me.”
“As
if we had a choice,” I shot back, a little surprised at my own
vehemence.
Daniel
took a step closer to me and I had the fleeting thought that perhaps he was
trying to warn me.
Baal
chuckled, his voice resonating in a deep Goa-uld baritone, and fixed me with
a feral gaze. “But you
always have a choice, my dear.”
I
didn’t answer, knowing it would be pointless. ‘Sure, I have a choice –
if you want to consider death as a viable option.’
“Come,”
Baal continued, waving a hand towards the table. “You must be hungry.”
I glanced
to Daniel, silently telling him that I would follow his lead. He gave a slight nod of reassurance
and began moving towards the table.
I followed, my mind again ruminating over just how I was going to sit
down into something that approached a comfortable position without exposing
any more bare skin than was absolutely necessary. As we drew closer I noticed the table
was actually triangular in shape, which meant there was no way I was going to
be able to completely avoid having to sit beside Baal. Then as I watched Baal take his
self-appointed place I instinctively knew he was going to hold out a hand to
offer me assistance.
‘This
just gets worse with each passing second,’ my inner voice bemoaned.
Abruptly
Daniel stepped ahead of me, positioning himself to my left as he reached the
table first, his hand already reaching for my arm to help me sit down. Immense gratitude welled inside me and
I could have flung my arms around him in a suffocating bear hug right then
and there. But, considering our
present situation, I simply offered him a fleeting glance instead. I managed to situate myself, with my
legs curved slightly to my side so that the length of the dress covered
them. Daniel waited until I was
settled before taking the last empty spot.
Baal
picked up a dish that looked as if it contained some type of large, steaming
vegetable. “I trust you
will find something here to your liking,” he said, passing the dish
toward me.
I caught a
whiff of something sweet and spicy and felt a distinctive tightening in my
stomach. It had been hours since
I’d last eaten. But my
wariness hadn’t eased up, so I simply glared at him in response.
“I
assure you that none of it is poisoned,” Baal commented, retrieving the
dish and spooning out a portion onto his own plate. For added measure he sliced off a bite
and put it in his mouth.
“Why
kill us before attempting to get information from us first, you mean?”
Daniel quipped from his side of the table.
Baal met
his gaze, his mouth caught somewhere between an amused smile and an irritated
frown. “I must say that the
information I’ve been privy to regarding the infamous SG-1 always
purported that O’Neill was the impertinent one.”
Daniel
didn’t even flinch.
“I’m just doing double-duty since Jack’s not
here.”
I waited,
not sure if I should be amused or perturbed about this little
tête-à-tête.
“I
see,” Baal said at last, passing me the dish again.
I took it
this time, serving myself a sample of whatever it was.
“And
how is the good General doing these days?” Baal asked as we continued
to serve ourselves from the variety of foods.
“Oh,
you know Jack,” Daniel replied.
It he was the least bit rattled by the fact that Baal had knowledge of
O’Neill’s recent promotion then he didn’t show it.
I smiled
to myself at the way he’d chosen to be purposefully vague. But I also wondered how long before
Baal would grow tired of this little cat-and-mouse game.
They
traded barbs a couple more times and then nothing more was said for a
while. I busied myself with
sampling the items on my plate, taking advantage of the meal since there was
no way to know when we might get to eat again. I also surreptitiously attempted to
study the room in more detail.
But I didn’t feel I’d gleaned anything of value from the
exercise. I didn’t have a
clue about how to operate any of the Goa’uld technology, and since my
knowledge of astronomy is quite limited, the stars outside the window told me
nothing regarding our location.
“As
distasteful as I find it to do so,” Baal began after the long silence,
“I believe I must acknowledge my gratitude to you and your little
group.”
Daniel
and I both looked at each other in perplexity before turning our gaze toward
our host again. ‘What is he
up to?’ I wondered.
Baal
smiled. “With the defeat of
Anubis, I remain relatively unchallenged among the System Lords.”
“Glad
we could help,” Daniel replied sarcastically.
‘Maybe
a bit too sarcastically,’ I
thought as I watched Baal lean forward slightly, his smile growing more
sinister.
“Perhaps
you would assist me further by providing information of precisely how you
defeated Anubis,” he said.
Daniel
practically snorted.
“Sorry. I
can’t do that.”
‘But
of course you can,’ I thought to myself. ‘You can tell him about the
Antarctic outpost, and its connection to the Lost City.’ I opened my mouth to actually tell
Daniel something to that effect, but a slight buzzing echoed in my head
before I could form the words. A
couple more heartbeats passed before I realized what I’d been about to
do.
‘Where
did that thought come from?’
I wondered with a growing sense of apprehension.
Baal was
speaking again.
“Don’t be so hasty, Doctor Jackson. I’m aware that your expertise
isn’t necessarily in weapons, but I’m sure you can tell me more
than you realize.”
It felt
like a haze was forming in my mind.
I glanced at Daniel. It
looked as if he’d been about to fire back with another smart remark,
but then he too had paused, as if reconsidering.
“Some
type of alien technology, perhaps?” Baal added, his tone strangely
hypnotic.
My mental
haze was thickening and again I had a strong desire to answer Baal’s
question. Reflexively I shook my
head to clear it.
‘Something’s not right here,’ I screamed at myself. Truly worried now, I looked to
Daniel. His mouth was clamped
tight, his eyes closed in unmistakable concentration. ‘He’s fighting it
too,’ I realized.
“What
have you done to us?” I demanded, turning my attention to Baal.
But he
simply replied with another inquiry to Daniel. “Then again, maybe you’d
rather give me the code that informs your people to deactivate your Gate
iris?”
Immediately
the combination of numbers and letters I’d memorized before our recent
mission flashed into my head. I
had an almost overwhelming urge to speak them aloud. ‘Concentrate!’ I ordered
myself, fairly biting on my tongue to keep from revealing the code.
“Whatever
you’ve done,” Daniel said, his voice obviously strained,
“it’s not going to work.
We won’t tell you anything.”
This time
Baal actually laughed. “Oh,
your bravado does amuse me, Doctor Jackson.” He leaned back slightly, his demeanor
one of utter arrogance.
“But I have plenty of time.
Now I ask you again, what type of weapon did you use to defeat
Anubis.”
With each
question Baal posed it was becoming more difficult to fight against blurting
out the answer. I didn’t
dare break my concentration long enough to look at Daniel again. But I was sure he was still fighting
against the same thing I was.
‘You have to think,
Janet,’ I told myself.
Perhaps if I could figure out how Baal was doing this, it might give
me a clue about how to fight it.
Struggling
to focus my thoughts away from Baal’s inquiries, I replayed everything
that had happened to us in the past half-hour. When the answer finally dawned on me
it was so blindingly obvious that I wanted to hit myself for not considering
it sooner.
“The
food!” I exclaimed.
“It may not have been poisoned, but you put something in the
food.”
Baal’s
attention, which had been primarily focused on Daniel during this
inquisition, turned to me.
“Ah, my dear doctor – as intelligent as you are
beautiful.”
“What
is it?” I asked. Whatever
the drug was, he’d eaten the food too. It was probably a long shot, but if he
would tell me something about the drug then maybe I could figure out how to
combat it. “Some kind of
truth serum?”
“That
would be telling, now wouldn’t it?” he replied. “But fortunately I took the
antidote before our little meal this evening.”
I latched
on to whatever I could to keep him talking instead of asking more
questions. “So
there’s an antidote, then?”
Baal’s
eyes bored into mine as he asked, “Can you tell me the code that deactivates Earth’s Gate
iris?”
His voice
seemed to wrap around me like a soft, warm blanket and again the code
appeared in my mind’s eye.
‘No, no, no!’ I
pleaded with myself.
‘Don’t say it!’
Suddenly
I became aware that Daniel was softly whispering something. For a moment I was seized with
fear. ‘Oh no,’ I panicked. ‘He’s giving in –
he’s going to reveal something.’ But as Daniel’s voice grew
steadily louder I discovered that whatever he was saying wasn’t in
English.
I picked
up one or two words, realizing it was in Latin. Then I recognized a bit in German. The next part was unrecognizable, but
definitely one of the harsher languages.
‘Russian, perhaps?’ I considered, taking advantage of this
new puzzle as an opportunity to fight against the lure of Baal’s
queries. I began to notice there
was a steady rhythm to Daniel’s murmurings, and then it hit me. ‘He’s saying the same
phrase, over and over again, but each time in a different language.’
Well, if
that could keep Daniel fighting against Baal’s truth drug, then maybe I
could use it to fight as well. Pouring all my concentration into the
effort, I closed my eyes and listened to Daniel’s steady mantra. And as I zeroed in on the sound of his
voice, slowly the barrage of Baal’s questioning grew less and less
seductive.
Eventually
I became aware that the room had grown quiet again. I opened my eyes and saw that Daniel
was staring at Baal with an unmistakable look of defiance. His brow was still furrowed slightly,
from continued concentration, but otherwise he appeared calm and confident. Baal, for his part, gazed back with a
stone-cold expression that did nothing to ease my concern.
Several
strained seconds of silence ticked past before Baal eventually broke into one
of his unsettling smiles again.
“I wondered if you would be able to fight against the drug I
used,” he said, his eyes never faltering from Daniel’s. “Most intriguing. No doubt you will continue to interest
and amuse me before I no longer have need of you.”
Daniel
didn’t reply, but I caught the slight way his body tensed. Yes, Baal’s comment had been an
obvious threat, but I suspected Daniel had way more of an idea than I did
just how bad things could get before this was all over.
“But
for now,” Baal continued, “we are finished. You may go.”
Daniel
didn’t waste any time in getting up. He was already offering his hand to
help me up as well when suddenly one of the Jaffa who’d been standing guard
thrust the end of his staff weapon between us.
“I
meant that you may go, Doctor
Jackson,” Baal said, turning his attention toward me. His expression became blatantly
predatory as he added, “But I am not yet ready to dismiss the company
of your friend.”
I fought
against a rising sense of panic and reflexively turned to Daniel, sending out
a silent plea for help. But Daniel’s
attention was fixed on Baal. He
was practically shooting daggers at the Goa’uld, his fists clenched at
his side and his entire body rigid.
The look I saw on his face sent a momentary shiver up my spine.
“No,”
Daniel said. There was an icy
tenor to his tone that ratcheted the already obvious tension in the air up a
couple of notches.
For a
moment Baal merely returned Daniel’s steady gaze with an unreadable one
of his own. Then he arched one
eyebrow slightly and said, “Trust me, Doctor Jackson, it will be much
easier if you do not remain.”
Daniel
shook his head adamantly.
“If Janet stays, then so do I.”
Baal
responded with a somewhat dramatic sigh.
“Very well – if you insist.”
With the
slightest flick of his hand Baal gave a signal and two Jaffa were immediately at Daniel’s
side. Each one grabbed an arm and
roughly jerked him over against the wall.
“No!”
I shouted. I rushed to get up and
nearly got tangled in the skirt of my dress. I felt a vice-like grip on my arm and
realized that Baal had me.
“Let
me help you, my dear,” the Goa’uld purred at my ear as he lifted
me into a standing position.
“No,”
I cried again, struggling to pull from his grasp.
“Now,
now,” Baal continued, holding me fast. “You may want to reconsider being
quite so combative.”
The
subtle warning cut through my growing trepidation and I froze, meeting the
cold eyes of the Goa’uld who stood in front of me.
“You
see,” Baal went on, “as long as you cooperate, Doctor Jackson
will come to no harm.”
He suddenly
stepped aside and I saw that Daniel had now been strapped to the wall at his
wrists with his arms raised slightly above him. His mouth was gagged. The two Jaffa still stood nearby, but now one of
them held some kind of stick, about a meter long, with a double-pronged head
on one end. I wasn’t sure
what the device was used for, although torture seemed a fair bet. Reluctantly I met Daniel’s eyes,
unsure what I would see there.
There was a sense of desperation, and perhaps even a touch of
fear. But most of all I saw anger
– cold, hard anger.
‘Hold
it together,’ I told myself.
‘You can do this.
You have to do
this.’ Taking a deep
breath, I turned to face Baal, and asked in as steady a voice as I could
muster, “What do you want?”
“Only
to ask a few questions,” he replied with a smile.
I
swallowed. ‘Why do I get
the feeling that’s not all he’s got in mind?’ Mentally steeling myself, I pulled
back my shoulders and thrust my chin forward slightly. “Okay. What’s the first
question?”
Rather
than speak again, Baal just stared at me. Then, with an agonizing slowness, he
purposefully circled around me. I
could feel his eyes on me, but forced myself to stand firm. After making a complete loop he
paused, leaning in slightly.
“What
were you doing on Vecca?” he finally asked.
Well, at
least that was a question I could safely answer. “Offering medical
assistance.”
Baal
nodded, as if he’d already known the answer. He moved to circle me again, but
stopped on my right side and reached out to run a finger deliberately up and
down my arm from shoulder to elbow.
“And
why was Doctor Jackson there?” he questioned, moving again to repeat
the process on my left arm
“Studying
their culture,” I replied.
The purposeful invasion of my private space was already beginning to
disturb me, so I reached for a bit of acrimony as a means of fighting against
it. “That is one of the
things archaeologists do, you know.”
Baal
chuckled slightly. “Of
course,” he said, his tone colored with amusement. He leaned closer, and I felt the heat
of his breath against the back of my neck as he asked, “And where was
the rest of SG-1?”
From the
corner of my eye I saw Daniel struggling against his restraints. “They were not on this
mission,” I answered, offering at least a partial truth.
Baal was
standing behind me when he suddenly grabbed both my arms, effectively pinning
them against my side. He pulled
me against him, his mouth brushing against my ear as he continued the
interrogation. “Then
surely, when you and your medical team planned to return to earth, you would
need the recognition code so that your Gate’s iris could be
deactivated.”
‘So
much for the safe questions,’
I mused, feeling my apprehension start to stir again.
Without
warning Baal wrapped one arm around me, at the level of my shoulders. It resulted in freeing my arms, but I
was still trapped against him.
“What is the code?” he calmly inquired.
“I
don’t know,” I lied.
Baal must
have given some sign to his Jaffa
because the guard immediately touched the edge of his stick to Daniel’s
side. My worst fear was confirmed
as I watched a strange orange-yellow light appear to illumine Daniel’s
entire body, and his scream of pain was only partially muffled by the gag in
his mouth. It lasted only a few
seconds but felt as if it played out before my eyes in an eternity.
“Let’s
try again, shall we?” Baal taunted as he slowly caressed my hair. “What is the recognition code
that deactivates the iris?”
My eyes
were beginning to sting with tears as I continued to look at Daniel. He was sagging against his bonds now,
his breathing labored. But he
managed to raise his head, meet my eyes and give a slight shake of his head
as if to say don’t reveal
anything.
When I
failed to respond, the Jaffa
hit Daniel with the stick again.
“Stop it!” I cried, thrashing against Baal to no
avail. “I told you I
don’t know.”
Baal
pulled my hair aside and slowly began planting light kisses along the line of
my neck. It was as if he was
becoming aroused by watching this torture unfold. I tensed, gritting my teeth in anger
against his manipulative violation.
I glanced
at Daniel again. Even though I
knew it would be hurtful to see him, slumped in his restraints, I thought it
might also fuel my anger so that I could endure what Baal was actually doing
to me. But to my surprise I saw
Daniel was pulling with all his might against the straps that held him in
place, a desperate fury burning in his eyes.
“The
code?” Baal whispered against my ear.
“I
don’t know,” I bit out the words, filling each one with all the
rage I felt.
Daniel’s
body writhed and he screamed as they hit him a third time.
And then,
all at once, it stopped. The Jaffa with the torture
stick stepped aside while the other guard reached up to unfasten
Daniel’s bonds. As he fell
to the floor Baal unexpectedly released me. Reflexively I spun around, bringing my
hand up in what I intended to be one powerhouse of a slap. But he anticipated me, and grabbed my
arm before I could carry through.
“Beautiful
and feisty,” he commented,
his voice laden with fascination.
“You are a most impressive woman, Janet Frasier.”
“Leave
her alone,” Daniel called from where he still crouched on the
floor. His voice was weak but there
was no mistaking the challenge in it – and it earned him a swift kick
in the side from one of the Jaffa.
After a
few more heartbeats Baal finally let go of my arm. Without a second thought I hurried to
Daniel’s side. Not knowing
if Baal would keep us here longer, or return us to our cell, I wanted to give
Daniel a cursory examination to determine how badly he’d been
hurt. But he patiently pushed
away my attention and made to stand up.
I helped as best I could, positioning myself so that he could lean his
weight against me. But again he
neglected my offer, determined to stand on his own.
The two Jaffa continued to hover
nearby and moved in even closer as Baal approached us.
“I
will allow you to return to your cell, for now,” he said, his voice even. His eyes flashed once as he added,
“But make no mistake – this has only been the beginning.”
As his
eyes fell on me I involuntarily took a step backwards. “However, there is no reason why
our future encounters need be so… unpleasant,” he said softly. He reached up toward my face and I
took an additional step back, only to encounter the wall. And then Daniel was standing in front
of me, completely blocking me from Baal’s view.
“Don’t
ever touch her again,” Daniel said. His voice was low, barely above a
whisper, and there was an edge to it that I’d never heard before.
For a
moment I feared Baal would strike out against us again, but he simply turned
away. “Take them to the
holding cell,” he barked over his shoulder, and then strode out of the
room.
^ *
^ * ^
* ^ * ^ *
^ * ^
We were
unceremoniously deposited back in our cell. Daniel had insisted on making the trek
back without any assistance, but as soon as the force field barrier was
engaged he heavily slumped to his knees.
I immediately
transitioned into doctor mode and knelt beside him. “Are you okay?”
He
managed a slight nod. “Been
better,” he quipped, wincing as if even speaking was painful.
“You
need to lie down,” I instructed.
It
wasn’t easy, but between his tenacious effort and my assistance we
managed to make our way to the sleeping platform. Daniel eased down onto his back, his
eyes closed, and I settled on the edge of the platform beside him.
“Let
me check for injuries,” I said, reaching to cautiously touch his side.
“I’m
okay,” Daniel replied, pushing my hand away.
“I
thought I was the medical doctor here,” I scolded, a little perturbed
at his resistance.
Daniel
sighed. “This isn’t
the first time I’ve experienced the particular joys of a Goa’uld
pain stick,” he said. His
voice was still strained but there was no mistaking the hint of sarcasm. “While it does hurt, a lot, it doesn’t seem to do any
serious damage. I just need to
rest.”
I was
about to launch into a more stern reprimand when his eyes slowly opened and
he fixed me with a look so intense that I felt my heart skip a beat.
“At
the moment,” he said, his voice soft, “I’m much more
concerned about you.”
I
blinked, not entirely certain how to take his comment. Sure, I knew Daniel cared about me
– as I did him. We were
friends. But something in his
tone had struck me, and unbidden the images of him struggling against his
restraints earlier rose in my mind.
‘Why had he fought against them so hard?’ I found myself
wondering.
“I’m
a little rattled,” I finally admitted. “But I’ll be okay.”
“Are
you sure?” he pressed, still holding my gaze.
I nodded,
suddenly unable to say more.
Fortunately it must have been enough to reassure him because he nodded
as well and his eyes fluttered closed.
A few
seconds of silence passed before Daniel spoke again. “I’d never forgive myself
if he’d hurt you,” he whispered.
The
confession touched me deeply but I also knew Daniel was prone to taking
entirely too much responsibility for things that weren’t his fault.
“Daniel,
I appreciate your concern,” I said sincerely. “But let’s keep things in
perspective here. You were
strapped to the wall, for goodness sake.
There wasn’t anything else you could have done.”
He looked
at me again, his mouth open to reply.
But he hesitated, and eventually gave a slight nod instead and shut
his eyes.
I
momentarily closed my own eyes, taking a deep breath to calm myself. Baal’s torture had been disturbing
enough, and I knew my emotions were still taut from the experience. But Daniel’s comments
weren’t exactly helping matters.
As I let the breath out slowly a new thought came to me. ‘Could it be that Daniel
considered it much worse to watch how Baal had toyed with me, compared to
what was inflicted on him by that pain stick?’ Maybe in my current state I was
jumping to conclusions, but his words and demeanor both seemed to indicate
something like that. I quickly
pushed the notion aside, knowing I wasn’t prepared at the moment to
follow where such thoughts might lead.
Forcing
myself back into my medical persona, I observed my patient. Daniel’s breathing was more
regular now, although his face still showed lines of tension. Despite his assertion that he was okay
I knew I’d never be satisfied until I’d checked him in more
detail.
“I’m
going to take a look at your side,” I said, using my best no nonsense
tone. This time he didn’t
push me away.
There
were some burn marks, where the stick had made contact, but they appeared to
be mild. Not that it mattered
– I didn’t have any means of treating them anyway. There were no other visible signs of
injury and a cursory examination indicated – as much as I could
determine without other equipment – that there hadn’t been any
internal damage. His pulse was a
little irregular, but that was to be expected. I made a note to check it again in a
few minutes to see if there was any change.
I
remained by his side as the moments ticked past, periodically checking his
pulse. To my great relief it was
slowly becoming more regular, and eventually I could tell he’d drifted
off to sleep. I watched him a
while longer, marveling – as I’d done countless times before when
he’d been restricted to the infirmary – how regardless of the
circumstance he always managed to look so peaceful when sleeping.
‘Oh
Daniel,’ I thought silently, ‘what are we going to do?’
I’d
certainly been on my share of missions since being at the SGC, and while I
wasn’t quite the solider that
Sam was I still felt fairly confident in my level of training and
abilities. I’d even made a
point – especially since that incident with Hathor all those years back
– of keeping myself in better shape and more up to date on things like
self-defense and weapons. But
this was the first time I’d been in a situation like this, and there
was no denying that it had me on edge.
‘The fact that Baal has taken such a liking to me,’ I
reflected with a momentary shudder, ‘certainly hasn’t made it any
easier.’ As I gazed down at
the man sleeping beside me I knew that a majority of the reason I’d
been able to hold up thus far was because Daniel was here. Sure, he didn’t have the same
kind of training as O’Neill or Teal’c, but he’d definitely
picked up a few tricks for survival during his time with SG-1. And I knew that he’d do
everything in his power to keep me safe.
His
comments from our recent exchange echoed in my mind. In the stillness of the moment,
looking at his serene features, I found I could not so quickly dismiss the
thoughts I’d had earlier.
‘Am I imagining things?’ I asked myself. Daniel had a rather protective nature
when it came to people he cared about, so perhaps this was just an extension
of his personality, possibly amplified because of the dire nature of our
circumstance. But a little voice
in the back of my mind kept niggling at me that there was more to it than
that. On impulse I began to think
back on everything that had happened to us. ‘Actually,’ I considered,
‘he’s been doing the protective role since the moment we were
captured on Vecca.’ In
fact, he’d been down-right hovering over me at times. Strange that I hadn’t really
noticed it before.
‘But
if it really is something more than
his typical protective nature,’ I wondered, ‘then why is it
showing itself now?’ As my
mind ran down this new track of consideration I came to two basic
conclusions. One, if this was a
legitimate emotion on Daniel’s part then it was something entirely new,
perhaps brought on by the danger we faced. The second possibility was that
he’d actually felt this way for some time and the danger we faced
– or maybe even that truth drug he’d consumed during dinner
– had brought it to the surface.
‘Or
maybe I’m just going crazy,’ I thought sardonically. Weariness settled on me and I rubbed
at my eyes. Daniel was deep in
sleep now, and although a part of me thought that at least one of us should
probably be awake while we remained in Baal’s custody I knew I needed
to get some rest too. Quietly I
made my way over to the other sleeping platform and stretched out on my
side. With one last look at
Daniel, I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep.
^ *
^ * ^
* ^ * ^ *
^ * ^
I woke,
feeling terribly stiff and uncomfortable. For a moment I wasn’t sure where
I was, not to mention why I was dressed in some ridiculous evening gown. But as I blinked my eyes, pushing away
the fog of sleep, it all came back with unwelcome clarity. I glanced across the cell and saw that
Daniel no longer was asleep on the other platform. Turning my head to look around I found
him sitting at my feet. He was
gazing straight ahead and his arms were linked casually across his chest.
“How
long have I been out?” I asked.
“I’m
not really sure,” Daniel replied, his voice low. “You were already asleep when I
woke up. It’s difficult to
have any accurate sense of time, but I think it’s been several hours
since we were brought back to our cell.”
I sat up,
wincing as my muscles protested at being in the same position for too long, and
noticed that I had an SGC military issue jacket draped across my shoulders.
Daniel
must have picked up on my awareness of it because he said in a somewhat
sheepish tone, “I thought you might be cold.”
I glanced
over and saw that he was watching me closely, seemingly a little unsure.
I offered
a small smile in response to his thoughtfulness. “Thanks,” I said, handing
the jacket back to him.
“No,”
he shook his head in the negative.
“Keep it.”
Well, I
wasn’t cold, and I figured Daniel probably knew that. But the jacket would cover my bare
shoulders and at least make me feel a little less conspicuous in my
attire. I figured he knew that as
well. Meeting his eyes, my smile
deepened in acknowledgement of his offer.
Slipping
the jacket on I said, “I guess it would be too much to hope that there
had been some change in our circumstance while we slept?”
“Looks
like we had a guard shift change,” Daniel replied pointing at the Jaffa who stood
outside. “But that’s
about the extent of it.”
Suddenly his features broke out in a most amused grin.
“What?”
I asked, looking around to see what had so unexpectedly become a source of
entertainment to him.
“Sorry,”
he muttered, attempting to hide his smile. “It’s just that it’s
a little big on you.”
Glancing
down at myself I found I had to fight back a grin of my own. The shoulder seams of the jacket hit a
good two inches down my arm. The
sleeves were bunched up, but still my hands were nearly covered by the length
of them, and I had a sneaking suspicion that when I stood up the edge of the
jacket would reach about mid-thigh.
“I
guess you’re right,” I replied and began rolling up the edge of
one of the cuffs.
“Here,
let me help,” Daniel offered, reaching for my arm. His manner was still one of amusement
but as he leaned in slightly I began to suspect it was partly for show. “We need to get out of
here,” he whispered, his tone very determined.
“I
thought we already discussed this,” I whispered back, curious about his
quick shift in demeanor.
“There’s no where to go.”
“Doesn’t
matter,” Daniel answered, continuing to work on the sleeves. He momentarily met my gaze. “I don’t trust Baal
– we have to act, and soon.”
‘Well
of course you don’t trust him,’ I thought silently. ‘He’s a
Goa’uld!’ Aloud I
said, “I don’t trust him either, but why the sudden
urgency?”
He
finished rolling the last cuff but didn’t pull away. “I can’t explain it, but
something tells me Baal was just playing with us earlier. He won’t be that way the next
time.”
Something
in Daniel’s behavior told me he knew what he was talking about,
although to my memory he’d never been an actual capt |