The Masterpiece of Nature

Reading Time: 9 Minutes

Title: The Masterpiece of Nature
Author: Keira Marcos
Series: Nature Provides
Series Order: 6
Fandom: 9-1-1, The Sentinel, Stargate, NCIS
Relationship: Lou Ransone/OMC, Tony DiNozzo/OMC, Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Jack O’Neill/Daniel Jackson
Genre:  Alternate Universe, Crossover
Warnings:  Character Ascension, Canon-Typical Violence, Discussion-Grief, Grammarly Beta
Word Count: 2,317
Summary:  Cristobal Salas didn’t fully understand fatherhood until he lost his son.

* * * *

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.”
— Antoine François Prévost

“How is he?”

Cristobal shook his head as he held his granddaughter. Bea was inconsolable and had been since the moment it had happened. He closed his eyes after he sat down, and she cuddled against him. She no longer had the energy to actually cry but wouldn’t go to sleep.

Lou’s hand cupped the back of his head. “How do I help?”

“I….” Cristobal pressed his face against Bea’s curls. “The Alpha Primes are coming, and I can’t bring myself to even care what they have to say.”

“I can deflect them.”

“You can’t deflect Randolph Rampart,” Cristobal said wearily. “And it would be beyond the pale to ignore the Alpha Sentinel Prime of the United States, even at a time like this. Eddie’s bond with Evan is intact, Lou, and I don’t know what that means for him or the kids.”

“But….” Lou sat down on the coffee table in front of him. “Evan disappeared.”

“He achieved perfect harmony with the psionic plane,” Cristobal corrected. “I felt it, Lou. He’s always had a special relationship with the plane, and I wish I’d paid more attention to what that meant. There are legends about psionic harmony, and some shamans dedicate their lives to achieving such a state. How did Evan do it, Lou? Where is my boy? I can’t….” Tears streamed down his face even as Christopher joined them.

“Lito,” Christopher said quietly and scooted up against his side as he joined him on the couch. Cristobal wrapped an arm around him and held him closer. “Is Papa gone forever?”

“I don’t know,” Cristobal admitted hoarsely. “I’m sorry.”

“Daddy is asleep now. Abuelita is sitting with him,” Christopher reported. “He’s so sad that it hurts to be around him. How do we help him?”

“Sometimes, the only thing we can do is be there for someone when they’ve suffered such an immense loss,” Lou said when Cristobal didn’t speak. “Your dad has lost something that cannot ever be replaced. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Christopher said and rubbed his chest. “It hurts in every way I’ve ever known. My family is…we’re broken, Grandpa. How do we fix this? Papa didn’t die; he just…floated away. Why didn’t he come back? Where’s his body? Can we make him get back in his body?”

The body had disappeared, pinned to the pavement under a ladder truck, and Cristobal didn’t have the first clue how to explain it. “I’m sorry that I don’t know the answers to your questions, Christopher.”

“It’s…scary that you don’t know,” Christopher admitted with flushed cheeks. “You always have the answers.”

“I’ll find out,” Cristobal said. “We’re going to have visitors, and they’ve promised me answers. I just…it’s hard to think.”

Christopher nodded. “I understand that part. It is hard to think and plan because I’m so sad. Why didn’t anyone notice the bomb on the truck?”

“It was an unexpected target,” Lou said quietly, and Christopher nodded. “And the explosive that was used smells like an engine. Since it wasn’t a commercial version of C4, it didn’t have the additives that Sentinels are trained to take note of. It’s no one’s fault but the bomber’s that the bombing happened.”

“I wasn’t blaming Papa,” Christopher said quietly. “Is it wrong that I’m glad the bomber is dead?”

“No,” Lou said firmly before Cristobal could respond. “He was a very dangerous young man, and he killed people because he was destructive and selfish. So don’t feel guilty by your relief.”

Cristobal wouldn’t have put it that way, but it seemed to make Christopher feel better, so he pushed his own opinion away. He was furious with the young man who was responsible for the bombing. But he’d have preferred to see the little bastard put in jail for the rest of his life.

“Cris.” Bea held out a hand for her brother, and the boy took the toddler easily.

Bea slumped against Christopher and buried her face against his neck. “Want Papa.”

“I know,” Christopher said quietly and hugged her close. “Try to sleep. Maybe you’ll dream about him.”

Cristobal brushed fresh tears from his face and stood after Lou gave him a nod. He lingered for a moment until his Sentinel slid onto the couch beside the children, and Christopher burrowed close with a little sigh.

He walked down the hall and stood in the doorway of the main bedroom. Eddie Diaz was curled up, face buried in a pillow. He was still in a way that spoke to sleep. Isabel Diaz stood and walked across the room.

“How is he?”

“Devastated,” Isabel murmured. “I’ve never…one of his grounding methods was Buck’s heartbeat. The bond between them is still solid, Cristobal. I don’t understand. The stories don’t speak of this, but then psionic harmony is…was considered nothing more than a myth.” She cleared her throat. “I don’t think they should stay here for the time being. The political and social media fallout is going to be immense. We need to move them all to the estate for security purposes alone. I know that Thomas and Cosmo are currently keeping watch, but they can’t do it long-term. They all need more help psionically than you, and I can manage alone.”

“I know,” Cristobal said. “I just didn’t want to take away the security the children have here in their home. They’ve lost so much.”

“Yes,” Isabel said and closed her eyes. Tears fell anyway. “I’m trying to remember if I ever told that sweet boy that I loved him, and I don’t…think I did.”

Cristobal smiled. “Of course, he knew; your love pours right out of you in every direction, Isabel.”

“Still, he deserved the words,” Isabel said and exhaled. “I’ve Pepa at my home packing a bag, and I’ve sent a message to Jetta, who is trying to get a flight back from Toronto. The world is descending into madness by degrees. I can’t see where this ends, Cristobal.”

“I can’t either,” Cristobal admitted. “I feel…destroyed.”

“Well, no parent should outlive their child,” Isabel said quietly. “The grief in you is a living thing, Cristobal, and you will carry it. It will settle on you like it’s always been there. But one day, you’ll think of your son with fondness and love without the taint of pain and loss.”

Cristobal honestly couldn’t fathom it. “Part of me doesn’t want that day to come.”

“Because it means acceptance?”

“If I could, I would drag him back into our world—even if it killed me,” Cristobal confessed.

Psionic energy flickered across her face. “I will help you if such a thing can be done. Your visitors will tell us, I think, if that is possible. You should prepare yourself for that meeting. I’ve asked Everstar and Carla to come help me with the children.”

“And Eddie?”

“We will leave him to his grief,” Isabel said after a moment of silence. “There is nothing we can say or do for him that will heal the wound he has taken.”

He stepped back as she carefully shut the door and nodded. “I know Evan would want me to do something.”

“Yes, I know that as well. He is a fixer, is he not?”

Cristobal nodded.

“You should meditate before your guests arrive. It will not do for you to be projecting as you are.”

“I’ll just go into the guest room,” Cristobal murmured, and Isabel nodded.

Shortly, he found himself sitting down on a bed. He took off his shoes and scooted up on the mattress, but instead of folding himself into a loose lotus position for meditation, he laid down and buried his face against a decorative pillow. Cristobal couldn’t say how long he lay that way before his Sentinel’s big, warm body curled around him.

“I will give whatever fight you take on everything I have,” Lou murmured, and Cristobal shuddered. “Even if it means a full tactical assault on the psionic plane itself.”

“It took my boy from me,” Cristobal whispered, and his throat started to burn. “Before last night, I embraced the psionic plane and believed it my lifelong companion. Now, I think, I could grow to hate it.”

“Rampart arrived,” Lou murmured. “He apologizes for taking so long to get here. The president requested his presence before he could escape Washington, DC.”

“If that motherfucker gets on TV and tries to capitalize on this, I’m going to ruin his life so thoroughly he’ll be afraid to reincarnate,” Cristobal muttered and wiped tears from his face.

* * * *

“This is Brigadier General John Sheppard and his Guide, Dr. Rodney McKay. And this is Major General Jack O’Neill and his Guide, Dr. Daniel Jackson,” Rampart said. “Gentlemen, Alpha Sentinel Prime Lou Ransone and his Guide, Dr. Cristobal Salas.” He focused on Cristobal. “I am sorry that this meeting could not wait. I cannot imagine your loss, Dr. Salas.”

Cristobal could only nod and slide into a chair at the conference table, his fingers clenching in Lou’s. “I’m not okay, and I realize that’s obvious. I worked for more than an hour but can’t seem to get a handle on how much of my emotions I’m projecting.” He cleared his throat and focused on Tony DiNozzo. “Is this about the project you discussed with me last night?”

“Yes, your son’s ascension has sped things up a little.”

“Ascension,” Cristobal repeated. “He achieved psionic harmony, Tony. I felt it.”

Tony nodded. “Daniel?”

Dr. Jackson folded his hands in front of him. “Sixteen years ago, I was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. I was dying, and I was offered the chance to ascend. With my Sentinel’s encouragement, I accepted and ascended, or as you’ve said, achieved psionic harmony.”

“How did you come back?” Cristobal demanded.

“I broke the rules and got thrown out,” Daniel admitted, and something in Cristobal relaxed.

“Oh.” He nodded. “That’s good.”

“Good?” Tony questioned.

“Evan is terrible at following the rules,” Cristobal said, and Tony laughed. He focused on Daniel. “I need to know everything. Where is my son, and how do I get him back? His Guide and children are fucking devastated.”

“Children?” O’Neill questioned. “How old are they?”

“Eight and nearly two,” Cristobal said. “Tell me how to get my son back, Dr. Jackson.”

“It’s nothing we can demand or force,” Daniel said. “I need to tell you how we got here, Dr. Salas, and what is about to happen to the world. In the end, your son’s ascension on national television will be drowned out by the knowledge that humans have been exploring other worlds in two different galaxies for two decades.”

“Exploring other worlds,” Lou repeated. “At least that explains why the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is in this room.” He glanced toward O’Neill, who just inclined his head and took a sip of coffee. “Tell us then. Leave nothing out.”

* * * *

Cristobal sat down beside Eddie and curled his toes into the sand. His son-in-law was staring at the ocean like it had all the answers. “He’s not dead.”

“I know,” Eddie said. “Do you know what happened?”

“Yes, I have permission to tell you a lot, but we’ll need a secure place to have the conversation. I met with two generals for several hours today.”

Eddie exhaled slowly and nodded. “Was one of them named John Sheppard?”

Cristobal cleared his throat. “How do you…know that name?”

“Marine Corps.”

“Yes,” Cristobal said. “Eddie?”

“I served in the Army from the age of 18 until I was discharged at 27, Cristobal. I’ve heard things—seen things I can’t speak of and signed more than one NDA over the years.” He took a deep breath. “Had a few friends outright disappear into black projects as well. Is he here?”

“Settling in at the estate,” Cristobal said. “Have you met him?”

“Once, a long time ago, when my unit stumbled across something in a cave that brought the whole operation to a standstill until Sheppard showed up with a team with no insignia that were clearly special forces. We were ordered to forget what we saw, and a day later, we were all briefed by an Air Force general from the Pentagon and compelled to sign an NDA. We were told if we ever spoke of anything we saw in that cave that we’d spend the rest of our lives in Leavenworth as it would be considered an act of treason.”

“During the meeting, I met someone who had…done what Evan did.”

“Psionic harmony,” Eddie said. “Buck didn’t want it—he was horrified when he realized the ramifications of what he’d done, and he fought it, Cristobal. So, whatever force in this universe took him, it’s going to have a hell of a time keeping him.”

“We need to move you and the kids to the estate.”

“I know,” Eddie said. “I’ve heard Abuela discussing it. We just need to make sure the kids have their favorite things. In the end, it doesn’t matter where we grieve.” He focused on the ocean. “I’m not going to be whole until he comes back to me.”

Cristobal wished he could promise Eddie Diaz that Evan would come back, but he couldn’t make the words come out of his mouth. He wrapped an arm around Eddie’s shoulders, and the other man curled into him, his breath hitching slightly as he collapsed against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” Cristobal whispered and closed his eyes when Eddie’s hands curled into his clothes. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

The End