Events on the Horizon: A Stargate Sequel

Chapter 28

Daniel

The SGC was surprisingly quiet this morning, as if a lingering hush was in the air. Mixed emotions charged through us all, the excitement of the promotions ceremony that Jack and Sam were both participating in tomorrow, Hammond's last days as acting general, the worry amid the science department of the possibility of the timeline wormhole opening today while we were off world, and my own fears that Eleanor will take the threats of sending her back through seriously and go on her own valuation while I was gone.

I walked into her office and saw she was on the phone scribbling on a pad of paper making small cartoonish drawings and yawning out into the early morning. She looked over in my direction and gave me a sleepy smile before blowing a kiss and waving goodbye in my direction. I maintained my position and she appeared confused but continued on her call. 

"Do we have the chest plate of quetzalcoatl in inventory?" She asked to whoever it was on the phone. "You're going to want to send a team to Mexico City," she replied after the pause. "Yes, well you're wanting a dispatch from Mexico on the Atlantis team and they're not exactly buying in, correct?" She covered the mouth plate of the phone and turned back to me, "it's the IOA, it may take a while."

"I have time." I replied bluntly and she turned back to the phone.

"My suggestion then sir, would be to give them an example as to why this program is important. A piece of alien tech found in their own territory is a bit of a wake up call, no?" She took a long drink from her coffee and rolled her eyes at the voice on the other end. "I have it on good authority that it will be there and that the Mexican government will be very eager to have it in their possession. In fact, I would bet my career on it, and I would also bet that they'll be more apt to then send funding and manpower." She wrote down an email on her notepad and continued, "yes, I thought as much. Thank you sir." The line ended and she hung up the phone letting out an exasperated groan.

"Who's this good authority that let you in on this tech no one knew of before?" I leaned against her desk with a brow raised in question.

"Myself, I broke my arm trying to find it in March '99. Now, if Professor Yoke was fired in '98 because of my death, it wasn't found. I can't exactly tell some random man on the phone at the IOA that can I?"

"We need to talk." I said abruptly needing to cut to the chase.

"Usually the combat gear doesn't do it for me, but something about the unhinged look in your eyes is making me question my no PDA while on duty at work rule." She bat her eyes at me.

"I'm going off world today, I'll be back after lunch. McKay is attempting to dial the gate back to our timeline in two hours."

"I'll make sure I stay here so he doesn't accidentally push me through."

My eyes narrowed in on hers. "That's not funny."

"It's a little funny," she attempted to pass her flippancy off as humor to cover for feelings of guilt and I could see right through it. I walked over and pinned her body into the office chair, my hands engulfed hers against the arm rests as my body casting a looming shadow.

"Do not go through that gate."

"This is kinda doing something for me," she slipped her right foot free of her shoe and dragged it up my inner leg before perching it on the chair.

"Do not leave this room." My eyes were unmoving, the pulse in her hands quickened against my own and flooded my senses.

"Okay," her voice was breathy and I looked up at him through hooded eyes.

"No, I need some conviction here. I cannot keep hearing the idea thrown out that you go through again and wonder if you're considering it as well. Tell me that you won't. If you love me like I love you, promise me you'll stay." My voice came out more of a beg than I had hoped for but it was all I had in me. She had free will, she also had a drive to do what she thought was right, but I trusted she would do what was best for her own safety.

"And what are you going to do in the meantime Daniel? What is life going to be for you while it all implodes? I'm supposed to continue on knowing your death will ultimately be on my hands? The death of everyone?"