Chapter 11 – Building Blocks
Leorah had been sitting at her Auntie Janet's desk, half-heartedly coloring a picture in one of the coloring books the doctor had purchased for just such occasions. Her left elbow was on the desk and her chin rested on her fist while she haphazardly colored with her right hand. Suddenly, several familiar voices drifted through the open office door. Leorah dropped the blue crayon and jumped off the chair, running to the door. She put her hands on either side of the doorframe and peered out, mindful of Janet's request that she stay in the office. The child's smile was wide when she caught sight of the blond haired woman making her way across the infirmary floor. "Mommy!" Leorah cried with excitement, her childish voice reverberating through the infirmary and down the corridors. The nurses were not the only adults who smiled at the ecstatic display. Heedless of the earlier reminder to stay put, Leorah raced full throttle across the linoleum floor and headlong into her mother's arms.
When she heard the cry of delight, Sam turned and grinned. She held out her arms and scooped the little girl up, hugging her tightly. Jack stood behind them, a similar grin covering his own face. Although part of him wished he could welcome his wife back in similar fashion, he was content to watch the reunion from the sidelines. He knew that Sam had been able to read his thoughts the moment she stepped through the gate. Any physicals displays of his pleasure would have to wait for the privacy of their home. It was enough for now to know that her safe return had put the smile back on their daughter's face.
While the other members of the three teams made their way to various beds for their post-mission physicals, Daniel and Teal'c stopped to say a brief hello to their honorary niece. Her enthusiastic greeting carried over to them as well, causing them to share smiles of amusement with her parents before leaving to have their physicals.
"You is back early, mommy! Did you find the crystal? Does you need me to help you now? Daddy and I didn't have supper yet. Can you come with us to the 'missary so we can eat? Daddy tolded me they have basketti tonight!" Leorah chatted away, the questions in her mind bursting forth before Sam could get a word in edgewise. Although her mother had only been gone for a little over an hour, to Leorah, it had felt like a lifetime and she had so much to share!
Sam looked up at Jack, their amusement in their little "motor mouth" apparent in the grins they shared over the top of her head. Turning her attention back to Leorah, Sam gently cupped the little girl's cheek, effectively halting her questions. "I'm glad to see you too, sweetheart," she smiled when Leorah quieted. "Let me answer a few of your questions, then I have to get checked by Janet, OK?" When Leorah nodded her head, Sam continued. "OK. First of all, yes, we did find the crystal. Daniel and I will have to take a look at it, but then we will need your help. Remember, you have to touch the hologram in order for us to get more information."
Leorah nodded proudly. "That's cause I'm very, very 'portant, right mommy?"
Sam chuckled. "Yes. You certainly are important, honey. Now, as to supper, I would be delighted to join you and daddy for dinner. But instead of the commissary, maybe we can go out somewhere?" Sam gave Jack a hopeful look. She knew she had quite a bit of work to do in the lab, but she was hoping for a nice, quiet family dinner out. The past few days had been stressful and she was certain that the next few would be just as bad…if not worse. They needed all the "quality" time they could get.
Jack grinned as he read her mind. "Luigi's?"
Sam smiled in agreement while Leorah bounced up and down in Sam's arms with excitement. "Yeah! They have even better basketti than here, don't they daddy?"
"They sure do, Kiddo," he agreed, ruffling the little girl's curly hair. "Now, give your mommy a kiss Leah. She has to get checked out then back to work. You'll be able to see mommy in her lab in about an hour."
Leorah leaned forward and gave her mother a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you is back, mommy. Me and daddy misted you," she supplied solemnly.
Once again, Sam smiled before she gave her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek. "I missed you, too," she assured the little girl and her gaze included Jack in the look as she passed their daughter to him. Like Jack, Sam felt an immense sense of relief that the mission had gone so well…and so quickly. God knows what it was going to be like for all of them when she had to spend an entire day or longer off world. It hadn't happened since they got married, and it wasn't something Sam was looking forward to.
As Sam walked away toward Janet, Leorah called out, "Be nice to my mommy, Auntie Janet! Don't give her no shots, OK?" The entire infirmary burst into laughter at the directive from the pint-sized commander.
Jack looked down at the child in his arms and gave her a mock frown. "I'm supposed to give the orders around here, young lady."
Leorah shrugged her shoulders carelessly and replied straightforwardly, "I is just trying to help, daddy." More laughter followed as he carried her out of the room so that Janet could complete her work.
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The briefing had been quick and to the point. Daniel and Sam had shared how they had found and retrieved the obelisk; Teal'c and Colonel Reynolds had provided information about the area around the Stargate. Jack had been relieved to learn that the planet in question had appeared uninhabited. He hoped the others would be much the same, with no one lurking in the background ready to steal the obelisks for themselves. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them to what he knew was just as important as retrieving the crystal; the information to start building the weapon.
Jack kept Leorah busy in his office while he met with other SG teams who were going out, made phone calls, and started on the pile of paperwork that seemed to multiply of its own accord. While he really wanted to be down in that lab with Sam, Daniel and Teal'c, he had other pressing things to attend to. Besides, he knew both he and the little sprite currently building a ship out of Legos would just be in the way. He grinned down at her when he heard her mumble, "Just stay together, for crying out loud!" as she tried to fit two stubborn pieces together. Shaking his head in amusement, Jack got back to work.
While it wasn't common practice for the little girl to spend so much time on base, it wasn't unusual for base personnel to see her there either. And this time, it was a necessity. Thankfully, Leorah had grown accustomed to coming into SGC with her parents and knew well the expectations for her behavior. Subsequently, she was more than capable of entertaining herself while her parents worked.
Jack looked up at the clock, surprised to see that two hours had gone by since the briefing. He'd been expecting a call that they were ready for Leorah's presence over an hour ago. Just as he picked up the phone to call down to Sam's lab, Teal'c appeared at the door.
"Samantha and Daniel Jackson are ready for Leorah's assistance, O'Neill. I will escort her to the lab."
Jack glanced at Leorah, still playing quietly, before he quirked an eyebrow at Teal'c. "Everything going OK?" Though the question was matter of fact, the look behind it was not.
"Nothing has transpired as of yet, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson removed the crystal from the obelisk and placed in within the hologram device. No information was forthcoming," Teal'c supplied, looking over at Leorah. His look confirmed their thoughts; nothing would happen without Leorah's assistance.
"And yet it's taken two hours?"
Teal'c nodded. "Samantha wanted to be certain there would be no danger to the child."
Jack's face cleared. Of course; he should have known that. "I take it she didn't find any?"
"Your wife believes all will be well, O'Neill. But I will keep a close watch on our young assistant never-the less."
Jack nodded and gave his friend a thankful look. No matter how much he wanted to be down there with them, he couldn't get away just yet. He was expecting SG-12 within 15 minutes and would have to debrief right away on the diplomatic mission they had just completed. He looked down at Leorah. "All right, kiddo. Time to earn your keep."
She looked up at her father and frowned, not quite understanding what he meant. Jack smiled at the look of confusion and clarified his statement. "Mommy and Uncle Daniel need your help now, Leah. You ready to go with Uncle T?"
Leorah had been so engrossed in her play that she hadn't noticed the other man come in. She jumped to her feet, carrying her spaceship with her. "Look what I maked, Teaw'c. It's a spaceship, like the one we flied in that one time. Do you like it?"
Teal'c took the ship from the little girl's hands and twisted it to and fro in an admiring fashion. "It is a most realistic replica, Leorah. You do indeed possess incredible talents in construction using these connecting masses of plastic."
Leorah blinked up at him, then replied quietly and slowly, "They is called Legos, Teaw'c. Not 'necting masses."
The large man looked down at the small girl and bit back a smile. Jack laughed outright. Bowing slightly, Teal'c replied, "I apologize."
She grinned at him and took the ship back. "That's OK. I didn't know what they was called either when daddy first buyed some for me." She turned to her father. "Can you watch my ship, daddy? I has to go now and help mommy." She considered him for a moment, then added, "You can play with if it you want, but don't add more, OK? Last time you did that, it didn't look right no more." She frowned as she recalled how he had changed her last creation.
Jack's eyes sparkled with amusement as they met Teal'c's. He reached out and gently took the spaceship from her hands. "While there's nothing I'd like to do better than play with your spaceship, I'm afraid I have too much work to do. Maybe we can play with it together later, OK?" Leorah nodded agreeably while Jack placed the spaceship on the corner of his desk. He turned back to her and regarded her seriously now. "This is a very important job you have. I need you to do exactly what your mommy says, you understand, Leah?"
"Yes, sir," she replied, nodding seriously. She could easily discern from the change in his tone of voice how grave he was. Slowly, she turned and took Teal'c's hand.
Not wanting to let his daughter go on that rather stern note, Jack said, "Hey." When she turned to look at him, he smiled. "One more thing, Princess. I love you."
She smiled. "I loves you too, daddy."
Jack watched them leave, the little girl's hand firmly encased in Teal'c's large one. He felt an unfamiliar lump in his throat and forcefully pushed it down. He was a General, after all; he had a ton of important work to do. But as he grabbed another folder from his tray and set back to work, Jack couldn't stop his gaze from wandering to the little girl's spaceship. Or the small smile that crossed his face when he did so.
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When Leorah stepped into the lab, all conversation ceased. Everyone present looked at the little girl, then looked expectantly at Sam. She had been meticulous these last few hours; going over data and testing the crystal well beyond what she normally would have. No one could blame her, though, as each person in the room knew what was at stake. It was not just the instructions to building a super weapon that would hopefully negate the power of the Priors. No, uppermost in everyone's mind was the safety of the little girl now standing in the doorway, looking uncertainly around the room.
There were many more people in here now than there had been when Leorah had placed the red crystal inside the hologram. Although she was no longer the silent, withdrawn child of earlier months, Leorah still experienced moments of shyness and now, with everyone looking at her, that feeling was extremely strong.
"Mommy?" she asked hesitantly. She tightened her grip on Teal'c's hand as the two stood at the open door.
Sam spun around, unaware that Leorah had made her appearance. She frowned when she saw the look of wariness on her daughter's face. A quick glance around the room told her why it was there. "Daniel," she stated quietly, nodding her head toward several groups of onlookers. Daniel caught her meaning and quickly ushered a few people out of the room, those whose presence for this next piece he felt was unnecessary. Sam closed the distance between herself and Leorah. She gently took Leorah's hand and guided her into the room, allowing several people to leave. "Hi, sweetheart," Sam greeted warmly, turning Leorah's attention from the activity in the room back to her. "Are you ready to help us out for a bit?"
The little girl nodded her head, her eyes wide with a mixture of wariness and interest. Sam guided her over to a waiting chair that stood beside the long table. Teal'c bent and effortlessly lifted Leorah so that she stood on the chair. As before, the hologram device lay on the table. Next to it, on the black cloth, lay both a red and a blue crystal. "Is that the new crystal, mommy?" Leorah asked quietly, pointing to the blue one.
"Yes it is, honey. We found it in the stones by the Stargate, just as the Ancient told us we would."
"It's pretty," she stated with childish wonder. Then she looked at Sam. "It's almost the same color as your eyes, isn't is mommy?"
Sam chuckled. "Yes, I guess it is, sweetheart."
"Maybe the next one will be green, like my eyes," Leorah stated hopefully.
"We'll have to wait and see," Sam replied with amusement before reaching out and placing the crystal gently in Leorah's hand. "Do you remember how to put the crystal inside the back of this?" Sam held up the hologram device with her other hand.
"Yes mommy."
Daniel stepped up to Leorah's other side. "It was pretty easy, wasn't it?" he reminded her with a smile, thinking back to her comment about putting puzzles together at school.
Leorah nodded. "I likes putting stuffs together. I builded a spaceship with Legos in daddy's office. It's looks real, doesn't it Teaw'c?" She craned her neck back to look at the man behind her.
"It looks most realistic, Leorah," he replied with a smile.
Leorah turned back and beamed proudly at Daniel, then her mother. "After we is finished, do you want to come see it?" She directed her question to Daniel. Then leaned around him to look at Marjie. "You can come too, Marjie."
Daniel gave Leorah a warm smile. "We would like nothing better than to see your spaceship." He took the hologram from Sam, giving her a questioning look. Sam nodded, indicating she was ready. Daniel turned back to Leorah. "OK, are you ready mt little helper?"
Leorah nodded, her attention successfully brought back to the task at hand. Daniel turned the device over. As she had just yesterday, Leorah slowly and carefully placed the blue crystal within the empty chamber. Daniel then turned it over and set it on the table. Almost immediately, the empty air before them crackled with blue light. Suddenly, the space was filled with dozens of lines of mathematical and chemical equations. The blue figures seemed to dance in the air for a moment before settling into established patterns that, for Sam and several of her assistants at least, were easily recognizable. "Oh my," she whispered in awe as she gazed before her.
"Is this writing something you are familiar with, Samantha?" Teal'c asked, his hands firmly around Leorah's waist. The little girl had jumped back in surprise when the light filled the room, almost toppling off the chair. Teal'c's steady hands had immediately caught her and stayed around her.
Sam blinked and pulled her attention away from the equations for a moment. "Yes, Teal'c. It's a series of equations telling us what compounds we will need to build the weapon. And in what amounts." She pointed to one area of the hologram. "We'll need a small amount of naquadria, but the other compounds are all native to Earth." She frowned as she continued to look over the equations. "The only tricky part is going to be in the mixing. Some of these compounds were not meant to be joined together," she muttered thoughtfully.
"Should we begin to gather the compounds we'll need, Dr. Carter-O'Neill?" asked one of the scientists who had remained in the room.
Sam shook her head. "Not yet. Make a list of what we'll need and where we can get it, but we won't do anything until we have all three crystals and all three sets of directions." She looked at Daniel and Teal'c. "I don't want to try something I'm not certain of until we have all the instructions." Both Daniel and Teal'c nodded their agreement. It would be the wisest course of action.
"Are we done?" Leorah asked, her tone slightly disappointed. The display in front of her was not nearly as interesting as before, when the man in the white dress had talked to them.
Sam turned her attention back to Leorah. "Well sweetheart, I think you're done for now. Daniel and the rest of us still have lots of work to do."
"But that wasn't very 'citing," Leorah waved a hand absently at the equations hovering in the air.
Jack's voice was filled with amusement as he entered the lab. He had caught the last few threads of the conversation. "For you mom, that's as exciting as it gets kiddo. But I'd have to agree with you…not very exciting at all." He ambled over to the table and took a closer look at the equations before turning to his wife. "I take it you understand this gibberish?"
"It's not gibberish," she replied with a frown. "And yes, I understand it very well." She cocked her head slightly, a mischievous glimmer coming into her eyes. "Would you like me to explain it to you?" she asked with feigned innocence.
Jack gave her a considering look. Noting the gleam in her eyes, he grimaced. "Maybe later. How about the condensed version?"
She smiled, then proceeded to tell him what she had just told the others in the room. "So," she concluded, "We'll gather a list of our resources for now, but won't attempt to put anything together as of yet. These," she waved her hand at the images before them, "Are just the building blocks. We need the information that the other crystals are going to give us before we can put it all together." She cast a quick glance at Leorah before turning back to her husband. "I think the sooner we retrieve the other two, the better."
Jack nodded in agreement. Although he knew as well as anyone that the next two missions might not go a smoothly as this one had, they needed to find those crystals before someone else did. He looked pointedly at his watch, then at Sam. "You've got 2 hours to...play with this." He waved his hand absently at the equations. "Then we go to Luigi's. I made reservations." He looked down at Leorah. "Ready to go finish your spaceship, munchkin?"
Leorah looked up at her father. "It is finished. You didn't breaked it did you?" she asked, her tone of voice horrified.
Jack swung her to the floor as he said, "No. I did not break it. I just…added a little something."
Everyone laughed when Leorah replied with a disdainful, "Daddy!" as she was led from the room.
Just wanted to give a quick thanks to all of you who continue to review. Interest isn't as high as it was for "To Save a Life", so I really appreciate hearing from those of you who are reading. I'm going to try and put up another chapter by Saturday, but then it might be a week or so as my son is coming from California for a 10 day visit. Won't have much time to write between going to ball games, golfing, and taking a long weekend with the whole family. Hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter:)
