To all my reviewers, messagers, constant readers, thanks for being so patient. I cannot believe it's been a year since I've updated! It doesn't feel like that long, time has flown by and I've attempted to work on the story all the time. I put myself into a corner where I worried that I stopped the action by focusing too much on one episode, but I feel like I'm out of that rut now and ready to bring more stories to everybody reading. The characters have been bouncing around in my head for far too long. It's been a long, rough year full of great things (studying in France for the summer) and a great personal loss. I'm hoping getting back into writing will help me back to finding myself and getting the creative juices flowing again. Thanks for sticking around readers!!
Haley bounced into the kitchen, starving for food. As an energetic teen who could hardly sit still Haley managed to work up quite the appetite. "What's for dinner T?" she asked, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.
"I have prepared something special this evening," Teal'c stated, as he piled food onto a plate. "It is a traditional dish from Chulak."
Haley tentatively took the plate from Teal'c and sat down at the table. Whatever it was smelled similar to asparagus, her least favorite vegetable. Her father had told her to be good to Teal'c, and dissing his food on their first night together was not a very good way of following that request. What the hell, Daniel said eating food from another culture can help you learn more about their ways. You can do this O'Neill. You're learning. Teal'c sat across from Haley and watched her expectantly. Haley took a deep breath and shoved a forkful of whatever the heck this was into her mouth. Haley tried to hide the disgust from her face, and quickly swallowed what was in her mouth. What did this teach her about Chulak? They have no taste buds? Non-existent gag reflexes? Grumble. Iron stomachs?
"Is the food not to your liking?" Teal'c questioned. Haley couldn't lie to him. It's not that she didn't want to; she just couldn't make anything up on the spot to compliment what she just ate.
"It was… uhhh… I'm just not used to…"
Teal'c stood from his chair, and pulled another dish out of the oven. It was a baked ziti that Janet had sent Haley home with earlier in the week. "O'Neill said you had a delicate appetite. He, too, does not appreciate the cuisine of Chulak." Haley stood up and helped herself to the pasta.
"Yeah, we're just not very worldly, or um, I guess universely? Is that even a word?" Haley giggled.
"And yet O'Neill is currently on another world as we speak."
Haley looked sad for a moment, and Teal'c wondered if he had chosen the wrong thing to say, but then Haley burst into a fit of giggles. "And I'm not even from this world! Sort of…" More giggles. "What's wrong with us?!" Haley later wondered if Teal'c had been playing a joke on Haley when he handed her his food. He never made himself any Chulak food for the rest of his stay, so she was pretty convinced, looking back on that night, that he was playing a prank all along.
"…so then Grayson said that she was never mad at Anna, it was just a whole big misunderstanding!" Haley chirped.
"I see," Teal'c replied. I see that it took thirty minutes to tell a story about a misunderstanding.
"Well so now that they're all like BFF again they're having a joint sweet sixteen after all! It's in two weeks," she wiggled two fingers in the air, "and now I need to find a fancier dress than the one I already have!"
"I see," but this time Teal'c wasn't sure if he saw. He saw wheels turning at least.
"Are you sure you don't want an actual color?" Haley grinned up at Teal'c as she applied the clear nail polish to his last toe.
"No thank you, the clear is good."
Haley closed the bottle, and put her feet in front of Teal'c. "Okay! It's my turn!" she handed Teal'c the nail polish, and continued to chat about possible locations for this perfect dress she was seeking. "This is so much fun! My dad never agrees to do this with me. He can be kind of lame sometimes." Haley looked around, as if somebody could be watching, and lowered her voice. "Daniel let me put pink on his toes once. I told him nobody would see…" Haley started giggling, and then regained her composure a little, "but the next day he twisted his ankle off world, and the nurse took off his shoe and sock! And well, you know how the nurses gossip, so it got ALLL over the base. Some of the marines started calling him pinky," Haley started giggling again.
"I believe I recall that incident. He was not very pleased." If by not very pleased Teal'c meant Daniel had been heard cursing doing Jack O'Neill favors by watching his mischievous daughter and stomping on his already swollen ankle and having to go back to the infirmary, then he had not been very pleased. Not to mention the fact that upon his second visit a week later the nurses discovered he had still not removed the nail polish.
"Were you hoping to do the same thing to me Haley O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned.
Haley looked up at Teal'c with big brown innocent eyes. "Everybody knows you don't get hurt T. The nurses would never get to see your toes!" Teal'c finished painting Haley's toes. "Nice job! I just knew you'd be good at it, don't ask me why. Want to do face masks now? It's very refreshing!"
"I would like that," Teal'c agreed. "But you may not attempt to take pictures this time."
It had been a week and Jack felt like he had barely made a dent in his paperwork. Daniel had kept himself busy taking in every minute detail of the castle, while Loran shadowed him and started taking his own notes. Carter seemed to be going out of her mind with boredom. She didn't want to mess with the Goa'uld device too much, just in case she ended up lengthening their stay on this lovely planet. She tended to wander around the beach, as far as her body would let her go without feeling massive withdrawal symptoms. Carter had even started mapping out how far away they could safely travel before feeling sick. Jack would sometimes procrastinate and join her, for the sake of studying the land. Not to spend time with her or anything. Nah, not a bit. In exchange for letting Carter talk about various technologies (to keep her brain going, Jack figured), she would occasionally assist him with his paperwork. His favorite spot was on a giant marble table in what was once probably the main dining room. The chairs were comfortable, and he could spread his papers across the table with plenty of room left.
"Here you go sir, you can add this report to the finished pile," Sam handed him a folder.
"Listen, we're on day nine of our little luxury getaway, maybe you can drop the 'sir's'? It's just us and Daniel. And now that General Hammond's sent word that they've definitely located Loran's home planet, I'm pretty sure he won't be sticking around to reveal to all of Earth our relationship."
Sam bit her bottom lip, but didn't respond. Instead she picked up another folder and started going through its contents. "You need to sign here," she passed the paper to him.
"And just what am I signing away this time? My body? My soul? My cabin?"
Sam stifled a smile, "you have been and plan on using the base gym in the future. It's to update the facilities."
"And tell me again what this paperwork has to do with me?"
"All the team leaders are being asked to write personal assessments to make sure the budget is being used properly."
"And how much of the budget is being spent on wasted paper products?" Jack quipped. Sam stared at him for a moment, looking lost in her thoughts, but determined. "Carter… you there?"
"I don't pine away for you," was Sam's non-sequitur response. Naturally Jack was somewhat confused, but most of the things Carter said confused him, so this wasn't anything brand new.
"Gee, thanks"
"No, what I mean is that I don't want you to think that I've just been pining away for you, my CO, for all this time. It sounds kind of pathetic if you think about it."
Jack just stared at her in utter confusion.
"I don't want to be known as the woman who falls for her CO."
"Well, I'm pretty sure we've been kinda discreet, but even if the whole base knew you would always be first and foremost known for your brains. You're like… ahh…" Jack struggled to find the right words, "food."
Sam gaped at him for a moment, and he looked somewhat surprised himself. "We love to eat, but what we know mostly about food is that it's needed to survive. What I'm trying to say is… The SGC loves you, but when it comes down to the end of the world and all the savings of the day, the SGC values you because you keep us alive, and you keep us going. Without your awesome genius…ness, we'd never survive.
"Besides being quite possibly the smartest human alive, and not falling for your CO, what do you want to be known as?"
At this point Sam was blushing profusely. While Jack wasn't the most eloquent of speakers, his point was touching. "The woman who fell for her best friend- BUT," she quickly added, "remained her own strong person."
"Who occasionally saves the world from time to time?" Jack added.
Sam ducked her head, still blushing. "I sound pathetic, don't I? I really don't want to sound pathetic!"
Jack reached out and pushed her chin up so she could look him in the eyes. "Sam, I don't think pathetic is even in your genetic makeup." Jack stood up, and reached for Sam's arm to pull her out of her chair. "C'mon, let's get some fresh air."
"I know this great sand dune that's within our safe area." Sam surprised Jack by giving him a kiss before leading him outside.
"I always was a sucker for long walks on the beach…"
Haley knocked on the door to Teal'c's room, nervous that she was interrupting his meditation session. She had actually joined him a few times, but quit after the embarrassing incident when she fell asleep. In her defense it had been a long day. She fell into a deep sleep, too, because Teal'c had managed to move her into her room without waking her at all. At the sound of Teal'c's deep voice inviting her in, Haley took a few slow steps past the doorway. "T, would you mind if I went to Janet's tonight?"
"Of course not. Do you need a ride?"
"Yeah, I was hoping to go in a few minutes."
"Will you and Cassandra Frasier be having a girls night?"
Haley's lips quirked up in a sideways smile at Teal'c's use of "girls night." Certain phrases just sounded funny out of his mouth. "No Cassie's actually not coming home til later. I just…" Haley wasn't sure how to tell Teal'c that she needed warmer company. It wasn't that Teal'c wasn't friendly to be around, but Haley didn't see herself snuggling up next to him while watching a movie; or Teal'c knowing instinctively to hug her after a particularly terrible day, which she had had.
Teal'c seemed to understand immediately. "You need not say anymore. I will retrieve my shoes and we can leave."
Haley had broken down a few days earlier, and it was the first time Teal'c had experienced this with her on his own. When she arrived home from school Teal'c asked how her day went. At first Haley smiled, and suddenly her expression froze and tears started pouring down her face.
"In one of my classes we're reading this book that's supposed to be about baseball, but it's actually about a girl and her father, and it made me really…" her voice went up about five octaves, "I really miss my dad!" Haley then started sobbing and anything that came out of her mouth at that point was too high pitched for Teal'c to understand. He had given Haley a big hug, but he wasn't used to blubbering fifteen year old girls. It was the first time Haley had seen Teal'c look remotely anxious.
"I know that your father misses you greatly as well. It is not easy to be separated from your child, but you will soon be reunited. Often, time can move very swiftly." Haley then started thinking about Teal'c and his family, and cried for how hard it must be for him to be so far away. He thanked her for her empathy, but told her not to worry on his behalf. He was a very strong warrior.
Haley pulled on her favorite sweatshirt, which was also her warmest, emblazoned with "US Air Force" across the front. Her dad had to fill out "too much paperwork" to procure a women's extra small hoodie. She really missed him. Sure, Teal'c was great, but he wasn't her father.
Haley was seated in Janet's kitchen struggling with her biology homework. Luckily the doctor was well acquainted with this subject and was able to give her some help. She sat down next to Haley placing a plate of cookies next to her.
"Did you make these?" Haley asked, enjoying the treat.
"That depends, how are they?" Janet smiled.
"Pretty, pretty good!"
"As much as I'd like to take credit, I got them from the new bakery on the way home from the mountain." Janet tried one herself and was satisfied with the results. "I haven't had much time the past few days to make anything myself."
Guilt washed over Haley as she worried that she was taking up Janet's time. Janet must have sensed this because she quickly reassured Haley that she was glad to have her. "You know I love when you come over!"
Just as Jack had become a father-like figure to Cassie years before Daniel stepped into Janet's life, Janet filled a maternal role for Haley. When she wasn't bogged down at the mountain herself, Janet would keep an eye on Haley when Jack was off world. She tried to have her over for dinner on a fairly regular basis, and do "girly" things with her that Jack usually avoided at all costs.
"How's living with Teal'c?" Janet questioned.
"Pretty good, he takes good care of me. I'm a little nervous about going out this weekend, I'm not sure how strict he is yet." Haley casually looked over her nails as she mentioned her plans to Janet with a shrug.
"Maybe you could stay in and watch a movie instead?" Janet suggested, only to be responded to with a chuckle.
"Stay in! I've already made previous commitments."
"Well, Miss Butterfly, just make sure you don't get into too much trouble. You don't want Teal'c coming after you… or any of your friends." Janet imagined Teal'c lifting up a scrawny high school boy and tossing him across the room. She and Haley both shuddered.
"I'll be good, because if I'm bad the next few weeks probably won't all be mud-masks and pedicures…"
Janet wasn't sure if she wanted to know what Haley was referring to, and returned to looking at Haley's bio notes.
Week two was coming to a close, and had been much easier than week one. The withdrawal symptoms were not too noticeable due to the small increments in lowering the machine. Daniel had explored more of the castle with his new shadow, Loran, and found actual bedrooms for everybody. Jack would stealthily sneak into Sam's room as soon as the sound of Daniel's snores began every night. The amount of dust in the castle had been causing his allergies to flare up, and he sneezed almost as much as he had been sneezing before Janet got him on antihistamines way back when.
Jack wasn't sure why Sam felt it was necessary to keep up their professional façade in front of Daniel, but he could understand her reservations around the boy. Sam had actually loosened up a bit. She saw no harm in referring to Jack by name rather than Colonel or Sir since Loran didn't know any better. A small smile would sometimes cross Daniel's face when Sam would use Jack's name mid-conversation.
Sam was staring at the stars through the window when the door creaked open and then closed. Jack's shadowed figure crept into bed, and she was soon engulfed by his arms.
"You could get used to this kind of place, even with the backlog of paperwork."
"Mmmhmm," Sam rolled over and placed her head on his chest.
"You miss your doohickeys, don't you?"
"Maybe just a little."
"Yeah, sure, you can't wait to go running back to your lab and tell each and every instrument of yours how much you missed it and that you'll never leave them again."
Sam giggled, "maybe just a few of them. You're telling me that you're perfectly content staying here forever?"
"We've got a castle on the beach, what more do we need?"
"How about your daughter?"
"She'll come too."
"Oh, will you be taking her out of school in this reality?"
"Don't be silly Carter, Daniel and you will teach her."
"Daniel's staying too?"
"Of course, the whole team will be here."
"What about Janet?"
"Of course! And Cassie. Haley would need a friend."
"So the SGC has just lost its frontline team. No more defending the galaxy from false gods."
"Yep, I think they'd get by without us. They might need your expertise from time to time, and probably Danny's but I think we'd be alright."
"And you think Teal'c would just give up the fight?"
"He's been fighting longer than you and I have been alive. The big guy needs a break."
"No more Simpsons, no more hockey, no more pizza…"
Jack stilled, "maybe we can just come back here on vacations."
"Or we could just go away somewhere on Earth like a normal couple."
"But where on Earth can we stay in our own castle? Unless you're keeping a secret from me and you're really a princess or some other form of nobility, which would not surprise me as much as you'd think it would."
"While I do still have a few tricks up my sleeve you've yet to see, mister, I can promise you that I don't have access to any castles on Earth."
"So… normal vacations for us on Earth only. This place at least screams secluded honeymoon location."
Sam stilled against Jack and wondered if he realized what he had said. He, too, was trying to gauge her reaction. A small grin appeared to be fighting its way onto her face, and Jack noticed that she was trying to read his expression before showing her own. Jack just gave her one of his cocky smiles and propped his body up against his pillow.
"Is there something you want to ask me Colonel?"
"Not at the moment, wouldn't be financially prudent." Sam raised an eyebrow, which Jack completely ignored. "When am I going to get to see some of those tricks up your sleeve?"
"That would be classified information sir," Sam held her pointer finger to her lips as he raised his eyebrows.
"Well," Jack leaned over Sam and pinned down her arms, "I hope you're ready for some torture, Major..."
