Beyond the Gate

by Xeir Zith

The last thing Tanith remembered was Cameron cracking a very bad joke and Daniel cracking up in laughter. The next thing she knows is that she has a splitting headache and is in the dark, literally. As she unravels where she is, she finds out things she would rather not know. The SGC and Atlantis learn more of who the Furlings really are, and where they were hiding all that time

12. Tharon 1

Beyond the Gate

Chapter 12: The Tanith Histories part 2

Ascretta

Moments after Long Beach visit with Col Mitchell

When Tanith first told me about her drug addiction; I helped her pull through it with help from a few others concerning her father's medical issues. But I never expected to go through a bender like she described. My head pounded like a electronica bass drum.

Everything felt weird.

One second I am tumbling head over heels, then I felt as if someone set me on fire, then frozen solid, then tossed into a hurricane, then the next thing I knew, I was being ripped apart and thrown in all directions before getting put back together.

I felt an odd sense of peace, was I dead ? Was I going to my great reward ? I was in for a really big happy reunion that I never expected. I wasnt dead, I was reborn. To a point.

Stars swept past me in starlines, energy ripped into me, through me and out of me. Dancing on my skin like fire. I was flipped, pushed, pummled, and then I felt as if I was laying upon a hard surface. I was surrounded by darkness as I must have passed out.

When I came to, I was laying on a midlevel rise of a set of stairs.

My eyes snapped open, a pair of eyes I thought I'd never see stared into my own. It wasnt her, was it ? It couldnt be her.

"Tharon ?" Tanith asked me, her eyes wide with confusion.

"Tanith ?" I asked her, just as confused.

There was no way. Just no fucking way! "The hell are you doing here ?" We shrieked at each other at once.

There were three others with us in the room, one of them human, at least he looked like a human the other two were feline, both female. One wore a red and brown dress, Tanith herself wore a gorgeous dark purpleblack deep necked dress that I swore looked like what Kitty Softpaws wore when we first met.

I put my hands to my head. This was too much to take in, I stared briefly at my arm. Orange and white tabby markings, Had I... "What happened to me ?" I asked

"What do you remember ?" Tanith asked me as she came to the landing and helped me roll onto my back. Oh that felt so much better. "I cant find anything broken." She said in reply to my unasked question

"The last thing that I can remember was a guy from the Air Force knocking on the door, and telling me you disappeared in a portal of some kind. Then suddely, I'm blinded, torn to bits, and thrown all over the place before waking up here... wherever here is" I replied, I nodded in thanks, good no broken bones

"Air Force officer ?" Tanith asked me as she checked me over.

"He called himself Col Mitchell. He said you and him were on an operation together." I told her in reply

Tanith smiled, sure the guy lied, I could tell. "Yeah, our mission was to patrol the area while the rest of the squad took on the rest of the plan." She told me, then she shook her head. "Truth is, we were on patrol, but it wasnt on Earth, Cam was on vacation, with him was another guy, Daniel Jackson, they came to visit my base, Iota" She told me the truth.

"What exactly did you do before waking up like this, dear ?" I asked her as she helped me sit up. I stared briefly at my hands again before gently rubbing my throbbing head.

"I was the base commander at Iota" Tanith told me. As a catwoman she looked far prettier than a human. Maybe it was just the cat in me I dont know. "I will say this though, sure we met at the Ren Faire in costume, but the actual fur actually looks so much better on you than makeup." She looked apologetic. "I am not really sure of the clothing they have here though, Claire, can we find anything for her and for Tharon ?"

That was when the human looking man spoke up. "From what I am able to gather on this shipyard, there is a room on the otherside of the stargate operations and down one level, it appears to be a storeroom, clothing might be in there." The blue shirted man said.

The red dressed catwoman nodded and with the other naked catwoman, headed in that direction. A very confusing turn of events, but Tanith seemed sure of things working out for the better. "Ben, what can you tell us of this cityship ?" She asked the blue shirted man

Ben explained that the ship was not just a cityship, but was a shipyard, able to construct a cityship if supplies were on hand to do so. However, given that Tanith had already made a puddlejumper made things only more interesting, and also more entertaining for the man. Who then explained that he wasnt human, but a self replicating robot.

Ben as it was told to me, was there simply to trrack the storms that I disappeared in. "That energy surge just before you arrived is what lead us to this room to find you" He said

"Energy surge ?" I asked "You mean like the lightning bolt I last remember in my own kitchen ?" Tanith helped me to my feet, I leaned on her briefly dizzy before I got my balance.

"Exactly" Ben nodded. "By staying here when the rest of the team returned to Atlantis, I was able to track the surge of energy to this room so we could find you." He told me. "How do you feel ?"

"Like I got blown to bits and put back together" I replied, I turned to Tanith "How long ago..."

"I woke up here almost ten days ago now, about nine days ago, in a tomb" She told me, "That same tomb had 5 other bodies, well, four now since Claire came here too. She dropped in on me out in the grass outside." Tanith went onto explain how she and Claire had created a puddlejumper and tested in it space, then met up with John Shepard and his team from Atlantis.

"Rodney would have insisted you guys return to Atlantis with them, but it was wise to remain here. I understand the reasoning behind it" Ben spoke up, John had asked if any of them wanted to return to Atlantis, but Tanith had, according to Ben, really thought on it and then said no, it would be safer for her and Claire, and also Tunia, to remain on this planet, called Ascretta. Instead of being put under a scientists poking bloodwork drones.

It made sense. I understood exactly what Tanith meant, looking at her now, seeing who she was, there was no mistaking that gorgeous Kitty Softpaws I met at the Ren Faire nine years ago. Only now, Tanith was slightly taller, dressed regally, and also ready for combat.

"Tharon, dear, will you be alright staying with Ben ? I have something I need to get for you, you'll need it for sure." Tanith said to me after a few moments. Claire and Tunia had yet to get back with the clothing.

"I believe so," I said to her. The two of us hugged briefly, Tanith kissed me dead on the lips, and I held her there for a good minute before we broke apart to breathe. I smiled at her. "I missed that so much" I told her. She smiled, her eyes full of life, just like when we first met.

"I did too" She kissed me again. This kiss only lasted about half a minute as far as I could tell, I didnt have my watch anymore. And I didnt care one wit whatsoever of being naked either, Tanith was my wife after all. When the kiss broke, Tanith rested her forehead against mine, "I wont be very long, I promise" She said to me

I smirked, "That's what you said before you went to... Iota was it ?" I replied, making her laugh in the process. Claire returned with Tunia putting on a similar dress to her own only more of a flowery blue pattern. She held a pair of pants, combat boots, and some swords. Also a tunic.

By the time Tanith returned, Ben had brought me up to speed with various bits of information. Namely, why he was there, what he was. Then also how long he'd been tracking the strange energy surges. And finally my own energy surge being the proof he needed so a guy named Daniel Jackson could know what to look for.

Claire then spoke up, telling how she showed up there all but landing on Tanith out in a meadow. Tunia complained of crashing into a control panel of some kind where Claire had found her.

Exactly twenty minutes later Tanith returned, she carried a bunch of weapons with her, another staff, Ori Staff Weapon, she called it, a bunch of swords for me to pick from, also throwing knives, throwing daggers, and a few other things. I put everything she brought for me on and then held the staff weapon, it was oddly lighter than I had expected, yet it was also very ornate in design. I looked over the swords that both Claire and Tanith brought along, Tunia chose a small siletto style blade for herself.

I was torn on the swords, Tanith had found a good pair, even Claire found a nice set too. But I finally settled on something I was sure would make Puss in Boots proud. The ornate rapier like blades were light, slender, and fit perfect in my hands. And the best part, Tanith and Claire had each found one of them. So I took them both.

A good minute or so later and Tanith spoke. "I think we need to introduce Claire, Tunia, and yourself to the others."

"Others ?" Tunia asked in confusion. I nodded in her direction while looking at my wife. As if saying 'what she said'

"Yes, I said others." Tanith told her, she looked between us. "We're not alone on this planet. With me is Captain Zane, and also a retired Marine named Sgt White, along with a Chief, named Thomas Wallace, though he insists on being called Quaxo" Tanith explained the three she knew, then the troupe of a good twenty five men and women, all turned into cats like we were, two meters tall, feline ears, tails, everything. Oddly my own ass didnt hurt from that landing, it was as if I had just tripped and knocked myself out against the steps.

The mention of Captain Zane made me sigh in pure relief, oh good, Zane was there, he was my wifes coworker, I had met him on few occasions but we never really got to know each other.

Ben was thoughtful however. "I think it better if I remain here" He said, the last thing he wanted, he explained, was to cause alarm among the other cat people, whom he called The Furlings. I suppose it made sense. Tanith agreed, and the four of us went to the main room of the structure I found myself in. I was in awe of everything around me, the design of the structure was old, yet advanced, something Tanith and I could only really dream of, and somehow it was also new and fresh, as if recently started up or built.

But it was old. Older than either of us, and somehow, it was coming back to life.

Tanith lead the way into a ship of some kind, it was gorgeous, a long round vessel, I spotted the stargate, somehow I felt I knew it was something important. The back door of the ship was open, we filed in. Tanith however asked me to sit next to her in the copilots seat, as Claire sat behind her, and Tunia sat behind me. The rear hatch slid closed as did the bulkhead.

Soundlessly we lifted off from the centeral room and into the open air seconds later. "Strange not pulling any g's" I said simply. I was used to flying commerical passenger flights out of LA's airport as well as Det5roit Metro and Orlando International.

"Yeah, its designed that way. You can wear that necklace more like a bracelet if you want, its an asgard personal sheild device. Protects against anything life can throw at you, including a nuke." Tanith told me

"This shields against radiation ?" I asked her, she nodded. Flying effortlessly through the air, the jumper headed for one of the outlaying villages. But once we were high enough into the air, we were able to take it all in. "Whoa" I said, for the first time I saw Ascretta, the shipyard I woke up in, apparently I had died there ages ago.

"There's always a first time" Tanith smiled, I blushed in her direction. Sitting next to her I watched out the front window of the jumper as we cruised over the treetops and then over a vast meadow. "According to Ben, The city is actually a shipyard. Each outlaying village is a small city on one of the peirs of the seven peirs around the centeral tower. Deep underground is the assembly line, its able to make ships like this one. Or something as big as a Seven ninety seven, or even bigger." Tanith explained

"I can fly this ?" I asked out of the blue, I was after all, an airlines pilot, or at least I used to be. One normally never did forget how to fly.

"I designed it with you in mind, go ahead, take the controls, fly us around" Tanith said, letting me take control from where I sat. Amazingly it only took a simple gentle thought of staying in the air, and yet keeping things smooth and gentle. But also fast.

Easing towards a set of structures I slowed down, going from hundreds of kilometers an hour to maybe a small dozen or so as we hovered in the air. "Can they see us ?" There was a good two dozen or so life signs on the windscreen.

"With us cloaked, nope. I told the Chief I'd be bringing guests and what to expect. Hopefully he told the others." Tanith then took the controls and headed us for the centeral structure of the tiny outlay village. Structures with stained glass, towering spires, and gentle curves were everywhere. "Feels like home huh ?" Tanith asked me seeing how I regarded the stained glass.

Somehow she was right, it did feel like home. "Yeah, it does." I replied as Tanith brought us in for landing. I sighed thoughtfully. This was something else entirely. Though it was beautiful. "Ben mentioned this planet is called Ascretta, did that sound recognisable to you ?" I asked Tanith

"It kind of did, but I cant put my finger on it." Tanith replied standing from her seat. "Come on, there's someone I want you to meet." She said, she seemed happier I was there. Which was weird.

We stepped out of the jumper into daylight. And there were two other cat people waiting for us, a pair of men of a sort. The brown and black tabby male, who I recognised as Zane Artigas right off the bat. No mistaking the mancat anywhere just by how he held himself. The other was apparently an older mancat, who I guessed was the retired sgt ? I looked at Zane. He, looked briefly at me, but he smiled.

"Finally you arrived, Tanith was starting to go crazy without you" Zane said to me. He held out a hand, I shook it. I could tell Zane was a gentleman, and had made no advances on my wife. Apparently he knew she was married. "I am really glad you're here." He said to me.

"In a way, I am too" I replied. Zane was a good man when he was human, as Tanith told me he was her second in command, her executive officer or XO. Someone who had her back, but never took advantage of her either. The other mancat introduced himself

"I am Sgt White." He said, I shook his hand, Zackary White was an older black and white tomcat. By the way he held himself I saw that he looked more like an elder, acted like it too. And yet he was also knowledgeable in various affiars.

"Guys, this is my husband. Tharon" Tanith introduced me to the two men, "Dear, this is Zane, my XO from Iota you remmber him right ? And Tech Sgt Zackary White, retired, US Marines, like us."

"Both of them ?" I asked while looking between Zane and Zack.

Zane shook his head. "US Army here" He said, I started laughing, oh the inter service jokes to happen I just could feel them boiling somewhere just waiting to get released.

A few minutes later and I met the Chief, a Navy man, a Master Chief Petty Officer, Thomas Wallace, though he kept insisting on being called Quaxo, of the entire troupe of people, a good twenty eight of them, only Quaxo I was told had any military experience. And then Zane had woken up, found Zackary, and then five days later found Tanith, who had woken up two days before she met up with Zane. A few days later Claire had dropped in, that same evening, Tunia had dropped in. and then I showed up this morning.

"So, Ascretta is the name of our world, huh" I mused. Why did it sound so familiar ?

"Yeah, apparently way back when, another race, equally powerful in tech advances, helped our ancestors move here according to what we were told" Tanith told me. I found a place to sit on some stairs and sat down. Tanith sat next to me and leaned on my arm. "This remind you of anything ?" She asked me. I looked at her. She looked up at me. I smiled, the last time I saw that inner light in her eyes was when we first met. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah," I said, I hugged her close, "Yeah, I am reminded of the time we first met, at that Ren Faire, remember ?" She nodded a dreamy smilke on her face, "I remember seeing Kitty Softpaws wandering the Ren Faire, alone, at least she was alone until I offered her my arm to escort her in safety to each show she wanted to attend and where." Tanith smiled at my words, remembering every show we attended together, her favorite, Ded Bob. And posing for photos for other Faire goers.

"I remember going to the Faire alone, my dad in the hospital, but I was happy, excited even." Tanith said softly as she snuggled close to me. Claire saw us and pulled Zane and Zackary away. Thinking it best to give us time alone. She was right. "I was alone, by myself, and then I met him, a handsome young fellow calling himself Puss in Boots. He offered me his arm. I gladly took it. He was a gentleman." She looked up at me, our lips met. After the kiss broke she asked me "Do you remember what he did the next week ?"

I smiled, how could I forget that ? "Yes, yes I do remember" I replied, I took her into my lap, and kissed her hard. "Puss in Boots proposed to his Kitty Softpaws. I think he won the lottery dont you ?"

"She said yes didnt she ?" Tanith asked me, I nodded. "So yes, Puss in Boots had indeed won the lottery." We hugged again, happier than ever at that moment. For long moments we snuggled with each other on that low porch. And then Quaxo showed up again. Spotting him, Tanith said simply. "Yes Chief ?"

"Munkus, the Leader, wants to see him" He pointed at me. "He'd also like you to explain why I had everyone hide." Quaxo shrugged not the least bit upset, "I tried my best to explain, but it was on such short notice."

"Munkus is not used to hiding from humans" I heard Tanith grumble.

"Who ?" I asked her, now why did that name sound familiar ?

"The leader here, the leader of the troupe of dancers and singers turned into what we are. They have no skills in combat or survival, just dancing and singing." Tanith explained, their leader, Munkustrap, was a silver tabby male. And he apparently was in charge, and sometimes he and Tanith didnt see eye to eye on many things.

And in this case, this Munkus guy wanted to talk to me. And I wasnt sure how to take it. So I asked "What should I expect ?"

"If he wants to fight you, let him try to strike, but let your Marines training take over, but, whatever you do. DO NOT fight to kill, just disable." Tanith explained, she got up first and helped me up to my feet. "The last thing I want is either of you to get off on the wrong foot. From what the Chief said, Munkus is more concerned with why he and his people had to hide on short notice."

"This Munkus guy, what is he like ?" I then asked as we got up from where we were seated.

"My first night with them and the guy wouldnt let me sleep, he asked me so many questions." Tanith complained, well that was a bad thing. Deprive my wife of what she required on a nightly basis ? That was asking for trouble right from the start!

"I hope he learned the lesson to not deprive you of sleep, dear" I said to her. She smiled and me and gave me a hell of a liplock. For a good minite we kissed outside the building Munkus was in.

Then we went inside and up a flight of stairs, a controlroom of sorts, looked more like a reception desk than a ancient control set up. A bunch of cats stood around, one used a nearby window as a tanning bed.

One of the cats a male, spotted us arriving and got in our face. "Why hide ?" The maine coon like cat man got in my wifes face. She after all gave the order. "I was sunbathing, next thing I know I am told to hide until further notice and not panic, whats going on ?"

I was later introduced to him, his name was Tugger. I raised an eyebrow, that name sounded way too damn famailar. I did not have the chance to ask where I could remember the name, or why it sounded so familiar. Because Tanith calmly replied "There was some unexpected arrivals, now if you'll let us pass, I am quite sure my husband wont beat you to a pulp" Tanith later told me that Tugger at one point in the ancient past, was once a general

Tugger was slightly in shock but let us pass easily, a smaller black and white male cat stepepd up next to him. "So that's Tanith huh ?" I heard the smaller catman ask to Tugger. Just the mere look of the tuxedo mancat made me begin to wonder.

"Yeah" He replied, "That's Tanith, dunno who the guy with her is, but she called him her husband" Tugger didnt like me at that moment, I was sure of that. But I didnt care, Tanith was my wife, and in this new body of hers, she was a angel from heaven for sure!

A minute later and Tanith knocked on a door. "Come in" it was a hauntingly familiar baritone voice. I was sure I had heard it before. The door slid open, it reminded me a bit of the automatic doors at the airport. And we were greeted with the upset face of a Silver Tabby.

Just seeing Munkus alone brought my memory roaring back. Yup, there was no mistaking that silver and black cat... even as a man.

"I was wondering when you'd show up" Munkus said to Tanith, he eyed me sidelong, but turned his full attention onto my wife. I kept my mouth shut. "Why hide ?" He asked her simply. "One moment we were enjoying ourselves outside. The next thing we know, Quaxo is ordering us all to hide and not panic. Which caused some of the younger members of our group to do just that."

To say Munkus was not pissed off was an understatement, were we outside or in an arena, he'd try for Taniths throat. And she knew it. "A group of others came through the stargate. Claire and I spoke with them and traded information. They were looking for me and Claire to begin with." She told him.

"Who ? Looking for you and who ?" Munkus asked he had no idea who Claire was yet. He sat down behind a desk, for a spartan structure it looked fairly decent for an office and bedroom. He then looked at her confused. "Stargate ?"

She sighed, "We'd spoken of this before, you'd follow my lead when it came to military affairs. I'm the ranking military officer here. Zane and the sgt are my officers." Tanith told him

"Tugger was once one of my top generals on this world according to the histories." Munkus said, he shook his head, "And the scouts dont answer to anyone"

She looked at him, "Then what do you propose ? More come through the stargate seeking information, looking for lost loved ones. Us. What would you do ? Try to reason ? Try to go back with them, and hope to high fuck that we wouldnt get experimented on for ages on end ?" My wife was now pissed.

Munkus did not hold back. "So it was you who gave the order for the chief to have us all hide and not panic until further notice!" He thundered at my wife.

She nodded and crossed her arms, her staff weapon leaned against me. "Yes" She nodded at him, "I gave the order to hide because I did not want you to be put to experiments and otherwise by the humans." She told him, she stood up then fast and put her hands on the desk. "I ordered the Chief to have everyone hide because I wanted everyone to be safe."

Munkus finally relented, "Sit down" He said to her, he was calmer now that she had explained herself. Once Tanith did he turned slightly to me, "Whose this ?" He asked her

I smiled, "I am Tharon, Taniths husband" I said in greeting, I raised a hand to shake, and Munkus took it. He stared at us in awe. For a moment I thought I had done something wrong, but he seemed calm, and confused. No longer angered, he looked between us.

Pointing first to me, then to Tanith he asked. "I was not aware you were married, Tanith." He said to her. "I must admit, it is quite the surprise. Tugger complained, but it makes sense now. You were looking out for us when you had us all hide."

"Tugger seemed quite put out that he had to do so." Tanith told him. I smiled.

Munkus snickered at that. "Yes, Tugger is easy to anger, but he is also calm when the times come for it, a word of advice, dont get on his bad side, things are getting... testy recently."

I nodded, I had that feeling during Boot Camp alone. "I know the feeling, its as if you're waiting for something to happen, for someone to snap and for all hell to break lose." I said thoughtfully

Munkus pointed at me and nodded, "exactly that, Tugger was relaxed, now he's high strung, I think a tussle in the meadow is a good thing for him." Munkus told us, he chuckled "If you want, you can have some fun, but try to not injure, I feel we might need him later down the line." he said.

I smiled, "Dont worry, I'll go easy on him, Sure I might be a former Marine turned airlines pilot, but that doesnt mean I'll fight dirty, I'll keep it civil" I said to Munkus, a smirk in my tone, and yet a genuine smile on my face.

"I'll take it" Munkus said, he looked at me, "Infact if you can help Tugger, teach him in your weaponry" He looked at Tanith, eying carefully her ori staff weapon, and also her kull vambraces on her arms. As well as her swords and knives. Me I only had the kull vambraces, and also the pair of gorgeous swords, and no throwing knives. Munkus poointed at her. "With all those blades, are you a Scout ?"

She shook her head. "Nope, just a ready for anything Marine" She replied to him. She made to stand up. "Is that all we're here for ?" She asked him

"One more thing, when you go out there, have Tugger come in here, I want to ask him something. Tell him something too, what I asked you about teaching him." Munkus said to us both. He turned to me. "A pleasure to meet you Tharon, welcome to the family, I guess"

"Glad to be back with my wife" I replied, once more shaking his hand.

A few minutes later and we met up with Tugger again, with him was the smaller black and white cat man, we were formally introduced. "Tugger" Tanith said, indicating me. "I would like you to meet my husband, Tharon." She looked at me, "Tharon, dear, this is Tugger, with him is Mistoffolees" She introduced me to both catmen.

Tugger eyed me briefly with disdain, but then relented with a soft sigh which grew into a soft smile. He held out a hand, I shook it. "I'm glad to find out that the babe there is married, truth be told, just by looking at you, I dont think I'd be fit to take you in a fair fight." He said to me as we shook hands.

I shook my head at the thought of a fight, "We can spar at the very least, maybe learn from each other." I replied to him, I didnt want to make enemies, not this soon. Tugger, to me felt like the guy I wanted at my side, working together in a fight instead of against each other.

Tugger apparently felt the same way, He nodded. "I'd like that." He indicated the smaller catman, "Like Tanith said, this is Misto"

"I can talk" He said with a smirk, he shook my hand, "Pleasure to meet you. If anything I'm apparently a magic user here, so if you need healing of any kind..."

"If I have to regrow a limb ?" I joked, Misto looked a bit sick but I made it clear I was trying to make a bad joke which fell flat. Tugger however chuckled.

"I hope it doesnt come to that, but if you can retian the original, I can reattach them pretty easily." Misto replied, at lkeast that is what the histories had told of the healing abilities the Furlings possed.

"That reminds me, Tugger" Tanith spoke up, the Coon turned to her.

"Yes ?" He said to her, almost, I could tell, wanting to add the word 'babe' to that question.

"Munkus said he wanted to see you, if you're really intent on being the general your ancestor was, I might have to train you in my weapons of choice." Tanith told him, she smiled, "Though, Munkus said he wanted to talk to you about just that. So you go see him, and maybe we can meet up for dinner."

That said the four of us parted ways for the rest of the morning. Tanith took me to where she had set up her home away from home. It wasnt Long Beach, nor was it, later as she told me, Iota. But it was homey. The structure was two floored, like a poenthouse of a sort.

Stepping through the front door after her Tanith made sure only Claire could get in. Afterwards she took me on the full tour. The first floor of the two floor apartment was a dining area, a large living area, and finally a nice kitchen like section with a small half bathroom comprising of a toilet, at least it had to be a toilet, and a sink. The center of the room was dominated by a stairway that went to the second floor. There was two bedrooms, and a second bathroom

"Nice," I said to her, "Very homey, its not Long Beach though, but it'll do." I said to her. She smiled and the two of us settled on the sofa with a view of the small town below us. We snuggled close. "You have no idea how much I missed coming home and seeing you waiting for me on the sofa." I said to her.

"I always dreaded what might happen on your flights. But then I remembered, you're a delta airlines pilot, a battle trained Marine, I'd worry for the guys that'd try to hijack your plane." She replied as she snuggled close to me, using my chest as a pillow as I held her close. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders "But every night you came home, exausted, and I was there to help you sleep" She had a happy sound in her voice, a trill of some kind. Had to be the cat side of us both as I started purring.

"When that Air Force guy told me you disappeared, I was upset." I said to her. She sat up and looked at me. I smiled, "I am so glad I found you, or was it vice versa ?"

"So, who was it that came to the house ? Only Dom and Mia have our address" Tanith said to me. There was confusion, and worry in her voice and expresssion

"Some guy named Cameron Mitchell, know him ?" I replied, she smirked, "Said you and he worked on a operation when you... got zapped to here" I told her. She laughed. "What ?"

A crack of laughter and Tanith was standing up to get something from the kitchen, it wasnt the best, it wasnt the ritz either, but it would do. "I figured he'd come looking for me, but who gave him the house address ? Dom and Mia are the only two who know it."

"Who exactly is he ?" I asked her, I stood from the sofa, "For that matter, what is that device that you were packed next to ?"

"That my dear, is called a Stargate, a means of instant travel between planets with so much as dialing a phone number. In this case you dial seven star patterns on a device, the stargate connects, or at least tries to. And after that, you easily walk through and show up on the new location"" Tanith explained, she found some cups and got some drinks, "Apparently this place's culture was heavily samurai like, like in those Oriental Adventures Dom liked to run when we werent streetracing, you remember"

"Oh yeah, I remember, being a Samurai was fun with his group and all, but being Puss in Boots was so much easier for me. I could relax quicker, and you always did like to see me shirtless." I said to her, she laughed and handed me the glass of water.

"I'll see if I can find some sake, so far this place has everything else, running water, fully working bathrooms, cups, dishes, the works, its nice enough." She said to me. "Munkus said we could all pick our own rooms, I figured to pick a room that would not just be for me, but for you too"

"Some sake would be nice, yeah. We might have to make it, or can we find it ?" I turned to her, she smiled thoughtfully. That was an entertaining thought to be sure. "This place is like a two floor apartment just waiting to get rented out to a family in Long Beach. Truth be told if we can find something similar to what we had there..." I said in thought.

She held up a finger. "Possible dear one, very possible, this building, and the one across the way, and the one between, so far are the only three structures explored here. Ben is back in the controlroom, and I trust him to do what he said he is here to do." Tanith said to me.

"Track those energy signatures, like how I arrived. How long was I asleep ?" I asked her.

"A good hour since we found you laying there, Ben insisted I not touch you right away, but you have no idea how much I wanted to shriek with join and tackle you in a hug when I saw you" Tanith told me. I had to smile. If it were the other way around I would have done the exact same thing.

I smiled again. "I did say I missed you. I wondered why you hadnt sent me a letter in so long, then I got the letter you sent. How were you able to write that dialect so well without our code book ?" I asked her then, concern on my face.

She went quietly thoughtful, "That's a good question" She replied, She looked at me, "When I wrote it, it felt like second nature, it was the easiest to write in, English was harder"

"That explains why it was so blocky, the dialect was beautiful prose, but the english was blocky, nearly hard to read." I told her.

"Like I said it was like, 'I'll write it in this style, and hope Tharon gets it' so I did and it flowed from pen to paper so quickly, English was harder, I had to really think on how to spell the words" Tanith explained to me.

That made more sense then I cared to admit. I sent to the window wall, the stained glass reminded me of home as the door wall slid open. "This place is beautiful, though I miss the sunsets on the water.," I said simply

"I do too, but fortunately, there is a river not far away we can try to find a place with a view of that ?" She said in reply as she joined me at the doorwall. I looked down to her, and she looked up to me, we were nearly equal height, but she seemed happier that I was there. I knew she was equal height with me though when we were soon barefoot as the sunset so we could go to bed.

We laid staring at the ceiling, for once the two of us alone again, there was no sounds of planes flying in holding patterns overhead, there were no sounds of traffic outside, there was only silence, peaceful silence.

As we laid in bed Tanith spoke, "When I first got here I could only wonder where Cameron and Daniel were. Dont panic dear, I thought of them first because they were last with me when I disappeared." She told me, later explaining that Cameron Mitchell was the guy who came to the door, and Daniel Jackson was his coworker, a civilian doctor of arcaeology

"What would the military need arcaeologiests for ?" I asked. That was a very good question and not an easy one to answer. At least until Tanith said

"Maybe finding out how old this place is ?" She had a point. The structure we were in was old, and yet so prestine and new feeling that it almost felt as if it was just waiting for us to show up.

The best part was, it felt like home. It was almost as if we had never left.