Chapter Five

She sits alone by a lamppost
Trying to find a thought thats escaped her mind
She says “Dad’s the one I love the most
But stipes not far behind.”
She never lets me in
Only tell me where she’s been
When she’s had too much to drink
Let Her Cry
Hootie & The Blowfish

Scotland

It was late and the three of them had been up for hours. They came to the old manor house just hours after leaving Ares’ Island. All three of them were frazzled, hungry and weary to the bone.  The ritual they’d witnessed was still fresh in the minds of Daniel and David Jackson. They hadn’t stayed for THEE ritual, thank-you-very-much-but-no. They left right after the one which separated the two women.  Ares could do what he wanted with the clone so long as they kept Calla neither one of them really cared. Still, it was pretty fucked up watching a ghost, an apparition, whatever you wanted to call it…

…Spirit….

…Soul….

Of one woman rise up out of another and then enter the body of a third.  It was just like some B grade horror movie that was set during a séance.  Calla lay stretched out on a stone altar by her side laid the lifeless body of the clone Thor gave Ares both of them still as Death.  Zeus said something in Greek—something David didn’t understand but Daniel did—and then everything grew cold and still.  It was like being in a vacuum of some kind where there wasn’t a single noise and being sucked in was a very long drawn-out process but one you could not avoid nor fight against.  Everything grew heavy the air felt like it was weighted down with a lead rain that was ready to usher forth a great flood at any moment.  A gray mist rose from the sea behind them and rolled in to shroud the altar in a mysterious cloak.  In the middle of it Calla’s naked body heaved upward three times and then an exact duplicate of her began to emerge from her. Like the little girl, the younger version of her, had once done Callestah simply walked out of Calla as though she were doing nothing more than rising to greet the morning.  Except for the fact that she was completely transparent she was just like Calla and they watched as she floated to the clone and settled in to her as though falling into a comfortable bed for the night.  A few minutes later the air grew light and the mist went away as both women woke and then sat up to stare at each other.

Ares went to Callestah and Daniel along with David went to Calla who seemed very lost and confused as she stared up at them. Callestah stared at Ares and down at herself marveling at the new body she’d been given.  Zeus wrapped them both in gray cloaks and pronounced them separated never to be made one again.

 They did not say one word to each other.

“Eat this.” Zeus said calmly as he held out a bowl of what looked like cold snot combined with a bit of jell-o then held another out to David. “You too.”

David looked at it, no that did not look appetizing in the least. “Ah…Ah….”

“It’s Red Ambrosia,” Daniel told him, “it will make you Immortal like me.”

Calla shook her head and pushed the bowl away without a sound. She turned away from her Grandfather and tried to get up from the altar only to fall to the sand below.  Struggling back to her feet she looked up to see her Father encasing his new prize in his arms.  She looked away not wanting to be left with the memory.

“If she ain’t eatin’ it, I ain’t eatin’ it.” David said. Daniel looked pissed and Zeus looked puzzled along with Ares.  Callie she looked pretty fucking shell-shocked and all he wanted was to get off this rock. “We’ll take it with us, ok?” Reaching down he helped Calla back to her feet. “It’s ok, Sunshine, you wanna go home, now?”  She nodded emphatically. “Wrap it up, old man, we’ll take it.” Held up by her Husband and her Sa’Tan Calla made her way across the beach to where the rest of her family and her friends were waiting.

Olympians and those made Immortal by them really did have the best damn mode of transportation. Yep, it was quick and it was free.  Faster than you can say ‘SG1’ they were back in Colorado. A fast stop at the house, a few bags thrown together and Daniel, David and Calla were off to the house in Scotland for some….downtime.  They hoped that this much distance between them and Nicholas might make a difference and if it didn’t then Nick would just have to learn to live with it.  Nick had his own problems with Annie at the moment so maybe those would take precedence over this.

Once here they settled in for a visit of a week or more.  They ate a small meal and sat in the big living area by the fire but Calla didn’t seem to have much to say. She just sat very close to those flames—like she used when they first moved into 1313 Mockingbird Lane and he’d worry she was going to catch on fire and move her away—staring at the orange and red tendrils of fire.  Daniel tried to get her to eat the Red Ambrosia but she turned it away again and David wouldn’t eat it until she did.  Back into the refrigerator it went, Daniel wasn’t sure if it would go bad if left in the open or how long it would be good at all.  If need be they could go back to the Islands surely Zeus and Ares had a stash somewhere.  Not long after Calla fell asleep by the fire with the bittersweet scent of licorice lingering around her. To the brothers it looked like she was out for the night.

“I’m filthy,” David said. “I gotta go get a shower.”  He imagined the planned main event for the evening was now postponed until tomorrow.  No sense in waking her they were here for a while so they had time and she could sleep. They’d keep watch.

“Go on, you know where it is.”

“I do?” David asked then thought about it.  Sure he knew where the bathrooms were. Even though this was the first time he set foot in this house he had been here before in Danny’s head. “Yeah, got it.”  He watched Daniel pick up her sleeping body. “You want help?”

“I got it. Let me know when you’re done, ok?”  He carried her to and then up the stairs. Twenty minutes later David was knocking on the bedroom door to let Daniel know he was ready to sit with her so Daniel could have his shower. “I’ll be right in there.” Daniel pointed at the door off of the bedroom.

“I’ll be right here.” David returned with a nod of his head. “I ain’t gonna fuck her Danny, go on and have yer shower.” He shook his head this time and let out a huff of air as he went and sat by the fire. Daniel went into the bathroom while Calla slept on the bed. This was nice room, yep, David liked it. It was bigger than the main floor of a lot of houses he’d been in and it just bespoke of a world of heroes, knights and maidens that was long gone but still treasured.  In the bathroom the water turned on.

Dinner hadn’t been much and his stomach was starting to growl. He’d get something to eat when Danny came out.  Callie was sleeping pretty and everything looked quiet. He could sneak down the stairs into the kitchen grab something quick and be back up here before Danny ever knew he was gone.

His stomach let out a growl and then a rumble of agreement.  In the time it took him to dash down the heavy granite staircase to the kitchen grab the pie they’d picked up at the grocery in town and dash back up the stairs Calla woke up and departed the room. “Aw, shit.” Davy mumbled looking at the empty bed. Putting down the pie and forks he went to the bathroom and quietly opened the door. Only one shadow in the shower and not Callie he shut the door and left the room. “Where’d you get off to, Sunshine?” Davy called out in soft voice as he walked down the wide hall way. Certainly she hadn’t passed him on the way up the stairs but there was another set of stairs in the middle of the hall and they went down to the living area and not near the kitchen as the other set did. She could have gone down them. He opened doors on both sides of the hall way only to find the rooms empty. “Callie?” David’s heart started to race. Damn gurl, she was quick and slicker than oil.  Coming up on the main stair case and the window directly across from it a moving object outside caught the corner of his eye. Callie was outside in her nightgown with no robe and it looked like no slippers she was wandering away from the house across the big open the lawn. His eye followed her and then looked past her to see the cliffs and the ocean directly in her path.  He got an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach and ran double time down the stairs through the living room and out the front door.  She was a good distance from the cliffs and he could be totally wrong but better to be safe than sorry in a case like this, right?  “Callie?” David called out quietly, “Hey, Sunshine, where yew goin’?”  She didn’t turn around and she didn’t stop she didn’t even slow down so he sped up.  Catching up to her he reached out for her arm and she looked up at him.  In the moonlight her ashen face was drenched with tears and she looked like she was in the worst pain ever known to man. “Callie what is it?” David asked swiftly. “What hurts? What happened?”

Calla stood there her jaw moving up and down like a marionette but no sound was coming out. There was just an unceasing river of silent tears.  After a few moments she raised her hands to her face and covered it so that he couldn’t see her anymore. This was awful it was just horrid and completely unnecessary not to mention unfair. Worse this was what Nicholas felt the night the three of them were in bed.  No wonder he’d been so put off by the whole thing. So angered by it. Until now Calla didn’t understand how REAL the images, the sounds and the sensations in his head had been for she swore it was all real. All of it happening to her right then and there. But clearly it was only her and David out here.

A sharp pain caused her to drop her hands from her face and to double over. David caught her. “That’s it, we’re goin’ back to the house.” Picking her up he carried her back inside. “Danny! Danny!”  David called out as they got closer and saw his brother’s shadow on the balcony. “Get the door.” Daniel rushed inside and just as they approached the front door it opened and David handed Calla over to her Husband.

“What the hell?”

“I dunno.”

Daniel laid her down on the big couch and watched her lower jaw move silently like a fish out of water. Her hands went to her abdomen and she winced in pain.  They thought something was wrong with the baby. Calla couldn’t go through another miscarriage no matter whose baby this was.  “The baby, huh? Is that it?” Daniel asked hurriedly one hand covering hers and the other soothing her brow.  “What hurts, Kitty?”

Wanting to scream but unable to find her voice the only thing Calla could do was point to her heart in answer to Daniel’s question.  Yes there was much pain between her legs and it spread upward rapidly yet it was her heart and her spirit which hurt the most. Finally the pain between her legs began to subside and was replaced with something close to pleasure. When it did it was gone.  The Connection between her and the clone was cut. “Pampered Princess.” Calla moaned as she caught her breath and finally found the voice she’d been looking for. 

“What? Kitty? What did you say?”

Daniel was standing over her and David was behind him. Calla tried to focus on them and let the images in her mind find a place to bury themselves away from proper people and things.  Well, if they did go away what would the little goddess do without this? The minute he said something or did something to actually hurt her—and he would! He was Ares!—then what would the little Pampered Princess do? Clearly Callestah the Clone could handle the pleasurable parts of life and love but how would she handle pain?  Calla suspected the answer to that question was, not well. It was over and it was done. Ares married her as he promised and they’d sealed the deal.  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled reaching out for Daniel. “He married her. They’re….they’re….” She whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m so sorry!” She cried in a small voice as she held onto to him for dear life.

Daniel also thought about Nick and how things might have been for him. Looking at Calla it seemed that it was an overpowering experience.  “It’s ok.” Daniel said holding her closer realizing she was trembling. “What are you sorry for? It’s all right.”

What was she sorry for? So many things, yes, so damn many of them.  Right now all she felt was empty and terribly betrayed yet she did not know why. Ares got what he wanted and there was nothing new in that. She had Daniel and now David was here to join with them.  Given a little time this relationship would work itself into a comfortable place without much fuss and she would be happy and they would be happy and Ares would be happy off with Callestah.  Everyone wins.  Why did she feel as though she’d lost everything when clearly her world was still in tact? Didn’t the warmth of Daniel’s arms around prove that much? Mostly right she was sorry for the way it all made her feel; as though she’d done something terribly wrong and now she was being duly punished.  Except she couldn’t remember what she’d done wrong to begin with. “I don’t know.”

David sat down behind his brother on the bed.  She looked frail again and tired. New grays were clear on her head.  The experience had been taxing and it was time they took care of that for her and the baby she was carrying. They must be gentle, yes very gentle and careful.  That was ok, David was coming to appreciate slow, soft and gentle in terms of making love.  Over Daniel’s shoulder her eyes opened and seeing him sitting there she reached out to him with one hand and David took it.

Daniel bristled a little, he didn’t have to see the gesture to know it had taken place.  He just wanted to make love with her alone, what was wrong with that? Maybe later tonight he could do that but, in the end, they had come here for this and more. If Ares was breaking in his new bride and Calla was participating by proxy as Nick had done it was best to stay with her.  Daniel pushed her hair away from the side of her neck and kissed her there just below the ear. A quiver went through her and the rush of air from her throat was hot against his cheek.

Callestah had sent her fear and the pain to Calla perhaps Calla could return the favor?  Maybe. David was looking at her so tenderly she found it hard to believe he had any malice in his heart.  Still she wondered about Daniel, worried him and if he could handle this type of relationship? Then again, could she without feeling terribly guilty for the rest of their lives? 

Questions running in her mind, Daniel’s body pushed her back against the mattress as he came in closer and closer to her. Calla’s hand left David’s to rest at the back of her Husband’s head.  They were separate now and each had to learn to deal with her own fears and her own weaknesses.  Calla decided that she would let go of any fear she still held regarding David.  He was Sa’Tan now and he was supposed to be here with them.  She pushed the robe from Daniel’s body and to her surprise David lent a hand and then tossed it to the floor.  In his eyes she saw that he was eager to watch his brother make love to her again and then for his own turn.

So was she.  When Daniel slipped inside her Calla beckoned David up to her and took his hard cock into her mouth.  Not wanting either of them to ever be unsatisfied she greeted them both with much zeal.  Callestah had Ares but Calla had them. It was an even trade or so she thought in this moment.

End Chapter Five Of True Colors: Ares & Callestah A Love Story
By Moon Mistress
Continue to
Chapter Six