Real love or Janet's year 2010
By Marie Garcia
E-MAIL: maricelagarcia2001@yahoo.com
DATE: written in October 2001
STATUS: Complete
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: The episode "2010" from the point of view of Janet.
CATEGORY: Mixture of scenes from "2010" and new scenes Daniel and Janet Romance. Jack and Sam angst
SEASON/SEQUEL: 4; no sequel (as of now??)
SPOILERS: 2010. Small references to the following episodes: "Broca divide", "Fire and water", "Rites of Passage", "Holiday", "Need", "Legacy", "Singularity", "Brief Candle", "Forever in a day"
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters and places
are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret
Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for
entertainment not monetary purposes 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.
FEEDBACK: Yes, please.
© 2001 Marie Garcia
The sun wakes me up as it gently brushes my face. I open the eyes and rub my eyes, trying to chase sleep away. I wish I could sleep longer . Suddenly, I realize which day it is. Today is the ceremony in honor of the tenth anniversary of the first contact between the Aschen and Earth. From my bed, I can see the card that invites me to the ceremony. The card is on my night table. I know very well what it says, so I don't need to read it again.
"Dr. Janet Frasier
We are honored to invite you to the ceremony in commemoration of the Tenth anniversary of the first contact between the Aschen and Earth. This is the occasion to celebrate the entrance of Earth in the Aschen Confederation and to recall all the benefits of this Alliance.
We look forward to seeing you"
I cannot but think that this last sentence reads like an order. I feel like disobeying it and I have no desire whatsoever to show up at the ceremony. I want to come up with any excuse, since I don't feel like celebrating.The card says that we will celebrate the benefits of the alliance between Earth and the Aschen. I have to say that I really believed in those benefits when Earth joined the Aschen Confederation. I trusted the Aschen without a doubt. I really believed that they were our saviors. After all, they did save us from the Goa'uld. And that gained our trust. At the time, I was deaf to Jack's warnings. I regret it now.
Today, it is hard for me to see the benefits of our membership in the Aschen Confederation. Especially when I think that I have no real work. True, I have a medical office in Washington. But everyone prefers to consult the Aschen doctors, since they are so much more advanced. My office is empty. I feel like I am of no use anymore. My friends themselves don't consult me anymore, even if I was their doctor for so long.
It is this lack of trust that hurts me the most. Little by little, Sam stopped coming to my office. Jack would have consulted me, but he doesn't know that I have changed my mind about the Aschen. Therefore, he doesn't come either. And as for Teal'c... well, last time he traveled to Earth was ages ago. However, what really hurts me the most is Daniel's lack of trust on my science. I try to repress that thought deep inside me.
Suddenly, the phone starts ringing. "Doctor Frasier", I answer as I wonder who could be calling me?
"Hi. It's me", says Daniel. I am extremely surprised to hear his voice. Daniel went on a mission
for a week to the planet P3X-8596, also known as Argos. It is in that planet that Jack was infected by nano-technology that accelerated his aging incredibly fast. People on Argos count their life in days, not years.
Daniel went to that planet to introduce the Aschen to the Argosian. The Aschen said that they wanted to help the people of Argos increase their life-span, just like the Aschen did on Earth. I thought that Daniel was still on P3X-8596 and that he will be arriving to Earth later today. That is why I am so surprised to hear his voice.
"Daniel! You came back!", I say.
"Yes, I came back earlier"
"I am happy to hear that"
"Thanks. Janet, do you want me to pick you up?", asks Daniel. I realize that he wants to pick me up so that we can go together to the ceremony. But I am not sure that I want to go to a ceremony that commemorates an alliance in which I don't believe anymore. It would be hypocritical of me. But, mostly, I don't want to hear those speeches that speak wonders of the Aschen.
On the other hand, I would miss the chance to meet with Sam, Teal'c and Jack if I don't go to the ceremony. Well, I would miss the chance to meet with Jack if he does show up. According to what Sam told me, Jack will probably not come to such a ceremony. His own mistrust on the Aschen seem to reflect mine.
"Daniel, it is that... I am not ready yet" I apologize to Daniel. I try to convince myself that I am not lying. It is after all the truth, I am not ready yet.
"I can pass later on. That would give you the time to get ready" suggests Daniel. Then, I know that he really wants to go to the ceremony with me. I have a car, therefore I could go by myself. But it would be much more pleasant if we go together.
I feel like I am between two fires. I want to accept and I want to refuse at the same time. I let my intuition speak. "Ok, sure" My voice sound surprisingly cheerful. I realize that I do want to see my friends again.
"All right, then" says Daniel. I can almost see his smile.
"Daniel... I missed you"
"You too"
All this is new and fresh for me. Our romantic relationship started a few months ago. Daniel and me had always been close friends, but that was it. But, little by little, our feelings changed into deeper feelings that we could not deny anymore. However, what happened between Sam and Jack makes us very cautious. We ignore what would be their reaction if they learned that Daniel and me are in love? We don't wish to open old wounds that are still painful.
For the time being, Daniel and me decided to keep this secret and act as if nothing had happened between us in front of Sam and Jack. We want to wait for the right moment before announcing the news.
"See you then", says Daniel.
"Yes"
"I love you, Janet"
"Me too"
Then, we hang the phone.
I feel suddenly very motivated to go to the ceremony. In fact, I am looking forward to seeing SG-1 again, and that wins over my worries about the Aschen. So, I start getting ready. I dress up and do a bun with my hair. An hour later, the doorbell rings. I take a last look on the mirror and then I go to open the door. I already know it is Daniel.
Everything seems so nostalgic today. I think about the first time I had to treat Daniel. That was when SG-1 got infected with a virus from P3X-797. The victims of that virus acted like primitive humans. Daniel seemed uninfected, but he did show up at my infirmary. He had some scratches, but that needed nonetheless medical attention because we didn't know if the virus could infect them. Daniel told me that Jack, under the influence of the virus, had attacked him because Daniel had shown a brotherly concern for Sam. I have to say that I wasn't really surprised to hear that. I had just arrived to the base, but I had already noticed the sparks between Sam and Jack. It seemed natural to me that, under the influence of the virus, they would not hide the desire for each other.
A knock on the door and Daniel's voice awake me from my memories. "Janet, it's me", says Daniel. I open the door, and I see a smiling Daniel. He is obviously looking forward to meeting with the rest of SG-1. After all, they had so many adventures together that I can only imagine the link that exists between them. Like that terrible day when Jack, Sam and Teal'c came back from P3X-866 with news that Daniel was dead.
Daniel was already a friend of mine when this happened. I couldn't believe that he was gone. But I had a role to play. I was Doctor Frasier, chief medical doctor of the SGC. I had to keep my professionalism at all cost. I had to do everything I could to help sg-1 pass through this. It was only at the memorial service that I let myself free and showed a bit more how much Daniel's death was affecting me. Thankfully, Daniel wasn't dead.
We all wanted to touch him, and to talk to him when he came back from P3X-866 with the rest of SG-1 that went to the planet looking for him.
"Something's wrong? You seem lost in your thoughts", says Daniel with concern. We are on our way to the ceremony. "I was thinking about all that happened when we were part of the SGC... before the Aschen", I tell him. Daniel nods. He is also thinking about sg-1. "The ceremony will probably last forever. Maybe we should eat something before", suggests Daniel. I agree with him. So, we stop to eat a little. We enter the restaurant, Daniel and me, hand in hand. For one second, I worry about our promise to keep our romantic relationship secret. Cautious, I look around, but there is no one in the restaurant that could recognize us. So, Daniel and me act as any other couple in love. He takes my hand and I feel that Daniel is happy with me. He will never forget Shareh, but he allows himself to love someone else now. As for me, I know that I will never forget the moment in which we confessed our true feelings for each other. My life changed then for the better.
A little bit later, Daniel and me arrive to the J.R. Space Terminal, which is the building that will host the ceremony. Because Daniel is one of the persons honored today, he is directed to place in which he can get ready for the ceremony. As for me, I look around for a good spot to watch what will happen. When the ceremony starts, we listen to president Kinsey's speech. I cannot but think that something feels wrong with the speech. Are the Aschen really our saviors, as Kinsey says? My worries about the Aschen grow up. I tell myself that maybe I shouldn't have come... but I take it away. I know for sure that I wouldn't miss SG-1's golden moment for anything in the world. SG-1 receives a medal, and Kinsey's speech ends. Sad to think that Jack didn't show up to the ceremony.
After the ceremony, I meet with SG-1 in the reception to honor them. Joe is to the side of Sam, and even today that is a strange view for me. I always see Sam and Jack side by side, in the good and in the bad moments. But all this changed with the arrival of the Aschen. Without the Aschen, Sam would not have met the ambassador who later
became her husband. I try not to think about it anymore. I am with my friends after all. This is a happy moment.
We drink at the memory of General Hammond. Poor him, he died six years ago. I try to forget this feeling that tells me that he was murdered. Daniel expresses his surprise concerning Jack's absence. Teal'c recalls us, in his own way, that Jack doesn't approve of the Aschen Alliance. Unfortunately, this reminds me that I don't approve of it either. Now, I mistrust the Aschen. Daniel says that Jack could have come to at least see us. I can almost understand Jack.
"I almost didn't come myself" I say.
"What?" says a surprised Daniel.
"It's easier for you, Daniel. I mean, your job wasn't made obsolete, and if I..." I regret saying this as soon as the words came out. I know that I just hurt Daniel, which wasn't my intention. He is wondering why I didn't tell him, when he called me this morning. I know also that he wants to know why did I bring up the subject of my job again. Fortunately, I see Mollem approaching us. Who would have said that an Aschen could save me of a situation like this? He arrives just right. Moreover, a conversation having as subjects Jack's absence and my job isn't a conversation to have in front of an Aschen. So, I change the conversation.
"Mollem" I say greeting him. Mollem apologizes for the interruption. He tells Joe that the Aschen delegation is eager to hear about his visit to the South Continent of the Aschen homeworld. Joe apologizes in turn, and leaves.
One her husband gone, Sam asks: "So, where are we going?"
"I had planned to return to Chulak" answers Teal'c.
"Oh come on, Teal'c! we haven't seen each other in ages. Please" implores Sam. Teal'c accepts to stay with us. We are going to meet again for dinner at the restaurant. As we say goodbye, I cannot help myself. I tell Daniel that I will see him soon. I need to make peace with him. I want to talk to him to prevent any misunderstanding between us. I
am relieved to hear that he agrees to meet with me later. "Bye" I say as I kiss him goodbye on the cheek. I wish I could kiss him in another way, but I refrain myself. For one moment, I smell the scent of his after shave. I feel Daniel at the same time so near and so far from me. I don't want to lose him.
Once Daniel and Teal'c gone, Sam gently asks me why did I bring up again the subject of my job. I try to explain myself. The Aschen are so advanced in medicine that the one I practice seems to come from the Dark Ages. Soon, I cannot continue this conversation anymore. I don't want to hurt Sam as I did hurt Daniel. However, I have omething to ask Sam. "Okay, enough of that, tell me by any chance are you and Joe...?" I am unable to finish the question. But Sam understand that I am asking if she is pregnant.
"Not yet. They say it isn't either one of us. We just have to keep trying..." Sam explains. Suddenly, I am Doctor Frasier again.
"You know, they still let me keep an office in Washington even though I have nothing to do. So I'd be more than happy to give you a check up." I tell Sam.
"No, they said I was fine" Sam politely refuses my offer.
"Sam, the medicine I practiced may seem like the dark ages now, but I was your doctor for a long time. How long have you been trying?"
"Almost three years" answers Sam.
"Yes" I say using the tone that doctors use when their patients don't follow their medical orders. Sam finally accepts to meet with me at my office.
As I leave Sam, I have only one thought in mind. I want to see Daniel and make peace with him. I look around but I don't see Daniel among the crowd. I am suddenly scared. What if he doesn't want to talk to me? I try to reassure myself. I get out of the J.R. Space Terminal and I go to the gardens surrounding the building. I find Daniel there. He had already seen me. I don't know what to do, and I feel the same hesitation in Daniel. We start walking in silence. I try to organize my stream of thoughts before speaking. The silence was becoming uncomfortable. "Listen, Daniel. I am sorry for what happened" I start. Daniel nods. I continue even if it is hard. "But you have to believe me, Daniel. It wasn't my intention to hurt you"
We stop walking and Daniel looks at me straight in the eyes. I see those amazing blue eyes and my heart just skips a beat as I think how much I love him. "You know, professionally, medicine is everything for me. Every bit of myself wants to help other people, and I cannot do that anymore. I know I could help the Aschen doctors. But I would not be very helpful either because their medicine is so advanced. In fact, all their science is very advanced. Sam herself told me that most of the time she felt like a lab assistant. Now, they are even more advanced in medicine. Imagine then what I would look like working for the Aschen doctors."
I want to be as honest as possible with Daniel. I tell him what I feel. "The truth is that I don't trust the Aschen. I know that you don't feel that way, but that is how I feel." Daniel seems to accept our differences.
"Why didn't you tell me that you didn't want to come to the ceremony?" asks Daniel.
"I won't deny that I thought about missing the ceremony. In fact, I wouldn't have come if it was a ceremony without SG-1. But when you called, I realized that I didn't want to miss SG-1's golden moment. I really wanted to see my friends."
"Jack didn't want to see us" comments Daniel. "Jack must have his own reasons. We cannot criticize him without
knowing what those reasons are." Daniel doesn't say a word. I take his hand to stress what I am about to say.
"Daniel, the Aschen destroyed the relation between Sam and Jack. We shouldn't allow them to destroy ours" I try to smile as I say: "Let's make peace, ok?" Daniel smiles as well. His hand smoothly brushes my face in a caress as he approaches me to him. We hug each other as we kiss surrounded by the beauty of the gardens. I know that I have my answer. Daniel wants to make peace with me, and I want it to. I am overwhelmed with joy.
We come back to the J.R. Space Terminal hand in hand. We're at peace with each other again. Daniel tells me that he met with former members of the SGC, such as the Sergeant Siler. Then I tell Daniel that Sam expects me at my office.
"Something's wrong" asks Daniel, concerned.
"There could be a problem, but nothing life threatening." Daniel is relieved, and asks no more questions trying to respect Sam's privacy.
"Why don't I walk you to your office?" he suggests.
My office is at walking distance from the J.R. Space Terminal. So, we start moving towards it.
We don't talk much during our walk to my office. Daniel is recalling his time with the SCG, and I don't want to disturb him. It is a peaceful moment that we share, and it helps us. We arrive a little bit too soon to my the building where my office is. "So, we meet at the restaurant tonight?" I ask, trying to stretch the moment.
"Yes, of course" he says.
Then, we kiss good bye.
I enter the building and take the elevator. I get out in the floor in which my office is. Sam is already there. We enter my office. I try to be as professional as possible to erase all of Sam's concerns about my skills. We move to a room where I do the exams. They are easy and fast. Once they are finish, I ask Sam to wait for me in my office while I analyze the results. Sam leaves and I take a look at the screen showing me Sam's ovaries. I look for a mistake, something to tell me that what I am looking at is wrong. I even verify everything again, hoping for a miracle. But there is no doubt.
How do you tell your best friend that she will never be able to conceive children?
I try to be as courageous as possible as I announce the bad news to Sam. I try to conceal my own fear. Do I have the same thing? How would I react if I learned that I will never conceive children? At least, I had a chance to be a mother to Cassandra. Something that Sam never had. Suddenly, I realize that Sam is talking to me.
"Why?" she asks. Her voice has a hint of anger.
"I don't know. I don't know what may have caused it or when it may have happened, but obviously it was some time..." I answer. Sam stops me.
"No, I want to know why the Aschen doctors looked me in the eye and told me that I was okay. Why did they lie to me?" says Sam as a tear streams down her face.
"I don't know. But I'm willing to help you find out." With that, I end the consultation.
The Aschen don't seem to think that the day of the Tenth anniversary of our first contact deserves a day off. Sam has to go back to work, but that will help us. Sam arrives late to work, and Mollem is waiting for her. I hide in the hallway. I am hoping that Sam will convince Mollem to grant her access to the Aschen computer core. The access is only granted to Aschen personnel. I have my answer when I see Mollem leave the room in which Sam and him work on the Jupiter ignition project. I enter the room, wishing that Mollem didn't see me. Sam has now core access to the Aschen computer network. She tells me that the system is waiting for search parameters.
"Right, try medical records."
"I don't think I'm going to find anything specific to me in here..." says Sam.
"So, maybe this has happened to some other people. Do a general search. Human reproductive statistics." I suggest to Sam. She enters some commands and the screen changes.
"That's it"
But I can't understand what is written on the screen. "You can read this?"
"Oh, that can't be right. If I'm reading this properly, the world wide birth rate has dropped almost ninety one percent in the last two years" says Sam. Her face reflects her incredibility at what she is reading.
"What?"
"That's what it says right here. These are Aschen numbers"
"Yeah, but we would know"
I rebel against this news. I want to believe that this is not happening. There must be a mistake. But deep inside me, I know that what Sam read on the screen is right. The Aschen make no mistake.
"It's happening everywhere the anti-aging vaccine has gone" says Sam as she reads the screen. The vaccine! My heart skips a beat as I realize what this means. How dare they do this! My God! Cassandra!
It happened a year ago It was the middle of the night when the phone awoke me. A quick look at my clock told me that it was 4am. I answered the phone, assuming it was a call from the base. "Doctor Frasier", I answered.
"Madam. It's me. Dominic" My heart started racing. Dominic is my daughter's husband. He wouldn't have called in the middle of the night unless something was really wrong.
"Dominic, what's wrong?" I asked.
I tried to control my fear, but without success. It showed in my voice.
"It's Cassie. She is in the hospital...we think she is having a miscarriage" he explained, his voice broken with pain and fear. Cassandra was entering her fifth month of pregnancy, and everything seemed perfect. It was her first pregnancy...
Everyone had been so happy when she told us the news. Jack came from the woods especially to congratulate her. But now, it was a nightmare. I couldn't imagine what Cassandra was going through. She wanted that baby so much. As if I were someone else, I asked Dominic in which hospital they were.
"I'll be there as soon as possible" I promised him and hung the phone. Less than ten minutes later, I was ready to leave. I got out of the house. Suddenly, I realized that I was shaking all over. It was ironic to think that I could remain in control and very focused in front of corpses, wounded people and so much more but that I would collapse with this news. But it is very different when your own daughter and grandchild are in danger. I realized then that I wasn't in any condition to drive, since I was trembling a lot.
I came back home. I would have called Sam, but she was with Joe in a diplomatic mission to P4C-970, the Aschen homeworld. Jack was too far, fishing. Teal'c was even farther, since he was in Chulak. So, I called Daniel.
He lives close to my house. So, he was able to drive me to the hospital that morning.
Daniel was visible very worried for Cassie. After Jack's departure to his fish and nature, it was Daniel who became the father figure in Cassandra's life. Since then, Daniel and Cassie have a strong bound. We arrived rapidly to the hospital. We found Dominic, his face was unrecognizable because of his worry. He explain to Daniel and me that Cassandra started feeling sick at around 3am. Dominic called the ambulance, since Cassie was losing blood. They were rushed to the hospital.
Suddenly, Dominic stopped himself. The doctor had just came out of the operation room where Cassandra was. The doctor's face told us that he didn't have good news. I introduced myself. "I am doctor Frasier. I am Cassandra's mother. What is the situation?"
"I regret to say that Cassandra had a miscarriage. She lost the baby. The good news is that Cassandra is okay. Her life isn't in danger anymore" explained the doctor.
I felt a mixture of terrible sadness and joy. Cassandra was fine, so I was happy. But she had lost the baby she wanted so much, so I was sad. Dominic asked the doctor if he could see his wife. The doctor accepted. As for me, I knew that I wasn't ready yet to see Cassandra. First, I had to let Dominic and Cassandra cry their baby. But my heart of grandmother was sad. I started crying and Daniel, who was almost crying himself, hold me. I cried in Daniel's arms. I felt better after crying my feelings out.
"I am sorry, Janet" said Daniel.
Cassie had so much trouble to get pregnant of that baby that she and Dominic wanted so much. "All this is so unfair" I said. Daniel and me stayed holding each other for a long moment.
Once I felt ready, I went to see Cassandra. I had to tell her that she could count on me. I knocked on the door of the room in which Cassandra had been transferred. Dominic opened the door.
Daniel and me entered the room. I found Cassandra very tired, her face and eyes humid with tears. I hugged my daughter. Daniel hugged her too. He tried to comfort her by telling her that everything would be all right.
Moments later, we left Dominic and Cassie. Daniel suggested that we have something for breakfast in the hospital's cafeteria. And that's what we did. We had coffee and a donut, but it took us a long time to eat because Daniel and me talked a lot. We were trying to forget the tragedy, but we were unable to forget. "Cassandra survived so much. She is strong. She will pass through this" said Daniel.
I recalled then Nirrti. It is her that destroyed the planet P8X 987, leaving only one survivor. It was Cassandra. I adopted Cassandra, since she had lost her parents in the tragedy that destroyed her homeworld. "She survived Nirrti's experiences" I said.
Suddenly, I had an image in mind. Cassie was a teenager then, moving by telekinesis a chess pawn. She had those powers temporarily, as a result of Nirrti's experiences on Cassandra as a child. It was horrible, we didn't know how to help Cassie whose powers were destroying her health. I did everything I could to help her pass through that.
Then, I remembered something else from that period. Daniel took my hand for the first time in one of the SGC's hallways. It was a gestured aimed to cheer me up, and it succeeded. And Daniel repeated this gesture in the hospital's cafeteria, while Cassie's miscarriage was in our minds. "I want you to know that you can count on me", declared Daniel. His words brought tears to my eyes. They streamed smoothly down my face. It wasn't doctor Frasier crying in that hospital, but Cassandra's mother.
Daniel took a kleenex and dried gently the tears on my face. This erased part of the pain in my heart. I was amazed to realize that he had succeeded into making me feel so much better with a simple gesture like that.
That is the power that Daniel has in my life.
Cassie had another miscarriage two months ago. I think about what Sam just told me. I cannot but ask myself if Cassandra's miscarriages have something to do with that? Is that the effect of the anti-aging vaccine on her? Are the Aschen responsible for her miscarriages? The vaccine destroyed Sam's ovaries, and I am afraid that mine as well. But what about Cassandra? Could she have lost her babies because of the vaccine? She is, after all, from another planet. Therefore, her organism can react differently from ours to the vaccine.
It is horrible! They had no right to do that! I am in shock. Fear and anger are visible on my face. I look at the computer in Sam's lab as if it were an enemy. "Turn it off" I beg Sam.
Sam continues to look at the computer. "They're doing it systematically"
"Just turn it off, please" I tell Sam again. Sam accepts. We will continue this discussion at the restaurant, with the rest of SG-1.
I am still in shock when I leave Sam's laboratory. I try to contact Daniel to tell him what Sam and me had just found out. But Daniel is not available. Disappointed, I walk towards my office. When I arrive to the building, I can barely believe that this is where all started, just a few hours ago. I take the elevator and get out in the floor in which my office is.
As I get out, I am surprise to fin Boren waiting for me. Another Aschen that I had never met accompanies him. They are probably here to inspect every aspect of my office. They will decide if they will renew my license to keep this office. They do this kind of evaluation regularly. I put on my best smile to greet them.
"Boren! I am so sorry for your wait"
"Do not worry, Doctor Frasier. You know very well that the Aschen are a very patient race" This sentence takes on a particular sense today. I smile to keep appearances, and I open my office. I cannot help myself to worry about what Boren said. Did he mean something else when he reminded me of the Aschen's patience?
Like if he wanted to tell me that the Aschen know that we found out their secret. Was that a threat in disguise? My worry increases when I think that he didn't introduce me to the other Aschen, contrary to their habit.
I try to act normal. We enter the waiting room of my office. The couches are like new, since I rarely have patients. We then enter the actual office.
"Feel yourselves at home", I politely tell them.
"Thank you, Doctor Frasier" Boren and the other Aschen start verifying the accounting books, medical files, and so on. Luckily, I didn't leave Sam's file in here. The other Aschen is obviously an assistant to Boren. They take all their time doing this. They stop from time to time to ask me a question, but they are silent most of the time. Of course, I cannot call Daniel as long as the Aschen are in my office. Time just move so slowly, minutes become hours. It is 7pm when they finish at last.
"We will make our recommendations to the council, Doctor Frasier" says Boren.
This is what happens every time. I have to wait some days before having an answer concerning the renewal of my license. I am really relieve when the two Aschen leave. Apparently, they have no idea that we discovered that they sterilized humanity on Earth.
I take a look at my watch and realize that I am just on time to meet SG-1 at the restaurant. I arrive at the restaurant. Daniel and Teal'c are already there. Daniel and me greet each other as if we were nothing more than friends. Then, I greet Teal'c. "Boren and his Aschen assistant came to my office today. They made their usual evaluation of my office." I explain to Daniel and Teal'c. "They were there until just moments ago"
Sam arrives then. We greet her and we choose a table. A waitress arrives and we tell her what we want to eat. We talk about many things. It is only when we start eating our dessert that Sam and me announce to the others what we found out today. It is Daniel's turn to rebel when he hears the news. His reaction is not very different from mine.
"Guys, I think it would be public knowledge if something this catastrophic was happening to the entire population."
"Would it? The Aschen can convert planets into starts, you don't think they could control the media if they wanted to?, asks Sam to Daniel.
"Assuming the Aschen could keep something that big secret... it's been ten years. Why now?" asks Daniel.
"We were completely taken in. This way they didn't have to fire a shot. It's slow, methodical, painless..." answers Sam.
"Okay, then why provide a vaccine that almost doubles the human life span? That doesn't make any sense," Daniel continues trying to find some hope.
"Unless that's the mechanism they've used to sterilize the population" I say.
"They're certainly patient enough. All they have to do is wait" says Sam. Teal'c concurs:
"Then, within two hundred years, there will be very few humans, if any will remain. The Aschen will have this world to themselves" I think about the planet Argos. My God! We introduced the Aschen to the people of Argos. They will probably do to Argos the same thing they did to Earth. We are going to be indirectly responsible for the death of the Argosian civilization if we don't do something.
"Well, we have to do something... I don't know; tell somebody" says Daniel.
I agree that we have to stop the Aschen, as much for us than for all the others who could become their victims. But I also think that the last thing to do right now is to tell somebody what we learned. The Aschen will not hesitate to kill us.I tell them what happened the night before General Hammond died. That night, he caled me ant told me that he had something very important to tell me. It was such a serious thing that he could not discuss it over the phone. The next day, he was dead. I told the Aschen doctors that he could not have died of a heart attack, since he was in perfect health. Now I realize he was murdered.
Sam, Teal'c, Daniel and me agree to keep this secret. We try to plan something that will allow us to fight back, but nothing seems right. Suddenly, Sam has an idea. We know that it is possible to travel in time, since SG-1 had once traveled in time by accident. They had arrived to 1969. We can use this experience and send a note to the year 2000. The note will warn the SGC about the danger. So, all of this will not happen.
We know that a time distortion will happen if we dial stargate coordinates that are on the opposite side of the sun at the same time as a solar explosion. The solar flare will affect the wormhole, sending it back to Earth years back or forth on time. So one can travel on time. Sam explains that she will use the Aschen computers to predict exactly a solar flare, as well as the right coordinates to be dialed on the stargate.
Teal'c will come back to Chulak. Then, I'll go to Chulak to give Teal'c the coordinates. He will travel back to Earth and dial the coordinates on the DHD on Earth. It is impossible to use Chulak's stargate, since all data changes then.
This seems simple, but there are some problems. First of all, the stargate is controled by the Aschen. So, we have to find weapons to attack their very sophisticated defense system. Moreover, we need a GDO to send a code through the wormhole. Without it, the General Hammond of the past will not open the iris. Which means that the message will not reach its destination, and nothing will change here. Sam tells us that she will go and try to convince Colonel O'Neil to help us. Daniel says he will try to find a GDO. We separate with worried faces.
Next day starts smoothly. Daniel must already be looking for GDOs. As for Sam, she is probably gone to Jack's hiding place. I wonder how their meeting will go. Teal'c will return to Chulak during the day. As for me, I start the day by going to the J.R. Space Terminal to look for a permit that will allow me to travel to Chulak. Obviously, it is the Aschen who give the permit, since they control the stargate. I get out of the building two hours late, permit finally in my hand. I feel better.
Then, I go back to my office. I have to act as usual, so that the Aschen will not find out about our plan. As usual, I on't have much to do. I think about Sam, Teal'c and Daniel. I hope that everything will turn out right. This reminds me of old times, when SG-1 embarked on a mission and that all the SGC was hoping the best for them. Finally, after a long day, it is time to close my office. I go home and prepare to meet Sam and Daniel at the restaurant.
When I get to the restaurant, I am surprised to find Daniel alone. I thought Sam would be there as well. I go to the table where Daniel is seating. He stands up and kisses me gently on the lips. I am surprised, since I know that Sam may not be far. But I won't complain for anything in the world. Daniel must have felt my surprise, because he xplains that Sam isn't here. We take a seat. He tells me what happened.
"First of all, Sam wasn't able to convince Jack to help us when she met him. As for me, I found out that a GDO was at the old SGC base. So, Sam and me went to the SGC using the Aschen transportation devices. Over there, we had a surprise. Jack had changed his mind and met with us at the SGC"
"I am happy to hear that", I sincerely say. Our chances are better with his help. Daniel continues to tell me what happened. "Unfortunately, the GDO we found at the SGC was a replica. But the good news is that we found out that a real GDO is at the White House. Sam is right now at home, trying to convince Joe to get that GDO for us."
"What does Jack think about this?" I ask, concerned.
"Well, Jack isn't necessarily overjoyed, but he understands that this is our only choice" Suddenly, Daniel and me realize that, without noticing, we are holding hands. We separate our hands, as if we had done something terribly bad. It was just on time, since he see Jack arriving to the restaurant.
"Hello, Daniel. Hello Janet" says Jack as we greet him. Impossible to know if he saw us holding hands. If he did, he doesn't show it.
We have some coffee as we talk. Daniel shows us the note he suggests that we send. Jack and me are surprised by the brevity of the note. Daniel explains that he thinks that it would be better to keep it simple. He also tells us that he wrote it in his own hand writing, so that the Daniel of the past will recognize it. Jack suggests that we all write a note. That way, he can keep trying even if he fails to get to the stargate.
After that, we talk about other things. Then, we all separate as we promise to meet at Sam's lab the next day.
That's what we do. Jack, Sam, Daniel and me meet the next day at Sam's lab. A hologram representation of the Sun is in the middle of the room. Sam explains to us how she can predict a solar flare using the Aschen computers. She makes a tests that convinces us of this. Then, Joe arrives and the tension increases in the room.
"Joe's here", announces Jack. Then he greets Joe with a cold "Ambassador" that shows well how much Jack dislikes Joe. And Joe dislikes O'Neill as well.
"I knew you'd have something to do with this" says Joe in an accusing tone.
"Did you get it?" asks Jack, referring to the GDO.
"Yes" says Joe looking straight at Sam.
"Thank you" says Sam to her husband.
Joe wants to know what we are planning to do. He wants Jack's promise that Sam will play no part in what we are going to do. Daniel and I look uncomfortably at the two men arguing with Sam between them. Jack finally accepts Joe's terms. We will have to do it without Sam. Suddenly, Daniel's voice breaks the tension.
"Um... the sun's beeping"
Sam approaches the sun's hologram and reads the screens. "We have a flare prediction fifty seven minutes from now" she explains. She looks at Jack and asks him if that is enough time.
"It'll have to do" answers Jack.
Sam and Joe leave together. Jack leaves moments after them, his feelings visibly hurt. Daniel and me also leave Sam's lab and move towards the J.R. Space Terminal. We are silent. When we arrive, we know that we have to talk. In silence again, Daniel and I walk towards the gardens surrounding the building to the exact same spot of the other day, when we have had our reconciliation. It seems to me that was ages ago. Daniel and me walk hand in hand, as if they could protect us against verything. I realize then that our caution between Sam and Jack seems so pointless now. I don't care anymore if the whole world knows that Daniel and me love each other. I love Daniel, period. Daniel and me look at each other, faces troubled with feelings.
"Do you have your permit to travel to Chulak?" asks Daniel, avoiding the real subject. We know very well what is going to happen, but we want to flee from it. It hurts too much.
"Yes" I answer. My voice betrays me.
"Say hello to Teal'c for me", he says.
"I will"
Then, I say "I want to come back from Chulak with Teal'c" "No!" says Daniel. He is concerned by my suggestion. "Joe is right. That terminal is the last heavily defended place left on Earth. I don't want you to risk your life" he continues.
"But I can help you against the system. I had a military training, after all!"
"Janet, they will know that something's wrong the moment they see you come back from Chulak with Teal'c" he says.
Daniel is right. I know that very well. Our only advantage against the Aschen is the surprise effect. So, I don't have to come back and must stay in Chulak. But my heart thinks otherwise. "I don't want to stay doing nothing while you risk your life" I tell Daniel. "You had always been there for me when I needed you. Now is my turn" He caresses my cheek very gently. I know he is touched by what I just said.
"Janet, I would feel better knowing you far from all danger." He says that in a smooth tone that shows clearly that he wants to protect me. I love him more for that.
Images come rushing back to me, like a tornado. Daniel dressed up for an official event. Daniel leaving on a mission with SG-1 through the stargate. Daniel at the SGC infirmary and me taking care of him. I think about all those moments we lived together. Difficult moments, but that made us grow. Like that time when we thought Daniel had become crazy and that we had to hospitalize him. Or like that time when Daniel attacked me in the infirmary. It wasn't his fault, since he was in need of the Goa'uld sarcophagus.
I also think about those wonderful moments, the ones we will never forget. Everytime we succeeded something, every time he came back from a mission with thousands of stories to tell me. Our first kiss, our reconciliation of the other day. I remember the first time he took my hand at the SGC.
That is our relationship. Bad and, especially, good moments. A memory of another terrible moment comes back to me. I recall a dying Daniel in Machello's body. This last thought brings tears to my eyes. Daniel may die for real this time, trying to erase this crazy world.
But there is worst...
Will we erase our love by changing the past? Will we always be together, no matter what? No matter what world we will live on?I almost can't remember my life before Daniel. I can't imagine life without him. I don't want to lose Daniel for anything in the world.
A terrible thought comes to me. What if we don't change the past? But I take that away. It is impossible, since too many things depend on it. All of this is so unfair...Daniel holds me in his arms, as he does it so well. Then, Daniel and me kiss with the passion given by farewells.
We remain like that, as enveloped in our feelings. But reality call us back. "We have to go" announces Daniel. But his tone shows that he doesn't really want to go. No, not right now...But time is running out, and people are counting on us. Daniel takes the briefcase he had with him. Hidden inside it is a zat. I take my own briefcase as well. The coordinates that Sam gave me are well hidden in my jacket. We enter the J.R. Space Terminal. There is only 10 minutes left before the embarkation towards Chulak at that moment. Daniel and I separate.
I pass the Aschen security without a problem. The stargate is activated with the Chulak's coordinates. I go down an escalator to the Stargate. I cannot help myself to look back. I can see Daniel in a balcony. He sees me and waves good bye at me. That's the last image of Daniel I will ever have. The most precious one.
I turn back towards the stargate. Suddenly, I feel peace inside me.A comforting thought comes to me as I go through the Stargate:"We will always be together, Daniel, no matter what will happen. Even if we don't become a couple in the new reality that opens to us, that won't matter. That will not change the reality of our love, here, in this moment, because this love was real. It really existed and will exist in the grand scheme of things. That's what counts. It is a real love...
BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
Performed by: Céline Dion
From the album: Falling into you, 1996
Produced By: David Foster
Music By: Diane Warren
Words By: Diane Warren
Published By: 1996 Realsongs (ASCAP)
For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through, through it all
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
© 2001 Marie Garcia
Back
~ DJA main page ~ Updates ~ Alpha by Author ~ Alpha by Title ~ Alpha by Series ~ GTKY ~ Song Lyrics ~ Challenges ~
~ Quotes ~ Shippy Reviews ~ DJ Galleries ~ Daniel/MS bio ~ Janet/Teryl bio ~ Beta Readers ~ Links/Webrings ~
~ Sam and Jack Archive ~ SG-13 Homepage ~