(no subject)
There's a rush of color and light and the familiar sensation of traveling through space and time. And, as quickly as it begins, it's over and Janet is standing in an unfamiliar dark room.
There's a window in one corner and, by the faint glow of the still connected wormhole behind her, she can see a bed and a sleeping form. Janet glances quickly over her shoulder, hoping her way back won't disappear, and then walks over to the bed slowly, somehow a bit frightened at the thought of being able to talk to her daughter again.
She knows she can't stay long or she'll fade away, Cassie had said so in one of the dreams. She is dead in this world and it has to stay that way.
Janet sits on the edge of the bed and leans over to shake Cassie's shoulder lightly to wake her.
"Cassie," she whispers, "Cassie, wake-up, it's me."
The girl stirs slightly and then finally rolls over, eyes half open.
"What...?"
"Cassie."
Cassie opens her eyes, sits up slightly, and makes a noise of recognition.
"...mom?" she whispers hesitantly. "Am I dreaming?"
Janet smiles and reaches for her hand, "no honey, I'm actually here."
Cassie's voice is panicky now, like she's missed an important fact that shouldn't have been forgotten.
"What? How? They said...that you..." Cassie takes a calming breath, "Does this have something to do with the Stargate?"
Janet shakes her head, "I don't think so, atleast, not that I know of."
Cassie glances to her left. "Then why is there one in my closet?"
Janet pauses for a moment and then says, "I don't have much time here, but I'll tell you as much as I know. After I died, I went to a place, a bar, actually, called Milliways--" Janet notices Cassie's look of disbelief "--hold on, I'm getting to it. This bar is like a meeting place for all different kinds of people, even aliens, from different planets, universes, even time periods. When I got there, I didn't know that I had been killed, and I tried to get back. I couldn't, so I thought I was stuck for a while. And then Sam showed up and I found out that I was dead and couldn't return home. Sam is from our universe, she knows about Milliways too...Don't worry, she's alright," Janet adds, seeing Cassie's look of fear, "in Milliways, people who are dead can still interact with everyone who is alive."
"But...how were you able to come back?"
"I honestly don't know," Janet shakes her head. "I just...had this feeling that something was telling me that I could leave. But if I stay too long here, then I can't go back, and I'll disappear forever. I just needed to make sure that you're alright and tell you that I'm okay too, even if I am dead."
There was silence for a moment and then Cassie leans into Janet and holds on tight, not wanting to let go.
"I love you mom. It was awful, not having a chance to tell you that."
"I love you too and I'm so proud of you," Janet says, rubbing Cassie's back and smoothing down her hair. "I wanted to see you again. Sam told me all about you going off to college, and I was so happy to hear about it, I wish I could have been there."
"That's where we are now," Cassie sniffles, "this is my dorm room."
"I was wondering why everything looked different." Janet leans back to look at Cassie and smiles, still holding on to the girl's hands.
"I want to hear all about it. Everything. How are your classes?"
Cassie looks at Janet fearfully and doesn't answer.
"Something's happening to you!"
Janet looks down at her hands. She can still feel them but her skin is slowly fading in and out.
"I've stayed too long," Janet says quickly, leaning in to hug Cassie one more time and kisses her forehead. "Don't ever forget how much I love you."
Tears slide down Cassie's cheeks as Janet stands up.
"Here," Janet reaches around behind her neck and unfastens the necklace that she had with her when she died. "I was planning on giving it to you for your graduation." Janet quickly puts it around Cassie's neck while she can still see her hands. It is Janet's favorite necklace, given to her by her own mother, and she is finally able to give it to Cassie.
Cassie holds up the small locket. "I had wondered what happened to it. Sam and I looked everywhere, but we couldn't find it."
Janet gives Cassie one last kiss on the top of her head and steps backward toward the door. "If you suddenly arrive in a bar one day, look for me. I'll be there waiting. I'll miss you, sweetie."
Cassie climbs out of bed and gives her mother one last hug, "I'll miss you to."
Janet looks down at her arms and sees the floor through them. She smiles, "guess it's time for me to go," she says quietly, slowly stepping backward through the event horizon.
"Mom..." Cassie whispers as Janet disappears completely into the silver suface.
The light flickers and the wormhole disconnects. Cassie walks toward her closet and reaches her hand out tentively. There's nothing left but air and no sign at all that there had ever been a stargate.
But Cassie has the necklace, and that is all the proof she needs.
There's a window in one corner and, by the faint glow of the still connected wormhole behind her, she can see a bed and a sleeping form. Janet glances quickly over her shoulder, hoping her way back won't disappear, and then walks over to the bed slowly, somehow a bit frightened at the thought of being able to talk to her daughter again.
She knows she can't stay long or she'll fade away, Cassie had said so in one of the dreams. She is dead in this world and it has to stay that way.
Janet sits on the edge of the bed and leans over to shake Cassie's shoulder lightly to wake her.
"Cassie," she whispers, "Cassie, wake-up, it's me."
The girl stirs slightly and then finally rolls over, eyes half open.
"What...?"
"Cassie."
Cassie opens her eyes, sits up slightly, and makes a noise of recognition.
"...mom?" she whispers hesitantly. "Am I dreaming?"
Janet smiles and reaches for her hand, "no honey, I'm actually here."
Cassie's voice is panicky now, like she's missed an important fact that shouldn't have been forgotten.
"What? How? They said...that you..." Cassie takes a calming breath, "Does this have something to do with the Stargate?"
Janet shakes her head, "I don't think so, atleast, not that I know of."
Cassie glances to her left. "Then why is there one in my closet?"
Janet pauses for a moment and then says, "I don't have much time here, but I'll tell you as much as I know. After I died, I went to a place, a bar, actually, called Milliways--" Janet notices Cassie's look of disbelief "--hold on, I'm getting to it. This bar is like a meeting place for all different kinds of people, even aliens, from different planets, universes, even time periods. When I got there, I didn't know that I had been killed, and I tried to get back. I couldn't, so I thought I was stuck for a while. And then Sam showed up and I found out that I was dead and couldn't return home. Sam is from our universe, she knows about Milliways too...Don't worry, she's alright," Janet adds, seeing Cassie's look of fear, "in Milliways, people who are dead can still interact with everyone who is alive."
"But...how were you able to come back?"
"I honestly don't know," Janet shakes her head. "I just...had this feeling that something was telling me that I could leave. But if I stay too long here, then I can't go back, and I'll disappear forever. I just needed to make sure that you're alright and tell you that I'm okay too, even if I am dead."
There was silence for a moment and then Cassie leans into Janet and holds on tight, not wanting to let go.
"I love you mom. It was awful, not having a chance to tell you that."
"I love you too and I'm so proud of you," Janet says, rubbing Cassie's back and smoothing down her hair. "I wanted to see you again. Sam told me all about you going off to college, and I was so happy to hear about it, I wish I could have been there."
"That's where we are now," Cassie sniffles, "this is my dorm room."
"I was wondering why everything looked different." Janet leans back to look at Cassie and smiles, still holding on to the girl's hands.
"I want to hear all about it. Everything. How are your classes?"
Cassie looks at Janet fearfully and doesn't answer.
"Something's happening to you!"
Janet looks down at her hands. She can still feel them but her skin is slowly fading in and out.
"I've stayed too long," Janet says quickly, leaning in to hug Cassie one more time and kisses her forehead. "Don't ever forget how much I love you."
Tears slide down Cassie's cheeks as Janet stands up.
"Here," Janet reaches around behind her neck and unfastens the necklace that she had with her when she died. "I was planning on giving it to you for your graduation." Janet quickly puts it around Cassie's neck while she can still see her hands. It is Janet's favorite necklace, given to her by her own mother, and she is finally able to give it to Cassie.
Cassie holds up the small locket. "I had wondered what happened to it. Sam and I looked everywhere, but we couldn't find it."
Janet gives Cassie one last kiss on the top of her head and steps backward toward the door. "If you suddenly arrive in a bar one day, look for me. I'll be there waiting. I'll miss you, sweetie."
Cassie climbs out of bed and gives her mother one last hug, "I'll miss you to."
Janet looks down at her arms and sees the floor through them. She smiles, "guess it's time for me to go," she says quietly, slowly stepping backward through the event horizon.
"Mom..." Cassie whispers as Janet disappears completely into the silver suface.
The light flickers and the wormhole disconnects. Cassie walks toward her closet and reaches her hand out tentively. There's nothing left but air and no sign at all that there had ever been a stargate.
But Cassie has the necklace, and that is all the proof she needs.