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"For You, I Will "Written By: Jewel of Hell Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, language, violence, torture, abuse, character death (sort of), misuse of electricity, telepathy, politics, Sci-fi, crossover, AU Pairings: 1x2, other Summary: Crossover w/ Stargate: SG-1. On an alien
planet, Colonel Jack O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 find a sick young
man and take him home. Unwittingly unleashing a great threat on the
SGC as the boy isn't all he seems . . . " For You, I Will "
Wake Up Eyes the shade of irises after rain fluttered open, and for a moment, Duo Maxwell was surprised at the lack of pain. It had subsided from a roaring, burning fire to a distant ache. He could feel by the heaviness of his limbs he was still weak, but the dramatic difference was such that he didn't even immediately remember his circumstance. Eventually the false security evaporated. His eyes were focusing now, and he didn't recognize this place. Some kind of lab, possibly an infirmary. He was hooked to different equipment, and though he didn't know what it was all doing, it didn't seem to be harming him. He was attached to an IV, however, and that he did recognize. What are they pumping into me? Where am I? He was aware of a continuous beep that began to sound more agitated as his heartrate increased. Instinctively, his hand crept to his chest. The absence of his pendant finally finished sending him into a full-blown panic attack like back near the Ring. Where was it! His eyes cast about frantically as he forced his weakened body to sit up, desperate to know where it was. It was the only thing he could not afford to lose! He didn't get very far before some people descended on him. All women, three of them. One very petite with dark auburn hair. Pretty, he thought dimly as he fought down panic. Soft, cool hands restrained him, easily thwarting his weak attempts to rise. It was appalling, the ease with which they thwarted him, really. "Easy, easy," said the petite brunette. To Duo's dismay, he saw her stick a needle in the IV while the other two women held him down. He renewed his struggles, but it was a matter of moments before the weakness turned into a numbness that stole the last of his strength. He slumped back, fighting the blurriness that tried to obscure his vision. The sedative must have been mild, because it didn't knock him out. The two women released him, confident he couldn't struggle now, leaving him alone with the brunette. Her dark eyes were smiling as she looked down at him. "Hi. Can you tell me your name?" For long moments, Duo just stared at her in amazement. Where the hell was he? He tried to remember what had happened. Fleeing. Yes, he'd been fleeing toward the Ring. Hoping to get off Desaine. He hadn't made it. What had happened? He couldn't remember. He vaguely recalled fighting to breathe and not black out, and something that might have been sound and movement. Everything was too jumbled behind his own pain and fear. "Can you understand me?" she continued in that same gentle tone. Something about it soothed Duo. He couldn't remember her question just moments before, so he decided to try one of his own. "Wh . . ." Too dry. Licking his lips with an equally dry tongue, Duo swallowed tightly. "Where-?" "You're on a planet called Earth," she said, still in that soothing tone. "This is the SGC. You're safe here." Safe? Earth? SGC? Not familiar at all. But he was no longer on Desaine? Perhaps she sensed his terrible thirst, because she offered him something. As soon as it touched his tongue he recognized ice. He greedily accepted until she would give him no more. Thirst far from abated, he nonetheless felt a bit better, throat not so scratchy. This time he managed to work up a little moisture when he swallowed. "Who're you?" he asked, pleased his voice didn't sound so pathetic now. She smiled a little. "I'm Doctor Janet Fraiser. You're in the infirmary. When SG-1 brought you here, you were very sick." "SG-1?" "One of our teams that goes out exploring other worlds. They had gone to your world and found you near the Stargate. Do you remember any of that?" Stargate? After a moment Duo guessed she meant the Portal Ring. Did he remember being found by the Ring? Not really. He thought he remembered being lifted, though, if he concentrated. And voices he didn't recognize. "I . . . I think so." "Feel like telling me your name now?" she said, smoothing back a lock of his dark, cinnamon hair. For some reason, Duo felt more relaxed around her than he had since . . . before. "Duo," he said, allowing his eyes to slip shut. "Well, you just relax now, Duo. You've got a ways to go before you're recovered." The sense of security vanished. Duo tried to sit up, but the sedative kept him stationary. "Doctor . . . there was . . . I was wearing a pendant. Where is it? Please, can I have it back? It's all I have left, it's very important to me -" "Shh," she murmured, squeezing his shoulder. She pulled it out of her white coat's pocket. "I figured it must mean something to you, since it was the only thing you were carrying." Relief flooded Duo, sharp and sweet, as the cool black metal contacted his skin. It was safe. A quick perusal told him it wasn't damaged, the metal not even bent. Shaped something like a large sword, it was easily the length of his hand, even a little longer. Lacking the strength to fasten it around his neck again, he simply clutched it against his chest. "Thanks," he mumbled, her face beginning to fade out. "You're welcome," she replied. "You just get some rest, okay?" Rest. Yes . . . he hardly had the energy for anything else. o8o o8o General Hammond was in the briefing room with SG-1 when Janet made her way up. The five gathered all looked at her, and she took her usual spot at the general's right. She lay the newly-created medical file down on the table. "He woke, briefly," she began without preamble. The whole mountain was very curious about the visitor SG-1 had brought with them. "His name is Duo, and I can verify he's definitely not human." Hammond nodded. "Do we know what, exactly, he is?" Janet shook her head. "Not yet, sir. His physiology has some similarities to ours, and so far he seems to be reacting well to the drugs we've given him. He has a viral infection, but near as I can tell it's not contagious. SG-1 shows no signs of infection, nor any of my staff. Thankfully, quarantine isn't necessary." "That's good to hear," Hammond said. "Did he tell you why he was being chased?" Daniel inserted. Janet smiled. Leave it to gentle Daniel to be more interested in the boy himself rather than what he was or where he came from. "Not yet. He seemed very disoriented and confused. I gave him a mild sedative, and he's sleeping now." Hammond, who had been watching her intently, shifted his gaze to Colonel O'Neill. "Very well. Colonel, I'd like you and Doctor Jackson to question him when Doctor Fraiser thinks he's up to it. Try to find out what he was doing near the Stargate, and who those men were pursuing him. I don't need to remind you, we're dealing with a delicate situation with Desaine, and I would like not to jeopardize any relations with them before we know what they have to offer." Everyone nodded, and the colonel and archaeologist followed Janet out of the briefing room. She led them back to the infirmary, and both men stood at the side of the boy's bed. Janet slid between them, aware as always how much shorter than them she was. But as always, she didn't feel threatened. Indeed, she had more than enough personality to bridge the gap. The boy lay still and quiet, his hand still clutching that strange pendant. "I don't know if it's due to the virus," she began, not bothering to keep her voice hushed, "but he's quite undernourished. I'd say he's a good thirty pounds underweight, and though I'm only guessing I'd say he's about fifteen or sixteen. He's pretty sick, but I think he's going to be okay." "And you're sure we won't get his bug?" Colonel O'Neill said, raising an eyebrow. She smiled. "I'm sure, sir. Tell you the truth, I'm not even sure this virus is a naturally-occuring one. At least, it looks nothing like any virus I've ever seen, and its structure seems too . . . geometrical. I think . . ." She hesitated, unwilling to make accusations until she knew the full story. "It's a manmade virus, and someone infected him deliberately?" Daniel spoke her suspicions aloud. A bit uncomfortable, Janet shrugged. "Or he was somehow accidentally exposed." Her words made Colonel O'Neill raise an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything about it. "How long until he wakes up?" he asked. Janet folded her arms. "Shouldn't be more than a few hours." "What are the differences between him and us?" Daniel asked. "Physically, he appears human," Janet replied, the beginnings of a smile forming. "His DNA is not the double-helix formation like ours - it's more like a quadruple helix. His brain activity is about ten times that of a normal human, leading me to suspect he probably has some form of telepathy. After all, we've seen cases like this before. There is also more in his blood than red and white cells and platelets. There's a fourth and fifth type of cell, though I'm not sure what they are yet or what their function might be." The colonel's eyes had glazed over at about 'double-helix,' but Daniel looked intrigued. "But he understood English just fine?" Janet nodded. "Mm hmm." "Thanks, Doc," O'Neill interjected. "We'll call you when he wakes up, you can let us know if he's up to questioning." Recognizing that as a dismissal, Janet nodded and withdrew. o8o o8o Daniel knew Jack had something on his mind. The colonel was good at keeping things close to the vest, but Daniel was better at reading him. Those dark eyes of his couldn't always hide everything. Folding his arms, keeping his eyes on the sleeping boy, he waited. Jack would broach the subject when he was ready and not before, and pushing him or making him hurry would only clam him up. While he waited, he studied their visitor. The boy was . . . well, pretty. Not masculine enough to be handsome, too striking to be attractive. Creamy-pale skin without blemish. Long, rich and dark cinnamon colored hair with streaks of auburn and even gold. Eyes the color of shaded irises misted with rain. Long, long eyelashes. But beyond his physical appearance, there were things that disturbed Daniel. Bruises in strange places, such as at the hollow of his throat. One near his mouth. Around his wrists. Inner elbows. It looked, to an eye trained as Daniel's, like he'd been restrained or tortured. Perhaps both. "He's been tortured," Jack's first words echoed Daniel's thoughts. At the eerie timing, Daniel looked at the colonel. Jack was staring down at Duo, eyes troubled. "Are you sure?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. Jack reached down and lifted one thin, pale arm, running his thumb over the inner elbow. "Needle marks," he said. "These bruises were obviously caused by some kind of restraint, metal judging by the damage. And this mark -" he touched the oddly-colored bruise at the boy's throat - "was caused by an electric charge." Daniel's breath stuttered. "Were they trying to kill him?" he growled. Jack shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not." He finally looked at Daniel. "What've you learned about Desaine's culture?" A bit surprised, Daniel considered. "Well, they're proud and aggressive. They don't care for newcomers, but when they find a strong race they ally with them and sometimes share technology and knowledge." "Ruthless?" "Uh, I guess I would use that word in some contexts." "Human?" "Yes, they are human." "So maybe this kid had or has something they want." "And they tried to extract it by torturing him?" Those dark, dark brown eyes were stormy. "Seems likely." It was Daniel's turn to be uncomfortable about making accusations. "We don't know if the Desaine Central Government sanctioned this boy's treatment," he said carefully. "Or if he was even tortured. He could have been . . . involved in an accident somehow." Jack's expression remained clouded, and Daniel wasn't sure if Jack agreed, disagreed, or what. For once he couldn't read the colonel. "Jack?" "Daniel?" Biting his lip at the typical response, Daniel sighed. "What are you thinking?" "I don't trust it." "You don't trust what?" A pause. "None of it." Daniel wanted to ask if that included Duo himself, but the look in Jack's eye made him keep silent. The colonel was deep in thought, and he didn't want to be interrupted. "I'm gonna go get some coffee," he said eventually. "You want some?" "Sure," Jack replied, not taking his eyes off the boy. Unsettled and not sure why, Daniel left the infirmary and headed to the commissary. As he stepped in, he was nearly bowled over by Major Griff. The leader of SG-2 caught Daniel's elbow to steady him. "Sorry, Doctor Jackson," he said in his somewhat gruff voice. Daniel flicked him a smile. "It's all right." He made to move around him, but Griff briefly tightened his hold to keep him stationary. "How's the kid?" he asked. Ah, of course. Everyone was curious. "Janet said he's recovering, but we haven't really had the chance to talk to him yet. I'm making a pit stop before I go back to question him with Jack." Griff released his hold, nodding. "Thanks. You let us know if we can help." Smiled, warmed by the man's words, Daniel nodded. "I'm sure Jack will if we do. Thanks." Grabbing a cup of coffee (store brand, not what he was used to but it would have to suffice) for both him and Jack, he headed back down to the infirmary. Jack was now sitting by the bed instead of standing, but he wasn't watching its occupant. He was staring at the far wall, eyes unfocused. Wondering what he was thinking about, Daniel nudged his shoulder before offering the coffee. Jack gave him an empty look before accepting it and taking a sip. Daniel leaned against the wall at the head of the bed, the side where wires weren't attached to monitoring equipment everywhere. "Are you hoping it was an accident?" In retrospect, an odd thing to say. Apparently, Jack didn't think so. "Dunno." Still with that troubled look. Perhaps the boy sensed the scrutiny, because much sooner than Janet's prediction he began to stir. His movements seemed restless, head tossing a little before those eyes, such a vibrant color, flickered open. As soon as awareness settled in he gasped and tried to sit up. Daniel was about to stop him when his hand tightened and he stilled, eyeing his pendant. It seemed to calm him, and he lay back. His eyes closed, and he uttered a faint sigh. "You have questions." Not a question in itself. Hearing his voice seemed to bring Jack out of his trance. He sat up. "A few." Duo's eyes opened. "I'll try to answer." "Who was chasing you?" Daniel winced. Not the question he would have asked right off the bat. The boy hesitated. "Who are you?" he asked, voice equal parts worry and fear. Deciding Jack wasn't in the right frame of mind, Daniel stepped forward into his line of sight. "I'm Daniel Jackson," he offered with what he hoped was a gentle smile, "and this is Colonel Jack O'Neill. We're peaceful explorers from Earth -" he made a vague gesture all around - "which is where we brought you." Duo looked faintly surprised. "Yeah, Doctor Fraiser told me that part already. You're . . . explorers? That's why you came to Desaine?" "Yes," Daniel said. "We had a meeting with the Desaine Central Government, to talk of possible alliances." The words sent Duo flinching back into the pillows, face draining of all color. "You can't," he all but whimpered. Once more rousing Jack. "Why not?" Duo turned huge, haunted eyes on him. "You . . . you can't," he said again. "Don't . . . please, don't . . ." Peripherally, Daniel was aware of the monitor's beep speeding up. By now Duo was shaking wildly, moisture springing to his eyes and tears beginning to fall freely down his pale cheeks. Daniel was about to attempt calming him down, but Janet made her appearance then. She elbowed Daniel out of the way. "Daniel, Colonel, would you mind leaving?" she said in a terse voice. "Easy, Duo. Just relax . . ." o8o o8o When the two men left the infirmary, Duo managed to calm down. The thought of being sent back to Desaine for the sake of an alliance literally made him sick to his stomach. Fortunately, the pretty brunette doctor didn't sedate him again. When he was calm and quiet once more, she moved the bed so he was sitting up. "Feel like eating something?" she asked, wearing that soft smile. The thought of food both tempted and tormented Duo. He was hungry, but he felt it would make him sick. How long had it been since he actually ate something, rather than his stomach being pumped with nutrients intravenously? A long, long time. He barely remembered what food tasted like. So he nodded, hoping a little sustenance would help him feel stronger. He needed to be able to get out of this bed to use his pendant. And time was of the essence - he would need to use it soon. Looking pleased he'd said yes, the sweet doctor settled a tray across his lap. He didn't recognize anything on it, but he carefully sampled the contents. He found it to be mildly flavored like nothing he'd ever eaten, but it was good. Morever, it settled lightly in his stomach and did, indeed, make him feel a little stronger when he'd finished. When Janet took the tray away, he gestured toward the strange, boxy things he guessed were monitors. "Are these your computers?" he asked. She seemed a bit surprised he'd engaged her first. "Yes. The data you can see on the surface tells me how you're doing. And speaking of that, how are you feeling?" She laid her hand on his forehead. "Better, now I've eaten," he said, trying not to fidget. What he wanted more than anything was to be left alone. A few minutes was all he needed. "They look strange. These are monitors, right?" She nodded. "You've never seen a computer before?" "Not like these," he admitted. "Our monitors are . . . not like that. They're bigger, and much more flat. They project 3D images." Janet looked like she might like to say something, but Duo chose that moment to offer a huge - and only partly faked - yawn. She smiled at once, patting his blanket-covered leg. "You've been very sick. I think I'll let you try to rest. We can talk more in the morning." Nodding, Duo sank into the pillows as she lowered the bed again. After the hard cots he'd slept on lately, it was quite comfortable. As soon as he was mostly horizontal, he closed his eyes and willed her to leave. She lingered long enough to make him feel antsy, then he sensed her leave. Opening his eyes, he looked around. He was alone in the infirmary. He wasn't stupid - he could see cameras trained on him. The question was, how long would it take them to decide he was a threat when he got up out of bed? He couldn't use his pendant on the monitor, he needed an actual computer. That first. Looking around the room, he took careful inventory. There was equipment the purpose of which he couldn't begin to divine. But there were other monitors, and eventually he followed the cords and cables to a tallish box on the floor beside one of the desks. That looked promising. He examined it with his eyes as thoroughly as he could from this position, knowing if anyone was watching the camera closely he would look tired and maybe a little bored from this angle. Eventually he saw a connection hub that looked like the right shape to insert his pendant. It was an extremely sophisticated piece of equipment, so it should work well enough. It only needed about two seconds to start working. Next problem. How could he make it all the way over to that desk without someone bearing down on him and stopping him? He wasn't in any condition to fight off an overzealous puppy, let alone an armed security guard. Am I even strong enough to walk that distance? He would have to be. The pendant had been inactive now for over two days. It needed a new power source, or its contents would be lost. Something Duo would rather die than let happen. As he pondered possible solutions, one came to mind via a strong call of nature, so to speak. He was in desperate need of a bathroom facility. Now that he actually thought about it he realized he could feel a tube down there. Well, no need to guess what that was for. Reaching over, he pressed the call button Janet had shown him while he ate. A nurse appeared after a brief wait. She was not as pretty as Janet, but she was taller. Duo adopted a sick expression - given his current condition, it was easy. Smiling, she brushed his hair back. "Need something?" "I have to go to the bathroom," he explained in a pathetic voice. Her smiled deepened. "We've got you on a catheter, hon," she explained. "You don't need to get up." Duo shook his head. "I . . . I can't. I . . ." his voice trailed off. She understood. Either that, or she read minds. Nodding, she began removing the various wires and paraphenalia attached to him. With an arm around his waist she helped him stand, and he was pleased to find his legs far stronger than when he'd collapsed at the Ring. He probably could have made it without her help, but he made a show of being weak and shaky. In the small bathroom he relieved himself and washed his hands. There was no camera in here, so he carefully fastened the pendant around his neck and pressed a tiny protrusion on the 'hilt.' Unlocked, he slid the 'sword' from its sheath. It no longer looked like a sword, now. Rather, it bore a strong resemblance to a Desaine data recording and transferring device. The end was not sharpened into a tip, but rather a blunt and flat rectangle. Concealing the shorter device in his hand, he made his way back out, moving even slower and unsteadier, now. The nurse didn't try to hurry him, making sympathetic noises the whole time, encouraging him. Duo allowed himself to stagger in her hold, and when he was by the computer he let his legs go limp. The nurse wasn't quite large enough to support him fully, and without warning he went down to the ground. Duo sprawled somewhat gracelessly, panting as if he'd run a marathon. "S-sorry," he gasped. "Can't . . ." "Shh, it's all right," she soothed. "Just let me get some help and we'll get you back to bed." She moved to the bedside, reaching for the call button. As soon as her back was turned, Duo acted. Making sure
his body blocked his hands, he plunged the pendant into the computer.
The blunt end slid smoothly into the connector hub, and a tiny red
light flicked on at the top. Duo quickly pushed himself away so it
would look as though he was trying to get up. With luck, the cameras
wouldn't even pick up on the pendant until it was too late - which
would be in about thirty seconds.
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