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Barters N Garters Library
Dancin' With the Devil
by
Moon Mistress
a/k/a
Lisa Beth Darling

Chapter Three

The hot rod and the Integra pulled into the driveway not more than ten minutes after Davy departed. That was cutting it close but then when Calla came in with that smile on her face and her arms opened to him it didn’t matter. He was gone and that was all that counted. “Hello, Beautiful.” She whispered in his ear. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you too.” Daniel kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you help me get packed?”

“All right.” The two of them went upstairs hand in hand.

“David? Mr. Jackson?” Annie called out from the top of the basement stairs. She was covered with paint and wanted to take a hot shower and change her clothes. “Nicky is he here?” She turned to look at her young husband.

“No, Dad tossed him out. Go on Annie, it’s ok, get a shower. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”

Annie disappeared down the basement steps.

“OK, spill it.” Colleen ordered Nicholas when their parents—and Annie-- were out of earshot. “If he’s gone then I’m a happy girl.”

“Then be happy, Runt. Dad threw him out.”

“He’s gonna explain that to Mom just how exactly?”

“What does it matter? He got rid of him, didn’t he? Let’s hope the little bastard never comes back.”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Colleen warned taking a seat at the kitchen table and unbuckling Lilly from the portable car seat. “He’s a bad penny if there ever was one, Nicky. He’ll turn up again.”

**

“Do you really have to go so soon?” Calla asked as she neatly folded one of his button-up shirts and tucked it into the suitcase. “I know, I shouldn’t be such a whiny bitch…”

“You’re not whining and you’re definitely not a bitch.” He said taking her shaking hands into his. “If you’re worried about David don’t be….he left.”

“What did you do?”

Daniel smiled a little at her, kissed her hands and then let them go. “He just didn’t want to stay here anymore.”

“Oh what a lie!” She groused with a grin. “I know what David did, Daniel, I’m not stupid.”

Daniel’s heart froze and the air in his lungs turned cold as he went to the closet for a pair of black slacks. “What did he do, Kitty?” He didn’t look at her.

“Nicholas didn’t do a good job with the laundry,” she said in a low voice. In fact, Nicholas did a shitty job with the laundry just as he always did. Calla thought it odd when they climbed into bed last night and there were pink sheets on the bed when clearly she’d put green ones, those nice soft silky ones she liked so much, on the bed. Then when she discovered said green sheets in the laundry pile they’d yet to be washed. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why the sheets that should be fairly clean were in the laundry pile. There were other things as well. “There are marks on our door. The photographs are not where I left them. He came in here and he….”Calla couldn’t bring herself to say it so she made a rather rude gesture with her closed fist which she held in front of her lower abdomen and then pumped in the air a few times. Daniel reddened and cleared his throat loudly, she stopped and went back to smoothing out the shirt she was folding. “You threw him out, didn’t you?” Calla tossed it into the suitcase and then went to where Daniel was standing.

“Yes, I did.” Daniel admitted. “I love you. I have to go away for a few days and I don’t trust Davy around you….you shouldn’t either for that matter.” He mumbled. “Are you mad at me? Did you have something you wanted to say to him?”

“No, to both.” She said with a smile. “What would I say to him?” Calla thought that at this point Daniel was probably expecting her to thank him or something but she did have a very few things she wanted to say to David. “I’m not afraid of him.” Was one thing she wanted to tell both of them. “He can’t fool me again.” Widening her smile just a tad she squeezed his hand. “If you want to have him around, well, I mean, he’s your brother, Daniel, I understand. You don’t have to send him away because of me.”

My brother. Your brother. We’re a pair, ain’t we, Kitty? “Just because of little old you?” Daniel mocked. “No, why would I do anything just because of that?” He kissed her forehead. “I don’t want him around here, Kitty. It’s not safe. What he did, here in our room, it was wrong. He can’t be trusted, I know you know that.”

“Does that mean you don’t feel something for him? Other than distaste, I mean.”

“What are you getting at, Cal?” Daniel turned away from her and picked another pair of dark slacks that he knew he wouldn’t be using. As far as Daniel would know only a few hours would pass while he and Ares hashed things out but here in the Real World he had to make it look as though he were gone a few days. You better stop thinking about it before she picks up on it. He scolded. Yeah, right. Washington, DC, capital, white house, long boring meetings……

“I don’t know.” She said with a wane smile and let go of his hand. “It’s just…well,” she took a white shirt from its hangar and folded it neatly. “I mean, he is your only family, besides the children.”

“Listen to me, Davy may be my only blood relation other than Nick and Colleen and Lilly, but he’s not my family. You and the kids and their families, that’s what’s important to me.” Daniel led her over to the bed and sat down. This was as good of an opportunity as any. “I ran into Adam before I left.” He began. Calla stood up. “Sit with me.” He said in a stern but easy voice and she sat next to him. “Now listen to me. He wants you to go back in for a follow-up very soon. So I want you to make an appointment and take Nicholas with you…”

“Daniel!” She said in a loud protesting voice but then it dropped it low. “I’m not going to have my Son in the room when…..” Calla wrestled for the right words and didn’t find them. “What’s wrong with me?”

”He wants to run some more tests. He’s concerned about the Xerinium in your system and the amount of….mandrake….that Eros gave you.”

“Is that what was in the water? Mandrake?” She asked. “If I’d been feeling better I might have smelled it.” There was no mistaking the apology in her tone of voice or the frown on her face. “I’m…”

“Don’t you dare.” Daniel said putting his fingers against her lips. “I want you to go and see Adams while I’m gone, don’t argue.” A nasty thought crossed his mind and gave itself voice before he could stop it. “You want Davy to go with you?”

Give the choice between Nicholas and David and under these circumstances, yes, she’d rather have David Jackson in the room with her. “No.” Calla mumbled.

So many directions and so many questions and no where near enough time. Still he had to know the answer to one before he left. “Adams said something else,” his heart was beating double time and he felt that little vein in his temple start to pound. “Look at me, Kitty.” Daniel waited for her to gather her strength and look up at him. “I want you to tell me everything Eros did.” She cringed and pulled her hands away from him.

“It’s clear by your tone you already know. Why make me say it?” Calla huffed and rose to her feet. Adams and his fucking tests. She watched those detective shows and she wasn’t stupid. Adams found Eros’ spunk in her and asked Daniel all about it while telling him about the mandrake and xerinium.

“Were you going to tell me, Kitty? Or were you just going to keep it to yourself?” He sighed as he sat there watching her pace around and trying to keep his temper down.

“What was the p…”

“The point, Kitty, is that I’m your Husband. No there wasn’t and there isn’t anything I can do to change it but you can let me in, you can let me help.”

“I’m sorry,” she said in a voice reflective of the snow and ice outside. “Is there anything else?”

“Don’t do that,” he warned. “Don’t pull away and get defensive. I’m not trying to hurt you and I’m not accusing you of anything. I just want to know if you were ever going to tell me that Eros was..” Daniel’s voice trailed off and he instantly regretted it because hers picked up right where he left off and it was anything but wimpy.

Her back was to him and she’d prefer to keep it that way for the next few moments. “That he was fucking me while your Son was dying inside of me? Is that what you wanted to know? Do you want me to tell you how he laughed, how he smiled down at me and told me everything was going to be all right? That we would have our own children? Is that what you wanted to hear, Daniel?” Now she turned around. “Is that what you wanted to know? Do you feel better now?” Calla’s eyes filled with tears.

No, he didn’t feel any better now than he did this morning. But she might now that it wasn’t a secret any longer. Standing up he reached out to her, Calla didn’t come to him at first. Any doubts he had about Eros’ sanity were dashed. Clearly he had been quite insane for quite some time.

“I thought he was you.” She confessed in a hushed whisper.

Of course she did. Daniel witnessed Eros’ changeling trick with his own eyes. Still she wouldn’t come to him.

“His eyes,” she mumbled to no one in particular, “his eyes…laugh….those gold eyes…” She was shaking now and her voice fading softer and softer, her hands giding across her empty belly in a circular motion. “That laugh…so much…joy…”

Daniel couldn’t take it anymore if she wouldn’t go to him he’d go to her. “It’s over now, Cal.” She let him embrace her and soon she stopped shaking. “We can’t keep secrets, we promised each other, remember?” Now she returned the embrace. “We can’t do it, it’s like poison it’ll just fester and make us sick.” Daniel warned.

“No matter how much you might not want to tell me something, you still need to. Now it’s out there, it’s not a secret anymore, you don’t have to carry it alone anymore.” Daniel tried to smile at her and fell very short. If his words were going to mean anything then what he had to do was clear; he had to march himself right to up to Ares and tell the God of War that he was taking his daughter home with him and then he had to Calla everything…whatever that turned out to be.

“Can’t I go with you?” Calla asked quietly. “I’ll be good, quiet, you won’t even know I’m there.”

That was what he was afraid would happen if they got into this before he left. She didn’t want to be alone now and he couldn’t take her with him. “No, honey.” He soothed. “I wish you could but,” he pushed her away a little so he could look at her weary face, “you know I’m just going to be tied up in one long meeting after another and, hey,” he smiled a little hoping she would too but she didn’t, “you’ve gotta get the art department up and going, right? Classes start again in a few days, they need you at the university.”

Calla sniffed back what was left of her tears and managed a smile for him while she nodded. “Yes, lots of work to do there and at Nicholas’ new home. They want to move in soon and Colleen wants to take over the basement.”

“I know.” Daniel said and kissed her cheek. “So you’ve got lots to do while I’m off testifying in Washington.” He grumbled and hoped it sounded convincing. “In a few days we’ll be back together again and…..”

“And what?” Calla asked with hope in her eyes as she thought about what Nimue told her that soon they would have a baby in their home and their family would grow. Calla couldn’t wait for her belly to be full once more. While Daniel was away she would go and see Adams and make sure he said it was all right for them to start making love again. Daniel wouldn’t make a move if some medical professional didn’t give him the thumbs-up first and was determined to get those raised thumbs as soon as possible.

One did not have to be a bone fide mind reader to know the delightful thoughts crossing that beautiful brain of hers. “Soon, Kitty. I promise. I want to make love with you too.” Daniel kissed her once more and then zipped up the suitcase. “I think that’s it. Cal,” he said in a low voice, “if you, ah, if you had your way,” he began, “anyway you wanted it, would you rather have grown up in Avalon, the Dark Kingdom or on the Island?”

Calla wasn’t sure how to answer him. “Why? I don’t understand the question.”

“Yes, you do, so just tell me.” Daniel insisted but he knew what she meant. Calla didn’t like to play What-If, she didn’t see the point in it. “If you could have stayed in just one place until you were all grown up, where would it have been?”

“If I had my way,” she started in a slow tone, “I would have grown up wherever you were.” Calla smiled a little for him but her answer did not seem to satisfy him. “Where would any child choose to grow up, Daniel? With my family, with Aphrodite and Ares.” Calla tried to measure his reaction but it was level. “Not the right answer?”

“So he was a good Father?”

Her brow creased. “He’s the only Father I have.” Calla took his hand in hers. “I don’t know what this about but I surmise the Ladies had something to say about Ares. Daniel, he’s my Father, I love him and he loves me. I know you may never believe this because Ares is who is he is but I was never afraid of him. He never once raised a hand to me and hardly ever his voice. No matter what Morgan or Covetina may have told you, Ares is a good Father, my new Sister is very lucky. She will always be loved and protected by him.” He won’t send her away. That thought danced around in her mind but Calla did not give it the voice it was searching for. She told herself not be jealous of the new baby, such a thing was stupid! They would have many wonderful years ahead of them to get to know each other and Lilly would have someone her own age to play with…even if that person technically was her great-aunt.

Leave to Calla to find the bright spot in a dark situation. Sister? Everything in him wanted to tell her that the baby was not her Sister but he bit it back and held it down while trying to push the thoughts from the front of his mind. The Pentagon. The White House. Capital Hill. The Washington Monument. “Jack will be here soon to take me to the airport. I want to talk to Nick before I go, ok? Just for a few minutes.”

“You’re not going to tell me are you? Why you wanted to know this.” She smiled a little and kissed the back of his hand. “It doesn’t matter but I hope I’ve given you a satisfactory answer. I’m sure everything will be fine while you’re gone. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Oh, no,” Daniel grumbled, “don’t say anything like that.”

Calla let out a little laugh and they left the bedroom arm in arm.

“Listen, since Jack’s taking me, when you have to go out I want you to take my car, you got that?”

“Daniel…”

“Don’t argue,” he urged, “your car is crap especially in the snow. When I get back we’re going to find you a brand new car in the meantime you take the Jag, ok?”

“All right.” She huffed in agreement. “If you insist.” Calla mocked with a roll of her eyes. “I guess I’ll just have to find a way to survive driving the Jaguar.”

“Yeah, it’s real tough, Kitty. Real tough.” One more kiss on the side of her head and Daniel put his bag down at the foot of the stairs. “Nick!” He shouted out. “Come here, I want to talk to you! Send him into my office, ok?” Daniel didn’t wait for an answer he just walked through the living room and into the office listening to the stirrings in the basement. Jack would be here soon and he wanted to get this over with.

When Nick emerged from the basement door Calla pointed him toward his Fathers’ office and then wandered off to the kitchen to find something for dinner. A dinner which would not include Daniel.

“What’s up, Dad?” Nick asked plopping down in the chair opposite him, the one where Daniel sat earlier this afternoon while listening to David.

“Why don’t you explain this?” Daniel called up the files from calliendanny.com and turned the monitor so Nick could watch them play and Daniel could watch Nick’s face turn white.

“Wh-whaddya mean?” Nick stuttered.

“Don’t bullshit me, Nick. Your Uncle David says he got these files off your computer…”

“And you believe him?” Nicholas tried to sound indignant but he knew the jig was up.

“Yes, Nick, I do.” Daniel said turning down the volume on the speakers but letting the video play. “So why don’t you tell me why you have these. Are you doing what David says? You jerking off this?”

“Hey, way to go Dad,” Nick chimed, “no need to mince words, huh?” He swallowed hard. “Look, I downloaded them because I wanted to know, I wanted to be able to see which ones were you and which ones were him. And why she couldn’t tell the difference…”

“Because I didn’t tell her that I had a brother. Your Mother had no reason to suspect he wasn’t me.” Daniel said defensively. “What David did to her is my fault.”

“Maybe it is, Dad.”

“Answer me, I’m about to walk out the door and leave you here alone with all the women in our family. I’m hoping that I’m leaving them in good hands but…..”

“Yeah, a’ight!” Nick huffed quickly folding his arms across his chest. “Once or twice, a’ight? You gotta understand…Dad…we’re…”

“Different,” Daniel finished. “I am acutely aware of that, Nicholas. Damnit!” Daniel pounded his fist on top of his desk. “Can I trust you with your Mother or not?”

“YEAH!” Nick shouted through lips that hardly moved. “I ain’t done that since me and Annie got married and Mom did that spell with me and I…I…feel better, ok?”

“Something tells me you better start talking about what happened the last time I went away.”

“We…I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“What did ya do, Nick? You’ve been keeping it from me so just spill it.” Daniel demanded.

“Ya know what? I’ve had enough shit from Uncle David these past few days. What about you? Aren’t you gonna say something to Mom about this new little brat o’ yours before you go off?” Nicholas challenged. “She’s taken more shit from you than….”

“That’s enough.” Daniel warned. “I’m still your Father, Nicholas Ares Jackson, no matter what, I won’t let you talk to me that way.”

“Chicken.” Nick grumbled tossing his hair over his shoulder.

As much Daniel was tempted to take the bait his Son was putting out there he refused. “The subject, Nick, is you and your Mother. I wanna know…”

“No, you don’t but, ya know what? Fine. I’ll tell ya anyway.” Before Daniel could stop him, Nicholas spun a tale about a trip to New York City and the night his Mother disappeared and could not be found. This time when he told Daniel how she mysteriously reappeared in the hotel room after he searched for her for hours, he didn’t leave out the part about her being naked on top of the covers. Nick also didn’t leave out the part where he got undressed to the waist, climbed in to bed with her and held her small naked frame close to him throughout the remainder of the night. He made sure to reiterate the fact that she stunk like Andrew F. Hartley. Charging full steam ahead, Nicholas didn’t leave out the small detail of how she woke up thinking he was Ares. Nor did he bother sparing Daniel’s feelings when it came to a few days after that and Nicholas woke up in his own in his own room to find his half naked Mother on his bedroom floor and how much he wanted to… “It wudda been real easy, Dad. At any point in there. Do you understand me? I mean, in New York I actually had her, buck naked, right here in my arms,” he stood up, stretching himself to every inch of that 6’8 frame of his while holding out those log sized arms in front of his body so that Daniel could get a good look at the strength in them. “The whole night she slept right here,” he taunted his eyes flaring with anger and the passion of the tantalizing memory. “She was out of it, man, I mean she was waaay outta it. I’m strong physically, mentally and magickally, I could make her do whatever I want…whenever I want. Then, it wouldn’t have taken nuttin’ but a bit of suggestion on my part.” He said in a daring tone as he leaned across the desk to stare at Daniel, Nick’s dark wavy hair falling across his ruggedly handsome face. “But I didn’t do it and neither did she. Mom would die before doing anything like that and you know it…for that matter so would I. No matter what you’re thinking, I’d never do that to her or to you or to our family. You believe what you want. You believe I’m just like David or Umpa if you want to, you go ahead. But I know the truth and that is… the only person who means more to me than Mom is Annie. I would never do anything to hurt either of them. I’m sick to death of you and Cole thinking that I would!” Nick didn’t wait for Daniel to respond he just walked out of the office leaving Daniel dumbfounded.

Whoa. Well, there was a nice shit storm and he was the one who had to baton down the hatches. From the look on Nick’s face and the tone in his voice he knew he’d come real close to crossing the line, maybe he even hung his toes over it but he’d made the right choice in the end. Now, like he said, Nick was sick of his family—everyone but his Mother that was—being suspicious of him.

Daniel wondered if in that swift instant between being asleep and being awake, if Calla hadn’t wanted Nick to be Ares. If part of her didn’t actually want to wake up in Ares’ arms every day? Surely, at least a small part of her, wanted exactly that. The Ladies of Avalon made that point clear and Daniel had always known it. He’d blown it off and brushed it off as best he could over the years but he knew. They were too close. Much closer than any Father and Daughter he ever knew. She was always touching him and he was always touching her. Daniel couldn’t count how many times he’d walked in to find them with their bodies close together and smiling, talking in low voices, sharing secrets he’d never know.

Other than Calla saving his life, Daniel would never say that they had crossed the line at any other point. That point, itself, was extreme at best. At worst, the whole thing was a nightmare for her. Even if she did want Ares, sick as that was, even if she did want to make love with him….Daniel saw the photographs…making love wasn’t what happened in Ares bed over those two days. The wild wolf in the God of War was set free, he was unchained and unbound and explored her in every way he possibly could in only two days time.

Calla forgave Ares.

Daniel never would.

The image on his monitor stopped, the file was over. Frozen in time were David and Calla in the living room of 1313 Mockingbird Lane. He had her bent over the arm of the couch, his hand at the back of her neck holding her down, forcing her to stay where he wanted her.

By not telling her where he was going and what he was up to, Daniel realized he was screwing her the same way. “I can’t tell her.” He muttered staring at the screen. “Not yet. Not until I know what happened.”

Nimue said Calla would understand but Daniel was having trouble believing that. They were all so goddamn adamant that he allow some other man into their marriage. Calla didn’t need anyone to protect her, she could do that on her own…..couldn’t she? Maybe not when it came to Ares maybe she would just let him steam roll right over her in whatever way he wanted to. Certainly, Ares could NOT be allowed to create a master race. They would all be blood thirsty and wild, they would all want for War and Chaos. They would destroy everything in their path and their Mother along with it. Calla, in her great love for Ares would give him what he wanted most and watch those she loved destroy that which she loved. She would never forgive herself for birthing them and she would never stop loving them. Calla would be stuck in a living hell for all eternity.

In Avalon when they asked him if there wasn’t just one man he’d consider for the job of Sa’Tan Nicholas crossed his mind, Daniel thought he could trust his Son with that important job.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

“Daniel?” He looked toward the closed door as Calla’s voice called to him it was followed by Jack’s. Daniel asked Jack to pick up him so that Calla would have the Jaguar and Daniel didn’t want to drive the car away from the house and leave it where? On the base? “Jack’s here. Daniel?” He shut off the computer just as the door opened.

“Hey, Daniel.” Jack said as he walked into the office and took a good look around. “Ready?”

“Yeah, why don’t you come in for a minute?” Daniel suggested. He didn’t have to tell Calla he wanted to be alone with Jack, she didn’t enter the room and instead closed the door from the other side. “Am I doing the right thing?”

Jack sat down in the chair opposite the desk and let out a deep breath of air. “Not telling her first, you mean? I dunno, Daniel.” Jack shook his head. “I mean, you are going to tell her…soon…right?”

It was Daniel’s turn to shake his head. Giving up his daughter was a lot to ask but asking Calla to open her arms to the baby was asking even more. “I don’t know.”

“All right, look at it this way,” Jack casually but purposefully leaned in closer to the desk. “This is a really big, and I mean like, massive, secret to ask so many people to keep. One day someone is going to slip up or that little girl is going to find out who she is and then…”

“It’ll all come back to bite me in the ass.” Daniel said.

“Yeah, you go it and even, just on the way off chance that doesn’t happen, Ares will hold this over your head for the rest of your life. He’ll use it to make you do all kinds of things you don’t want to do just to keep her from knowing. You have to tell her.”

“Don’t you think I’ve thought about that? I’m sure Ares is chomping at the bit in anticipation of making me dance to his tune.” Opening the drawer and taking out a small bronze key, he stood up and walked past Jack to the glass case at the far end of the room. Calla bought him this case at a flea market. It had once been a jewelry store in Denver and was eight feet long and three shelves high and lighted from within. Best of all it had a heavy duty lock on the back. Sliding the door open Daniel reached inside and noticed that Ares’ Crown, Scepter and Spear were back where they belonged. When did he do that? Daniel didn’t know. From the case he took Excalibur, Daniel wanted to show it to Ares and make sure that the God of War understood that they might be on more equal footing now. No matter what Fate had in mind, Daniel wasn’t giving Calla up to him and that fact might well cost him his newborn daughter.

She’s worth it. Calla is worth it. Our marriage, our family, is worth it. At least that’s what he told himself as he put the sword into a hardbound carrying case. Calla would think it odd if he just walked out of here with it unsheathed. Certainly they wouldn’t allow it on an airplane like that and she would ask questions. Daniel didn’t need her asking any questions at this point not when he needed so many answers. “Let’s go. Make it look good for me, will ya?”

“Yeah,” Jack smiled. “No problem.”

Calla was waiting for them in the living room. “All set?” She asked knowing that something was being kept from her. Maybe Daniel was in trouble with the government for his role in the defense? “Are you going too, Jack?”

That question hadn’t been discussed but living with her so long made Daniel quick on his feet. “No, Jack’s staying here so if you need anything while I’m gone…”

“Yep just let me know.” Jack said happily relieved at not having to lie to her. “I’ll be around.”

“Sure.” She said uneasily. Why wasn’t Jack going too? “Samantha going?”

“No, Kitty, it’s just me.” Daniel said in a soft but firm voice. “I’ll be back soon.”

Now she knew something was up. Something was wrong and Calla began very quietly tiptoeing around in his mind looking for some clue.

Daniel leaned and kissed her cheek. “Knock it off.” He whispered in her ear. “I love you. I’ll miss you.”

“Why are you taking the sword?”

Dancing like Mohamed Ali in the ring. “I’m going to take to the Smithsonian and have a friend of mine look at it.”

“You’re sure everything’s all right? We’re not in any trouble, are we? We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, honey, we’re not in any trouble.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise, that and I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. Don’t worry, ok?”

Suddenly the only thing that mattered was the fact that he was leaving. “More kiss?” There was nothing she could do to stand in the way of that. Daniel’s lips closed down over hers once more time making her body tingle and her mind blush with wanton thoughts. “I’ll miss you too.” She mumbled against his cheek. “I love you, please don’t be too long.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Daniel promised. “You lock the doors and the windows, ok? Even the ones on the second floor.”

“David can’t fly,” she reminded him.

“No but he can climb.” Daniel returned remembering how David scaled Eros’ tower to get to her. “My gun is…”

“Daniel!”

“Listen to me, my gun is in the closet, in the safe. When you go to bed tonight, I want you to take it out and put it in the nightstand. Got that?”

“But what if…”

“The twins are too old and Lilly is too young, no one is going to accidentally shoot themselves or anyone else, Kitty. Just do what I’m telling you, make me feel better, ok?”

“All right, I’ll put it in the nightstand tonight.” Calla agreed. “Call me later? You know I want to hear your voice before I go to sleep.”

“I’ll do my best.” Daniel mumbled. “These things can run really late so don’t wait up for my call.”

**

Halfway up the street Jack turned to Daniel. “Are you sure about this?”

“No, keep driving. You can let me out down the road. Thanks Jack.”

A quarter mile later that’s just what Jack did. “Don’t do anything stupid.” He advised while Daniel climbed out of the car into a foot of snow along the back road. “Nothing you can’t undo.”

“Keep an eye out for my brother, will ya?”

“Don’t worry, Danny-boy, I got your back.” Jack assured him. “But you’ll have to worry about the front. As far as Ares goes…..good luck my friend. You’re gonna need it. What are you gonna do with that?” Jack asked pointing at the hard black case keeping Excalibur from the winter elements. “You don’t think you’re gonna take him on, do ya? ‘Cause as much as I like you, Daniel….and I really do, you know that, I gotta be straight with ya….if you go after Ares you’re gonna lose.”

“I’ll do what anyone else would do; whatever I have to.” Suitcase in one hand and Excalibur in the hard black case in the other, Daniel Jackson disappeared from the side of the road. Jack O’Neill watched him go then turned back onto the pavement and made his way home to Sam.

End Chapter Three Of
Dancin' With the Devil
Continue to
Chapter Four

This story and all stories in the Barters N Garters Library are copyrighted to Lisa Beth Darling these stories may not be transferred outside of this URL in any fashion.