DISCLAIMER: The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-1, the goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of the people who made them up. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.

Legacy: Consequences

Part five

'So,' Jack said, waiting for Daniel to say something.

'Jack.' Daniel hesitated, not quite sure how to begin.

'Daniel.'

'Um, look, I'm sorry for the way I've been, you know, acting like I was crazy.' Daniel managed to get out. 'Look, I'll understand if you want me off the team, I mean, I'm a bit of a liability aren't I?' Daniel laughed weakly, trying to sound as though it didn't matter but knew that if Jack spoke the word he would be devastated.

'Is that how you think of yourself?' Jack couldn't believe the words in spite of what he had overheard earlier. 'Daniel, you saved our butts right after we got you locked up for acting like you were nuts. You've saved our butts, hell you've saved the butts of everyone on this planet and several others that I can think of, more times than I can remember. You are not a liability, Daniel, you are a valuable member of my team and I want you to continue being a member of my team.' Jack took a deep breath, uncomfortable at discussing his feelings. 'And you're my friend Daniel, one of my closest friends. Scrub that. You're family, Daniel, no matter what happens, we've got that. Is that clear enough for you?' Jack's voice resumed his half joking manner, but Daniel could see how much the words actually meant.

'But I talked…' Daniel tried to protest.

'That wasn't your fault, Daniel.'

'What's going to happen to Alix? I mean, it's my fault she's here at all, I shot her and told her all that stuff that meant she had to be brought here rather than being given some cover story, and now she's seen the Stargate.' Daniel looked perplexed, his face creasing up as he tried to think clearly enough to come up with a solution, remembering how she had helped him resolve the situation with Jack and felt they owed her something for what she had been through because of them.

'Actually, I'm just on my way to a meeting with General Hammond to discuss it. And I don't know any more than you do so it's no good pestering me.' Jack grinned at Daniel, seeing him about to demand more information. 'Anyway, gotta go - can't keep the General waiting now can I?' And he slipped out of the room before Daniel could protest any further. Daniel, in spite of his curiosity and frustration at the lack of information closed his eyes wearily, relieved that his worries had been laid to rest and feeling pleasantly tired. Five minutes later he was sound asleep.

***********

Jack bumped into Dr Fraiser just as she was leaving Alix's room.

'You're going to see General Hammond aren't you?' She asked. Jack nodded. 'I'll walk with you then. He's asked me along as well.' As they headed for Hammond's office they chatted about Daniel's progress, stopping talking as they reached their destination only to find someone had beaten them to it.

Jack walked slowly into the room, ignoring Hammond's greeting, remaining standing as he glared at Dr McKenzie.

'General?' Jack spoke in a dangerously low voice. 'What's he doing here?'

'I've asked Dr McKenzie to join us because Ms Noble works for him and I believe he can help us out,' Hammond said firmly, trying to keep Jack's anger in check, unsuccessfully. The recent occurrences were still too fresh in Jack's mind for him to willingly accept anything from McKenzie.

'You mean like he helped Daniel? That really made a difference didn't it? If he had taken even one minute to consider the possibility that Daniel had been infected by something then none of this would have happened. Daniel could have died and he nearly killed a civilian.'

'Colonel, sit down!' Hammond barked out, relieved when Jack threw himself into a chair. 'I understand what you're saying but we can't change what has happened and I'm sure Dr McKenzie, along with the rest of us, will learn a valuable lesson from this.' Jack said nothing further but kept up an angry glare directed at McKenzie.

'Colonel O'Neill, I am very sorry that any of this happened, and General Hammond is right, we have to move on and try to sort out the current situation. I know Alix, she's worked for me for six years and I don't think we've got too much of a problem.'

'Like hell we don't - she's a civilian and thanks to Daniel's little holiday with you she now knows just about everything about the programme and you say we don't have a problem.'

'Alix has already signed a confidentiality clause for the work she currently does, she is aware that some of the patient records held contain sensitive and sometimes unusual information. Alix can be trusted, and if we explain exactly what is at stake here I am confident that we won't have any further problems.'

Jack snorted and was about to speak again when he was interrupted by Dr Fraiser who had been paying close attention to what was going on. 'Colonel, I know how you are feeling - I keep thinking about what I should have done differently, but we can be thankful that no-one was more seriously hurt and now we need to focus on damage control. I think Dr McKenzie's plan is the best option - Alix is intelligent and after what she's seen and heard here, a cover story just wouldn't cut it.'

'I agree,' Hammond turned to Jack. 'Colonel, I'd like you to deal with this please. Dr McKenzie, I need to speak to you now.'

'Wouldn't it be better to wait until Daniel…?' Jack protested, feeling Daniel was much better suited to this type of thing than he was.

'Alix is beginning to ask questions, Colonel,' Dr Fraiser chipped in, 'And Daniel won't be fit to do anything for another couple of days.'

'I guess I better give it a shot then,' Jack grimaced and took his leave.

***********

Dr Fraiser returned to the infirmary to be greeted by one of the nurses with an urgent request to see Alix.

'You wanted to see me?' Dr Fraiser asked, taking in the sight of the agitated woman pacing up and down.

'No,' Alix said, struggling to remain calm. 'I want to see someone who can tell me what's going on and when I can go home.' Janet could hear her voice shaking.

'Ok, I'll ask Colonel O'Neill to come and talk to you. Why don't you get back into bed and take it easy until he gets here?' Janet moved towards Alix to assist her but the hand she placed on Alix's arm was shaken off and Alix retreated to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall with her arms wrapped around herself. 'Or maybe not. I'll be right back.' Dr Fraiser cast a worried glance back at Alix before stepping outside and sending the guard to find the Colonel.

When she returned to the room, Alix had resumed her pacing and the colour that had flooded her face before had now gone, leaving her looking pale and vulnerable.

'Alix, are you sure you don't want…' Janet was cut off by Alix starting to talk.

'Why was I brought here?'

'You'd been shot and had a concussion.'

'But why here? I mean, there are lots of hospitals in Colorado Springs, why was it necessary for me to come here?' Alix's pacing became a little faster, as though her footsteps were trying to keep pace with the way her mind was working. 'Are they going to let me go at all? Or am I just going to be kept locked away to stop me from telling anyone about what I know? Which is a bit of something and nothing really. I don't really know what's going on but I can't help wondering - I mean there was that water thing last night, and the guards all over the place, and that man who seemed to have something to do with Daniel acting the way he did, and those other men who seemed to be trying to get us both for some reason.'

'Alix, you really should take it easy,' Janet tried again to persuade her to at least sit down, realising that Alix was experiencing a reaction to what she had been through in the last few days.

'Dr Fraiser?' Jack had appeared at the door and witnessed the tail end of Alix's speech.

'Colonel O'Neill, Alix has a few questions about when she's going home.' Janet looked at Jack, relieved when he gave her a brief nod of understanding.

'You're Colonel O'Neill?' Alix bit the words out. Jack nodded. 'I thought you were Jack?'

'I am. Colonel Jack O'Neill.' Jack wondered where this was going. 'So, what's the problem?'

'You mean you don't know what the problem is?' Alix was still pacing, an unconscious act to try to keep herself under control. 'I've been shot, hit on the head, had someone try to abduct me and I've been kept locked up in some kind of hospital and you don't know what the problem is?' She paused to catch her breath and Jack opened his mouth to say something but was left standing with his mouth open as Alix continued. 'I've seen and heard some of the weirdest stuff in my life, you all act like there's some huge secret going on around here and I get the feeling that you don't really know what to do with me. So what is going to happen?' Alix stopped talking but continued walking up and down the room, Janet could see her breathing becoming more laboured and the colour continued to fade from her cheeks.

'Whoa there! I'm sorry if it seems like you've been a prisoner, but there is a lot more going on here than you can possibly know and our first priority had to be national security.'

'Bullshit.' Alix snapped, turning to stand in front of Jack. 'You military types are all the same, trying to cover up some weird experiments you're carrying out. I don't care about national security or what secrets you're hiding - I just want to go home. I didn't ask to become involved in all this top secret stuff. I just - want to go home.' Alix's voice lowered to a whisper as her energy at last ran out.

Janet had been watching closely and made to move towards her but was beaten by Colonel O'Neill who assisted Alix to the bed. Janet busied herself with helping her to lie down and pulling the covers over her now shivering body, gently brushing her hair away from her face. This appeared to be the final straw for Alix who now burst into tears, instinctively clinging to Dr Fraiser who was now sitting beside her on the bed. At last the tears eased and Janet could feel Alix pushing away from her.

'I'm sorry, I don't know…' Alix stumbled over the words, brushing her hair away from her hot face, embarrassed at her outburst.

'No worries,' Jack said calmly as he settled himself comfortably on the edge of the bed where Dr Fraiser had just been sitting. 'Here.' He handed her a damp flannel to wipe her face. 'Feeling better?' Alix nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 'Good. When you're feeling up to it you can go home, but first I've been authorised to tell you what is going on here.'

Alix looked at him suspiciously.

'I know this is going to sound crazy, but everything Daniel has told you is true and I'm here to fill in some of the gaps to help you understand why you can never talk about what has happened here.' Jack drew a breath to begin his explanation when Alix's attention was drawn to a new arrival in the room.

'Dr McKenzie?' Alix greeted the new arrival in surprise.

'Alix - I'm sorry I took so long getting here. Dr Fraiser notified me as soon as you were brought here but I couldn't get here until now. How are you doing?' Dr McKenzie waited for a response, then added 'Alix?' as she stared at him for a few moments without a response.

'You work here too?' Alix asked.

'Sometimes, yes. Are you alright?'

'Much better, thanks.' Alix's mind was trying to process what was going on. 'You know what goes on round here then?' McKenzie nodded. 'Oh.' She thought for a few moments then continued speaking. 'Colonel O'Neill was just telling me that everything Daniel talked about was true.' Alix looked at McKenzie for confirmation of what Jack had told her.

'That's right, you can trust whatever Colonel O'Neill is about to tell you.' Jack glanced up quickly at this, realising that this was an unspoken apology and beginning to thaw just a little towards him.

'So, what happens now?' Alix asked.

'I'll leave you in Colonel O'Neill's capable hands,' Dr McKenzie saw Alix's nod and left after saying 'I'll see you in a couple of days when you're feeling better.'

'Ok, I'll just give you the basics, Daniel can fill in more of the details another time,' Jack began his account. 'Approximately four years ago Daniel Jackson figured out how to activate the Stargate…'

THE END