AUTHOR: Matt, December 2003
SUMMARY: Who is Grace?
RATING: G
DISCLAIMER: Characters are the property of MGM, Gekko et al. I’m just playing.
SPOILER WARNING: This includes speculation based on spoilers for the forthcoming episode Grace. If you wish to remain spoiler-free, please do not read further – I won’t be offended!
NOTE: I’ve had this idea in my head since I first heard about this ep.
NOTE 2: Any errors are mine only. The beta team is remaining spoiler-free.
The little girl was fading fast into the thick swirling clouds that grew around her. In desperation Sam reached out to her, begging her to stay. But the girl continued to disappear and other sights and sounds began to crowd Sam’s mind.
“Sam?”
“Carter?”
She groaned as she began to make out the images of her team mates above her.
“Easy Sam,” she heard Daniel say. “You’ve been out for quite a while.”
She swallowed and groaned again as she felt arms gently elevate her to a position somewhere between lying and sitting. Hands cradled her head. “Where’s Grace?” she asked, her mouth feeling thick. “Is she okay?”
A flask of water was placed at her lips. “Um, Sam,” Daniel seemed hesitant. “There’s no one else here.”
“A little girl,” Sam persisted, feeling her head swim. “Her name’s Grace, she was here with me. You must find her.”
Then darkness claimed her.
The sight of him standing at her door surprised him. He didn’t usually visit her – she couldn’t remember the last time he did. She led him back through her house to the kitchen and offered him coffee. He declined, and she could tell he wasn’t exactly here for a social occasion.
“A few weeks ago,” he began, “when you on board the Prometheus.”
Sam shook her head. “I wasn’t exactly myself, Sir.” She smiled awkwardly, embarrassed at her behaviour. “I’m not usually prone to hallucinations.”
“You mentioned a little girl - you seemed quite determined that we find her.”
“Well, when I hallucinate I have to go for the really big ones.” She made light of it and hoped he’d change the subject.
“Her name was Grace?”
She nodded, wondered again why he was visiting and if she should offer coffee again.
“Carter.” He stopped and pulled an old photograph from his inside jacket pocket. “She didn’t look anything like this, did she?”
Sam took the print and stared at the young girl in it. “Hair was fairer,” she guessed since the photograph was in black and white. She stared further. “The eyes are about right, though.”
“That’s my mother, Carter.”
Her head jerked up. “What?” How could she have conjured up his mother? She’d never seen a picture of his mother.
He had more news for her. “Her name was Grace.”
“Push,” he coaxed and she threatened to break his hand in reply. This was all his fault after all. “She’s almost here.”
“Come on, Mrs O’Neill,” the doctor said with a smile. “You can do it.” Of course the doctor thought that – he wasn’t the one doing the pushing, attempting to expel the being inside her.
She continued to push, her husband continued to coax, and the doctor continued to smile. She sobbed in relief when she heard the gusty wail from the other end of the bed.
“Congratulations, mom, dad,” the doctor said as he brought the small bundle up to her to hold. “You were right. It is a girl.” He chuckled. “You have to love maternal instinct.”
They sat there together, holding their newborn daughter tightly, never wanting to let go. It had taken two years to get to this point, two years of waiting for the event they knew to come to pass.
One of the nurses asked what they were calling her.
“Grace,” she replied.
FINIS