Daniel & Adrienne #56 - When Worlds Collide

One could never say that Daniel Jackson was a touchy person. It wasn’t that he shrugged away from physical touch or outward affection per se, it was more like he was often the unwilling recipient of said contact. It was a habit from youth, his parents never being that tactile and his foster parents not at all. It wasn’t until he met, became friends with and fell in love with Adrienne Rowan that he reached out himself to lay his hands onto another person in the way he did with her, the way he had been somewhat reluctant to do in past relationships. 

Barbara Verdin, on the other hand, was touchy and not just Southern touchy, but in your face, full on bear hug touchy. So much so that despite Adrienne’s warnings the entire car ride from where the Daedalus has dropped them off outside of the airport to the small house on the outskirts of New Orleans proper, he could have never prepared for the football like tackle that was thrust upon him by this loud and boisterous woman. He had to take a step back to support himself as this rather portly lady, clad in a purple New Orleans Saints t-shirt and gray sweatpants enveloped him in her large arms, thrust herself upon, hugging him so tightly he was certain he would pass out any second from lack of air. 

“Gar ici Addy luk ah ‘im, ya neva said dat Daniel be so ‘andsome,” she exclaimed, making Adrienne blush. Of course she had noticed he was handsome, she’d noticed on day one when she still thought he was a jackass, but even once they became friends that wasn’t exactly something she would have told her aunt, Rae maybe, but not her aunt. Still clinging tightly to Daniel, her happy declarations quickly took a turn, her face screwing up and her head shaking at her niece. 

“I dought I taught ya bedda doe, givin’ me an ‘our, only an ‘our I donna have any time ta get anyting made, anyting done. Der be no cahke, no frittas, I’va jus ‘ad time ta re’eat an apple pie ahn put awn some cafe,” the woman fussed, Daniel’s eyes cutting at Adrienne, pleading for help as she mouthed the words ‘I told you so.’

“Mumma, let go ov ‘im,” a voice spoke from the doorway, as an tall thin women, with straight auburn hair and green eyes stepped out onto the porch, “Ah dink Addy wants ta keep ‘im in one piece.” 

Relieved to be released from her clasp,  Daniel took a breath, starting to reach out for Adrienne when he felt a hand in his own, pulling him forward. He smiled, stepping forward to see where his love was leading him when he noted the absence of the ring on her finger, glancing up to see that it was Aunt Barbara holding tight to his hand, pulling him into the house. 

“Told ya sha,” Adrienne giggled, repeating, out loud this time, following behind her fiancee and ridiculously excited aunt. 

“Nah hug fa me?” the tall woman asked, stepping forward to catch Adrienne, reaching out her arms. 

“Rae, I dinna expect ya ta be ‘ere,” Adrienne responded, not bothering to hide her accent much here at home, among her family, hugging the woman as asked, squeezing her tightly. 

“Ya dink mumma wonna gonna call me? Addy, da supa hero of da family, da one who say dat she neva gonna get married, calls da ‘ouse ta say she in da Bayou, wit a man, and wants ‘im da meet us. Like Ida eva missed dat,” she whispered, kissing her cousin’s cheek and pulling away. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I know dat I’m neva gonna ‘ear da end ah it, eva, so jus keep walkin’,” Adrienne admitted, clasping her cousin’s hand, dragging her into the house worried about what in the world her aunt was doing or saying to Daniel. 

“So who be dat?” Rae inquired, curious, having never heard Adrienne mention anyone on the phone who she might have been dating, even though it seemed that her cousin had made a lot of male friends in D.C. There had been one guy she went out with, but Rae specifically remembered Adrienne saying he was dark-skinned, from the islands, but this man was pale, Caucasian with striking blue eyes. Rae had met Adrienne’s friend Cameron, the man they thought she was seeing, and this definitely wasn’t him. Based on the name alone, her friend T-dog had to be African-American, Rae thought, although felt bad about the assumption and again, this man was white. That only left one person, at least one person of the male persuasion. 

“Nevamind, dat be ya bahss,” Rae answered herself before Adrienne could speak, would speak, her eyes locked on her aunt dragging her fiancee into the kitchen. 

“Uh huh,” Adrienne replied flatly, “dat’s Daniel.” Unsatisfied, the taller cajun woman stopped dead in her tracks, holding her cousin back and turning to look her in the eye. 

“Addy, dat be ya bahss. Ya donna dink dat’s a bad idea?” Rae questioned, her face full of concern and worry, Adrienne ripping her wrist from her clasp annoyed. 

“Ah cahss it wasn’t a gud idea, but da ya dink I planned it? Da ya dink I say hey letsa get a great new jahb ahn fall in luv wit mah employa?,” she paused her rant, clearing her throat and her head, speaking carefully so her words would be understood, “But I did, Rae, I did fall in love with him and he’s, well, trust me, he’s worth it,” Adrienne answered, her eyes full of honesty. Rae was going to speak, going to protest, but she had never seen her cousin like this before, even with Joshua; Adrienne was happy, truly happy. Shaking her head, Rae glanced at the floor before looking up at Adrienne again. 

“I neva dought I’d see ya like this, ya know, especially becaz of ah man,” she whispered, a small smile on her face. 

“I didn’t either,” Adrienne admitted quietly, “now come on, we have more to tell ya, and I’m kind of scared as to what Aunt Barbara is doing ta ‘im.” Laughing, Rae followed, in sheer amazement, as her sometimes snotty, sometimes arrogant, and always viciously independent cousin made a mad dash for the back of the house, acting like the love struck woman they had always hoped was inside. 

*****

“You’re lucky, the shrapnel only grazed your leg and other than these superficial cuts in your face, you’re fine,” Carolyn Lam explained as she secured the bandage to Jonas’ upper thigh, the Langaran man wincing in pain. 

“Thanks, it felt like a lot worse,” he answered, slowly, reaching to rub the wound as if that would make it better before pausing, deciding that wasn’t such a good idea. He shivered, it had been late spring on his planet and here it was clearly at the early stages of winter, so sitting in the infirmary in only a hospital gown wasn’t exactly the warmest of situations. 

“What about the people I brought through? How are they?” he redirected his concern, noting that only he himself had been brought to the infirmary, catching a few snippets on conversation between Carolyn and the other newer doctors he had only met in passing, conversation concerning the remaining contingent of the Langaran escapees being taken the the gym. He expected a smile, had hoped for a smile, but the doctor was stoic, serious, looking up at him professionally.

“I haven’t gotten the final counts of anything, but, Jonas, I know that at least two didn’t make it,” she replied, quietly, Jonas nodding as he swallowed, taking his gaze to Sam, who had been waiting patiently at his bedside. 

“Thank you for taking us in. I didn’t know where else to go, I, I left so many people behind,” he answered, the shock abating, reality setting in, but Sam was already shaking her head. 

“Jonas, there’s nothing else you could have done. You can’t stop the actions of an entire planet,” she replied, reaching out for his knee as he put his head down, shaking it, in disappointment more than anything. 

“There was no way we could have known. It was so fast. Daniel left and Edmenton himself called, called Tulra and asked for a truce, said he was calling off all of his forces,” Jonas choked, coughing, Dr. Lam passing over a cup of water. 

“Jonas, you said it was the clones, you mean Anubis’ clones? But they have never been to Langara that we know, are you sure?” Sam asked now, knowing she should wait for Jack to arrive, for Jonas to be well enough to brief them but she had to know. She had to know if this was just the beginning. 

“Pretty sure. They were wearing leathers, like Lucians, but they all looked alike, every last one of them, they - “ Jonas started to explain when he was interrupted by a loud yelling from across the room. 

“Dammit Jonas, didn’t we just leave your place? I thought Daniel said everything was all hunky dorey over in your neck of the galaxy and you show up here all blown to shit and Walter says he can’t even dial into your planet!” he was shouting as he approached, waving his cell phone at Sam. Clearly, he had gotten her text. 

“No, sir, and he won’t be able to. They blew up the DHD, or disabled it in the very least. Once I saw flames I didn’t bother to stick around to figure out which,” Jonas replied quickly. 

“Jack, Jonas says he saw clones leading the attack...” Sam added carefully trailing at the end, her husband taking a breath before releasing a world of swears, calming himself after a moment and looking back at her.  

“So, what you’re tellin’ me is that Daniel’s little rescue Dr. Perky plan did nothing but rescue Dr. Perky?” Jack started, Sam opening her mouth to defend, it was a long shot, but given the circumstances it was an excellent plan when her husband’s expression changed, and she watched his soft brown eyes scan the room. 

“Speaking of, where is the dynamic duo?” he added, interrupting her train of thought.  

“They’re in New Orleans, family business,” she answered simply. 

“Uh, honey, last I checked a member of SG-1 came tearing through the gate with about a hundred folks, injured, his planet’s all gone to shit, we can’t dial back to send help and Daniel and his baby mamma have gone to play with the in-laws!?!” he exclaimed. 

“Really Jack, baby mamma?” Sam retorted unable to believe her ears. 

“Yes Sam, it’s what all the cool kids are saying, you need to spend more time with the cadets,” he snapped back, turning his phone in his hand to search for a number. 

“Who are you calling?” Jonas asked now, feeling a little lost in their strange conversation but very flattered that Jack still considered him a member of SG1. 

“Our resident rock boy. Obviously his little speech of peace didn’t work,” Jack answered, not looking up, scrolling further down the numbers, Sam swiftly swiping the phone from his grasp. 

“No, you’re not. Jonas hasn’t even been discharged yet, I just started talking to him and it’s eleven at night. Let me call Woolsey, let Dr. Lam give me the okay that Jonas can leave, let me get a hold of everyone and then we can call Daniel,” Sam spat back, daring Jack to reach for the phone. 

“Sam, dammit, what in the hell could be so god damn important that we can’t call Daniel out of a little romantic get-away with his assistant!?!” Jack questioned, his voice raising. 

“Jack, keep it down,” she hissed, pulling him over to the side and away from a confused Jonas, “shes taking him to meet her family Jack. Daniel’s never met her family.” His eyes widening, Jack started to laugh, momentarily forgetting the plight of the Langarans. 

“He’s never met her family!?! Dr. Perky’s shacking up with him, he knocked her up and he’s never met her family!?! Look at our little space monkey, all grown up and becoming reality TV fodder...” he joked, reaching for his phone. 

“No Jack. At least let Jonas get the ok and then we can call them. Give them that long, please,” Sam added the last part quietly, Jack taking the phone from her palm and shoving it into his pocket. 

“Fine, for Jonas’ sake. I’m not worried about Plant Boy trying make good with the Rowan family,” Jack agreed, walking back over to Jonas to inquire about his well being. 

*****

“Mrs. Verdin, this pie is amazing,” Daniel complimented, honestly Adrienne could tell, as he dove into his second piece. Yep you’re gonna love him, he’s an eater, Adrienne thought, watching Aunt Barbara smile with delight.

“Call me Aunt Barb, ya gonna marry my Addy den ya need not be callin’ me Miz Verdin,” she quickly corrected, the carafe in her hand as she refilled his coffee cup, moving to refill Adrienne’s when she shook her hand. One cup won’t hurt the baby, she thought, two wouldn’t either, but at this rate she was going to probably be up all night anyway. 

“Aunt Barbara, this is just, well, excellent, thank you so much,” Daniel amended, sticking another forkful into his face. Smiling, she set the container back on the stove, walking over to join her guests at the kitchen table. 

“Mais, Addy tell me dat ya two be gettin’ married,” she started right in, the interrogation Adrienne had expected. Aunt Barbara already knew who he was, she had given Adrienne the third degree about Daniel’s entire background when Adrienne took the job/ Aunt Barbara believed it was a government job, working with archaeologists around the world to preserve and analyze ancient treasures that were being lost on the throws of war. It had been an easy sell, given that many young men in her area had been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and the media often talked about the vast array of treasures being lost. Adrienne just decided to work that, explaining why she wasn’t at the Smithsonian but rather had an extension at the Pentagon. 

“Oh right, I’m supposed to be flashing this, aren’t I?” Adrienne said quickly, pulling her hand from the coffee cup displaying her ring proudly to her aunt and cousin, both women cooing in delight. Cutting a quick glance at Daniel, Adrienne saw that he was smiling himself, proud, as he should be, he had done an excellent job. 

“So den when be da date?” the inquiry continued, surprisingly though, not annoying to Adrienne in the least. She thought she’d hate this, but instead, it was all very exciting. 

“Actually, Aunt Barbara, we haven’t picked a date yet...” Adrienne admitted quietly. 

“Well,” the stout woman set right in, standing from the table, “spring is nice, oh we culd time it ‘round Mardi Gras o da firss ah March o da April Fish..” she started listing every New Orleans holiday during the spring she could think of. Adrienne, however, shaking her head, preparing for surprise number two, Daniel reading her mind, his fork down, his eyes wide behind his glasses. 

“What be wrong Addy?” Barbara questioned, seeing the faces of the couple, “ya nah wanna do da spring? We cahn do da summa but it be mighty hawt en da Bayou..”

“No, Aunt Barbara, we’d actually like to do it sooner than later,” Adrienne started slowly, carefully, feeling out the situation Daniel could tell. 

“Co faire Addy? Do ya know how long it takes ta plahn a weddin’? It tawk a gud year ta plan ya cousin’s..” she asked puzzled, reaching for the back of the chair. Knowing that she couldn’t do this by herself, Adrienne reached out her hand, searching for Daniel’s blindly, needing his support. 

“Aunt Barbara,” she started slowly, fearing the words, the reaction. Her family had never been a ‘good’ Catholic family, but they had been enough, Ash Wednesday, Easter, Christmas, enough for Adrienne to fear what they would say to her being pregnant and unmarried. Curious, Barbara leaned closer waiting for her response, but she just couldn’t, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words...

“Aunt Barbara, we’re expecting. Not too soon, late May early June it looks like, but we’re having a baby. I want you to know, to understand that I’m not marrying Adrienne because of that, I was planning to ask anyway, planning poorly, but planning, when we found out. I love your niece so much, more than words could ever express and I want to spend the rest of my life with her and to raise this child, my child with her. I’m sorry if we’ve disappointed you in anyway,” Daniel spoke for her instead, biting his lip slightly at the end of his speech hoping that everything Adrienne had ever warned him about wouldn’t come true, that this seemingly kind woman wouldn’t explode. 

She paused, staring at the two of them for just a moment, glancing at Rae and then back at the pair. Adrienne took a deep breath, holding it, dreading her words, when she saw her aunt break into a smile, racing up to the both of them, hugging Adrienne tightly while reaching out frantically for Daniel’s hand. 

“Addy gonna have a bébé!! Addy!!! My Addy!! A bébé, ya best not be foolin’ me, Addy nah, be it verite!?! A bébé!!” she was rambling, shouting, screaming, jumping back and forth between hugging them both. Shocked, that was the only way she could describe it,  Adrienne was shocked. She expected anything but happiness, anger, something like an I told you so, but that wasn’t what was happening at all, in fact, even her cousin was beaming with excitement. 

“Buddy!!!” her aunt screamed as she finally stood, racing from the kitchen, Adrienne now remembering that her poor uncle was probably in the bed already, “Addy gonna ‘ave a bébé!!” 

Adrienne started to look over at Daniel, to hug him herself, this was so perfect, so absolutely perfect when she heard laughing beside her, peering over her shoulder to see Rae, still seated chuckling into her hand. 

“Wha?” Adrienne asked, confused, but Rae just laughed harder.

“I just rememba why I taught it was so funny dat ya ended up wit ya bahss,” Rae sputtered in between giggles. 

“Why?” she lead, looking back at Daniel.  

“Becuz a da blog. Ya blog. I recognize da picture ahn da name. See Addy, I lissen ta ya. Ya said he dought ET built da peeramids and nah ya let ‘em knock ya up. C’est la vie Addy, c’est la vie.” 

*****

Jonas took a deep breath before beginning, his nervous eyes scanning the room. His old team, no his team Jack had said, was sitting here before him, Sam, Jack, Teal’c along with the newer additions of Vala and Cameron as well as John Sheppard of Atlantis and the IOA liaison Robert Woolsey. Everyone was staring at him, looking for answers that he wasn’t sure that he had. 

“Ok Jonas, let’s start with right after Daniel left, unless there was something else concerning his speech?” Sam began wanting him to talk to her and her directly, sensing his apprehension. He shook his head, grimacing, running the speech through his head again to try and recall if he missed anything. 

“No, there’s nothing else. I watched with Addy until she left and then Daniel finished shortly after,” Jonas answered,” it was then that the calls came in.”  There was a clearing of a throat, the Langaran looking forward to see Mr. Woolsey holding up a finger to halt him. 

“Please, Mr. Quinn, if you could wait just a moment, I’d like to record this,” he stated, not asking if Jonas wished to be recorded, just declaring that it would be done. Heeding his request, Jonas nodded, waiting, taking a sip of water as Woolsey gave him the signal to continue. 

“I was asked by an aide to President Tulra to escort Daniel back to the gate and we went straight there, he & Adrienne had packed their things the night before after the attack,” he started, pausing at the word attack, feeling the need to clarify, “the first attack, the one that...” he trailed, remembering ushering Adrienne away as she screamed, throwing up, Daniel holding a dead bleeding child, Cameron shooting bullets at assaulting aircraft in the sky.  

“The one we were in, I gave y’all the run down on that,” Cam stepped in, glaring over at Woolsey. Jonas was a scientist and a bureaucrat, not a soldier and there was no need in having him relive two bloodbaths. 

“Yes,” Jonas said, the relief in not having to live that again apparent, “Daniel gated back, the tech ordered the shut down of the gate and I returned immediately to my office.” Sam was nodding that he continue, so he reached over, taking another sip of water. 

“At what would be approximately ten in the morning on Langara, I received a phone call from the President’s aide asking that I return to the President’s office immediately, that he had received a call from Edmenton’s representative. He gave me no further details at that time so I went to the office as requested,” Jonas stated, glancing over at Woolsey to make sure he could continue. Receiving a nod, he swallowed and continued. 

“When I arrived at the office there was a rather large gathering of representatives there, some I knew, some I didn’t, I can give you the names if needed,” he offered. 

“No, that’s not necessary at this point, don’t you agree Robert?” Sam replied, checking with her husband with her eyes while her words were asking the bureaucrat. 

“Not now, no, continue Mr. Quinn,” he answered. 

“We waited about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, a few other people arrived when the phone rang again, this time the president himself taking the call. He asked the caller if he could put him on speaker phone and he did, it was Edmenton. He talked about how he was moved by the speech, that the Taur’i man was right and that he was going to address the people himself. He asked permission to use the sound studio, the national broadcast network like Daniel had to make his speech. He said he would like to do it as soon as possible, so Tulra told him to arrive in two hours,” Jonas explained, Sam now halting him. 

“That made it, twelve thirty your time, twenty one thirty ours,” Sam noted, everyone checking their watches and phones to compare to the time right now. 

“Correct,” Jonas answered, eyeing the group to see if he could continue. No one said anything, Sam writing in the file, Jack staring right through him as his blue eyes scanned the faces around the table, getting a small smile from Vala. Taking another sip of water, he swallowed quickly and continued. 

“I wasn’t required to attend, but since I had brought Daniel there and the President was quite pleased with this turn of events he invited me down, invited me to come and witness history, what kind of history I wasn’t sure, averting civil war, ending a war that already started, but I just felt like I should be there, like I needed to go, maybe it was fate or a higher power, but I went and met with the camera men again and waited, chatting with the president, just waiting. Everything seemed alright, everything was fine, and then Edmenton arrived with his people and he was smiling...” he rambled, trailing, his hands trembling slightly. 

“Take your time Jonas, take your time,” Sam assured him, setting her pen down on the folder to reach out for his hand, grasping it tightly. 

“It’s a blur from here, I’m sorry. I remember Edmenton entering, walking in and falling, he’d been shot from the rear, some sort of blast pistol, and there were screams, people shouting take cover. I was standing right by the president, I don’t know how I didn’t get shot, I was standing right there, but I pulled him down beside me, what was left of him, he’d been hit already, a blast straight through his throat, there was blood everywhere. There was an explosion beside me, that must have been how I was hit, and when I looked up there was screaming and shrieking and all I could think of was to dial the gate. So I ran, I grabbed whoever was near me, various government officials, children, people had brought their children to the capital, government workers thinking they would be safer there, so I was grabbing them, screaming for the older ones to grab the younger ones, grabbing law clerks, anyone, just running to the gate,” he continued, pausing, breathing slowly. 

“And the clones Mr. Quinn? You said it was the clones?” Woolsey lead, treading lightly as Jack’s eyes warned him that was the only course of action that would be acceptable. 

“Yes. I stopped, trying to send them ahead, once the gate was in view, screaming for the tech to dial here, to dial the last address hoping that wouldn’t give anything away. I waited, trying to send through anyone I could when I saw them charging. They looked just like the intruders from before, in dress at least, but their faces, they were all identical, all pale, black eyes, black hair, each one exactly alike and their faces were distorted, misshapen, almost like they had been harvested or something before they were fully grown. They looked just like the photos that Daniel brought the last time he came to speak with the senate, exactly like them and I knew instantly that is what they were.” 

“Jonas, was it Anubis?” Sam asked gently. 

“I don’t know. They were just running, shooting, didn’t really seem to have any sort of plan except for destroying the DHD. There was one screaming about shoot the dialer and I saw it explode behind me as I jumped through,” he concluded, unable to control the shiver coursing through his body. Looking down, he tried to grab his cup of water but was unable to, the liquid splashing over the edges. 

“It’s okay,” Sam started, looking back at Woolsey, “that’s all we need. Vala would you mind taking Jonas down to the housing wing, get him a place to stay and some clothes.” 

“No problem,” she answered softly, standing and directing him to follow. The group sat in silence until they left, Vala closing the door behind them. 

“Now we call Daniel?” Jack asked, giving his wife a look. 

“Yeah, call Daniel.” 

*****

“Where are we going?” Daniel asked, trailing his beaming assistant, his best friend, his fiancee,  his soon to be wife as she dragged him lightly by his fingers out the back door and past an old bench, into the darkness beyond. She had only a small flashlight in her hands, illuminating their way down a well trodden pathway at the back of the yard. 

“To the gazebo, you’ll see...” she replied, giggling, so happy, so very happy. He had to admit, he was too, he had expected to have to defend Adrienne, especially when the news of the baby came out, but he hadn’t. Her entire family, including her uncle, were absolutely delighted and they had spent the better part of the following hour calling every Verdin and Rowan in Orleans parish and scouring the calendar for wedding dates, choosing a date, mid-January, Aunt Barbara assuring them that Adrienne wouldn't be showing very much. 

“It’s just ahead,” she added, dropping his hand to lead the way to the edge of the water. Aunt Barbara technically lived in New Orleans, but this large patch of land off of Paris Avenue backed up to the preserve, and according to Adrienne, was one of the few rural areas left in the parish. 

“It’s amazing out here,” he whispered, the glow of the city to the east bright but not enough to fade the sparkle of the stars, the winter constellations clearly painted overhead. 

“Told you,” she answered, still laughing as they arrived at a small white gazebo, Adrienne ducking inside. 

“Come on,” she ordered,”It’s quiet, good view of the stars.” Doing as requested, Daniel stepped in behind her, taking a seat next to where she sat, not looking at him but gazing up to the sky. 

“I used to come out here as a kid. Daydream. Write stories in my head. I’d pretend that Han Solo was gonna land the Millennium Falcon right there,” she said, pointing to a solid patch in the swamp ahead, “and take me away to fight for the Rebel Alliance.” She choked up at the memory, a part of Daniel wanting to joke or tease, but he didn’t, just reached his arm around her waist, pulling her to him. 

“You know, I had my first kiss in this gazebo,” she continued, as she lay her head on his shoulder, sniffing in. 

“Oh really?” he answered, keeping it simple and letting her talk. 

“Yeah, I was eleven. His name was Ryan, he was my first boyfriend, which pretty much meant he walked me to class and carried my backpack,” she said, giggling, happy again, so wonderful, this was all just so wonderful, that work or not, fate of the world or not, he wanted this to never end. He wanted to sit here forever, holding her hand, holding her close and talk, just looking out at the stars. 

“Did he have a great opening line or did he just go in for the kill?” he teased finally, turning his head to kiss the top of hers. 

“No, actually, for eleven it was pretty good. He said he liked how my hyper color t-shirt was neon green when most of the girls wore pink,” she laughed, squeezing his hand. 

“Very creative,” he mocked, laughing himself. 

“Hush you...” she whispered back, not angry in the least. Paradise, he thought, this is what paradise feels like. 

“Hey Ad?” he asked in the dark, sitting up from where he had rested his head onto hers. 

“What cooyon?” she giggled back. 

“I like how your running shoes are yellow and not purple and pink like the other girls...” he joked, unable to resist, wanting to hear her perfect laugh right now, wanting her to share in his happiness.

“Oh really?” she asked, giving him what he wanted, that laugh, that sheer delight. 

“Yeah, it’s cool,” he replied, trying to do his best tough guys voice, receiving riotous laughter in return. 

“Even though I have big man feet?” she countered quickly, looking over at him, cocking her head and raising her eyebrows. 

“They look even better because of your big man feet,” he tried, failing miserably and laughing at his own poor attempt. 

“Not a good line back Indy,” she laughed, looking back over at him, his kind face slightly lit in the moonlight. 

“Yeah, I know not even close,” he said quickly, reaching over to take her into his arms, kissing her slowly, holding her face in his hands. They kissed gently in the strangely warm winter Bayou air, Adrienne pulling back laughing. 

“So, we decided just to go in for the kill?” she asked, running her fingers lightly down his jaw. 

“Yeah because it’s clear that no one will ever have a better pick-up line than Ryan,” he retorted, expecting her to laugh, tease, but she didn’t, instead she leaned over, taking his face in her hands kissing him again, with more passion than before, pulling herself to her knees and running her fingers through his hair. 

“Ad, what are you doing?” he asked, pulling away lightly as she crawled slowly into his lap. 

“I’m kissing my future husband, in the gazebo,” she whispered back, moving her lips to his cheekbone, working her velvety skin ever so slowly to his neck. He lifted his neck slightly, letting her peck and tease for a moment, feeling himself tighten in his pants before again realizing where he was, pushing her back gently. 

“Adrienne, stop, we can’t we’re, well,” he stammered, nervous more so by the fact his body was considering this an option than anything else. 

“Outside?” she teased, “Or at my aunt’s house?” she added, continuing her advance down his neck as she reached between them, backing up to undo the top button of his jeans. 

“Both,” he choked out, peeking over his shoulder at the lights of the house in the distance, noting the lantern that Adrienne had brought and set at their feet was really the only light near them. She was pulling down his zipper now, slowly, reaching her fingers inside the fly, rubbing the base of the hardness she found there. Peering herself back at the house, she pulled her hands away only long enough to shove the lantern aside, changing the shapes of the shadows cast on the walls. 

“There, no one can see now,” she assured him, resuming her touching. She wanted to grind on him, to feel his hardness pressed against her, but he was hissing in like he would do, so she let her fingers toy, wanting to tease him longer. 

Breathing in, the throbbing now starting, Daniel looked behind a second time, seeing that the side two window lights had gone out, presumably her aunt going to bed and returned his gaze to Adrienne, resting his palms on her hips. 

“You’ve ruined me,” he joked as he walked his fingers to undo her pants, laughing lightly as he did so. 

“Pretty much,” she replied, standing slightly to allow him access to the zipper, watching him pull it down slowly. Tenderly, he inched his digits back to her hips, reaching inside of the waistband, grabbing and guiding her pants to the floor of the structure. She smiled, stepping out of one leg, crawling back into his lap, sitting back on his thighs as she reached into his jeans, pulling him out into the open. Grinning, reaching for her waist, he brought their lips together, kissing her slowly while directing her entrance to his lap, bringing her onto him. 

“Ummm...,” she groaned out as he pushed into her, situating herself onto him, rocking the moment he was entirely inside. He always felt so good, she would never get sick of this, he filled her, he completed her, he made her feel like no other man ever had. Holding his hands tighter to her hips, she ground down, pushing him impossibly deeper and flicking her hips lightly. 

He let her guide their lovemaking, gentle jolts of her pelvis and light squeezing, allowing himself to relax back despite the tight grip she had on his hands as they rested at her hips. She bucked on him a few times, sends waves of sensation through his body, before he slipped his hands away, reaching for her backside to pull her down further and closer to him, desiring her depth as well as the touch of her skin. Reaching underneath, he angled her body, a quick gasp escaping her lips, making her pull away from his, her cocoa eyes locked on his blue, keeping them joined as he pulled her forward with each snap of her waist. 

Knowing she wasn’t going to last much longer, the excitement of being outside, doing something forbidden, as well as the feeling of him rubbing against her, at an angle he knew sent her over the edge, Adrienne concentrated all of her efforts on clenching him tightly inside her body and picking up the intensity of her motion. He squeezed her bottom, his face telling her that he was close as well, his left hand hand working its way up her back, pushing her closer to him. He wanted her kiss, he wanted her lips, he wanted to be closer as the surge of pleasure started to grow inside of him. 

“Adrienne,” he gasped out and she smiled, diving for his mouth, loving nothing more than when he gasped her name is ecstasy, cutting him off from a second time as she moved her tongue into his mouth, kissing him feverishly, his mouth sweet with apples from Aunt Barbara’s pie. She ground harder, faster, holding him, moving with and against him, until she felt the sweet release of pleasure, throwing back her head while she forced herself not to scream his name. He was grunting, moaning, burying his face in her shoulder until he relaxed in her arms, breathing out slowly, both of them holding onto one another panting and breathless. 

“You do realize that we just had sex at your aunt’s house, in her gazebo,” she heard him finally whisper, pecking her collar bone lightly. Adrienne giggled and hugged him tighter, kissing his head.

“Are you afraid of what she would say? You already got me pregnant and we just picked a wedding date, with her. I think we’re safe sha,” she joked, running her palms down his back, feeling him still lightly inside of her. She squeezed one more time, a part of her sad as she always was when the intimate moment was over, standing to reach for her jeans, but he held her in place. 

“Are you ok?” he whispered, running his hands down her bare hips, gazing into her eyes. Giggling, Adrienne reached for his face, running her palm down his cheek. 

“Yes, I’m fine. It was amazing, as always, stop worrying,” she assured him softly. 

“Alright, I just don’t want to hurt him or her, I know Dr. Lam said it’s fine but I still worry,” he whispered, Adrienne giggling. This had become their new ritual afterward, Daniel worried that he had done something wrong, something to endanger either her or the baby even though his rational brain knew better. 

“Trust me Daniel, you’re not gonna hurt anything, I promise. In fact, it’s good for me, it’s good for the baby. You should feel it right now - “ Adrienne started, stopping herself before he freaked out. She probably shouldn’t have mentioned how sometimes, after, the fluttering increased. It was going to scare him, he would panic like he did, but he didn’t, just reached in between them, resting his hand on her abdomen. 

“Now?” he asked, gazing back up at her. Adrienne paused, concentrating, feeling the flutter to her left, moving to guide his hand and press gently. 

“There, but I’m only thirteen weeks sha, it’s possible to feel but not probab-” she began to apologize, when his eyes lit up and she felt him press harder. 

“Oh my god,” he choked out, his jaw dropping, shaking his head, “oh my god.” 

Adrienne didn’t need an explanation, between his expression and the wild motion inside, she knew. 

“That’s my child...mine...I’ve never. That’s my baby,” he stammered, smiling, the look on his face just as excited as when she had told him she would keep the baby, that she wanted to do this together. She didn’t answer, just nodded, smiling, watching his azure eyes sparkle in the dim light of the bayou moon.

“It is Daniel. That’s your child. That’s our child. More real now?” she finally said as he moved his hand gently around her lower abdomen. 

“Very. I might have to reconsider that box and bubble wrap.”

*****

There were times that Daniel had to curse himself for thinking that he lived a normal life: townhouse, soulmate, child on the way, everything but a white picket fence. 

The look on Rae Verdin Lafont’s face was one of those times. 

“Y’all left ya phones,” she said simply, shaking the object in front of her face, Daniel’s phone, the screen lacking a picture for the background as Adrienne’s had. 

“Because we didn’t want to be disturbed,” Adrienne giggled, playing, Daniel’s face flushing with embarrassment but Rae didn’t smile, just took a step forward toward Daniel, carefully handing him the device. 

“I neva ansa someone else’s phone, but his be bouncin’, den yours, den his, for a gud twenty minutes, both of dem sayin’ da same name,” she explained, the sinking feeling starting deep in Daniel’s stomach. 

“Who Rae?” Adrienne asked, cutting her eyes at her fiancee, worried, reading his face just as he was reading her own. 

“Be it a man named Jack. He say, who be dis ahn I tell ‘em ahn he say tell Danny-boy ahn Docta Perky dat dey need to get der asses ‘ome pronto. He say ta tell ya dat Jonas be der, der be an emergency, and dat ya both need ta ‘ead back,” she said, passing the phone to Daniel, whose heart skipped a beat the moment he heard the name. Jonas? An emergency? What had happened?

“Thank you Rae, I, well, Ad, I’m gonna call work, see when we need to get back and call the airport, arrange a flight,” Daniel stammered, taking the phone, hurrying over to the bench, walking out toward the darkness. Her own face showing an expression of worry, Adrienne tried to divert her eyes, push past her cousin into the house, but she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

“Dat man not be some historian like ya be Addy,” she started, cautiously. 

“Daniel? Yes he is Rae, you’ve seen the blog, he wrote that book, he’s an archaeologist,” she defended, trying to play stupid. 

“Nawt him, but dat udda man. Dat man on da phone. Educated folks donna be talkin‘ like dat,” she continued. Strange reason, Adrienne thought, Jack was unconventional, but he was a general, so Dr. Perky jokes or not, there shouldn’t be a reason as to why Rae would be suspicious, but she wasn’t finished. 

“Addy, one day, befa dah weddin‘ I needed ya, needed ta talk and I called ya cell and no one answered. So I called da Pentagon, jus like ya say, askin‘ ‘bout da Historical Preservation depahament. Addy der be no such ding,” she accused, Adrienne frozen at the doorway. 

“I donna know whatcha do Addy, dashing out a ‘ere in da middle ah da nigh ta look at rocks? Ah dink not. But whateva ya and ‘em do, whateva it is, ya gots a baby comin’ naw. Ya need ta keep dat in mind. Bot ah ya,” she concluded, her green eyes boring into Adrienne’s own much the same as she did to Daniel. 

“Ja-wer, I’ve got us a flight, it leaves in a little over an hour, I’m sorry, we’ve got to get going right away,” Daniel lied, starting to wish he and Adrienne had some way to communicate telepathically as he could sense something was very wrong right now between her and her cousin. 

“Alright Indy,” she answered quietly, ducking into the house. Without a word, but rather a look of warning, Rae followed, leaving Daniel confused and quiet on the porch. 

*****

“Everything go ok? Did Daniel win over the family?” the first words he heard were Jack’s sarcastic of course, as the beams of light dissipated around them. Frowning as his old friend came into view, Daniel scanned the room, noting the entire team was present along with John. 

“What happened?” he asked, walking to take a seat, pulling out the first chair for Adrienne before going to sit in his own. 

“Anubis attacked Langara. Jonas didn’t know much more than it was an attack led by men that were clearly Anubis’ clones, but we surmise that the entire uprising might have been orchestrated from the inside, unbeknownst to even Edmenton,” Sam explained, Daniel already shaking his head. 

“Where’s Jonas?” Adrienne asked immediately, her head darting from side to side in search of her friend, Daniel having explained what little information Jack had given him on their way to return the rental car. 

“I took him down to the barracks, your old room,” Vala answered, Adrienne directing her gaze to Daniel, not bothering to take the chair he had offered. 

“I’m gonna -” 

“Go,” he answered, not letting her finish. Nodding she kissed him lightly, leaving behind their bags and dashing out of the briefing room. 

“Alright, good, he’s here,” Jack said, pointing for Daniel to sit, “what in the hell did you say to those people??!” 

“Jack, it’s Anubis, it’s not an uprising,” Cam interjected having witnessed the entire speech.  

“I know it is. I’m trying to pretend that it’s not. We’re not ready for this. We weren’t ready when he showed his ugly mug in Daniel’s dreams and we’re sure as hell not ready now,” Jack conceded, tapping his pen on the folder. 

“Well, aren’t we at least going to help the Langarans?” Daniel asked, “send the Odyssey, the Daedalus, maybe both, try to at the very least to distract him?” Sam, however, was already shaking her head. 

“IOA vetoed it, on any account. They said with only two ships we can’t risk either of them being damaged, or worse, taken,” she answered, her disagreement clear on her face. 

“Because that’s all they fuckin’ care about,” Vala spat, her glare directed at Jack although Daniel knew it was in vain. There was no way that Jack could overrule the IOA without the president’s agreement for starters, not to mention the other allied nations. Their primary directive, a position he could somewhat understand, was protect the people of Earth, not meddle in the affairs of other planets. 

“What I don’t understand is why Anubis wants Langara? They’ve got some cool tech gadgets, sure, but if he’s going to start attacking the Milky Way who not just come here. He’s got to know that we’re in no position to defend ourselves,” Cam added, looking at him teammates for approval.

“DanielJackson has said that he wants the coordinates to the Pegasus galaxy. He would also need a gate. The internal problems on Langara would allow him to easily work his way onto the planet, into a position of power and gain the gate as well as millions of hostages,” Teal’c surmised, correctly, Daniel was thinking. 

“So we don’t think he tried to dial the Destiny?” John asked, looking around the room for answers. 

“Either that or he did, realized it was going to take a lot more power than he had, like the power of a planet and went and found himself one,” Daniel answered, thinking, racking his brain for a solution. 

“What I think is safe to say is that we know Anubis, or someone acting as him, has taken over Langara. We no longer have gate access and the DHD has either been destroyed or disabled. Anubis wants access to the Pegasus, again we can all speculate as to why, and we lack the firepower to remove him,” Sam summarized, frowning, defeat like she didn’t want to admit. 

“Yes we do,” Daniel said quickly, glancing up and over at John, nodding his head. 

“Yes we do,” he repeated, “in the bay. We have Atlantis. Anubis is just hopping from power vacuum to power vacuum. Without the presence of Atlantis and the Wraith weakened, he thinks that next he can just hop over to the Pegasus take over, maybe even bring the Wraith to join his cause and then head here, two galaxies for one with proper planning. But we have Atlantis.” 

“Daniel, we have the entire base operating on minimal power with the one ZPM we have. It takes two to turn anything on like a shield and three to fly the damn thing and launch weapons. We don’t have the power to even light past the bridge,” John argued, the admission of the true state of his base more disturbing coming across his lips than just in thought. 

“No, we don’t,” the archaeologist agreed, “not yet. But we could. Give me Jonas. Keep me and Adrienne on world. Hell, I’ll take Rodney. Let us scour that Asgard database, send every ancient document to us from Area 51. It’s not going to be simple, but we aren’t going to get lucky this time, or smart idea or final battle. It’s going to be a war. Anubis has been preparing while we’ve sat here and waited for the galaxy to inform us as to what we needed to be doing. Well we just got our memo, the moment a hundred people came pouring through that gate, for the what second, third time?I don’t think we have any other choice,” he concluded, his stomach sinking. Just a few short hours ago Daniel Jackson felt the movement of his child, cradled safely in its mothers womb. Now, he sat here, amongst his friends admitting that no one was safe, that one evil being’s desire and revenge threatened his life, his happiness, everyone’s, more than anything else had done before. 

The room sat silent each and every soul weighing, debating, feeling his words. 

“I’ll call Mr. Woolsey. Daniel, go get Jonas, get him set up, I’ll have another desk moved into your lab. John, call your team, explain the situation, I want Rodney and Radek to reexamine, map and mark every inch of that base, give me a list of every repair, even if it doesn’t seem necessary. Cameron, you and Teal’c are heading to Area 51, start with the catalogues. I want you in constant contact with Daniel, anything he might need anything that Teal’c, especially you Teal’c, think might give us a lead. This is our objective, not finding new ways for the bureaucrats to make money,” Sam declared, standing, her hands on the table in front of her. 

“We’re gonna wake up Atlantis.”