Fic: Light up the Sky, PG, SGA/Charmed (1 of 8)
Title: Light up the Sky
Author: wild_force71
Fandoms: SGA/Charmed
Rating: PG
Warnings: Post show for both, so some spoilers.
Pairings (if applicable) N/A
Character(s) (if applicable) Main characters from both shows
Summary: In 2009 Atlantis landed in San Francisco Bay, safely shielded from view by the cloak. But not everyone in the city is normal, and some can see what's really there...
Light up the Sky
The science labs, like most of the rest of the City, were darker than usual, and almost deserted. Most of the screens were powered off; more than half the City’s residents were away debriefing, either back at SGC or at Homeworld security.
John leaned against the door, watching Radek poke half heartedly at the screen in front of him. “Bored, Doc?”
“Hmm. Rodney left strict instructions. No work is to be done until he returns to supervise.”
“Surprised you didn’t go with him. I thought Homeworld Security wanted to talk to everyone.”
Radek shrugged. “Someone has to keep the City running. Even on reduced power there are checks to run and repairs to monitor. What about you?”
“With Woolsey and Rodney and Carson all gone, someone needs to keep an eye on things around here.”
His radio beeped. “Sir?” Lorne said.
“Yeah, Lorne.”
“Sir, we have a...situation in the ’Gate room.”
“I don’t like the sound of that pause, Lorne. What kind of situation?”
“The kind you really need to see for yourself, sir.”
John rolled his eyes. “On my way. Let’s go, Radek.”
Teyla was waiting when they stepped out of the transporter closest to Control. Torren was in her arms, chuckling as she bounced him.
“I do not believe there is any danger,” she told John. John nodded, tickling Torren under the chin as he passed.
The two or three techs in the Control room were lining the railings, looking down into the ’Gate room. John headed past them without looking, pausing halfway down the steps. Radek stopped just behind him.
Lorne was crouched next to a dark haired child in the middle of the floor. John came down the rest of the stairs, watching them warily.
“Lorne?”
“Appeared out of nowhere, sir.” He shifted, trying to disentangle his gun strap from the boy’s grip.
“Appeared?” John repeated.
“Not any form of transporter we’re familiar with. Blue lights and he was here.”
“He say anything?”
Lorne shrugged. “His name’s Chris.”
Teyla stepped past John, sitting carefully on the floor beside Lorne and Chris. “Hello, Chris. My name is Teyla, and this is Torren.”
Chris laughed, reaching towards Torren. Lorne carefully eased backwards, rising to his feet and moving to join John.
“Scanners say human, sir, but Medical’s on their way up to check.”
“And no warning?”
“No sir. Blue light, child.”
John looked up towards the Control room. “Chuck, get the security footage ready. Teyla, you OK?”
“We are fine. Look, Chris, my friend Jennifer is here.”
Jennifer halted her techs, waving them to stand back, and sat beside Teyla, smiling at Chris. “Hi there. My name’s Jennifer, what’s yours?”
“Chris!”
“Chris, hi.”
“Hang around,” John murmured to Lorne.
“Yes sir.”
John headed up towards the Control room. Lorne turned back to watch Teyla and Jennifer chat with Chris.
Radek stepped up beside him. “Blue lights, child?”
“Blue lights, child. Why?”
“Hmm. Is odd. I will examine the footage.”
In the control room John was leaning over one of the monitors. He glanced up as Radek arrives, taking a step to one side so he could see. “Lorne’s right. Blue light, child.”
On the screen, the ’Gate room was normal until a shower of blue lights appeared in the middle of it. When they cleared, Chris was standing there, peering around.
Radek frowned, sitting down and rerunning the footage.
“Got something?” John asked.
“Maybe,” Radek said absently. “There are tests, first.”
Chuck turned from the railing. “Sir?” John glanced up, crossing to the railing.
“Sir, we’re heading down to the Infirmary,” Jennifer told him. John looked past her; Chris was holding Teyla’s hand, smiling up at her.
“Right. Keep me posted. Lorne, get an extra guard down there.”
“John,” Teyla protested. “He’s a child.”
“Humor me.”
Lorne nodded, touching his earpiece and beginning to murmur.
John glanced over his shoulder, grinning. “Lorne! Cancel it.” Ronon came in, joining John at the rail. “Go ahead, Keller.”
“What’s going on?” Ronon asked, watching Teyla slowly lead Chris out.
“Got a visitor. Do me a favor, go keep them company?”
“You’re worried about a kid?”
“I’m worried about a kid who can get through our cloak with no warning. Go keep an eye on them.”
Ronon nodded, heading out after them. John glanced briefly at Radek, still staring at his screen, before leaving.
“Wyatt? Chris?”
Piper walked into the living room, looking around. “Chris? Are you in here? Wyatt?”
Wyatt ran in from the sun room. “Here, Mama!”
“Where’s Chris, Wyatt?”
Wyatt looked around, wide-eyed. “I don’t know.”
“Were you orbing? You know you’re not supposed to do that.”
“I wasn’t!”
“And where’s Chris?” Wyatt looked away, avoiding her eyes. “Wyatt, you know you’re supposed to watch him. He’s only little, he doesn’t know how to use his magic properly.”
Wyatt muttered something that might have been an explanation. Piper sighed, kneeling in front of him. He was almost as tall as her this way, and she wondered absently when he’d gotten so tall. “Wyatt, you’re not in trouble. OK? I just need to know where Chris is.”
“He wanted to see the star city,” Wyatt blurted. “I told him he couldn’t.”
“The star city?”
“We saw it in the water.”
Piper frowned, trying to figure out what he could mean. “Can you show me?”
Wyatt nodded, running out of the room. A moment later he reappeared, clutching the map of San Francisco they used for scrying.
“It’s here. In the water. We saw it with Daddy.”
He pointed to the center of the Bay. Piper stared at it for a moment before deciding she needed help.
“Leo!”
Wyatt sniffled, looking down. Piper wiped his cheek, smiling when he looked up. “It’s OK, Wyatt, you’re not in trouble. I just need to find Chris.”
“He’s in the star city,” Wyatt told her again. Piper started to answer but paused when Leo orbed in, looking around.
“Piper? What’s going on?”
Piper rose to her feet; Wyatt leaned against her leg, watching him warily.
“You tell me. Wyatt says Chris went to see the star city. Something you showed them.”
“I didn’t show them any...Oh. Wyatt, when we were on the Bridge?”
Wyatt nodded. “I told him not to. I did, I promise.”
Leo scooped him up for a hug. “I know, buddy. It’s OK.”
“Leo, what’s going on?” Piper asked.
“Remember last week, we saw those shooting stars? The government said it was rubbish from the space station, not to worry about it?”
“Yes, and we checked, and it wasn’t an omen of anything, either.”
“It’s some kind of military base. It’s sitting just off shore, hidden--regular people can’t see it.”
“So you took the boys to sight see?”
“I didn’t know it was there! We left right away, and I told the boys to forget it.” He carefully loosened Wyatt’s arms from around his neck, putting him back on his feet and crouching in front of him. “Are you sure that’s where Chris went?”
“He thought it was pretty,” Wyatt told him. Leo nodded, rising to his feet.
“Well? Go get him!” Piper demanded.
“Piper, I can’t just orb onto a secret military base. Exposure, remember? And besides, it’s huge. I have no idea where to look.”
“Well, I’ll just have to summon him, then. Can you get my sisters, please?”
“I’ll go get him,” Wyatt offered.
“No!”
Wyatt flinched; Piper grimaced, taking a deep breath. “No, sweetie, you stay here. No orbing, got it?”
The baby monitor sounded suddenly. Piper pushed her hair back, glancing at it.
“I’ll get her,” Leo offered.
“No, you go get my sisters; we can’t summon Chris without the Power of Three. I’ll take care of Mel. Wyatt, sweetie, you go play with your toys, and no orbing, alright?”
“No orbing,” Wyatt agreed quietly.
“Come on, buddy, let’s get you set up,” Leo said. Piper stared at him, and he added, “Paige is already gone to get Phoebe. They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
The baby cried again and Piper headed out. Leo and Wyatt went into the sun room.
Chris was sitting with Torren on the bed in the isolation room. He was playing, but he was clearly getting tired and cranky. Teyla stood by the bed, watching them. Ronon was lurking near the door, looking vaguely bored.
“Like Mel,” Chris said quietly.
“Who is Mel, Chris?”
“Little, like him.” Chris yawned, looking around.
“Is Mel your friend? Your sister, perhaps?”
“Where’s Wyatt?”
“Who is Wyatt?” Teyla asked patiently.
Up on the observation deck, Woolsey stood with John and Jennifer, watching them. “He hasn’t told us anything?”
“He’s four, sir,” Jennifer told him. “I’m not sure he knows anything.”
“Four?” John repeated.
“Yeah. Completely human, too...he doesn’t even have the ATA.”
“So the blue lights didn’t harm him?” Woolsey asked.
“Not that we’ve been able to detect, no.”
“So what are we thinking?” John folded his arms, leaning against the wall. “Alternate dimension, time travel, some new alien race...some old alien race...?”
“If it’s time travel, they’ve done their homework.” Jennifer gestured to Chris’s Bob the Builder TShirt, looking convincingly distressed. “It’s too soon to tell if it’s an alternate dimension...entropic cascade failure won’t set in for a while yet.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t,” John said quietly.
“Indeed,” Woolsey agreed.
“Dr Keller?” Teyla called from below them.
“What is it, Teyla?”
“Can you come down here?”
Jennifer nodded, heading for the door. John leant on the window frame, peering down; Teyla had taken Torren off the bed and Ronon looked more alert, but he couldn’t see anything wrong.
“Teyla, what’s up?” he called.
“He moved the blanket.”
“So?”
Jennifer stepped in; Teyla turned her back on the bed to look up at John and Woolsey.
“He wasn’t touching it. He looked at it, and it moved.”
John looked at Woolsey, frowning. “Keller said he didn’t have the ATA, right?”
“Neither does Daniel Jackson,” Woolsey pointed out.
“Jackson never got any of the abilities - he just skipped straight to Ascending. What about, what’d they call it...hokey?”
“Hok’tar?”
“He’s not Hok’tar,” Jennifer said from below. “He’s a perfectly normal human.”
“So was Cassandra Fraiser, as I understand.”
“Cassie was changed before she ever set foot on Earth. It’s in all her records. Nothing like that’s been done to this boy.”
Deep in one of the labs Zelenka watched the conversation on a screen, chewing nervously on a fingernail.
“...records,” Jennifer said. “Nothing like that’s been done to this boy.”
“This is not good,” he murmured to himself. “Not good at all.”
In the attic of the Manor Piper and her sisters stood around the lectern, reading from the Book of Shadows. “Blood to blood I summon thee, blood to blood return to me.”
Leo looked up from the couch where he was sitting with Wyatt, but nothing happened. Piper took a deep breath, staring at the Book to avoid her sister’s gazes.
“Again.”
“Sweetie, we’ve done it four times already,” Phoebe said gently.
“Then the fifth will be the charm,” she said briskly. “Come on.”
Phoebe and Paige exchanged helpless looks, communicating with their eyebrows for a moment before going along with it.
“Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here. Blood to blood I summon thee, blood to blood return to me!”
A figure somersaulted out of midair, smashing into the potions table and falling off the other side. Leo orbed Wyatt to Paige and carefully approached.
“It’s a man,” he reported.
Piper sagged. Phoebe hastily steadied her, leading her to a chair and standing over her.
“It’s Chris!” Leo said in surprise.
“How can it...”
“We summoned the wrong Chris,” Paige realized. She set Wyatt beside Piper and went to join Leo, behind the table and out of sight of the others.
“He’s alright!” she called back. “A bit cut up. Leo’s taking care of it now.”
Leo stood, pulling Chris up after him. He looked the same as he always did; no matter when he came back, Chris never seemed to change much.
He was a little dazed right now, though, hanging on to Leo to keep his balance. “Dad. Aunt Paige. What’s...”
He looked around, taking in the attic. When he saw Wyatt with his mother he frowned, suddenly alert. “What year is it?”
“Two thousand nine,” Paige told him. “January, if you’re wondering. What is it where you were?”
“Twenty six,” he said absently. “April, almost Beltane.”
Piper stood up, moving to hug him. As though reminded, the others piled on as well, grabbing him into a group hug. Chris was smiling when they let go, but he sobered as he looked around.
“Why did you guys summon me? I’m not supposed to be here now.”
“We were looking for Chris,” Phoebe explained, motioning ‘small’ with her hands. Chris nodded, frowning.
“He vanished a little while ago,” Paige added.
“I never...oh. Oh.” Looking at Leo, he continued, “The star city?”
“So you remember it?” Piper asked quickly.
“Sort of.”
“’Sort of’? What do you mean, sort of?”
“Mom, I was four!” he protested.
“OK. Piper, sweetie? We need to calm down.” Phoebe touched her shoulder, trying to guide her away. Piper brushed her off, watching Chris intently.
“Chris, do you remember how you got home?” Leo asked.
Chris frowned, thinking. “There was a man, in the city. He brought me home.”
“What man?” Piper asked.
Chris looked helplessly at Leo, who shrugged. “Mom, I’m sorry. I haven’t even thought about it in years. Look, I wasn’t hurt there, so Mini Me should be fine.”
“Can you find him?” she asked quietly.
“I’m sorry,” Chris murmured.
Phoebe steered Piper out, waving Chris back when he moved to follow. Paige looked after them, biting her lip.
“I’m sorry,” Chris said again.
“It’s not your fault,” Paige told him. “She’s just really worried about...you.” She repeated Phoebe’s ‘small’ gesture. Chris nodded, turning away.
Left behind and unseen by anyone, Wyatt orbed out.
Radek was walking down a corridor in Atlantis, muttering to himself, when Wyatt appeared. Radek stopped dead, looking worriedly around before crouching beside him.
“Hello, little man. Are you looking for Chris?”
“He has to come home,” Wyatt told him.
“Yes, of course. But you can’t be here. You should go home, Wyatt, and I will make sure Chris gets back to you safely.”
Wyatt stared at him. Radek checked the corridor again, making sure they were alone, before holding out one hand; a tiny globe of light formed, flickering gently.
“See?” Radek murmured. “I am witch, too. I will send Chris home to you, I promise. Please tell your father I will call him, when it’s safe.”
The light in his hand vanished. Wyatt studied him, eyes wide.
“Go home, Wyatt,” Radek said again.
“Doc?” Lorne called from behind him.
“Go!” Radek whispered.
Wyatt didn’t move, watching interestedly as Lorne approached. He slowed as he caught sight of Wyatt, pacing slowly up to stand just behind Radek.
“Doc? Something you want to tell me?” he asked warily.
Radek sighed, pushing to his feet. “Is Chris’s brother. He came looking.”
“Chris’s brother, huh? Hi there. Are you looking for Chris?”
“My mommy wants him to come home,” Wyatt informed him.
“Uh huh, I’ll bet. Where is home?”
“Home is our house. Where is Chris?”
“If you wanna come with me, I’ll show you,” Lorne offered.
Wyatt shook his head, orbing out. Radek fell back a few steps, feigning astonishment when Lorne turned to look at him.
“You think there’s many more of them?” Lorne asked.
“Let us hope not. I will check sensors; maybe they saw something.”
“Yeah.” Tapping his radio, he added, “Colonel Sheppard? We may have a problem.”
Radek turned away, one hand balled into a fist.
Author: wild_force71
Fandoms: SGA/Charmed
Rating: PG
Warnings: Post show for both, so some spoilers.
Pairings (if applicable) N/A
Character(s) (if applicable) Main characters from both shows
Summary: In 2009 Atlantis landed in San Francisco Bay, safely shielded from view by the cloak. But not everyone in the city is normal, and some can see what's really there...
Light up the Sky
The science labs, like most of the rest of the City, were darker than usual, and almost deserted. Most of the screens were powered off; more than half the City’s residents were away debriefing, either back at SGC or at Homeworld security.
John leaned against the door, watching Radek poke half heartedly at the screen in front of him. “Bored, Doc?”
“Hmm. Rodney left strict instructions. No work is to be done until he returns to supervise.”
“Surprised you didn’t go with him. I thought Homeworld Security wanted to talk to everyone.”
Radek shrugged. “Someone has to keep the City running. Even on reduced power there are checks to run and repairs to monitor. What about you?”
“With Woolsey and Rodney and Carson all gone, someone needs to keep an eye on things around here.”
His radio beeped. “Sir?” Lorne said.
“Yeah, Lorne.”
“Sir, we have a...situation in the ’Gate room.”
“I don’t like the sound of that pause, Lorne. What kind of situation?”
“The kind you really need to see for yourself, sir.”
John rolled his eyes. “On my way. Let’s go, Radek.”
Teyla was waiting when they stepped out of the transporter closest to Control. Torren was in her arms, chuckling as she bounced him.
“I do not believe there is any danger,” she told John. John nodded, tickling Torren under the chin as he passed.
The two or three techs in the Control room were lining the railings, looking down into the ’Gate room. John headed past them without looking, pausing halfway down the steps. Radek stopped just behind him.
Lorne was crouched next to a dark haired child in the middle of the floor. John came down the rest of the stairs, watching them warily.
“Lorne?”
“Appeared out of nowhere, sir.” He shifted, trying to disentangle his gun strap from the boy’s grip.
“Appeared?” John repeated.
“Not any form of transporter we’re familiar with. Blue lights and he was here.”
“He say anything?”
Lorne shrugged. “His name’s Chris.”
Teyla stepped past John, sitting carefully on the floor beside Lorne and Chris. “Hello, Chris. My name is Teyla, and this is Torren.”
Chris laughed, reaching towards Torren. Lorne carefully eased backwards, rising to his feet and moving to join John.
“Scanners say human, sir, but Medical’s on their way up to check.”
“And no warning?”
“No sir. Blue light, child.”
John looked up towards the Control room. “Chuck, get the security footage ready. Teyla, you OK?”
“We are fine. Look, Chris, my friend Jennifer is here.”
Jennifer halted her techs, waving them to stand back, and sat beside Teyla, smiling at Chris. “Hi there. My name’s Jennifer, what’s yours?”
“Chris!”
“Chris, hi.”
“Hang around,” John murmured to Lorne.
“Yes sir.”
John headed up towards the Control room. Lorne turned back to watch Teyla and Jennifer chat with Chris.
Radek stepped up beside him. “Blue lights, child?”
“Blue lights, child. Why?”
“Hmm. Is odd. I will examine the footage.”
In the control room John was leaning over one of the monitors. He glanced up as Radek arrives, taking a step to one side so he could see. “Lorne’s right. Blue light, child.”
On the screen, the ’Gate room was normal until a shower of blue lights appeared in the middle of it. When they cleared, Chris was standing there, peering around.
Radek frowned, sitting down and rerunning the footage.
“Got something?” John asked.
“Maybe,” Radek said absently. “There are tests, first.”
Chuck turned from the railing. “Sir?” John glanced up, crossing to the railing.
“Sir, we’re heading down to the Infirmary,” Jennifer told him. John looked past her; Chris was holding Teyla’s hand, smiling up at her.
“Right. Keep me posted. Lorne, get an extra guard down there.”
“John,” Teyla protested. “He’s a child.”
“Humor me.”
Lorne nodded, touching his earpiece and beginning to murmur.
John glanced over his shoulder, grinning. “Lorne! Cancel it.” Ronon came in, joining John at the rail. “Go ahead, Keller.”
“What’s going on?” Ronon asked, watching Teyla slowly lead Chris out.
“Got a visitor. Do me a favor, go keep them company?”
“You’re worried about a kid?”
“I’m worried about a kid who can get through our cloak with no warning. Go keep an eye on them.”
Ronon nodded, heading out after them. John glanced briefly at Radek, still staring at his screen, before leaving.
“Wyatt? Chris?”
Piper walked into the living room, looking around. “Chris? Are you in here? Wyatt?”
Wyatt ran in from the sun room. “Here, Mama!”
“Where’s Chris, Wyatt?”
Wyatt looked around, wide-eyed. “I don’t know.”
“Were you orbing? You know you’re not supposed to do that.”
“I wasn’t!”
“And where’s Chris?” Wyatt looked away, avoiding her eyes. “Wyatt, you know you’re supposed to watch him. He’s only little, he doesn’t know how to use his magic properly.”
Wyatt muttered something that might have been an explanation. Piper sighed, kneeling in front of him. He was almost as tall as her this way, and she wondered absently when he’d gotten so tall. “Wyatt, you’re not in trouble. OK? I just need to know where Chris is.”
“He wanted to see the star city,” Wyatt blurted. “I told him he couldn’t.”
“The star city?”
“We saw it in the water.”
Piper frowned, trying to figure out what he could mean. “Can you show me?”
Wyatt nodded, running out of the room. A moment later he reappeared, clutching the map of San Francisco they used for scrying.
“It’s here. In the water. We saw it with Daddy.”
He pointed to the center of the Bay. Piper stared at it for a moment before deciding she needed help.
“Leo!”
Wyatt sniffled, looking down. Piper wiped his cheek, smiling when he looked up. “It’s OK, Wyatt, you’re not in trouble. I just need to find Chris.”
“He’s in the star city,” Wyatt told her again. Piper started to answer but paused when Leo orbed in, looking around.
“Piper? What’s going on?”
Piper rose to her feet; Wyatt leaned against her leg, watching him warily.
“You tell me. Wyatt says Chris went to see the star city. Something you showed them.”
“I didn’t show them any...Oh. Wyatt, when we were on the Bridge?”
Wyatt nodded. “I told him not to. I did, I promise.”
Leo scooped him up for a hug. “I know, buddy. It’s OK.”
“Leo, what’s going on?” Piper asked.
“Remember last week, we saw those shooting stars? The government said it was rubbish from the space station, not to worry about it?”
“Yes, and we checked, and it wasn’t an omen of anything, either.”
“It’s some kind of military base. It’s sitting just off shore, hidden--regular people can’t see it.”
“So you took the boys to sight see?”
“I didn’t know it was there! We left right away, and I told the boys to forget it.” He carefully loosened Wyatt’s arms from around his neck, putting him back on his feet and crouching in front of him. “Are you sure that’s where Chris went?”
“He thought it was pretty,” Wyatt told him. Leo nodded, rising to his feet.
“Well? Go get him!” Piper demanded.
“Piper, I can’t just orb onto a secret military base. Exposure, remember? And besides, it’s huge. I have no idea where to look.”
“Well, I’ll just have to summon him, then. Can you get my sisters, please?”
“I’ll go get him,” Wyatt offered.
“No!”
Wyatt flinched; Piper grimaced, taking a deep breath. “No, sweetie, you stay here. No orbing, got it?”
The baby monitor sounded suddenly. Piper pushed her hair back, glancing at it.
“I’ll get her,” Leo offered.
“No, you go get my sisters; we can’t summon Chris without the Power of Three. I’ll take care of Mel. Wyatt, sweetie, you go play with your toys, and no orbing, alright?”
“No orbing,” Wyatt agreed quietly.
“Come on, buddy, let’s get you set up,” Leo said. Piper stared at him, and he added, “Paige is already gone to get Phoebe. They’ll be here in a couple of minutes.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
The baby cried again and Piper headed out. Leo and Wyatt went into the sun room.
Chris was sitting with Torren on the bed in the isolation room. He was playing, but he was clearly getting tired and cranky. Teyla stood by the bed, watching them. Ronon was lurking near the door, looking vaguely bored.
“Like Mel,” Chris said quietly.
“Who is Mel, Chris?”
“Little, like him.” Chris yawned, looking around.
“Is Mel your friend? Your sister, perhaps?”
“Where’s Wyatt?”
“Who is Wyatt?” Teyla asked patiently.
Up on the observation deck, Woolsey stood with John and Jennifer, watching them. “He hasn’t told us anything?”
“He’s four, sir,” Jennifer told him. “I’m not sure he knows anything.”
“Four?” John repeated.
“Yeah. Completely human, too...he doesn’t even have the ATA.”
“So the blue lights didn’t harm him?” Woolsey asked.
“Not that we’ve been able to detect, no.”
“So what are we thinking?” John folded his arms, leaning against the wall. “Alternate dimension, time travel, some new alien race...some old alien race...?”
“If it’s time travel, they’ve done their homework.” Jennifer gestured to Chris’s Bob the Builder TShirt, looking convincingly distressed. “It’s too soon to tell if it’s an alternate dimension...entropic cascade failure won’t set in for a while yet.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t,” John said quietly.
“Indeed,” Woolsey agreed.
“Dr Keller?” Teyla called from below them.
“What is it, Teyla?”
“Can you come down here?”
Jennifer nodded, heading for the door. John leant on the window frame, peering down; Teyla had taken Torren off the bed and Ronon looked more alert, but he couldn’t see anything wrong.
“Teyla, what’s up?” he called.
“He moved the blanket.”
“So?”
Jennifer stepped in; Teyla turned her back on the bed to look up at John and Woolsey.
“He wasn’t touching it. He looked at it, and it moved.”
John looked at Woolsey, frowning. “Keller said he didn’t have the ATA, right?”
“Neither does Daniel Jackson,” Woolsey pointed out.
“Jackson never got any of the abilities - he just skipped straight to Ascending. What about, what’d they call it...hokey?”
“Hok’tar?”
“He’s not Hok’tar,” Jennifer said from below. “He’s a perfectly normal human.”
“So was Cassandra Fraiser, as I understand.”
“Cassie was changed before she ever set foot on Earth. It’s in all her records. Nothing like that’s been done to this boy.”
Deep in one of the labs Zelenka watched the conversation on a screen, chewing nervously on a fingernail.
“...records,” Jennifer said. “Nothing like that’s been done to this boy.”
“This is not good,” he murmured to himself. “Not good at all.”
In the attic of the Manor Piper and her sisters stood around the lectern, reading from the Book of Shadows. “Blood to blood I summon thee, blood to blood return to me.”
Leo looked up from the couch where he was sitting with Wyatt, but nothing happened. Piper took a deep breath, staring at the Book to avoid her sister’s gazes.
“Again.”
“Sweetie, we’ve done it four times already,” Phoebe said gently.
“Then the fifth will be the charm,” she said briskly. “Come on.”
Phoebe and Paige exchanged helpless looks, communicating with their eyebrows for a moment before going along with it.
“Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies. Come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here. Blood to blood I summon thee, blood to blood return to me!”
A figure somersaulted out of midair, smashing into the potions table and falling off the other side. Leo orbed Wyatt to Paige and carefully approached.
“It’s a man,” he reported.
Piper sagged. Phoebe hastily steadied her, leading her to a chair and standing over her.
“It’s Chris!” Leo said in surprise.
“How can it...”
“We summoned the wrong Chris,” Paige realized. She set Wyatt beside Piper and went to join Leo, behind the table and out of sight of the others.
“He’s alright!” she called back. “A bit cut up. Leo’s taking care of it now.”
Leo stood, pulling Chris up after him. He looked the same as he always did; no matter when he came back, Chris never seemed to change much.
He was a little dazed right now, though, hanging on to Leo to keep his balance. “Dad. Aunt Paige. What’s...”
He looked around, taking in the attic. When he saw Wyatt with his mother he frowned, suddenly alert. “What year is it?”
“Two thousand nine,” Paige told him. “January, if you’re wondering. What is it where you were?”
“Twenty six,” he said absently. “April, almost Beltane.”
Piper stood up, moving to hug him. As though reminded, the others piled on as well, grabbing him into a group hug. Chris was smiling when they let go, but he sobered as he looked around.
“Why did you guys summon me? I’m not supposed to be here now.”
“We were looking for Chris,” Phoebe explained, motioning ‘small’ with her hands. Chris nodded, frowning.
“He vanished a little while ago,” Paige added.
“I never...oh. Oh.” Looking at Leo, he continued, “The star city?”
“So you remember it?” Piper asked quickly.
“Sort of.”
“’Sort of’? What do you mean, sort of?”
“Mom, I was four!” he protested.
“OK. Piper, sweetie? We need to calm down.” Phoebe touched her shoulder, trying to guide her away. Piper brushed her off, watching Chris intently.
“Chris, do you remember how you got home?” Leo asked.
Chris frowned, thinking. “There was a man, in the city. He brought me home.”
“What man?” Piper asked.
Chris looked helplessly at Leo, who shrugged. “Mom, I’m sorry. I haven’t even thought about it in years. Look, I wasn’t hurt there, so Mini Me should be fine.”
“Can you find him?” she asked quietly.
“I’m sorry,” Chris murmured.
Phoebe steered Piper out, waving Chris back when he moved to follow. Paige looked after them, biting her lip.
“I’m sorry,” Chris said again.
“It’s not your fault,” Paige told him. “She’s just really worried about...you.” She repeated Phoebe’s ‘small’ gesture. Chris nodded, turning away.
Left behind and unseen by anyone, Wyatt orbed out.
Radek was walking down a corridor in Atlantis, muttering to himself, when Wyatt appeared. Radek stopped dead, looking worriedly around before crouching beside him.
“Hello, little man. Are you looking for Chris?”
“He has to come home,” Wyatt told him.
“Yes, of course. But you can’t be here. You should go home, Wyatt, and I will make sure Chris gets back to you safely.”
Wyatt stared at him. Radek checked the corridor again, making sure they were alone, before holding out one hand; a tiny globe of light formed, flickering gently.
“See?” Radek murmured. “I am witch, too. I will send Chris home to you, I promise. Please tell your father I will call him, when it’s safe.”
The light in his hand vanished. Wyatt studied him, eyes wide.
“Go home, Wyatt,” Radek said again.
“Doc?” Lorne called from behind him.
“Go!” Radek whispered.
Wyatt didn’t move, watching interestedly as Lorne approached. He slowed as he caught sight of Wyatt, pacing slowly up to stand just behind Radek.
“Doc? Something you want to tell me?” he asked warily.
Radek sighed, pushing to his feet. “Is Chris’s brother. He came looking.”
“Chris’s brother, huh? Hi there. Are you looking for Chris?”
“My mommy wants him to come home,” Wyatt informed him.
“Uh huh, I’ll bet. Where is home?”
“Home is our house. Where is Chris?”
“If you wanna come with me, I’ll show you,” Lorne offered.
Wyatt shook his head, orbing out. Radek fell back a few steps, feigning astonishment when Lorne turned to look at him.
“You think there’s many more of them?” Lorne asked.
“Let us hope not. I will check sensors; maybe they saw something.”
“Yeah.” Tapping his radio, he added, “Colonel Sheppard? We may have a problem.”
Radek turned away, one hand balled into a fist.