''Interstellar Destiny''

You Didn't

Lara and Henry sit in silence, their last conversation still lingering between them. She hates that they have left things as they did, but she can't worry about that now. If there's a chance that Jack knows where Ava is, then she needs to focus on that, not on her argument with Henry. It will be just another conversation she will need to have after her daughter is back home and safe.

The front door opens and Lara stands, the sound of little footsteps filling the room. Lara sees Ava and drops to her knees, hugging the little girl as soon as she is within reach, tears streaming down her face, feeling Ava hug her back just as tightly.

She pulls back after a few seconds, looking her daughter over, wanting to make sure she is alright, asking Ava if she is okay, the little girl nodding and saying that she is hungry, making everyone chuckle. Lara wipes away the tears and tells her she will make her a sandwich in a minute, before standing up and walking over to Jack, hugging him tightly and thanking him.

But when Lara pulls away from the hug, she sees that her brother looks anything but happy. She quickly tells Ava to go to her room and that she will be there in a minute with her snack, the little girl bouncing down the corridor apparently unaffected by what happened.

-"What's wrong?" - Lara makes sure Ava is out of earshot before looking back at her brother, concern on her face.

-"We found out who it was that took Ava."

-"Who?"

-"NID."

-"What? Why would the NID kidnap my daughter?"

-"They wanted to keep Evan away from you and Ava."

-"It sounds like you were right, Lara. Evan really was involved." - Henry softly says, coming to stand behind her, Jack looking at him with hatred in his eyes.

-"How did you found Ava, Jack?" - Lara looks back at her brother.

-"Evan called and told me he had, what he hoped was, a solid lead to where Ava was, but he needed backup, since the place had about a dozen guards."

-"And did Evan share how he got that information?" - There's poison in Henry's voice.

-"He didn't, but the information was right on the money."

Lara catches her brother casually placing his hand on his sidearm and knows that something's wrong.

-"That just shows you that you were right about him, love." - Henry scoffs.

Lara doesn't answer, she just looks at Jack and sees him looking between her and Sam, a subtle signal to move away from Henry.

-"There has to be an explanation." - Lara steps closer to Sam, her eyes not leaving her brother.

-"What possible explanation could he give you that would explain how he knew where Ava was and for, whoever the NID is, to want him away from you and Ava?"

-"I don't know. The only thing I do know is that Evan would never work with the NID."

-"Unlike you, Henry." - Jack's hatred for the man is clear as water in his voice, catching Henry by surprise.

-"What'd you mean?"

-"We manage to capture a couple of the guards alive and after spending some alone time with Evan and myself, they were more than happy to tell us what we wanted to know."

"They told us how it was your idea to kidnap Ava so you could turn Lara against Evan, all because they were getting a little too close for your liking and it would ruin the long term plan you had put in place."

"What was it they said? Oh, right, pretend to love Lara and Ava, so you could use them to get to me. And it probably would've worked, if Evan hadn't returned."

Lara snaps her eyes back to Henry, shocked.

-"You didn't... Please tell me they were lying."

-"Of course they were lying, love. I don't know anything about any long term plan, what the NID is or the warehouse where Ava was."

-"I never said anything about any warehouse."

Jack steps forward towards Henry, quickly grabbing his arm and twisting it, before pulling him down on the floor. Henry tries to fight him, but Jack asks him to just give him an excuse to shoot him, making Henry stop.

With a little help from Teal'c, Jack pulls him up to his feet and starts walking towards the door, when Lara stands in their way. She takes one look at Henry, before punching him as hard as she can, his nose crunching under her fist, blood covering her knuckles when she pulls her hand back, getting smiles from everyone present.

Lara steps aside then, walking into the kitchen to get some ice for her hand, leaning against the counter and letting out a long sigh, willing the tears, that threaten to fall, away.

Sam comes into the kitchen almost immediately after.

-"You okay?" - Sam starts getting everything needed to make a peanut butter sandwich, Ava's favorite.

-"I will be as long as Henry stays the hell away from me and Ava."

Sam nods, finishing the sandwich, and disappearing down the hall with it, towards Ava's room, returning shortly after. Jack and Teal'c walk in the house at the same time, after letting a couple of Airmen take Henry back to the Mountain.

-"We need to talk."

Jack signals back to the living room, Lara following him and his team, wondering what now.