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

Chapter Ten

Altair Ain

Duncan and several dozen of the UPs spread out through Scotland to cover as much ground as possible. They hit every hardware store, lighting supply store, Home Depot and Lumber Yard they could find in their search for the magick of Ultra-Violet Light.  Near mid-afternoon they converged back in the kingdom to discover they’d managed to obtain several hundred hand-held units.  These would be given out to the UPs to defend themselves.  They also managed to…procure…several the size of searchlights from a man who was not willing to part with them as they were part of his amusement park but the UPs just couldn’t afford to take no for an answer.  Duncan MacLeod and a crew of UPs spent two hours hooking up the searchlight sized Ultra-Violet lights so that they would flood the kingdom when turned on.  He reminded them that all they would see was blue light and nothing more but they shouldn’t look directly at it for a long period of time.  “Someone should try and bring Nicholas and Daniel home.” Duncan said to his wife when Morgan came over to help them wire the lights.

“I’ve called the SGC they said they knew there was something going on here, they’d picked up something on their satellites or other gizmos,” she sighed. “Duncan, they’ve been trying to get through to SG-1 for two hours,” she whispered. “I’m getting worried. What if something’s happened to them?”

“Are they worried?” Duncan asked and put down the wires in his hands to brush away the bead of sweat from his forehead and look at her.

“They told me if they didn’t hear from them in the next hour or so they planned to send another team through to find them.”  She looked around with just her violet eyes to be sure no one was listening and then leaned in a little closer to him. “The Sengali Ambassador keeps insisting that SG-1 came back to Earth earlier today. They knew of the attack on the village and said SG-1 had already come back to investigate.  They’re not here and Stargate Command can find no record of the Stargate having been opened today or in the last twenty-four hours before they tried to reach SG-1.”

“Here? They’re here?”

“Yes, but there’s no trace. No sign.”

If Nick and Daniel knew about this they’d be right here all right in full living color and breathing life.  They were no where to be found.  “Why the Senguli lie?” Duncan asked. “Surely they know it will only lead to more teams coming through and investigating. If they want to negotiate a treaty now is hardly the time to look suspicious.”

“That’s not all,” Morgan whispered and looked around again. “There’s a man there, an old man. They found him lying on the ramp that leads to the Stargate. They said he appeared to be wearing part of their uniform though there was no jacket which have identified him, only a t-shirt, those horrible olive colored slacked they wear and those heavy black boots.”

“Who is he?”

“They don’t know. He was unconscious when they found him and he hasn’t awoken yet. They say he is very old and very ill they don’t know if he’ll ever wake or where he came from. If he is there and there’s no record of his arrival…do you think it could be true? They’re here…somewhere.”

The idea seemed ridiculous. How could they be on Earth but not be in Altair Ain?  Did Nick know about Annie and had he gone straight to the Underworld?  Maybe and in that case it was possible Daniel followed him.  Still, it didn’t settle right in his old bones.  They would come here, even if it was just for a few moments, they would come here first.  If nothing else, Nick and Daniel would send Jack and Sam here to tell them what was happening. Jack and Sam were not here either it seemed they were also Missing In Action.  What trap had Hades set? How had he captured them and more importantly where did he put them?  If, that was, Hades had them at all.  Word was somebody new sat on the throne down there and by all accounts it looked like he was pretty goddamn pissed off. “I wish Calla had stayed here.” Duncan mumbled.

“Me too,” Morgan said softly and rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. “Do you think it’s possible?”

“I don’t know,” Duncan said honestly.  “I do know I have to finish this before sunset and pray to God that it works.”  Once he finished that then maybe he could concentrate on this problem but then he took in the dismayed look on his delicate face.  “Go talk to Colleen,” Duncan suggested, “she knows her Father and Brother better than any of us. If she doesn’t think they would go straight to the Underworld then we’ll start looking for them but maybe not until we get through the night.” Duncan warned. “We are charged with their safety and right now that has to be our first priority.”

Morgan wandered through the village and found Colleen sitting with Patrick in the town square.  Most of the work was done. The fires were out, roofs were being repaired, the bodies were piled, and the debris was swept up.  If it weren’t for the bodies and the good amount of char still lingering around one might not know a battle had taken place here last night.  Colleen listened and then shook her head. “Why would they even know?” She asked Morgan. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Why would they know what?” Morgan asked eagerly.

“About Hades,” Colleen returned. “Did the SGC say anything to you like ‘yes, we saw the Shadows of the Undead were attacking you last night?”

“No.”

“Of course not,” Colleen shot, “why would they? All they saw was the fires and probably picked up the activity from those ground shattering clubs of theirs.” She hitched her thumb toward the hills beyond the gates to the city and to the cave where the ogres lived.  “If the SGC didn’t know we were being attacked by creatures from the Underworld then how could they possibly tell that to Nick and Dad?  How would Nick and Dad know that they should even go to the Underworld?” She shook her head and frowned. “No. No. If they were here then they’d be here and we’d have to tell them what happened.”

“So you think the Ambassador is lying?” Morgan asked and searched the young woman’s eyes.

“Someone is,” Colleen said holding Morgan’s gaze.  “Why would the SGC lie about them not coming back?”

“Why would the Ambassador lie about them leaving?” Patrick asked as he stepped into the conversation.

“Indeed,” Morgan agreed.

“Just sit quiet a minute, ok?” Colleen asked softly and then closed her eyes.  Her magick had not been strong since she returned. She was barely able to travel the astral anymore but more often than not her telepathy still worked.  Dad? Nick? You guys out there somewhere?  Dad?  Answer me. Come on Tall Stuff, say something to me. There was no answer in her mind and try as she did she couldn’t feel their presence anywhere here on Earth.  They either weren’t on this planet or they were in the Underworld. “Mom will be back before dark fall, right? That’s what she said.” Colleen said trying to reassure herself. “When she gets here we’ll tell her what’s going on, she’ll know what to do. She’ll know where Dad is.”  At least that’s what she hoped for as Colleen raised her eyes to the sky to see the sun was more than three-quarters of the way down.  Just a few hours left and they’d know if Calla’s plan worked.

Oh God let it work.

Between then and now, “You stay here with Lilly,” Coley said and stood up from her resting spot.

“Where are you going?” Paddy asked with alarm and stood up quickly.

“To check out this old man, he must know something. People don’t just appear out of thin—“

“Really?” Paddy asked then chuckled.

“Fine,” Coley said and put her hands on her hips, “sometimes they do just appear and disappear in thin air.”  She bent over and kissed her husband. “I’ll be back before dark.”

“Cole, stay here.” Paddy begged. “Don’t go.”  He knew how much effort it took for her to travel the astral now what if the trip to Colorado was too costly and she couldn’t make the return trip?

“I’ll be back.”  She kissed him again and disappeared only to reappear in the infirmary of the SGC at the bedside of a very old man who looked strangely familiar. Colleen took hold of his hand which was warm but papery to her touch except for the bandage around his right forefinger.  In a very weird way he seemed to look like, “Dad?” She whispered. “Is that you, Dad?”  For a moment the old man’s eyes fluttered open and he looked at her or appeared to anyway. In that moment she knew him. “Uncle David!” Coley cried in a soft whisper. “What happened to you?”  He did not answer her, instead his eyes closed once more and he went on sleeping and breathing gently.

End of Chapter Ten
Coming Out of Exile: The Strength of a Father's Love
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
Go to
Chapter Eleven