Storm Tossed
follow on to Children of the Gods
by
Jackjunkie
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Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters
are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double
Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment
purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is
intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the
authors. This story may not be posted anywhere without the consent of the
authors.
Storm Tossed
Standing on the mountaintop, Daniel watched the storm build around him. Gray clouds massed overhead, heavy and threatening. The wind whipped through the trees, bending the branches and sending leaves and rubble scattering in its path. Shoving clenched fists deep into his pockets, he shivered as it blew his hair into a tangled mass and slapped his open jacket collar against his neck. If only it could blow away his turbulent thoughts as easily, scouring him clean of the pain thinking brought him.
Teal’c had chosen Sha’re.
Daniel shivered again as the memory washed over him. His beloved, his Sha’re... his eyes dropped closed, then snapped open as her image transformed into the cold and arrogant Goa’uld host she had become. No! He still found it hard to accept she had changed so completely, even with his mind replaying again and again the scenes he had witnessed firsthand.
That was why he had pestered Teal’c. He needed to know exactly what had happened to his wife. He had to see if there was any clue, no matter how small or insignificant, to show that some of his own Sha’re remained intact apart from the parasite’s control. So he’d peppered the Jaffa with questions, begging him to go over the story in every minute detail, even though it plunged a dagger into his own heart to hear how she must have suffered as the alien invaded her body.
He agonized over his own memories of how she’d stood at Apophis’ side, looking indifferently through him with no recognition, while Skaara was chosen. It had occurred to him then to inquire how she had been chosen to become a host. Somehow he hadn’t been prepared for the revelation that it was Teal’c himself, as First Prime of Apophis, who’d selected her from the group of women candidates.
She hadn’t been his first choice. That had been the sergeant who’d been kidnapped from the base. She had died when the Goa’uld had rejected her as a host. Teal’c had returned to the women who had been gathered for the purpose and picked Sha’re to present next. This time the host had approved.
Daniel supposed he ought to have guessed Teal’c would have been involved in those duties. The truth was he tried not to think too closely about any of the things Teal’c had done while in the service of Apophis. The Jaffa had put all that behind him when he had saved their lives and those of the refugees they’d rescued on Chulak. Daniel preferred to forget about that dark past and accept Teal’c on his current merits as a teammate.
Yet how could he accept him now that he knew Teal’c was the one who had condemned Sha’re to her hellish fate? How could he be expected to work side by side with this man as a comrade? How could he not hate Teal’c for what he’d done?
The wind shrieked through the treetops and Daniel opened his mouth and joined in the tirade, letting out all his rage and grief in one long, wordless yell. All at once the wind died down and a few raindrops spattered against Daniel’s glasses. He turned his face up and the rain poured down, mingling with the tears that now streamed down his face. Standing in the rain Daniel cried - cried for Sha’re, for himself... for Teal’c.
How could he hate Teal’c? The Jaffa had had no choice but to obey his powerful masters. Daniel should as soon blame his innocent Sha’re for the terrible things the Goa’uld inside her would make her do. He could never do that. None of them had blamed Kawalsky for the harm his Goa’uld had caused, including murder. There was little difference between that and the control the Goa’ulds exercised over the Jaffa.
Daniel’s ragged gasping abated as the rain washed away the last of his tearstains. It would take time for him to become comfortable with Teal’c. He couldn’t accept him completely and instantly the way Jack had. However, he knew it wasn’t in him to hate this man who was trying to make up for the past wrongs he’d been compelled to perform by joining in the fight against their common enemy. If anyone deserved his hatred, it was the alien parasites who were the cause of all this suffering. They were the ones who had really hurt Sha’re; Teal’c had merely served as their instrument. Daniel would reserve his enmity for them.
He would make an effort to be open to Teal’c. Time would no doubt ease their interaction. They were teammates and he wouldn’t let anything hamper the effectiveness of their work to find Sha’re and Skaara and defeat the Goa’ulds. He would have to hate himself if he became in any way responsible for a failure in reaching that goal. He wasn’t ready for that. He had seen where self-hatred and self-blame led. They had led Jack to the brink of suicide. That wouldn’t help Sha’re... or any of them.
The rain eased up to a soft, steady fall. Daniel pulled his jacket close around him. He was soaked but he didn’t mind. He had needed this cleansing. A calm resolve had taken the place of his feelings of wretchedness. He felt he had achieved... not peace, but at least a kind of stability. His fury spent like that of the storm, he turned and made his way back inside the complex... back to where another storm waged.
The End