Arthor's notes; I know I promised to rewrite chapter 8. I will get back to that. I wanted to put something out with the life getting a bit busy. So apologies to all (especially Sarai!). Also trying out purpleshrub's suggestion of dialogue, not my forte, so please everyone let me know how it worked out this chapter. I am trying to improve as I go on, like cutting down the backstory crossovers that will likely show up in a different series (same universe). Thank you everyone for the reviews and support!

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Sara's diary

Today Jack told me he is planning on talking to Daniel with an offer I really do hope he doesn't refuse. Now that Sha're is back he thinks he now has a good 'excuse' to bring it up to Daniel and sell him on the idea of buying Jack's house. Since Jack and I are getting married later this year we certainly don't need two houses and the Jacksons, yes I love having to write that now, will need a place to stay. Sure Daniel has his apartment, but he should get a house since he's no longer just living on his own.

Something permanent, and no its not lost on me that this is likely a subtle Jack O'Neill plan to anchor Daniel down so he doesn't even think about going to live on Abydos. It's a notion none of us like to think about if this morning at the SGC was any indication.

On the way from the sign in desk to my office I just kept seeing smile after smile on everyone's faces, I think even Robert had one and Jack was convinced Colonel Makepeace didn't know how to smile. It doesn't take a Sam, girl genius to figure out why.

Rescuing Sha're wasn't just for Daniel. Rescuing her was something that was a victory for the whole base. I can't think of anyone who doesn't like Daniel and it's not a stretch that they wanted to see him happy. Since there wasn't a man or woman on base who didn't know his wife had been taken by the Goa'uld, rescue of Sha're equated seeing Daniel happy with life.

You would think the discovery of his mother being alive last year would have equaled this, but that was more of a shock and surprise instead of a planned out goal that was won. Finding Claire was certainly a moral boost. Since Daniel has joined the SGC that poor man has been through so much that it's a wonder he hadn't really snapped as MacKenzie thought months ago.

Anyway, Daniel made it, Sha're made it, and everyone is counting it as a base-wide victory. I think Janet mentioned the other day how she's had to chase out of the infirmary people she didn't see normally outside of an annual physical. Most of whom she didn't even know Daniel knew them, and finding out nine out of ten times, he didn't.

So of course Jack is planning a celebratory victory barbeque for a 'select' few. Select because if he isn't careful the entire base is likely to show up. We don't have a backyard big enough, though he'd love to have everyone. Okay not everyone, unlike Daniel, Jack isn't as well loved nor does he love everyone. I'm sure there are a few on the base he wouldn't be sad if they didn't show up.

One of which actually will be as he's decided, with some prompting from yours truly, that it would be polite to invite the teams that were involved in the rescue. Jack was enthusiastic about that idea at first, then he sort of deflated, and looked awfully cute doing so, when he realized that a certain Colonel Robert Makepeace would be among them. Chris, Dave, even Guy though he falls in Jack's 'Carter country' classification of people he felt he could have a conversation with, he'd happily have over for the cook out, but when it comes to Robert, he'd rather have Dave's 'Casper kids' come than that marine and Drs. Venkman, Spengler and Stantz still weird Jack out with their paranormal 'mumbo jumbo' as he puts it.

Not that I believe in ghost mind you...not really. Okay, I'm still trying to put that trip to New York behind me. Seeing Charlie as a ghost or 'psychic manifestation' wasn't easy on me at all. Most things it's getting easier to pass off as SGC weirdness, that wasn't one of them.

Anyway, the other day I passed by where we store Robby off the gateroom and found there was much teasing of Will by Jack and Lou about how Robby just can't come because he won't fit in anyone's car or pickup. Lou did defend his 'teammate' somewhat, and definitely Will, saying maybe they'll just have their own celebration and Jack wouldn't be invited. I was just sorry I couldn't stick around for Jack's inevitable comebacks to Lou's latest volley. It wasn't as good as the Jack and Daniel show, or the Jack-Charles show when Kawalsky was alive, but Lou was getting better at it. He's going to be a hit up there on Moonbase Alpha.

This bout of teasing was just another of Jack's ploys to not deal with what's been bothering him this week, and it wasn't the possibility of Robert coming to the barbeque. Daniel is thinking about going back to Abydos to stay. Which is also understandable, Danny wants to give his wife a return to something familiar, give her time to heal and frankly the both of them time to heal after all they've been through.

Claire doesn't want him to go, but at the same time she won't ask him to stay. They'd just found each other after twenty-eight some years and this last year or so hasn't been a lot of time to catch up. Still she does recognize that Sha're is Daniel's priority now, and I can't help but wonder if Charlie had lived, met a girl and was going to go away like that if I'd be alright with it. Probably not, but I'll never know.

Sam announced at lunch today that a shopping trip is due. I concur with a trip to take Sha're out to shop for clothing. Understandably so she wants nothing to do with Amonet so the dress she came in with had to go and air force BDUs have nothing to be desired. So its time to corrupt another alien to the ways of Tau'ri women.

Time to make that girl feel like this was home for her.

Drey'auc's Day

Just because my promise has been met does not mean I no longer care about Daniel Jackson or Sha're. Teal'c and I carefully help manage how many visit them during the first day where Doctor Frasier observes them both to see how they fared in the aftermath of their difficulties, both of them having suffered by the hand of the false goddess Amonet.

When they were strong enough to move to Daniel Jackson's room, now their room, Teal'c and I finally were able to have our own kind of celebration for the victory of recovering Sha're and assuaging a wound my husband has harbored since Amonet took her as a host. I know there is much my husband regrets, much he wish he could atone for, and believes he cannot. That will not deter me from trying, reminding him of what he has done to help so many, and will continue to do. How much hope he has given his people, and his family.

It is still a delicate matter, the time between his renouncing Apophis as a false god, joining the Tau'ri and coming back for Rya'c and I. Not one we are ready to face full as we would an enemy to fell by Staff or Zat'nik'tel. I know now he had to do what he did, yet the feelings of abandonment do not entirely diminish not even after these two years. It is a foe we will need to master one day, just not today.

Rescuing Sha're is at the very least some healing and only when we are away from other eyes and ears does he let me take him in my arms and just hold him as tears of release fall. He has been strong for so long, I never begrudge him the moments where he needs to be weak. This time out of happiness instead of regret.

We decide that our celebrating will be more subdued than intended, the healing of spirits taking precedence. Another time will come where we will have 'wild Jaffa sex' as Sara has put in on more than one occasion of humor.

Major Carter has made a great suggestion with a shopping trip. I find I look more forward to that than O'Neill's barbeque, though not by much as I intend to finally bring something prepared by my hand to one of these Tau'ri celebrations. I had noticed at the last one that Doctor Frasier had brought potato salad and Raine Lone Tree had brought peanut butter fudge. I know Teal'c does not expect it of me, as I am not a Tau'ri woman, but I find I too wish to contribute and follow this custom of bringing food to such celebrations.

It is not as if I am not anticipating the event, it is just that the Tau'ri custom of a shopping trip is often more exciting.

I understand Sha're's reluctance to part from her husband after so long a separation, and while I do not see the hurry that the Tau'ri do with this trip, I do understand enough to not be surprised that she spends the beginning of such close to me. We are not only not of the Tau'ri, but I suspect she is like Cassandra Frasier, and pictures me as a kind of protector. I find I enjoy that notion and wonder if it is something Teal'c feels as a warrior.

Sha're is not as assertive as I suspect she will be once she is comfortable with us during this first shopping trip. Fortunately Samantha Cater guides her as she did me the first time I went shopping. While Sha're is not as enamored as I am with Tau'ri high heels, she does like the variety of dresses that their women get to choose from. It is good to see her smile, and hear her laugh at the end of the outing.

Yet I sense in the days following that there is a tension now in the stronghold that belies the joy of victory that permeated it days earlier. Teal'c has noticed it as well, and we think it is the possibility that Daniel and Sha're Jackson may leave for Abydos and not come back. If so, I understand the sadness, as does my husband. We do not wish to see Daniel Jackson go and we have only just gotten to know Sha're.

However they must be allowed to go their way. I only worry that other Goa'uld may try to return Abydos as Amonet had. To stay may not be the safest decision, yet Daniel Jackson is resourceful and as O'Neill may say, a 'survivor', so we should put our fears aside with that. It also puts the thought in my mind that maybe Teal'c and I should return to Chulak. It is no less dangerous than Sha're and Daniel Jackson going back to Abydos.

Teal'c reminds me that our fight is not over for the freedom of our people and while Chulak is now free of its false god, as Abydos is from Ra, our people as a whole do not enjoy that freedom. I see a fear in his eyes that I quickly attend to assuring him without words as my arms slide around him to let him know I harbored no thoughts of going back to Chulak without him.

Sha're's story

Everything is so new, so wonderful. My Dan'yel is here with me and my demon is dead. She sometimes visits me at night but otherwise she is gone and my life is mine once more. The first night in Jan'et's place of healing the presence of my Dan'yel drowned out my demon's haunting of my dreams. His arms, his smell, just watching him sleep, my demon could not win through that other than let me know she will not let me go.

"This is me?" the question sounded silly to my ears even as I asked it. Holding the image of me when we entered his room on the night Jan'et let us leave her place of healing. "It is the same as in your office," it is good to giggle again, to have something to giggle about and the sound of my husband as he sighs is so delightful. I missed that sound, an everyday sound, a sweet sound.

It is like his breathing as we lay in his bed tonight. My Dan'yel getting his much needed sleep, slumber he does not normally take from what the many visitors we had the day before had implied. Dan'yel said many he didn't even really know, but I can see in their eyes they know him, respect my husband and care for him.

They are happy for him, as my people will be happy to see me, as my father is happy. He had to leave to lead our people back to Abydos, but will be back for a great celebration O'Neill wants to hold at his home. Not that I believe my father is trying to outdo O'Neill, but he also announced a celebration will be held at Abydos and his people, and his daughter's saviors are all invited. I know my father would have put on a celebration to welcome me home in any case, but I think this one in two weeks is to not only show gratitude for salvation, but perhaps to show that not be outdone by O'Neill.

For the next two weeks my village back home will be very busy.

Just thinking of going back home fills me with joy. To be back with what I have grown up with all my life, to be with my Dan'yel again. Thinking about home takes my mind off of thinking of meeting Dan'yel's mother. He had told me she had died many years ago, and I remember when he first shared with me his grief that he had held onto for too long.

We had both lost our mothers at young ages, mine not as young as when Dan'yel had lost his. I briefly wish it had been a lie, a mistake that really some other woman had died instead of my mother, that she is like Dan'yel's mother had been, not remembering who she is and waiting to come back into my life as Claire Jackson is now with her son again.

"Good mother, I thank you for your son," the words sound awful to my ears and I find the ground far more interesting a place for my eyes than risking seeing disappointment in my new mother's eyes. I instead find her hands in mine, and then her arms around me.

"Thank you for making my son very happy," she whispers into my ear as she holds me. I don't know why but suddenly I just want to cry, to weep and break down holding onto my new mother. I know the term in-law, Dan'yel had more than once referred to Skaara as his brother-in-law, even though we had told me many times that among us family is family. That is probably why I now cling to my new mother. She is not a 'mother-in-law' to me, she is now my mother and it has been so long since I had a mother again.

I know I have a friend and feel as if I have a sister with Drey'auc. We say little to each other, but she has taken care of my Dan'yel and then taken care of me so well I do not think she could be anything but close to me. I needed that closeness when the women of the Tau'ri took me out on a customary 'shop-ping trip'.

So many colors, so many garments at these large markets where it feels odd not to barter with the vendors, though it is nothing like when my demon took what she wanted without regard to those whose wares she just deprived them off.

Seeing Drey'auc try out things first helped me relax, and Samantha's suggestions helped me enjoy looking through and at Tau'ri clothing. I found myself often wondering if Dan'yel would like this dress or that garment. Some of which Drey'auc could not try out as she was too tall for what they had and neither my mother nor Sara were of the sort to wear the choices Samantha or Drey'auc chose.

That was very worrying as I thought my mother disapproved of such choices, but she laughed her rich laugh and said such clothing was just not the right kind for her. So there is a kind of caste here among the Tau'ri and despite the fact I am her daughter, I am allowed to wear such but my mother's caste does not, nor does it appear Sara's caste allowed her. It may be because Samantha and Drey'auc are warriors and my mother and Sara are not. I will ask Dan'yel later.

I think Drey'auc misunderstood me about the strange Tau'ri footwear and I did not wish to draw too much attention about it. That it wasn't I didn't like the heeled high shoes, not when Samantha, even Sara said men love women wearing them, it was how unsteady I felt trying them out. I wanted to look good for Dan'yel, to look like the women of his world. I just could not manage with those heeled high shoes.

Painting my face almost reminded me too much of Amonet, but I have seen the women of this world, and all of them do it somewhat. Again the differences seem to split between my mother and Sara, and Drey'auc and Samantha. My mother encouraged me to try despite how she and Sara did not use as much. Drey'auc could not wait to try out each one and Samantha had to explain that some are good colors, others are not. It depends on the woman and sometimes what she wore.

This is a very complicated world of my Dan'yel's.

Like watching Drey'auc cook at Jan'et's. She intended to prepare a Jaffa dish for O'Neill's celebration and instead of an open fire I saw her cook meat for me back on Cimmeria, she used something called a stove-top that had circles she placed pots upon to heat up. I did recognize what must be the oven. Our village had an oven back home, though nothing this small or like the one that is to set aside on the counter to cook microwaves.

I so want to fix my Dan'yel something, and say so. "Cooking with Tau'ri technology is like learning to use the tools of the false gods," Drey'auc warned me, "It can be very difficult and seem so easy to do. I only know how to use a fraction of the technology in Janet Frasier's kitchen..." I see her smile now at some memory while she pushes a pan full of spiced meat wrapped in leaves into an oven, "...I have burned more than one dish that over an open fire I had learned to cook when I was a Chal'tii." I had heard the word before among my demon's Jaffa. So I think she means when she was a young girl.

Helping her make bread is where I feel much better with something familiar. "Sara," and I noticed Drey'auc has never used her full name as she does others, for that matter, she does not call me 'Sha're Jackson', just Sha're, "...has told me that we know more about baking bread than many Tau'ri women. They often have to use pre-prepared dough or something called a mix, in order to bake." This makes me feel more comfortable being among Dan'yel's people. I could learn to live here as he had among my people.

I did not even think that was the question until the actual barbeque.

"So why can't you two live here?" Jan'et's child, Cassandra asked at O'Neill's celebration in back of his house. The one he had asked Dan'yel if he wanted us to have as our own. To 'buy' it I think I recall him saying as he is marrying Sara and does not need two homes.

Dan'yel and I had arrived early from what he and others have said. So far I see O'Neill, Sara, Drey'auc, Teal'c, Jan'et and my mother other than Cassandra of who Daniel left me in the company of while he gets a drink for us. Another strange concept for me, on Abydos I would get him the drink, but even back on Abydos he was not the typical husband, nor ours a typical marriage.

"We might, I don't know if Dan'yel has decided to," I try the word out in my head before uttering it out loud, "Buy this place from O'Neill or not. Our apartment is big enough for us, I think."

"I mean staying here, on Earth," the child clarifies instantly, "I heard Daniel and you were going to move to Abydos and never come back."

"Cassandra Frasier," I hear Jan'et raise her voice in warning like my mother use to do when either Skaara or I were in trouble. Jan'et looks at her daughter sternly when she arrives and turns to me immediately after she has silently communicated her displeasure, "I'm sorry. Cassie just has grown attached to Daniel. We all have, but we also want to see the both of you happy."

It is a sentiment I keep hearing throughout the celebration. One that bothers me until Dan'yel notices it sometime after we've had servings from O'Neill's grill. The ham'bur'ger has a taste that is like a Mastadge I think. We only eat them during either lean times or when they no longer are useful for the village. Some of its meat is made into this. Though we have never used the meat to make a Tau'ri sand-witch.

"My husband, I think we should stay, we should come back after our time with my people," I do not need to see him to recognize my father's quick inhale of indignation. Which means I must have done it often enough for me to know that sound without sight.

"Sha're," his tone is much like Jan'et's with Cassandra, "It is not your place to say. That is for your husband to decide."

Odd isn't it that when Jan'et scolded her daughter, barely a head turned, and when my father scolds me everyone in the immediate area falls silent and stare at us.

"No, good Father, in our marriage we are equals," I listen and love how my Dan'yel empowers me so. I do not need to be a queen like Amonet, a false god tricking others into worshipping me for power, I have my Dan'yel. Nor is it just lip speak with no substance, I see my opinion carries much weight with my husband as he turns back to me.

"I just thought you would want to stay with your people after everything that has happened. To get away from anything that reminds you of what you suffered through," and he really means this too. I can tell he wants to stay, but my wants are more important than that to him. Even before I knew we had to stay, I would decide to do so just because of this moment.

"My husband, your work here is important. Friends who have scarified much for you and for me because of you. I would not ask you to leave your people for mine, and my place is ever at your side. If you wish us to go to Abydos and not return, then we will. I but ask we stay among the Tau'ri long enough to find my brother and my son."

My world then filled with blue eyes, his lips and the cheers of those around us. I knew even as we shared this moment between us that here is home.