Seraphiel

by Oberon25

All I can say is that before you read this story, read "Unlikely Spark" and "Pumpkin Pie" by SexyScottishDoc. I read them and got an idea for a continuation.

It was years before she saw her childhood home again, after their mother's funeral and memorial. They were staying within the confines of Stargate Command, where they were surrounded by many of the people that were close to and loved their mother. They were in utter shock and sadness at the loss of her, their sole parent. What she didn't know, and couldn't understand at the time, was that for Cassie, it was the death of her third parent. Their mother, Janet Fraiser, was her adopted mother. All she knew was that Cassie, being the grown up of a 16-years-old, had withdrawn from the world and from her. It took her a long time to realize that as much as she felt scared and alone, so did her sister. So, they grieved silently and waited for what was to come next.

She didn't remember how much time passed, between the funeral and the memorial and the important package arriving at the SGC. It was addressed to Major Samantha "Sam" Carter, their mother's best friend and the godmother for both girls. She later discovered about their mother's last will and trust, which had Sam as its executor. Being 5-years-old at that time, she didn't have any idea what that meant. All she had learned was that Cassie would be staying within Colorado Springs to be near Sam. The child vaguely remembered hearing the possibility of a boarding school within the city at the start of the next school year. She knew that Sam wanted Cassie nearby, but the Air Force officer couldn't be ever present the way their mother was.

As for the child, she just assumed that it would be the same for herself. What neither she nor the adults knew would come to a hell of a shock. It started with that same package that Sam received, which also included a prerecorded video from their mother. The first part of it was for Cassie and her. Their mother told them that she was sorry that she couldn't be there for them anymore and that she loved them with all her heart. She also told them that if anything happened, to always listen to Jack and Sam. The first surprising thing is that their mother asked all of them to leave, while she relayed a private confession to Sam, about the identity of the child's father. Up until that point, she never really thought about who her father was. She just assumed that she was adopted, just like her elder sister.

After Jack ushered them out of the room and closed the door behind him, he knelt in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Seraph, your mom is telling Sam who your father is and how to get in contact with him."

"Are you shitting me?!" O'Neill shouted.

"No sir. We've have his DNA on file, so we've conducted the DNA analysis, as well as double and triple checked the results," Sam replied. "She is his daughter."

"But Bra'tac…are you kidding me?"

"Sir, don't get me wrong, I'm just as sho cked as you are."

"How is that even possible?"

"Genetically, the Jaffa aren't that different from humans."

"Neither are humans and chimpanzees," replied the general.

"I wouldn't use that analogy, sir. It might be more like the difference between homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans."

"Deniso-what?"

"Denisovans, sir. They were another Homo species that were able to procreate along with homo sapiens and Neanderthals. Scientists, at this point, believe that…"

"Never mind," replied the colonel, who was starting to get annoyed.

The child sat on the briefing room table watching and listening to the entire discussion going on around her. She knew that they were talking about her, but she didn't know why Jack and everyone else were so upset.

"Bra'tac is Seraphiel's father?!" General Hammond stated in shock, as he sat at the head of the table. "And the name 'Seraphiel', what kind of name is that?"

"Hebrew," Daniel answered quickly. "It's an extremely obscure Hebrew name, normally not used for an individual. Only mentioned in apocrypha. It could mean "God's burning one", while others stay…"

"Never mind."

"Why that name," Jack interrupted.

"According to Janet's message, that was Bra'tac's mother's name, and she liked it. It was different and it meant something, unlike many names that Americans are coming up with nowadays," Sam replied. With that, Jack's eyebrows went up for a second and he nodded.

Seraph was scared. All she knew at that point was that her mother was dead and never coming home, and, now, was being separated from her big sister. She was also going to meet her father, a man named Bra'tac, and live with him. She was going to leave the only home she had ever known, her big sister, and everyone she had ever known. She didn't realize it, but at that moment, she started to tear up.

"Come here," Sam said as she pulled her over onto her lap. As she sat down, she wrapped her arms around her and whispered into the child's ear, "it's okay to cry. I know that you're scared, but everything is going to be okay. Do you understand?"

She didn't say a word, instead she just nodded she head. From her, she turned her head and looked at Jack, sitting across the table from them.

"Wait," Jack said as he rose from his seat and walked around the table to Sam's chair. He knelt beside them and wiped away one of her tears. "Seraph, please look at me." She turned her head slightly toward him and glared. "Well I'll be damned…I can see it. A resemblance. It's her eyes and, especially the way she glares."

"What about my eyes?"

"I think you're right," Sam agreed as she looked at the child's glare at Jack.

"There was always something about your eyes kiddo that reminded me of someone. I just couldn't place it, until now."

Suddenly, the red strobe lights went off. At that point, Jack rose to his feet.

"Incoming wormhole," Harriman announced as the Stargate had reached the second chevron.

"Close the iris," replied the General.

Within two minutes, the wormhole had been formed with our gate.

"We're receiving iris code now sir…it's Bra'tac."

"Open the iris," General Hammond announced. The small child slipped off Sam's lap and moved to the window overlooking the gate room. She reached it in time to see the iris finish retracting back and see her first open wormhole through the Stargate. It didn't take long for Teal'c to step through, with an old man right behind him, both wearing Jaffa armor and carrying staff weapons. As she watched them quickly descend the metal ramp from the Stargate and head for the blast doors, Jack rose from his seat and walked over to her.

"That's him…your father," she heard as Jack placed his hand on her right shoulder. "He was Teal'c's teacher, his mentor."

"But he's so…old."

"He's, um, not that old…only 140."

"Wow," she stood there with her mouth open with amazement. She never heard of anyone living to the age of 140. As she turned her head and looked up at Jack, she blurted out, "wait, how old are you, Jack?"

"Not that nearly that old, smart-aleck, and none of your business." He smiled as he turned toward Sam and said, "I've gotta hand it to the guy, I didn't know that someone his age could even get it up, much less have enough stamina to make children."

"My body works just fine, Hashak, better than yours would at my age. Besides, the child's mother never complained about my stamina. Despite being very fit, with me, she often complained of her lack of it." The child turned her head toward the metal staircase and saw him standing there beside Teal'c.

Colonel O'Neill and Cassandra responded by saying "eww" and "gross" simultaneously.

"Please, I really don't want to hear about my mom's sex life," Cassie said as she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. "And, right now, neither should she," motioning toward her sister. "Don't forget, she's only 5."

"You're right…I'm sorry Cassie," Jack said as he took the little girl's hand in his. Before she knew it, they were walking over to the stairs. "Bra'tac…this is your daughter, Seraphtiel. Seraph for short."

"Hello Seraph," he said as knelt in front of her and looked her in my eyes. "I'm very happy to meet you…You look like your mother." The child stood there, beside Jack, with her small hand with his.

"Thank God." The old Jaffa and the little girl both looked up at Jack. "Did I say that out loud?"

He nodded.

She turned back turned the Jaffa kneeling in front of her. "Sorry…father."

She turned her head back and looked up at Jack, for reassurance, because up until that point, he was the only father figure she had. He looked down at her and must have known about her apprehension and fear by the amount of force she used in squeezing his hand.

"Do you trust me, kid?"

"Always."

"Please trust me now when I say it's okay, kid. I know that you're scared, but he's for real. He's okay."

She nodded and looked back at her father. Before she knew it, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her back and picked her up. Before she knew it, he carried her over to the conference table and sat her back down on it. He sat down beside her, while Teal'c sat opposite him at the table.

"Now, back to business people…why didn't Dr. Fraiser ever mention any of this," General Hammond questioned at the head of the table. "For that matter, when was the child conceived?" He turned his attention toward the old Jaffa warrior, "how the long did your relationship with Janet Fraiser last?"

"I know why Janet didn't tell anyone," Sam piped in. "Think about it, Seraphiel is the only Human-Jaffa hybrid they we know of. If the NID and any rogue elements got wind of her existence, Janet could have had her only biological child stolen from her and experimented upon. She might not have seen her again. The only way of keeping Seraph safe would be never to reveal who her father was. That's possibly why Janet never put Bra'tac's name on Seraph's birth certificate. It would have revealed her existence to anyone looking to use something against us and this program. Without his name on official governmental paperwork, Seraph was just another fatherless child being raised by a single mother. Her message to me, in her video, was her contingence plan, just in case something happened to her, while Cassie wasn't old enough to take care of herself and Seraph."

"Major, basically, she was trying to protect her child," the General responded.

"Yes sir."

"But, why not tell me? I am the child's father. I had every right to know." Sam turned and looked at Bra'tac. It was one of the few times that she ever saw him furious. He turned his head and looked at Seraph, "she is my only child."

Teal'c looked across the table at his aging mentor and noticed how he looked at his daughter. Teal'c could tell that he loved his daughter already and just as much as he loved Ry'ac. "Master, we are fighting a war against the Goa'uld. Dr. Fraiser knew this and knew you well enough to know that you would want your daughter with you. She didn't want your daughter and hers raised in a war zone. That is not the environment in which to raise a child. I know that, when Seraph was old enough, she would have told both you and your daughter."

With a brief pause, his mentor contemplated what his former student had said. "That is true, Teal'c. Here, she was safe, loved, and cared for."

"Anyway, to my next question. When was she conceived?"

"Janet said that Seraph was conceived right after we destroyed Apophis and Klorel's ships in orbit. Basically, General, during the time Bra'tac was at the SGC with us after the Endeavor saved us," Sam replied to their commanding officer.

"I remember that night…there were some sweet parties…lots of beer and donuts," Jack piped in. Sam smiled at the comment.

"I met Janet that night in the infirmary."

"You old player, you put the moves on her that night, in the infirmary, didn't you? Right under our noses, during our workups," O'Neill interrupted.

"What is this…a player?"

"Master, it is a Tauri phrase for a person, usually a man, plays around with people's emotions, particularly of those of the opposite sex. The sole purpose of this is to have sexual intercourse and/or have a relationship with an individual on the player's terms."

"I am not a player…I am an old man, but I am still a man. I know a beautiful woman when I see one. If you didn't see it, you are blind."

Jack saw the passion and anger with the Jaffa's eyes.

"You really loved her…didn't you?"

"Yes…I did and I still do."

"Why didn't either of you ever say anything?" Sam asked as she leaned forward and put her arms on the table.

"What would you have us say? I could not let it be known that I was in a committed relationship with a human woman. Admitting such a thing would cause me to lose face amongst those I'm trying to help. To most Jaffa, humans within are domains are a subjugated people and considered inferior. Even many Jaffa warriors consider humans of the Tauri to be inferior, even though they were defeated by you."

"Basically, you would lose everything."

"Indeed."

"But why didn't she say anything to us? We were some of her closest friends and she hid such a huge secret."

"Think about it," Daniel replied, "if she mentioned that she was in a long-term relationship with a Jaffa, even a close ally like Bra'tac, might have to be reported to the Pentagon. They would probably never sanction their relationship, which would might cause her to have to choose between him and her career. Knowing Janet, she wouldn't want to be put into that position."

"That's one hell of a position she got herself into."

"Cassie, did your mom ever mention anything to you?" Sam asked as she turned from Bra'tac and O'Neill and looked at her elder goddaughter.

"Not a thing…wait…I vaguely remember mom mention that she met a man, but that was years ago, within the first year that I was here. I threw a fit. I was content with it just being the two of us and I was afraid of losing her. She never brought it up again. A couple months later she told me that she was pregnant…from the one-night stand with him. She told me that she ended it with the guy, but she was going to keep the baby. She said that she had too much in her life for a man; she had a daughter, a baby on the way, friends and a career that kept her without any free time. That's the last of anything I heard about any relationship with any man."

"I'm sorry to tell you this Cassandra, but the relationship didn't end that night" Bra'tac said as he addressed the saddened and depressed teenager. "I continued to see her whenever I could, but it was not as often as I would have liked. She told me all about you and that you weren't emotionally ready to have her in a relationship with anyone, because you saw them as competition. She also mentioned that you were afraid of losing someone else that you loved. That is the reason that she hid it from you. I agreed to it, because it was not my place to tell a mother how to parent her daughter. I also knew how much she loved you and cherished you and how proud you made her." Bra'tac saw how mad it made Cassandra, to know that our mother had lied to her and hid the relationship from her for years. He also knew, no matter what he had to say would take that pain away from her. "Cassandra, your mother hid our relationship to protect you. If it had been up to me, here, on this planet, we wouldn't have hidden our relationship. I loved your mother enough to accept that you were a much higher priority than her own companionship." It was at that moment that Cassie started to tear up.

"I miss her…so much."

"I know you do, honey," Sam replied as she wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders. "We all do."

"She must have loved you very much Bra'tac if she went through all of that trouble to be with you," replied Jack, "but am I the only one who's wonder how the hell you two kept it a secret for about six years?"

"You're assuming Master Bra'tac and Dr. Fraiser were the only two that knew about the relationship," Teal'c finally chimed in.

"Teal'c, who else would have known about their relationship, besides them?" Sam questioned him about his statement.

"I know of one other person who had known about their relationship…me."

"Teal'c, you knew? All this time?" Sam inserted, obviously surprised by Teal'c's assertion.

"Indeed."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"They asked me not to say a word."

"Janet and I asked him not to say anything. Teal'c helped me meet with Janet whenever I was on the planet. I am assuming that he also looked after the child while I was with her mother."

"Teal'c…you…changing diapers?" O'Neill questioned in absolute shock. "I never thought you had it in you."

"O'Neill, you forget that I have had experience doing so."

"Oh yeah, Rya'c. I'm sorry that I forgot."

It was during this that Cassandra tried to add her say, but she was always one step behind the adults around her. It was with her godfather's apology that she found her opening into the conversation. "Bra'tac, why her? You probably could have had your pick of Jaffa women," Cassandra asked accusingly.

"One thing that both Teal'c and I have in common is that we like are strong, independent women and your mother was as strong as they come."

There was a long moment of silence in the conference room, as Cassie whipped the tears from her cheeks. Suddenly Cassie started to laugh.

"What's so funny, Cassandra," asked General Hammond.

"Sir, at least I know why my mom let me sleep over at my friends' places occasionally during weeknights during the school year. One of her early rules were that sleepovers were off limits during school nights. I always wondered why she broke that one rule, but I thought it was my good grades in school. Those times that she met with you, I just assumed that she was called to the SGC for an emergency and she needed an adult to look after me for the night. Now I know that she was getting some on the side."

"Cassie!"

"What?"

"Let us get back on track, folks. What about Seraph's health? Will she need to be implanted with a goa'uld larva at some point?"

"According to the recorded message Janet left me, she should not need have any health problems, thank Gd. The up side is that she believed the Seraph should have a normal human immune system. However, there are several downsides. Since she is half Jaffa, she was born with a symbiote pouch, which means that her internal organs are arranged the same way as a normal Jaffa, not the way they would be if she were completely human. She also has Naquadah in her blood stream, as well as inherited an unknown blood type. At least, it's unknown on Earth, I mean. If these "anomalies" come to the attention to someone one the outside, even a doctor, it could spark a lot of questions. That's one of the reasons why Janet thought that Seraph would be better off with her father."

"Seraph's different blood type and the presence of Naquadah in her blood stream would explain why Janet was so sick while she was pregnant with her," Daniel added. "What I'm wonder is if the presence of Bra'tac's symbiote have any repercussions on his daughter."

"Like a harcesis child?"

"Only time will tell Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied.

"I doubt it," replied Sam. "Normal Jaffa child are the result of two parents with symbiotes and do not have any goa'uld genetic memories."

"I have one more question about her physical health," O'Neill mentioned as the meeting slowly came to an end, "…will she be able to have children of her own?"

There was a dead silence in the conference room. All the adults at the table looked around each other, hoping that one of the others had the answer.

"We don't know, sir," Sam replied. "It's possible, considering there isn't a lot of genetic differentiation between the Jaffa and humans, but we're not sure."

"Or it's possible that she could be sterile like a mule."

"Well, everyone, it looks like we'll have to wait and see."

"General, I know that everyone around this table loved Janet very much, but, I'm sorry to say it, Seraph is one hell of a science experiment," O'Neill stated as the meeting officially came to its end.

As she drifted off to sleep on the conference table, it was with that one statement that Seraphiel knew that she wasn't a normal child, like all the others in her kindergarten class. What she didn't know was that that feeling would stay with her for years to come.

"Bra'tac, I don't mean to sound pushy, but do you actually have any experience taking care of a child as young as Seraph," Carter asked as they walked along the corridor toward the visitors' quarters.

"No, I do not."

"Listen, Bra'tac, you can't take her…"

"Carter, I know that you are going to say…that's she needs a stable home. She will have that with me. Do not forget that I have a home on Chulak."

"It's just with the Jaffa rebellion and you traveling planet to planet, I'm afraid that her education with suffer."

He stopped and looked at her. "You mean a Tauri education."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm just worried that if something should happen to you, what will happen to her? Will the Jaffa accept her? Will she have a place in Jaffa society, or will she be an outcast?"

"Major, if I understand our discussion earlier, she is a freak among the Tauri."

"Bra'tac, you're right, but at the SGC, she will have a place. Don't forget that almost everyone here loved Janet and will do almost anything to protect her daughters...I just want her opinions to be kept open."

"Do not worry, Major. If anything should happen to me, I will have her sent back here. I can hide her…differences until she reaches prata. If her immune system does not fail, other Jaffa will take note of this. Some will not care. As I now think about it, I worry about those that will care about this."

"Bra'tac, I know that Seraph's your daughter…"

"Major Carter, I know that you are worried about her, especially about me moving from planet to planet. If there weren't so much uncertainty in the galaxy, I would take her with me back to Chulak and raise her in my home there. It would need a lot of repairs, for I have not been there in some time. I would also send for my cousin, a widow with five grown children, to help me raise her. Since I cannot return to Chulak for a while, I think it is best for me to raise her amongst the Hak'tyl."

"Will they accept both you and Seraph?"

"You are worried about their acceptance of me living among them."

"Ah…yeah. They aren't known for having men living them."

"You forget that they have many allies among Moloc's forces. Many of those allies have sisters and daughters living amongst the Hak'tyl. Besides, Teal'c has already asked Ishta and their other leaders if I could live amongst them and raise my daughter there. They have accepted. I also want my daughter to be raised among strong and intelligent women, as her mother was."

"Wait," they heard someone shout as they were walking up the ramp to the stargate. Bra'tac and Seraph stopped and turned around, to find O'Neill running through the door and up the ramp toward them.

"Seraph, I wanted to give you something before leave. You're going to have to practice using it a lot, but, in time, I think that you'll be very good at using it."

"What is it?"

"Ah, yes." He reached down to the right leg pocket of his pants and pulled out a large wooden slingshot with a thick rubber band. With a quick motion, he handed it to her and gave her a large hug. "Remember, you're welcome back anytime. As for the slingshot, flat rocks, not round ones."

"Love you too and thank you," she whispered back. Seraph looked up at her father, who nodded to her. She took her father's hand in hers and they continued their way through the stargate.

Among the Jaffa youth, Seraph was relatively the best fighter and most educated, because she had some of the best to teach her. Over the years, she was trained in their ways by her own father, as well as other members of the Fifth Column, including Raknor, Ishta, Ry'ac, and Karin. She also had extended stays at the Tauri's Alpha Site, to continue her Tauri education, as well as have a safe place to live until her father retrieved her. He often left her there, under the Tauri's protection, in order to fight in upcoming battles or to recruit more Jaffa to their cause.

Over time, as the members of the Jaffa rebellion became vast, the Jaffa High Council was established at Dakara and her father was appointed as one of members. She was glad that they were able to finally settle down; to have a home and not move from planet to planet in fear. It was during that time that her father became more distant and busier with his duties. Seraph knew how hard her father was working and how precarious his position was within the council, especially with his association with the Tauri and having a half-breed child.

It was because of her father's position that people noticed that her twelfth year came and went without the major illness that demonstrates the failure of a Jaffa's immune system. It was after the start of her thirteenth year that the attacks started. At first, they were few and far between. She was able to fend them off, without any injury to herself, due to her training having started much earlier than theirs. Unlike most Jaffa youths, who start their training after their Prim'ta ceremony, hers started when she first arrived with her father. Those beatings were usually from the children of the more traditional Jaffa, as well as those whose parents had pledged their allegiance to the Ori. The beatings, however, became more severe and the attackers more numerous; to the point that she couldn't fend off the attackers. Eventually, she couldn't hide the bruises from her father.

Seraph struggled to hold back the tears as looked at her father. Seraph sat on one of the few wooden chairs in her father's spartan house and read the small, but beautiful wedding invitation for her elder sister's upcoming wedding. She sat with her back almost against the small stone stairwell, that led upstairs to the home's living quarters and her father's study.

"What is this you are reading," Bra'tac asked her as he looked down at her from the top of the stairwell. He noticed her jump in surprise after hearing him break the silence in the household. He was about to reprimand her, but she replied to his question beforehand.

"I'm sorry I lowered my guard father…It's a card from Cassie…Actually she's getting married and she really wants me at the wedding, as part of the wedding party."

"You're upset about this. Why," he asked as he walked down the stairs to one of the other chairs. He quietly picked it up, placed it next to hers, and sat down.

"I'm not upset about her getting married. I am happy for her…I'm just nervous. I don't know how to behave at such an event. It's been years since I've been back to Earth and I'm afraid of embarrassing myself and her at her wedding. People will also question me about my whereabouts for all these years. I cannot possibly say to them that I was raised by my father on another planet. I want to be there for my sister, but I am afraid that my presence there will cause more harm than good."

"You should go."

"You think so."

"I know so. I know that your sister would very much love to have you there, because she wrote me a letter telling me about it." He turned his right, just enough for his daughter to look him in his eyes. He gave her a small smile, while telling her, "and I have already accepted on your behalf."

"But father, you shouldn't have done that without my knowledge or permission," she stated as she leaned toward her father. "Cassie is my sister and the invitation was addressed to me."

"I'm sorry, but I was afraid that you wouldn't go. I know that you are at home amongst the Jaffa, but the more I thought about the letter, the more I realized that you have forgotten how to be a Tauri. I know that you are afraid, but do not worry, there will be plenty of people there to guide you along the way. Your sister has also mentioned that the people of her world already know about the existence of the Chappai and "aliens," as she put it."

"But does Dominic know that she is 'an alien'?"

"That I do not know." He slowly took his right hand and cupped her chin. Seraph knew that he was curling his lip in angry as he saw her left eye swollen shut. She turned her head left and looked at her father. Even in the darkness, he saw the cut on her nose and her split lips. Bra'tac know that the other physical injuries were covered by her dirty clothes. It was the sight absolute pain and hatred on his face that caused her to burst into tears.

"I'm sorry Papa."

"Why did you not tell me?"

"I did not want you to worry. You have enough to deal with."

"They do not have any honor. To hurt me through hurting my only child." He shook his head in disbelief. "There is also one more matter I would like to discuss with you."

"What is it father?"

"I think that you should stay on Earth for a while?"

"But why? Did I do something wrong? Have I not trained hard enough father? Have I not proven myself in battle? Have I not brought honor to your name?Besides, I don't want to move to Earth, father. My place is here, with you."

"You have brought me more honor than any daughter could have," he stated as he stood up from the bench and walked over to her. "It has nothing to do with honor, but everything to do with necessity," Bra'tac replied as he wrapped his arms around his daughter and lowered his forehead to hers.

"What do you mean, father? Why is it necessary?"

"I believe that you should study on Earth to become a doctor."

"But why a doctor? Don't we already have plenty of healers?"

"Seraph, please let me finish. You have given me much honor, my child," he replied as he approached his daughter. "As much as I love you and having you nearby, it is best for you to return to Earth." He slowly cupped her face in his hands and wiped her tears away. "With these attacks against you, I fear for you safety. To many of these Jaffa do not see you as one of their own kind, but as an abomination or a human posing as a Jaffa. To others, since you do not need either a symbiote or Tretonin, you are not Jaffa. Either way, they know that you are my daughter, you share my DNA, they see you not as a Jaffa warrior, but a human agent of the Tauri or a freak that should be despised. As more Jaffa turn to Tretonin, their bodies do not heal or recover as they had while under the influence of the Goa'uld larvae. The Jaffa will need doctors in the future, preferably ones of their kind, as to not be so dependent upon the Tauri, on this issue, indefinitely. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"You will return to the Tauri once your bruises heal, in approximately one month. That should give you the ample time to prepare for your journey."

"How am I to travel there? Through the Chappa'ai or Arkash?"

"Chappa'ai."

"Tauri home world or their Alpha site?"

"Their home world…your Tauri godparents will be waiting for you when you arrive. They will most likely inform your sister of your arrival."

"Yes, father. May I ask you one more thing?"

"Yes."

"Please take care of yourself, father. I'm very worried that you're pushing yourself too hard, especially at your age. You are helping to reconstitute the Jaffa High Council, delving into politics, and overseeing my training and education, as well as that of Rya'c and a few other young Jaffa. I want you to take a break…a vacation."

"No, I cannot. There is too much to be done."

"Father, please, at least for a couple of weeks."

"You worry too much about me."

"I can say the exact same thing about you. Father, please, slow down and take a break for a while."

"Incoming traveler, sir," the master sergeant stated over the intercom after the stargate activated, the strobe lights went off, and the iris was closed. General Landry quickly left his office and headed to the command center that overlooked the stargate.

"It's Teal'c's idc," the master sergeant stated.

"Open the iris."

After a few moments, Teal'c stepped through with his left hand on a teenage girl's right shoulder. With their arrival, the gate disengaged its incoming wormhole. As they descended the metal ramp, she tried her best to hide her fear of facing the unknown. By the time they reached the bottom, they were met by General O'Neill.

"Welcome back Teal'c," Landry stated through the microphone.

"Hi, T. How are you?"

"I am quite well O'Neill."

"How are Ishta, Rya'c, and Karin?"

"Rya'c and Karin are expecting their second child soon. As for Ishta, she finally accepted my proposal."

"Congratulations! When are the wedding and the baby due?"

"The baby is due in five months and the wedding is in one month. You, Generals Carter and Mitchell, Daniel Jackson, and Vala Mal Doran are all invited to the wedding."

"Thank you, General Landry. Hello O'Neill." The white-haired general stood before his old friend and an unknown teenage girl, approximately 5'4'' in height. Her dark brown hair was draped around her head, but never touched her shoulders. The outfit she wore was one that the general hadn't seen in approximately 23 years; one of the outfits that the Jaffa guards, from Ra's ship, wore. Her well-toned body showed some faded scars, half of which were to her face. Her body was stripped of any jewelry, except for one beaded necklace that contained two objects dangling from it: a Jaffa symbol and an U.S. military issued dog tag. In her left hand, she carried a Basaak. In her right hand, she carried two duffel bags: one of her personal supplies and the other of various books and textbooks that were on loan to her from the Alpha Site.

"Nice, we'll be there…Um, T…this must be our goddaughter, Seraphiel. I haven't seen you since Rya'c and Karin's wedding, nine years ago."

Seraph turned her head right, toward her mentor. As he turned and looked back at her, he noticed the hurt in her eyes. With that, he nodded at her and looked back at his old friend. She took a step forward, toward the General, and said, "I'm sorry…I don't remember."

"You gave me that look once."

"What look," she replied as she picked up an eyebrow in confusion.

"That look that you gave Teal'c; the look of being unsure and not knowing what to do. You gave me that same look when you first met your father."

"I did?"

"Yes…you did," he answered as he stepped forward and gave her a hug. It took Seraph a few moments to wrap her arms around her Tauri godfather. It didn't take long for her to breathe in the scent from his cologne. It was that smell that brought back a memory of being carried on a man's shoulders around a building, probably this building. All she remembered for sure was the man's scent and his graying hair.

"May I ask you something, sir," she asked as she pulled away from the hug.

"I think you already did," Jack replied in return. As soon as he understood the confused look on her face, he added, "go ahead."

"Did you ever carry me around on your shoulders around this base?"

"You remember that?"

"I just remembered it…it was your cologne."

"What can I say, I'm a creature of habit," the general replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "I've missed you…We all have. I won't keep you any longer, Seraph, because there are a couple of people waiting for you in the command center. I don't think that we should keep them waiting any longer."

"Yes sir." With that, she turned head toward the door and left the gate room. She suddenly stopped and turned back to face her two godfathers. "Jack, I almost forgot to ask you one more question."

"Yes."

Before he realized it, the teenager was waving them both over to the door. She saw the confusion on their faces and said, "well, it's kind of a personal question."

"Ah," the general stated. Both men then walked over to her.

"Have you asked Sam to marry you yet," she asked the aging general. "If she wants children of her own, you should get cracking on that. Neither one of you is getting any younger." Having finished her thought, she turned back to the hallway and walked toward the stairs. From there, she walked up to the command center and into the open arms of her godmother and sister.

Jack just stood there in amazement, while Teal'c just stood there looking at his friend.

"The child has a point."

"What?! Does everyone know how I feel about Sam?"

"What is the Tauri saying…'a blind man can see it'?" The tall Jaffa turned and left the gate room, leaving the general behind. After a few seconds, the general caught up to him.

"I've been meaning to ask you something about Seraph. What's with her scars? Some of them are more recent than others."

"Some of them are from her training. Being half human, she tends to scar. There is also the problem of some of the Jaffa see her as a threat or are afraid of her. A few see her as an abomination. They did to her what they did to her father many years ago."

"What happened?"

"When you, Daniel Jackson, and General Carter were held captive by Hathor, I left the SGC and returned to Chulak. The first place I went to was Bra'tac's home. I found him beaten up, alone, and left for dead. It was his neighbors that did that. They feared retribution from Apophis and Klorel. It took all of my will power not to kill them myself. He never complained about that incident. Seraphiel takes after him that way, because neither does she. She often reminds me of both Bra'tac and of Doctor Fraiser. I believe that's how she was about to survive. She is wise like Bra'tac and smart and cunning like her mother."

"You're making her sound like she's ruthless."

"She is far from ruthless, the majority of the time, but, rather, kind and gentle."

"What about those other times?"

"As the Tauri say, 'don't cross her'. Those times are only in battle, to help someone or something in need, or to protect those that she loves."

Sam and Cassie walked ahead of her as they guided her to one of the visitors' quarters within Stargate Command. She was informed that she restricted to the base for a month, due to health reasons. The base's doctor stated that it was standard procedure, especially since all her childhood vaccinations had long since exited her immune system. It would take time for her receive all her vaccinations, as well as give any alien microbes to leave her system. Seraph nodded in acceptance, but, internally, all she wanted to do was go home.

She absolutely detested the idea of leaving, at being separated from the only parent she could remember, since her memories of her mother were quite distant and faded. The only reasons she could remember what her mother looked like were a couple of old photographs she included in her most prized possessions. She didn't mind visiting Earth and visiting her sister and her godparents, but she felt as though she was forced to move to that planet long term. To Seraph, however, home was where ever her father was. Bra'tac was her father and she didn't want to disappoint or embarrass him, so just put on a brave face.

"This is your temporary quarters, Seraph," Sam stated after she opened the door of one of many unassuming grey doors. Sam entered the room first, followed by Cassie, then by Seraph. For a moment, she looked around the room that was being presented to her. Seraph's quarters for the time being were bigger than the ones she had had before, including her own room in her father's house on Chulak, but the decor was quite spartan and bland. There was a desk with a matching chair, a television with DVD player, round table with chairs, a nightstand with a lamp, a few additional lamps throughout the room, a full-sized bed, a couple of U.S.A.F. posters, a dresser, and a restroom. She knew that they were still deep underground by the lack of windows to the outside world.

Without saying anything, the teenager walked over to the dresser and placed her two duffel bags on top of it and leaned her training staff against the wall right next to the dresser. She then turned to her godmother.

"Sam, before I forget, I wanted to return all of the books that I borrowed when I was last at the Alpha Site."

"Don't worry. Later, Cassie or I will show you where the base library is. That's where we've been storing everything for your education."

"Thank you," she replied. Seraph quickly slipped off her female open-toed sandals, walked over to the bed, stepped onto it, and started jumping on it repeatedly.

"Seraph…what are you doing?" General Landry asked as he entered the room through the open door. He was shocked to see the young Jaffa warrior jumping on the bed like a human child.

"Jumping…on the bed."

"But why…beds aren't for jumping on," the general replied, as if he were speaking to a child.

She immediately stopped jumping and sat plopped down on the bed. "I'm sorry, General. When I say this big bed…well…I don't know why I did that. I don't even remember ever doing that."

"I do," Cassie piped in, smiling. "You used to do that all of the time on mom's bed, when she was still alive, but never your own. She once asked you why only her bed and your replied that it was bigger and had more space. You told her that you were practicing for jumping on the moon." Sam turned to her elder goddaughter and put her hand shoulder. They both smiled, thinking about the empty space left behind by the death of Doctor Janet Fraiser. Cassie and Sam walked over to the full-sized bed and sat down on either side of the teenager.

"Seraph, I just wanted to let you know that after your month of quarantine, we will schedule the placement tests with the local high school, to know which classes or school year to place you."

"Yes, sir."

"What's with the disappointed look, kid?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Spill it kid. I know that look."

"Go ahead. Spill it," Cassie piped in, gently elbowing her younger sister in her side.

"I've just…never been to an ordinary school before."

"I know," Sam nudged her, "it'll be a difficult adjustment at first, but you'll get used to it."

"If I can, you can. Okay?" Cassie asked just before she kissed Seraph on the top of her head.

She let out a deep breath and said, "okay."

"I'm glad that's settled. I'll see you three later. I have more work to do and it doesn't finish itself," General Landry said, after which he turned around and headed back to his office.

"Now, Seraph…about your clothes…" Cassandra said as she looked at the white linen kilt and matching top. "And your hair."

"What about my clothes and hair?" Seraph was starting to become frightened, so she started to pull away from the twenty-six-year-old sitting next to her.

"Girl, they may be okay among the Jaffa, but they are so not going to work here."

"Why not?"

"Trust me, once you can go to the surface, I am so taking you clothes shopping. You cannot go to school dressed like this. Schools nowadays have dress codes and that outfit would violate a lot of those rules."

"Cassie, I think that changing your sister's wardrobe is for another day," Sam interrupted as she saw the horror on Seraph's face. "I know it's a culture shock for Seraph and a lot to take in for one day," Sam said right before she kissed Seraph on the top of the head and knelt in front of her. "Everything is going to be okay. I know that you want to be here for Cassie, but I also know that you're here because your father wants to keep you safe. For him, keeping you safe means that you have to live on Earth and being with us."

"I know," Seraph replied without looking Sam in the eyes.

"I know that Cassie was scaring you, but we will help you get some new clothes. We want you to be able to blend in and the clothes that you have won't help. Don't get me wrong, you look great in the outfit. Most girls, let alone women, wouldn't be able to pull it off, but it will attract too much unwanted attention, from men and women. Anyway, during this month, you'll be provided with the basic fatigues that everyone else on base wears. There are already some in the dresser. Okay?"

Seraph nodded.

"Good." Sam stood up and headed for the door, followed by Cassie. As they were about to leave the room and close the door behind them, they heard the scared teenager ask something.

"Can I at least keep wearing this," Seraph asked while touching her necklace.

"Absolutely."

"What the hell's gotten into you," Master Sergeant Lopez asked her after he dragged Seraph out of the training/sparing room by her grey t-shirt. He made sure that he closed the door behind them to give them some privacy. "What the fuck are you doing? You know that you can do better than that."

"I…I don't know Master Sergeant," the fifteen-year-old whispered to him, unable to make eye contact with him. She tried to fight it, but she couldn't stop a few tears from rolling down her cheeks.

"I do…you miss him, and you miss everything you had to leave behind. You and your father were thick as thieves for these past ten years…and, now, you feel like you've lost part of yourself." As he spoke those words to her, she nodded and wiped the tears from her face. "Remember, your father isn't dead, he's just a letter away." Seraph shot him a look, just after he said those words. "General Landry already told me about your father's promise to you. You know that I'm retired from the SGC, but for this one assignment, I was given the clearance to pass your letters back and forth from the SGC. From there, they try to get them delivered to your father. Once he replies and his letters reach the SGC, they will get forwarded on to me. After I get them, I'll give them to you. I know that it will take time, but you won't lose contact with him." It was then that Master Sergeant Lopez found the teenager wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Thank you, Master Sergeant," she whispered.

"You're welcome. One more thing, cadet, there are about thirty of your fellow cadets watching us through the windows in the doors," Lopez calmly stated, just before she pulled away from him. From there, she turned and saw her fellow cadets staring at the two of them. She was just about to open the door and reenter the training room, when her teacher spoke.

"Listen, Seraph, before we go back in there, I need to remind you that I know what you are capable of on the battle field, because I've seen it." With that being said, he reentered the spacious training room, with the new cadet in tow. "Ladies and gentlemen, before your imaginations go absolutely haywire and assume that there is something going on with the new cadet, there isn't."

"Yeah, sure," replied Cadet Airman Smith.

Within five seconds, Master Sergeant Lopez was nose to nose to the high school student. "Despite what you think Mr. Smith, I gave the new cadet some news about her father, who, just happens to be in a combat zone. Do…I…make…myself…clear?!"

"Yes Sergeant!"

"Cadet Fraiser, return to the center of the training mat."

"Yes, Sergeant," she replied as she slowly walked up into the center of the large mat. All the other cadets gathered back around to watch and analyze the upcoming sparring match. They knew that that sparring match would determine what level she would be place in.

"Don't be afraid to fight back. Remember…you are your father's daughter*," Master Sergeant Lopez said to her, loud enough for the other students to hear. "Just don't kill me or injure me too badly," the teacher stated just before he threw a right punch to her face, which she easily deflected. From there, the fight continued and picked up its pace. The other cadets gathered around the large training mats to watch the fight. The gasped and cheered on the sparing match between their instructor and the new cadet.

The next sixteen years that Seraphiel spent on Earth were like a blur to her. It was during this time that she spent so much of her time concentrating on her medical studies and training, as well as keeping up skills for combat, that Cassandra and Sam were concerned about her lack of a social life.

"Teal'c, I'm worried about Seraph," Sam quietly stated.

"How so? I hear that she is excelling in her studies."

"She is. She's graduating from medical school the end of the term and she will start her residency with the Air Force hospital in Colorado Springs."

"But what is the problem?"

"I'm worried that she isn't getting out enough…I mean that she doesn't have a social life. For years is always just been study, research, and training. She has very few friends and, well, she hasn't had a boyfriend at all. Do you know if…"

"She prefers women. No, I know for a fact that she does not."

"How do you know?"

"You must remember, at the time she did this, she was a hormonal fifteen-year-old girl. Before she left Chulak to return to Earth, she tried to kiss Cha'ra."

"Awkward."

"Indeed."

"Bra'tac couldn't handle that, could he? He loves his daughter, but he has no experience with teenage girls."

"He felt that he could not. Not with his responsibilities. He has trained many Jaffa warriors, none of which were ever female."

"So, sending her to Earth in order to protect her was a lie."

"No, it was not. He did send her here to protect her from any future harm."

"Do you think she knows the other reason why?"

"She suspects."

"That is probably why she's been acting like she doesn't have any hormones."

It was during her internship and residency, she joined the United States Air Force, just like her mother had done. Her mother's friends, her sister, and her sister's family were sitting in the bleachers at the swearing in ceremony. Seraph saw them there, but she was aware that there were two individuals missing: her mother and father.

When her internship and residency were completed, she was not surprised to find out that she was assigned to Stargate Command as one of the few doctors on the base. When she reported to the base for her first day as a member of the staff, there was a crowd of old-timers there to greet her, to welcome her to the team. As she walked by two of them, she heard one of them say, about her, that she was almost the spitting image of her mother.

"You know that there is a Jaffa leaning against one of pillars, just staring at you for the last ten minutes," Cassie whispered to her younger sister as the latter treated one of her young patients with a broken arm. The short Air Force doctor stopped setting the break and looked up at her elder sister. The taller woman motioned to one of the corners of the brown elongated corridor, where the light from the setting sun could not reach. There stood Cha'ra, leaning against one of the pillars, watching her. Seraph was taken aback with the intensity of his gaze but couldn't look away from him. She was struck by his angular cheekbones, his lips, his arms and the intensity of his gaze. "You know him?"

"Uh, yeah," she replied to her sister, before returning her concentration to patient.

"Well…who is he?"

"He is Cha'ra, one of the members of the Jaffa High Council and former First Prime of Moloc," little Tovan interrupted, as he started to fidget in his seat. "Doctor Fraiser, when we're are finished, may I have a Tauri candy?"

"Only if it's alright with your father, Tovan."

"I'm sure it will alright."

"Tovan, I know that you love sweets, but it is your father who has to agree to it, not this young warrior-in-training," she replied as she finished setting the cast on his left forearm. "There, finished…now go find your father."

"Yes, ma'am," said the little black-haired boy as he hopped down of the examining table. From there, he ran out of the hallway and out the door, to find his father. He's such a sweet child, Seraph thought as she smiled as she watched him run off. From there, she turned slightly and looked at Cha'ra.

"When he called you Doctor Fraiser, it made me think of mom."

There was a dead silence before the short officer replied, "sometimes, when they call me that, I expect to look over my shoulder and see her standing there."

"Anyway, the way you're looking before, when we were talking about Cha'ra, you seem to know him very well," Cassandra whispered into her little sister's right ear, "or you really want to know him that well."

"I know him from before I was sent back to earth," Seraph whispered back, without thinking, as she turned back to her instruments and supplies.

"Then why are you playing indifferent? I've never seen you act like this about anyone; to the point that I was starting to wonder if you were either a lesbian or just asexual."

"Cha'ra is one of the most desirable male Jaffa warriors…I mean was one. He is rumored to be betrothed. Besides, he is one of my father's colleagues on the Council. I cannot get into a relationship with Cha'ra, knowing it could affect how other Councilmembers with treat him. Some of the more traditional will say that my father is having his half-breed daughter seduce one of his colleagues. Also, with my father on that Council, our lives are more open to scrutinization, mine more than his. I can't do anything that could interfere with his work. Besides, I've known Cha'ra on and off for years. He was one of the warriors that helped train me before I returned to Earth…Did I mention that he is 80-Earth-years-old? I, on the other hand, am only 36. Cassie, I also tried to kiss him once…I was fifteen and…it didn't end well." Seraph couldn't bear to look at her sister at that moment, because all she wanted was to be him right at that moment. All she could do was take a deep breath and finish cleaning up all her instruments. Unbeknownst to her, Cassie quietly made her way over to the handsome Jaffa, who was surprised at her approach.

When Cassie reached the warrior, she whispered, "you must be Cha'ra, the handsome Jaffa warrior that my sister cannot stop looking at or talking about. I've never met anyone that has had this kind of affect on my sister before."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said angrily, as turned and walked away from her.

Cassie followed him as he left the building. "What the fuck is your problem?" The tall Jaffa stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the human woman.

"You want to know my problem…my problem is your sister is constantly making eyes at me. It's embarrassing. She is an adult and a warrior, she should like one, not like a hormonal…"

"…teenager," Seraphiel finished his statement for him. "Yeah, I know. It's not like you haven't said that to me before." Cha'ra turned around to find the young doctor standing not two feet away. Neither person noticed that Seraph had seen them leave the building, arguing, so she decided to follow them. With a heartbroken look on her face, turned to her sister and asked, "Cassie, can you please help me clean up? The sooner I can get that done, the sooner I can get back to making the rounds."

"Yeah, sure." The two women turned away from Cha'ra and headed back to the community center.

"She wasn't the only one acting like a hormonal teenager," Cassandra Fraiser said to Cha'ra, as he trained by himself, in the small training pit, later that day. She had carefully watched him in there for a while, to make sure that no one else was around when she approached him. The large Jaffa warrior stopped his workout and just stared at the woman, giving her a dirty look.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry that I approached you earlier, the way that I did," she stated as she entered the training pit and walked over to him. "Listen, I know what I saw."

"What did you see," he asked in a hostile and accusatory way, without looking at her. It wasn't until a moment later that he looked into her eyes.

"I saw a man, a kind, honorable, and gentle man lean against a pillar and watch my sister put a child's arm in a cast. Normally that wouldn't be unusual, but it was, considering that that child was not the son or relative to the warrior doing the watching. It could mean that he was either watching the boy, which would be very perverted, or he was watching the doctor. I know that he was watching the doctor, because he was still here after the boy left." Cha'ra looked away, as she finished speaking. He did say a word. He just looked down at the dirt.

"What would you have me say," he asked her without making eye contact. "I knew her as a child. I helped train her," he replied as he picked up his face and looked into Cassandra's eyes. "When she came back, I know that the Tauri were sending us another doctor, but we were never told that it would be her. I didn't recognize her at all, it being fifteen years since she left." He stopped talking momentarily, as he walked over to the nearby benches and sat down. Cassie did the same. ""I didn't even think about her at all, until I say her the day that she arrived back on Chulak."

"What happened?"

"I went to Bra'tac's home, with some reports and information that I had received earlier that day. I was greeted by Bra'tac, as usual, and sat down at the table to go over the material. It couldn't have taken more than a few minutes before she came back downstairs, still in her forest camouflage uniform. As she descended the stairs, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Anyway, she walked over to her father and sat down beside him. When I noticed that her name tag said Fraiser, I knew who she was. She preceded to hug and kiss him and, then, told him that going to visit Nesa and Neith of the Hak'tyl. On her way to his home, she had gotten word that Nesa was heavily pregnant with her first child and she due at any time. I don't remember what they said after that, for I was too busy looking at her. All I wanted to know was what she looked like under that uniform. As I looked at her, her father noticed how I was watching her. I have spent many years working with him and never seen him that angry."

"No matter how old she is, Seraph is always going to be his daughter, his little girl. Cha'ra, don't forget, she's his only child. I heard that many Jaffa males often criticized him for teaching his daughter to fight so well. What they did not understand was that the reason why he had her trained so rigorously was his way of protecting her…"

Cha'ra nodded. "I know. He trained her to be able to protect herself when he was no longer amongst the living. Bra'tac told me that not to claim her as my mate, that she was still to young. Cassandra, I respect him too much to argue with him and I accept his wishes. However, since them, my relationship with him has never been the same."

"I know my sister likes you, a lot, but she won't admit it, at least not publicly. Don't be mad at Bra'tac…like any good father, she's always going to be that five-year-old that he returned with."

"Does your sister know what you are doing?"

"No, she doesn't. The thing is that I have her best interest in mind when I say give her a chance. You know that my sister would normally speak her mind, but she is so afraid right now."

"Afraid of what," he laughed, "that woman fears nothing. She has fought in battles, in an earlier age, than most Jaffa males and won. She has proved to be one of our greatest female warriors. Since her return, I have heard that there have been many Jaffa warriors that have approached her father and asked his permission to court her."

"Do they want to court her or use her? Cha'ra, she's used to be fighting for her life, because that's all she's known since our mother died. The day our mother was killed, any sense of her childhood was killed along with our mother. As much as Bra'trac tries, he can't protect her from the reality of her situation. She was raised to see that everything is strategic and that she would be extremely lucky if she ever found love at all, especially in a marriage. I also see how many men look at her, many of whom see her as either a prize or a means to an end..."

"Because of her father…I understand, a political alliance or a form of domination. There are many that would like to form a political alliance with Bra'tac through marriage to his daughter. There are others that like to silence him, because they view him as a threat to traditional Jaffa beliefs and customs. It is also because of her mother, your mother, that many still look at her with disgust."

"So, you do understand her predicament. You, on the other hand, I can tell that you seem to like her for her. That's the reason why I'm talking to you. Before I continue, I need to know something. Are you engaged…I mean betrothed to anyone?"

"No, I am not betrothed to anyone. It is a rumor that I created to keep many people from trying to arrange a marriage their daughters and myself. As with Seraph, I am also seen as a means to an end. As a member of the Jaffa High Council, any woman that I would marry would be a political alliance, between me and the woman's father. Also, being the former first prime, I am also seen as highly advantageous marriage for any Jaffa female."

Cassandra looked away and nodded. "A way to breed strong sons. Some might see her in a similar way. Since she is the daughter of one of the eldest living first primes, she would be considered a good choice as a potential mate. Many Jaffa have noticed that she inherited his strength and intelligence, which might be passed on to any potential offspring. The strength she inherited would be helpful with childbirth. Between you and me, she also inherited our mother's beauty."

Cha'ra smiled and blushed, something that he was not accustomed to. "Cassandra, you really know a lot about our traditions and ways of life."

"I have to know. If I am to have my sister in my life, I must understand her. Cha'ra, I love her dearly…she's all I have left of our mother. Talking with you, there is one thing that I know is that you love her, deeply. Being with you, I know that you don't want her for all the wrong reasons. Now that that's out of the way, go talk to her. Just in case, not that it means anything within Jaffa society, but I give my blessing. I warn you that she's scared about the appearance of a conflict of interest, with both you and her father being on the High Council, and with her hybrid status. Cha'ra, the two things that is afraid of is hurting her father and bringing shame upon his name. Understand?"

"I understand."

"I'm not betrothed…to anyone," Seraph heard behind her as she was sitting at her desk and typing up reports to Stargate Command. She quickly turned around and stood up to find Cha'ra standing a few feet behind her.

"Ah…hi Cha'ra," she replied as she smiled, blushed, and looked away.

"I know that you feel scared and nervous around me," Cha'ra continued as he reached out and gently touched her cheek with his fingers. She couldn't look him in his eyes. He softly turned her face and lowered his lips to hers. At first, the kiss was soft and gentle and she responded to it. Slowly, he applied more pressure and passion to her lips, eventually thrusting his tongue into her mouth. He pulled her against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. With their bodies so close together, she felt his erection through his robes and her camouflage uniform. He broke off the kiss and lean forward to whisper into her ear. "This is not how I planned to ask you for your hand in marriage…I have seen the way you look at me. All I know is that you ache for me as I ache for you. I ache and burn for you every single night. It takes all my strength not to claim you as my mate. I want to explore your body, and have you explore mine," she continued to whisper into her ear, as he gently moved his hands to her small waist. "I ache to hear you cry out my name in ecstasy multiple times a night. I want you to be my wife and bear me my children. I ache to see your belly swollen with child, my child…our child. In times of war, I want you to fight by my side, to sleep with me in my tent, to ride me under the stars."

"Cha'ra," was all she said, and he looked deeply into her eyes. He knew that she was starting to panic. "Why are you doing this?" He knew what she meant by that question. Before she had left for Earth fifteen years previously, the, then 15-year-old, had tried to kiss him on the lips. She tried, but never succeeded. He stopped her and shoved her away from him. The force of the push caused her to stumble backwards, when she tripped over a large rock, and fell onto the ground. She stilled remembered and felt humiliated by his yell at her, 'stop being such a stupid hormonal teenager.' Cha'ra walked away, as she laid there, and he grabbed Ashlon, one of the most beautiful Jaffa women, by the hand and together, they walked away. Seraph had not known that he was in a relationship with her. In the present, she asked, "is it some kind of joke?"

He pulled away from her and asked, "how can you ask such a question? I bear my soul to you and you ask me if it is a joke." She hadn't seen such angry in his eyes since that day years ago.

"Cha'ra, I'm sorry," she replied as he quickly turned away from her and left her office. She tried to grab his hand, but he jerked it away. "Stay way from me," he yelled at her. She stopped dead in her tracks and watched him storm off.

Seraph cried herself to sleep that night, in her room in the SGC barracks on that planet.

"Come back to bed, Cha'ra…You need to be relaxed for tomorrow's meetings, because you know it's going to be a long and trying day," Ashlon said, as she laid spread, naked, out on his bed. He sat on his table, leaning against the wall, and looked out from his bedroom window. It was mid-night in the village, with the moon high in the dark sky.

"Go to sleep, Ashlon. I'll be there in a few minutes," he replied without even looking at her. What she didn't know was that, while he sat there, looking out the window, he was looking at the Tauri barracks on the other side of the village. He knew that Seraph was there, probably crying, because of him. All he wanted was her to be in his bed, not Ashlon, and he hated himself for it.

The next evening, Seraph was exhausted from that day's rounds through village. She barely slept the night before, as well as being busy non-stop the entire day. The hot sun, which was beating down upon them, was not making her situation any easier. After a few minutes of wandering the narrow streets through the village, on her way back to the barracks, she found some shade against a two-story home. 'God, she was tired,' she thought as she stopped and leaned against the wall in the shade.

Cha'ra was walking home from the various meetings that occurred that day. It was still excruciatingly hot, even though the sun was setting beyond the horizon. He rounded the corner near his two-story home, where he found a lone figure, in the shade, leaning against one of its walls. He knew it was Seraph, because of her uniform and that none of the other Tauri would be this side of the village. He quietly walked up behind her and placed his right hand on her right shoulder. She turned her head and looked over at him. He saw the exhaustion in her eyes.

"Hard day," Cha'ra asked her.

She just nodded.

"What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said angrily.

"I'm sorry about the scene I made in front of your sister…I'm just not used to talking about my feelings."

"That makes the two of us."

"And…I am sorry for making you cry last night."

"How do you know that I cried last night?"

"I know you…at least I used to know you. I am sorry that I approached you the way I did…in your office." She turned her head and looked at him. He saw the surprised look on her face, and he looked away from her. "Seraphiel, I know that you know my history…"

"That kind of talk usually works with the women," she interrupted. "I'd be lying if I said that it didn't completely work on me either," she said as she smiled and blushed. After the heat and her trying day, she was too tired to put on a brave face in front of him. Besides, she knew that he knew her too well.

"I know…but I still shouldn't have done that. You're not one of the ones that is strictly hormonally and/or emotionally driven…I mean that you have them, but…"

"I try to not let myself by controlled by them, because I'm…"

"Too scared," he said. With that, he saw the confused and surprised look on her face. "Your sister came to talk to me later that day."

"She shouldn't have gotten involved."

"No, she shouldn't…but I am glad that she did. Cassandra gave me another perspective to think about."

"What kind of perspective?"

"First, she loves you very much and is equally worried about you. I've only been looking at it you, at first, my friend's goddaughter, then, as a girl trying to become a warrior. When you returned from the Tauri, I saw you as a beautiful woman. You are the only woman that can make me stop breathing. You were beautiful, smart, funny, and strong. If your mother was anything like you, I understand why your father fell in love with her." While he was saying all of that, neither one of them could look at the other in the eye. "You are partly of our people and she knows this. Your sister knows that our kind do not usually speak freely of emotions and passions, for we are a warrior race. Do not be mad with her, because she did what neither one of us could do. She also told me many things that I have not considered before."

"Such as," she asked as they started to walk around the narrow streets of the village.

"First…the one thing you dread the most is bringing shame upon your father and, which is why you are so careful about every move you make. Second, you are unsure of yourself as a Jaffa, just as you are unsure of being a human. Third, since you are so unsure of you place in this galaxy, you are unsure of how to be a woman. Fourth, I never stopped to consider that you might understand my predicament."

"What problem do you have?"

"Being the former first prime. There have been many women that have come my way…with ideas…"

"Marriage, children…those kinds of ideas? Or breeding stock."

"Both, I suppose. I am not opposed to getting married or having children, but I will not marry some woman for the sake of a political alliances or for the honor of marrying a former first prime. Cassandra told me that there have been…several Jaffa males that have looked at you the same way."

"Unfortunately."

"I know that Yat'yir was among them." There was a dead silence between them. "I also wanted to speak with you about a similar matter."

"What about?"

"About…", but Cha'ra stopped walking and talking. Seraph, being concerned with him, stopped next to him and placed her hand on his arm. She could tell that he seemed nervous and uneasy and he was never that, at least in front of her. He gently took her by the wrists and looked into her eyes. "I have already asked Bra'tac for his consent and he granted it."

"His consent for what? I am not a child."

"His consent to ask you to become my wife."

"What," she asked in absolute surprise. "Is this a joke?"

Cha'ra didn't answer verbally. He just leaned over and kissed her on her lips. After her shock wore away, Seraphiel started to, slowly, kiss him back. After he broke the kiss, he whispered into her ear, "this is most certainly not a joke."

Without thinking, all she whispered was "yes". He took her by the hand and led her to his home.