Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of A Father's Love
By Moon Mistress

Chapter Eight

Sengul

There was a sudden and drastic change in plans for the day as two Sengul police officers, female of course, began beating on the door to the room Daniel and Nicholas were staying in. “Doctor Jackson!” One of them shouted.

Nicholas who’d been sleeping only moments ago sprang out of the bed and threw open the door.  “What’s going on?”

The two police officers rushed inside. “Doctor Jackson!”

Daniel only sat up in his bed sleep still fogging his head.

 “Dad!” Nicholas growled and that seemed to raise him.

“Hum? What?”

“You have to come quickly. Something is terribly wrong on your home world.”

That got both of them moving as though someone had lit a flame under their feet. Daniel threw on his clothes and Nicholas did the same as they fired questions at the two men who’d come to collect them but said they knew nothing other than to retrieve the members of SG-1 as quickly as possible.  Rushing out into the hall Jack and Sam joined them. “What’s goin’ on?” Jack asked they rushed down the three flights of steps and to the lobby of the inn.

“I don’t know,” Daniel returned.  “Whatever it is, it’s big.”

They ran to the place where the Sengali Stargate was housed in a large stone structure nearby.  The Stargate was open and the MALP was sending signals. “Doctor Jackson?” A voice came through from a billion miles away.

“I’m here.” Daniel said in an odd voice.  “What’s up?”

“We’ve been trying to get through to you for hours.” The frustrated voice returned. “You need to return immediately.” There was a pause as the speaker tried to gather his nerve. “Altair Ain was attacked last night.”

The four members of SG-1 just stood there for a moment with their mouths hanging open in disbelief. Who would ever attack Altair Ain?

“There’s gotta be some kind of mistake.” Nicholas muttered.

“There’s no mistake Major Jackson.”

“Who’s attacked?” Sam asked. “Is it still under attack?”

“We don’t know, Colonel Carter but we don’t think so.” The voice returned. “We picked up some seismic activity several hours ago and the satellite is showed several small fires.  Reports from nearby say some type of shadow creatures are invaded the village.”

“Well all right,” Jack said in a befuddled voice, “shut her down so we can open her up again.”

The MALP shut down and so did the Stargate.  The Sengul representatives who now included A’lena only stood there quietly not dialing Earth. “What are you waiting for?” Jack asked. Speaking of waiting. “Why’d you wait so long to come and get us? He said they’d been trying to get through for hours.”

Ambassador A’lena came forward and his very good question went unanswered. “Major Jackson should stay behind.”  

“Are you crazy?” Nick asked her. “They just said my home is under attack. I’m leaving with them.”

“Surely you can understand the seriousness of this situation, Ambassador.” Daniel offered politely. She said nothing so Daniel tried another approach.  “Altair Ain is where Morgan, Arthur, Excalibur and the Book are located. The longer we stand here and that Gate isn’t open the closer you are to losing them.”

With a thoughtful stare A’lena capitulated. “We expect you will return as soon as you can.”

“Of course Ambassador.” Daniel assured her in a voice that was becoming irritated.

Behind her an assistant began to dial up the Stargate.  “Feel free to bring Morgan, Calla and any other member of your noble family with you.” A’lena invited. “So they may be assured that their treasures will be well cared for and highly honored.” She added.

Daniel almost told her to fuck off but held his tongue as the Gate opened again the four of them rushed through it.

They exited into an empty SGC.  “What the hell?” Jack muttered. “Where is everyone?”

Behind the Stargate closed.

“Hello?” Nicholas called out. “Anybody?”

Not liking the uneasy silence the members of SG-1, weaponless, stood very close together.

The voice of an unseen owner answered. “So nice to see you could join us, Dan-yell.”

Everyone but Nicholas instantly knew the owner of that voice. It made their blood run cold as an icy fist closed around their warm beating hearts. “You’re dead.” Daniel called back.  So he was and since he was then…where the hell were they?  The Underworld?

“I am,” the deep voice said mournfully, “but not as much as I was.”  The unmistakable silhouette of Naganti Kanan strolled into the room accompanied by a handful of the Shadows.  He was a little older and little worse for wear but he too healthy all the same. “You have something I want.”

“Don’t I always?” Daniel said sharply.  “The answer is still no.”  He stood still and firm as Kanan came a little closer and into the light.  It took a great amount of effort but Daniel showed no outward signs of shock or surprise when the light went right through him.  Still he was plainly to be seen and even Nick recognized him now from his Mother’s dreams and her paintings. “Where are we?”

Kanan looked around and gestured at the Gate Room with his transparent hand. “The…what do you call it?”  He seemed to think it over for a moment. “Hum, yes, the S-G-C. That’s right, isn’t it, Dan-yell?”

“Why does he keep saying your name like that?” Nick huffed he looked up at Kanan. “You touch my Mother so help me God I’ll rip your head off.”

“Ahhh,” Kanan smiled almost proudly, “Ares’ Grandson…Nicholas, is it not?”  He leaned his still brawny body forward a little so he could whisper in Nicholas’ ear. “I’ve already touched her a thousand times or more.”

Ares’ Grandson swung at the dead but well-kept black man. His fist went right through him. Kanan let out a hearty laugh. “You have no power over me boy.  You can’t touch me.  However, you do have something I want.”

“This is getting’ a little old, Kanan.” Jack said and took a step forward. “Why don’t you learn a new tune?”

“Shouldn’t you be dead by now?” Kanan returned haughtily. “I see you’re still with us,” he said to Sam.  “Hello.” He chimed and then stepped back one more step to take them all in. “I see we lost one. Pity.”

“Why would Hades let you out?” Sam asked.

“I assure you, Samantha, Hades did not let me out.”  No, it had been a good fight and Kanan won it fair and square.  “He came to me with this…idea” he waved his hand in the air as he shook his head the dreadlocks which now hung past his knees swayed side to side behind him. “This strange notion that he could barter with me and control me so I let him believe this was true.  When he let me out of my prison I was as compliant as my Cha’Dech once was.”  He drew in a deep breath which was not a breath but sounded like one all the same as the memory filled his mind.  “I had her very well trained.”  Naganti Kanan took in the bloodlust in Nicholas’ eyes, he relished it and then continued. “I, like your Grandfather, am a warrior.  Once I had his trust I struck and you see me now as the new Lord of the Underworld.” Kanan announced with great pride in his voice.  Keeping Nicholas’ gaze he said, “I have your little Annie, she is very sweet. Now that I have something you want and you have something I want let’s make a trade.”

“If you hurt her…”

“He can’t,” Daniel interjected, “you’re not the new Lord of the Underworld either because you’re not an Olympian…so what the hell are you?”

“Give me back my ring.” Kanan huffed without answering Daniel’s question.  “It is mine you have no right to it.”

Daniel looked down at his hand and the ring glittering there. The one they’d used when they renewed their vows. The one Kanan used to wear when Calla was his Cha’Dech.  The one he used to help control her. Calla wanted to wear it because Daniel was the only one she trusted with such power. Daniel wanted to destroy it but Calla was afraid it would only return one day and if she knew exactly where it was then that could never happen. He looked back up at Kanan. “Go back to hell.” He sneered. “You can’t have it.”

“I see you have grown quite brave in your old age, Dan-yell.” Kanan said in what almost sounded like a compliment but Kanan was only playing a well thought out game. “But understand this; I fear no Olympian.”  He took three big steps backward and held his arms out as his side.  “Go on, both of you give it your best shot.” Kanan dared. “Get it out of your system so you can understand what you’re up against.”  Standing there with his head tilted back he waited.

Nicholas wasn’t just going to stand there and do nothing soon a fireball the size of a soccer ball was floating in his hand.  “Don’t.” Daniel said. He wasn’t in any mood to listen and he hurled that flaming ball as fast and hard as he possibly could.  It flew straight through Kanan and exploded against the wall between the Gate Room and the Control Room blowing a five foot hole in the cinder block.

Kanan lowered his thick arms and chuckled.  “Would you like a demonstration of my power now?”  His eyes fixed on Sam.  “Perhaps I should take her to the Underworld with me and she can keep Annie and I amused while you try to mount a defense.”

This day just kept getting worse sooner or later it had to bottom out.  Not just yet.

Clasping his hands together Kanan strolled toward them once more but now his stare fixed on Daniel and he started to look at him as though he were some very interesting bug under a microscope.  The time had come to lay down the final card for this round.  “Dan-yell?” Kanan asked in a low voice. “I know it’s been a long time…but…” he tilted his head from side to side as he got right in Daniel’s face to stare at him.  Leaning in just a little closer in a voice just loud enough for those around them to hear he whispered. “Where is Dan-yell?”  Kanan knew exactly where Dan-yell was and had been for the last four months but the others were quite unaware.  

All eyes turned to Daniel and Nick took a step away from him.  “What are you talking about?” He demanded of Kanan. “Dad?”

“I admit I didn’t get to know my old friend Dan-yell very well,” Kanan said thoughtfully as he took a step back, “but I would know my old pal David anywhere, we spent much time together. Didn’t we?”

The jig was up. “Yeah,” David said and returned to his normal voice. “I guess we did.” Strange how imitating Danny had become second nature to him and how the words now stuck in his throat when he tried to speak.

“Holy shit!” Nicholas exclaimed. No wonder he was acting so ditzy and he didn’t want to come on this trip! 

Jack and Sam looked at each other and then at David. “Where’s Daniel?” Jack asked.

“Umm, that’s a good question.” Kanan agreed still playing along as though this were as much shock to him as to those around him. “He isn’t dead, I’d know if he were. So what have you done with your brother?”

If it was just the four of them David would confess and tell them where he’d stashed Danny but he’d be damned if he was going to tell the Black Devil where Danny was.  “Some place you can’t get him.” This was not the way David wanted to go out but if it had to be this way then…well…that’s what it was.  For four months he’d gotten away with being Daniel Jackson. Four blessed, wonderful, amazing months.  Then he got called to go on that fuckin’ trip through the goddamn Stargate.  He spent the last week in meeting after boring meeting with boring diplomat after boring diplomat trying to keep all the boring bullshit straight in his head and the while he just wanted to scream!  Day after day he was museums and libraries reading things in alien languages that looked like Gaelic…almost.  David could read it and he could speak it Daniel wasn’t the only one who spent a decade among the UPs and he wasn’t the only one with a knowledge and background in things like Celtic History.  David learned well and he learned quickly and when he got stuck, well, David Jackson did have a Master’s Degree in Bull Shit so he just dazzled them with that for as long as he could. A little knowledge and a lot of Bull Shit was a very effective combination and made for a good smoke screen.

Daniel was the only one could understand any of it, the only one who knew what it all fucking meant! Bull Shit only went so far.

David never meant to go on an away mission and he never meant to have so much at stake in the palm of his hand he only meant to have Calla for a while.  Nick and Cole didn’t live in the house anymore in fact Nick was hardly ever around. Cole had her home and her family.  The younger kids were very social. If they weren’t at school or at a school function then they were off somewhere in the kingdom indulging one of the artistic talents or helping out in one of the shops so really it was just Calla he had to fool these last few blissful months.  David had the ring and he knew how to use it so he did.  To the best of his thinking Calla never once suspected anything was wrong.  Here stood a sum’bitch David hadn’t seen in twenty years or more and he was ratted out.

“There is no place on this planet that is beyond my reach.” Kanan threatened. “It’s too bad for you that I don’t give a rats’ ass about you. It’s Dan-yell I want.” It took a great deal of concentrated effort but for a moment Kanan became whole. He reached out, grabbed David by the throat and hauled him nearly a foot into the air as he sucked the life out of him.  David twitched, his hair turned white as he aged in front of their shocked eyes. “And this.”  With his free hand he tore the ring off David’s finger with such force that it ripped flesh from bone before tossing him to the grated metal ramp.  Feeling David’s energy fill him Kanan let out a satisfied smile before turning transparent once more.  Nicholas admonished himself for missing his chance to do some damage but he’d been too surprised by what he was seeing.  Now David was twitching on the ramp at their feet.  Kanan slid the ring onto his pinky finger.  “You will bring your Mother to me and we will exchange.”

Exchange Mom for Annie?  Was this guy out of his mind? How was Nicholas supposed to do that?  “When? Where?”

“Nick!” Jack shouted. “You can’t! Do you know who this is?”

“I know who he is all right. I know.”  Nick stood firm and stared into Kanan’s eyes. “You lead the attack on Altair Ain?  You couldn’t get her there but you could get Annie, is that it?  You can’t keep her and you can’t have my Mother.”

 “Take them!” he shouted so a group of Shadows behind him.  They came up to Jack and Sam to escort them away. It would do them no good to struggle.  “We don’t want them interfering in our little game.  Don’t worry, Nicholas, they’ll be quite safe.” He watched while they were escorted out of the Gate Room and to the Underworld. “But I wouldn’t take too long in accomplishing my mission if I were you. I’m sure they’ll get hungry and thirsty quickly and if that happens I won’t be able to return them…or your sweet Annie… to you.”

“You can’t have my Mother you filthy son of a bitch.”

“She owes me a kingdom,” Kanan said in a deep slow voice.

“If you overthrew Hades then you’ve got one.”

“I like hers better.”  Kanan turned and walked away to the open door.  “Don’t take too long, boy. Do give your Mother my best, I certainly intend to.”  He disappeared from Nicholas’ sight.

On the ramp David was still raping for air. “Where’s my Father you son of a bitch?” Nicholas shouted as he dropped to his knees and grabbed the dying man by the scruff of his shirt.

Sure that Kanan was gone but not sure if he had the power to listen in or not David rasped; “Z-z-zeus,”

Zeus?  Of course!  David had to stash Dad some place he couldn’t escape from and some place Mom wouldn’t be able to see him with her mind. “The Dungeon.” He muttered. “How long have you let him rot there?”

David didn’t answer him instead his chest let out a harsh rattle, “T-t-tell Ca-Callie,” he whispered in a voice so soft that Nicholas had to bend closer to hear him clearly, “I love her.”  The Darkness came for him.  The old familiar trip to the Underworld. Everything was dark and cold and he was sure he was about to find out the meaning of the words Burn In Hell.  David’s body let out one long last breath before he collapsed on the ramp with his eyes open.

Nicholas couldn’t tell if the suddenly old man at his feet was alive or dead. David ate the Ambrosia so maybe he would survive Kanan’s touch but he looked dead enough at the moment.  The SGC was deathly quiet but there was no time to look around and see if anyone here remained alive.  He had to get Daniel out of the Dungeon and then get to Altair Ain.

**

The sea breeze blew the remains of Zeus’ Palace which had been heavily damaged by the Mortals more than a decade ago.  Fire consumed a good deal of the contents but charred stone remained standing straight and strong against the forces of the wind and the water which surrounded it.  Nicholas stood in the Gazing Room with its black marble walls and floor, the domed roof had a hole in it big enough to fit a car through and sunlight streamed into the room which had never seen such a thing before.  In the middle of the once grand room was the control device which would active the walls around him. It was dusty and covered over with cobwebs.  Who knew if the thing even worked anymore?  “Where’s the fucking door?”  Nicholas spat as he felt along the walls for the golden knob which would open the door to the Dungeon.  He thought it had been directly across from the control device but now he seemed he was wrong.  What the hell, he’d only been here once before.  Oversized hands slid along the cool smooth dusty marble until they landed on something hard and round.  “Thank you.” Nicholas muttered raising his eyes to the sky as he opened the door which was much more like the door of a bank vault than a normal door.  The hinges squeaked loudly but the door swung easily enough, Nicholas poked his head through. “Dad? Dad you down there?”

Sitting in one of the solitary cells Daniel thought he must be dreaming.  He’d lost count of how many days he’d been here but David had come at fairly regular intervals to bring him food and drink. To tell him that Calla was all right and he, David, wasn’t hurting her.  Daniel so wanted to believe that. He said he just wanted his time with her, that was all and since Daniel never let him have it then one David decided he would have to take it. But he wasn’t doing anything bad to her, she was fine, she was happy and he was taking care of her.  Daniel supposed that was supposed to bring him some type of warped comfort as he waited here in this godforsaken place.

 David hadn’t come for quite some time the food and the water were gone days ago.

“Dad?”  The goddamn son-of-a-bitch lied! “Dad!”  With his dying breath the bastard told a lie! What else could anyone expect of David Jackson!

“H-h-here,” Daniel croaked as he forced the words from a parched throat.

“Dad!” Nick bolted through the door and ran down the dreary steps to find his Father sitting on the floor of one of the cells. He looked like shit!  There he was in nothing but ripped up dirty blue jeans and an old wife-beater t-shirt which was just as ripped and filthy as the jeans. “Jesus! Dad! Just hang on, I’m gonna get you outta here.”

Daniel hauled himself to his feet looking exhausted. “You’re really here? I’m not dreaming this.” He was almost certain that he was. This place, this place was a horrible place that got into your head and made you see things you never wanted to see.  Most of the time when David came Daniel was convinced he wasn’t really there at all and the last few times he came he did so at night when Daniel couldn’t do so much as stop trembling in the corner of his lonely cell.

“I’m here, Dad.” Nick put his hand through the bars to touch him and let him know that he was really there. He looked so lost, so frightened.  “We didn’t know,” he mumbled, “that bastard fooled us all. I’m so sorry, Dad.”  He would have known he would at least suspected something was up if he spent more time at home and less time traveling among the stars.

“He’s good at that,” Daniel said and tried to smile as he felt the weight and warmth of Nicholas’ hand on his shoulder. He was real. He was here. More importantly, they were getting the hell out of here.  David was always good at pretending to be Daniel, much better at it than Daniel was when he tried to pretend to be David when they kids. Daniel almost always got caught by their mother but David he could swing it without breaking a sweat.  The fact that David had ripped Kanan’s ring off of Daniel’s finger didn’t hurt, neither did the fact that David had plunged a needle into the back of Daniel’s neck and injected himself with the fluid.  Calla was sleeping with him, she was eating with him, talking with him, sharing her secrets with him and had no idea that he was not her Husband.  David was nothing if not cunning; he’d watched, he’s listened, most of all he’d waited. Yes, David worked hard on his plan he thought about it, turned it over and over in his mind and looked at it from every conceivable angle before he finally went for it. All those years they lived in the same house and Daniel had no idea just how much his brother hated him or just how deeply in love with Calla he was.

David was very forthcoming with information over the months of Daniel’s captivity. He told of how he started this plan before he left the house.  Then maybe the idea was half-baked and he was only half-serious about it but something about it stuck in David’s head until it took him over.  David went away for five months but he didn’t go far he stuck around Scotland hiding in the shadows and keeping an eye on Altair Ain and an ear to the ground.  The longer he was away from calla the more he wanted her and the m ore he came to hate Daniel for having her.  So he bought her clothes and he let his hair grow the way Daniel had.  He practiced walking and talking like Daniel. He took out books from the libraries so he could sound as smart as Daniel when the occasion called for it.  One day he just did it.  He showed up in Altair Ain half expecting to tell Calla who he was and that he was sorry and he wanted to come home but he found her the rose garden crying.  When she realized he was there she stood up swiftly, ran to him, threw her arms around him and begged him to forgive her.

Daniel and Calla had a fight over something so stupid he couldn’t even remember what it was anymore but at the time it seemed important and he didn’t talk to her for two days because of it.  When she saw David standing there looking like Daniel was ready to forgive her she jumped at it.  “She kissed me,” David had said as he stood on the other side of the bars. “She kissed me and I made love to her right then and there, Danny.  It hurt her a little, just a little, cuz I ain’t you but it was all right.  She fell asleep in my arms later, I knew I couldn’t stay. Sooner or later someone would find us…maybe you.  I didn’t want to leave her, no I didn’t.” David had mumbled as his mind filled with the memory so vividly Daniel could almost see everything in his eyes.  “I had to so I did.  I went up on the hill and I looked down at her sleepin’ so peaceful.  You came into the garden and you saw her, you must have thought she was waiting for her, didn’t ya?”  Yes, Daniel had thought she was waiting for him.  Her dress was hiked up to her thighs and he could see that there was nothing between her and the grass below.  “I watched you…watched you make love to her and she never knew and you never knew.  She never thought I got up at all, did she?” There was pride in David’s voice.  “Next day…” his voice had trailed off and he shrugged his shoulders.

The next day David called Daniel and asked to meet with him at the old garage. He wanted to test the waters and see about coming home.  But that wasn’t what he wanted. David clocked Daniel over the head with a ten pound monkey wrench and when Daniel woke up he was here on the wrong side of the bars.  The ring was gone from his hand.  “It ain’t so hard to be you, Danny.” David said once, “but I wish I could be me instead. I guess this’ll have’ta do, won’t it?  If you’d just let me have some time with her, just some time, Danny. That’s all I want, just my time.  Maybe I wouldn’t a done this.”

“Dad? Yo! Earth to Dad!” Nick said waving his hand in front of his Father’s face. “The key?” He prayed that David didn’t stash it some place.

“Huh? What?” Daniel pulled himself out of the daze he’d fallen into. “Key’s over there.” Daniel said in a rushed whisper and pointed at the wall across from him where the goddamn key ring hung smiling at him, taunting him, mocking him day in and day out saying; here I am, buddy. I’m right here. Come get me and you can be free. Oh you can’t! What a shame. Neener-neener-neener.  “You shouldn’t be here,” Daniel said weakly. “You should have sent someone else.”

“Don’t worry,” Nick said as he ran across the old torture chamber to the heavy key ring.  He went past the three free standing cells in the middle of the room and past the torture table where his Mother had once been strapped down, horrible and thoughts and memories popped up in his mind as he tried to focus on his one and only goal; the key.  He could hear his Mother crying, hear her weeping over him and see her bloody mangled body reaching out to him as the Ichor gushed from his neck. 

Shake it off! Just shake it off!

“I just found out, I raced over here as soon as I did. No one knows, I’ll get you out of there and we’ll be outta here in jiff.”

In a jiff…Calla always said that when she was in a hurry.  The thought made his tired body smile from his head to his feet.  Soon, oh so soon, he’d be back with her. He’d be back home. In just a jiff.

Nick fumbled with the keys sticking them into the lock one by one until it finally turned and the old heavy door swung open.  “Come on, Dad, let’s get out of here.”

“Let’s go home.” Daniel agreed.  Weak from lack of food and water he put his arm around Nick’s waist for support as the two made their way to the bottom of the stairs.

“Well, what a nice picture.” Kanan complimented from the top of the stairs.  “Three Jacksons down and one to go.”  He slammed the heavy vaulted door shut on them.

“No! You son of a bitch!” Nick raced up the stairs but the edge of the door slipped through his fingers almost clipping off the tips as it shut with a loud thud. “Goddamn it!” Nick thundered and realized he’d been duped. Kanan knew where Dad was the whole time and he never wanted Nick to go to the Underworld and exchange his Mother for his wife…if he even had Annie. No, Tall-Dark-N-Gruesome got everything he wanted back in the Gate Room; the ring. After that all Kanan wanted was to trap both of them here keep them out of the way of whatever he was planning. “He knew! Damn it! He knew where you were…” More than that, Kanan knew Nick would come charging after his Father to rescue him and bring him home. Any good Son would, wouldn’t they? “I don’t believe this shit!” Nick turned around on his heels to see his Father sitting on the floor in a deflated heap.  “Its okay, Dad, we’re gonna get outta here.”

Daniel looked up at his Son, tears running down his face making two clean tracks in the dirt on his cheeks, “Six months,” he muttered, “she spent six months down here. I don’t know how she did it without going crazy.” Daniel, who’d been locked up almost as long, reached up and grabbed hold of Nick’s shirt to pull him down closer. “This place,” he whispered, “it’s haunted. It’s alive, Nick. You’ll see.”

Sitting there with his Father like that watching him weep like a broken down old man Nick tried to tell himself it was just exhaustion it was stress and strain from having been here so long and going without food or water.  That wasn’t it.  He heard her voice here, he saw her strapped to that table, smelled the fire that burned in the pit.  “We’re gonna get outta here.” He said again and put his arm around his crying Father.

End of Chapter Eight
Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of a Father's Love
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
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Chapter Nine