Enjoy!

M.

Chapter 69

Sunday, September 30, 2012

It's not surprising for Parker to learn her mom was up at an ungodly hour, even on a Sunday. It truly doesn't surprise her to learn that at some point, the personal trainer Uncle Jordan found for her had arrived at the house. Since they were at the fighting part of the training, Parker just knew the guy had been in the basement for over an hour, trying to keep her mom from beating him too badly after that first black eye she had given him.

Having a Jessica was new. Her mom having a trainer wasn't. A Jessica wasn't needed before, not when she was dropped off at school and picked up later. Then she could have her mom, almost to herself, as they both worked on their things side by side in her mom's office. It was needed now that her mom wasn't at home most of the time. When she was, they ended up working side by side in her office unless it was too late.

Now, the trainer… she learned that was a need. Parker often wondered. How much of her mom's sanity depended on being able to waste energy. With killing exercises that ended up with movie-like spars that weren't faked at all. She wondered if the way her mom angrily punched and kicked whoever was training her during their different lives, was what kept her from falling apart so often. If that was the release that allowed her to only cry every once in a while, inside the safety of her bathroom.

Even if her mom rarely showed it, P knew her mom was sad, angry, and, broken. She never dared to ask or question it… She had tried to fix it. Yet, she learned at an early age, she wouldn't be able to fix what she didn't know how it was broken. So, whenever her mom appeared with eyes a bit too swollen. Adverting her gaze too much, Parker tried to joke, to make her happy. To give her long hugs that she often returned tightly. As if keeping her that close was really the only thing helping her, somehow.

Now, the doorbell going off on a Sunday morning… That was utterly unexpected.

Knowing the doorbell wasn't heard in the basement. Parker walked to the front door and peered out the peephole. She found a redheaded woman on the other side and frowned. There was a slight tingling in her body, she didn't know what it was. She also felt it with her mom. So, she opened the door and crooked her head.

"Hello? How might I help you?" Parker asked, a curious look on her face.

Cassie blinked several times. The curious look was too familiar to her and so unknown. The tingling of Naquadah was also rare.

"Oh, hey! Hi! I… Hmm… It's Sam home?" Cassie asked. Shaking her head at her lousy communication skills.

"Sam?" Parker frowned in confusion.

"Yeah?" She frowned too. "Samantha Carter? General Carter?" She said then. The girl's eyes flashed a hint of recognition before she nodded.

"Oh! Yeah, I know who you mean…" Parker rolled her eyes and facepalmed herself. Then she frowned, "Uh, can I see some credentials?"

"Credentials?" Cassie frowned in confusion.

"Some sort of ID?" Parker offered.

In all her years on Earth, no one had ever asked for her ID to get into a house before. But the girl seemed adamant and was still blocking the door. Behind her, there was no sign of Sam. So, Cassie shrugged it off, found her driving's license, and presented it to the girl.

Parker studied the ID, then the woman in front of her. Then once again looked at the picture.

"Cassandra Fraiser?" Cassie grinned.

"Yup, that's me. And you are?"

"Parker. At least for now," she shrugged.

"For now?" Cass asked. Wondering what the heck that could mean coming from a what? Eight or nine years old? A tall one at that, too.

"I've been others," P answered almost cryptically, adding a shrug. Then gave Cass one long look. "You aren't USAF."

"No."

"How do you know her?" Parker asked. Cassie thought what could make the most sense.

Saying that Sam and her team rescued her. Or that Sam risked her life to keep her company when they thought she was a bomb. Telling her that Sam had saved her. Then was there for her the following years whenever she needed a shoulder to cry. Or some extra reassurance that everything would be alright. That often she was the one who told her that people loved her. No matter how fucked up her beginnings on Earth was. That her mom loved her despite not being her flesh and blood… Saying any of those would only confuse the girl.

"I'm her goddaughter." She shrugged. When she thought she had gone silent for too long.

P frowned. For as long as she had lived, Parker couldn't remember her mom mentioning a goddaughter. But she hadn't mentioned a brother, sister-in-law, or that she had cousins either. So, it wouldn't be so out of the box if her mom forgot to mention a goddaughter too.

She opened the door cautiously. Returning Cassie's ID with one last look at both the picture and the woman. Then she moved out of the way. "She's downstairs kicking her trainer."

"Kicking her trainer?" Cassie asked with a huge grin.

"Yeah, she's learned a lot of martial arts over the years." P shrugged. "Even I had to learn some."

"That's cool."

"Yeah, people say that, when they don't know it's for your own safety," Parker rolled her eyes. "Want to wait for her here? I'll go fetch her for you."

"Can I go, too?" Cass asked. Looking around the house that, just like the girl, was so familiar and yet so unknown. Parker shrugged and nodded as she walked towards the basement stairs.

They reached the ground. The moment Sam managed to flip her trainer to the floor and landing on top of him with her knee pressing into his throat.

"Well, done." He said with a huff. She didn't move. Her gaze was fixed, but she was somewhere else as she pressed her knee harder against his throat. Her jaw was tightly clenched and her breathing utterly controlled.

"Mom? Mommy?" Parker called, not daring to walk closer to her. She had seen that side of her mom a few rare times when she had found her in that stance. The trainer shimmied out from under her, trying to get himself free from her grasp. "Mom! Let him go!" Parker shouted then, and the combined effort brought her back from wherever she was.

"Oh, God. Fred, I'm so sorry." She said letting him go and throwing herself to the side.

"It's okay. I'm alive." He said panting to the side. "Now I understand why there was that warning when you agreed to hire me."

"I'm so sorry."

"Not my first military student," he chuckled. "Hey P."

"Are you okay, Fred?"

"Yeah. Who's your friend?" Sam's eyes widened then. Freaking out now that there was a chance of one of Parker's classmates had seen her losing it. She turned around, almost afraid of the horror she would see written in the other kid's eyes. But she only got understanding.

Cassie's eyes fell on hers with a lot of understanding. She knew about night terrors herself. She knew all about her mom's nightmares. She had seen all of them losing it at some point or another. Sam was just one more…

"Cassie…"

"Hey… Are you up for some coffee?" Cassie grinned. "If you are done, I mean."

"Are we done?" Fred asked then. Sam nodded.

"I'm sorry." She said once more.

"Why? You just gave me more reasons to kick your ass harder next time." He grinned, winked at Parker, and messed her hair a bit. "I'll see myself out since you already got a coffee mate. You won't get free of me tomorrow. I'll see you at 4 am sharp."

"I'll be here." Sam nodded. "Do you mind if I get a shower first, Cass?"

"Not at all."

"P… Can you keep her company?"

"Sure, mom."

They walked upstairs. As Sam went to her room, P showed Cassie to the living room. Cassie's eyes fell on the several boxes that laid in every previously free space. Making an odd décor for what she had noticed would be a gorgeous and elegant home.

"Sorry about the boxes. They'll probably be here come June." Parker said noticing the glance.

"That bad?" Cassie grinned. She remembers it took her a while before she had gone through all her boxes. Once she moved out of her dorm and into a department of her own. Parker shrugged again.

"We are way better at packing. It came handy. Unpacking wasn't that much of a needed skill. Mom is worse."

"How come?"

"I'm not sure I should be telling you this," Parker eyed her during a moment. Cassie dropped herself on a couch.

"Holy Fu… Hannah… This is comfy."

"It is," Parker said, squinting at her. "Do you know her from before?"

"Before?"

"Before me?" Parker asked, not quite explaining what she meant by that.

"Yeah. I've never met you before. If that's what you are asking." The girl chewed her lower lip in a way that reminded her of Sam. "I didn't know she had a daughter."

"I didn't know she had a goddaughter. Was she happy before?"

"Happy?"

"Yeah. You know… Not like she's now? Less concerned?"

"It was a different time, Parker. I guess she had a bit less responsibility, or she was just younger. Who knows?"

"She does, but she won't talk to me about it. Never mind, here she comes."

"Everything all right?"

"Yup. I need to get some reading done." Parker said and walked away.

"So…" Cassie said. "You have a daughter."

"I do. Want that coffee?"

"Yes, please. I need to head out to the hospital in a bit. I can't go there without pumping some caffeine."

"I was surprised when you didn't continue in the USAF. For a while, I thought you would." Sam stated as she walked them to the kitchen.

"Huh, this looks nothing like I remember it."

"There was an issue with pipes in the main bathroom a few years ago. They needed to change all the pipes. So, the kitchen also got a makeover," she said, as she set the expresso machine.

"Looks nice. After mom got injured so badly. I spent a lot of time inside the walls of the mountain, you know. I had a good look at the doctors there. I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, not the caring and saving lives part. The losing lives without ever getting to explain how you did everything you could, but it wasn't enough. Everything is so classified there, you wouldn't ever get permission to explain yourself. We both know that because of my origins, I was going to end up in that base." She shrugged. "I've already spent a lot of my life down there."

"That you have. How did you…" she started. Waving to the house as she focused on preparing both some coffee.

"Mom mentioned you were living here." Sam frowned. "I think Jack told her." The frown only grew, even as she passed a mug to Cass. "You know, they always got along so nicely. Just like you used too… I guess she was worried about him or something like that. We all struggled with your disappearance, Sam. I had the pleasure of knowing you were alive and that you were going to come back. You promised, and here you are."

"I'm sorry I placed that burden on your shoulders, Cassie. It wasn't fair for you. You were a kid."

"No, you don't get it. It wasn't a burden, Sam. It was hope when I was sure there wasn't any hope left." Cassie looked at Sam with a smile on her face. But she noticed the defeat that shimmered in her eyes for a second. She lowered her mug on the counter, taking a step closer as she hugged Sam tightly. "I love you, Sam. I've missed you and here you are now." She whispered. Sam felt tears falling on her shoulder as she held onto Cassie for her dear life. But she couldn't shed one or she wouldn't be able to stop.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

He sure didn't think about waking up like this on a Sunday morning. The pounding at his door was awful, and the warm body usually by his side was nowhere to be seen. Daniel groaned. He'd drank a beer too many, after Sam's appearance at Janet's party.

The pounding continued. Vala wasn't home. He tried to arrange the clothes in which he had slept in. His mind vaguely reminding him that Teal'c had dropped him unceremoniously into his bed. He had mentioned something about him being an imbecile.

He'd never heard Teal'c calling anyone an imbecile before.

"I'm fucking coming!" He growled. "What?!" Daniel said. Yanking the door open, only to find a Jack that looked pretty damn pissed off himself.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Daniel?" Jack asked, pushing him inside. "Huh? When did you become such an ass? When did you start hiding in fucking beers to be brave enough to diss someone when you have no fucking clue what's happening in her life? Huh? Fuck! If Teal'c hadn't thrown yourself over his shoulders and drove you home. If the whole damn crew wasn't there to stop me…. You'll be dead now, Daniel… So, for starts, consider yourself helluva lucky."

"I…" he shook his head. He couldn't remember too much of what he had said or done after she had left. Daniel shivered. He still could remember her words feeling like knives on his skin. He still could remember how he had decided to drink. To try to forget the chill he felt for not having tried to talk with her. Because he was too damn hurt to try. Because he knew Jack was too damn hurt because of her.

"There's no fucking excuse for what you've done yesterday, Daniel! Not fucking one!"

"I don't remember what the fuck I did!" Daniel shouted.

"You said she was an awful friend. That she had only let you down. You said the man she was fucking hadn't been enough, so she returned to fuck our lives. That she was probably romping around, and that's how she got her fucking star. You laughed at that one too… 'A fucking star for fucking around.' You said, Daniel… Half the fucking base was there, Daniel! You already know what's going on in that stupid rumor mill. Now, she'll have to put up with whatever is already screwing her up and the consequences of your stupid mouth. So, you better fucking fix this, Daniel!" Jack hissed.

Daniel opened his mouth, trying to come up with something to say. Truth was, he didn't remember exactly what he had said, but he knew he had said it all to try to keep the pain of her words from feeling like a punch in the gut. Maybe to get Jack to finally move on. To react, somehow. He had definitively gotten the latter.

"I told you she moved on! You know she has a daughter with someone else, Jack… Why don't you move on?! Like I had to with Sha're?" He gulped then, "Why do you still care so fucking much?" He whispered.

"Because the one you called a whore, it's my fucking wife, Daniel! It's bad enough, she has a fucking daughter that's not mine! Then for you to come along and add some shit to the already twisted life we have to, somehow, try to figure out!"

"Your… Wife?"

"Yes! Fuck! We got married before she disappeared, Daniel. I married her, then dropped her off to never see her again. So put your own damn hurt feelings aside. Get your damn big boy pants on and fix this shit! If someone is the injured party here… It ain't you." He added and turned around. "Don't you dare to say a word about my marriage!" He said walking towards the door.

"Jack…" Daniel called, and he stopped. "I'm sorry."

"You better be. Now, find a way to fix it before your words come back to bite her already troubled ass."

A\N... I'm sorry :S