Chapter Thirty-Seven

Your head is humming and it won't go in case you don't know
The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady can't you hear the wind blow and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind
Stairway to Heaven
Led Zepplin

With so much on their plates and so much hanging in the balance, Daniel decided it was best if Calla’s Army split up.  Nick didn’t want to return to Sengul and Daniel couldn’t say he blamed him so it was decided that Daniel, Ares and, new enlistee Jack O’Neill would go back to the planet and try to straighten things out with D’Sila and Nibor.  Nick and not-so-new enlistee Duncan MacLeod would take a ship back to the godforsaken planet Kanan’s ship crashed on so many years ago to hunt for the necklace.  Jack plotted out the course and swore that round trip would be no more than two weeks whereas before it had taken several months.  This would leave Calla at home with David and Colleen on the throne alone.  Neither idea rested comfortably in Daniel’s head with the thought of Wolfgar lingering just beyond the gates but these tasks had to be completed. He had faith that Colleen would do her best in her role as Queen and that if she needed help Calla would also do her best to provide it. Queen or not there was no way Calla would let Altair Ain suffer, including its new Queen, if she could help it.  David was a good watchdog.

It wasn’t until after Daniel got Calla home that he broke all of the news to her. He wanted to be alone with her but he also wanted to be able to communicate freely with her. As such, Ares was invited to the discussion table but not necessarily to offer his own opinions.

At first she wasn’t all that interested in listening to him or her Father for that matter but as Daniel spoke and Ares brooded Calla sat there on the balcony taking it all in.  She kept her good hand pressed to her lower abdomen as she thought about what had been stolen. Not that they would do her any good at any point in the future anyway, clearly her days of having children were over.  So on that side it could be good if that opportunity wasn’t lost with her.  The Sengul people, more specifically their leaders, were untrustworthy and what would an Olympian Civilization be without its history?  Without someone of knowledge to guide it along to teach it right from wrong and not to abuse its power?  It would be a horrible place should they gain the knowledge to go out among the stars with ships and weapons, what then?  In a few hundred years they could be facing a problem just as large as the Goa’uld had been.  Yet the question remained; just what were they to do about it? Surely by now it was too late and several Sengul women were already pregnant.  Reluctantly she motioned for Ares to come over to her and do his thing. Not that long ago he promised to say whatever she wanted him to and she was going to take him up on that offer now.

“Are you asking my opinion or merely informing me?” He asked for her.

She was not going to make this easy.  “I’m sorry about the meeting, Kitty. I know you’re angry that I didn’t stand up for you…”

“Angry?” Ares scoffed. “You don’t know how angry I am.”  Ares did he could feel it boiling and worming its way around inside her. It was hot, hard and ready to erupt at any second. “Do you now trust that my Father speaks for me at least?”

“Yes. I didn’t question that.”

“No, you did nothing at all. You just sat there and watched then take everything away from me, my loving Husband.”  He couldn’t help it Ares even added the cooing little lilt that twisted the knife in Daniel’s heart with the last two words.

“I’m sorry…all right?  I should have said something and I didn’t.” He knelt by the chair. “It’s too much, Kitty. It’s all just too much for you and Altair Ain needs a Queen. I know you understand that.”

“That’s always your excuse,” Ares opined, “the house is too much for me, the kids are too much for me, school and my students are too much for me, the shelter is too much for me. Kitty slow down. All the while you just think I am incapable, that’s all. You placate me, patronize me.”

“I never once said you were incapable.” He asserted and then stopped.  He hoped he was right about that. They’d been together a very long time and if he’d even said it just once then Daniel had no doubt Calla would remember even in her feeble state and she’d call him on it. She said there staring up at him with her Drewpy the Dog eyes raging with fire. “If that’s what I thought I meant then I’m sorry.  I know you’re very capable and you always have been but I also know you understand why the rest of the kingdom doesn’t trust him. Look what he’s done to you, to us and to this kingdom over the years.” Daniel shot an angry look at Ares.  “You can’t blame them for not trusting him. I only want what’s best for you.”

Once again the Big Man couldn’t help it, he pulled one fist back, stood up and wheeled around to face his King. “You don’t know what’s best for me! I know what’s best for me!” He roared for Calla so loudly that Daniel took a step back. “You…are…not…me.”

“No, I’m not you.” Daniel said thoughtfully.

“Colleen is not ready, how could you do that to her? Or did you plot against with her? Did you plan to take my throne?”  She might be sick and feeble minded but Calla still knew what conspiracy looked and smelled like.  When he didn’t protest right away she knew she was right. What she didn’t know was why.  It wasn’t mere concern for her stress level or mental health especially not when she’d finally found a way to communicate with the outside world. Ok, so they didn’t trust Ares but she did and she was more than capable of somehow letting it be known if he misspoke intentionally or otherwise.  So why did they want her off the throne? Colleen had no interest in ruling and she would be so out of place sitting there at the head of the kingdom.  She would be lonely and unsure of herself. Calla didn’t want those things for her beloved Daughter.

Calla gave it a few moments and when she realized he was going to remain tight lipped she pushed a little harder. “I fear you are seeking the counsel of the Queen and she no longer resides here. Perhaps it would be best if you, my King, and you my Father, went to her and asked her guidance. I am but a humble citizen of this community now.”

“Stop it!” Daniel fumed. “Right now! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and taking it out on everyone around you.”

She wasn’t feeling sorry for herself she had every right to be angry at having had the rug pulled out from her.  “Were I still the Queen then I would want what has been stolen returned.” Ares said as he felt her shift from her personal rage to the larger subject at hand trying to leave that anger behind and think clearly.  It wasn’t easy for either of them as Ares settled back in his chair. “If the women are pregnant they are pregnant with our children.  I am no longer Queen but if my opinion matters to you at all then I want those children brought here where they belong.”

There could be hundreds of them!  She wasn’t thinking straight.  “What? You want to bring all those women here, make them give birth and then…send them back?”

No she’d like to see all those women laid to waste rather than returned home safe and sound.  “Precisely.”

Ares and Daniel looked at each other with disbelief.  “Calla,” Ares started, “I don’t think that will be possible.” He stopped speaking for himself when he saw the words running in her eyes once more.

“What other choice is there? Are you going to kill them all where they stand?”

No, just D’Sila and that moron Nibor, Ares thought and smiled a wicked little grin. “They lied to you, they imprisoned your Son on false charges, they stole from you and they tried to kill you.  Why shouldn’t I return the favor?” Ares countered.

In her chair Calla let out a little sigh.  “Do whatever you think best.”

“You said that.” Daniel charged.

“I did not. She said it.” Ares said defensively.

Daniel looked up at Calla. “Did you?”  She nodded and Ares spoke again.

“As I said, my dear Husband, I am a humble citizen and you should be seeking the guidance of the Queen important matters such as this.” With that she moved the little controller that sent the electric scooter going in reverse and then went forward skirting around the table and the men sitting there on her way back inside.  She rolled over to where the remote control lay on the night stand and turned on the television.  The sound would cover their grumbling voices so she wouldn’t have to listen to them but before she could find something to watch there was a knock on the bedroom door and then it opened.

“Hi Grandma!”

Danny.  Calla was very glad to see him but that elation was tainted by the knowledge that Danny had been sent here by his Father as a token of Nicholas’ apology.  No doubt he was also Nicholas’s way of encouraging her to take up physical therapy again. Calla hadn’t gone to a single physical, occupational or speech therapy session since they booted her off the throne. Nonetheless she held her good arm out to him and the boy came over to her with a happy grin.

“How are you feeling, Grandma?  I been busy with school.” He offered as an excuse for his absence. “I wanted to come see you before but Dad said no he said I’m a pest sometimes.”

Calla let out a little laugh at that and then tusseled his sandy hair. Her only Grandson and the youngest of the Jackson clan, right after Nicholas, Danny was most definitely Calla’s pride and joy.  Hey, look what I brought.” The boy settled a messenger bag on the table and took out a laptop. “I’ve been taking some pictures, you want to see them?”

Nodding happily Calla made the little electric scooter glide over to the table so she could see the screen better.

Still sitting outside in the chilly late fall air Ares nodded toward the scene taking place in the bedroom. Daniel turned around to see Calla and Danny with their heads together staring at a laptop screen.  “She’ll get over it,” Ares said a thoughtful tone.  “We all did what we had to do.  I’m not saying it’ll be a short road but eventually she’ll see reason.”

“Yeah,” Daniel said softly and then smiled a little as he watched them two of them in there. Whatever Calla saw on the screen was making her happy she smiled, pointed and tried to clap her hands several times.  Danny beamed with pride and stood a little straighter as she complimented him.  “So what now?”

“You’re asking my opinion?”

“You are the great strategist, aren’t you?” Daniel quipped.

“And you’re the King,” Ares returned, “my sword is at your command and now Colleen’s as well.”  Calla was right about one thing, Colleen wasn’t ready to take the throne and that made Ares very uneasy. “I have been Calla’s personal bodyguard as well as the head of security for Altair Ain for the last five years and I don’t like the idea of so many of us leaving here at the same time.”

“Neither do I.” Daniel confessed. “But the sooner we get through these things the better, agreed?”

Begrudgingly Ares nodded his head. “Yes, agreed.”

“Ah! Grandma! Grandma!” One second they were looking at his photographs on the laptop and the next she was clamping her old, cold, papery hand around his wrist and trying to say or ask him something.  Danny couldn’t understand. He asked her to type it out on the keyboard, usually she could manage that but her fingers kept slipping today and each time they did she grew more frustrated.

The two men turned toward the open glass doors to see Calla grabbing Danny by the wrist and attempting to drag him toward the balcony.  Danny didn’t seem to want to go along with this and protested all the way. “What’s going on?” Daniel asked as he stood up and made his way into the room before she could bring the boy outside.

“I don’t know,” Danny said and tried to pull his wrist away. She might be old and whatnot but she still had a hell of a grip.

Ares stood up and took in the scene; the concerned and harried look on Calla’s face and the boy’s confusion and his pale complexion. “What’s wrong with you boy?” Trying to be menacing but to any boy under the age of 13 the mere sight of Ares God of War striding toward them was enough to make them have an accident.  “You’re sick.”

Calla let go of Danny’s wrist and raised her other hand in the air in victory. This was what she’d been trying to ask her Grandson.  Daniel took a closer look at Danny who was rather sallow and had almost a matte quality about him.

“I got a cold,” Danny said.

“Where’s your mother?”

“Still in Colorado.” Danny said and started to shift his feet on the stone. “Stayed home from school yesterday but I feel better today. Dad said I could come up here but maybe not to get too close to Grandma.” He had any paid any attention to that had he? Nope. Now Danny felt guilty about that he could give her his cold and Grandma was sick enough as it was, that’s what Dad said and what Danny forgot.

Danny was only an eighth Olympian and so it was perfectly reasonable that the boy might have an early cold or even the flu.  If he looked flushed or feverish none of them would have a problem coming to an agreement but he looked more like someone put a very effective layer of make-up foundation on his skin in a color that was two shades too light. “When’s she coming home, champ?” Daniel squatted down so that he was at eye level with his only Grandson and brushed a few strands of hair away from the boy’s forehead.  The skin there was rather chilly to the touch and not warm or hot as one might expect if he were running a temperature.

Now Danny looked down at his shifting feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Dunno,” he mumbled and looked around at the other feet in the room before bending down to whisper. “Mom and Dad had a fight on the phone.”

Doubtless Annie wasn’t happy about Nicholas going away for so long.  “A big one?” Daniel whispered back knowing full well that Ares and Calla could hear them. Olympian ears were so much better than the mortal ones on the sides of Danny’s head.

“Yeah…big.”

“It’s not your fault.” Daniel said and hugged the boy. “Whatever’s with them has nothing to do with you, ok?”

Still only on the verge of the golden age of being a teenager Danny wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck and held on tight for a moment. Mom and Dad had a terrible fight on the phone today after Grandpa got back with Grandma and that was when Dad sent him up here.  Danny figured Dad wanted time to cool down and punch the bag and lift weights and stuff so it was probably best to get out of his hair for a while anyway.

Just like yesterday Danny had been in his room most of the day today. He was taking pictures out his window and of the various objects in his room while hoping his stomach would stop feeling funny.  He got hungry, finally, and when the feeling it didn’t go away he started to hope that he could eat something and keep it down. Yesterday hadn’t been a good day for keeping things in his stomach.  Danny started to make his way down the stairs when he heard the angry sound of his Father’s voice. Sitting there on the stairs just out of sight Danny had been able to hear some of his mother’s end of the conversation because she was screaming so loudly about Dad was never home and he didn’t take care of business—whatever that meant—when he was home. Dad said Mom didn’t understand that someone had tried to kill Grandma and he had to go! He didn’t want to go but he had to! They yelled about people named Wolfgar and Raven, Danny didn’t know those names but he was hearing them whispered a lot around town lately. They last thing Dad said to Mom was that if she wanted out she could walk at any time and he wouldn’t stop her. Then he hung up on her, Danny quietly and swiftly made his way back to his room where he wanted to burst into tears but his Dad came in and told him to come up here.  Dad said the same thing Grandpa did, that it wasn’t Danny’s fault and he was sorry he’d heard them arguing. But Dad didn’t look very hopeful about the situation at all. For just about the first time in his life Danny found himself wishing that his big sister was around but Cole was off at prep school. She didn’t have to listen to any of this. Lucky her.

“Hey, why don’t you go down to the kitchen, huh?” Daniel suggested. “There’s a whole refrigerator full of goodies, we’ll be down in a minute.”

“’K.” Danny agreed and stepped away before he started to cry. Everything around here was changing and it was doing it so fast he didn’t think he could keep up.  Chocolate chips cookies and milk could always be relied upon.  He was glad to be out of the room where things were getting just as tense as they had been at home.

Calla reached up and snatched Ares’ hand only to roughly place it at her throat. She did so with such force that the Big Man let out a little cry of surprise and pain before he crashed to his knees and was eye to eye with her. “That’s it!” He roared. “You are tearing their family apart! Nicholas stays here!”

“Kitty…”

“No, you go off on your scavenger hunt if you want and you too,” Ares said realizing he was referring to himself, “but not Nicholas.  He has more important things to attend to than chasing this wild goose.” Calla threw Ares hand away, backed up the scooter and headed out the bedroom door.

“It’s not a wild goose and you know it!” Daniel yelled as she went.  “It’s not,” he said in a weaker voice as he looked at Ares.

“I know and so does she but she isn’t going to sacrifice any part of her family for it.”

Several hours later, alone in his office and starting to buckle under the pressure of his current situation, Daniel found himself staring at a decanter of Southern Comfort and wanting to drink the whole thing down in one gulp.  The only thing that stopped him was the ringing telephone on his desk.  That was his private line, it didn’t ring anywhere else in the house and so there was no one to answer it but him. Daniel glanced over his shoulder at the black phone and back to the decanter of amber courage. “Fuck ‘em,” he mumbled and poured a glass as he listened to the phone cease it’s clamoring and then the sound of his own voice on the machine.  Daniel figured one sip wouldn’t hurt, he’d left his hard drinking days behind him long ago and returned to the status of a social drinker who was no longer borderline alcoholic…or so he thought. Taking down that first burning sip Daniel closed his blue eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Hey, Danny boy, you there!” Jack’s happy voice came through the answering machine speaker. Daniel took the glass over to his desk. “Come on, pick up! I got good news!”

“Yea, Jack? I’m here.”  He pushed the button to stop the machine. “What’s up?”

“Thor got back in touch me,”

“Why?” Daniel interrupted.

“Well, the little guy didn’t understand why you were looking for the necklace so I explained it to him.  Guess what?”

Daniel didn’t want to guess he just wanted to pour another glass after he killed off this one.  “I don’t know, what.”

“Well,” Jack said still cheery but then stopped. “You ok, Daniel?  You sound…down. What’s wrong?”

“My life’s shot to hell at the moment but other than that everything’s ducky.” Daniel returned sardonically and finished the glass.

“Well, this might make it better. Seems our buddy has a ship in the area and he’s more than willing to send the crew over to the planet and look for the necklace.”  There was a long pause on the line. “Did you hear me, Daniel? You don’t have to go, no one does. Thor will send them and they’ll bring it here to you.”

“Why would he do that?” Daniel was already up and pouring another glass.

“Why would he…what the hell, Daniel?” Jack snapped.  “Tell me you’re not drinking again.”

“I’m not drinking again.” Daniel said and put down the freshly poured glass.  “That is great news Jack, please thank Thor for us.  It’s a big help.”  It was. It solved a multitude of problems for him with the biggest one being sending someone, mainly Nick, away for so long.  Calla would be happy to know that this little excursion wasn’t going to put any more added stress on Nick’s already faltering marriage.

“That’s better. The little guy figures he should be able to deliver it here in about a week. So you and Ares and me, of course, can go to Sen…”

“You?”

“Yeah me, I am still in charge here, Danny, or did you forget that?  Besides, they tried to assassinate a head of state and word spreads fast on that one, I’m surprised you haven’t heard from Watson yet.”

“Watson?”

“Haven’t turned on the TV today have ya, Danny?” Jack said with a smirk.  “UCOE is up in arms over this.”

Well that was good. Someone besides him should be upset about it especially since Calla didn’t seem to care that someone tried to knock her off.  “What are they going to do?”

“I don’t know.”  It was highly doubtful they were going to give back the new recipe for turning water into naquada but they’d find some way to punish the Sengul people. “But chances are it won’t be pretty.  Hey, listen, Sam wants Calla to come back to the SGC while we’re gone so she can run some tests on that Dream Dust stuff.  You think that’ll fly with her?”

Daniel picked up the glass again and brought it to his lips. “What kind of tests?” He took a long drink.

“Sleep tests, nothing that’ll hurt or be invasive she just wants to watch Calla’s brain and how that stuff effects the Xerinium. She’ll hook her up to some fancy equipment let Morpheus dust her with that stuff and just watch her sleep.”

That didn’t sound so bad.  “I’ll tell her.”  Before he knew it the second glass had gone down his throat. “When do you want to leave?”

“How’s the day after tomorrow?”

“Good with me.”

“Danny?”

“Yeah.”

“Be prepared for a fight.”

Best advice he’d heard lately.  “Yeah.”  Daniel agreed in a quiet rush of air and then hung up the phone. There was no way in hell D’Sila was going to hand over a few hundred pregnant women, Daniel was hoping they hadn’t put their plan into action yet and when they got there they’d find a bunch of embryos in test tubes that could easily be destroyed.  He also hoped his conscience wouldn’t bother him too much after that. In theory Daniel was all in favor of a woman’s right to choose but when it came to his own it was a different story. Years ago Calla tried to have an abortion and he went out of his mind even though he knew there was a good chance the baby wasn’t his. These were.  Most of them would be Nick’s, however, and Daniel had no idea how Nick really felt about that.  The Senguls probably wanted to milk him the most because he was only half Olympian, mixing his sperm with is Mother’s eggs would produce children like Amy; three-quarters Olympian which would be more than enough Ichor for anyone on a planet like that.  He’d like to study that deposit of Xerinium in more detail obviously it wasn’t what they had been led to believe.  It had the power to make those with some Olympian blood more powerful than they ever would be on Earth but full bloods were a different story.  Calla spent one night on that planet and her sex drive shot through the roof and so did her temper.  Daniel figured that was evidenced enough by the fact that she’d told Ares to make that girl suffer. That was somehow different from when they were on the Mohun planet so many years ago. Oh she’d been horny as an alley cat and right quickly too but she hadn’t been angry.  On Sengul, even though she appeared cool as cucumber, he could see it, hell he could feel it, bubbling just below the surface.

Calla was still in the kitchen with Danny they’d spent the day together muddling their way through a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  Nick hadn’t shown up yet.  As the day went on Daniel became more concerned about that. Calla was right, he couldn’t ask Nick to go on a long trip like that and now he didn’t have to.  It would be nice to walk into the kitchen and be the bearer of good news for a change. Well, a breath mint first would probably be a good idea. He didn’t want her getting a good whiff on the Southern Comfort lingering there. While chomping on a few Lifesavers, Daniel flicked on the TV in his office. The 24/7 News Channels were filled with the news that there had been an assassination attempt on Calla Queen of Altair Ain and noted Artiste. UCOE called an emergency meeting. The President of the United States openly condemned the heinous act as one of cowardice and betrayal.  “Shit,” Daniel muttered under his breath and absently reached for the decanter once again. As his hand touched upon the cold hand cut crystal his eyes turned toward it and then back to the TV where John Watson was addressing the press and telling them that he had  no doubt UCOE would give their full support to Altair Ain.  Let the press have their feeding frenzy this time.  It was good to have friends in high places—not that one could get much higher than Daniel King of Altair Ain—and who had such high profiles.  They weren’t in this fight alone, not this time.  She’d won the hearts of an entire planet and Daniel knew they weren’t going to let her down.  He flicked off the TV determined to keep the hub-bub from Calla for now, only for now, only for tonight and maybe some of tomorrow.  He had to make things right with her before he left and that crap would only get in the way.

Daniel walked into the kitchen to the sound of, “I’ll get it Grandma, c’mon lemme do it.” Poking his head into the doorway he saw Calla and Danny by the stove, Calla was trying to take the freshly baked tray of chocolate chips out of the hot oven. “You’re gonna get burnt.” Danny looked up and saw Daniel standing there. “Tell her Grandpa, I’m old enough to use the stove.” The eleven year-old protested.

“Let your Grandmother do it, champ. She’s got it.” Daniel said taking careful note of the fact that Calla seemed to be doing all right as she maneuvered the little scooter around so she could open the door and then reach inside with her good hand which was covered with an oven mitt.  She looked up at him with just her eyes for a second as if to say; you’ve got to be kidding me and then went back to her work before the cookies could burn.  “Jack called.” He said after she put the tray down on the counter.  “Seems Thor has offered to go to the crash site and get the necklace.”

“What necklace?” Danny asked. He’d heard talk about a necklace the last couple of day too but nobody explained anything to him not even when he asked.

“That doesn’t matter but what does matter is this means your Daddy won’t be going anywhere. He’s going to stay right here with you.  How’s that make you feel?” He asked his Grandson but kept a well trained eye on his Wife at the same time.

“Really?” Danny asked and his pale face brightened a bit.  That would make Mom really happy! Then maybe they’d stop fighting and get mushy like they used to. “That’s great!” Danny threw his arms around Daniel’s waist.

Daniel hugged him back and stroked his hair. He looked down at Calla who was smiling and breathing a sigh of relief.  “Ok, Kitty?”  She nodded.  Daniel knew that Ares would also be happy about this it meant Nick would be here with David and that meant added protection for Calla and Altair Ain. “Jack’s going to go to Sengul with Ares and me…day after tomorrow.”  The crooked smile on her face faded but she nodded just the same and then began taking the warm cookies off the tray.  “Want a cookie?”

“You bet they smell great don’t they?” Danny said proudly. “Grandma and me did it all by ourselves.”

“Grandma and I.” Daniel corrected absently and poured three glasses of milk. “Come on, Kitty come over to the table and have some cookies and milk with us.”  She hadn’t eaten since breakfast and that was more than six hours ago. It was way past lunch and going on dinner.  Besides who could be mad over a plate of cookies and milk?

Calla in her scooter, Daniel next to her and Danny in the chair nearest the back door the three of them sat there for a few moments enjoying the homemade gooey goodness of fresh chocolate chip cookies and cold milk.  The back door opened and Nicholas came into the kitchen. Danny saw him and his face lit up. “Daddy!” He cried as he scrambled out of his chair and ran to Nicholas who scooped the boy up and hugged him tightly.

“Hey, champ, how you doin’?” Nick whispered.

“Good, look we made cookies.”

Nick looked past Danny to his Parents and grinned.  “Brings back memories, you can still bake, Mom.” He breathed in deep of the homey aroma.  Chocolate chip cookies, they were Mom’s way of saying either; job well done or everything’s going to be all right.  Since he doubted there’d been a job well done around here in sometime Nick could only surmise that Danny spilled the beans about his argument with Annie earlier today.

“Know what?”

“What?” Nick settled Danny back on his feet.

“Grandpa says you don’t have to go! You can stay home!”

For a half a second Daniel got his first and probably only true glimpse at what it had been like for Calla and the kids every time he went away.  The sheer joy on Danny’s face at the news that his Father wouldn’t be going anywhere said it all. His Daddy was staying home where he belonged.  He reached across the table and took Calla’s good hand in his and she let him. She didn’t try to pull away as she sat there watching her Son with his Son.

“Are you serious?”

“Thor’s going to send someone for it.” Daniel said. “Looks like your shore leave has been extended.”

Nick felt a great weight begin to lift from his shoulders but, “You’re still going to Sengul, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, still going. Jack’s going to join us.” Daniel said and reached for another cookie with his free hand. These things beat Southern Comfort any day of the week.  “So, see, everything’s set.”

“I want in.”

“Excuse me?” Daniel asked with his mouth full of cookie.

“You heard me, I want in. They tried to kill my Mother I’m not just going to sit here and let them get away with that.”

“Just a few hours ago you were railing about how you didn’t want to go through the Stargate ever again…you outright refused to go.” Daniel argued.

Whap.

“Hey! What…”

Whap.

Suddenly Nick was being pelted with warm chocolate chip cookies thrown at him by his Mother.

“Stop that!” Nick batted them out of the way but several of them had no problem finding their target and they left little smears of warm chocolate on his face as they bounced off or slid down to the floor.

“Grandma! Those are our cookies! You shouldn’t throw you food.”

Calla wanted to scream but all she could manage was very audible growl. There was a word and it was dancing on the tip of her tongue and she was too angry not to make the attempt to say it! “MMM-MOLASS!!”  Tossing one more cookie at him, she backed up the scooter and left the kitchen.

“Molass?”

“Yeah, I think that’s somewhere between a mule and an ass.” Daniel cracked. “Hey, Danny, why don’t you leave those?” The boy was picking up the cookies from the floor. “I’ll get them later. Take a plate into your Grandmother with her milk for me, ok?”

“She’s not gonna toss her cookies at me, is she?”

“I don’t think so.” Daniel smiled. “Sit down.” He said to Nick after Danny left to find his Grandmother. “I don’t pretend to know exactly what’s going on between you and Annie but Danny heard you fighting on the phone today and he’s very upset…so is your Mother.  You’re staying here, Nick. You’re going work on your marriage and look after things while we’re gone.  If you go with us your Mother and your Wife are going to blow a gasket.”

What Dad said made a lot of sense but Nick had done a lot thinking while he was punching the bag and slamming the weights through the day.  “I have to go,” he said in a low voice and leaned across the table. “I have to know what they did to me.  I’m never going to put things right unless I know. So I’m not just doing this for Mom I have some selfish motivation too.”

Daniel shook his head. “You know what they did.”

“I never touched them,” Nick said through lips so thin you couldn’t slide the flat of a dollar bill through them.  “You say they tried to kill Mom, right?” Daniel nodded.  “Who’s to say that they didn’t try to do something to me too? Or that they didn’t succeed? All I know Dad is that I love Annie more than anything in this world and most days I can’t even bring myself to look at her.”

“You still haven’t…”

“No.” Nick had stopped trying that was probably the worst part about it for Annie. He just gave up. It was frustrating and confusing that he just couldn’t put himself through it time and again knowing it was going to go nowhere. A very dark secret part of him was almost glad that she was putting distance between them now. She could have come home today, she didn’t have to leave last night but it was getting harder and harder for her to be in the same room with him as well.  Communication breakdown. SOS.

“Stay home, Nick, with your wife and your family.”

“Great advice coming from you.” Nick cracked through those same slim lips.

“Yeah, it is.” Daniel agreed seriously and in tone which let Nick know that he understood Nick’s anger so maybe Nick should listen to him now and heed Daniel’s sage advice.

“I have to do this so you better count me in as a member of this team,” Nick said in an almost threatening tone.  “When we get back we’ll deal with the rest of the shit including my other Son.”

“Fine. You tell your Mother. I’m done giving her bad news for now.”  Daniel watched Nick stand up. “And, ah, ya know, watch out for flying objects.” He picked up a fresh cookie and broke in half. “Might wanna get the chocolate off your face too.” Daniel called after Nick.

End of Chapter Thirty-Seven of
Golden Years
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
Go to
Chapter Thirty-Eight