Chapter Nine

  Thor was pleased to see Daniel Jackson and the rest of SG-1 but dismayed not to see Callestah as he requested her presence. “She doesn’t know anything about this and I’m going to keep it that way until we find out more,” Daniel told him. “She’s pregnant she doesn’t need this.”

“It’s not your decision to make, Doctor Jackson, it is hers.” Thor reminded him.

“What is there a delayed echo in here or something?” Daniel complained. “Right now it is my decision to make.”

“What have you found out?” Sam asked breaking the tension in the room.

Giving Daniel a nasty look with his pitch black alien eyes Thor took a seat at the Briefing Table. “I still say she must be told and given the choice. Now then, the news is grim I’m afraid. Where is Lord Ares?”

“We’ll have to go to him.” Daniel said quietly.

Calla went home as Daniel demanded but in her anger forgot all about calling Mr. Ramis and canceling his appointment this evening. Instead she threw her brief case into the corner by the telephone and stormed up the stairs. It seemed she was the only one at home, neither Nicholas’ car nor Colleen’s were in the driveway. Calla was tired of being treated like a little girl, something was obviously wrong and she was being shut out of it. “I’m pregnant not dying!” She muttered angrily while stripping off the black slacks and white sweater she’d worn to the meeting and doctor’s appointment. “I suppose tonight he’ll tell me to quit working.” She said to herself and wondered why he hadn’t done that already. “Just waiting for the right time that’s all.” Calla answered her own question. “Why does he do this to me? Take a bath, Kitty, have something to eat, Kitty, go to sleep, Kitty.” She mimicked while tossing a warm winter dress over her head. “Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!” Calla railed storming up the stairs to her attic.

Immediately upon leaving Ares’ Cave, Morpheus headed for Duncan MacLeod while Poseidon sent spies to the Underworld to gather what information they could from the rivers and water creatures there. If he didn’t think his presence would immediately be detected by Hades, Poseidon would go to the Underworld himself but it would be better to have his spies quietly infiltrate, wait and pass along information until it was time to strike. Poseidon himself took off for the two Stargates which were most certainly being used by Hecate to smuggle troops onto the planet.

As it turned out he needn’t have worried about the Gate in Thailand, centuries of war and civil unrest took their toll, at some point in time the Stargate sequestered in a far mountainside took a direct hit from a bomb and it was not in the best of shape. The DHD was in tatters its inside spilling out like so much spaghetti. The great ring leaned forward at an impossible angle, several of the chevrons were missing. Poseidon disappeared from Thailand and went on to his way to Venezuela to check upon the Stargate there.

Morpheus found Duncan MacLeod at his home in Australia. The Immortal was sleeping and Morpheus thought he might take advantage of that but then again maybe it was best to wake him up.

“MacLeod,” he said in loud enough voice to cut through the sleep. “MacLeod,”

Sleeping, dreaming, and still hanging to last nights Johnny Walker Red, instinct brought Duncan’s hand to the sword beneath the bed. Grasping the hilt he turned over quickly and thrust out with it.

The blade went through Morpheus standing over him. “Is that how you say hello? You know, if I were corporeal that might have hurt.” Morpheus, King of Dreams and Illusions, was more specter than solid and as such, when he stepped back from the blade was completely unharmed. “Ares wants you. It is imperative that you come with me now.”

“Morpheus?” Duncan mumbled turning on the light by the bed. “What the hell is going on?” He hadn’t seen Morpheus in two hundred fifty years or more. “What’s Ares’ problem?”

“This world is on the verge of planetary invasion we need your help to gain access to Avalon.”

“Are you mad?” Duncan asked tossing off the covers. “I can’t get into Avalon.”

“Ares says you can.”

“This better not be one of his tricks, Morpheus, if it is so help me…” Duncan was jumping into a pair of faded blue jeans.

“It’s no trick, Highlander. Time is short.” Morpheus warned and threw a shirt to him. “Take my hand let us depart.”

Thor provided the fastest transportation available to everyone and beamed all of them to Ares’ island. They landed on the shores a good distance from the entrance but it was still in view. “It’s been a while since I was here,” Thor said apologetically looking at the walk ahead of them.

“No problem little buddy.” Jack said easily. “It’s a small walk.”

Long before they entered the cave they heard Ares shouting at Enya at the top of his lungs. He was bellowing at her to ...

Coming upon the entrance, Enya ran out in tears. One hand under her round belly supporting it and the other wiping the tears from her cheeks, she pushed past all of them without stopping and kept on going. “What the hell?” Jack said.

“Don’t ask,” Daniel replied in a mumble, “I guess they’re not getting along.”

“Don’t get any ideas,” Jack said to Sam, “you’re all mine.”

“Oh please,” Sam said rolling her eyes. “I am so done with him.”

The small troop entered the cave.

“Thor? Is that you?” Ares shouted. “Ah! JACKSON!” He roared. “What are you doing here??? You’re supposed to take Callestah away!!” The shouting caused him to start coughing and by the time the group entered his bedroom he was in a full fit, his face bright red, as red as the Ichor spraying onto the hides from his lips.

“Thor’s gonna take her away, Ares, we just want some more information.” Daniel said. Thor looked up at with wide blank eyes. “Just …never mind.” Daniel hissed at him.

“What more do you want me to tell you?” Ares griped through harsh breath as his fit ended and he fell back against the pillows.

“Actually, Lord Ares, it’s what I have to tell you.” Thor said coming up to Ares’ sickbed. “Hecate has left Yohimbe she may already be here on this planet.”

“Those damn Stargates.” Ares huffed. “What else?”

“She has an army half a million strong. They will attack simultaneously on two fronts, by ship and land.”

“Through the Gates?” Ares asked.

“Excuse me,” Jack piped up, “this may be a dumb question but the Stargates are guarded so are we talking about other Gates here?”

“Yes,” Ares said and told them of the two other Stargates on this planet. “Where are the ships?” He asked Thor.

“Four maybe five days out.”

“How many ships did you bring, little man?”

“Just my command ship.” Thor said and knew the information did not please Ares. “Others will come but you must understand, Lord Ares, the Asgard have wars to fight on other fronts.”

“Hum,” Ares intoned. “We have allies here but we need more ships. These idiots don’t have enough.” He pointed at Jack and the rest.

“How do you intend to rally the Old Families?” Thor asked. “Most Olympians, you in particular, Lord Ares, have been exiled from their lands.”

A soft flash of purple light went off in the room and there stood Morpheus and Duncan MacLeod. “Right on cue,” Ares said with something that resembled a smile. “You will open the Gates of Avalon for us.” He said to MacLeod. “And you,” he looked down at Thor, “will open the Doors of Valhalla.”

“Ares,” Duncan said in a huffy tone, “as I was telling Morpheus here, I can gain entrance to the Faery Realm but I can’t get into Avalon.”

“And Valhalla is nothing but a myth.” Thor returned.

Ares sneered at them all and growled.

“Mom! Mom! You up there?” Nick shouted up the attic stairs.

“Yes,” Calla called back. “I’m coming.” Looking at the easel and the ‘picture’ she’d been painting she felt a little better. It wasn’t a picture or a depiction of anything just a bunch of angry squiggles and splatters on canvas. Walking down the stairs she called out “What is it?”

“That guy’s here, Ramis.”

“Oh damn.” She stamped her foot on the step. “Hi, how was your day?”

“Ok,” Nick said. “Anything for dinner?” They started down the steps to the first floor.

“I haven’t cooked.” She admitted.

“No problem I’ll find something. Where’s Dad?”

“Working,” She said through gritted teeth. “Don’t go anywhere tonight, when I’m done with Mr. Ramis I need to talk to you.” Reaching the first floor she found the older gentleman standing in the living room. “Good evening Mr. Ramis,” she said with an easy smile. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t call you, I completely forgot.”

“Something the matter, Professor Jackson?”

“Calla, please,” she corrected, “Daniel isn’t here, he’s had to work late tonight.” The old man was visibly displeased at the news. “You know, you’re here so why don’t I show you the notebooks and manuscripts? They’re right in here.” She showed him into Daniel’s office. “Why don’t you give me your coat and hat, take a seat,” Calla gestured toward Daniel’s chair. “I’ll get them for you.” She walked to the other side of the room and took three books down from the shelf. “Here you go.” Calla took the old mans’ coat draped it over the chair across from him and gently placed his hat on the seat. “Would you like a cup of tea or something?”

“I’m a bit parched,” he said, “I’ll take a Coke if you have one.”

“A man after my own heart, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back.”

Harold Ramis sat down in Daniel Jackson's chair and began looking through the notebooks he’d spent so many years tracking down. A cold glass of Coca-Cola was placed in front of him. “Thank you, Calla, you’re being very kind.” Mr. Ramis said. “When’s the baby due? Last time I was here I didn’t even notice you being pregnant.”

“Late April,” she said. “If you need anything I’ll be out in the living room.”

“Thank you again.” Mr. Ramis said and went back to the pages in front of him. Calla left him to his work.

Two hours later Mr. Ramis was still at it and the hour was growing late. Calla hated to throw the old man out but went in to see what she could about hurrying him along. “Mr. Ramis, I don’t mean to rush you but…”

“It’s getting late,” he said without looking up. “I’m wearing out my welcome for the evening.” Mr. Ramis did look up at her now. “I sure wish your husband would reconsider and sell these to me, I’d really like to work them a while longer. Wish he was here too, I could use his help.”

Calla had an idea. She couldn’t let him take the books but, “I could take them to the university tomorrow and copy them for you….if you like.”

“You’d do that for me?” Mr. Ramis asked as he slowly stood up with an old mans’ stoop.

“Well that way, Daniel would have these but you’d still have what you need.” She suggested. “I don’t think it would take very long.”

“I’ll be happy to pay for the copying costs.” Mr. Ramis invited.

“Oh, we’ll let the school worry about that,” she laughed. “You can come back tomorrow evening and pick them up.”

“Won’t Doctor Jackson get upset?”

“I don’t see why he would.” Calla informed him.

“Thank you, you’re a very kind woman, Calla. Doctor Jackson is a lucky man.” He looked at the tablet on the desk. “Any idea what this is?”

Calla came over to him with a heavy sigh. “Not really, Daniel’s been working on that for months. He says it has something to do with memory or memories. It’s so…..convoluted.”

“How’s that?”

“Well, in order to make any sense of it you have to keep turning it, guess that’s why he put it on the susan.” She said and turned the lazy susan around so Mr. Ramis could see what she was talking about. “Who would come up with something like this?” She said in disbelief. “Trying to read it is almost hypnotizing.”

“It’s part of a larger piece,” Mr. Ramis intoned. “See the way it’s carved? It’s supposed to fit into something else.”

“What?” Calla asked. “If you put it in something then you’ll never read it.”

“Unless, whatever it fits into, moves like this.” Mr. Ramis rocked the susan. “Maybe it’s supposed to have a hypnotic effect.”

Well that was an interesting idea she wondered if Daniel had thought about it. Maybe she’d bring it up to him the next time she was in a helpful mood, which might be a long time from now.

“Why would you do that?” Calla asked.

“I don’t know, maybe to wind something up, or open something or close it.” Mr. Ramis suggested as he put on his coat and fedora. He handed the empty glass to her. “Thank you again for your hospitality and I’ll come by tomorrow evening.”

“I’ll have them ready for you.” Calla walked the old man to the door. “Be careful on the steps and driving it’s icy out there.”

“Good night, Calla.”

“Good night, Mr. Ramis.” She stayed in the doorway to make sure he got to his car without falling and then watched him back down the driveway and out of sight. Colleen and Lilly were sleeping. Nicholas and Annie were downstairs.

Nicholas, I need to see you. Come up stairs.

“I’ll be back, Annie.” Nick said as he climbed out of their bed.

“Where are you going? I didn’t think we were done.”

“We’re not,” Nick said with a smile and kissed her forehead. “Mom wants me, I’ll be back later.” He had the feeling this little conversation with Mom was going to take a while. Dad probably wasn’t giving her the answers she was looking for and she was hoping to pump them out of him. He tossed on a pair of jeans, leaving his shirt behind and trotted up the steps. “What’s up, Mom?”

“Come upstairs with me.”

The mermen and women Poseidon sent to swim the rivers of the Underworld quickly gathered the information he wanted. Half the little battalion of spies stayed behind and the other half swum off to tell their Lord the news; Aphrodite turned traitor and was working with Hecate of her own freewill. Lord Hades returned Aphrodite's life to her at which point she was quickly ushered out of the Underworld and to the Stargate in South America where she Gated to a small outpost. From there a ship picked her up and took her to Yohimbe. Melded with her half-sister, Aphrodite, now Hecate, returned to Earth a few days ago.

The Stargate hidden in a Venezuelan cave at the base of a volcano was well guarded by Hecate’s minions. The lone God of the Seas, Trident in hand, began blasting away at them. Normally, the odds of one Olympian against a few dozen men were just not in the mortals’ favor, however when they fired weapons powered by Xerinium the odds grew considerably less favorable for the Olympian in question. Poseidon was old and powerful but no exception to this rule.

“Take off your jeans,” Calla said after she’d lead her son into the master bathroom.

“Excuse me?” Nick said.

“You heard me, remove your jeans.”

Nicholas looked around at the assorted items in the bathroom; smudge stick, salt, candle, water. “Mom, what are we doing?”

With a tone which clearly stated there would be no dissent on his part, Calla filled her Son in on the spell she’d cast for his Father the night before and what she intended to do with her Son now. When she was finished, Calla peeled the dress over her head to reveal that she wasn’t wearing anything else. “I need you with me, Nicholas, I can’t afford to have both you and your Father away and he is going somewhere I know he is, he just hasn’t said it yet.”

“Mom…”

“I won’t live in fear of my own Son!” She cried. “Take off those damn jeans!”

Nicholas would be happy to comply with her wishes but he had this small, no scratch that, rather large problem between his legs.

Reaching out to his waist she asked, “Do I have to do for you?”

Nicholas grabbed her hands. “No,” he growled. “I’ll do it.” He turned around, unbuttoned the jeans and let them fall to the bathroom floor. “Happy?”

“Face me.”

“No.”

“Nicholas, face me.”

Covering his considerable size with his considerable hands he turned around. “Ok?” He huffed.

“What is wrong with you? You’re my Son, I’ve seen you before.”

“That was a long time ago, Ma.” Nick said. “Just get this over with.”

“Oh for Christ sake!” Calla mumbled and lit the smudge stick. She wafted the smoke over Nicholas’ brawny body head to toe and back again. Though he must know that she could smell Annie on him he refused to take his hands away from his cock. Calla grew tired of this game of modesty and ripped his hands away so she could smudge the area. “Oh,” she gasped and stumbled away from him.

Nick tried to look everywhere but at her and for a second that worked but then his eyes fell on her, she was quivering. “I tried to tell you,” he said through tight lips.

“That can’t be for me.” The last time she saw something akin to that it was between his Grandfather’s legs.

“Just finish this, Mom. Hurry up about it.”

From the floor she gazed up at him, so tall, so grown, and his jaw clenched tight. “I won’t be afraid of you.” She whispered rising to her feet once more. “Stand in the circle.”

“I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” Nick returned stepping onto the coarse salt pentacle.

With her back to him and her heart pounding in her throat, Calla picked up the black candle and handed it to him. She instructed him as she did Daniel the night before, Nicholas took it from her and banished the thoughts and darkness from his mind. Taking up Daniel’s razor in her left hand, Calla sliced the right palm open and made Nicholas anoint the candle with her Ichor before chanting and lighting it.

Flame to wick her back to him and holding her hands high over her head, Calla began to speak. “O Great Goddess Hera, Grandmother, I call to thee. O Great Goddess Hecate, Goddess of the Triple Moon, I call to thee. Queens of Darkness and Night, Queens of Life and Death, hear me! Banish from my Son that which plagues him and causes him to suffer. Take this Darkness from his mind, his heart, his soul, let it bother him no more.” Not knowing just how she was going to reach his forehead but figuring she’d have to jump, Calla turned around quickly.

Nicholas grasped her wrist before she could touch him with the bloody hand. “Just once,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just once,” he repeated.

“Nicholas….”Without stepping out of the circle, he pushed her up against the vanity sink. His eyes were blank as he hovered over her battling the Darkness rising in him. “I won’t be afraid of you,” she whispered as she stood there trembling and hoping. The spell was dangerous there was no doubt about that, in casting out the Darkness one called to it, stirred it up and thereby gave it a bit of power. The trick was not to provide it with too much power. Nicholas was not Daniel and maybe she had been foolish to attempt this with him.

Staring her straight in the eyes while he tongue lolled out across his lips, Nicholas’ free hand found the bald place between her legs. “Just once, I want to know what it feels like what it tastes like.” He heard heart racing smelled the salt of the sweat on her skin as she struggled to pull her arm away. “ Be still.” He ordered.

Fighting the rising Darkness within himself and finding that he did have the smallest of desires to give in to it, his grip on her tightened. Staring into those blank eyes, Calla held her ground and waited. His thick index fingers parted her lower lips while his own lips pulled back into a smile she didn’t recognize. That index finger having found the soft wet spot it was looking for entered and he bent down to get a taste of those lips. As he did he came within reach. Calla slapped her bloody palm against his Third Eye. “I’ll always love you, I’ll never fear you.” Taken off guard, Nicholas rocked back on his heels, the hand holding her wrist tightened further until she thought it might break once more but then it dropped away and the one inside her did the same. Dark eyes wide open and rolling back in his head, he dropped to his knees in a groan of pain. Mother and Son were just about the same height she didn’t have to reach up any longer. The bathroom mirror shattered the force of the explosion extinguished the black candle and sent shards of silver into her bare back. Still, Calla didn’t let go of her Son. She wasn’t done yet there was still some of it lingering around in him. “Out damn you! Out!” Calla growled as she began sucking the Darkness away from him. Nicholas was so young, powerful and big, it took an enormous of energy on her part to perform this spell for him. It took longer, far longer than she anticipated and Calla fought to hold on as her own energy faded. She forced herself to continue for Nicholas’ sake and the baby’s. Nicholas would be devastated if he ever did anything to hurt either of them she wouldn’t allow that.

When it was over a completely dumbfounded Nicholas Jackson sat naked on the bathroom floor on a circle of coarse salt which ground into his bare ass and holding his equally naked and passed out Mother in his arms. The sound of his heartbeat was far too loud as it reverberated in his head and temples. Nicholas didn’t want to touch her anymore, don’t get me wrong here, the last thing he wanted to do was let her go but he didn’t want to touch her like that anymore. That was a very good thing but it wasn’t the only thing. The Darkness wasn’t all that transferred out of him, some of his thoughts came with it. While she lay unconscious in his lap all the secrets kept from her were revealed.

Ares. So wounded both his flesh and his pride. He was screaming that someone must leave! They must go it was dangerous to stay here.

Hecate. The name danced in front of her eyes. It grew lips, split into a smile with great fangs.

Calla sat straight up. “Father.” Hecate was here, she wounded Ares. Ares was not safe in his cave she knew where the Islands were and Hecate would find him. In his injured state Ares might be more vulnerable than he wanted anyone to know. Maybe that was why he chased her away. Calla wouldn’t let him be alone and she wouldn’t allow him to stay there no matter whose Lord he was or how much Ares wanted to pull rank on her.

“Mom, don’t you dare! Don’t do it!”

Too late. Naked as the day she was born, Calla disappeared from the bathroom.

“Mom! Colleen!” Nick screamed out finding his blue jeans. “Colleen!”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” Colleen roared as she scrambled into the bathroom to see her half-naked brother zipping up his pants. “Where’s Mom? Where’d she go?” Getting her first good look at her brother, Colleen raised her hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. “Oh my Gods, Nicky! What did you do???”

“Not that!” Nicholas shot back. “Annie!” Running down the steps with Colleen close behind Nicholas shouted for his wife. “Get up here.” In a moment, the pretty little blonde appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Take care of Lilly, ok? We have to go somewhere. I dunno when we’ll be back.”

“Nicky?” Annie questioned as much with her voice as her light blue eyes. Seeing the seriousness in his dark orbs. “Come home soon.”

“I will.” Nicholas hugged his wife and hugged her tightly. He looked down at his Sister. “Follow me, we’re goin’ ta Umpas’.”

End of Chapter Nine
The Cradle Will Fall
Continue to
Chapter Ten

This story and all stories in the Cradle Will Fall series are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories may not be transferred outside of this URL in any fashion.