Second Base - Final Chapter
“Cameron has her“, Amy gasped. She had betrayed them at last. And he was pleased by it.
“Cameron Mitchell, is it?” she could sense his amusement, “So all have to do is set up my trap and wait till he comes to rescue you…”
The click of a gun being cocked made him turn around. Amy was still dazed so she did not realize what was going on, only did she hear Cameron’s voice all at once.
“Why wait? How about now?”
Was he really here or was that another mind game? Her brain was too exhausted to figure it out; all she could do now was to hang on and keep up hope.
xxxxx
“Where is she?” Ba’al wasn’t looking too happy to see him but Cameron was too enraged to care. He had seen Amy lying on the ground, looking helpless and beaten; that was enough to fire him up. And right now not much but tactics was keeping him from pulling the trigger on the bastard who had done this to her.
“Well out of your reach”, he snapped back spitefully. For a moment the room fell silent. Neither Mitchell nor the Goa’uld made a move and the situation seemed frozen until suddenly the door opened and the last person Cam had expected to see came in: Blanche. What the hell was she doing here?
As she walked by, he snatched for the girl to get her out of the line of fire. Grabbing her arm he pulled her behind himself, whispering, “What are you thinking you’re doing?”
Her reply was very quiet, almost inaudible, “I’m not thinking.”
“So much for that”, mockingly Ba’al took in the screwed-up situation, plainly satisfied with the sight, “And what are you going to do now, Colonel? Shoot me?”
“You deserve it”, Cameron retorted, re-aiming his rifle at him. He could feel Blanche moving behind him, trying to catch a glimpse of her father, but he shoved her back quickly
The System Lord used this split second to move away from him, stopping beside Amy. He pulled her to her feet. “Only then I will take your precious little friend with me.”
Cameron cursed. The child’s sudden appearance had messed up everything. He had no idea how she had followed the team here, all he knew was that she had turned the whole rescue into a mess. And all that for wanting to see her father who was nothing but a ruthless mass murderer. Trying not to let his anger blind him, he pointed the muzzle at Ba’al again, contemplating what to do next.
xxxxx
Blanche had known Cameron would not allow her to come so she had just given in and told him she understood. Now she was just sitting on her own, not knowing what to do. But suddenly the girl felt as though something was calling her. At first it was only weak and she thought she was fooling herself into believing something that could not be true. Then, slowly it got more, gradually eating itself into her thoughts, turning into an irresistible pull her mind could not withstand anymore. The calling evoked a feeling of loneliness, the wish to belong somewhere at last. Sneakily the urge forced itself onto Blanche until it was finally controlling her. It created a strength and determination no onrush of wreath had yet brought out.
Walking out of the room and not knowing where she was going and why she followed it until she suddenly found herself approaching the ring room, faced with two guards who had no idea what she was capable of. Within seconds she knocked out the first. A part of her was screaming to stop but she couldn’t, circumstances forcing her to take out the other as well. At last Blanche let herself in, going straight for the controls. An image in her head told her exactly what to do and she followed suit.
Quickly she stepped on the ring platform and let herself be carried to her father’s ship. As she materialized, there were guards present but something in her look made them step out of the way and leave her unchallenged.
Blanche made her way through the ship, knowing exactly where to go, but the moment she stepped in on the scene, she faltered. Her conscience kicked back in, telling her there was danger. Suddenly she felt someone grabbing her arm and pulling her back, it was Cam and he was not very pleased to see her. The little one’s strong feelings for him, forced back her urges for another instant, making her obey him. Dutifully she took cover behind him while the calling was still gnawing at her mind.
xxxxx
Amy was pulled up and forced to stand though her legs would not carry her. A sharp pain shot through the lower half of her body but he held her up relentlessly. Groaning she tried to grasp what was going on, but her senses were dulled. Her mind was drifting from near unconsciousness to half-awareness, not allowing her to perceive, nor to react.
Suddenly a loud bang made her entire frame judder forcefully. Mere seconds later she started to fall. Time seemed to freeze and the way down seemed endless. Finally she hit the ground, hurting her head.
Amy sensed the whole floor vibrating with quick footsteps and the air being full of rushed voices that reflected off her sweaty skin. But before she could understand what was happening, she fainted.
xxxxx
She saw Cameron’s finger move towards the trigger and something inside her started screaming. He could not kill her father, not before she had ever really seen him. Desperately she charged forward, running toward him, unthinking. Halfway there she felt a sharp pain in her side. Blanche sank to her knees, feeling the hurting spread. Slowly but gradually it started weakening her, drawing the warmth from her limbs. Crying out she looked to find her father, but he vanished in front of her eyes, leaving her alone. Tears shot into her eyes and she fell over, with no strength left to get up again. She could hear Cameron shout from behind her. He was coming, but before he could reach her, she lost consciousness.
xxxxx
“Shit”, Cameron lowered his weapon, wondering how he could’ve possible hit the girl. But he had. Quickly he ran towards her, calling her name. But Blanche did not react, lying on the floor in a curled-up bundle. He crouched down beside her and checked her wound. It didn’t look good: the bullet had entered her stomach sideways and hadn’t come out again. As he put a hand under her it was immediately soaked in her blood. She was dieing and there was nothing he could do. Gently he laid her into his lap, noticing for the first time that her father had beamed himself off. But right now he was giving a damn. Gently he caressed the little one’s face, hoping she would open her eyes once more. “Blanche, can you hear me?”
After a moment the girl stirred, flicking open her eyes slowly. Her breath was coming in laborious, irregular bursts and she was looking up at him in a wide-eyed stare, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. “Cam, I… I’m sorry”, she stammered quietly, “The calling … it was too strong.” She quivered.
Holding her tightly Cameron stroked a few hair out of her face soothingly. “Shsh, it’s okay. He did that to you.”
“No”, she whispered, “it wasn’t his intention.” Suddenly a spasm rocked her body and the look in her eyes was getting distant. “So sorry”, she mouthed the words laboriously, seemingly running out of breath and suddenly it was over.
“Don’t leave me”, Cameron was growling now, furiousness rising to the surface. He kept on holding her, burying his face in her tiny shape, unable to suppress his sobs anymore. Suddenly an odd feeling made him stop. Fazed he looked up. In the same he realized that Blanche was being taken away from him. A transporter beam had locked onto her and she was dematerializing in front of his eyes.
No. The colonel cursed, staring at his hands. He had lost her to the enemy. For a moment time stopped around him, burning into him the futility of the whole situation. It was all his fault, he should’ve know that this would happen.
“Cam?” Sam’s call brought him back to reality. Slowly he turned his head, seeing Amy still lying on the floor, looking more dead than alive herself. The only thing he could do to calm his conscience right now was to save her and try to make up for his incompetence, though he knew, he never would.
xxxxx
Darkness was surrounding Amy, but she wasn’t alone. In the dark of her dreamless sleep there was something creeping and as the fear became unbearable, it materialized itself right in front of her. It was him again. His hands were moving about her helpless body, probing and hurting her. The pain it caused was so real, it couldn’t be a dream. She tried to wrestle free but every movement increased the pain, bringing him closer to his goal. Finally she could feel him trying to intrude her again but the shock of it shook her up and she started screaming and kicking.
At last, the sudden crash of her foot into something hard ended Amy’s nightmare. Mortified and trembling she looked about herself until a strong set of arms enclosed her. Shrieking she lashed out, “Don’t touch me!”
A moment later she realized that the person they belonged to didn’t mean her harm: It was Cameron. The sight of him was enough to make her break down and cry.
“I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to…” she whispered, her lips trembling with trepidation.
“It’s okay”, he had another try at embracing her and this time he succeeded.
Still tremulous, Amy put her head against his chest. “He…” exhaling slowly she sought strength to go on talking, “he put these things back into my head…”
“I know”, Cameron stroked her cheek, “but if you want we can make the memories disappear again…”
“No”, she gasped, tearing herself free; this had to be another mind game, “nobody will mess with my mind again.”
Cam just looked at her. “It’s fine if you don’t want to, you’ve been through enough.”
For a moment they were silent, looking at each other until Amy suddenly realized that her daughter was not here with them.
“Where’s Blanche?” she questioned hesitantly, dreading the answer.
She saw the indecision on Cameron’s face and it made her shiver even more. But finally he sat down on the edge of the bed, cupped her hands into his and told her: “She’s gone.”
Amy’s face fell. “Do you mean she’s…?”
He nodded. “Ba’al took her with him and it’s possible he…”
“Ba’al? Is that his name?” she interrupted him, not wanting to hear any more. Amy had never known her tormentor’s name before, but now she did, and she would curse it for as long as she lived.
“Yes, it is. But as for the little one”, Cameron continued but she stopped him. Quietly she spoke to him with tears filling her eyes, “If he has her, Blanche is lost to me.”
Shocked he stared at her, “How can you say that? There’s still a chance.”
His try to sway her made Amy furious. After what Ba’al had put her through, she was pretty certain of what would happen to her daughter, once he had taken hold of her. There was nothing more she could do for her, so it was best if she just forgot the child and carried on. “She’s dead to me, Cameron, just like you died for me, the moment you walked out on me.”
As though she had hit him into the face, Cameron averted his gaze; as he looked back at her, there was an expression of anger and incomprehension in his eyes.
“Why are you doing that to yourself?”
Amy just shook her head. She didn’t know. But instinct told her that, if she wanted to have a normal life again, this was the only way.
Sadly she watched Cameron leave, knowing that the pain of this loss was nothing compared to what she had already been through. And she accepted it.
xxxxx
Slowly Blanche opened her eyes. She knew that she had died, but now, it felt as though nothing had happened. Curiously she looked around, finding herself in a rather grand, spacious bedroom. Still taking in her surroundings she turned around and found her father sitting by her bedside. Feeling told her it was really him, but it also left her with an uncanny impression that had not been there before.
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d come to me that easily”, he stated with a half-smile.
She sat up. “It just came over me. But you didn’t think it would ever happen, right?”
“No”, he laughed, “I didn’t create you to be like that.”
Inwardly Blanche shuddered; she didn’t like the sound of it. But for her own sake, she decided to play along. “Then how do you wanted me to be?”
He just shook his head, “So many questions.”
“Just the one”, the girl tried to coax him, “I really need to know.”
For a moment he said nothing, then he finally spilled the beans. “I wanted an heir on Earth, to secure my interests; somebody of my own greatness.”
Blanche frowned. It really didn’t sound like he had wanted offspring for any other reason but his own ego, but if she told him that she’d get into trouble, just like her mom.
“That sounds”, trying to look cheerful again, she thought hard, “different. But I guess we are, you and me…”
Now it dawned on her that the only option she had, if she wanted to get back home, was to play along and please her father, if only to stay out of trouble. For, this place was not her home, nor was this man the kind of father she had pictured him to be. But for now she was stuck with him, like it or not. And she would have to muster all her guile to make the best of it. Swallowing her unease she smiled at him. “I’d like to see some of that greatness.”
Her request was met by a satisfied look and an outstretched hand. Without hesitation Blanche took it, knowing that everything would be fine. She just had to try hard enough.
xxxxx
Cameron was watching Amy from a distance. She still seemed unstable and confused, but after all she had been through, that was no big surprise. Slowly he was beginning to understand why she had just rejected him, but it still hurt his feelings. The only comfort he had was that, maybe, over time she would get better and change her mind. Until then, he could only keep on hoping.
“Cameron Mitchell, is it?” she could sense his amusement, “So all have to do is set up my trap and wait till he comes to rescue you…”
The click of a gun being cocked made him turn around. Amy was still dazed so she did not realize what was going on, only did she hear Cameron’s voice all at once.
“Why wait? How about now?”
Was he really here or was that another mind game? Her brain was too exhausted to figure it out; all she could do now was to hang on and keep up hope.
xxxxx
“Where is she?” Ba’al wasn’t looking too happy to see him but Cameron was too enraged to care. He had seen Amy lying on the ground, looking helpless and beaten; that was enough to fire him up. And right now not much but tactics was keeping him from pulling the trigger on the bastard who had done this to her.
“Well out of your reach”, he snapped back spitefully. For a moment the room fell silent. Neither Mitchell nor the Goa’uld made a move and the situation seemed frozen until suddenly the door opened and the last person Cam had expected to see came in: Blanche. What the hell was she doing here?
As she walked by, he snatched for the girl to get her out of the line of fire. Grabbing her arm he pulled her behind himself, whispering, “What are you thinking you’re doing?”
Her reply was very quiet, almost inaudible, “I’m not thinking.”
“So much for that”, mockingly Ba’al took in the screwed-up situation, plainly satisfied with the sight, “And what are you going to do now, Colonel? Shoot me?”
“You deserve it”, Cameron retorted, re-aiming his rifle at him. He could feel Blanche moving behind him, trying to catch a glimpse of her father, but he shoved her back quickly
The System Lord used this split second to move away from him, stopping beside Amy. He pulled her to her feet. “Only then I will take your precious little friend with me.”
Cameron cursed. The child’s sudden appearance had messed up everything. He had no idea how she had followed the team here, all he knew was that she had turned the whole rescue into a mess. And all that for wanting to see her father who was nothing but a ruthless mass murderer. Trying not to let his anger blind him, he pointed the muzzle at Ba’al again, contemplating what to do next.
xxxxx
Blanche had known Cameron would not allow her to come so she had just given in and told him she understood. Now she was just sitting on her own, not knowing what to do. But suddenly the girl felt as though something was calling her. At first it was only weak and she thought she was fooling herself into believing something that could not be true. Then, slowly it got more, gradually eating itself into her thoughts, turning into an irresistible pull her mind could not withstand anymore. The calling evoked a feeling of loneliness, the wish to belong somewhere at last. Sneakily the urge forced itself onto Blanche until it was finally controlling her. It created a strength and determination no onrush of wreath had yet brought out.
Walking out of the room and not knowing where she was going and why she followed it until she suddenly found herself approaching the ring room, faced with two guards who had no idea what she was capable of. Within seconds she knocked out the first. A part of her was screaming to stop but she couldn’t, circumstances forcing her to take out the other as well. At last Blanche let herself in, going straight for the controls. An image in her head told her exactly what to do and she followed suit.
Quickly she stepped on the ring platform and let herself be carried to her father’s ship. As she materialized, there were guards present but something in her look made them step out of the way and leave her unchallenged.
Blanche made her way through the ship, knowing exactly where to go, but the moment she stepped in on the scene, she faltered. Her conscience kicked back in, telling her there was danger. Suddenly she felt someone grabbing her arm and pulling her back, it was Cam and he was not very pleased to see her. The little one’s strong feelings for him, forced back her urges for another instant, making her obey him. Dutifully she took cover behind him while the calling was still gnawing at her mind.
xxxxx
Amy was pulled up and forced to stand though her legs would not carry her. A sharp pain shot through the lower half of her body but he held her up relentlessly. Groaning she tried to grasp what was going on, but her senses were dulled. Her mind was drifting from near unconsciousness to half-awareness, not allowing her to perceive, nor to react.
Suddenly a loud bang made her entire frame judder forcefully. Mere seconds later she started to fall. Time seemed to freeze and the way down seemed endless. Finally she hit the ground, hurting her head.
Amy sensed the whole floor vibrating with quick footsteps and the air being full of rushed voices that reflected off her sweaty skin. But before she could understand what was happening, she fainted.
xxxxx
She saw Cameron’s finger move towards the trigger and something inside her started screaming. He could not kill her father, not before she had ever really seen him. Desperately she charged forward, running toward him, unthinking. Halfway there she felt a sharp pain in her side. Blanche sank to her knees, feeling the hurting spread. Slowly but gradually it started weakening her, drawing the warmth from her limbs. Crying out she looked to find her father, but he vanished in front of her eyes, leaving her alone. Tears shot into her eyes and she fell over, with no strength left to get up again. She could hear Cameron shout from behind her. He was coming, but before he could reach her, she lost consciousness.
xxxxx
“Shit”, Cameron lowered his weapon, wondering how he could’ve possible hit the girl. But he had. Quickly he ran towards her, calling her name. But Blanche did not react, lying on the floor in a curled-up bundle. He crouched down beside her and checked her wound. It didn’t look good: the bullet had entered her stomach sideways and hadn’t come out again. As he put a hand under her it was immediately soaked in her blood. She was dieing and there was nothing he could do. Gently he laid her into his lap, noticing for the first time that her father had beamed himself off. But right now he was giving a damn. Gently he caressed the little one’s face, hoping she would open her eyes once more. “Blanche, can you hear me?”
After a moment the girl stirred, flicking open her eyes slowly. Her breath was coming in laborious, irregular bursts and she was looking up at him in a wide-eyed stare, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. “Cam, I… I’m sorry”, she stammered quietly, “The calling … it was too strong.” She quivered.
Holding her tightly Cameron stroked a few hair out of her face soothingly. “Shsh, it’s okay. He did that to you.”
“No”, she whispered, “it wasn’t his intention.” Suddenly a spasm rocked her body and the look in her eyes was getting distant. “So sorry”, she mouthed the words laboriously, seemingly running out of breath and suddenly it was over.
“Don’t leave me”, Cameron was growling now, furiousness rising to the surface. He kept on holding her, burying his face in her tiny shape, unable to suppress his sobs anymore. Suddenly an odd feeling made him stop. Fazed he looked up. In the same he realized that Blanche was being taken away from him. A transporter beam had locked onto her and she was dematerializing in front of his eyes.
No. The colonel cursed, staring at his hands. He had lost her to the enemy. For a moment time stopped around him, burning into him the futility of the whole situation. It was all his fault, he should’ve know that this would happen.
“Cam?” Sam’s call brought him back to reality. Slowly he turned his head, seeing Amy still lying on the floor, looking more dead than alive herself. The only thing he could do to calm his conscience right now was to save her and try to make up for his incompetence, though he knew, he never would.
xxxxx
Darkness was surrounding Amy, but she wasn’t alone. In the dark of her dreamless sleep there was something creeping and as the fear became unbearable, it materialized itself right in front of her. It was him again. His hands were moving about her helpless body, probing and hurting her. The pain it caused was so real, it couldn’t be a dream. She tried to wrestle free but every movement increased the pain, bringing him closer to his goal. Finally she could feel him trying to intrude her again but the shock of it shook her up and she started screaming and kicking.
At last, the sudden crash of her foot into something hard ended Amy’s nightmare. Mortified and trembling she looked about herself until a strong set of arms enclosed her. Shrieking she lashed out, “Don’t touch me!”
A moment later she realized that the person they belonged to didn’t mean her harm: It was Cameron. The sight of him was enough to make her break down and cry.
“I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to…” she whispered, her lips trembling with trepidation.
“It’s okay”, he had another try at embracing her and this time he succeeded.
Still tremulous, Amy put her head against his chest. “He…” exhaling slowly she sought strength to go on talking, “he put these things back into my head…”
“I know”, Cameron stroked her cheek, “but if you want we can make the memories disappear again…”
“No”, she gasped, tearing herself free; this had to be another mind game, “nobody will mess with my mind again.”
Cam just looked at her. “It’s fine if you don’t want to, you’ve been through enough.”
For a moment they were silent, looking at each other until Amy suddenly realized that her daughter was not here with them.
“Where’s Blanche?” she questioned hesitantly, dreading the answer.
She saw the indecision on Cameron’s face and it made her shiver even more. But finally he sat down on the edge of the bed, cupped her hands into his and told her: “She’s gone.”
Amy’s face fell. “Do you mean she’s…?”
He nodded. “Ba’al took her with him and it’s possible he…”
“Ba’al? Is that his name?” she interrupted him, not wanting to hear any more. Amy had never known her tormentor’s name before, but now she did, and she would curse it for as long as she lived.
“Yes, it is. But as for the little one”, Cameron continued but she stopped him. Quietly she spoke to him with tears filling her eyes, “If he has her, Blanche is lost to me.”
Shocked he stared at her, “How can you say that? There’s still a chance.”
His try to sway her made Amy furious. After what Ba’al had put her through, she was pretty certain of what would happen to her daughter, once he had taken hold of her. There was nothing more she could do for her, so it was best if she just forgot the child and carried on. “She’s dead to me, Cameron, just like you died for me, the moment you walked out on me.”
As though she had hit him into the face, Cameron averted his gaze; as he looked back at her, there was an expression of anger and incomprehension in his eyes.
“Why are you doing that to yourself?”
Amy just shook her head. She didn’t know. But instinct told her that, if she wanted to have a normal life again, this was the only way.
Sadly she watched Cameron leave, knowing that the pain of this loss was nothing compared to what she had already been through. And she accepted it.
xxxxx
Slowly Blanche opened her eyes. She knew that she had died, but now, it felt as though nothing had happened. Curiously she looked around, finding herself in a rather grand, spacious bedroom. Still taking in her surroundings she turned around and found her father sitting by her bedside. Feeling told her it was really him, but it also left her with an uncanny impression that had not been there before.
“I wouldn’t have thought you’d come to me that easily”, he stated with a half-smile.
She sat up. “It just came over me. But you didn’t think it would ever happen, right?”
“No”, he laughed, “I didn’t create you to be like that.”
Inwardly Blanche shuddered; she didn’t like the sound of it. But for her own sake, she decided to play along. “Then how do you wanted me to be?”
He just shook his head, “So many questions.”
“Just the one”, the girl tried to coax him, “I really need to know.”
For a moment he said nothing, then he finally spilled the beans. “I wanted an heir on Earth, to secure my interests; somebody of my own greatness.”
Blanche frowned. It really didn’t sound like he had wanted offspring for any other reason but his own ego, but if she told him that she’d get into trouble, just like her mom.
“That sounds”, trying to look cheerful again, she thought hard, “different. But I guess we are, you and me…”
Now it dawned on her that the only option she had, if she wanted to get back home, was to play along and please her father, if only to stay out of trouble. For, this place was not her home, nor was this man the kind of father she had pictured him to be. But for now she was stuck with him, like it or not. And she would have to muster all her guile to make the best of it. Swallowing her unease she smiled at him. “I’d like to see some of that greatness.”
Her request was met by a satisfied look and an outstretched hand. Without hesitation Blanche took it, knowing that everything would be fine. She just had to try hard enough.
xxxxx
Cameron was watching Amy from a distance. She still seemed unstable and confused, but after all she had been through, that was no big surprise. Slowly he was beginning to understand why she had just rejected him, but it still hurt his feelings. The only comfort he had was that, maybe, over time she would get better and change her mind. Until then, he could only keep on hoping.