Stargate: Wives; Interlude

When Jack said he had a surprise for me, my heart was in my throat. I thought he was going to propose. He's been acting -that- way for a while now, like he did the first time, getting up the courage. After Argos, Ernest, talking so openly about Sha'uri, meeting Teal'c's family...the subject of marriage seemed to keep being thrown up into our faces. Its not that I shy away from the subject, not intentionally. I would be lying to myself to not admit Jack and I have a few hurts it's hard to get over. I know we see ourselves as we use to be, and a bit of how we might be. Then after Catherine and Ernest reminded us we don't have forever...

I'm probably thinking too fast here. We both need to take this slow. Just not too slow. However, it turned out I was totally off base with what Jack's surprise turned out to be.

It turned out, he had a job offer. Not from him, or to work for him, we both knew that was a bad idea. This was a job offer from General Hammond. He wanted to know if I would act as a kind of liaison, read escort, babysitter, for our two stay-at-home Jaffa's. Drey'auc and I get along already, so it was only a matter of bennies, pay, what to expect out of this. The thought of having freer access to base, and hence Jack, did cross my mind, I shouldn't lie to myself of all people. Not as much as I normally do. Yet, honestly Drey'auc could use a friend, and Rya'c is adorable. Not that I'd say that to the little warrior. He wants so much to be like his dad. I suppose he really does remind me of Charlie. In a good way.

Settling Rya'c in was easier than we thought. He was use to hiding, the poor thing, already. So the secret of the Stargate, no, what was Drey'auc's word for it, Chappa'ai, that's it. Where was I, oh yes, that it was secret, that he, 'Ryan', and his mother were from Zimbabwe. All to cover the inevitable differences other children would notice about Rya'c. Like his tattoo. That was going to be tricky, particularly with the internet today. It'd only take one schoolmate digging around to find out...well, nothing at all about what the tattoo means, officially.

Rya'c is still a 'few' years from pulling off his father's intimidating manner. It only takes one of Teal'c's looks to quiet questions if they became too many. I can't imagine what PTA meetings were going to be like.

My approach with Drey'auc was less problematic as I went with something simple. I didn't want to come across as the 'Ugly American', not that Drey'auc would know what that meant, but I did and that was enough. So we would have an exchange of cultures. She'd tell me a bit about her's and I would mine. She'd teach me her language, I would mine.

I had no idea how that was going to 'invite' Daniel into my life beyond him being Jack's best friend. Yet once word, likely Jack, told him of my approach. Mr. Cultures himself was coming around my new office for the latest tidbits Drey'auc shared with me. To say nothing of the both of us practicing language lessons. I really do see the advantages of it. And it drives Jack crazy when Daniel and I talk in a language he doesn't know. Okay, so maybe it's not such a bad thing to have Daniel hovering about after all. Jack can be so fun to tease. It's nice to have some ammo for once to do so.

What neither Jack nor Daniel told me was that Jaffa women were like Klingons. Daniel wasn't as much fun to spring that on as Jack was. Waiting until our next date, to casually throw that out was well worth the price of the dinner. Whatever that was. Jack didn't know that Jaffa women are taught to fight like their men, to protect while the men are away fighting. My only concession with Daniel was that women of Abydos don't do that. He was merely surprised, while I actually got a shock look out of Jack. Not shock as in couldn't believe. It's the kind where he pauses, fork-on-the-way-to-mouth freeze. Though looking back, he was probably just doing that for me. When he's really surprised, he tries the play it off as if he knew it all the time. Oh well, I don't a fault him. It was nice to see, and nicer that he was doing it for me. All in all, it went pretty smoothly.

Unlike our first outing.

Drey'auc and I of course. Jack and I are well into the enough-dates-that-I-don't-need-to-count phase of outings together. To be fair, they really could have been muggers. Its just he crime rate around here wasn't that high, and while I'm not so naive to think, 'It can't happen to me', there was something in the way they moved. That was too much like Jack had during his special ops days. I'm not sure what they really were intending to do, but whatever briefing they had, it wasn't enough to warn them. Not about a Klingon, excuse me, Jaffa woman.

They were fortunate she didn't have that Staff-weapon-thing she and her husband know so well how to use.

I had to persuade her that killing them was -not- a good idea. Complicates matters. I had to laugh at myself, inwardly. I was sounding like Jack with the off-handed way I tried to convince her it would be more trouble than it was worth. That man really rubs off on me...and I wouldn't have it any other way. In any case, it wouldn't do to give Drey'auc the impression I was joking. Not then, not when she might just snap a neck as the punch line.

Our outing did get me into another kind of trouble, Drey'auc notice that I didn't fight all that well. Okay, not at all. I thought it would be worth points just to note I wasn't screaming my head off when they attacked. When she took them on, I was too in shock to even think about uttering a sound. It did go far into her thinking I was more like Jack, apparently keeping my head in an emergency. Yet it didn't help enough. Sure I was 'just' a human. Yet I'm Jack's wife, still hard to get the concept of divorce where she'll understand that. It doesn't help that she sees Jack and I get along so well. Anyway, I'm Jack's wife in her mind, and if anything happens to me, it hurts him. Which hurts Teal'c. I also think at this point she's grown attached to me, I know I have her.

So, she wants to help me learn to defend myself. I'm sure Jack would approve, but I am -not- looking forward to this.

Jack did say the investigation he conducted had led the likely suspects, NID. We talked about it during our 'Dinner and Explanation date' that night, was at my place. Particularly after it had been, 'swept clean' and I don't mean domestically. We could talk without worrying about loose lips and that sort of thing, and I really did want to talk. Just talk without going out, with ordering in was far more appealing for once.

He brought over candles, the wine, and most of all, himself in the right mood so we could talk. I did my part once everything was set, I collapse into his arms properly. So it was the trappings of going out, with the comforts of eating in, plus I could have a good melt down. Gotta love that man.

This did mean that dinner and an explanation was about to turn into a two way street for strangeness from this point on.

Drey'auc's Kel no'reem

Tonight I am troubled over the events of this day. Not the fight itself. While not equal to a Jaffa warrior, they were warriors that honor was maintained and my husband proud of the victory I brought to our family. It also had a good effect on our son, though I know it will fade in time as event becomes a memory.

It was disturbing to find that Sara did not know how to properly defend herself against our attackers. It's easy to forget sometimes she is not Jaffa. Still as O'Neill has often demonstrated, the Tau'ri can be very strong on their own. I would not wish to see him lose strength by losing his wife. This 'ex' part I am still not sure what that means, nor will I press for an explanation. She appeared uncomfortable when I asked.

What I am sure is her loss would diminish him. I should also admit, if only to still my mind for Kel no'reem, that I would find an empty place if something was to happen to her. Tomorrow I will broach the subject of teaching her how to fight. She did say she wished to learn of our culture, and this will be part of that cultural exchange. It will be better than asking further on what is an 'ex-wife'. I am sure it has nothing to do with the phenomena Teal'c and Rya'c refer to as 'X-men'.

Now that the matter is settled, I may enter the state of Kel no'reem.